7 Pillars, Live on Battleground Network!
Oct 15, 2019 12:41:24 GMT -5
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Post by silentpartner on Oct 15, 2019 12:41:24 GMT -5
There was an awkward tension in the air as Danny Rizzo and Kaven Drell sat together in the locker room they typically shared with Leela Watts. Her departure from their shared apartment had had different effects on the two of them. While Danny seemed to be out of sorts and concerned about whether or not she was coming back, Kaven had simply continued on as though things were normal. The reality of the situation, though, was that it was Kaven who had stayed up at night waiting for her to return while Danny had gone to sleep, his focus growing more and more on the championship match that would be occurring soon enough.
Her absence, however, was felt by both of them. Neither wanted to be the first to speak. Danny certainly wasn’t going to ask Kaven if he had heard from Leela, and Kaven definitely wasn’t going to ask Danny to reach out to her on his behalf. It was a bit of a stalemate to the detriment of both of them. Drell, having an odd combination of attachment to Leela and everything that encompassed her, had finally settled on a name for their dog, something that seemed to have bothered her that he and Daniel had not done prior to her leaving.
Neither wanted to be the first one to flinch but it was Danny who jumped up from his seat when the door to the locker room they were in opened. Kaven, though he didn’t bound to his feet, did let his gaze be drawn in the direction of the movement, interest and hope clearly seen in his expression. Leela walked into the room. She had been hesitant to even come in here. Both of them had honored her wishes and hadn’t tried to contact her. Which a part of her was disappointed by. Sure she said don’t contact her but what she really meant was. Please tell me I matter and you miss me or something. The silence had killed her. She couldn’t be too mad. They did what she asked. Yet she still wasn’t fully happy they had listened.
Danny was on his feet when she had walked in. Her eyes went from his to Kaven who was staring at her. Well both of them were staring at her. She didn’t really know what to say or to do in this moment so the best thing was to keep it simple.
LEELA WATTS: “Hi…”
Full of nervous energy, Danny approached her and kissed her gently on the cheek.
DANNY RIZZO: “I’m glad you came back. You’re back right?”
Drell continued to stare, searching her eyes silently for the answer. He didn’t need her to say the words, he could tell just be reading her expression what her response to Danny’s question would be. Leela hung her head. She wanted to say yes, but had either one of them really learned anything from her being gone?
LEELA WATTS: “I don’t know Danny… I still feel how I felt when I left. I don’t like feeling that way.”
She looked over to Kaven. Still silent. Which drove her nuts. Danny was the more vocal one between the two always but right now she wished he would say something. So although she spoke to both of them now she looked at him.
LEELA WATTS: “You can’t act like I’m just a means to an end. I’ve literally never done this in my entire life and I’m starting to wonder if it’s because I’m being lied to. Not for the right reasons.”
Staring back at her, he shook his head a little bit disappointed but trying to understand.
KAVEN DRELL: “What end? I have never used you. Never manipulated you. All I have done was to push you to be yourself, and be unashamed of who you are. You shouldn’t revert back to being insecure when you’ve come so far.”
Finally, Kaven stood, and this time it was he who moved toward Leela, stepping in front of Danny to cup her cheek in his hand. Intensely he stared at her and then ever so gently placed a kiss the opposite cheek that Danny had done so.
KAVEN DRELL: “I’ll be waiting when you are ready, as I have been for the past few days.”
Lowering his hand, he turned away from her and returned to the place he had been sitting, leaving silence to fill the room once more. Leela thought about what Kaven said. He was right she had come so far from her past insecurities and here she was letting them get the best of her. She felt better about things but there was still the biggest elephant in the room. She turned back to Danny.
LEELA WATTS: “And you? Do you really hate this as much as you’re acting? Because this was me and you. I love you. I don’t want you to end up hating me because I love Kaven too. I need you to be honest with me. I get you have the Apex Championship to worry about but don’t be like Cosmo. Don’t shut me out over a title.”
He stood frozen for a moment, considering her words. There was a lot he had on his mind. Things that he needed to say, not just to her but to the world. And perhaps he would later on before his match when he had time to himself.
DANNY RIZZO: “I’m fine. Just a lot on my plate is all. I don’t…. I need to focus on this right now. But when tonight is over if you want to talk I’m there. Whenever and wherever.”
That’s not what she wanted to hear. Whenever was a lie. It was more like he was telling her he didn’t have time for her or her feelings right now. It made her sad and she sighed.
LEELA WATTS: “Okay… fine. Good luck tonight. Both of you. I’m gonna go now…”
She was defeated. Reassured by Kaven’s words and Danny she wasn’t sure how to feel about it but she was definitely still going to give them space to focus on what they both had to do tonight. Also to keep thinking about what she said and their place in it all. She placed a kiss on Danny’s cheek before walking over to Kaven and leaning down to do the same for him before she turned around to walk out of the room.
After an exciting string of video packages advertising the upcoming 7 Pillars events, the New York fans in Madison Square Garden are milling about trying to find their seats or rushing to take those last minute concession breaks when "Shake it off" by Amelie causes an explosion of cheers. Leela Watts appears on the stage to a huge ovation as she smiles and waves at the capacity crowd excitedly. Those same cheers swiftly turn to boos, however, when Gia Van Zant comes bursting through the curtain behind her and blasts her in the back with a clubbing forearm. Leela is ejected forwards to tumble down the ramp all the way to ringside with Gia in hot pursuit, and by the time she catches up with her she drags Leela up by the hair of the head and spins while holding on to lift the woman right off the ground and whip her hard into the nearby guardrail. Leela clutches at her ribs as the referee demands that Gia get her in the ring, but Van Zant doesn't seem to care as she pulls her back up and this time whips her spine first right into the apron. Leela crumples as Van Zant finally tosses her in the ring, quickly crawling in to hook her leg and try and take the advantage.
Some loud commands from her now arrived manager, Helena Modani, finally shakes the referee loose from his shock, and he turns to call for the bell and then drops to make the count. Leela kicks out at two, which seems to really incense Gia, who yells at the referee in such a manner that the poor fellow is forced to duck between the ropes for fear of being struck. Eventually Gia turns her attention back to Leela who struggles to get to her feet, and as she comes in with intentions to do more damage she's taken completely by surprise when Leela delivers a High Standing Dropkick that drops her where she stands. Leela looks fired up now as Gia comes up and walks right into two deep arm drags followed by another Drop Kick that knocks her into the nearby corner like a shot gun blast.
Leela wastes little time as she rushes right in at her and leaps to throw both boots out in front of her. They slip right between the middle and top rope so that she's able to nail Gia with a clothesline and then twist off the impact to end up on the apron. Gia stumbles out to the center of the ring and then slow turns towards Leela who springboards all the way up to the top rope and then dives off to nail the woman with a Tornado DDT! The fans go ballistic as Leela rolls her over and goes for a cover, but is only able to get a two before Helena is on the ring apron distracting the ref. Leela looks up from her pin in irritation and gets up to confront the woman but is promptly Schoolboyed from behind by Gia for her efforts. Helena drops off the apron and screams at the ref to turn around, and when he does he slides into position to make the count only for Leela to kick out at two.
Both women are quick to come to their feet but it's Gia who nails Leela with a European Uppercut that knocks her back into the ropes. Gia steps in and takes her by the wrist to send her to the other side, but when she steps to the center to meet her she takes a High Crossbody for her efforts to crush her into the mat with Leela on top of her. The ref only gets a two count before Gia kicks out, and Leela is already back up and pulling Van Zant with her. She goes to send her into the ropes but Gia reverses to send her instead, and when she returns she finds herself caught with a vicious back elbow. Van Zant pulls Leela up by the hair and yells disparaging remarks in her face before booting her in the gut to double her over and then yanks her head forwards to tuck between her legs. She lifts her up in Powerbomb position, but as soon as Leela's up she starts hammering right hands into the woman's skull to disrupt her thought.
Suddenly Leela places both hands on the top of Van Zant's head and pushes up while spinning her lower body and now finds herself sitting on the back of Gia's neck and shoulders. Blowing a kiss to the crowd, Leela snaps backwards for a Poisoned Frankensteiner she calls the Leela Bomb. Helena comes up on the apron immediately for a distraction, but it's short lived, as Leela snaps off the canvas and nails her with a running forearm that ejects her from the apron to come crashing against the steel guardrail at ringside. Leela quickly spins around and falls on top of Van Zant as the referee counts 1, 2, 3! The fans go absolutely nuts as Leela springs up and allows the ref to lift her arm in victory. She quickly rushes the far corner and leaps to the second turnbuckle, throwing her hands over head as she is announced as the new #1 Contender to the Unleashed Championship! The camera lingers on Leela's smiling face before slowly cutting into the opening segment.
Some loud commands from her now arrived manager, Helena Modani, finally shakes the referee loose from his shock, and he turns to call for the bell and then drops to make the count. Leela kicks out at two, which seems to really incense Gia, who yells at the referee in such a manner that the poor fellow is forced to duck between the ropes for fear of being struck. Eventually Gia turns her attention back to Leela who struggles to get to her feet, and as she comes in with intentions to do more damage she's taken completely by surprise when Leela delivers a High Standing Dropkick that drops her where she stands. Leela looks fired up now as Gia comes up and walks right into two deep arm drags followed by another Drop Kick that knocks her into the nearby corner like a shot gun blast.
Leela wastes little time as she rushes right in at her and leaps to throw both boots out in front of her. They slip right between the middle and top rope so that she's able to nail Gia with a clothesline and then twist off the impact to end up on the apron. Gia stumbles out to the center of the ring and then slow turns towards Leela who springboards all the way up to the top rope and then dives off to nail the woman with a Tornado DDT! The fans go ballistic as Leela rolls her over and goes for a cover, but is only able to get a two before Helena is on the ring apron distracting the ref. Leela looks up from her pin in irritation and gets up to confront the woman but is promptly Schoolboyed from behind by Gia for her efforts. Helena drops off the apron and screams at the ref to turn around, and when he does he slides into position to make the count only for Leela to kick out at two.
Both women are quick to come to their feet but it's Gia who nails Leela with a European Uppercut that knocks her back into the ropes. Gia steps in and takes her by the wrist to send her to the other side, but when she steps to the center to meet her she takes a High Crossbody for her efforts to crush her into the mat with Leela on top of her. The ref only gets a two count before Gia kicks out, and Leela is already back up and pulling Van Zant with her. She goes to send her into the ropes but Gia reverses to send her instead, and when she returns she finds herself caught with a vicious back elbow. Van Zant pulls Leela up by the hair and yells disparaging remarks in her face before booting her in the gut to double her over and then yanks her head forwards to tuck between her legs. She lifts her up in Powerbomb position, but as soon as Leela's up she starts hammering right hands into the woman's skull to disrupt her thought.
Suddenly Leela places both hands on the top of Van Zant's head and pushes up while spinning her lower body and now finds herself sitting on the back of Gia's neck and shoulders. Blowing a kiss to the crowd, Leela snaps backwards for a Poisoned Frankensteiner she calls the Leela Bomb. Helena comes up on the apron immediately for a distraction, but it's short lived, as Leela snaps off the canvas and nails her with a running forearm that ejects her from the apron to come crashing against the steel guardrail at ringside. Leela quickly spins around and falls on top of Van Zant as the referee counts 1, 2, 3! The fans go absolutely nuts as Leela springs up and allows the ref to lift her arm in victory. She quickly rushes the far corner and leaps to the second turnbuckle, throwing her hands over head as she is announced as the new #1 Contender to the Unleashed Championship! The camera lingers on Leela's smiling face before slowly cutting into the opening segment.
Winner via Pinfall and #1 Contender to the Unleashed Championship: LEELA WATTS
'Unstoppable' by The Score's beat suddenly opens as the scene fades to a moment from Blitz#21 as Moxie James stands in the center of the ring awaiting her opportunity at the UnYielding Championship as Danny Rizzo makes his way out onto the stage to make history. A sound bite cuts through the music as still images of the night flash across the screen.
DANNY RIZZO: It means nothing.
Almost as if in slow motion his fingers relinquish their grasp on the belt and it crashes to the ground. The moment it makes its impact time seems to speed back up and Rizzo continues his address.
DANNY RIZZO: It’s little more than a prop. A physical representation of the one who bears it. It’s not the belt that is UnYielding, but rather it is the champion who is. Or, rather, should be. And what I’ve come to know is that that championship belt is beneath me. I’ve given it relevance. I’ve given it purpose. I’ve made it meaningful because when it was held by me, NOBODY could take it from me.
The shot closes in on a replay of the UnYielding Title clattering to the stage one more time before fading into a shot later on in that same nights Main Event...
LO: DANNY RIZZO CAME THROUGH THE CROWD AND JUMPED CALLUM FROM BEHIND AND JUST TOPPLED HIM RIGHT OVER THE TOP ROPE!
KO: AND KAVEN DRELL IS LOVING IT! HE JUST KEEPS ON CLAPPING!
LO: Rizzo sliding out to grab Callum whose halfway up to his feet, and GETS HIM BY THE SCRUFF OF THE NECK ONLY TO RUN HIM HEAD FIRST INTO THE STEEL RING STEPS!
KO: Callum might have been pissed at Devlin, but he's no where near full capacity after the fight that those two just had! Danny Rizzo has chosen his moment, and he's having his way with the Apex Champion!
LO: Rizzo now separating the steps and hoisting the top portion over his head...Callum barely able to get to his feet...AND DANNY RIZZO JUST TOOK HIS FREAKIN HEAD OFF WITH THE STEEL!
Danny tosses the top steps off to the side as Callum looks up into the camera to reveal that he too has now been busted wide open. His face quickly turns into a crimson mask as Danny moves in to do more damage, but is suddenly surrounded by men in Security vests who tackle the man and pin him next to the ring apron. All the while Kaven Drell continues his clapping, his dark laughter echoing through the arena from some unseen source. As Danny is pulled away and EMT's rush down to the ring to check on both Callum and Devlin, he kicks and flails to try and get free to continue his work. The camera manages to pick up some of his screams.
DANNY RIZZO: I TOLD YOU! I TOLD THEM ALL! COSMO NEVER FACED ME! KATYA GOT DESTROYED! I AM UNYIELDING, CHRIS! I AM FUCKING UNYIELDING!
The scene fades into Blitz#22 as the Apex Champion takes on the challenger head to head in a non-title match.
Both men clamor with fans, chairs, and the guardrail to try and get back to their feet, but Danny's up first. He delivers a right hand to a rising Callum which knocks him into the laps of more fans, but they helpfully push him off and back into the fight to deliver a right of his own. Security begins to make its way around to try and thin out the fans from the two competitors, leaving Callum an opportunity to deliver a short clothesline to Danny that sends him flipping backwards over the first row of chairs into the second. Callum steps up onto a chair to follow but takes a boot to the gut from a Danny, whose lying on his back, and it lays the Apex Champion low. Meanwhile, back in the ring the referee's count is at eight, and the fans begin to pick up the count.
LO: Rizzo getting to his feet and he's looking around now, realizing how close he is to being counted out!
KO: He's moving to get back over into the front row..BUT CALLUM CATCHES HIM BY THE BACK OF HIS TIGHTS! PULLS HIM BACK IN...OH MY GOD!
LO: RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX INTO THE FOURTH FREAKIN ROW!
Fans bowl over as Rizzo collides into them just as the bell rings. Callum looks over his shoulder in confusion as the referee signals that both men have been counted out. The bell sounds and he curses under his breath as the crowd begins to gather again to pat him on the back.
RING ANNOUNCER: This match has been declared a NO CONTEST, as BOTH men have been COUNTED OUT!
Callum shakes his head and then turns back in the direction he had sent Rizzo flying only to see The Risen standing on the back of two chairs in the fourth row. His eyes go wide as Danny dives over the third row back to the second, extending his knee and driving it into The Eternal's face. Callum crashes over the front row seats while Rizzo lands on them painfully, and both men lie in a heap once again in the front row.
LO: GOOD GOD!
KO: WARRIORS CALL FROM THE FOURTH ROW!
LO: This didn't settle anything! How can these two expect to compete at 7 Pillars in a title match if they can't finish here...
KO: I don't know...but it's going to be awesome. Finally! The UnYielding versus The Apex!
Kenneth Othello's words echo through the speakers as the scene takes a different direction, this time cutting to the back to Blitz#21 where Dugan Callahan stands in front of a fuming Moxie James.
DUGAN CALLAHAN: Well you see, we’ve been open for a year since Honor Bound, and that allows for us to start thinking about the future and doing annual shows. We got one coming up that we did last year where we were in a similar predicament, so I say we just recreate the magic…
MOXIE JAMES: What the hell are you talking about old man?
Dugan takes the slight in stride and shrugs his shoulders before continuing.
DUGAN CALLAHAN: A 7 Pillars Gauntlet Match to determine the NEW UnYielding Champion!
Moxie stares holes through him while Rodney lifts his hand up to his chin in contemplation.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Great! It’s settled then! Who’s up for some soft serve ice cream? I spent some of our production budget on a soft serve machine. It’s right over here.
He gets up and demonstrates how they hollowed out one of the editing suites to make room for the soft serve ice cream machine. Francis fires it up and looks giddily over at Dugan and Moxie. Rodney closes his eyes as if to shut out the absurdity. Moxie shakes her head at the entire scene, and then turns her dark eyes back to Dugan with an exasperated expression.
MOXIE JAMES: And what the hell does that mean for me, exactly?
DUGAN CALLAHAN: That means that since you won the opportunity to face the champion, then you’ll be our guaranteed 7th participant in the match. Think about that for just a minute. Whoever makes it to the end to face you will have potentially gone through six other matches. You’ll have the clear advantage.
The camera freezes on Moxie's face as she stares hard at the camera and the other members of the gauntlet begin to appear in her eyes as reflections starting with Katya all the way to Zachariah Krahe & Indi Rhyder before the camera view rushes forward right into her face which quickly turns into a shot of the 7 Pillars banner!
DANNY RIZZO: It means nothing.
Almost as if in slow motion his fingers relinquish their grasp on the belt and it crashes to the ground. The moment it makes its impact time seems to speed back up and Rizzo continues his address.
DANNY RIZZO: It’s little more than a prop. A physical representation of the one who bears it. It’s not the belt that is UnYielding, but rather it is the champion who is. Or, rather, should be. And what I’ve come to know is that that championship belt is beneath me. I’ve given it relevance. I’ve given it purpose. I’ve made it meaningful because when it was held by me, NOBODY could take it from me.
The shot closes in on a replay of the UnYielding Title clattering to the stage one more time before fading into a shot later on in that same nights Main Event...
LO: DANNY RIZZO CAME THROUGH THE CROWD AND JUMPED CALLUM FROM BEHIND AND JUST TOPPLED HIM RIGHT OVER THE TOP ROPE!
KO: AND KAVEN DRELL IS LOVING IT! HE JUST KEEPS ON CLAPPING!
LO: Rizzo sliding out to grab Callum whose halfway up to his feet, and GETS HIM BY THE SCRUFF OF THE NECK ONLY TO RUN HIM HEAD FIRST INTO THE STEEL RING STEPS!
KO: Callum might have been pissed at Devlin, but he's no where near full capacity after the fight that those two just had! Danny Rizzo has chosen his moment, and he's having his way with the Apex Champion!
LO: Rizzo now separating the steps and hoisting the top portion over his head...Callum barely able to get to his feet...AND DANNY RIZZO JUST TOOK HIS FREAKIN HEAD OFF WITH THE STEEL!
Danny tosses the top steps off to the side as Callum looks up into the camera to reveal that he too has now been busted wide open. His face quickly turns into a crimson mask as Danny moves in to do more damage, but is suddenly surrounded by men in Security vests who tackle the man and pin him next to the ring apron. All the while Kaven Drell continues his clapping, his dark laughter echoing through the arena from some unseen source. As Danny is pulled away and EMT's rush down to the ring to check on both Callum and Devlin, he kicks and flails to try and get free to continue his work. The camera manages to pick up some of his screams.
DANNY RIZZO: I TOLD YOU! I TOLD THEM ALL! COSMO NEVER FACED ME! KATYA GOT DESTROYED! I AM UNYIELDING, CHRIS! I AM FUCKING UNYIELDING!
The scene fades into Blitz#22 as the Apex Champion takes on the challenger head to head in a non-title match.
Both men clamor with fans, chairs, and the guardrail to try and get back to their feet, but Danny's up first. He delivers a right hand to a rising Callum which knocks him into the laps of more fans, but they helpfully push him off and back into the fight to deliver a right of his own. Security begins to make its way around to try and thin out the fans from the two competitors, leaving Callum an opportunity to deliver a short clothesline to Danny that sends him flipping backwards over the first row of chairs into the second. Callum steps up onto a chair to follow but takes a boot to the gut from a Danny, whose lying on his back, and it lays the Apex Champion low. Meanwhile, back in the ring the referee's count is at eight, and the fans begin to pick up the count.
LO: Rizzo getting to his feet and he's looking around now, realizing how close he is to being counted out!
KO: He's moving to get back over into the front row..BUT CALLUM CATCHES HIM BY THE BACK OF HIS TIGHTS! PULLS HIM BACK IN...OH MY GOD!
LO: RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX INTO THE FOURTH FREAKIN ROW!
Fans bowl over as Rizzo collides into them just as the bell rings. Callum looks over his shoulder in confusion as the referee signals that both men have been counted out. The bell sounds and he curses under his breath as the crowd begins to gather again to pat him on the back.
RING ANNOUNCER: This match has been declared a NO CONTEST, as BOTH men have been COUNTED OUT!
Callum shakes his head and then turns back in the direction he had sent Rizzo flying only to see The Risen standing on the back of two chairs in the fourth row. His eyes go wide as Danny dives over the third row back to the second, extending his knee and driving it into The Eternal's face. Callum crashes over the front row seats while Rizzo lands on them painfully, and both men lie in a heap once again in the front row.
LO: GOOD GOD!
KO: WARRIORS CALL FROM THE FOURTH ROW!
LO: This didn't settle anything! How can these two expect to compete at 7 Pillars in a title match if they can't finish here...
KO: I don't know...but it's going to be awesome. Finally! The UnYielding versus The Apex!
Kenneth Othello's words echo through the speakers as the scene takes a different direction, this time cutting to the back to Blitz#21 where Dugan Callahan stands in front of a fuming Moxie James.
DUGAN CALLAHAN: Well you see, we’ve been open for a year since Honor Bound, and that allows for us to start thinking about the future and doing annual shows. We got one coming up that we did last year where we were in a similar predicament, so I say we just recreate the magic…
MOXIE JAMES: What the hell are you talking about old man?
Dugan takes the slight in stride and shrugs his shoulders before continuing.
DUGAN CALLAHAN: A 7 Pillars Gauntlet Match to determine the NEW UnYielding Champion!
Moxie stares holes through him while Rodney lifts his hand up to his chin in contemplation.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Great! It’s settled then! Who’s up for some soft serve ice cream? I spent some of our production budget on a soft serve machine. It’s right over here.
He gets up and demonstrates how they hollowed out one of the editing suites to make room for the soft serve ice cream machine. Francis fires it up and looks giddily over at Dugan and Moxie. Rodney closes his eyes as if to shut out the absurdity. Moxie shakes her head at the entire scene, and then turns her dark eyes back to Dugan with an exasperated expression.
MOXIE JAMES: And what the hell does that mean for me, exactly?
DUGAN CALLAHAN: That means that since you won the opportunity to face the champion, then you’ll be our guaranteed 7th participant in the match. Think about that for just a minute. Whoever makes it to the end to face you will have potentially gone through six other matches. You’ll have the clear advantage.
The camera freezes on Moxie's face as she stares hard at the camera and the other members of the gauntlet begin to appear in her eyes as reflections starting with Katya all the way to Zachariah Krahe & Indi Rhyder before the camera view rushes forward right into her face which quickly turns into a shot of the 7 Pillars banner!
The official theme song, 'Unstoppable' by The Score begins again as pyro begins to explode all over the stage, ending with one big crescendo that is nearly drowned out by the screams of the capacity crowd. The camera pulls back from the pyrotechnics to a wide shot of Madison Square Garden, and the people go absolutely nuts at the sight of themselves on the big screen above the single tunnel leading somewhere into the bowels of the arena. There are signs and T-shirts for all the superstars that permeate the crowd, and some for the event and the Valor Pro brand itself. The camera comes back to center on the 7 Pillars logo but then quickly shifts around to take on a POV position staring at the ring. It rushes forward, lifts to clear the ropes, and continues until finally coming to rest on an overly excited Othello Brothers, complete in their rent-a-tuxes!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: Welcome everyone to the jam packed Madison Square Garden Arena right here in New York, New York! Welcome everyone to 7 Pillars!
KENNETH OTHELLO: I am Kenneth Othello, and the lead in was done by Laurence Othello, and together we are...
TOGETHER: THE OTHELLO BROTHERS!
LO: Folks, we are so proud to bring to you another great Valor Pro PPV event and it is chock full of great match ups for your viewing pleasure!
KO: The Gauntlet is back baby!
LO: That's right Ken, seven superstars will go head to head until there is only one left atop the mountain and that person will be crowned the new UnYielding Champion!
KO: And if that wasn't enough, we are finally going to see The UnYielding take on The Apex to find out who will walk out the ultimate champion!
LO: Aokigahara Zombie will defend his Unleashed Championship against The Fury, Tommy Crimson, in a Barbed Wire Deathmatch!
KO: We already saw just moments ago in our Preshow that Leela Watts is the #1 Contender to that title, and you have to believe that she'll be watching closely at the monitor.
LO: I think a lot of people are going to be watching closely in that one, as I'm sure it's primed to be a bloodbath!
KO: And we've got guests tonight, Laur! The Union Underground Battalion Champions, Hellcat Spangled Death Squad, will take on our Chimera Tag Team Champions, Dead End Friends, in a special inter-promotional match!
LO: And you know what....I'm done talking about this show. It's too freakin' Hot to wait! What do you say we get right into our first match?
KO: What have you done with my tag partner? It's like you're a new man since we crossed into the states!
LO: If you're saying I'm the kind of man that wants to see two oriental ladies do battle in the center of that ring, then yes...I am all new!
KO: Wow. You basically just described one of my deepest fantasies...
LO: Well fantasize no more, Ken! Cause it's up next!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: Welcome everyone to the jam packed Madison Square Garden Arena right here in New York, New York! Welcome everyone to 7 Pillars!
KENNETH OTHELLO: I am Kenneth Othello, and the lead in was done by Laurence Othello, and together we are...
TOGETHER: THE OTHELLO BROTHERS!
LO: Folks, we are so proud to bring to you another great Valor Pro PPV event and it is chock full of great match ups for your viewing pleasure!
KO: The Gauntlet is back baby!
LO: That's right Ken, seven superstars will go head to head until there is only one left atop the mountain and that person will be crowned the new UnYielding Champion!
KO: And if that wasn't enough, we are finally going to see The UnYielding take on The Apex to find out who will walk out the ultimate champion!
LO: Aokigahara Zombie will defend his Unleashed Championship against The Fury, Tommy Crimson, in a Barbed Wire Deathmatch!
KO: We already saw just moments ago in our Preshow that Leela Watts is the #1 Contender to that title, and you have to believe that she'll be watching closely at the monitor.
LO: I think a lot of people are going to be watching closely in that one, as I'm sure it's primed to be a bloodbath!
KO: And we've got guests tonight, Laur! The Union Underground Battalion Champions, Hellcat Spangled Death Squad, will take on our Chimera Tag Team Champions, Dead End Friends, in a special inter-promotional match!
LO: And you know what....I'm done talking about this show. It's too freakin' Hot to wait! What do you say we get right into our first match?
KO: What have you done with my tag partner? It's like you're a new man since we crossed into the states!
LO: If you're saying I'm the kind of man that wants to see two oriental ladies do battle in the center of that ring, then yes...I am all new!
KO: Wow. You basically just described one of my deepest fantasies...
LO: Well fantasize no more, Ken! Cause it's up next!
RING ANNOUNCER: The following contest is a grudge match that is scheduled for one fall or submission....
The lights begin to flash red and purple with the opening rhythm of 'Horns' by Bryce Fox as smoke fills the stage. A silk black scarf swirls on the Big Screen above until unraveling to reveal the words 'LADY MUNIN'. Just when the vocals kick in Munin appears in the smoke walking in a measured balance of dangerous and sex appeal. She's wearing a black robe wrapped around her tiny frame, stilletto heels making her about three inches taller than she actually is. Her exotic eyes take in the capacity crowd in front of her and the low rumble from the New Yorker's can be heard building as she allows a coy smile to cross her bright red lips before making her way down the ramp with confidence that seems to radiate out from her.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot three and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Purity, Louisiana...She is the first Lady of the wrestling industry....LADDYYY MUNNNIINNN!!
When Munin reaches ringside she moves towards the steps and climbs them, coming to a pause before turning to lean against the cold steel of the post just so she can enjoy a few more moments with the fans at ringside. She slowly slides across the ropes until coming to the middle of the apron, and then swings herself into the ring fluidly while stepping forward and yanking the robe free to reveal her black and purple ring gear. The fans give her a mixed reaction as she turns to look back over her shoulder at where Siberia will be coming next.
LO: This will be the first time Lady Munin has actually been officially back in the ring in nearly five years, and I have to say...she looks to be in great shape...
KO: I won't lie, Laur...I got a big gulp there when she came out, and now that she's standing here in the ring it's hard to believe she's actually here.
LO: After running her own promotion in Purity, Lousiana, Pure Amusement Wrestling, Munin took some time off until showing up here in VPW last year with Zachariah Krahe, an associate of sorts.
KO: And it was during one of his feuds that she got thrown off the side of a building, cracking ribs and breaking her wrist...but that was seven months ago and she is here looking to take some revenge against one of those perpetrators...
Before either announcer can continue they are suddenly cut off by the lights going low and the sound of shuffling feet coming across the PA System. The big screen flickers to light and a horde of Zombies march towards the screen until being consumed by the bodies, and at their center reads 'ZOMBIE CLAN'! In the background the soaring winds of 'Wanli' by Hyukoh can be heard and when the guitar instrumental begins Siberia bursts through the curtain causing the lights to come back to full. She doesn't bother stopping on the stage, instead stalking straight ahead and down the ramp. She wears her patented Warring Dragons silk robe, and her face speaks that business has picked up.
RING ANNOUNCER: And introducing her opponent, representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot six and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Siberia, Russia....She is the SIBERIAN BUZZSAW....SIBERIA ZOMMBBIEEE!!
Zombie reaches the end of the ramp and finally comes to a stop where she shimmy's out of her robe while keeping her eyes locked with Munin. It's at that moment that The Lady bursts into motion, soaring right through the top and middle rope and crashing into Siberia who has just got her arms free.
LO: OH MY GOD! LADY MUNIN WITH A SUICIDE DIVE RIGHT THROUGH THE ROPES, AND NOW SHE IS ON TOP OF SIBERIA IN THE RAMP WAY AND IS BEATING THE HELL OUT OF HER!
KO: WHOOOO!! I knew this would spill over, but I honestly thought the bell would sound first!
LO: Siberia has managed to get her boot between herself and Munin and JUST SHOVES THE WOMAN BACK SO THAT SHE GOES SPINE FIRST INTO THE RING APRON!
KO: The Buzzsaw is back on her feet now, and wades in with Shoot Kicks right to Munin's chest....
LO: Munin looks dazed as Siberia takes a step back and goes for a SUPERKICK! NO! MUNIN SLID OUT OF THE WAY AND SIBERIA'S FOOT SLIPPED UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE TO REST ON THE APRON....OH!
KO: MUNIN WITH A STRAIGHT KICK RIGHT TO ZOMBIE'S KNEE AND NOW SIBERIA IS HOBBLING AWAY!
LO: Not for long! Munin already coming in from behind her to get a fistful of hair and RUNS HER FACE FIRST INTO THE STEEL RING POST!
Siberia hits with enough force that she spins around to land on the concrete on the other side of the post, and Munin rounds the corner to lay a stomp into the back of the woman's skull as she tries to rise. The fans are on their feet with excitement as Munin reaches down and yanks Zombie to her feet and then moves to whip her hard towards the guard rail only for Siberia to reverse at the last minute. The Lady slams into the steel and moves them a few feet upon impact and doesn't even get the chance to respond before Siberia comes rushing in with a Spin Wheel Kick that takes both ladies up and over into the front row!
LO: Both competitors out in the crowd and slowly starting to rise...Siberia with the advantage here laying in some hard right hands followed by a Palm Thrust to the chest that knocks Munin back!
KO: SIBERIA WITH ANOTHER SUPERKICK ATTEMPT BUT MUNIN CATCHES HER FOOT! WHAT'S SHE ABOUT TO DO....THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ROOM FOR THIS! AHH!!
LO: SNAP DRAGON LEG WHIP TWISTS UP SIBERIA'S KNEE BUT ALSO SENT HER HURTLING BACK FIRST INTO THE GUARD RAIL!
KO: Munin now coming to her feet and pulling Siberia up with her...just lifted her leg so that it's draped across the barrier....AND STARTS KICKING AWAY AT THE WOMAN'S KNEE WHILE IT'S JAMMED BETWEEN THE STEEL!
Siberia lets out a howl of pain as her leg is ravaged by the First Lady of Wrestling, until finally Munin relents and delivers a Spinning Back Fist that sends Siberia flopping over the guard rail and back into ringside. Munin hops the barrier and pulls Siberia up, finally tossing her into the ring and following behind. Santiago moves in to stop Munin from proceeding any further so that he can check on the Zombie, but one look from the woman sends him skittering away and he signals for the bell.
LO: Well, I guess this match is officially underway now, but the damage may have been done. Both ladies took some major licks on the outside, but I believe Siberia may have gotten the worse of it.
KO: Yeah, and now Munin is pulling her up to her feet...AND WHOA! SIBERIA KNOCKS MUNIN'S HANDS AWAY...AND A SUPERKICK FINALLY FINDS IT'S MARK AND SENDS MUNIN CRASHING TO THE MAT!
Siberia momentarily drops beside her grabbing at her bum knee, but is back on her feet quickly. Munin rolls and grabs the ropes to help her up as well, but when she looks up Siberia is already wading in with rights and lefts and kicks. Munin finds herself trapped by the ropes and so has no other choice but to try and cover up and counter as she's pummeled by the Zombie. The exchange comes to an abrupt end when Siberia delivers a sudden Spinning Roundhouse Kick to the gut that doubles The Lady over and has her clutching her midsection. Siberia clamps her arms around Munin's head for a Headlock but doesn't remain there for long, instead rushing forward with the head still trapped to leap out and drive her face first into the canvas with her own falling momentum.
LO: RUNNING BULLDOG BY SIBERIA TO MUNIN, and now shoots the half to get the woman onto her back for a cover...
1...
2...
KO: Kick Out at two, and Siberia now climbing ontop of Munin and FIRING IN PISTON LIKE RIGHT HANDS INTO THE WOMAN'S SKULL!
LO: Bad blood has boiled over here from the very start and now Siberia is giving Munin a receipt for how the match began!
Siberia eventually gets to her feet and drags Munin up with her, delivering a headbutt that sends The Lady falling back into the nearby corner. Siberia moves in on her and delivers a loud chop that echoes through the arena and elicits a 'Woooo' from the crowd. She hits another, and still another, before taking Munin by the wrist and shooting her to the opposite side. Siberia charges to follow her in, but when Munin reaches the corner she leaps up to the second, then to the top, and cuts a back flip that sees her soar right up and over Siberia as she passes. Munin lands on her feet and Siberia is forced to put on the brakes before striking the corner, but when she spins around she's caught with a High Standing Dropkick that sends her slamming back into the turnbuckles. Munin comes back up to her feet and charges in with a short Spear that cuts Siberia in half, and then remains lowered to begin delivering repeated shoulder thrusts to the Zombie's midsection.
KO: Munin now has Siberia hemmed up in the corner, OH! Siberia with a Knee Lift during one of those thrusts cuts Munin off and sends her stumbling back...
LO: Siberia now hops to the second turnbuckle and dives off with a clothesline...COUNTERED BY A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE FACE BY MUNIN!
KO: So far Munin has come up with an answer for everything that Zombie has thrown at her, and now has the woman up and shoves her back into that same corner...
LO: LETHAL kicks to Siberia's body and now spin into a Jumping Chin Kick that snaps her head back! Munin puts some distance between herself and Zombie, and now spins around and charges back in for another Spear...
KO: NO! ZOMBIE SHOVED HERSELF UP ONTO THE TOP ROPE AND LIFTED HER LEGS AND MUNIN WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND TOP ROPE TO STRIKE HER SHOULDER AGAINST THE STEEL RING POST!
Munin grabs at her shoulder in shock and pain as Siberia slides down behind her, hooks her around the waist and helps to dislodge her from the ropes. This isn't out of the goodness of her heart, however, as once free she Brings the woman soaring overhead with a German Suplex which she bridges into a pin attempt.
1...
2...
LO: An emphatic kick out by Munin there but again, that German dropped her right down across that shoulder that just struck the post...and Oh Boy! Zombie is up and smells blood in the water!
Munin starts to rise but is met by a Buzzsaw like kick right to the shoulder that sends her scooting across the mat in pain. She tries to rise a second time, but again Siberia is there with her vicious feet to drive The Lady back to the canvas. On the third attempt, Siberia actually allows her to rise, but as soon as she's vertical takes her by the bad arm, performs a single Dragon Twist and then pulls her in to drop for an Arm Breaker right across her chest!
KO: Munin really grabbing at that entire side in pain now as Zombie moves back up to her feet and lays in a few well placed stomps to the shoulder that has Munin sliding towards the ropes.
LO: The Lady now dragging herself up to her feet and Siberia takes her by the wrist and whips her to the far side only for Munin to return RIGHT INTO A HIP ATTACK THAT DROPS HER WHERE SHE STANDS!
Siberia looks around the stadium as they come to their feet after the move and she nods as she turns to Munin who struggles to get up to her knees. Her nods become almost full blown convulsions as Munin is in perfect position now, and she starts firing away with shoot kicks that have The Lady rocking back and forth like a nursery chair. The crowd begin to count along and just as they reach nine, Siberia drops a step back, winds up, and swings her right legs for the fences with a roundhouse kick. Unfortunately for her, Munin ducks her head and Siberia's boot sails harmlessly overhead. By the time she stops her momentum she's off balance, and when she turns around she turns right around into a Jaw Breaker from The Lady that sends her sprawling backwards.
LO: Siberia didn't go all the way down, instead falling against the middle rope and she bounces back...RIGHT INTO A CRANE KICK THAT CATCHES HER UNDER THE CHIN!
KO: Lady Munin done went Daniel San on her ass!
LO: Yeah, but Ken, this isn't Karate Kid, and Siberia looks like she might be unconscious as Munin drops and hooks the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THREe-NO! Siberia muscles her shoulder up at two and three quarters, and this one continues!
Munin doesn't look amused as she yanks Siberia up by the hair of the head and then proceeds to deliver a palm thrust that causes Siberia's eyes to bulge wide out of her skull, followed up by a lightening fast strike to her right rib cage, then another to her left. Siberia is literally on tippy-toes as she struggles to find breath in the center of the ring and Munin seems to find some sick delight at the sight as she continues through the combo by spinning in a full rotation before dropping low and driving her elbow with every ounce of force she has right below the woman's navel. Siberia seems to almost shrink in on herself as she hits the mat, a quivering mound of flesh as Munin looks to the corner to finish up. She gets a few cheers as she steps through to the apron and makes her way up to the top turnbuckle. Once perched, she looks down on Siberia who still clutches at her rattled midsection and doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
LO: Munin admiring her handy work here, but may be taking a little too much time...
KO: She's just savoring the moment, Laur. You know...like a lifesaver candy...
LO: Whatever you say cause here she goes for a corkscrew on the top rope and now springs backwards into a Moonsault Double Foot Stomp she calls Twisted Justice..NO!
KO: SIBERIA MOVED! Munin hits the mat with both feet but rolls with the momentum to break her fall....comes up to her feet and turns to charge RIGHT INTO A SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE BY SIBERIA!
LO: Munin hits the mat and comes back up and ANOTHER ONE SENDS HER CRASHING BACK DOWN!
Siberia falls to her knees near the ropes to try and find some recovery as Munin rolls around on the mat clutching at her shattered jaw. Both women get a chant going that seems to breathe new life into the Zombie.
LO: These fans are just echoing what we all feel after that exchange, and now it's back to square one as Siberia pushes off the ropes and Munin starts to get back to her feet...
KO: Here comes Siberia on Munin, but OH! FOREARM TO THE GUT CUTS HER OFF! Munin now pushes all the way up and comes firing in with a right, BUT IT'S BLOCKED BY ZOMBIE!
LO: Siberia firing back in with a right of her own and follows up with a clothesline but Munin ducks it!
KO: Siberia spins around RIGHT INTO A PELE KICK THAT DROPS HER BACK INTO THE ROPES! She bounces back and Munin delivers a boot to the midsection to double her over, and moves in for a DDT...
LO: NO! SIBERIA WITH A NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX BUT CAN'T MAINTAIN THE BRIDGE! Both women coming up to their feet and Munin with another high kick towards the face but Zombie ducks under and RESPONDS WITH A HUGE ROUNDHOUSE KICK THAT KNOCKS MUNIN SILLY AND SENDS HER TUMBLING RIGHT THROUGH THE ROPES TO THE CONCRETE BELOW!
KO: Yeah, but Siberia just went down to one knee.....man....this match is taking its toll on both of these ladies and it's one hard hit after the other!
Siberia's head lifts to watch as Munin claws at the apron to get back to her feet and she pushes up to her own only to fall back into the ropes for spring. When she comes rushing back across the ring she launches herself through the ropes in a Suicide Dive, but she puts her arms out in front of her to use her momentum to shove Munin backwards while landing on her feet. Munin slingshots into the barricade, banging her bad shoulder against the steel. Munin lets out a whimper of pain as she starts to slide down the guardrail but Siberia doesn't give her the chance, instead tossing her back into the ring and following close behind for a pin.
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO! Munin somehow managing to get the shoulder up despite it causing her no limit of discomfort...
KO: Siberia now pulling her up to her feet and feeds the bad arm behind her back into a hammerlock, and THEN SCOOP SLAMS HER DOWN ONTO THE INJURED SHOULDER!
Siberia looks down at The Lady as she writhes on the canvas clutching at her injury, and there is a moment of sympathy that washes over her. It only lasts for a second before she reaches down to help her back to her feet only to send a front kick into her chest that sends her stumbling back into the corner.
LO: Munin almost looks to be at Siberia's mercy as The Buzzsaw comes wading in...OH! I might have spoke to soon as Munin just fired out of the corner with a stiff kick to the gut...another one...
KO: Siberia forced to beg off, AND HERE COMES MUNIN WITH A SUNSET FLIP THAT DRIVES HER TO THE CANVAS FOR A SURPRISE PIN!
1...
2...
LO: THREe-NO! Siberia able to kick out, and both ladies coming back to their feet...Here comes Siberia for a wild swing but Munin ducks it!
KO: Siberia spins around and WALKS RIGHT INTO A JUMPING KNEE THAT CATCHES HER JUST UNDER THE CHIN!
LO: Siberia is wobbily here as she stumbles around but Munin has a bead on her, and RUNNING FLYING KNEE RIGHT TO THE JAW SENDS HER THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN TO THE CANVAS!
KO: Munin isn't wasting any motion here...she continues on over to the nearby corner, hops up to the second, now to the top....SPLIT LEGGED MOONSAULT CRUSHES ZOMBIE TO THE MAT!
LO: She's hooking the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THREE-NO! Siberia pushes out and now both ladies are just lying there sucking wind while the referee steps in to start a count!
The count drones on as both ladies begin crawling in opposite directions towards the ropes. Both are able to pull themselves up by the count of seven, though Munin is a step quicker...She rushes at Siberia, who is still draped across her side of the ropes, and she uses them for leverage when she swings both feet up to jam her boots right into Munin's injured shoulder. Munin drops to her knee clutching at the wound and Siberia uses that brief reprieve to haul off and Soccer Punt her in the same spot which sends her down to the mat cradling the arm.
LO: Siberia viciously pulling Munin off the mat by the injured arm and now drives an elbow right into the insertion of where elbow meets forearm to send Munin falling back into the ropes.
KO: Siberia wades in with shoot kicks to that same spot, each one eliciting a pain filled response by Munin, who is just being punished..
Siberia takes a step back to allow Munin to slowly stumble out of the corner before spinning so that she can swing her left foot around for a massive blow, only Munin isn't there to connect with. Siberia looks to where her opponent should be, but instead dropped to the mat and has slipped outside the ring in a veteran move. Siberia curses under her breath as she steps to the corner and begins to climb to the top. The fans come to their feet as she's perched and Munin, still cradling her arm, slowly turns in her direction as she dives off. Munin starts to backpedal, but seeing she isn't going to get out of the way, commits to a back flip while keeping her right leg loose to slam into Siberia's face as she comes down. The impact causes Siberia's descent to go off trajectory, and instead of landing on the floor she slams painfully chest first into the apron and then snaps down to the concrete.
LO: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! SIBERIA MIGHT BE DEAD!
KO: She landed awkward as all get out and Munin pulled that Flippy Kick off like she was in a freakin' video game! I don't even know what you call it?
LO: I don't either, but she's going to capitalize on it as she just pulled Siberia up and tossed her back into the ring. She's still favoring that arm, but Siberia looks to be out..
KO: The Lady up on the apron, but she's not going back into the ring...SHE'S CLIMBING TO THE TOP ROPE!
Munin reaches the top where we just saw a devastating mishap and the fans look on in worry as she signifies that she's going to fly. With a great leap up and out, she commits to a corkscrew, then to a moonsault, and finally ends with both boots slamming down into Siberia's prone chest.
LO: TWISTED JUSTICE!
The Zombies eyes were closed, but now they pop open comically wide as all of the air inside of her has been pushed out, not to mention the bruising that's probably forming after that slam into the apron. Munin looks tiredly at Siberia, and seeing the woman's expression, she nods and drops down to pin her with one arm.
1...
2...
3!!!
LO: Lady Munin has finally received her pound of flesh from Siberia Zombie, but one has to wonder if the slate is truly clean?
KO: There are a lot more Zombies out there, Laur. A lot more, and Munin is going to have to have eyes in the back of her head after this one.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the match via pinfall....LADY MUNIN!
Munin lies beside Siberia trying to get feeling to come back into her shoulder and she declines the referee's customary raising of the arm. Instead, she rolls over to the woman's head and places a kiss on her forehead before rolling the rest of the way out of the ring to limp to the back.
KO: Talk about a black widow...she just gave her the kiss of death.
LO: I don't know about that, Ken, but Munin certainly proved that she still has what it takes inside that squared circle.
KO: Should be interesting to see what happens, but while Siberia tries to get her breath back, why don't we check in with our honored guests?
The camera focuses on Siberia who has now rolled over to get up on all fours and she looks up at the ramp as Munin makes her exit before rolling to do the same, and then the scene cuts backstage...
The lights begin to flash red and purple with the opening rhythm of 'Horns' by Bryce Fox as smoke fills the stage. A silk black scarf swirls on the Big Screen above until unraveling to reveal the words 'LADY MUNIN'. Just when the vocals kick in Munin appears in the smoke walking in a measured balance of dangerous and sex appeal. She's wearing a black robe wrapped around her tiny frame, stilletto heels making her about three inches taller than she actually is. Her exotic eyes take in the capacity crowd in front of her and the low rumble from the New Yorker's can be heard building as she allows a coy smile to cross her bright red lips before making her way down the ramp with confidence that seems to radiate out from her.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot three and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Purity, Louisiana...She is the first Lady of the wrestling industry....LADDYYY MUNNNIINNN!!
When Munin reaches ringside she moves towards the steps and climbs them, coming to a pause before turning to lean against the cold steel of the post just so she can enjoy a few more moments with the fans at ringside. She slowly slides across the ropes until coming to the middle of the apron, and then swings herself into the ring fluidly while stepping forward and yanking the robe free to reveal her black and purple ring gear. The fans give her a mixed reaction as she turns to look back over her shoulder at where Siberia will be coming next.
LO: This will be the first time Lady Munin has actually been officially back in the ring in nearly five years, and I have to say...she looks to be in great shape...
KO: I won't lie, Laur...I got a big gulp there when she came out, and now that she's standing here in the ring it's hard to believe she's actually here.
LO: After running her own promotion in Purity, Lousiana, Pure Amusement Wrestling, Munin took some time off until showing up here in VPW last year with Zachariah Krahe, an associate of sorts.
KO: And it was during one of his feuds that she got thrown off the side of a building, cracking ribs and breaking her wrist...but that was seven months ago and she is here looking to take some revenge against one of those perpetrators...
Before either announcer can continue they are suddenly cut off by the lights going low and the sound of shuffling feet coming across the PA System. The big screen flickers to light and a horde of Zombies march towards the screen until being consumed by the bodies, and at their center reads 'ZOMBIE CLAN'! In the background the soaring winds of 'Wanli' by Hyukoh can be heard and when the guitar instrumental begins Siberia bursts through the curtain causing the lights to come back to full. She doesn't bother stopping on the stage, instead stalking straight ahead and down the ramp. She wears her patented Warring Dragons silk robe, and her face speaks that business has picked up.
RING ANNOUNCER: And introducing her opponent, representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot six and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Siberia, Russia....She is the SIBERIAN BUZZSAW....SIBERIA ZOMMBBIEEE!!
Zombie reaches the end of the ramp and finally comes to a stop where she shimmy's out of her robe while keeping her eyes locked with Munin. It's at that moment that The Lady bursts into motion, soaring right through the top and middle rope and crashing into Siberia who has just got her arms free.
LO: OH MY GOD! LADY MUNIN WITH A SUICIDE DIVE RIGHT THROUGH THE ROPES, AND NOW SHE IS ON TOP OF SIBERIA IN THE RAMP WAY AND IS BEATING THE HELL OUT OF HER!
KO: WHOOOO!! I knew this would spill over, but I honestly thought the bell would sound first!
LO: Siberia has managed to get her boot between herself and Munin and JUST SHOVES THE WOMAN BACK SO THAT SHE GOES SPINE FIRST INTO THE RING APRON!
KO: The Buzzsaw is back on her feet now, and wades in with Shoot Kicks right to Munin's chest....
LO: Munin looks dazed as Siberia takes a step back and goes for a SUPERKICK! NO! MUNIN SLID OUT OF THE WAY AND SIBERIA'S FOOT SLIPPED UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE TO REST ON THE APRON....OH!
KO: MUNIN WITH A STRAIGHT KICK RIGHT TO ZOMBIE'S KNEE AND NOW SIBERIA IS HOBBLING AWAY!
LO: Not for long! Munin already coming in from behind her to get a fistful of hair and RUNS HER FACE FIRST INTO THE STEEL RING POST!
Siberia hits with enough force that she spins around to land on the concrete on the other side of the post, and Munin rounds the corner to lay a stomp into the back of the woman's skull as she tries to rise. The fans are on their feet with excitement as Munin reaches down and yanks Zombie to her feet and then moves to whip her hard towards the guard rail only for Siberia to reverse at the last minute. The Lady slams into the steel and moves them a few feet upon impact and doesn't even get the chance to respond before Siberia comes rushing in with a Spin Wheel Kick that takes both ladies up and over into the front row!
LO: Both competitors out in the crowd and slowly starting to rise...Siberia with the advantage here laying in some hard right hands followed by a Palm Thrust to the chest that knocks Munin back!
KO: SIBERIA WITH ANOTHER SUPERKICK ATTEMPT BUT MUNIN CATCHES HER FOOT! WHAT'S SHE ABOUT TO DO....THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ROOM FOR THIS! AHH!!
LO: SNAP DRAGON LEG WHIP TWISTS UP SIBERIA'S KNEE BUT ALSO SENT HER HURTLING BACK FIRST INTO THE GUARD RAIL!
KO: Munin now coming to her feet and pulling Siberia up with her...just lifted her leg so that it's draped across the barrier....AND STARTS KICKING AWAY AT THE WOMAN'S KNEE WHILE IT'S JAMMED BETWEEN THE STEEL!
Siberia lets out a howl of pain as her leg is ravaged by the First Lady of Wrestling, until finally Munin relents and delivers a Spinning Back Fist that sends Siberia flopping over the guard rail and back into ringside. Munin hops the barrier and pulls Siberia up, finally tossing her into the ring and following behind. Santiago moves in to stop Munin from proceeding any further so that he can check on the Zombie, but one look from the woman sends him skittering away and he signals for the bell.
LO: Well, I guess this match is officially underway now, but the damage may have been done. Both ladies took some major licks on the outside, but I believe Siberia may have gotten the worse of it.
KO: Yeah, and now Munin is pulling her up to her feet...AND WHOA! SIBERIA KNOCKS MUNIN'S HANDS AWAY...AND A SUPERKICK FINALLY FINDS IT'S MARK AND SENDS MUNIN CRASHING TO THE MAT!
Siberia momentarily drops beside her grabbing at her bum knee, but is back on her feet quickly. Munin rolls and grabs the ropes to help her up as well, but when she looks up Siberia is already wading in with rights and lefts and kicks. Munin finds herself trapped by the ropes and so has no other choice but to try and cover up and counter as she's pummeled by the Zombie. The exchange comes to an abrupt end when Siberia delivers a sudden Spinning Roundhouse Kick to the gut that doubles The Lady over and has her clutching her midsection. Siberia clamps her arms around Munin's head for a Headlock but doesn't remain there for long, instead rushing forward with the head still trapped to leap out and drive her face first into the canvas with her own falling momentum.
LO: RUNNING BULLDOG BY SIBERIA TO MUNIN, and now shoots the half to get the woman onto her back for a cover...
1...
2...
KO: Kick Out at two, and Siberia now climbing ontop of Munin and FIRING IN PISTON LIKE RIGHT HANDS INTO THE WOMAN'S SKULL!
LO: Bad blood has boiled over here from the very start and now Siberia is giving Munin a receipt for how the match began!
Siberia eventually gets to her feet and drags Munin up with her, delivering a headbutt that sends The Lady falling back into the nearby corner. Siberia moves in on her and delivers a loud chop that echoes through the arena and elicits a 'Woooo' from the crowd. She hits another, and still another, before taking Munin by the wrist and shooting her to the opposite side. Siberia charges to follow her in, but when Munin reaches the corner she leaps up to the second, then to the top, and cuts a back flip that sees her soar right up and over Siberia as she passes. Munin lands on her feet and Siberia is forced to put on the brakes before striking the corner, but when she spins around she's caught with a High Standing Dropkick that sends her slamming back into the turnbuckles. Munin comes back up to her feet and charges in with a short Spear that cuts Siberia in half, and then remains lowered to begin delivering repeated shoulder thrusts to the Zombie's midsection.
KO: Munin now has Siberia hemmed up in the corner, OH! Siberia with a Knee Lift during one of those thrusts cuts Munin off and sends her stumbling back...
LO: Siberia now hops to the second turnbuckle and dives off with a clothesline...COUNTERED BY A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE FACE BY MUNIN!
KO: So far Munin has come up with an answer for everything that Zombie has thrown at her, and now has the woman up and shoves her back into that same corner...
LO: LETHAL kicks to Siberia's body and now spin into a Jumping Chin Kick that snaps her head back! Munin puts some distance between herself and Zombie, and now spins around and charges back in for another Spear...
KO: NO! ZOMBIE SHOVED HERSELF UP ONTO THE TOP ROPE AND LIFTED HER LEGS AND MUNIN WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND TOP ROPE TO STRIKE HER SHOULDER AGAINST THE STEEL RING POST!
Munin grabs at her shoulder in shock and pain as Siberia slides down behind her, hooks her around the waist and helps to dislodge her from the ropes. This isn't out of the goodness of her heart, however, as once free she Brings the woman soaring overhead with a German Suplex which she bridges into a pin attempt.
1...
2...
LO: An emphatic kick out by Munin there but again, that German dropped her right down across that shoulder that just struck the post...and Oh Boy! Zombie is up and smells blood in the water!
Munin starts to rise but is met by a Buzzsaw like kick right to the shoulder that sends her scooting across the mat in pain. She tries to rise a second time, but again Siberia is there with her vicious feet to drive The Lady back to the canvas. On the third attempt, Siberia actually allows her to rise, but as soon as she's vertical takes her by the bad arm, performs a single Dragon Twist and then pulls her in to drop for an Arm Breaker right across her chest!
KO: Munin really grabbing at that entire side in pain now as Zombie moves back up to her feet and lays in a few well placed stomps to the shoulder that has Munin sliding towards the ropes.
LO: The Lady now dragging herself up to her feet and Siberia takes her by the wrist and whips her to the far side only for Munin to return RIGHT INTO A HIP ATTACK THAT DROPS HER WHERE SHE STANDS!
Siberia looks around the stadium as they come to their feet after the move and she nods as she turns to Munin who struggles to get up to her knees. Her nods become almost full blown convulsions as Munin is in perfect position now, and she starts firing away with shoot kicks that have The Lady rocking back and forth like a nursery chair. The crowd begin to count along and just as they reach nine, Siberia drops a step back, winds up, and swings her right legs for the fences with a roundhouse kick. Unfortunately for her, Munin ducks her head and Siberia's boot sails harmlessly overhead. By the time she stops her momentum she's off balance, and when she turns around she turns right around into a Jaw Breaker from The Lady that sends her sprawling backwards.
LO: Siberia didn't go all the way down, instead falling against the middle rope and she bounces back...RIGHT INTO A CRANE KICK THAT CATCHES HER UNDER THE CHIN!
KO: Lady Munin done went Daniel San on her ass!
LO: Yeah, but Ken, this isn't Karate Kid, and Siberia looks like she might be unconscious as Munin drops and hooks the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THREe-NO! Siberia muscles her shoulder up at two and three quarters, and this one continues!
Munin doesn't look amused as she yanks Siberia up by the hair of the head and then proceeds to deliver a palm thrust that causes Siberia's eyes to bulge wide out of her skull, followed up by a lightening fast strike to her right rib cage, then another to her left. Siberia is literally on tippy-toes as she struggles to find breath in the center of the ring and Munin seems to find some sick delight at the sight as she continues through the combo by spinning in a full rotation before dropping low and driving her elbow with every ounce of force she has right below the woman's navel. Siberia seems to almost shrink in on herself as she hits the mat, a quivering mound of flesh as Munin looks to the corner to finish up. She gets a few cheers as she steps through to the apron and makes her way up to the top turnbuckle. Once perched, she looks down on Siberia who still clutches at her rattled midsection and doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
LO: Munin admiring her handy work here, but may be taking a little too much time...
KO: She's just savoring the moment, Laur. You know...like a lifesaver candy...
LO: Whatever you say cause here she goes for a corkscrew on the top rope and now springs backwards into a Moonsault Double Foot Stomp she calls Twisted Justice..NO!
KO: SIBERIA MOVED! Munin hits the mat with both feet but rolls with the momentum to break her fall....comes up to her feet and turns to charge RIGHT INTO A SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE BY SIBERIA!
LO: Munin hits the mat and comes back up and ANOTHER ONE SENDS HER CRASHING BACK DOWN!
Siberia falls to her knees near the ropes to try and find some recovery as Munin rolls around on the mat clutching at her shattered jaw. Both women get a chant going that seems to breathe new life into the Zombie.
"THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!"
LO: These fans are just echoing what we all feel after that exchange, and now it's back to square one as Siberia pushes off the ropes and Munin starts to get back to her feet...
KO: Here comes Siberia on Munin, but OH! FOREARM TO THE GUT CUTS HER OFF! Munin now pushes all the way up and comes firing in with a right, BUT IT'S BLOCKED BY ZOMBIE!
LO: Siberia firing back in with a right of her own and follows up with a clothesline but Munin ducks it!
KO: Siberia spins around RIGHT INTO A PELE KICK THAT DROPS HER BACK INTO THE ROPES! She bounces back and Munin delivers a boot to the midsection to double her over, and moves in for a DDT...
LO: NO! SIBERIA WITH A NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX BUT CAN'T MAINTAIN THE BRIDGE! Both women coming up to their feet and Munin with another high kick towards the face but Zombie ducks under and RESPONDS WITH A HUGE ROUNDHOUSE KICK THAT KNOCKS MUNIN SILLY AND SENDS HER TUMBLING RIGHT THROUGH THE ROPES TO THE CONCRETE BELOW!
KO: Yeah, but Siberia just went down to one knee.....man....this match is taking its toll on both of these ladies and it's one hard hit after the other!
Siberia's head lifts to watch as Munin claws at the apron to get back to her feet and she pushes up to her own only to fall back into the ropes for spring. When she comes rushing back across the ring she launches herself through the ropes in a Suicide Dive, but she puts her arms out in front of her to use her momentum to shove Munin backwards while landing on her feet. Munin slingshots into the barricade, banging her bad shoulder against the steel. Munin lets out a whimper of pain as she starts to slide down the guardrail but Siberia doesn't give her the chance, instead tossing her back into the ring and following close behind for a pin.
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO! Munin somehow managing to get the shoulder up despite it causing her no limit of discomfort...
KO: Siberia now pulling her up to her feet and feeds the bad arm behind her back into a hammerlock, and THEN SCOOP SLAMS HER DOWN ONTO THE INJURED SHOULDER!
Siberia looks down at The Lady as she writhes on the canvas clutching at her injury, and there is a moment of sympathy that washes over her. It only lasts for a second before she reaches down to help her back to her feet only to send a front kick into her chest that sends her stumbling back into the corner.
LO: Munin almost looks to be at Siberia's mercy as The Buzzsaw comes wading in...OH! I might have spoke to soon as Munin just fired out of the corner with a stiff kick to the gut...another one...
KO: Siberia forced to beg off, AND HERE COMES MUNIN WITH A SUNSET FLIP THAT DRIVES HER TO THE CANVAS FOR A SURPRISE PIN!
1...
2...
LO: THREe-NO! Siberia able to kick out, and both ladies coming back to their feet...Here comes Siberia for a wild swing but Munin ducks it!
KO: Siberia spins around and WALKS RIGHT INTO A JUMPING KNEE THAT CATCHES HER JUST UNDER THE CHIN!
LO: Siberia is wobbily here as she stumbles around but Munin has a bead on her, and RUNNING FLYING KNEE RIGHT TO THE JAW SENDS HER THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN TO THE CANVAS!
KO: Munin isn't wasting any motion here...she continues on over to the nearby corner, hops up to the second, now to the top....SPLIT LEGGED MOONSAULT CRUSHES ZOMBIE TO THE MAT!
LO: She's hooking the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THREE-NO! Siberia pushes out and now both ladies are just lying there sucking wind while the referee steps in to start a count!
The count drones on as both ladies begin crawling in opposite directions towards the ropes. Both are able to pull themselves up by the count of seven, though Munin is a step quicker...She rushes at Siberia, who is still draped across her side of the ropes, and she uses them for leverage when she swings both feet up to jam her boots right into Munin's injured shoulder. Munin drops to her knee clutching at the wound and Siberia uses that brief reprieve to haul off and Soccer Punt her in the same spot which sends her down to the mat cradling the arm.
LO: Siberia viciously pulling Munin off the mat by the injured arm and now drives an elbow right into the insertion of where elbow meets forearm to send Munin falling back into the ropes.
KO: Siberia wades in with shoot kicks to that same spot, each one eliciting a pain filled response by Munin, who is just being punished..
Siberia takes a step back to allow Munin to slowly stumble out of the corner before spinning so that she can swing her left foot around for a massive blow, only Munin isn't there to connect with. Siberia looks to where her opponent should be, but instead dropped to the mat and has slipped outside the ring in a veteran move. Siberia curses under her breath as she steps to the corner and begins to climb to the top. The fans come to their feet as she's perched and Munin, still cradling her arm, slowly turns in her direction as she dives off. Munin starts to backpedal, but seeing she isn't going to get out of the way, commits to a back flip while keeping her right leg loose to slam into Siberia's face as she comes down. The impact causes Siberia's descent to go off trajectory, and instead of landing on the floor she slams painfully chest first into the apron and then snaps down to the concrete.
LO: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! SIBERIA MIGHT BE DEAD!
KO: She landed awkward as all get out and Munin pulled that Flippy Kick off like she was in a freakin' video game! I don't even know what you call it?
LO: I don't either, but she's going to capitalize on it as she just pulled Siberia up and tossed her back into the ring. She's still favoring that arm, but Siberia looks to be out..
KO: The Lady up on the apron, but she's not going back into the ring...SHE'S CLIMBING TO THE TOP ROPE!
Munin reaches the top where we just saw a devastating mishap and the fans look on in worry as she signifies that she's going to fly. With a great leap up and out, she commits to a corkscrew, then to a moonsault, and finally ends with both boots slamming down into Siberia's prone chest.
LO: TWISTED JUSTICE!
The Zombies eyes were closed, but now they pop open comically wide as all of the air inside of her has been pushed out, not to mention the bruising that's probably forming after that slam into the apron. Munin looks tiredly at Siberia, and seeing the woman's expression, she nods and drops down to pin her with one arm.
1...
2...
3!!!
LO: Lady Munin has finally received her pound of flesh from Siberia Zombie, but one has to wonder if the slate is truly clean?
KO: There are a lot more Zombies out there, Laur. A lot more, and Munin is going to have to have eyes in the back of her head after this one.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the match via pinfall....LADY MUNIN!
Munin lies beside Siberia trying to get feeling to come back into her shoulder and she declines the referee's customary raising of the arm. Instead, she rolls over to the woman's head and places a kiss on her forehead before rolling the rest of the way out of the ring to limp to the back.
KO: Talk about a black widow...she just gave her the kiss of death.
LO: I don't know about that, Ken, but Munin certainly proved that she still has what it takes inside that squared circle.
KO: Should be interesting to see what happens, but while Siberia tries to get her breath back, why don't we check in with our honored guests?
The camera focuses on Siberia who has now rolled over to get up on all fours and she looks up at the ramp as Munin makes her exit before rolling to do the same, and then the scene cuts backstage...
We are backstage because it’s the day of the show and you’re watching the show so where else are we going to be. We come through with the Union Battleground Battalion Champions bursting through the frame. Lisa has the mic. It’s all downhill from here. Also, she’s now got a bandage on her hand. Continuity.
LISA SELDON: Tag wrestling is in a funk. As bad as it has ever been. The few standout teams are scattered all across the wrestling landscape and divisions are littered with makeshift teams and have a go halfwits. All of them ready to take a swing, none of them prepared to take what comes back.
LISA SELDON: With the wrestling scene potentially as exciting as it's ever been, the picture remains a disappointing one. We want to change that.
Lisa steps back as Ana takes the mic. They should have brought two.
ANASTASIA HAYDEN: And then you’ve got a team like us. A team that dominants in every field. You got these goons strolling into these cupcake companies resting on their laurels. They don’t want to put in any of the work, but they’ll take all the credit. Not us. We cut our teeth on busting our ass every single week and years gone by, we’re still at it. We don’t tweet why we’re the best. We go out in rings all across the country and across the world to prove it.
ANASTASIA HAYDEN: Whatever you think about yourselves? The Hellcats actually are. We don’t coast on our names, although that’d be nice sometimes. I championed myself as the hardest worker wrestler a few years back and that’s because it’s true. Now we’re the hardest working tag team in the world. And that’s a trend I don’t see coming to an end any time soon, even if it kills us. Literally.
Lisa mouths the words literally. Despite everything she’s done to the contrary, it doesn’t look like she literally wants to die.
LISA SELDON: We want to take it further. We want to cross the Battleground plains, pulling every team reigning on this great network and then stepping out above them. If no one company can hold up a division, then we’ll band together and make our own.
LISA SELDON: Consider this match the first of many. The budding seed for a Battleground tag division.
There’s a very sudden drop in the temperature.
LISA SELDON: Not Seattle Pro though. They and everyone who supports them can go fuck and die horribly. Fuck Seattle Pro.
Lisa spits directly into the camera lens. I guess that means we’re done. The scene cuts their opponents somewhere else in the arena...
We are taken to the Dead End Friends locker room. One would probably expect them to be somewhere else backstage interacting with the company’s own talent or the fans, but no - they are sitting on the bench, both wearing their respective wrestling gear and presumably ready to fight. The VPW Chimera Tag Team Championships title belts can be seen resting on a low table in front of them
The Championships plates shine as the camera zooms in.
BENNY STEVENS: So, Zack… I believe it’s time, my good bud.
ZACK FANTANA: What for?
BENNY STEVENS: It is time to give credit where it’s due. We’ve been asking for a long time, and they just recently got it right.
ZACK FANTANA: What are you talking about?
BENNY STEVENS: I’m talking about it.
ZACK FANTANA: What?
BENNY STEVENS: It.
Zack stares at Benny for a moment, possibly wishing that someone would just barge into the room and interrupt this nonsense - but that never happens. He then decides to remain silent instead of enabling his partner.
His partner, of course, can be a stubborn fool sometimes.
BENNY STEVENS: Are you ready, Zack?
ZACK FANTANA: Benny.
Benny laughs once he realizes that Zack is beginning to lose his patience. That’s just their thing, though. Some good ol’ banter before a rather tense, but important event. The truth is, Lisa and Ana may very well be the toughest opponents that they are to fight as a team in VPW.
BENNY STEVENS: They finally got our name right, man.
Zack’s eyes widen, almost in disbelief before he runs outside the dressing room to check the placard on the door.
ZACK FANTANA: Dead End Friends? I thought we decided on Two Bored Assholes.
Benny Stevens shakes his head and nods at the camera.
BENNY STEVENS: Please don’t confuse the issue.
ZACK FANTANA: You’re right. Well, we earned this. And it’s all thanks to Laurence Othello, who dared walk the path that no man walked before him.
Zack rips into a gift basket that rests beside Benny and pops the cork.
ZACK FANTANA: To Laurence!
BENNY STEVENS: Weren’t we supposed to… give that to him as a thank you?
Zack sheepishly tries to patch the giant hole in the plastic back together.
ZACK FANTANA: It’s the thought that counts, right?
BENNY STEVENS: Let’s just reminisce the moment that Laurence finally gets it right, shall we?
Benny then reaches into his gym bag and picks up his phone. He promptly cues a video of the latest Blitz show and skips to the brief part where we actually see the Othello Brothers sitting behind their tables while doing their commentary.
BENNY STEVENS: Ok, here we go.
Benny taps on the screen so the video is now playing. The man himself and the Fantanasy pay attention to what the Othello brothers are saying, and Benny immediately kicks up the volume to the limit once it gets to a very specific part.
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
BENNY STEVENS: YES!
ZACK FANTANA: Let’s hear it again!
BENNY STEVENS: Of course!
They must be excellent actors, or they’re actually excited as Benny replays that part of the video.
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
BENNY STEVENS: One more time for the people in the back!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
They seem to be having the time of their life - as if there isn’t a huge match coming up.
BENNY STEVENS: THE CROWD SAYS AGAIN BUT IN SLOW MOTION!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: Theeee... Deaddddd... Enddddd... Friendssssssss.
Both men just laugh before it comes to an awkward close.
ZACK FANTANA: Now let’s go out and make sure they never forget it. Tag team wrestling on three.
BOTH: One! Two!
Zack walks out of the dressing room.
BENNY STEVENS: Three!
Benny has a shit-eating grin on his face once he realizes that he’s been played. His hand still hanging.
BENNY STEVENS: Wow… What an ass hole. A bored ass hole. Hashtag Plancha DDT?
Benny shrugs and grabs the VPW Chimera Tag Team titles. He rests them on his shoulders before walking out of sight.
The camera focuses the opened gift basket one more time as the scene fades.
We are taken to the Dead End Friends locker room. One would probably expect them to be somewhere else backstage interacting with the company’s own talent or the fans, but no - they are sitting on the bench, both wearing their respective wrestling gear and presumably ready to fight. The VPW Chimera Tag Team Championships title belts can be seen resting on a low table in front of them
The Championships plates shine as the camera zooms in.
BENNY STEVENS: So, Zack… I believe it’s time, my good bud.
ZACK FANTANA: What for?
BENNY STEVENS: It is time to give credit where it’s due. We’ve been asking for a long time, and they just recently got it right.
ZACK FANTANA: What are you talking about?
BENNY STEVENS: I’m talking about it.
ZACK FANTANA: What?
BENNY STEVENS: It.
Zack stares at Benny for a moment, possibly wishing that someone would just barge into the room and interrupt this nonsense - but that never happens. He then decides to remain silent instead of enabling his partner.
His partner, of course, can be a stubborn fool sometimes.
BENNY STEVENS: Are you ready, Zack?
ZACK FANTANA: Benny.
Benny laughs once he realizes that Zack is beginning to lose his patience. That’s just their thing, though. Some good ol’ banter before a rather tense, but important event. The truth is, Lisa and Ana may very well be the toughest opponents that they are to fight as a team in VPW.
BENNY STEVENS: They finally got our name right, man.
Zack’s eyes widen, almost in disbelief before he runs outside the dressing room to check the placard on the door.
ZACK FANTANA: Dead End Friends? I thought we decided on Two Bored Assholes.
Benny Stevens shakes his head and nods at the camera.
BENNY STEVENS: Please don’t confuse the issue.
ZACK FANTANA: You’re right. Well, we earned this. And it’s all thanks to Laurence Othello, who dared walk the path that no man walked before him.
Zack rips into a gift basket that rests beside Benny and pops the cork.
ZACK FANTANA: To Laurence!
BENNY STEVENS: Weren’t we supposed to… give that to him as a thank you?
Zack sheepishly tries to patch the giant hole in the plastic back together.
ZACK FANTANA: It’s the thought that counts, right?
BENNY STEVENS: Let’s just reminisce the moment that Laurence finally gets it right, shall we?
Benny then reaches into his gym bag and picks up his phone. He promptly cues a video of the latest Blitz show and skips to the brief part where we actually see the Othello Brothers sitting behind their tables while doing their commentary.
BENNY STEVENS: Ok, here we go.
Benny taps on the screen so the video is now playing. The man himself and the Fantanasy pay attention to what the Othello brothers are saying, and Benny immediately kicks up the volume to the limit once it gets to a very specific part.
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
BENNY STEVENS: YES!
ZACK FANTANA: Let’s hear it again!
BENNY STEVENS: Of course!
They must be excellent actors, or they’re actually excited as Benny replays that part of the video.
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
BENNY STEVENS: One more time for the people in the back!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: The Dead End Friends.
They seem to be having the time of their life - as if there isn’t a huge match coming up.
BENNY STEVENS: THE CROWD SAYS AGAIN BUT IN SLOW MOTION!
LAURENCE OTHELLO: Theeee... Deaddddd... Enddddd... Friendssssssss.
Both men just laugh before it comes to an awkward close.
ZACK FANTANA: Now let’s go out and make sure they never forget it. Tag team wrestling on three.
BOTH: One! Two!
Zack walks out of the dressing room.
BENNY STEVENS: Three!
Benny has a shit-eating grin on his face once he realizes that he’s been played. His hand still hanging.
BENNY STEVENS: Wow… What an ass hole. A bored ass hole. Hashtag Plancha DDT?
Benny shrugs and grabs the VPW Chimera Tag Team titles. He rests them on his shoulders before walking out of sight.
The camera focuses the opened gift basket one more time as the scene fades.
RING ANNOUNCER: The following contest is a Tag Match and is scheduled for one fall or submission...
The lights dim until the arena falls black. There’s an ominous hammerfall as "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture" by Atari Teenage Riot hits the ground running and the big screen over the stage flashes the lyrics up onto the screen.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, weighing in at a combined weight of 258 pounds, hailing from multiple promotions across the multiverse and the current Union Underground Battalion Champions... ANASTASIA HAYDEN...LISA SELDON...THE HELLCAT SPANGLED DEATH SQUAADDD!!
Ana hops up onto the apron and throws another hand up to the crowd. She then steps through the ropes and gives up the floor. Lisa jumps to the apron in a single stride, leans back to shoot a wink down the camera barrel and then goes up and over the ropes into the ring. Ana has already taken her perch on the top buckle, arms folded, chewing her mouthguard idly. Lisa steps in front of her and leans back into the corner.
LO: Good lord, can you feel the electricity in the room?
KO: Damn right I can, and I'm pretty sure the appearance of these two ladies in VPW is shocking to some, but it was only a matter of time before they finally arrived!
LO: Even if it is a only a one night appearance we are so excited to see what happens when the Hellcat Spangled Death Squad come face to face with our NEW Chimera Tag Team Champions...
KO: I wonder why the belts aren't on the line, Laur?
LO: Probably because if the Hellcats won them, they'd disappear and hold them for ransom!
KO: Say it ain't so!
LO: I think that's a direct quote from Lisa Seldon...
The banter is cut short when the lights dim and the single chord intro to 'Black Bull' by FOALS comes across the PA. The lights flash with the repeated chord and just as the song starts in on the lyrics Benny Stevens bursts through the curtain doing a high step as Zack Fantana trails in behind him. Both are wearing matching pink gear with kneepads with the Saskatchewan wheatsheaf on them, but the thing that stands out are the Chimera Tag Team Championship belts that hang loose around their waists. They come to a stop at the top of the stage as Benny drops to one knee and does an obnoxious bicep pose while Zack stands behind him with his hand covering his eyes so that he can peer out at the cheering crowd. Pyro explodes behind the two just about hte time that Benny pops up and starts strutting down to the ring as Zack gives a shoulder shrug at his over the top partner and follows.
RING ANNOUNCER: Making their way to the ring, at a combined weight of 403 pounds, hailing from the offices of Bobby Franchise...BENNY STEVENS...ZACK FANTANA...DEAD END FRIENDS!!!
At the bottom of the ramp Benny takes off into a run and leaps up onto the ring apron only to front flip into the ring while Zack takes the stairs and then springs over as well. Benny has already ran to the far corner where he's taken the second turnbuckle and jukes his shoulders to the music while holding his Championship aloft, and Zack takes the corner opposite him to peer back out at the crowd once again and then nod at their approving return. The Hellcats watch all of this in mock bewilderment, Seldon point out to Hayden the fact that their opponent's ring gear is in stereo. Ana shakes her head in disgust as Lisa laughs while the champs hand over their championships, and then convene for a moment over in their corner.
LO: Dead End Friends took the Chimera Tag Championships off of NSFW on Blitz#24 in a death defying scaffold match. That was only two short weeks ago, and one has to wonder if Benny Stevens has recovered from his fall...
KO: Well, he seems to be in good spirits. Or drunk. One or the other...
LO: Zack and Benny didn't seem surprised by NSFW's departure after the match, citing several biting remarks at the former champions.
KO: Yeah, apparently Church & McGuire took exception to some of the comments that Dead End Friends made, saying that they didn't take them seriously.
LO: Took them seriously enough to take those belts off of them.
KO: True dat! But that's old news. This match could main event anywhere in the world. The Valor Pro Chimera Tag Team Champions versus The Union Battleground Battalion Champions!
LO: All four of these competitors are revered worldwide in this industry.
KO: Anastasia Hayden and Benny Stevens will start this one!
DING!
Benny and Ana give one another a nod before both leaning in to lock up in a strong arm grapple in the center of the ring! The two wrestlers swing from right to left with the larger Stevens gaining the upper hand in the struggle. Benny attempts to work Hayden into the corner but she catches him out of nowhere with a solid uppercut to the chin! Benny turns away, leading Ana to come in from behind with a vicious European uppercut to the back of Stevens head!
LO: Hayden counters with a brutal uppercut! Did you see the way Stevens head snapped forward?
KO: He’s got bigger problems…
The Grand Duchess hits the ropes directly behind Daredevil to build up some real momentum. Stevens sits on both knees seemingly in a daze. Ana comes in from behind aiming a knee for the back of Benny’s head, but he ducks! Hayden flies past leading Stevens to duck between both of Ana’s legs after the miss. She stops dead in her tracks but before Hayden can swing around, Benny hoists her up into the air on his shoulders! Frankenstein watches on from the Hellcats corner to see Fantana scaling the turnbuckle from the apron! Zack gets up top just as Benny stands all the way up with a little strain to put Hayden up high into the air. Zack leaps off the top turnbuckle to hit a blockbuster on Ana! Stevens falls back simultaneously for a beautiful tag team maneuver! The crowd comes alive as Fantana slides out of the ring and Stevens hooks a leg on Anastasia!
...1
LO: Broken up by Lisa Seldon!
KO: Dead End Friends have become a complete team.
LO: It appears to have caught the Hellcats off guard.
Seldon gets sent back to her corner while Ana rolls to one knee. Stevens takes off at her full speed ahead! The Grand Duchess leaps to her feet to swing around to catch the charging Daredevil with a picture perfect spinning heel kick to the throat! Stevens falls to a seated position in the center of the ring.
LO: What a spinning heel kick! It took the larger Benny Stevens off his feet completely.
Ana comes in from behind with a sharp kick to the back of Stevens! Then another! Hayden lights up the champions back with solid kick after kick! Benny slumps forward leading Ana to fall into the ropes in order to spring forward back at her defenseless opponent! Hayden comes in with a vicious drop kick to the back of Daredevil’s head! She then cradles up a leg for a pin!
...1
…
KO: Broken up by Zack Fantana!
LO: Fantana and Seldon share a brief stare down before the ref pushes Zack back to his corner.
The Grand Duchess gets back to her feet to taunt Fantana momentarily. She then turns her attention back to Benny, who stumbles to one knee. Ana gets him back to a standing position before irish whipping Stevens into the ropes! Daredevil stumbles before hitting the ropes causing him to fall between the top and middle ropes. Benny being swift on his feet, catches himself before falling onto the apron. Ana rushes at Stevens, who gets back to both feet on the apron. Benny catches the charging champion with a wicked pele kick that hits its mark! Hayden stumbles back giving Stevens some room. He grabs the top rope in both hands for grip before he leaps up onto the top rope to springboard off at Ana! Benny hits a splash on The Grand Duchess but both wrestlers end up flat on the mat after an awkward landing by Benny.
LO: Uh-oh! Did Stevens injure himself on that landing?!
KO: I’m not sure from this angle, but he did take a tough landing there.
LO: Both wrestlers are thinking tag in this spot.
KO: Ana is far away from her corner but Benny is mere feet away from Fantana.
Benny reaches down at his right ankle while Hayden gathers her bearings alongside him. Stevens moves the ankle with no pain. Ana has already begun to move toward Frankenstein. Fantana and Seldon stomp on the apron as the crowd nearly bursts with anticipation.
LO: I believe Stevens is alright.
Benny leaps up but stumbles. The ankle a bit more sore than he previously believed. He lunges forward at Fantana, who accepts the tag to glide through the ropes!
KO: TAG MADE! HERE COMES FANTANA!
LO: Hayden could make a tag as well! She’s mere feet now from Seldon.
Anastasia gets close to Lisa, still in a bit of a daze from the solid kick from Stevens to the side of the head. She lunges at Frankenstein, who eagerly reaches out for a tag but no! Fantana snatches her legs up mid lunge to pull her back toward the center of the ring. Ana holds both arms out reaching for her partner, who is now out of reach. Zack pulls her to the center of the ring where Ana flips over to kick him off suddenly! He stumbles backwards to fall toward the ropes, where Frankenstein pulls the ropes down leading Fantana to fall through and onto the apron! Zack ends up on the outside floor holding the back of his head looking up at Lisa, who gives him a trolling wink.
LO: Fantana hits the floor hard after the assist by Lisa Frankenstein!
Ana tags in Lisa before Zack pulls her down off the apron! Frankenstein hits the floor to sling an elbow at Zack, who ducks it and spins Lisa on around to cradle her up! Fantana then follows up swiftly with a wicked exploder suplex! Lisa bounces off the floor after impact to hit the security barrier!
KO: Tag made but at a real cost.
LO: Fantana and Lisa are the legal competitors but Frankenstein was caught with an exploder suplex that has halted her offense altogether.
KO: Zack is on the move!
Fantana can hear the referee as he starts the count from inside the ring. Zack immediately rushes over to Frankenstein to cradle her up. Lisa comes alive as she reaches both feet to catch Fantana with a violent headbutt! The sudden shot busts Zack’s nose and Lisa’s lip open. The crowd pops at the sight of blood while Fantana is stunned. Lisa works Zack to the apron the onto it before sliding into the ring herself.
LO: Seldon draws blood already.
KO: What else did you expect?
Lisa gets to both feet inside the ring only to find Zack standing in front of her! They both charge at each other and the momentum of both superstars allows Frankenstein to pull of a sunset flip in the center of the ring that she holds through for a pin!
...1
...2
KO: Broken up by Benny Stevens! Wow!
LO: I’ll say, Lisa has caught Fantana off guard completely here. Both of these wrestlers are seasoned inside the squared circle.
Frankenstein leaps to her feet while Fantana struggles slightly. She hits the ropes to slingshot herself back at Zack, who counters by cradling up Lisa for a picture perfect tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! The camera pans close to show the knee of Fantana driven into the spine of Lisa Seldon!
LO: Did you see that!? What a counter by Fantanasy!
KO: It’s Dead End Friends now.
LO: I know that, but Zack’s nickname is still Fantanasy.
Both wrestlers are slow to get up but Zack is the first to make it to a knee. He touches his face with his right hand to realize Lisa opened him up on the outside. Fantana’s eyes narrow as he turns slowly to see Lisa Seldon standing facing him! Lisa comes at him with muay-thai strikes! Zack struggles to cover up while Seldon keeps him on one knee. She attempts a roundhouse kick but Fantana ducks! Miss! Zack leaps up to take hold of Seldon from behind but she counters by reaching up then dropping into a sitout jawbreaker! The sudden maneuver takes Fantana off his feet!
LO: These two wrestlers are showing why they are two of the best in the world.
KO: The same could be said about all four wrestlers in this one.
LO: That’s a fact.
Fantana uses the ropes to pull himself back up but still in a daze somewhat. Seldon goes to push herself up only to be cradled by Zack! He irish whips her into the ropes then bounces off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring! The two wrestlers meet in the center of the ring, where Fantana hits a slingblade on Lisa to send her to the mat. He then rushes over to the ropes in a blur to glide through. Zack gets out on the apron and works the crowd a moment before gripping the top rope in both hands. He uses this as leverage to leap up onto the top! Fantana does a springboard moonsault onto Lisa Seldon in the center of the ring! Zack hooks a leg!
...1
...2
LO: Stomped out by Ana Hayden!
KO: Close. The Grand Duchess saves this one for the Hellcats.
LO: She continues to stomp down on Zack as if he were on fire! Vicious.
Hayden continues to drop stiff stomps down on Zack long after the pin is broken up. Benny glides through the ropes to assist causing the referee to attempt to regain order. Fantana remains down after the barrage of Stomps from Ana. The ref gets Daredevil back to the Dead End Friends corner while Ana walks back The Hellcat Spangled Death Squads corner. Lisa tags in Hayden as soon as she reaches the corner leading her to reenter the ring. The referee acknowledges the tag while Lisa gets back alongside Zack in the ring on one knee. Ana takes a step back into the ropes before taking off right at Seldon. The Grand Duchess leaps up as she reaches Frankenstein, who boosts Ana on up into the air! She lands with a double foot stomp on Zack Fantana before hooking a leg!
...1
...2
KO: Broken up by Benny Stevens!
LO: The Hellcat Spangled Death Squad are working as a cohesive unit against the Valor Chimera Tag Team Champs right now.
Lisa climbs back in the ring to meet Benny, who nails Seldon with a wild elbow! The two begin swapping blows while Ana and Fantana remain on the mat. Anastasia believed she had the match won but realizes that is not the case.
LO: These two teams are going at it! Lisa and Benny are rolling around on the mat now fighting like their lives depend on it.
KO: What a match! These two teams continue to impress here at 7 Pillars Two.
Stevens and Frankenstein end up on the outside floor fighting still. Fantana gets to one knee while Ana rises to both feet. Ana walks over to Fantana to get ahold of him but Zack counters by rolling her up!
...1
KO: Kick out by Hayden!
Benny and Lisa make it their feet on the outside to see this exchange inside the ring. This leads both wrestlers to regain focus and head for their respective corners. The two wrestlers continue to taunt one another even after walking away.
KO: Seldon and Stevens want to keep their eye on the larger picture here.
LO: Fantana is back up!
Zack gets to his feet looking to make a tag but Ana stands between he and Daredevil. Hayden holds her position to attempt to cut off the ring. Fantana takes off full speed ahead at The Grand Duchess for a step-up enziguri! Zack catches Ana flush on the jaw and she falls straight back allowing Benny to reach in to accept a tag!
LO: TAG MADE! The Daredevil of Valor Pro is legal!
Lisa watches on from the Hellcats corner as Benny climbs the turnbuckles quickly after being tagged in. He leaps off the top turnbuckle to perform an imploding corkscrew 450 splash! Ana holds up both knees at the last possible moment that causes Stevens to crash and burn!
KO: OH NO! Did you see that!? What a counter by Hayden to turn the tide of this one.
LO: Both wrestlers remain down on the mat. Benny shot for the moon but missed his mark.
Stevens holds his ribcage while rolling around on the mat. The Grand Duchess looks up to see Frankenstein reaching toward her with all she’s got.
LO: Ana needs to make a tag.
KO: I believe she’s just realized this.
Hayden crawls toward her corner while Fantana stomps on the apron to get Stevens back in this one.
KO: Anastasia continues to claw for her corner on the mat but picking up speed.
LO: Stevens has made it to one knee.
Benny peers out to see Ana after gathering his bearings. He stands up to give chase just as Hayden tags in Lisa Frankenstein! Seldon hits the ring running but Stevens catches her with a spinning spinebuster! Benny quickly gets back to his feet to begin stomping down on the arms of Frankenstein.
LO: Stevens has gained the upper hand after a picture perfect spinning spinebuster!
Benny gets up quickly to hover above Lisa, who lies lifeless on the mat. Stevens reaches down to get ahold of Seldon, who comes alive to roll him up!
...1
KO: Kick out by Stevens!
Frankenstein quickly adjusts her position after the kickout to apply a kneebar onto Daredevil! The eyes of Stevens widen as he realizes the trouble he’s in. Lisa wraps both arms around to trap the maneuver. The right leg has already taken damage and that’s where Seldon aims her wrath. Benny reaches out at Fantana with no way to reach. Zack stomps on the apron while Lisa applies more pressure.
LO: The knee bar is locked in! There is no where for Benny to go.
Ana works the crowd from the corner to turn this into a home game. Frankenstein wants to end this one right now but Stevens digs into the canvas to begin pulling himself and Lisa closer to the Dead End Friends corner.
KO: Benny could be fading here.
Lisa continues to apply pressure to the already sore right leg of one, Benny Stevens. He continues to dig and fight on the mat to creep toward Fantana. Seldon will have none of it and cranks on the pressure even further.
LO: Stevens continues to slow crawl himself and Lisa toward Zack. He is mere feet away from Fantana, who reaches desperately for a tag.
Frankenstein presses the limits of Benny’s threshold for pain like never before. Stevens begins to fade before he can tag in Fantana. Ana claps in the corner for Lisa while the referee comes in close to check out Stevens. No response. The referee takes hold of Benny’s left hand only to drop it flat on the mat.
KO: Nothing. Benny may be out cold. Lisa wants to break his leg off at the knee.
The referee comes in to take hold of Benny’s hand again. Another drop that hits the mat flush. The crowd watches on lost in the suspense.
LO: This could be it. One final drop remains….
The ref comes in close to take hold of Stevens hand one final time. He drops it and right before it slaps against the mat, Stevens comes alive!
KO: OH MY GOD!
Benny digs into the mat once more in an attempt to lunge backwards at Fantana, who tags himself in!
LO: TAG MADE! HERE COMES FANTANA!
Zack hits the ring with real purpose to stomp Lisa in the face! Her head snaps back against the mat leading Fantana to head for Ana in the corner! Zack nails The Grand Duchess with a right hook that sends her off the apron! Fantana then climbs the closest turnbuckle like a man possessed. Benny Stevens climbs the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. The two wrestlers reach the top rope on opposite sides of the rings. They each slap a knee pad that belonged to Bobby Franchise before Benny jumps off to nail Lisa across the throat with an elbow drop. He then rolls out of the ring holding his right knee. Fantana then begins to dive off but gets tripped up from behind! Zack falls face first onto the canvas from the top turnbuckle!
KO: Ana catches Fantana from behind to halt his offense completely! Benny is now on the outside struggling to get back to the apron in the Dead End Friends corner.
LO: Seldon remains on the mat attempting to catch her breath after that brutal elbow drop from Stevens.
KO: Frankenstein has done damage to that knee. The veteran knows how to stop aerial assaults.
LO: Take out the sticks.
KO: Exactly.
Seldon gets up to find Fantana on the mat. Zack desperately attempts to get to his feet from his stomach. He presses both hands onto the mat to push himself up. Fantana peers up to see Lisa take off directly at him! Zack pushes himself up to drive forward at Frankenstein to catch her flush with a spear! The violent impact leaves Seldon unresponsive. Fantana quickly hooks a leg!
...1
..
LO: Broken up by Anastasia Hayden!
KO: Fantana and Ana are jawing at one another!
Ana gets in Zacks face as they begin to shove one another. This moment or two of distraction allows Frankenstein to shuffle toward The Hellcats corner. Benny stomps on the apron which gets Fantana’s attention. Ana hurries through the ropes and rushes along the apron to get back to her corner. Lisa lunges at Hayden just as Benny tells Zack to look.
LO: Tag made! Here comes the Grand Duchess!
Ana gets the tag and immediately grips the top rope in both hands rather than dash through. She watches as Fantana looks at Benny then swings around. This leads her to leap up on the top rope to springboard off with an arm drag to Fantana! Zack ends up in the corner after the smaller wrestler uses the high impact to corner her prey. Fantana slumps over in the corner while Ana aligns herself in the opposite one. She faces out at Zack and takes off full speed ahead for a yakuza kick! The lick leaves Fantana in a daze but still holding onto to the ropes in the corner to hold himself up. Ana then rushes back to the corner she just charged out of while Lisa dashes along the apron on the outside. Fantana continues to slump over but eventually falls to a seated position as Frankenstein hits him with a sliding drop kick from the apron! Ana comes flying across the ring at the same time to finish with a facewash!
KO: Exterminator 3: Rise of the machines!
LO: What?
KO: That’s what the Hellcats call that maneuver.
LO: Tag made!
Ana pulls Fantana by the heel away from the corner before plopping down on top of him to hook a leg!
...1
…2
LO: Broken up by Benny Stevens!
KO: That was close. Benny saves the match for The Dead End Friends!
Ana looks at the referee holding up three fingers. The ref assures her it was only two while Benny drags Fantana closer to the corner out of sight of both, Ana and the referee.
KO: Genius! Fantana needs a breather.
Stevens lets go out Zack before being noticed. He then glides through the ropes to reach for a tag. Ana rushes toward Fantana, who lunges at Benny for a tag! Stevens leaps up on the top rope from the apron in a single bound! This catches Hayden off guard! Daredevil springboards off for a picture perfect tornado DDT that drives Ana’s head deep into the mat! Benny leaps to his feet to work the crowd before heading for the closest corner.
KO: Stevens wants to take this fight to the air.
LO: This fight has been contested in the air for most of the match. None of these wrestlers fear heights.
KO: That’s for sure.
Benny reaches the corner then climbs up on the middle turnbuckle to bounce on up to the top. He still favors the right knee but tries to shake it off. Ana lies on the mat holding her head while Stevens works the crowd from the top rope. Daredevil leaps off with flashes throughout capturing the moment forever. Benny brings his hands and feet in close to his body twice before hitting Hayden with a frog splash!
KO: TEN STAR FROG SPLASH!
LO: Benny hooks a leg!
...1
...2
Seldon comes flying in out of nowhere after leaping off the top turnbuckle to break up the pin with a somersault leg drop in epic fashion! The crowd comes unglued!
LO: Broken up by Seldon! Did you see that!? What an amazing match this has been between two tag team championship teams.
KO: Frankenstein saves the match for the Hellcats.
Ana somehow stumbles to her feet just as Seldon gets back out on the apron. The Grand Duchess tags in Frankenstein! Lisa ducks to come through the ropes only to catch a knee to the face from a charging Benny Stevens! The shot knocks Lisa off the apron and she hits the outside floor hard. Ana gets tripped up in the commotion and falls alongside her partner. Fantana leaps off the apron to come around the side of the ring.
LO: Ana and Lisa are getting up! Fantana wants to help in this endeavor.
KO: He may regret trying to corner two hellcats.
LO: Touche’.
Fantana reaches Ana and Frankenstein just as they stand up. He throws an open palm shot at Ana, who ducks it! Lisa comes in with a kick to Fantana’s exposed side. The shot can be heard throughout. Benny Stevens remains in the ring. He looks out at the Hell Spangled Death Squad teaming up on Fantana and gets an idea. Stevens hits the ropes on the opposite side of the ring to slingshot forward! He flies across the ring in a blur to suicide dive over the top rope on and onto Fantana, Ana, and Frankenstein. All four wrestlers hit the outside floor!
KO: Everyone is down!
LO: The referee comes in to start his count but has anyone moved yet?
KO: No.
The referee counts two as all four stir but none are able to get up just yet. The crowd continues shower these four wrestlers with praise when the lights in the arena go out and the sound of boots marching can be heard through the PA. The Big Screen above the stage flickers and an army of Zombies comes marching across it and the fans go ballistic as Aokigahara, Kowloon, Fukushima, and a battered Siberia step out onto the stage.
LO: Oh Lord...
KO: It wouldn't be a tag party without The Zombie Clan!
Aoki slowly steps to one side, while the other two do the same in the opposite direction, and behind them steps out a familiar face to most wrestling fans...
LO: WHAT THE!?! THAT'S KIMITSU! SHE'S IN VALOR PRO!?
KO: OH hell...she's the only Zombie that is crazier than Aoki and that's saying something!
The Hellcats and The Dead End Friends have pulled themselves up and thanks to the distraction the referee has stopped counting. Kimitsu gives a wry smile before lifting her fist in the air and then dragging it violently down. At that motion the rest of the Zombies charge down the ramp, and the tag teams that were just engaged in a war find themselves taking on a defensive position. But they are tired and recovering from that dive, where as everyone on the opposing side with the exception of Siberia is fresh.
LO: MY GOD! THE ZOMBIES ARE JUMPING THE HELLCATS AND DEAD END FRIENDS AND KIMITSU ZOMBIE IS DIRECTING TRAFFIC!
KO: IT'S PANDEMONIUM OUT HERE!
Fists, feet, and hair fly as the eight combatants scrap on the outside of the ring, and not even the sound of the bell from the time keepers station can break through the absolute buzz going through the Madison Square Garden crowd! Lisa squares up with Aoki, Ana squares up with Kowloon, Benny with Fukushima, and Zack with Siberia. They brawl all along ringside, slamming into things and people, knocking over ring steps, and causing all out mayhem. Finally Security pours out from the back and run right past Kimi who is still screaming orders at The Zombies, but the VPW officials only seem to add to the mix rather than pulling it apart. Stray elbows and fists find their way everywhere until finally another contingent of officers come running down the ramp, this time wearing the NYPD Blue and carrying handcuffs and pepper spray.
LO: MY GOD! THEY ARE GOING TO CART THEM ALL OFF TO JAIL!
KO: HOW! AOKI IS SCHEDULED NEXT TO DEFEND HIS UNLEASHED CHAMPIONSHIP!
LO: AND FUKUSHIMA IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE 7 PILLARS GAUNTLET MATCH FOR THE UNYIELDING!
KO: WHAT THE HELL IS KIMITSU SAYING...she's...SHE'S CALLING FOR THE ZOMBIES TO RETREAT THROUGH THE CROWD!
LO: LOOK AT THIS! THEY RUINED A GREAT MATCH AND NOW THEY ARE JUMPING THE GUARD RAILS!
Dead End Friends and The Hellcats shrugs away from security now that the immediate threat is over and both teams end up back in the ring as the capacity crowd comes unglued and security tries to figure out what the hell just happened. When everyone's eyes drift up to the stage, Kimitsu is gone like a thief in the night along with her kin. The cops remain surrounding ringside just in case as The Hellcats stare down The Friends.
RING ANNOUNCER: As a result of the referee loosing control of this contest, this match has been Thrown Out!
The boos reign down from the rafters as both teams express their adamant disapproval and call for a restart of the match, despite the fact that all four look battered and bruised, and that was before The Zombies showed up. The referee walks up the ramp shaking his head, leaving the two teams to stand there with fists on hips and walk around in total disappointment. Finally, after procuring the respective Tag Team Titles, Lisa and Ana pause to look Zack and Benny up and down. Then the two women shake their heads and take their Union Battleground Tag Titles out of the ring. As Seldon passes the nearby camera, she says, 'Until next time..' with a wink. Zack and Benny look to one another and shrug, following suit as the announcers are left with the aftermath of everything that just happened.
KO: So let me get this straight...Kimitsu Zombie is in Valor Pro?
LO: Looks that way...but notice how she didn't give physically involved. Do you think she might just be managing them?
KO: Isn't that Tokyo's job?
LO: Hell if I know anymore! I do know this...the Hellcat Spangled Death Squad and Dead End Friends did not disappoint here tonight, and we can only hope that one day we'll finally get to see a proper resolution to that rivalry.
KO: No doubt...I wonder what else can happen here tonight?
LO: A whole lot, Ken, cause I hear word we've got Tommy Crimson set up in the back...
KO: Great...another lunatic. Head backstage I guess...
The lights dim until the arena falls black. There’s an ominous hammerfall as "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture" by Atari Teenage Riot hits the ground running and the big screen over the stage flashes the lyrics up onto the screen.
IT'S A DEAD WORLD AND IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME TO CLEAR THINGS HERE!
ONE GENERATION FOLLOWS ANOTHER
BUT SOMETHING IN MY HEAD SAYS KEEP GOING
DON'T GIVE UP
DESTROY 2000 YEARS OF CULTURE
DESTROY 2000 YEARS OF CULTURE
Lisa and Ana, a pair of Hellcats burst from the curtain amidst a swirling mass of red and purple spotlights, both wearing their Union Underground Tag Belts. Ana steps forward, throwing up her weird, surfer dude hand gimmick. Lisa hangs back and leaves her to it. Ana chucks her mouth guard in and marches her way to the ring while Lisa saunters after.DESTROY 2000 YEARS OF CULTURE
DESTROY 2000 YEARS OF CULTURE
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, weighing in at a combined weight of 258 pounds, hailing from multiple promotions across the multiverse and the current Union Underground Battalion Champions... ANASTASIA HAYDEN...LISA SELDON...THE HELLCAT SPANGLED DEATH SQUAADDD!!
Ana hops up onto the apron and throws another hand up to the crowd. She then steps through the ropes and gives up the floor. Lisa jumps to the apron in a single stride, leans back to shoot a wink down the camera barrel and then goes up and over the ropes into the ring. Ana has already taken her perch on the top buckle, arms folded, chewing her mouthguard idly. Lisa steps in front of her and leans back into the corner.
LO: Good lord, can you feel the electricity in the room?
KO: Damn right I can, and I'm pretty sure the appearance of these two ladies in VPW is shocking to some, but it was only a matter of time before they finally arrived!
LO: Even if it is a only a one night appearance we are so excited to see what happens when the Hellcat Spangled Death Squad come face to face with our NEW Chimera Tag Team Champions...
KO: I wonder why the belts aren't on the line, Laur?
LO: Probably because if the Hellcats won them, they'd disappear and hold them for ransom!
KO: Say it ain't so!
LO: I think that's a direct quote from Lisa Seldon...
The banter is cut short when the lights dim and the single chord intro to 'Black Bull' by FOALS comes across the PA. The lights flash with the repeated chord and just as the song starts in on the lyrics Benny Stevens bursts through the curtain doing a high step as Zack Fantana trails in behind him. Both are wearing matching pink gear with kneepads with the Saskatchewan wheatsheaf on them, but the thing that stands out are the Chimera Tag Team Championship belts that hang loose around their waists. They come to a stop at the top of the stage as Benny drops to one knee and does an obnoxious bicep pose while Zack stands behind him with his hand covering his eyes so that he can peer out at the cheering crowd. Pyro explodes behind the two just about hte time that Benny pops up and starts strutting down to the ring as Zack gives a shoulder shrug at his over the top partner and follows.
RING ANNOUNCER: Making their way to the ring, at a combined weight of 403 pounds, hailing from the offices of Bobby Franchise...BENNY STEVENS...ZACK FANTANA...DEAD END FRIENDS!!!
At the bottom of the ramp Benny takes off into a run and leaps up onto the ring apron only to front flip into the ring while Zack takes the stairs and then springs over as well. Benny has already ran to the far corner where he's taken the second turnbuckle and jukes his shoulders to the music while holding his Championship aloft, and Zack takes the corner opposite him to peer back out at the crowd once again and then nod at their approving return. The Hellcats watch all of this in mock bewilderment, Seldon point out to Hayden the fact that their opponent's ring gear is in stereo. Ana shakes her head in disgust as Lisa laughs while the champs hand over their championships, and then convene for a moment over in their corner.
LO: Dead End Friends took the Chimera Tag Championships off of NSFW on Blitz#24 in a death defying scaffold match. That was only two short weeks ago, and one has to wonder if Benny Stevens has recovered from his fall...
KO: Well, he seems to be in good spirits. Or drunk. One or the other...
LO: Zack and Benny didn't seem surprised by NSFW's departure after the match, citing several biting remarks at the former champions.
KO: Yeah, apparently Church & McGuire took exception to some of the comments that Dead End Friends made, saying that they didn't take them seriously.
LO: Took them seriously enough to take those belts off of them.
KO: True dat! But that's old news. This match could main event anywhere in the world. The Valor Pro Chimera Tag Team Champions versus The Union Battleground Battalion Champions!
LO: All four of these competitors are revered worldwide in this industry.
KO: Anastasia Hayden and Benny Stevens will start this one!
DING!
Benny and Ana give one another a nod before both leaning in to lock up in a strong arm grapple in the center of the ring! The two wrestlers swing from right to left with the larger Stevens gaining the upper hand in the struggle. Benny attempts to work Hayden into the corner but she catches him out of nowhere with a solid uppercut to the chin! Benny turns away, leading Ana to come in from behind with a vicious European uppercut to the back of Stevens head!
LO: Hayden counters with a brutal uppercut! Did you see the way Stevens head snapped forward?
KO: He’s got bigger problems…
The Grand Duchess hits the ropes directly behind Daredevil to build up some real momentum. Stevens sits on both knees seemingly in a daze. Ana comes in from behind aiming a knee for the back of Benny’s head, but he ducks! Hayden flies past leading Stevens to duck between both of Ana’s legs after the miss. She stops dead in her tracks but before Hayden can swing around, Benny hoists her up into the air on his shoulders! Frankenstein watches on from the Hellcats corner to see Fantana scaling the turnbuckle from the apron! Zack gets up top just as Benny stands all the way up with a little strain to put Hayden up high into the air. Zack leaps off the top turnbuckle to hit a blockbuster on Ana! Stevens falls back simultaneously for a beautiful tag team maneuver! The crowd comes alive as Fantana slides out of the ring and Stevens hooks a leg on Anastasia!
...1
LO: Broken up by Lisa Seldon!
KO: Dead End Friends have become a complete team.
LO: It appears to have caught the Hellcats off guard.
Seldon gets sent back to her corner while Ana rolls to one knee. Stevens takes off at her full speed ahead! The Grand Duchess leaps to her feet to swing around to catch the charging Daredevil with a picture perfect spinning heel kick to the throat! Stevens falls to a seated position in the center of the ring.
LO: What a spinning heel kick! It took the larger Benny Stevens off his feet completely.
Ana comes in from behind with a sharp kick to the back of Stevens! Then another! Hayden lights up the champions back with solid kick after kick! Benny slumps forward leading Ana to fall into the ropes in order to spring forward back at her defenseless opponent! Hayden comes in with a vicious drop kick to the back of Daredevil’s head! She then cradles up a leg for a pin!
...1
…
KO: Broken up by Zack Fantana!
LO: Fantana and Seldon share a brief stare down before the ref pushes Zack back to his corner.
The Grand Duchess gets back to her feet to taunt Fantana momentarily. She then turns her attention back to Benny, who stumbles to one knee. Ana gets him back to a standing position before irish whipping Stevens into the ropes! Daredevil stumbles before hitting the ropes causing him to fall between the top and middle ropes. Benny being swift on his feet, catches himself before falling onto the apron. Ana rushes at Stevens, who gets back to both feet on the apron. Benny catches the charging champion with a wicked pele kick that hits its mark! Hayden stumbles back giving Stevens some room. He grabs the top rope in both hands for grip before he leaps up onto the top rope to springboard off at Ana! Benny hits a splash on The Grand Duchess but both wrestlers end up flat on the mat after an awkward landing by Benny.
LO: Uh-oh! Did Stevens injure himself on that landing?!
KO: I’m not sure from this angle, but he did take a tough landing there.
LO: Both wrestlers are thinking tag in this spot.
KO: Ana is far away from her corner but Benny is mere feet away from Fantana.
Benny reaches down at his right ankle while Hayden gathers her bearings alongside him. Stevens moves the ankle with no pain. Ana has already begun to move toward Frankenstein. Fantana and Seldon stomp on the apron as the crowd nearly bursts with anticipation.
LO: I believe Stevens is alright.
Benny leaps up but stumbles. The ankle a bit more sore than he previously believed. He lunges forward at Fantana, who accepts the tag to glide through the ropes!
KO: TAG MADE! HERE COMES FANTANA!
LO: Hayden could make a tag as well! She’s mere feet now from Seldon.
Anastasia gets close to Lisa, still in a bit of a daze from the solid kick from Stevens to the side of the head. She lunges at Frankenstein, who eagerly reaches out for a tag but no! Fantana snatches her legs up mid lunge to pull her back toward the center of the ring. Ana holds both arms out reaching for her partner, who is now out of reach. Zack pulls her to the center of the ring where Ana flips over to kick him off suddenly! He stumbles backwards to fall toward the ropes, where Frankenstein pulls the ropes down leading Fantana to fall through and onto the apron! Zack ends up on the outside floor holding the back of his head looking up at Lisa, who gives him a trolling wink.
LO: Fantana hits the floor hard after the assist by Lisa Frankenstein!
Ana tags in Lisa before Zack pulls her down off the apron! Frankenstein hits the floor to sling an elbow at Zack, who ducks it and spins Lisa on around to cradle her up! Fantana then follows up swiftly with a wicked exploder suplex! Lisa bounces off the floor after impact to hit the security barrier!
KO: Tag made but at a real cost.
LO: Fantana and Lisa are the legal competitors but Frankenstein was caught with an exploder suplex that has halted her offense altogether.
KO: Zack is on the move!
Fantana can hear the referee as he starts the count from inside the ring. Zack immediately rushes over to Frankenstein to cradle her up. Lisa comes alive as she reaches both feet to catch Fantana with a violent headbutt! The sudden shot busts Zack’s nose and Lisa’s lip open. The crowd pops at the sight of blood while Fantana is stunned. Lisa works Zack to the apron the onto it before sliding into the ring herself.
LO: Seldon draws blood already.
KO: What else did you expect?
Lisa gets to both feet inside the ring only to find Zack standing in front of her! They both charge at each other and the momentum of both superstars allows Frankenstein to pull of a sunset flip in the center of the ring that she holds through for a pin!
...1
...2
KO: Broken up by Benny Stevens! Wow!
LO: I’ll say, Lisa has caught Fantana off guard completely here. Both of these wrestlers are seasoned inside the squared circle.
Frankenstein leaps to her feet while Fantana struggles slightly. She hits the ropes to slingshot herself back at Zack, who counters by cradling up Lisa for a picture perfect tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! The camera pans close to show the knee of Fantana driven into the spine of Lisa Seldon!
LO: Did you see that!? What a counter by Fantanasy!
KO: It’s Dead End Friends now.
LO: I know that, but Zack’s nickname is still Fantanasy.
Both wrestlers are slow to get up but Zack is the first to make it to a knee. He touches his face with his right hand to realize Lisa opened him up on the outside. Fantana’s eyes narrow as he turns slowly to see Lisa Seldon standing facing him! Lisa comes at him with muay-thai strikes! Zack struggles to cover up while Seldon keeps him on one knee. She attempts a roundhouse kick but Fantana ducks! Miss! Zack leaps up to take hold of Seldon from behind but she counters by reaching up then dropping into a sitout jawbreaker! The sudden maneuver takes Fantana off his feet!
LO: These two wrestlers are showing why they are two of the best in the world.
KO: The same could be said about all four wrestlers in this one.
LO: That’s a fact.
Fantana uses the ropes to pull himself back up but still in a daze somewhat. Seldon goes to push herself up only to be cradled by Zack! He irish whips her into the ropes then bounces off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring! The two wrestlers meet in the center of the ring, where Fantana hits a slingblade on Lisa to send her to the mat. He then rushes over to the ropes in a blur to glide through. Zack gets out on the apron and works the crowd a moment before gripping the top rope in both hands. He uses this as leverage to leap up onto the top! Fantana does a springboard moonsault onto Lisa Seldon in the center of the ring! Zack hooks a leg!
...1
...2
LO: Stomped out by Ana Hayden!
KO: Close. The Grand Duchess saves this one for the Hellcats.
LO: She continues to stomp down on Zack as if he were on fire! Vicious.
Hayden continues to drop stiff stomps down on Zack long after the pin is broken up. Benny glides through the ropes to assist causing the referee to attempt to regain order. Fantana remains down after the barrage of Stomps from Ana. The ref gets Daredevil back to the Dead End Friends corner while Ana walks back The Hellcat Spangled Death Squads corner. Lisa tags in Hayden as soon as she reaches the corner leading her to reenter the ring. The referee acknowledges the tag while Lisa gets back alongside Zack in the ring on one knee. Ana takes a step back into the ropes before taking off right at Seldon. The Grand Duchess leaps up as she reaches Frankenstein, who boosts Ana on up into the air! She lands with a double foot stomp on Zack Fantana before hooking a leg!
...1
...2
KO: Broken up by Benny Stevens!
LO: The Hellcat Spangled Death Squad are working as a cohesive unit against the Valor Chimera Tag Team Champs right now.
Lisa climbs back in the ring to meet Benny, who nails Seldon with a wild elbow! The two begin swapping blows while Ana and Fantana remain on the mat. Anastasia believed she had the match won but realizes that is not the case.
LO: These two teams are going at it! Lisa and Benny are rolling around on the mat now fighting like their lives depend on it.
KO: What a match! These two teams continue to impress here at 7 Pillars Two.
Stevens and Frankenstein end up on the outside floor fighting still. Fantana gets to one knee while Ana rises to both feet. Ana walks over to Fantana to get ahold of him but Zack counters by rolling her up!
...1
KO: Kick out by Hayden!
Benny and Lisa make it their feet on the outside to see this exchange inside the ring. This leads both wrestlers to regain focus and head for their respective corners. The two wrestlers continue to taunt one another even after walking away.
KO: Seldon and Stevens want to keep their eye on the larger picture here.
LO: Fantana is back up!
Zack gets to his feet looking to make a tag but Ana stands between he and Daredevil. Hayden holds her position to attempt to cut off the ring. Fantana takes off full speed ahead at The Grand Duchess for a step-up enziguri! Zack catches Ana flush on the jaw and she falls straight back allowing Benny to reach in to accept a tag!
LO: TAG MADE! The Daredevil of Valor Pro is legal!
Lisa watches on from the Hellcats corner as Benny climbs the turnbuckles quickly after being tagged in. He leaps off the top turnbuckle to perform an imploding corkscrew 450 splash! Ana holds up both knees at the last possible moment that causes Stevens to crash and burn!
KO: OH NO! Did you see that!? What a counter by Hayden to turn the tide of this one.
LO: Both wrestlers remain down on the mat. Benny shot for the moon but missed his mark.
Stevens holds his ribcage while rolling around on the mat. The Grand Duchess looks up to see Frankenstein reaching toward her with all she’s got.
LO: Ana needs to make a tag.
KO: I believe she’s just realized this.
Hayden crawls toward her corner while Fantana stomps on the apron to get Stevens back in this one.
KO: Anastasia continues to claw for her corner on the mat but picking up speed.
LO: Stevens has made it to one knee.
Benny peers out to see Ana after gathering his bearings. He stands up to give chase just as Hayden tags in Lisa Frankenstein! Seldon hits the ring running but Stevens catches her with a spinning spinebuster! Benny quickly gets back to his feet to begin stomping down on the arms of Frankenstein.
LO: Stevens has gained the upper hand after a picture perfect spinning spinebuster!
Benny gets up quickly to hover above Lisa, who lies lifeless on the mat. Stevens reaches down to get ahold of Seldon, who comes alive to roll him up!
...1
KO: Kick out by Stevens!
Frankenstein quickly adjusts her position after the kickout to apply a kneebar onto Daredevil! The eyes of Stevens widen as he realizes the trouble he’s in. Lisa wraps both arms around to trap the maneuver. The right leg has already taken damage and that’s where Seldon aims her wrath. Benny reaches out at Fantana with no way to reach. Zack stomps on the apron while Lisa applies more pressure.
LO: The knee bar is locked in! There is no where for Benny to go.
Ana works the crowd from the corner to turn this into a home game. Frankenstein wants to end this one right now but Stevens digs into the canvas to begin pulling himself and Lisa closer to the Dead End Friends corner.
KO: Benny could be fading here.
Lisa continues to apply pressure to the already sore right leg of one, Benny Stevens. He continues to dig and fight on the mat to creep toward Fantana. Seldon will have none of it and cranks on the pressure even further.
LO: Stevens continues to slow crawl himself and Lisa toward Zack. He is mere feet away from Fantana, who reaches desperately for a tag.
Frankenstein presses the limits of Benny’s threshold for pain like never before. Stevens begins to fade before he can tag in Fantana. Ana claps in the corner for Lisa while the referee comes in close to check out Stevens. No response. The referee takes hold of Benny’s left hand only to drop it flat on the mat.
KO: Nothing. Benny may be out cold. Lisa wants to break his leg off at the knee.
The referee comes in to take hold of Benny’s hand again. Another drop that hits the mat flush. The crowd watches on lost in the suspense.
LO: This could be it. One final drop remains….
The ref comes in close to take hold of Stevens hand one final time. He drops it and right before it slaps against the mat, Stevens comes alive!
KO: OH MY GOD!
Benny digs into the mat once more in an attempt to lunge backwards at Fantana, who tags himself in!
LO: TAG MADE! HERE COMES FANTANA!
Zack hits the ring with real purpose to stomp Lisa in the face! Her head snaps back against the mat leading Fantana to head for Ana in the corner! Zack nails The Grand Duchess with a right hook that sends her off the apron! Fantana then climbs the closest turnbuckle like a man possessed. Benny Stevens climbs the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. The two wrestlers reach the top rope on opposite sides of the rings. They each slap a knee pad that belonged to Bobby Franchise before Benny jumps off to nail Lisa across the throat with an elbow drop. He then rolls out of the ring holding his right knee. Fantana then begins to dive off but gets tripped up from behind! Zack falls face first onto the canvas from the top turnbuckle!
KO: Ana catches Fantana from behind to halt his offense completely! Benny is now on the outside struggling to get back to the apron in the Dead End Friends corner.
LO: Seldon remains on the mat attempting to catch her breath after that brutal elbow drop from Stevens.
KO: Frankenstein has done damage to that knee. The veteran knows how to stop aerial assaults.
LO: Take out the sticks.
KO: Exactly.
Seldon gets up to find Fantana on the mat. Zack desperately attempts to get to his feet from his stomach. He presses both hands onto the mat to push himself up. Fantana peers up to see Lisa take off directly at him! Zack pushes himself up to drive forward at Frankenstein to catch her flush with a spear! The violent impact leaves Seldon unresponsive. Fantana quickly hooks a leg!
...1
..
LO: Broken up by Anastasia Hayden!
KO: Fantana and Ana are jawing at one another!
Ana gets in Zacks face as they begin to shove one another. This moment or two of distraction allows Frankenstein to shuffle toward The Hellcats corner. Benny stomps on the apron which gets Fantana’s attention. Ana hurries through the ropes and rushes along the apron to get back to her corner. Lisa lunges at Hayden just as Benny tells Zack to look.
LO: Tag made! Here comes the Grand Duchess!
Ana gets the tag and immediately grips the top rope in both hands rather than dash through. She watches as Fantana looks at Benny then swings around. This leads her to leap up on the top rope to springboard off with an arm drag to Fantana! Zack ends up in the corner after the smaller wrestler uses the high impact to corner her prey. Fantana slumps over in the corner while Ana aligns herself in the opposite one. She faces out at Zack and takes off full speed ahead for a yakuza kick! The lick leaves Fantana in a daze but still holding onto to the ropes in the corner to hold himself up. Ana then rushes back to the corner she just charged out of while Lisa dashes along the apron on the outside. Fantana continues to slump over but eventually falls to a seated position as Frankenstein hits him with a sliding drop kick from the apron! Ana comes flying across the ring at the same time to finish with a facewash!
KO: Exterminator 3: Rise of the machines!
LO: What?
KO: That’s what the Hellcats call that maneuver.
LO: Tag made!
Ana pulls Fantana by the heel away from the corner before plopping down on top of him to hook a leg!
...1
…2
LO: Broken up by Benny Stevens!
KO: That was close. Benny saves the match for The Dead End Friends!
Ana looks at the referee holding up three fingers. The ref assures her it was only two while Benny drags Fantana closer to the corner out of sight of both, Ana and the referee.
KO: Genius! Fantana needs a breather.
Stevens lets go out Zack before being noticed. He then glides through the ropes to reach for a tag. Ana rushes toward Fantana, who lunges at Benny for a tag! Stevens leaps up on the top rope from the apron in a single bound! This catches Hayden off guard! Daredevil springboards off for a picture perfect tornado DDT that drives Ana’s head deep into the mat! Benny leaps to his feet to work the crowd before heading for the closest corner.
KO: Stevens wants to take this fight to the air.
LO: This fight has been contested in the air for most of the match. None of these wrestlers fear heights.
KO: That’s for sure.
Benny reaches the corner then climbs up on the middle turnbuckle to bounce on up to the top. He still favors the right knee but tries to shake it off. Ana lies on the mat holding her head while Stevens works the crowd from the top rope. Daredevil leaps off with flashes throughout capturing the moment forever. Benny brings his hands and feet in close to his body twice before hitting Hayden with a frog splash!
KO: TEN STAR FROG SPLASH!
LO: Benny hooks a leg!
...1
...2
Seldon comes flying in out of nowhere after leaping off the top turnbuckle to break up the pin with a somersault leg drop in epic fashion! The crowd comes unglued!
LO: Broken up by Seldon! Did you see that!? What an amazing match this has been between two tag team championship teams.
KO: Frankenstein saves the match for the Hellcats.
Ana somehow stumbles to her feet just as Seldon gets back out on the apron. The Grand Duchess tags in Frankenstein! Lisa ducks to come through the ropes only to catch a knee to the face from a charging Benny Stevens! The shot knocks Lisa off the apron and she hits the outside floor hard. Ana gets tripped up in the commotion and falls alongside her partner. Fantana leaps off the apron to come around the side of the ring.
LO: Ana and Lisa are getting up! Fantana wants to help in this endeavor.
KO: He may regret trying to corner two hellcats.
LO: Touche’.
Fantana reaches Ana and Frankenstein just as they stand up. He throws an open palm shot at Ana, who ducks it! Lisa comes in with a kick to Fantana’s exposed side. The shot can be heard throughout. Benny Stevens remains in the ring. He looks out at the Hell Spangled Death Squad teaming up on Fantana and gets an idea. Stevens hits the ropes on the opposite side of the ring to slingshot forward! He flies across the ring in a blur to suicide dive over the top rope on and onto Fantana, Ana, and Frankenstein. All four wrestlers hit the outside floor!
KO: Everyone is down!
LO: The referee comes in to start his count but has anyone moved yet?
KO: No.
The referee counts two as all four stir but none are able to get up just yet. The crowd continues shower these four wrestlers with praise when the lights in the arena go out and the sound of boots marching can be heard through the PA. The Big Screen above the stage flickers and an army of Zombies comes marching across it and the fans go ballistic as Aokigahara, Kowloon, Fukushima, and a battered Siberia step out onto the stage.
LO: Oh Lord...
KO: It wouldn't be a tag party without The Zombie Clan!
Aoki slowly steps to one side, while the other two do the same in the opposite direction, and behind them steps out a familiar face to most wrestling fans...
LO: WHAT THE!?! THAT'S KIMITSU! SHE'S IN VALOR PRO!?
KO: OH hell...she's the only Zombie that is crazier than Aoki and that's saying something!
The Hellcats and The Dead End Friends have pulled themselves up and thanks to the distraction the referee has stopped counting. Kimitsu gives a wry smile before lifting her fist in the air and then dragging it violently down. At that motion the rest of the Zombies charge down the ramp, and the tag teams that were just engaged in a war find themselves taking on a defensive position. But they are tired and recovering from that dive, where as everyone on the opposing side with the exception of Siberia is fresh.
LO: MY GOD! THE ZOMBIES ARE JUMPING THE HELLCATS AND DEAD END FRIENDS AND KIMITSU ZOMBIE IS DIRECTING TRAFFIC!
KO: IT'S PANDEMONIUM OUT HERE!
Fists, feet, and hair fly as the eight combatants scrap on the outside of the ring, and not even the sound of the bell from the time keepers station can break through the absolute buzz going through the Madison Square Garden crowd! Lisa squares up with Aoki, Ana squares up with Kowloon, Benny with Fukushima, and Zack with Siberia. They brawl all along ringside, slamming into things and people, knocking over ring steps, and causing all out mayhem. Finally Security pours out from the back and run right past Kimi who is still screaming orders at The Zombies, but the VPW officials only seem to add to the mix rather than pulling it apart. Stray elbows and fists find their way everywhere until finally another contingent of officers come running down the ramp, this time wearing the NYPD Blue and carrying handcuffs and pepper spray.
LO: MY GOD! THEY ARE GOING TO CART THEM ALL OFF TO JAIL!
KO: HOW! AOKI IS SCHEDULED NEXT TO DEFEND HIS UNLEASHED CHAMPIONSHIP!
LO: AND FUKUSHIMA IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE 7 PILLARS GAUNTLET MATCH FOR THE UNYIELDING!
KO: WHAT THE HELL IS KIMITSU SAYING...she's...SHE'S CALLING FOR THE ZOMBIES TO RETREAT THROUGH THE CROWD!
LO: LOOK AT THIS! THEY RUINED A GREAT MATCH AND NOW THEY ARE JUMPING THE GUARD RAILS!
Dead End Friends and The Hellcats shrugs away from security now that the immediate threat is over and both teams end up back in the ring as the capacity crowd comes unglued and security tries to figure out what the hell just happened. When everyone's eyes drift up to the stage, Kimitsu is gone like a thief in the night along with her kin. The cops remain surrounding ringside just in case as The Hellcats stare down The Friends.
RING ANNOUNCER: As a result of the referee loosing control of this contest, this match has been Thrown Out!
The boos reign down from the rafters as both teams express their adamant disapproval and call for a restart of the match, despite the fact that all four look battered and bruised, and that was before The Zombies showed up. The referee walks up the ramp shaking his head, leaving the two teams to stand there with fists on hips and walk around in total disappointment. Finally, after procuring the respective Tag Team Titles, Lisa and Ana pause to look Zack and Benny up and down. Then the two women shake their heads and take their Union Battleground Tag Titles out of the ring. As Seldon passes the nearby camera, she says, 'Until next time..' with a wink. Zack and Benny look to one another and shrug, following suit as the announcers are left with the aftermath of everything that just happened.
KO: So let me get this straight...Kimitsu Zombie is in Valor Pro?
LO: Looks that way...but notice how she didn't give physically involved. Do you think she might just be managing them?
KO: Isn't that Tokyo's job?
LO: Hell if I know anymore! I do know this...the Hellcat Spangled Death Squad and Dead End Friends did not disappoint here tonight, and we can only hope that one day we'll finally get to see a proper resolution to that rivalry.
KO: No doubt...I wonder what else can happen here tonight?
LO: A whole lot, Ken, cause I hear word we've got Tommy Crimson set up in the back...
KO: Great...another lunatic. Head backstage I guess...
Madison Square Garden is alive this night. Fans from all over the big apple have come to see Valor Pro’s best battle. The audience rattles the walls backstage where the camera feed picks up. A long dark corridor comes into view. The hall leads to the steps that go up to the entrance stage. Valor Pro Wrestling and the Battleground Network have wasted no expense here. The hallway has fluorescent lighting that darkens deeper down the hall. The lights in the back are barely lit at all. A familiar voice begins to narrate, The Fury, Tommy Crimson.
THE FURY: It feels like a lifetime ago that I was here last. Madison Square Garden. I’ve main evented here several times and won two world championships, ten years apart, right here. Those promotions have now perished and others rule now.
Someone steps into the corridor as the words echo throughout. The narrator continues as the unknown individual gets a close up to reveal Tommy Crimson himself.
THE FURY: I’ve waited for years to get back here. I fought and worked so hard on my craft to perfect it. Fate has led me back here. For the last several years I have been the best kept secret in wrestling. Spoiling my all time great talent in Vegas and other indy shit holes world wide.
The Fury begins to slowly walk down the corridor. Crimson has the rope draped over his right shoulder. Tommy also drags a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire behind him. The barbs scratch the floor behind him. The lighting hits the faces sewn into his jacket to jar the bravest of men. Tommy does not speak but his voice does narrate over the creepy shot. Arrows have been taped on the floor every five feet for anyone new.
THE FURY: I can count on one hand how many losses I have had in the last 5 years. None of that means a goddamn thing here tonight. I can’t reason with this man nor would I even fucking want to. There is only one way to beat him. Survive.
The camera films Tommy walk down the corridor towards his destiny. He leaves bloody footprints with each step he takes. Crimson continues to drag the bat behind him. The dim lighting leaves much to the imagination.
THE FURY: I want to be Unleashed Champion. I’m willing to shorten my career in order to do just that. There’s no way that Aokigahara nor myself will ever be the same after this. This will be a life altering event for both of us.
Crimson continues to walk in slow motion down the corridor while narrating over it all. The further he goes the darker the hall becomes.
THE FURY: I will haunt you forever, Aoki. No matter what happens here tonight, you will never forget Tommy Crimson. I will ensure that with the only way I know how. Gratuitous Violence.
The Fury walks into the darkest part of the corridor. Only the outline of the wrestler can be made out as the narration continues.
THE FURY: I’ve gotten inside your head with minimal effort. It’s almost disappointing at just how simple it was. I want to pull your intestines out your asshole and choke you with them. I’ve got to see if you got guts like you claim.
Tommy walks to the steps and slowly peers up. “Zombie” chants have already broke out throughout MSG. The fan favorite for sure but Crimson doesn’t care about any of that. Being the best villain in the world is far more important. One that can mindfuck at will with words while innovating promotional material like no other. The Detroit Devil looks up the steps and waits for Megaraptor to play his favorite song, “Lux Aeterna”.
THE FURY: I’ve come to Murder.
The opening chords of “Lux Aeterna” begin to play over the PA system. Crimson makes his way up the steps while still clutching the bat. The scene begins to fade as the crowd noise consumes all.
THE FURY: It feels like a lifetime ago that I was here last. Madison Square Garden. I’ve main evented here several times and won two world championships, ten years apart, right here. Those promotions have now perished and others rule now.
Someone steps into the corridor as the words echo throughout. The narrator continues as the unknown individual gets a close up to reveal Tommy Crimson himself.
THE FURY: I’ve waited for years to get back here. I fought and worked so hard on my craft to perfect it. Fate has led me back here. For the last several years I have been the best kept secret in wrestling. Spoiling my all time great talent in Vegas and other indy shit holes world wide.
The Fury begins to slowly walk down the corridor. Crimson has the rope draped over his right shoulder. Tommy also drags a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire behind him. The barbs scratch the floor behind him. The lighting hits the faces sewn into his jacket to jar the bravest of men. Tommy does not speak but his voice does narrate over the creepy shot. Arrows have been taped on the floor every five feet for anyone new.
THE FURY: I can count on one hand how many losses I have had in the last 5 years. None of that means a goddamn thing here tonight. I can’t reason with this man nor would I even fucking want to. There is only one way to beat him. Survive.
The camera films Tommy walk down the corridor towards his destiny. He leaves bloody footprints with each step he takes. Crimson continues to drag the bat behind him. The dim lighting leaves much to the imagination.
THE FURY: I want to be Unleashed Champion. I’m willing to shorten my career in order to do just that. There’s no way that Aokigahara nor myself will ever be the same after this. This will be a life altering event for both of us.
Crimson continues to walk in slow motion down the corridor while narrating over it all. The further he goes the darker the hall becomes.
THE FURY: I will haunt you forever, Aoki. No matter what happens here tonight, you will never forget Tommy Crimson. I will ensure that with the only way I know how. Gratuitous Violence.
The Fury walks into the darkest part of the corridor. Only the outline of the wrestler can be made out as the narration continues.
THE FURY: I’ve gotten inside your head with minimal effort. It’s almost disappointing at just how simple it was. I want to pull your intestines out your asshole and choke you with them. I’ve got to see if you got guts like you claim.
Tommy walks to the steps and slowly peers up. “Zombie” chants have already broke out throughout MSG. The fan favorite for sure but Crimson doesn’t care about any of that. Being the best villain in the world is far more important. One that can mindfuck at will with words while innovating promotional material like no other. The Detroit Devil looks up the steps and waits for Megaraptor to play his favorite song, “Lux Aeterna”.
THE FURY: I’ve come to Murder.
The opening chords of “Lux Aeterna” begin to play over the PA system. Crimson makes his way up the steps while still clutching the bat. The scene begins to fade as the crowd noise consumes all.
We go to Aokigahara Zombie somewhere in the upper decks, caught up in a fit of laughter after escaping security just seconds ago in the previous tag match. His body contorts with the joyful convulsions racking his body as he doubles over with every happy fresh breath. He leans back sucking in air then coughs out another round of gleeful mirth shaking with the feeling. His face is stuck in the wide grin of the mask of comedy with lines on his cheeks and his eyes barely open./ This lasts for a few moments before he regains his composure. He stomps his feet letting out the last few tickles and catches his breath.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: Ahm Crimson. Since when did this turn into a black comedy? What was the smug me-me that the kids say? ‘I’m living in your head rent-free, BUCKO!’?
Another fit threatens to come to the surface but Aokigahara holds it down.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: “Alright I get it. You are one of those that spew out your opinions loudly so that they can seem legit and maybe convince a pundit or two, but you could use a little more thought before speaking. It’s all skin deep for you and there is so much more beneath the surface. Maybe you can see it if you do indeed gut me open. Now that you threatened it, however, if I don’t leave that ring in a wheelchair, or a body bag, you will look so very weak. I don’t hate you, you just annoy me. And a good plaything that does make. So I will humor you, Crimson. Let’s turn this comedy into a tragedy. Bring your new toys and I’ll stick to my wits and tricks and we’ll see what your quick analysis of me brings out. I’ll show you the difference between a showman and a master of the craft. Oh, and I am not talking about deathmatches. I’m talking about wrestling. This is all that the match is. The violence, the weapons, the barbed wire, are all just extras but deep down this is a wrestling match. I have proven myself without such things but with them, I have so much fun. I’ll show you what I mean soon. Well, I’ll try, you ignorant slut! Zing!”
The laughter starts up again.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: That’s how it’s going to be, right? You don’t want to get into that sort of contest with me, or it’ll be more crawling through tunnels for you trying to find meaning.
He taps his temple.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: You’ll only find hell until I hack up a loogie and spit you out with the rest of the bile. I don’t appraise promotional materials, boy. I appraise people. Those I find wanting, I build them up. You will take my lessons or fail the class of life.
He checks his watch.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: Hmm, it’s been too long since I’ve committed a sinful act. Time to go!~
He gets up and leaves with a great guffaw.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: Ahm Crimson. Since when did this turn into a black comedy? What was the smug me-me that the kids say? ‘I’m living in your head rent-free, BUCKO!’?
Another fit threatens to come to the surface but Aokigahara holds it down.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: “Alright I get it. You are one of those that spew out your opinions loudly so that they can seem legit and maybe convince a pundit or two, but you could use a little more thought before speaking. It’s all skin deep for you and there is so much more beneath the surface. Maybe you can see it if you do indeed gut me open. Now that you threatened it, however, if I don’t leave that ring in a wheelchair, or a body bag, you will look so very weak. I don’t hate you, you just annoy me. And a good plaything that does make. So I will humor you, Crimson. Let’s turn this comedy into a tragedy. Bring your new toys and I’ll stick to my wits and tricks and we’ll see what your quick analysis of me brings out. I’ll show you the difference between a showman and a master of the craft. Oh, and I am not talking about deathmatches. I’m talking about wrestling. This is all that the match is. The violence, the weapons, the barbed wire, are all just extras but deep down this is a wrestling match. I have proven myself without such things but with them, I have so much fun. I’ll show you what I mean soon. Well, I’ll try, you ignorant slut! Zing!”
The laughter starts up again.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: That’s how it’s going to be, right? You don’t want to get into that sort of contest with me, or it’ll be more crawling through tunnels for you trying to find meaning.
He taps his temple.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: You’ll only find hell until I hack up a loogie and spit you out with the rest of the bile. I don’t appraise promotional materials, boy. I appraise people. Those I find wanting, I build them up. You will take my lessons or fail the class of life.
He checks his watch.
AOKIGAHARA ZOMBIE: Hmm, it’s been too long since I’ve committed a sinful act. Time to go!~
He gets up and leaves with a great guffaw.
RING ANNOUNCER: The following contest is a Barbed Wire Death Match and it is for THE UNLEASHED CHAMPIONSHIP...
The arena is cast into darkness as the piano intro for Lux Aeterna by Megaraptor hit's over the PA System. The big screen above the stage begins to crackle before becoming a sheet of static and symbols appear with the an upside down cross and the message 'Believe In Yourself'.
The arena is cast into darkness as the piano intro for Lux Aeterna by Megaraptor hit's over the PA System. The big screen above the stage begins to crackle before becoming a sheet of static and symbols appear with the an upside down cross and the message 'Believe In Yourself'.
This flashing light is all that illuminates the stage and as the fans eyes adjust they see Tommy Crimson standing in it's center shrouded by an eerie mist. He's wearing a long red trenchcoat to match his stringy red hair over black leather pants and a sleeveless skin tight mesh shirt with the upside down cross embroidered dead center of his chest. The fans begin to boo the theatrical entrance but The Fury doesn't seem to care as he strides through the mist and makes his way down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at six foot two and weighting in at 186 pounds, hailing from Detroit, Michigan...He is THE FURY, TOMMY CRIMMSSSOONNN!!
Tommy reaches the bottom of the ramp and turns to his left to take the ring steps to the apron, carefully swings into the ring, and then leaps up to the second turnbuckle of the closest turnbuckle. The flashing lights from the big screen make each of Tommy's motions look like a spectral image. He thrusts his arms out at his sides and when the screen goes dark and the lights come back to full he's staring heavenward while his arms remain at his sides to form a human cross.
LO: Tommy had one hell of a showcasing last Blitz when it was Challengers versus Champions, but in the end it was Aoki who managed to pick up the win for his team against Danny Rizzo...
KO: Yeah, and that came after Callum German Suplexed Tommy from the apron to the freakin' concrete floor. The fact that this guy has even made it out to the ring is a miracle.
LO: I don't think Tommy Crimson would've missed this opportunity for anything in the world, Ken...
'Courage' by The Minutemen hits over the PA system, and Aokigahara Zombie bursts through the curtain wearing his trademark leather jacket, the Unleashed Championship around his waist, and beaming a toothy grin. The fans give a cheer despite themselves, knowing that whenever Aoki is involved, more than likely, insanity is sure to follow. The leader of the Zombie Clan stalks around the stage, beating his chest and letting out maniacal fits of laughter, until finally settling his gaze on the ring, running his thumb across his throat in the sign of execution. He laughs again just as he starts his walk down to the ring.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot ten and weighting in at 230 pounds, hailing from Yamanashi, Japan...He is THE CURRENT UNLEASHED CHAMPION...AOKIGAHARA ZOMMBBBIIEEE!!!
Zombie reaches ringside and rolls under the barbed wire into the ring, popping up and immediately peeling his jacket off and tossing it to the ringside attendant before spinning around and jerking the Unleashed Championship free from his waist and holding it aloft in Tommy's direction. Crimson snarls as the referee takes the belt and holds it high for all to see before carefully passing it between the barbed wire to the ring attendant.
LO: Zombie seems confident despite his encounter with the police earlier...I wonder if anyone will press charges.
KO: I doubt it. This is the wrestling business. Those charges would never stick.
LO: Be that as it may, these two are both Ultraviolent experts. Ken, why don't you tell the folks what they are like to view here in this match.
KO: As you can see, Ladies and Gentlemen, the ring ropes have been replaced with barbwire. If that weren't sweet enough there are various weapons around the ring also wrapped in the infamous wire.
LO: And as the referee signals for the bell, let's just say all hell is about to break loose!
DING!
Zombie and Tommy circle one another before Aokigahara strikes with an elbow to the forehead of The Fury! Crimson stumbles back but catches his balance before falling into the barbwire. Zombie wastes no time in coming in full speed ahead to finish what he started with the elbow. Tommy side steps this charge to wrap both arms around Aoki as he flies past for an inverted atomic drop!
KO: This environment is unsettling.
Crimson comes up from behind Zombie only for him to reach up to curl both arms around Tommy’s neck for a sitout jawbreaker! The unexpected offense sends The Fury flying backwards toward the barbed wire ropes! Crimson trips up to end up mere inches from hitting the bottom rope. Tommy raises up to realize his long hair got wadded up in the bottom wire. Aokigahara strikes! He begins to drop pointed stomps to the face of the now stuck Tommy Crimson. The Fury rolls beneath the wire with Zombie kicking him all the way! A thick piece of Crimson’s hair is yanked out by the wire as he falls off the apron to land on both feet. Tommy holds the back of his head while the fans cheer on Aoki.
LO: It’s been all Zombie in the opening moments of this one.
KO: Crimson lost a chunk of hair to the barbed wire already.
Crimson slides back into the ring to face down Aokigahara, who comes at Tommy with a balled right fist! Crimson quickly raises up his right knee to counter! Zombie nails The Fury in the face but Crimson robs Aoki of all the air in his lungs with the knee. Bakemono bends over leading Crimson to cradle him up for a Michinoku Driver 2 that Tommy holds through for a pin!
...1
KO: Kick out by Aoki Zombie! Both of these men have wrestled throughout their careers in Japan and Tommy’s moves often reflect that.
LO: Aokigahara was born and raised in Japan. Crimson said, he respects the culture but not Aoki. Disrespectful towards the Unleashed Champion.
Tommy and Aoki both leap to their feet! Crimson charges at Zombie, who counters with a drop toe hold out of nowhere! The counter trips Tommy up completely and he falls face first toward the bottom barb wire ropes! He falls just short while Aoki notices a short strand of wire that was left tangled up around a top turnbuckle. He snatches it up quickly then turns slowly to look at Crimson, who begins to push himself up off the mat. Aokigahara wraps the stray piece of sharp barb wire around the throat of Crimson from behind before pushing The Fury back flat on the mat. Zombie then stands in the small of Tommy’s back while yanking up on the barb wire in both hands to choke Crimson.
LO: Aokigahara found a piece of barb wire and is now using it to kill Tommy Crimson.
KO: Kill is a strong word but he wants to choke Crimson out for sure. The Fury is helpless!
Tommy thrashes around on the mat but Aoki only pulls harder on the wire to choke Crimson further. The barbs dig into Zombie’s hands and Crimson’s throat. The first blood of both wrestlers drips to the mat. Tommy rocks left then quickly right on his belly to shift just enough to send Aokigahara off his back! Zombie shuffles his feet after hitting the mat to keep his grip on the piece of barb wire wrapped around Tommy’s throat. Crimson glares at the Deathmatch legend that still holds Tommy on a leash of pain. The Fury rushes at Bakemono suddenly to catch him with a swinging neckbreaker! The maneuver causes Aoki to release his hold of the barb wire to free Crimson.
KO: Nice counter by The Fury! Aoki has drawn first blood here tonight!
LO: What is Crimson doing!?
Crimson takes the short piece of sharp wire off from around his neck. He then slowly wraps it around his right hand. The barbs stick him in places but the gloves he designed a week prior give some relief. Aoki raises up slowly only for Crimson to straddle his chest! The Fury holds onto Zombie with his left hand while swinging the barbwire wrapped right as it comes in to nail Aoki directly in the face. Tommy pulls back to come in with another vicious right. The barbs stick in Zombie’s left cheek. Crimson simply yanks them free for even more pain. Aokigahara leans up to shove Tommy off! The Fury flies backwards and ends up tangled in the bottom and middle tight strands of barb wire! Tommy’s right hand lies on the mat exposed as he uses his left hand to free himself. Aoki stomps down on Crimson’s right hand with all he’s got! The hand was still wrapped in the wire which digs into his hand. The middle finger comes out of place with another stomp! The glove on this hand designed solely to stop the white mist is destroyed. Only one remains.
KO: OUCH! Tommy Crimson is in real trouble now. He’s tangled up in the barb wire and Zombie could have just broke his hand.
LO: That middle finger is out of place for sure. Either way that paw looks mangled from here.
Aokigahara bends down to headbutt Crimson in the face! Zombie then stomps at The Fury until he falls through the wire and off the apron! Tommy ends up down on the outside floor.
LO: The champion is now in complete control!
Aoki steps through the barb wire wound tight in strands to form ropes all the way around the ring. Zombie leaps off the apron wanting to catch Crimson from behind. Tommy pushes himself up off the floor to realize a baseball bat wrapped in barb wire is within reach. The veteran’s ring awareness tells him Aoki is near.
KO: Aokigahara appears to have Tommy Crimson right where he wants him. There are weapons all around the ring wrapped in barb wire.
Zombie hovers behind Crimson before reaching down to take a handful of his red hard from behind. Tommy snatches up the bat just before this. Aoki pulls Crimson to his feet by the hair of his head. The Fury spins around to thrust the bat into Zombie’s gut! The barbs dig in but Crimson yanks them out while Aoki bends over completely. Tommy comes down across the champions back with a sharp shot with the bat! Zombie falls down across the ring steps.
LO: Crimson has turned things around with that bat!
KO: Aoki won’t stay down.
Tommy walks toward Aokigahara, whose bottom is stuck straight up in the air. Aoki landed abdomen first across the steps leaving him in this vulnerable position. Crimson taunts this pro Zombie crowd by turning the barb wire wrapped bat around. He holds the tapered end out, where you grip to swing the bat. Tommy then spits on that end before turning his psychotic gaze toward Aoki’s vulnerable bottom.
LO: Oh, no. He’s not gonna…
KO: I believe Crimson will do anything.
The crowd boos The Fury for even suggesting such a disrespectful act with the handle of the bat. He continues forward, however, while Aoki comes alive to see another bat mere inches from the steps. Crimson leans in closer from behind still acting as if he plans on penetrating the champion with the handle of the bat. Aoki rolls over on the steps holding a bat of his own! He swings it wide to nail Crimson across the forehead! Aoki notices the replay of what Crimson was doing behind him to become amused by the blatant show of disrespect.
KO: Uh-oh!
Zombie leaps up off the steps to end up on top of Crimson, who ended up flat on his back on the outside floor. Aokigahara takes his bat up to begin rubbing the barb wire end across the face and eyes of The Fury! The fans scream wildly as Crimson begins to bleed more and more.
LO: Zombie has had enough of Tommy Crimson’s mind games.
KO: Do you see how he’s digging those barbs into Crimson’s face?!
LO: Yes.
Crimson uses his knees to knock Aoki off from behind. Tommy then shakes his head before rolling to his feet. The Fury’s face is now covered in blood with one eye swollen from the solid bat lick. Zombie takes off at Crimson, who delivers a standing missile dropkick to the champions chest! Aokigahara hits the security barrier hard but does not go down. He falls forward, where Crimson bends over to catch the champion across his shoulders. The Fury then delivers a fireman’s carry neckbreaker! The maneuver halts Aoki’s offense.
LO: Crimson with a nice fireman’s carry neckbreaker! He had to buy him a moment to breath here. A moment, to at the very least, wipe the blood off his face.
KO: These two men continue to punish one another. The fans are enthralled by the action thus far.
Tommy wipes his face to regain his sight. Zombie rolls to his feet after recovering on the outside floor. Crimson peers up to see his foe rise. Tommy charges right at Aokigahara, who instead captures up Crimson in an abdominal stretch! The champion uses his free arm to hammer the now exposed torso of Crimson with elbow shot after elbow shot!
LO: What a counter! Zombie wants to soften him up.
Crimson falls back to smash Aokigahara into the steel security barrier! The two men crash into the unforgiving barrier to break the hold. Both men end up down on the outside floor.
KO: The referee watches on with no real job in this one but to declare a winner via pinfall of submission.
LO: No rules to speak of.
Madison Square Garden comes alive as the two men stumble back up to a vertical base. Both men begin throwing punches at each other. The crowd gets riled up as the two men swap blow for blow. Crimson gains the upper hand suddenly with a barrage of trapping headbutts to the champion! Tommy quickly takes hold of the back of Aoki’s head to fall straight back for a falling double knee facebreaker! The impact sends Zombie back onto the security barrier at the bell keepers small area. The crowd boos as Tommy takes control.
LO: Pro-Zombie crowd here at MSG!
KO: I see all kinds of kids wearing those creepy fucking contacts.
Tommy walks over to Zombie, who remains draped over the barrier at the bell keepers area, face first. Crimson approaches the champion from behind leading him to react suddenly! Aokigahara spins around to catch The Fury with the edge of a wide board!
KO: What was that!? What is it?
Aokigahara holds up the board to show it has three pairs of very sharp scissors bolted to it. The scissors are bolted in this position to ensure they remain open on the board at all times.
LO: That’s a scissor board! Aoki had it hidden in the bell keepers area!
Zombie holds the scissor board out from his body and toward one, Tommy Crimson. The Fury gets to his feet after catching the corner of the board to the temple. Aokigahara creeps closer and closer. Tommy picks up a bat as the two men get up alongside the apron. Zombie spits white mist at Crimson, who holds up his left hand! The glove he designed uses the micro fans sewn in the fabric in order to suck up the mist! Crimson grins as he pulls his left hand away from his face with an accomplished demeanor. Aokigahara simply spits the white mist again! Tommy catches a faceful! He stumbles back before hitting one knee to regain his sight.
KO: WHITE MIST! Zombie destroyed the right glove but the left one succeeds! Doesn’t matter in the end though because Aokigahara just did it again! Tommy is completely blind now.
LO: This could be the end… Zombie pinned Rizzo to win the challengers versus champions tag match on Blitz 24 after voiding Crimson’s presence with that same mist! This could be it.
Crimson desperately wipes at his eyes to regain his sight. Aokigahara continues to hold onto the scissor board but leaps up on the apron. He steadies himself before taking off alongside the ropes toward Tommy! Crimson rises to both feet able to see again sort of. Aoki holds the scissor board high with the scissors all facing out. Zombie leaps off the apron right at Crimson to bring the scissor board down across the skull of The Fury! The board shatters while two pairs of scissors miss sticking Tommy but the third pair on the end slices off a piece of his left ear! The crowd lets out a collective gasp. The piece of Crimson’s flesh ends up near the security barrier. A group of fans all wearing white contacts reaches out for the piece of ear. It disappears forever in an instant.
LO: OH MY GOD!
KO: Zombie just took off a piece of The Fury’s ear and it was stolen! Crimson will have to buy that off ebay in a few hours.
LO: HAHA! I bet you’re right on that. The referee appears perplexed after that display but Crimson has yet to realize it.
Crimson can feel blood running down the side of his face. He reaches up to touch his ear which hurts from the extreme pain. Effects of the mist. Zombie comes out of nowhere to irish whip Tommy back into the ring. He gets snagged but manages to end up back in the squared circle. Aoki slides in to hook a leg!
...1
...2
KO: KICK OUT BY THE FURY! Can you believe it!?
LO: No I can’t. I thought Crimson was in a state of shock after losing a good portion of a crucial body part.
An expression of shock wrinkles the forehead of the Unleashed Champion. He did not expect Crimson to survive that pin. Tommy rolls over on his side while the crowd goes crazy for this match.
CROWD: This-IS-AWESOME!
LO: These New Yorkers have a lust for blood.
KO: They won’t after these two are done.
Crimson gets to one knee. The top portion of his left ear is gone. The long locks of red hair now matted to his skull in dried blood. Aokigahara gets back to his feet to face down his challenger head on.
LO: Crimson looks nearly dead already. Aokigahara is bleeding all over from barb cuts but Tommy looks like he’s just survived a slasher film.
Zombie comes flying in only to but swept off his feet by a violent dicus back elbow from Crimson! Tommy shakes his head to gather himself more before reaching out to take hold of Aokigahara by the back of the neck. Crimson then irish whips Zombie full speed ahead into the barb wire ropes! Aokigahara tries to stop but only becomes entangled worse for his troubles. Zombie ends up facing outside the ring leading Crimson to slide beneath the bottom rope before rising to both feet on the apron. Aoki tries to get free while Tommy lines him up from the apron. Crimson comes flying in with a brutal shining wizard to the completely exposed skull of his opponent! Aokigahara goes limp to fall forward with all his weight. The middle barb wire ropes breaks loose from the ring posts to cause Aoki to hit the outside floor hard.
KO: The Fury is starting to build momentum. Everytime he begins to do this, Aoki has had an answer so far.
Tommy races over to the closest ring post then carefully climbs up. The barb wire only has two strands remaining for ropes that Crimson eases up. The Fury steps out onto the ring post due to fear the barb wire won’t hold. Crimson balances himself on the top of the round post momentarily before leaping off at the Zombie, who has stood up! Aokigahara thrusts the end of a barb wire wrapped bat at Crimson! The bat cracks one of Tommy’s ribs leading him to miss the forearm smash completely!
KO: Aokigahara is back to both feet and now has a bat! Batter up!
Aoki swings the bat at Crimson but misses! Tommy takes off backwards to escape the champions onslaught. The Fury stumbles over something backwards to fall flat on his bottom on the outside floor. It’s a bat! Crimson quickly takes hold of the handle as Zombie charges at him! Aoki swings his bat wildly but Tommy blocks the swing with his own bat! Crimson slowly gets up to his feet as the two men begin to circle one another holding out barb wire wrapped bats at one another.
LO: Both men have bats now!
KO: They are going to fight to the death.
LO: I believe that.
Crimson charges in to swing the bat at Aoki’s head but misses! Zombie ducks the shot to nail Tommy in the side with his own devastating weapon! Aokigahara swings at Crimson again but misses himself this time! Tommy stumbles to his feet to swing at the right heel of Aoki! The violent lick takes the champion off his feet.
LO: These two are willing to kill each other to win.
KO: The Unleashed Championship has become prestige within this business. Both men want to be the champion but only one can be.
Zombie crawls away from Crimson, who has slowed a bit after all the damage he’s taken. Aokigahara continues to crawl until he reaches a knee before both feet. He obviously favors the right ankle now after Tommy’s swing at it. Crimson comes at Aoki to swing his bat wide but Zombie blocks it by holding his bat out in both hands. The two men push against each other using the bats in a battle for supremacy. Crimson gets spun around when Aoki twists the bat to gain better leverage! The Fury ends up against the security barrier while Zombie continues to push the bat against Crimson’s. The two men end up tumbling over the barrier to end up out in the crowd!
KO: Oh, no. They are amongst the Valor Pro fans now. This is a recipe for disaster, Laurence.
LO: This may end up being one of the most violent encounters ever in Valor Pro.
Aokigahara and Tommy fight through the crowd with the two bats. MSG security attempts in vain to keep the crowd away from the two bloody wrestlers with little success thus far.
LO: The fans are now apart of this bloodbath now.
The two wrestlers continue to swing the bats at one another. Zombie brings the bat up suddenly in an uppercut motion to catch Tommy flush beneath the chin! Crimson hits the floor flat on his bottom. Aoki turns around to realize the men have fought through the crowd to end up at the edge of the entrance stage. A long narrow crate sits on the floor directly in front of Aokigahara. He lifts the bat up to knock the loose lid off to reveal a case of light tubes.
KO: Uh-oh.
The Fury remains on the floor in a seated position. Blood loss has caused both men to slow but Aoki looks like a man possessed. He turns around to face Tommy, who attempts to get up. Zombie meets him in order to cradle the wrestlers head up between both legs. Aokigahara looks around the large arena before hoisting Crimson up on his shoulders! Zombie brings Crimson down in the crate that shatters all the glass tubes with a picture perfect powerbomb! The crowd pops while Aokigahara admires his handy work.
LO: He did it! Aokigahara may have just buried what was left of The Fury in that crate full of glass tubes.
A Battleground Network camera man comes in close to show the aftermath. Aoki peers out at the ring. The two wrestlers are near the entrance stage and that’s the direction the Unleashed Champion decides to go. Aokigahara lifts Crimson up out of the crate to reveal glass stuck all in his back now. Zombie then pushes Tommy up and onto the large entrance stage, where even more weapons are located.
KO: These two men have fought all over Madison Square Garden here tonight.
LO: They have both lost too much blood, also.
KO: I knew this would be a deathmatch with two wrestlers who would refuse to quit but I had no idea they would take it this far.
Aoki gets up on the stage to see a table wrapped completely with barb wire. On the tabletop lies the rope that Crimson brought back from Japan. A rope that hung in the suicide forest, all in a ploy to get inside the mind of the champion. Tommy struggles to regain his bearings while pulling glass out of his flesh. Aoki looks down at the rope briefly which allows Crimson to stumble to his feet just behind the champion.
KO: Crimson has gotten back to his feet! What a match!
Tommy stumbles toward Zombie in a daze. Aokigahara swings around feeling something’s not right to find Crimson! The Fury kicks Aoki in the gut leading him to bend over so he can catch him with a sit out facebuster on the stage!
KO: Mindfucked!
LO: So you can say it but not me?
KO: Yeah.
Crimson sits on the stage still in a daze but realizes he has to move fast. Tommy gets back to his feet with almost every part of his body hurting or sore somehow. The Detroit Devil looks at the table wrapped in barb wire then up at speakers stacked high on the stage.
KO: What’s he thinking?
LO: I don’t know but you know it’s not good.
The Fury takes up the excess barb wire on the table that’s not wrapped all the way. Crimson then begins to wrap it around his arms and shoulders. The Unleashed Champion does not stir.
LO: Crimson just wrapped himself with barb wire. That’s where we are, ladies and gentlemen. The men have become the wrapped weapons themselves.
Tommy bends over to cradle up Aoki to roll him onto the table. The barb wire that covers the tabletop digs into the champions skin but he continues to recover from the facebuster onto the steel stage. Zombie’s nose was busted during the impact. Tommy leaves Aoki on the table, flat on his back. Crimson walks over to the tall speakers that tower close to fifteen feet tall. The fans boo The Fury as he carefully climbs up the side of the standing speakers that distributes sound throughout the large famous arena.
LO: Tommy Crimson is going for it all, right here, right now!
KO: Aokigahara has not moved on that table yet.
LO: He’s nearly made it to the top!
Crimson scales the speakers to end up high in the air. Nearly eye level now with the large screen above the stage. The crowd comes unglued as Tommy taunts them with a sticky bloody face. The Detroit Devil leaps off the high speakers to perform a shooting star press! Camera flashes light up the entire arena attempting to capture the moment forever. Tommy hits his mark and both men crash through the table and onto the unforgiving steel stage.
CROWD: HOLY-SHIT! HOLY-SHIT!
KO: OH MY GAWD! They are both dead! Crimson had a shot there but blew it by going for it all.
LO: These men have bled from one side of this arena to the other. The referee does not count because there are no rules.
KO: Aokigahara was having trouble before that high flying maneuver but now both wrestlers remain down.
The crowd chants, “ZOMB-IE! ZOMB-IE!”. The wrestlers still do not stir. Suddenly, Aoki’s hand shoots up into the air. The crowd roars which causes Tommy to come to. Crimson rolls over on his side to spit up a wad of blood. Aokigahara somehow manages to make it to one knee.
KO: How in the hell is Aokigahara alive let alone standing!? How are either of these men still in this at all!?
LO: They both want to be champion. Aoki wants to retain while Tommy wants to win. They could kill each other before this is over.
Aoki snatches the rope off the stage floor that Crimson brought to hang him with from Japan. Zombie catches Tommy getting up wrap the noose around his neck! Aokigahara then begins to drag Tommy back toward the ring using the rope. The Fury tries to stop this but catches a kick directly in the face for even trying!
LO: Aokigahara has Tommy in the noose, that Crimson promised to hang him with.
KO: A little bit ironic, don’t you think?
Aokigahara continues to lead Crimson to the ring by the neck in the noose. He yanks it suddenly which causes Tommy to fall to both knees. Zombie pulls at the end of the rope but Crimson wads the rope up in both his hands. The two men then begin to have a tug of war battle with the short rope. Zombie loses patience and rushes at Tommy, who ducks the forearm! Crimson then wraps the rope around Aokigahara’s throat as well! The two men fall to the mat alongside the ring to roll around on the outside floor. Crimson rolls on top of Aoki to gain leverage to choke him before Zombie counters with a roll of his own! The two men take turns rolling around attempting to strangle the other to death with the rope.
LO: These two are trying to murder each other!
KO: That's why they call it a Death Match!
The two men continue to roll around until eventually coming to rest against the barricade which allows Tommy to take the advantage as he's on top. Aoki looks as if his eyes are beginning to fade but as his hands flop to his side, his just so happens to land inside a woman's purse. He suddenly comes alive with new vigor as Tommy continues to choke him with the rope, and when his hand comes back from under the barricade it's holding a can of hair spray. He holds the nozzle down right in Tommy face and the Fury abandons the rope altogether, yanking himself free from the noose and flailing blindly around ringside. One of his swipes brings his arm in contact with the barbed wire ring ropes and he pulls back frantically, new gashes running down the length of his arm. Zombie laughs deliriously as he untangles himself from the rope as well and pulls himself back up to his feet. The laughter continues as he approaches Tommy, which actually gives the man some semblance of what's coming. With a lucky kick, Tommy flails out and catches Zombie in the gut which doubles him over, and he blindly grasps at the man and then tosses him back inside the ring.
LO: Zombie back in the ring and a blinded Crimson is furiously rubbing his eyes and drops down by the ring apron...what is he doing? Is he searching for something...
KO: Kind of looks like it, but he can't see. Zombie's coming back over to the edge and now has a double fistful of Crimson's hair...
LO: Zombie yanking Tommy back into the ring and dragging him to the center..but Look...TOMMY DOES HAVE SOMETHING!
KO: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!
LO: It looks like a chain glove with barbed wire woven into it....What the hell?
KO: Kids with their toys, Laur!
LO: Well Zombie hasn't seen it and he's signaling to the crowd he's wanting to jam his fingers down Tommy's throat...
KO: Tommy's slipped on the glove and he's up on his feet AND TURNS RIGHT INTO THE ITAI CLAW FROM ZOMBIE!
LO: Yeah, but Tommy's still got that modified glove...AND RIGHT HAND RIGHT INTO ZOMBIE'S FACE!
KO: OH MY GOD! AOKI'S EYEBROW JUST GOT TAKEN CLEAN OFF BUT HE'S STILL MAINTAINING THE CLAW!
LO: ANOTHER SHOT WITH THE CHAIN GLOVE! ANOTHER ONE! THAT BARBED WIRE IS CUTTING ZOMBIE'S FACE TO RIBBONS!
KO: JESUS CHRIST! ZOMBIE DROPS TO A KNEE BUT HE'S STILL GOT THE CLAW APPLIED, AND NOW TOMMY BRINGS HIS FIST DOWN RIGHT INTO THE TOP OF AOKI'S SKULL!
LO: ZOMBIES DOWN AND TOMMY JUST FELL ON TOP OF HIM!
1...
2...
3!!!
The fans are absolutely stunned as Zombie kicks out but not before the count of three. Both men lay there bleeding on one another as the referee signals for the bell and everyone begins to buzz about what they've just seen.
LO: I can't believe it...Aokigahara Zombie just suffered his first singles loss in Valor Pro Wrestling...
KO: Forget that, Laur! We've got a brand new Unleashed Champion!
The referee gingerly helps Tommy to roll off of Zombie and places the Unleashed Championship on his chest. He reaches up with his gloved hand and pats the belt, but otherwise is unable to move.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of this match via pinfall...AND THE NEW UNLEASHED CHAMPION...THE FURY, TOMMY CRIMSON!
Ring techs have already hopped onto the ring apron and begin using wire cutters to cut through the barbed wire, and EMT's take careful measures when entering the ring so that they can go to work on both men. Tommy and Aoki, for their part, just lie there and are attended to. That is, until they bring in a stretcher for Aoki, and he shoves them off of him. Crawling out of the ring on his own power, an absolute horror show of a mess, the Zombie stumbles towards the back but collapses halfway up the ramp. Kowloon suddenly appears and helps his brethren up to his feet, half carrying and half walking him the rest of the way to the exit.
LO: Tommy Crimson is waving the stretcher off himself but is allowing the referee to get him to his feet...and now he holds aloft the Unleashed Championship while being booed out of the building!
KO: These fans don't have to like it, but they damn sure should respect the effort he had to go through to get it!
LO: No doubt, but folks, our night is not through by a long shot. Danny Rizzo is standing by to speak before the biggest match of his live....an Apex Title shot against champion Chris Callum. Lets check it out!
The camera focuses a long shot of Tommy Crimson as he holds the Unleashed title over his head. The man is barely able to stay upright, but this is his moment. The scene lingers for just a moment longer, and then cuts backstage.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at six foot two and weighting in at 186 pounds, hailing from Detroit, Michigan...He is THE FURY, TOMMY CRIMMSSSOONNN!!
Tommy reaches the bottom of the ramp and turns to his left to take the ring steps to the apron, carefully swings into the ring, and then leaps up to the second turnbuckle of the closest turnbuckle. The flashing lights from the big screen make each of Tommy's motions look like a spectral image. He thrusts his arms out at his sides and when the screen goes dark and the lights come back to full he's staring heavenward while his arms remain at his sides to form a human cross.
LO: Tommy had one hell of a showcasing last Blitz when it was Challengers versus Champions, but in the end it was Aoki who managed to pick up the win for his team against Danny Rizzo...
KO: Yeah, and that came after Callum German Suplexed Tommy from the apron to the freakin' concrete floor. The fact that this guy has even made it out to the ring is a miracle.
LO: I don't think Tommy Crimson would've missed this opportunity for anything in the world, Ken...
'Courage' by The Minutemen hits over the PA system, and Aokigahara Zombie bursts through the curtain wearing his trademark leather jacket, the Unleashed Championship around his waist, and beaming a toothy grin. The fans give a cheer despite themselves, knowing that whenever Aoki is involved, more than likely, insanity is sure to follow. The leader of the Zombie Clan stalks around the stage, beating his chest and letting out maniacal fits of laughter, until finally settling his gaze on the ring, running his thumb across his throat in the sign of execution. He laughs again just as he starts his walk down to the ring.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot ten and weighting in at 230 pounds, hailing from Yamanashi, Japan...He is THE CURRENT UNLEASHED CHAMPION...AOKIGAHARA ZOMMBBBIIEEE!!!
Zombie reaches ringside and rolls under the barbed wire into the ring, popping up and immediately peeling his jacket off and tossing it to the ringside attendant before spinning around and jerking the Unleashed Championship free from his waist and holding it aloft in Tommy's direction. Crimson snarls as the referee takes the belt and holds it high for all to see before carefully passing it between the barbed wire to the ring attendant.
LO: Zombie seems confident despite his encounter with the police earlier...I wonder if anyone will press charges.
KO: I doubt it. This is the wrestling business. Those charges would never stick.
LO: Be that as it may, these two are both Ultraviolent experts. Ken, why don't you tell the folks what they are like to view here in this match.
KO: As you can see, Ladies and Gentlemen, the ring ropes have been replaced with barbwire. If that weren't sweet enough there are various weapons around the ring also wrapped in the infamous wire.
LO: And as the referee signals for the bell, let's just say all hell is about to break loose!
DING!
Zombie and Tommy circle one another before Aokigahara strikes with an elbow to the forehead of The Fury! Crimson stumbles back but catches his balance before falling into the barbwire. Zombie wastes no time in coming in full speed ahead to finish what he started with the elbow. Tommy side steps this charge to wrap both arms around Aoki as he flies past for an inverted atomic drop!
KO: This environment is unsettling.
Crimson comes up from behind Zombie only for him to reach up to curl both arms around Tommy’s neck for a sitout jawbreaker! The unexpected offense sends The Fury flying backwards toward the barbed wire ropes! Crimson trips up to end up mere inches from hitting the bottom rope. Tommy raises up to realize his long hair got wadded up in the bottom wire. Aokigahara strikes! He begins to drop pointed stomps to the face of the now stuck Tommy Crimson. The Fury rolls beneath the wire with Zombie kicking him all the way! A thick piece of Crimson’s hair is yanked out by the wire as he falls off the apron to land on both feet. Tommy holds the back of his head while the fans cheer on Aoki.
LO: It’s been all Zombie in the opening moments of this one.
KO: Crimson lost a chunk of hair to the barbed wire already.
Crimson slides back into the ring to face down Aokigahara, who comes at Tommy with a balled right fist! Crimson quickly raises up his right knee to counter! Zombie nails The Fury in the face but Crimson robs Aoki of all the air in his lungs with the knee. Bakemono bends over leading Crimson to cradle him up for a Michinoku Driver 2 that Tommy holds through for a pin!
...1
KO: Kick out by Aoki Zombie! Both of these men have wrestled throughout their careers in Japan and Tommy’s moves often reflect that.
LO: Aokigahara was born and raised in Japan. Crimson said, he respects the culture but not Aoki. Disrespectful towards the Unleashed Champion.
Tommy and Aoki both leap to their feet! Crimson charges at Zombie, who counters with a drop toe hold out of nowhere! The counter trips Tommy up completely and he falls face first toward the bottom barb wire ropes! He falls just short while Aoki notices a short strand of wire that was left tangled up around a top turnbuckle. He snatches it up quickly then turns slowly to look at Crimson, who begins to push himself up off the mat. Aokigahara wraps the stray piece of sharp barb wire around the throat of Crimson from behind before pushing The Fury back flat on the mat. Zombie then stands in the small of Tommy’s back while yanking up on the barb wire in both hands to choke Crimson.
LO: Aokigahara found a piece of barb wire and is now using it to kill Tommy Crimson.
KO: Kill is a strong word but he wants to choke Crimson out for sure. The Fury is helpless!
Tommy thrashes around on the mat but Aoki only pulls harder on the wire to choke Crimson further. The barbs dig into Zombie’s hands and Crimson’s throat. The first blood of both wrestlers drips to the mat. Tommy rocks left then quickly right on his belly to shift just enough to send Aokigahara off his back! Zombie shuffles his feet after hitting the mat to keep his grip on the piece of barb wire wrapped around Tommy’s throat. Crimson glares at the Deathmatch legend that still holds Tommy on a leash of pain. The Fury rushes at Bakemono suddenly to catch him with a swinging neckbreaker! The maneuver causes Aoki to release his hold of the barb wire to free Crimson.
KO: Nice counter by The Fury! Aoki has drawn first blood here tonight!
LO: What is Crimson doing!?
Crimson takes the short piece of sharp wire off from around his neck. He then slowly wraps it around his right hand. The barbs stick him in places but the gloves he designed a week prior give some relief. Aoki raises up slowly only for Crimson to straddle his chest! The Fury holds onto Zombie with his left hand while swinging the barbwire wrapped right as it comes in to nail Aoki directly in the face. Tommy pulls back to come in with another vicious right. The barbs stick in Zombie’s left cheek. Crimson simply yanks them free for even more pain. Aokigahara leans up to shove Tommy off! The Fury flies backwards and ends up tangled in the bottom and middle tight strands of barb wire! Tommy’s right hand lies on the mat exposed as he uses his left hand to free himself. Aoki stomps down on Crimson’s right hand with all he’s got! The hand was still wrapped in the wire which digs into his hand. The middle finger comes out of place with another stomp! The glove on this hand designed solely to stop the white mist is destroyed. Only one remains.
KO: OUCH! Tommy Crimson is in real trouble now. He’s tangled up in the barb wire and Zombie could have just broke his hand.
LO: That middle finger is out of place for sure. Either way that paw looks mangled from here.
Aokigahara bends down to headbutt Crimson in the face! Zombie then stomps at The Fury until he falls through the wire and off the apron! Tommy ends up down on the outside floor.
LO: The champion is now in complete control!
Aoki steps through the barb wire wound tight in strands to form ropes all the way around the ring. Zombie leaps off the apron wanting to catch Crimson from behind. Tommy pushes himself up off the floor to realize a baseball bat wrapped in barb wire is within reach. The veteran’s ring awareness tells him Aoki is near.
KO: Aokigahara appears to have Tommy Crimson right where he wants him. There are weapons all around the ring wrapped in barb wire.
Zombie hovers behind Crimson before reaching down to take a handful of his red hard from behind. Tommy snatches up the bat just before this. Aoki pulls Crimson to his feet by the hair of his head. The Fury spins around to thrust the bat into Zombie’s gut! The barbs dig in but Crimson yanks them out while Aoki bends over completely. Tommy comes down across the champions back with a sharp shot with the bat! Zombie falls down across the ring steps.
LO: Crimson has turned things around with that bat!
KO: Aoki won’t stay down.
Tommy walks toward Aokigahara, whose bottom is stuck straight up in the air. Aoki landed abdomen first across the steps leaving him in this vulnerable position. Crimson taunts this pro Zombie crowd by turning the barb wire wrapped bat around. He holds the tapered end out, where you grip to swing the bat. Tommy then spits on that end before turning his psychotic gaze toward Aoki’s vulnerable bottom.
LO: Oh, no. He’s not gonna…
KO: I believe Crimson will do anything.
The crowd boos The Fury for even suggesting such a disrespectful act with the handle of the bat. He continues forward, however, while Aoki comes alive to see another bat mere inches from the steps. Crimson leans in closer from behind still acting as if he plans on penetrating the champion with the handle of the bat. Aoki rolls over on the steps holding a bat of his own! He swings it wide to nail Crimson across the forehead! Aoki notices the replay of what Crimson was doing behind him to become amused by the blatant show of disrespect.
KO: Uh-oh!
Zombie leaps up off the steps to end up on top of Crimson, who ended up flat on his back on the outside floor. Aokigahara takes his bat up to begin rubbing the barb wire end across the face and eyes of The Fury! The fans scream wildly as Crimson begins to bleed more and more.
LO: Zombie has had enough of Tommy Crimson’s mind games.
KO: Do you see how he’s digging those barbs into Crimson’s face?!
LO: Yes.
Crimson uses his knees to knock Aoki off from behind. Tommy then shakes his head before rolling to his feet. The Fury’s face is now covered in blood with one eye swollen from the solid bat lick. Zombie takes off at Crimson, who delivers a standing missile dropkick to the champions chest! Aokigahara hits the security barrier hard but does not go down. He falls forward, where Crimson bends over to catch the champion across his shoulders. The Fury then delivers a fireman’s carry neckbreaker! The maneuver halts Aoki’s offense.
LO: Crimson with a nice fireman’s carry neckbreaker! He had to buy him a moment to breath here. A moment, to at the very least, wipe the blood off his face.
KO: These two men continue to punish one another. The fans are enthralled by the action thus far.
Tommy wipes his face to regain his sight. Zombie rolls to his feet after recovering on the outside floor. Crimson peers up to see his foe rise. Tommy charges right at Aokigahara, who instead captures up Crimson in an abdominal stretch! The champion uses his free arm to hammer the now exposed torso of Crimson with elbow shot after elbow shot!
LO: What a counter! Zombie wants to soften him up.
Crimson falls back to smash Aokigahara into the steel security barrier! The two men crash into the unforgiving barrier to break the hold. Both men end up down on the outside floor.
KO: The referee watches on with no real job in this one but to declare a winner via pinfall of submission.
LO: No rules to speak of.
Madison Square Garden comes alive as the two men stumble back up to a vertical base. Both men begin throwing punches at each other. The crowd gets riled up as the two men swap blow for blow. Crimson gains the upper hand suddenly with a barrage of trapping headbutts to the champion! Tommy quickly takes hold of the back of Aoki’s head to fall straight back for a falling double knee facebreaker! The impact sends Zombie back onto the security barrier at the bell keepers small area. The crowd boos as Tommy takes control.
LO: Pro-Zombie crowd here at MSG!
KO: I see all kinds of kids wearing those creepy fucking contacts.
Tommy walks over to Zombie, who remains draped over the barrier at the bell keepers area, face first. Crimson approaches the champion from behind leading him to react suddenly! Aokigahara spins around to catch The Fury with the edge of a wide board!
KO: What was that!? What is it?
Aokigahara holds up the board to show it has three pairs of very sharp scissors bolted to it. The scissors are bolted in this position to ensure they remain open on the board at all times.
LO: That’s a scissor board! Aoki had it hidden in the bell keepers area!
Zombie holds the scissor board out from his body and toward one, Tommy Crimson. The Fury gets to his feet after catching the corner of the board to the temple. Aokigahara creeps closer and closer. Tommy picks up a bat as the two men get up alongside the apron. Zombie spits white mist at Crimson, who holds up his left hand! The glove he designed uses the micro fans sewn in the fabric in order to suck up the mist! Crimson grins as he pulls his left hand away from his face with an accomplished demeanor. Aokigahara simply spits the white mist again! Tommy catches a faceful! He stumbles back before hitting one knee to regain his sight.
KO: WHITE MIST! Zombie destroyed the right glove but the left one succeeds! Doesn’t matter in the end though because Aokigahara just did it again! Tommy is completely blind now.
LO: This could be the end… Zombie pinned Rizzo to win the challengers versus champions tag match on Blitz 24 after voiding Crimson’s presence with that same mist! This could be it.
Crimson desperately wipes at his eyes to regain his sight. Aokigahara continues to hold onto the scissor board but leaps up on the apron. He steadies himself before taking off alongside the ropes toward Tommy! Crimson rises to both feet able to see again sort of. Aoki holds the scissor board high with the scissors all facing out. Zombie leaps off the apron right at Crimson to bring the scissor board down across the skull of The Fury! The board shatters while two pairs of scissors miss sticking Tommy but the third pair on the end slices off a piece of his left ear! The crowd lets out a collective gasp. The piece of Crimson’s flesh ends up near the security barrier. A group of fans all wearing white contacts reaches out for the piece of ear. It disappears forever in an instant.
LO: OH MY GOD!
KO: Zombie just took off a piece of The Fury’s ear and it was stolen! Crimson will have to buy that off ebay in a few hours.
LO: HAHA! I bet you’re right on that. The referee appears perplexed after that display but Crimson has yet to realize it.
Crimson can feel blood running down the side of his face. He reaches up to touch his ear which hurts from the extreme pain. Effects of the mist. Zombie comes out of nowhere to irish whip Tommy back into the ring. He gets snagged but manages to end up back in the squared circle. Aoki slides in to hook a leg!
...1
...2
KO: KICK OUT BY THE FURY! Can you believe it!?
LO: No I can’t. I thought Crimson was in a state of shock after losing a good portion of a crucial body part.
An expression of shock wrinkles the forehead of the Unleashed Champion. He did not expect Crimson to survive that pin. Tommy rolls over on his side while the crowd goes crazy for this match.
CROWD: This-IS-AWESOME!
LO: These New Yorkers have a lust for blood.
KO: They won’t after these two are done.
Crimson gets to one knee. The top portion of his left ear is gone. The long locks of red hair now matted to his skull in dried blood. Aokigahara gets back to his feet to face down his challenger head on.
LO: Crimson looks nearly dead already. Aokigahara is bleeding all over from barb cuts but Tommy looks like he’s just survived a slasher film.
Zombie comes flying in only to but swept off his feet by a violent dicus back elbow from Crimson! Tommy shakes his head to gather himself more before reaching out to take hold of Aokigahara by the back of the neck. Crimson then irish whips Zombie full speed ahead into the barb wire ropes! Aokigahara tries to stop but only becomes entangled worse for his troubles. Zombie ends up facing outside the ring leading Crimson to slide beneath the bottom rope before rising to both feet on the apron. Aoki tries to get free while Tommy lines him up from the apron. Crimson comes flying in with a brutal shining wizard to the completely exposed skull of his opponent! Aokigahara goes limp to fall forward with all his weight. The middle barb wire ropes breaks loose from the ring posts to cause Aoki to hit the outside floor hard.
KO: The Fury is starting to build momentum. Everytime he begins to do this, Aoki has had an answer so far.
Tommy races over to the closest ring post then carefully climbs up. The barb wire only has two strands remaining for ropes that Crimson eases up. The Fury steps out onto the ring post due to fear the barb wire won’t hold. Crimson balances himself on the top of the round post momentarily before leaping off at the Zombie, who has stood up! Aokigahara thrusts the end of a barb wire wrapped bat at Crimson! The bat cracks one of Tommy’s ribs leading him to miss the forearm smash completely!
KO: Aokigahara is back to both feet and now has a bat! Batter up!
Aoki swings the bat at Crimson but misses! Tommy takes off backwards to escape the champions onslaught. The Fury stumbles over something backwards to fall flat on his bottom on the outside floor. It’s a bat! Crimson quickly takes hold of the handle as Zombie charges at him! Aoki swings his bat wildly but Tommy blocks the swing with his own bat! Crimson slowly gets up to his feet as the two men begin to circle one another holding out barb wire wrapped bats at one another.
LO: Both men have bats now!
KO: They are going to fight to the death.
LO: I believe that.
Crimson charges in to swing the bat at Aoki’s head but misses! Zombie ducks the shot to nail Tommy in the side with his own devastating weapon! Aokigahara swings at Crimson again but misses himself this time! Tommy stumbles to his feet to swing at the right heel of Aoki! The violent lick takes the champion off his feet.
LO: These two are willing to kill each other to win.
KO: The Unleashed Championship has become prestige within this business. Both men want to be the champion but only one can be.
Zombie crawls away from Crimson, who has slowed a bit after all the damage he’s taken. Aokigahara continues to crawl until he reaches a knee before both feet. He obviously favors the right ankle now after Tommy’s swing at it. Crimson comes at Aoki to swing his bat wide but Zombie blocks it by holding his bat out in both hands. The two men push against each other using the bats in a battle for supremacy. Crimson gets spun around when Aoki twists the bat to gain better leverage! The Fury ends up against the security barrier while Zombie continues to push the bat against Crimson’s. The two men end up tumbling over the barrier to end up out in the crowd!
KO: Oh, no. They are amongst the Valor Pro fans now. This is a recipe for disaster, Laurence.
LO: This may end up being one of the most violent encounters ever in Valor Pro.
Aokigahara and Tommy fight through the crowd with the two bats. MSG security attempts in vain to keep the crowd away from the two bloody wrestlers with little success thus far.
LO: The fans are now apart of this bloodbath now.
The two wrestlers continue to swing the bats at one another. Zombie brings the bat up suddenly in an uppercut motion to catch Tommy flush beneath the chin! Crimson hits the floor flat on his bottom. Aoki turns around to realize the men have fought through the crowd to end up at the edge of the entrance stage. A long narrow crate sits on the floor directly in front of Aokigahara. He lifts the bat up to knock the loose lid off to reveal a case of light tubes.
KO: Uh-oh.
The Fury remains on the floor in a seated position. Blood loss has caused both men to slow but Aoki looks like a man possessed. He turns around to face Tommy, who attempts to get up. Zombie meets him in order to cradle the wrestlers head up between both legs. Aokigahara looks around the large arena before hoisting Crimson up on his shoulders! Zombie brings Crimson down in the crate that shatters all the glass tubes with a picture perfect powerbomb! The crowd pops while Aokigahara admires his handy work.
LO: He did it! Aokigahara may have just buried what was left of The Fury in that crate full of glass tubes.
A Battleground Network camera man comes in close to show the aftermath. Aoki peers out at the ring. The two wrestlers are near the entrance stage and that’s the direction the Unleashed Champion decides to go. Aokigahara lifts Crimson up out of the crate to reveal glass stuck all in his back now. Zombie then pushes Tommy up and onto the large entrance stage, where even more weapons are located.
KO: These two men have fought all over Madison Square Garden here tonight.
LO: They have both lost too much blood, also.
KO: I knew this would be a deathmatch with two wrestlers who would refuse to quit but I had no idea they would take it this far.
Aoki gets up on the stage to see a table wrapped completely with barb wire. On the tabletop lies the rope that Crimson brought back from Japan. A rope that hung in the suicide forest, all in a ploy to get inside the mind of the champion. Tommy struggles to regain his bearings while pulling glass out of his flesh. Aoki looks down at the rope briefly which allows Crimson to stumble to his feet just behind the champion.
KO: Crimson has gotten back to his feet! What a match!
Tommy stumbles toward Zombie in a daze. Aokigahara swings around feeling something’s not right to find Crimson! The Fury kicks Aoki in the gut leading him to bend over so he can catch him with a sit out facebuster on the stage!
KO: Mindfucked!
LO: So you can say it but not me?
KO: Yeah.
Crimson sits on the stage still in a daze but realizes he has to move fast. Tommy gets back to his feet with almost every part of his body hurting or sore somehow. The Detroit Devil looks at the table wrapped in barb wire then up at speakers stacked high on the stage.
KO: What’s he thinking?
LO: I don’t know but you know it’s not good.
The Fury takes up the excess barb wire on the table that’s not wrapped all the way. Crimson then begins to wrap it around his arms and shoulders. The Unleashed Champion does not stir.
LO: Crimson just wrapped himself with barb wire. That’s where we are, ladies and gentlemen. The men have become the wrapped weapons themselves.
Tommy bends over to cradle up Aoki to roll him onto the table. The barb wire that covers the tabletop digs into the champions skin but he continues to recover from the facebuster onto the steel stage. Zombie’s nose was busted during the impact. Tommy leaves Aoki on the table, flat on his back. Crimson walks over to the tall speakers that tower close to fifteen feet tall. The fans boo The Fury as he carefully climbs up the side of the standing speakers that distributes sound throughout the large famous arena.
LO: Tommy Crimson is going for it all, right here, right now!
KO: Aokigahara has not moved on that table yet.
LO: He’s nearly made it to the top!
Crimson scales the speakers to end up high in the air. Nearly eye level now with the large screen above the stage. The crowd comes unglued as Tommy taunts them with a sticky bloody face. The Detroit Devil leaps off the high speakers to perform a shooting star press! Camera flashes light up the entire arena attempting to capture the moment forever. Tommy hits his mark and both men crash through the table and onto the unforgiving steel stage.
CROWD: HOLY-SHIT! HOLY-SHIT!
KO: OH MY GAWD! They are both dead! Crimson had a shot there but blew it by going for it all.
LO: These men have bled from one side of this arena to the other. The referee does not count because there are no rules.
KO: Aokigahara was having trouble before that high flying maneuver but now both wrestlers remain down.
The crowd chants, “ZOMB-IE! ZOMB-IE!”. The wrestlers still do not stir. Suddenly, Aoki’s hand shoots up into the air. The crowd roars which causes Tommy to come to. Crimson rolls over on his side to spit up a wad of blood. Aokigahara somehow manages to make it to one knee.
KO: How in the hell is Aokigahara alive let alone standing!? How are either of these men still in this at all!?
LO: They both want to be champion. Aoki wants to retain while Tommy wants to win. They could kill each other before this is over.
Aoki snatches the rope off the stage floor that Crimson brought to hang him with from Japan. Zombie catches Tommy getting up wrap the noose around his neck! Aokigahara then begins to drag Tommy back toward the ring using the rope. The Fury tries to stop this but catches a kick directly in the face for even trying!
LO: Aokigahara has Tommy in the noose, that Crimson promised to hang him with.
KO: A little bit ironic, don’t you think?
Aokigahara continues to lead Crimson to the ring by the neck in the noose. He yanks it suddenly which causes Tommy to fall to both knees. Zombie pulls at the end of the rope but Crimson wads the rope up in both his hands. The two men then begin to have a tug of war battle with the short rope. Zombie loses patience and rushes at Tommy, who ducks the forearm! Crimson then wraps the rope around Aokigahara’s throat as well! The two men fall to the mat alongside the ring to roll around on the outside floor. Crimson rolls on top of Aoki to gain leverage to choke him before Zombie counters with a roll of his own! The two men take turns rolling around attempting to strangle the other to death with the rope.
LO: These two are trying to murder each other!
KO: That's why they call it a Death Match!
The two men continue to roll around until eventually coming to rest against the barricade which allows Tommy to take the advantage as he's on top. Aoki looks as if his eyes are beginning to fade but as his hands flop to his side, his just so happens to land inside a woman's purse. He suddenly comes alive with new vigor as Tommy continues to choke him with the rope, and when his hand comes back from under the barricade it's holding a can of hair spray. He holds the nozzle down right in Tommy face and the Fury abandons the rope altogether, yanking himself free from the noose and flailing blindly around ringside. One of his swipes brings his arm in contact with the barbed wire ring ropes and he pulls back frantically, new gashes running down the length of his arm. Zombie laughs deliriously as he untangles himself from the rope as well and pulls himself back up to his feet. The laughter continues as he approaches Tommy, which actually gives the man some semblance of what's coming. With a lucky kick, Tommy flails out and catches Zombie in the gut which doubles him over, and he blindly grasps at the man and then tosses him back inside the ring.
LO: Zombie back in the ring and a blinded Crimson is furiously rubbing his eyes and drops down by the ring apron...what is he doing? Is he searching for something...
KO: Kind of looks like it, but he can't see. Zombie's coming back over to the edge and now has a double fistful of Crimson's hair...
LO: Zombie yanking Tommy back into the ring and dragging him to the center..but Look...TOMMY DOES HAVE SOMETHING!
KO: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!
LO: It looks like a chain glove with barbed wire woven into it....What the hell?
KO: Kids with their toys, Laur!
LO: Well Zombie hasn't seen it and he's signaling to the crowd he's wanting to jam his fingers down Tommy's throat...
KO: Tommy's slipped on the glove and he's up on his feet AND TURNS RIGHT INTO THE ITAI CLAW FROM ZOMBIE!
LO: Yeah, but Tommy's still got that modified glove...AND RIGHT HAND RIGHT INTO ZOMBIE'S FACE!
KO: OH MY GOD! AOKI'S EYEBROW JUST GOT TAKEN CLEAN OFF BUT HE'S STILL MAINTAINING THE CLAW!
LO: ANOTHER SHOT WITH THE CHAIN GLOVE! ANOTHER ONE! THAT BARBED WIRE IS CUTTING ZOMBIE'S FACE TO RIBBONS!
KO: JESUS CHRIST! ZOMBIE DROPS TO A KNEE BUT HE'S STILL GOT THE CLAW APPLIED, AND NOW TOMMY BRINGS HIS FIST DOWN RIGHT INTO THE TOP OF AOKI'S SKULL!
LO: ZOMBIES DOWN AND TOMMY JUST FELL ON TOP OF HIM!
1...
2...
3!!!
The fans are absolutely stunned as Zombie kicks out but not before the count of three. Both men lay there bleeding on one another as the referee signals for the bell and everyone begins to buzz about what they've just seen.
LO: I can't believe it...Aokigahara Zombie just suffered his first singles loss in Valor Pro Wrestling...
KO: Forget that, Laur! We've got a brand new Unleashed Champion!
The referee gingerly helps Tommy to roll off of Zombie and places the Unleashed Championship on his chest. He reaches up with his gloved hand and pats the belt, but otherwise is unable to move.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of this match via pinfall...AND THE NEW UNLEASHED CHAMPION...THE FURY, TOMMY CRIMSON!
Ring techs have already hopped onto the ring apron and begin using wire cutters to cut through the barbed wire, and EMT's take careful measures when entering the ring so that they can go to work on both men. Tommy and Aoki, for their part, just lie there and are attended to. That is, until they bring in a stretcher for Aoki, and he shoves them off of him. Crawling out of the ring on his own power, an absolute horror show of a mess, the Zombie stumbles towards the back but collapses halfway up the ramp. Kowloon suddenly appears and helps his brethren up to his feet, half carrying and half walking him the rest of the way to the exit.
LO: Tommy Crimson is waving the stretcher off himself but is allowing the referee to get him to his feet...and now he holds aloft the Unleashed Championship while being booed out of the building!
KO: These fans don't have to like it, but they damn sure should respect the effort he had to go through to get it!
LO: No doubt, but folks, our night is not through by a long shot. Danny Rizzo is standing by to speak before the biggest match of his live....an Apex Title shot against champion Chris Callum. Lets check it out!
The camera focuses a long shot of Tommy Crimson as he holds the Unleashed title over his head. The man is barely able to stay upright, but this is his moment. The scene lingers for just a moment longer, and then cuts backstage.
DANNY RIZZO: “Somewhere along the way I lost myself.”
Though the camera’s only show the boots of an individual as they make their way down a hallway, the voice distinguishes the man as the former UnYielding Champion, Danny Rizzo.
DANNY RIZZO: “Somewhere along the way I became so lost in anger at everything that was happening around me that I lost sight of the things that are important to me. I lost sight of the goals that have been at the forefront of my mind and my ambitions for a long time.”
They continue to follow Rizzo, slowly panning up from his legs to his torso, revealing his get up for the evening. Black boots with orange flames rising upward and a matching pair of wrestling trunks and a vest to go along with it.
DANNY RIZZO: “That was no more evident than two weeks ago at the ‘go home’ episode of Blitz in the main event. I won’t lie. The loss still stings. Losing has never been something that has sat well with me. If anything it has been part of what has fueled me along the way.”
Panning slowly up, Rizzo’s face is finally revealed. Void of all expression, he simply stares back into the camera that was focused on him.
DANNY RIZZO: “There are those of you out there watching who despise me for the things that I have done along the way. You despise me for the lengths that I went to to maintain my stranglehold upon the UnYielding Championship. And that’s fine. You can hate me all you want. I am who I am and I’m going to do what is necessary to protect the things that I love most. Above all else, this company is one of those things. This company and what it could be. What it should be, if it could be freed from the things that plague it.”
For a brief moment it had seemed as though the old Danny Rizzo might be shining through but those last words hint at him still being firmly in the corner of Kaven Drell’s movement.
DANNY RIZZO: “You can loathe me. You can despise me. But tonight, at 7 Pillars, if you genuinely care about this company and all of those who stand within, then you should stand behind me. United. As I rid this company of the cancer that is Chris Callum once and for all. I am the only man that can do this. The Risen. The UnYielding One…”
Raising a clinched fist, he pounded on his chest twice.
DANNY RIZZO: “The Heart of Valor Pro Wrestling. One more time, beat with me.”
WIth that Danny steps out of camera view to go towards what he believes is his destiny...
Though the camera’s only show the boots of an individual as they make their way down a hallway, the voice distinguishes the man as the former UnYielding Champion, Danny Rizzo.
DANNY RIZZO: “Somewhere along the way I became so lost in anger at everything that was happening around me that I lost sight of the things that are important to me. I lost sight of the goals that have been at the forefront of my mind and my ambitions for a long time.”
They continue to follow Rizzo, slowly panning up from his legs to his torso, revealing his get up for the evening. Black boots with orange flames rising upward and a matching pair of wrestling trunks and a vest to go along with it.
DANNY RIZZO: “That was no more evident than two weeks ago at the ‘go home’ episode of Blitz in the main event. I won’t lie. The loss still stings. Losing has never been something that has sat well with me. If anything it has been part of what has fueled me along the way.”
Panning slowly up, Rizzo’s face is finally revealed. Void of all expression, he simply stares back into the camera that was focused on him.
DANNY RIZZO: “There are those of you out there watching who despise me for the things that I have done along the way. You despise me for the lengths that I went to to maintain my stranglehold upon the UnYielding Championship. And that’s fine. You can hate me all you want. I am who I am and I’m going to do what is necessary to protect the things that I love most. Above all else, this company is one of those things. This company and what it could be. What it should be, if it could be freed from the things that plague it.”
For a brief moment it had seemed as though the old Danny Rizzo might be shining through but those last words hint at him still being firmly in the corner of Kaven Drell’s movement.
DANNY RIZZO: “You can loathe me. You can despise me. But tonight, at 7 Pillars, if you genuinely care about this company and all of those who stand within, then you should stand behind me. United. As I rid this company of the cancer that is Chris Callum once and for all. I am the only man that can do this. The Risen. The UnYielding One…”
Raising a clinched fist, he pounded on his chest twice.
DANNY RIZZO: “The Heart of Valor Pro Wrestling. One more time, beat with me.”
WIth that Danny steps out of camera view to go towards what he believes is his destiny...
RING ANNOUNCER: The following contest is scheduled for one fall or submission and is for THE APEX CHAMPIONSHIP!
The opening drums of 'A Warrior's Call' by Volbeat strikes across the capacity crowd and they all turn to the stage to see Danny Rizzo rip through the curtain right at "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" He pauses for a moment at the top of the stage to take in his reception with a sneer and shakes his head as the boos reign down upon him from the capacity crowd. He chuckles slightly, and with a tilt of his head in annoyance he starts down the ramp towards the ring.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot eleven and 202 pounds, hailing from Dayton, Ohio.....He is THE UNYIELDING...DANNY RIZZZOOOO!!
Before the announcement even has a chance to end Danny gets a running go and slides right into the ring, rushing a neutral corner and taking the second turnbuckle while beating his chest and letting out a warrior yell. The fans respond with another volley of boo's in his direction, and his resolve seems to harden to steel as he drops down and turns to stretch out against the ropes.
LO: Danny Rizzo looks ready go here as he stretches out before the match, a far sight more confident than the loss he took last Blitz.
KO: Oh, Here we go! Trying to drum up trouble already. Look, Danny Rizzo may have eaten the pin during that tag match, but that was purely a fluke. That match was Chaos, partners coming in and out of the ring, and Danny just fell victim to the mayhem!
LO: If you say so, but Danny didn't look too pleased after it was all said and done, and one has to wonder just how much Chris Callum has managed to get inside the challenger's head with all that's been going on.
KO: Well, I see that Leela Watts didn't accompany him to the ring, and as long as she stays put in the back I'm sure everything will be A.O.K. for the Risen!
The lights dim as the opening riffs of "Villain" by Skarlett Riot hits over the PA System. Lights flash around the entrance with the beat of the song, and the curtain pushes back and Chris Callum saunters out onto the stage wearing the Apex Championship around his waist. He pauses at the top of the ramp to take in the cheers, and he closes his eyes, lifting his head while finger tapping the face plate of the title. When his eyes open his head tilts down to stare down at Danny Rizzo staring back at him from the ring and a wave of determination accompanies him as he stalks down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Making his way to the ring, standing at six foot and weighting in at 180 pounds, hailing from Berkeley, California...He is THE CURRENT APEX CHAMPION, THE ETERNAL, CHRIS CALLUUMMMM!
Callum reaches ringside and rounds to take the steps up to the apron where he starts to swing his leg through the ropes, but then pauses to regard the crowd with a nod. Despite the majority, there are a few fans out in the crowd that hold up lighters defiantly. Callum doesn't seem to bothered by them as he slips into the ring, and bounces up and down as he stares across the ring at Rizzo.
LO: Chris Callum is at the pinnacle of his career, the top of the mountain that is Valor Pro Wrestling. The Apex Champion is looking like a million bucks out here tonight, and if he's worried...he isn't showing it in the slightest.
KO: Callum has always been arrogant, but especially when he feels like he's holding all the cards, and right now...I don't know. He wasn't involved in that win for his team last Blitz except to keep Tommy Crimson from tagging Rizzo, and so the jury's out now after two confrontations if he actually has Danny's number.
LO: Well these two aren't wasting any time, already circling as the referee calls for the bell...
Challenger and Champion immediately lock up and begin the push and pull of two men jockeying for position. Danny's slight weight advantage allows him to get two steps on Callum towards the far corner, but suddenly Callum drops down and sends Rizzo flying overhead with a Fireman's Carry from his knees. Danny lands on his side, and Callum quickly slips into an Arm Bar, but Rizzo rises quickly getting both men back on their feet. Callum transitions to a Top Wrist Lock to keep from losing his grasp, and completes a Dragon Twist to the arm causing Danny to slap at his wound shoulder in discomfort. He quickly cuts a flip to end up on his back and rolls up to his feet, spinning so that he reverses into a Wrist Lock of his own and spins through to a Dragon Twist so that it's Callum who now finds his arm all wrenched up. He deftly ducks underneath the arm and yanks it back into a Hammerlock to add even more torque to the body part. The champion searches for a way out of the move and finding no conventional ways, reaches between his legs to pick Danny's ankle right out from under him. Danny loses hold of the arm and falls flat on his back while Callum swings around into a Spinning Toe Hold that has Danny grabbing at the mat to try and get loose.
LO: So much of this rivalry between these two men is to prove who is the best wrestler in the company...hell, the world, and we're seeing an exchange of that right here in the opening goings of this match up!
KO: Chris Callum believes that he has already achieved that title, and rightfully so, after defeating Cosmo Cooper to become only the second Apex Champion in the company.
LO: Yes, but Danny did amazing things with the UnYielding Title, and that's one of the reason he still bears it's name as a prefix...
KO: Hey, all I'm saying is both have a legit claim to the throne, but only one of them is walking out of this contest as the Apex Champion!
Danny finally reaches the ropes which forces Callum to let loose the hold and The Eternal retreats back to the center of the ring with an arrogant look on his face that sees Rizzo spring to his feet and charge right for him. Callum goads him on as he comes just before ducking to the side and dropping Danny face first to the mat with a Drop Toe Hold, and then following through the motion to bring Danny's right leg up into an awkward Single Leg Boston Crab. Danny beats his fist on the mat in frustration but a quick jerk of his leg by Callum ceases the protest and has him pulling against the canvas once again towards the ropes. Chris looks over his shoulder to see that Rizzo is just within fingertips length and he suddenly stands and turns, all while still holding onto Danny's ankle, and drags him back out to the center of the ring. Danny instinctively rolls onto his back and uses his free foot to send a kick right into Callum's midsection that doubles him over, and then places his boot on his chest to knock him free.
LO: Callum knocked back a few steps which gives Danny the time to pop up to his feet but now Callum rushes forward...RIGHT INTO AN ARM DRAG! Pops back up INTO ANOTHER!
KO: Danny now firing forearms into Callum's jaw to knock him back into the ropes and takes him by the wrist to shoot to the other side...
LO: Callum on his way back now as Danny steps out to the center of the ring and BOWLS him over with a Shoulder Tackle!
Rizzo and Callum exchange a quick glance before Callum falls into the side ropes while Danny deftly floats over onto his stomach. This forces Chris to leap over Rizzo or be tripped before continuing on to the ropes ahead. He bounces back now and Danny springs up to go for a Hip Toss, but Callum is able to put on the brakes, driving a knee into The Risen's gut to double him over. He drapes his knee over the back of Rizzo's head for a Fameasser, but Danny abruptly lifts up before the momentum can go the other way. The Eternal flips backwards into the air to land on his feet and he has only seconds to duck under a wild clothesline attempt by Danny. Rizzo continus his momentum to hit off the ropes as Callum spins around looking for a Hip Toss of his own. Instead of putting on the brakes, Rizzo pushes forward into a rotation that sees him land on his feet and hit off the ropes only to run into a Back Elbow by Callum that knocks him prone to the mat!
LO: Danny dropped like a sack of potatoes thanks to The Eternal, who now looks to drop the elbow...But Danny Moved!
KO: Both men springing to their feet and CALLUM WALKS RIGHT INTO A CHOP! ANOTHER ONE! ANOTHER! CHOPPING HIM ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE CORNER, AND NOW DANNY IS OPENING UP WITH RIGHTS AND LEFTS AS THE CHAMPION DOES HIS BEST TO COVER UP!
LO: This is what he knows. This is his bread and butter. Danny Rizzo is a technical striker and he has Callum right where he wants him...
KO: So you thought, Laur! Callum firing right back out of the corner with right hands...driving Danny back out to the center of the ring, and now these two are trading furious blows!
Bomb after Bomb finds it's mark on either man's jaw as they trade licks in the center of the ring. The electricity is palpable in the room as the entire New York crowd is on their feet in excitement. Just then Danny ducks under one of those right hands meant for his jaw and grabs for Callum's waist and slips behind him only to rush him forwards towards the ropes. Chris hits the ropes chest first which bounces him back while Rizzo takes that opportunity to roll and drag Callum to the mat for a Rolling pin.
1...
2...
LO: Kick Out at two, and Callum swinging around back to his feet but GETS CAUGHT with a stiff right hook that sends him back to one knee!
KO: Danny takes a step back...AND NASTY KICK RIGHT TO THE SIDE OF THE CHAMP'S HEAD SENS HIM THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN!
Danny drops onto Callum's chest and starts to open up with ground and pound punches right to the man's skull, and Callum manages to get his hands up to try and protect his face. Danny seeing this angles a few of those punches into his rib cage, but before he can get too many clean shots Callum brings both legs up to hook Rizzo's arm and shifts him backwards while sitting up into a pin.
1...
2...
LO: Danny kicking forward to now sit on Callum's chest while still hooking his legs!
1...
2...
KO: Callum sits forwards again, and Rizzo's shoulders are on the mat!
1...
2...
And so it goes for about five more pin attempts, both men locked into a human ball as they roll around the ring forcing the others shoulders to the mat. Finally they get so close to the ropes that the referee calls for them to separate, and the minute they do, they both come up and rush each other only to blast into a Double Clothesline that wipes them out!
LO: Both men down next to the ropes and Danny Rizzo taking the opportunity to roll under the bottom rope to create some separation...
KO: Yeah, but Callum is rolling out right beside him and OH! Boot from Danny to Callum's knee drops him down low....and LOOK AT THIS! DANNY BACKING UP TO THE POST AND THEN RUSHES FORWARDS INTO A LOW DROPKICK THAT TAKES THE CHAMP'S HEAD OFF!
LO: BLACK ROSE! Danny struggling now to get Callum back up and into the ring....and he follows in close behind to hook the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THRE-NO! Callum out at two and three quarters and Rizzo looks pissed...
LO: Well it is still early on in this contest, Ken..
KO: Yeah, but that is one of Danny's best shots! You know just as well as I do that a big enough move can put an opponent away at anytime during the match, and Danny felt like that should have been three.
LO: Well arguing with the ref won't get it done so he's returning to Callum...pulls the man up, and Oh Come On!
KO: Haha, sending Callum unceremoniously through the ropes back to the outside and now Danny looks to do some more damage!
Danny slips through the ropes to drop down beside Callum as he gets to his feet and he gets a fistful of hair before driving him face first down into the apron. Callum recoils backwards clutching his face when Danny grabs him by the wrist and then whips him hard towards the ring steps. Callum strikes the steel with enough force that it knocks the top portion free from the bottom so that it skitters across ringside. Rizzo doesn't slow as he moves in to pull Chris back to his feet and then whips him towards the barricade. Again The Eternal strikes the steel spine first and it causes him to stumble forward with his shoulders arched back in pain just before being plowed through by a Running Clothesline by The Risen.
LO: Good God! Danny Rizzo dismantling Callum on the outside and now rolls under the bottom rope to break the count.
KO: Smart move as he slips back outside and is now jawing with the ringside audience and they are not having any of it!
LO: Danny doesn't look to much care what these fans think as he rubs his hands across his waist in the universal sign for title reign...
Callum has crawled back over to the steps to push halfway to his feet by the time that Danny turns his attention back to his opponent. He steps over with a clubbing blow to Callums back that sends him stumbling past the steps to flop chest first down across the announce table. The Othello's quickly abandon their post as Danny follows his prey, getting another fistful of Callum's hair and driving it face first down into the table. Then again and again until The Eternal finds himself on wobbly legs. Danny then moves back to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope, pops up and then calls for Callum to turn his way. As the Apex Champion slowly does so Danny rushes to fall back into the ropes for spring and then thunders back across the ring to perform a suicide dive through the ropes that launches Chris painfully into the edge of the announce table spine first. Danny then hops up and gets a running go before sliding into the ring and charging the opposite side ropes for a second time, looking to do more diving damage. This time, however, instead of going through the ropes, he throws caution to the wind and performs a Rolling Front Flip Dive to which Callum promptly catches and swings with to turn into a powerbomb across the table!
LO: OH MY GOD! CHRIS CALLUM WITH THE PERFECT ANSWER TO THAT DIVE BY TURNING IT INTO A SPIN OUT POWERBOMB DOWN ACROSS OUR ANNOUNCE TABLE!
KO: Yeah, but the table didn't break! Rizzo just slammed off of it and then bounced to land front first down across the steel guardrail behind us!
LO: Callum is trying to shake the cobwebs as Danny Rizzo has run the gambit in this first half of the race on the champion, but I think business is about to pick up!
Laurence Othello is correct, because as soon as Chris Callum is able to get his barrings, he slides right across the announce table and flips Danny Rizzo over the guardrail into the front row! The fans are on their feet, cheering wildly as Chris reaches over the steel to pull Danny to his feet....hooks him around the head, and then performs a Suplex like throw that brings him crashing back down onto the announce table for a second time. The table still doesn't break as Danny impacts and then bounces forward to run chest first into the ring apron and then down to the floor, unsure which part of his anatomy hurts the most; His ribs or his spine. In the meantime, Callum comes back over the table to yank Danny up, yanks his head back by a fistful of hair, and after a verbal dressing down tosses the man headfirst back into the ring. Danny rolls to the center as Callum leaps up onto the ring apron and heads to the top of the nearby corner.
LO: Chris Callum going up top now as Danny now comes to a stop on his back in the center of the ring....What's he going to do?
KO: HIGH VAULTING ELBOW DROP RIGHT DOWN ACROSS DANNY'S THROAT!
LO: Has this guy been watching Rex Rumble?
KO: I figure Chris Callum has been watching everyone involved with Danny's cult, and figured he could do a better job with the move than Rex can!
LO: Well we're about to find out as Callum stretches over and hooks the leg!
1...
2...
KO: THREE-NO! Danny somehow able to get the shoulder up and now Callum looks ready to put him away!
LO: The Eternal strutting around the ring getting this crowd into a fever pitch and now stalking back over to the challenger and yanking him up off the mat...
KO: Lifts him onto his shoulder and lets him slide down his back....WAIT! Danny is kicking his legs, trying to get free...
LO: BUT CALLUM JUST BENT VIOLENTLY OVER AND SENDS RIZZO CRASHING TO THE MAT WITH A SPINE TINGLING ALABAMA SLAM!
KO: And he drops over top of him for the cover!
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO! MY GOD! That was within a nano-second folks, and now it's Chris Callum whose questioning the referee cause he can't believe it!
KO: I don't know man...that looked pretty damn close to three.
LO: Well Caputo is waving it off as two and now Callum stepping back over to Rizzo and picks him up by his ankles....I THINK WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING!
KO: Chris Callum moving in to turn Danny into the King's Wrath...BUT DANNY REACHES UP TO GET A HOOK AROUND THE HEAD AND DRAGS HIM DOWN INTO A SMALL PACKAGE!
1...
2...
LO: THREe-NO! Callum kicks out, but Rizzo almost stole this one!
KO: Callum back to his feet as Danny is trying for his and OH! RUNNING BIG BOOT TURNS RIZZO INSIDE OUT!
The Eternal seems a little incensed after the Small Package, jerking Danny up to his feet and shoving him into the nearby corner where he wades in with echoing Knife Edge Chops afterwards. Danny's chest is lit up like Christmas as he's taken to task by the champion, who doesn't stop until he seems satisfied that Rizzo won't put up anymore resistance. He lifts the challenger up to sit on the top rope, moving his legs to where they are outside of the top rope, and then steps up to join him on the second turnbuckle.
LO: Chris Callum is poised to do his worst here as he hooks Danny around the head and then drapes his arm over his own shoulders...
KO: Yeah, and Rizzo doesn't look like he has anything left after those devastating chops...I think this might finish him off!
LO: SUPERPLEX ALL THE WAY FROM THE HIGH RENT DISTRICT AND BOTH MEN ARE LAID OUT FOR THE MOMENT!
KO: Not for long...Callum is already moving to slide over and drape the arm...AND THERE IT IS!
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO!! GOOD GOD THAT WAS SO CLOSE!
KO: What the...How in the hell did Rizzo kick out?
LO: I don't know, but Chris Callum can't believe it...he's staring at the referee as she throws up the hand signal for two time and again.
Callum slowly rises to his feet and looks back to Danny only to find that the challenger is rolling for the bottom rope to end up outside. The Eternal shakes his head as he makes his way in that direction and steps through the ropes. Just as he swings his back leg to clear the ring Danny suddenly pops up and launches himself into a clothesline that sweeps Chris' legs out from under him so that he tumbles spine first to the apron. The fans all wince, knowing that's the hardest part of the ring, while Rizzo pulls himself up onto the apron to join Callum. The UnYielding looks battered as he pulls The Eternal up to his feet and the buzz in the arena is real when he hoists him up onto his shoulders, and then flips Chris over to land skull first into the hard apron while Danny drops from its edge.
KO: CHRIST ALMIGHTY CALLUM MIGHT BE DEAD!
LO: DEATH VALLEY DRIVER RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF THE APRON AND NOW BOTH MEN ARE DOWN ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!
KO: The ref is stepping to the edge trying to encourage them back in the ring, but I don't think she has much choice. She's starting a count!
LO: This is what happened last time, Ken! It can't end this way! It just can't!
The fans are deafening as both men lie there, the count ever rising, until both men begin to stir at about the six mark. By the time Caputo reaches eight they're both clawing at the apron and just as she's about to call for ten, the two competitors yank themselves halfway under the bottom rope and she breathes a sigh of relief along with the crowd. Danny grabs at the ropes to pull himself up while Callum moves to the center of the ring before trying to rise, and The UnYielding sees this as his perfect opportunity. With a bounce against the ropes for good measure, he hurls himself at the champion, leaping into the air with knee extended for his killing blow. Callum, however, has just enough time to see it coming, and drops prone to the canvas as Rizzo sails harmlessly over head. Danny lands on his feet and has to throw his hands out to catch himself against the opposite ropes from which he came. He tries to turn around but Callum already has him in a Waist Lock from behind and pulls him away for the ropes before snapping him over with a German Suplex!
LO: Big German Suplex from Callum, but he didn't let go...he's rolling Danny back up to his feet....HERE IT IS! CHRIS CROSS!
KO: NO! DANNY MANAGED TO SWING HIS BODY BETWEEN CALLUM'S LEGS AND TURNED IT INTO A SUNSET BOMB! CALLUM'S BEING COUNTED HERE!
1...
2...
LO: THREE!NO! Callum able to muscle the shoulder up while Danny Rizzo rolls backwards and up to his feet....The Eternal rising to his knee's...
KO: WARRIORS CALL CAVES HIS SKULL IN! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
LO: THIS COULD BE IT!
1...
2...
3!!!
KO: OH MY GOD! WE HAVE A NEW APEX CHAMPION!
LO: Danny Rizzo has gone the distance and he's dethroned The Eternal!
Danny falls off of Callum in a heap beside the former champion and looks haggard as the referee calls for the bell and motions for the title belt. The moment doesn't register in his brain until seconds later when the Apex Championship is being poised right in his face. Like a child at Christmas who just opened a present to find the very thing they asked for, Danny snatches the belt out of Caputo's hands and clutches it to his chest, shock and awe still etched on his features.
KO: Man! Not even Danny Rizzo can believe it, Laur! He's the champion!
LO: I don't usually agree with Danny Rizzo's methods, but tonight he's proven that not only has he Risen....not only is he UnYielding...but now he's The Apex!
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the match via pinfall....AND YOUR NEW APEX CHAMPION....DANNY RIZZO!
The announcement seems to light a fire under Rizzo and he comes alive with a third wind, leaping up, then falling to one knee, and then popping up again to fall against the ropes holding the belt out in front of him just to look at it. The fans, who would normally be booing the man, can't help but applaud for the rookie kid who showed up so many months ago to prove that he was a wrestler, and now stands before them completed as the Apex Champion. Chris Callum rolls out of the ring to land on his knees at ringside and looks up into the ring with a tinge of disappointment before pushing up and making his way to the back. Danny, for his part, continues to celebrate as green pyro goes off from the four corners of the ring.
KO: There is going to be one hell of a celebration in the back, eh, Laur? I'm going to have to make sure to get my invite for as soon as the show is over!
LO: Well we still have a long road ahead of us, Ken. The Gauntlet Match is our Main Event, and we are guaranteed to crown a NEW UnYielding champion!
KO: Well what are we waiting for. Cut backstage and get these last boasts in so we can find out who has what it takes!
The camera focuses on Danny Rizzo as he falls to his knees in the center of the ring still clutching the title to his chest with his head bowed just before cutting to somewhere in the back...
The opening drums of 'A Warrior's Call' by Volbeat strikes across the capacity crowd and they all turn to the stage to see Danny Rizzo rip through the curtain right at "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" He pauses for a moment at the top of the stage to take in his reception with a sneer and shakes his head as the boos reign down upon him from the capacity crowd. He chuckles slightly, and with a tilt of his head in annoyance he starts down the ramp towards the ring.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot eleven and 202 pounds, hailing from Dayton, Ohio.....He is THE UNYIELDING...DANNY RIZZZOOOO!!
Before the announcement even has a chance to end Danny gets a running go and slides right into the ring, rushing a neutral corner and taking the second turnbuckle while beating his chest and letting out a warrior yell. The fans respond with another volley of boo's in his direction, and his resolve seems to harden to steel as he drops down and turns to stretch out against the ropes.
LO: Danny Rizzo looks ready go here as he stretches out before the match, a far sight more confident than the loss he took last Blitz.
KO: Oh, Here we go! Trying to drum up trouble already. Look, Danny Rizzo may have eaten the pin during that tag match, but that was purely a fluke. That match was Chaos, partners coming in and out of the ring, and Danny just fell victim to the mayhem!
LO: If you say so, but Danny didn't look too pleased after it was all said and done, and one has to wonder just how much Chris Callum has managed to get inside the challenger's head with all that's been going on.
KO: Well, I see that Leela Watts didn't accompany him to the ring, and as long as she stays put in the back I'm sure everything will be A.O.K. for the Risen!
The lights dim as the opening riffs of "Villain" by Skarlett Riot hits over the PA System. Lights flash around the entrance with the beat of the song, and the curtain pushes back and Chris Callum saunters out onto the stage wearing the Apex Championship around his waist. He pauses at the top of the ramp to take in the cheers, and he closes his eyes, lifting his head while finger tapping the face plate of the title. When his eyes open his head tilts down to stare down at Danny Rizzo staring back at him from the ring and a wave of determination accompanies him as he stalks down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Making his way to the ring, standing at six foot and weighting in at 180 pounds, hailing from Berkeley, California...He is THE CURRENT APEX CHAMPION, THE ETERNAL, CHRIS CALLUUMMMM!
Callum reaches ringside and rounds to take the steps up to the apron where he starts to swing his leg through the ropes, but then pauses to regard the crowd with a nod. Despite the majority, there are a few fans out in the crowd that hold up lighters defiantly. Callum doesn't seem to bothered by them as he slips into the ring, and bounces up and down as he stares across the ring at Rizzo.
LO: Chris Callum is at the pinnacle of his career, the top of the mountain that is Valor Pro Wrestling. The Apex Champion is looking like a million bucks out here tonight, and if he's worried...he isn't showing it in the slightest.
KO: Callum has always been arrogant, but especially when he feels like he's holding all the cards, and right now...I don't know. He wasn't involved in that win for his team last Blitz except to keep Tommy Crimson from tagging Rizzo, and so the jury's out now after two confrontations if he actually has Danny's number.
LO: Well these two aren't wasting any time, already circling as the referee calls for the bell...
Challenger and Champion immediately lock up and begin the push and pull of two men jockeying for position. Danny's slight weight advantage allows him to get two steps on Callum towards the far corner, but suddenly Callum drops down and sends Rizzo flying overhead with a Fireman's Carry from his knees. Danny lands on his side, and Callum quickly slips into an Arm Bar, but Rizzo rises quickly getting both men back on their feet. Callum transitions to a Top Wrist Lock to keep from losing his grasp, and completes a Dragon Twist to the arm causing Danny to slap at his wound shoulder in discomfort. He quickly cuts a flip to end up on his back and rolls up to his feet, spinning so that he reverses into a Wrist Lock of his own and spins through to a Dragon Twist so that it's Callum who now finds his arm all wrenched up. He deftly ducks underneath the arm and yanks it back into a Hammerlock to add even more torque to the body part. The champion searches for a way out of the move and finding no conventional ways, reaches between his legs to pick Danny's ankle right out from under him. Danny loses hold of the arm and falls flat on his back while Callum swings around into a Spinning Toe Hold that has Danny grabbing at the mat to try and get loose.
LO: So much of this rivalry between these two men is to prove who is the best wrestler in the company...hell, the world, and we're seeing an exchange of that right here in the opening goings of this match up!
KO: Chris Callum believes that he has already achieved that title, and rightfully so, after defeating Cosmo Cooper to become only the second Apex Champion in the company.
LO: Yes, but Danny did amazing things with the UnYielding Title, and that's one of the reason he still bears it's name as a prefix...
KO: Hey, all I'm saying is both have a legit claim to the throne, but only one of them is walking out of this contest as the Apex Champion!
Danny finally reaches the ropes which forces Callum to let loose the hold and The Eternal retreats back to the center of the ring with an arrogant look on his face that sees Rizzo spring to his feet and charge right for him. Callum goads him on as he comes just before ducking to the side and dropping Danny face first to the mat with a Drop Toe Hold, and then following through the motion to bring Danny's right leg up into an awkward Single Leg Boston Crab. Danny beats his fist on the mat in frustration but a quick jerk of his leg by Callum ceases the protest and has him pulling against the canvas once again towards the ropes. Chris looks over his shoulder to see that Rizzo is just within fingertips length and he suddenly stands and turns, all while still holding onto Danny's ankle, and drags him back out to the center of the ring. Danny instinctively rolls onto his back and uses his free foot to send a kick right into Callum's midsection that doubles him over, and then places his boot on his chest to knock him free.
LO: Callum knocked back a few steps which gives Danny the time to pop up to his feet but now Callum rushes forward...RIGHT INTO AN ARM DRAG! Pops back up INTO ANOTHER!
KO: Danny now firing forearms into Callum's jaw to knock him back into the ropes and takes him by the wrist to shoot to the other side...
LO: Callum on his way back now as Danny steps out to the center of the ring and BOWLS him over with a Shoulder Tackle!
Rizzo and Callum exchange a quick glance before Callum falls into the side ropes while Danny deftly floats over onto his stomach. This forces Chris to leap over Rizzo or be tripped before continuing on to the ropes ahead. He bounces back now and Danny springs up to go for a Hip Toss, but Callum is able to put on the brakes, driving a knee into The Risen's gut to double him over. He drapes his knee over the back of Rizzo's head for a Fameasser, but Danny abruptly lifts up before the momentum can go the other way. The Eternal flips backwards into the air to land on his feet and he has only seconds to duck under a wild clothesline attempt by Danny. Rizzo continus his momentum to hit off the ropes as Callum spins around looking for a Hip Toss of his own. Instead of putting on the brakes, Rizzo pushes forward into a rotation that sees him land on his feet and hit off the ropes only to run into a Back Elbow by Callum that knocks him prone to the mat!
LO: Danny dropped like a sack of potatoes thanks to The Eternal, who now looks to drop the elbow...But Danny Moved!
KO: Both men springing to their feet and CALLUM WALKS RIGHT INTO A CHOP! ANOTHER ONE! ANOTHER! CHOPPING HIM ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE CORNER, AND NOW DANNY IS OPENING UP WITH RIGHTS AND LEFTS AS THE CHAMPION DOES HIS BEST TO COVER UP!
LO: This is what he knows. This is his bread and butter. Danny Rizzo is a technical striker and he has Callum right where he wants him...
KO: So you thought, Laur! Callum firing right back out of the corner with right hands...driving Danny back out to the center of the ring, and now these two are trading furious blows!
Bomb after Bomb finds it's mark on either man's jaw as they trade licks in the center of the ring. The electricity is palpable in the room as the entire New York crowd is on their feet in excitement. Just then Danny ducks under one of those right hands meant for his jaw and grabs for Callum's waist and slips behind him only to rush him forwards towards the ropes. Chris hits the ropes chest first which bounces him back while Rizzo takes that opportunity to roll and drag Callum to the mat for a Rolling pin.
1...
2...
LO: Kick Out at two, and Callum swinging around back to his feet but GETS CAUGHT with a stiff right hook that sends him back to one knee!
KO: Danny takes a step back...AND NASTY KICK RIGHT TO THE SIDE OF THE CHAMP'S HEAD SENS HIM THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN!
Danny drops onto Callum's chest and starts to open up with ground and pound punches right to the man's skull, and Callum manages to get his hands up to try and protect his face. Danny seeing this angles a few of those punches into his rib cage, but before he can get too many clean shots Callum brings both legs up to hook Rizzo's arm and shifts him backwards while sitting up into a pin.
1...
2...
LO: Danny kicking forward to now sit on Callum's chest while still hooking his legs!
1...
2...
KO: Callum sits forwards again, and Rizzo's shoulders are on the mat!
1...
2...
And so it goes for about five more pin attempts, both men locked into a human ball as they roll around the ring forcing the others shoulders to the mat. Finally they get so close to the ropes that the referee calls for them to separate, and the minute they do, they both come up and rush each other only to blast into a Double Clothesline that wipes them out!
LO: Both men down next to the ropes and Danny Rizzo taking the opportunity to roll under the bottom rope to create some separation...
KO: Yeah, but Callum is rolling out right beside him and OH! Boot from Danny to Callum's knee drops him down low....and LOOK AT THIS! DANNY BACKING UP TO THE POST AND THEN RUSHES FORWARDS INTO A LOW DROPKICK THAT TAKES THE CHAMP'S HEAD OFF!
LO: BLACK ROSE! Danny struggling now to get Callum back up and into the ring....and he follows in close behind to hook the leg for a cover!
1...
2...
KO: THRE-NO! Callum out at two and three quarters and Rizzo looks pissed...
LO: Well it is still early on in this contest, Ken..
KO: Yeah, but that is one of Danny's best shots! You know just as well as I do that a big enough move can put an opponent away at anytime during the match, and Danny felt like that should have been three.
LO: Well arguing with the ref won't get it done so he's returning to Callum...pulls the man up, and Oh Come On!
KO: Haha, sending Callum unceremoniously through the ropes back to the outside and now Danny looks to do some more damage!
Danny slips through the ropes to drop down beside Callum as he gets to his feet and he gets a fistful of hair before driving him face first down into the apron. Callum recoils backwards clutching his face when Danny grabs him by the wrist and then whips him hard towards the ring steps. Callum strikes the steel with enough force that it knocks the top portion free from the bottom so that it skitters across ringside. Rizzo doesn't slow as he moves in to pull Chris back to his feet and then whips him towards the barricade. Again The Eternal strikes the steel spine first and it causes him to stumble forward with his shoulders arched back in pain just before being plowed through by a Running Clothesline by The Risen.
LO: Good God! Danny Rizzo dismantling Callum on the outside and now rolls under the bottom rope to break the count.
KO: Smart move as he slips back outside and is now jawing with the ringside audience and they are not having any of it!
LO: Danny doesn't look to much care what these fans think as he rubs his hands across his waist in the universal sign for title reign...
Callum has crawled back over to the steps to push halfway to his feet by the time that Danny turns his attention back to his opponent. He steps over with a clubbing blow to Callums back that sends him stumbling past the steps to flop chest first down across the announce table. The Othello's quickly abandon their post as Danny follows his prey, getting another fistful of Callum's hair and driving it face first down into the table. Then again and again until The Eternal finds himself on wobbly legs. Danny then moves back to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope, pops up and then calls for Callum to turn his way. As the Apex Champion slowly does so Danny rushes to fall back into the ropes for spring and then thunders back across the ring to perform a suicide dive through the ropes that launches Chris painfully into the edge of the announce table spine first. Danny then hops up and gets a running go before sliding into the ring and charging the opposite side ropes for a second time, looking to do more diving damage. This time, however, instead of going through the ropes, he throws caution to the wind and performs a Rolling Front Flip Dive to which Callum promptly catches and swings with to turn into a powerbomb across the table!
LO: OH MY GOD! CHRIS CALLUM WITH THE PERFECT ANSWER TO THAT DIVE BY TURNING IT INTO A SPIN OUT POWERBOMB DOWN ACROSS OUR ANNOUNCE TABLE!
KO: Yeah, but the table didn't break! Rizzo just slammed off of it and then bounced to land front first down across the steel guardrail behind us!
LO: Callum is trying to shake the cobwebs as Danny Rizzo has run the gambit in this first half of the race on the champion, but I think business is about to pick up!
Laurence Othello is correct, because as soon as Chris Callum is able to get his barrings, he slides right across the announce table and flips Danny Rizzo over the guardrail into the front row! The fans are on their feet, cheering wildly as Chris reaches over the steel to pull Danny to his feet....hooks him around the head, and then performs a Suplex like throw that brings him crashing back down onto the announce table for a second time. The table still doesn't break as Danny impacts and then bounces forward to run chest first into the ring apron and then down to the floor, unsure which part of his anatomy hurts the most; His ribs or his spine. In the meantime, Callum comes back over the table to yank Danny up, yanks his head back by a fistful of hair, and after a verbal dressing down tosses the man headfirst back into the ring. Danny rolls to the center as Callum leaps up onto the ring apron and heads to the top of the nearby corner.
LO: Chris Callum going up top now as Danny now comes to a stop on his back in the center of the ring....What's he going to do?
KO: HIGH VAULTING ELBOW DROP RIGHT DOWN ACROSS DANNY'S THROAT!
LO: Has this guy been watching Rex Rumble?
KO: I figure Chris Callum has been watching everyone involved with Danny's cult, and figured he could do a better job with the move than Rex can!
LO: Well we're about to find out as Callum stretches over and hooks the leg!
1...
2...
KO: THREE-NO! Danny somehow able to get the shoulder up and now Callum looks ready to put him away!
LO: The Eternal strutting around the ring getting this crowd into a fever pitch and now stalking back over to the challenger and yanking him up off the mat...
KO: Lifts him onto his shoulder and lets him slide down his back....WAIT! Danny is kicking his legs, trying to get free...
LO: BUT CALLUM JUST BENT VIOLENTLY OVER AND SENDS RIZZO CRASHING TO THE MAT WITH A SPINE TINGLING ALABAMA SLAM!
KO: And he drops over top of him for the cover!
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO! MY GOD! That was within a nano-second folks, and now it's Chris Callum whose questioning the referee cause he can't believe it!
KO: I don't know man...that looked pretty damn close to three.
LO: Well Caputo is waving it off as two and now Callum stepping back over to Rizzo and picks him up by his ankles....I THINK WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING!
KO: Chris Callum moving in to turn Danny into the King's Wrath...BUT DANNY REACHES UP TO GET A HOOK AROUND THE HEAD AND DRAGS HIM DOWN INTO A SMALL PACKAGE!
1...
2...
LO: THREe-NO! Callum kicks out, but Rizzo almost stole this one!
KO: Callum back to his feet as Danny is trying for his and OH! RUNNING BIG BOOT TURNS RIZZO INSIDE OUT!
The Eternal seems a little incensed after the Small Package, jerking Danny up to his feet and shoving him into the nearby corner where he wades in with echoing Knife Edge Chops afterwards. Danny's chest is lit up like Christmas as he's taken to task by the champion, who doesn't stop until he seems satisfied that Rizzo won't put up anymore resistance. He lifts the challenger up to sit on the top rope, moving his legs to where they are outside of the top rope, and then steps up to join him on the second turnbuckle.
LO: Chris Callum is poised to do his worst here as he hooks Danny around the head and then drapes his arm over his own shoulders...
KO: Yeah, and Rizzo doesn't look like he has anything left after those devastating chops...I think this might finish him off!
LO: SUPERPLEX ALL THE WAY FROM THE HIGH RENT DISTRICT AND BOTH MEN ARE LAID OUT FOR THE MOMENT!
KO: Not for long...Callum is already moving to slide over and drape the arm...AND THERE IT IS!
1...
2...
LO: THREE-NO!! GOOD GOD THAT WAS SO CLOSE!
KO: What the...How in the hell did Rizzo kick out?
LO: I don't know, but Chris Callum can't believe it...he's staring at the referee as she throws up the hand signal for two time and again.
Callum slowly rises to his feet and looks back to Danny only to find that the challenger is rolling for the bottom rope to end up outside. The Eternal shakes his head as he makes his way in that direction and steps through the ropes. Just as he swings his back leg to clear the ring Danny suddenly pops up and launches himself into a clothesline that sweeps Chris' legs out from under him so that he tumbles spine first to the apron. The fans all wince, knowing that's the hardest part of the ring, while Rizzo pulls himself up onto the apron to join Callum. The UnYielding looks battered as he pulls The Eternal up to his feet and the buzz in the arena is real when he hoists him up onto his shoulders, and then flips Chris over to land skull first into the hard apron while Danny drops from its edge.
KO: CHRIST ALMIGHTY CALLUM MIGHT BE DEAD!
LO: DEATH VALLEY DRIVER RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF THE APRON AND NOW BOTH MEN ARE DOWN ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!
KO: The ref is stepping to the edge trying to encourage them back in the ring, but I don't think she has much choice. She's starting a count!
LO: This is what happened last time, Ken! It can't end this way! It just can't!
The fans are deafening as both men lie there, the count ever rising, until both men begin to stir at about the six mark. By the time Caputo reaches eight they're both clawing at the apron and just as she's about to call for ten, the two competitors yank themselves halfway under the bottom rope and she breathes a sigh of relief along with the crowd. Danny grabs at the ropes to pull himself up while Callum moves to the center of the ring before trying to rise, and The UnYielding sees this as his perfect opportunity. With a bounce against the ropes for good measure, he hurls himself at the champion, leaping into the air with knee extended for his killing blow. Callum, however, has just enough time to see it coming, and drops prone to the canvas as Rizzo sails harmlessly over head. Danny lands on his feet and has to throw his hands out to catch himself against the opposite ropes from which he came. He tries to turn around but Callum already has him in a Waist Lock from behind and pulls him away for the ropes before snapping him over with a German Suplex!
LO: Big German Suplex from Callum, but he didn't let go...he's rolling Danny back up to his feet....HERE IT IS! CHRIS CROSS!
KO: NO! DANNY MANAGED TO SWING HIS BODY BETWEEN CALLUM'S LEGS AND TURNED IT INTO A SUNSET BOMB! CALLUM'S BEING COUNTED HERE!
1...
2...
LO: THREE!NO! Callum able to muscle the shoulder up while Danny Rizzo rolls backwards and up to his feet....The Eternal rising to his knee's...
KO: WARRIORS CALL CAVES HIS SKULL IN! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
LO: THIS COULD BE IT!
1...
2...
3!!!
KO: OH MY GOD! WE HAVE A NEW APEX CHAMPION!
LO: Danny Rizzo has gone the distance and he's dethroned The Eternal!
Danny falls off of Callum in a heap beside the former champion and looks haggard as the referee calls for the bell and motions for the title belt. The moment doesn't register in his brain until seconds later when the Apex Championship is being poised right in his face. Like a child at Christmas who just opened a present to find the very thing they asked for, Danny snatches the belt out of Caputo's hands and clutches it to his chest, shock and awe still etched on his features.
KO: Man! Not even Danny Rizzo can believe it, Laur! He's the champion!
LO: I don't usually agree with Danny Rizzo's methods, but tonight he's proven that not only has he Risen....not only is he UnYielding...but now he's The Apex!
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the match via pinfall....AND YOUR NEW APEX CHAMPION....DANNY RIZZO!
The announcement seems to light a fire under Rizzo and he comes alive with a third wind, leaping up, then falling to one knee, and then popping up again to fall against the ropes holding the belt out in front of him just to look at it. The fans, who would normally be booing the man, can't help but applaud for the rookie kid who showed up so many months ago to prove that he was a wrestler, and now stands before them completed as the Apex Champion. Chris Callum rolls out of the ring to land on his knees at ringside and looks up into the ring with a tinge of disappointment before pushing up and making his way to the back. Danny, for his part, continues to celebrate as green pyro goes off from the four corners of the ring.
KO: There is going to be one hell of a celebration in the back, eh, Laur? I'm going to have to make sure to get my invite for as soon as the show is over!
LO: Well we still have a long road ahead of us, Ken. The Gauntlet Match is our Main Event, and we are guaranteed to crown a NEW UnYielding champion!
KO: Well what are we waiting for. Cut backstage and get these last boasts in so we can find out who has what it takes!
The camera focuses on Danny Rizzo as he falls to his knees in the center of the ring still clutching the title to his chest with his head bowed just before cutting to somewhere in the back...
Once again the Galactic Princess is in the parking lot, sitting at the open door of The Commodore, feet dangling past the single step that grants entry and dressed ready to compete in a Halloween nod, bunny inspired get up similar to that she posted on Social Media earlier in the week. Sitting on plush pillows just beyond her reach are a few foll-fans of hers, all of whom seems to be absolutely rapt with attention as she speaks. Noticing the camera, Indi smiles and waves the cameraman over. As he makes his approach the atmosphere quickly shifts to something more chilled.
Indi: Hey buds, so it’s a pretty big night - huh? Made the trip in my trusty Commodore like always and even picked up a few stragglers on the way. Now, I know what you’re thinking, after all my talk about worship and Deacons and stuff, it would be easy to think that these guys are a part of some new-age movement. But that? Wellllll that’s just silly talk right? Who would follow ME of all people, all around the world just to hear me speak!?
As she starts to laugh, the people sitting around chuckle too. She obviously finds this idea absolutely hilarious as there is even a knee slap in there for good measure.
Indi: Nah, these guys are just fans and before the sneaks out there like Cross start getting any ideas? They won’t even be inside the arena, because I would absolutely Never condone people cheating on my behalf, or attacking people who attacked and hurt me when I did nothing wrong and who are absolute jerks who really would deserve it if these guys decided to get one back for me, cause well that would just be karma then wouldn't it? And the universe is ALL about Karma!
Noticing she seems to be picking up a tangent, Indi pauses and takes a deep breath. Quickly her friendly smile returns and she shrugs her shoulders.
Indi: So, really… I guess you have nothing to worry about… Probably.
Once again the fans around her chuckle softly and Indi gives them a reproachful look before returning her attention to the camera once more.
Indi: So buds, like I was saying. Big night and the pressure is on, which is why I am trying to take some time to chill before the match. Everyone seems ready to go and really just out for blood which is freakin crazyyyy cause, lets be real for a second as much as *I* want that Championship? Losing myself just isn’t on the cards so, while everyone else is getting all Grr and mean and bayong for the indefinite destruction of one another… I, am relying on the guidance of the universe.
Leaning back a little, she lets out an easy sigh and stretches her arms out to lean against the open door of the Commodore with a wry smile.
Indi: Like I said, this is my destiny… So, if I were you guys? I’d just make sure not to get in my way.
With a wink she grants herself another round of laughter from the seemingly completely in awe fans, who have just been staring at her this entire time.
Indi: Hey buds, so it’s a pretty big night - huh? Made the trip in my trusty Commodore like always and even picked up a few stragglers on the way. Now, I know what you’re thinking, after all my talk about worship and Deacons and stuff, it would be easy to think that these guys are a part of some new-age movement. But that? Wellllll that’s just silly talk right? Who would follow ME of all people, all around the world just to hear me speak!?
As she starts to laugh, the people sitting around chuckle too. She obviously finds this idea absolutely hilarious as there is even a knee slap in there for good measure.
Indi: Nah, these guys are just fans and before the sneaks out there like Cross start getting any ideas? They won’t even be inside the arena, because I would absolutely Never condone people cheating on my behalf, or attacking people who attacked and hurt me when I did nothing wrong and who are absolute jerks who really would deserve it if these guys decided to get one back for me, cause well that would just be karma then wouldn't it? And the universe is ALL about Karma!
Noticing she seems to be picking up a tangent, Indi pauses and takes a deep breath. Quickly her friendly smile returns and she shrugs her shoulders.
Indi: So, really… I guess you have nothing to worry about… Probably.
Once again the fans around her chuckle softly and Indi gives them a reproachful look before returning her attention to the camera once more.
Indi: So buds, like I was saying. Big night and the pressure is on, which is why I am trying to take some time to chill before the match. Everyone seems ready to go and really just out for blood which is freakin crazyyyy cause, lets be real for a second as much as *I* want that Championship? Losing myself just isn’t on the cards so, while everyone else is getting all Grr and mean and bayong for the indefinite destruction of one another… I, am relying on the guidance of the universe.
Leaning back a little, she lets out an easy sigh and stretches her arms out to lean against the open door of the Commodore with a wry smile.
Indi: Like I said, this is my destiny… So, if I were you guys? I’d just make sure not to get in my way.
With a wink she grants herself another round of laughter from the seemingly completely in awe fans, who have just been staring at her this entire time.
Katya Djurdjevic(1) versus Cross Recoba(2) versus Kaven Drell(3)
versus Fukushima Zombie(4) versus Indi Rhyder(6) verus Zachariah Krahe(6)
versus Moxie James(7)
RING ANNOUNCER: The following contest is the Main Event of the evening, and is THE 7 PILLARS GAUNTLET MATCH FOR THE UNYIELDING CHAMPIONSHIP!
The fans erupt at the announcement, already on their edge of their seats thanks to the great in ring action of the matches that have come before.
RING ANNOUNCER: The rules are as follows. The first two entrants will start the match, and when one of them is defeated the next entrant will enter and the next match will begin. This will continue until all seven competitors have come down, and the last pinfall or submission of the evening will be crowned the UnYielding Champion!
The lights dim and purple bulbs flash as "Warriors" by Papa Roach hit's over the PA System. The lights converge on the center of the stage and standing there is Katya Djurdjevic with one hand pointing to the sky. The crowd goes absolutely nuts as she makes her way down the ramp, slapping hands, and pausing for photo-ops. She only manages to get halfway towards the ring before the announcer decides to go ahead with the particulars.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot nine and weighing in at 126 pounds, hailing from Moscow, Russia...She is The Straight Line Demon.....KATYA DURDJEVICCCC!!!!
Katya finally reaches ringside and leaps onto the apron, vaulting herself over the top rope. The minute she lands she reaches up to massage her shoulder, rolling it in obvious discomfort. She shakes the feeling away before stepping up to the second turnbuckle of the closest corner, and again points heavenward while nodding along with her music.
LO: Katya Djurdjevic has had tremendous momentum ever since earning her way into the Gauntlet, and went so far as to ask Dugan Callahan to be the #1 Entrant!
KO: Huge mistake in my opinion. She's all but hamstrung herself.
LO: I don't know...she was able to defeat the #7 Entrant, Moxie James, on Blitz#23, and got a win over Rex Rumble on the last FTS. I think she's as capable as any of going the distance from this spot.
KO: If you're so confident, how about a friendly wager? If Katya Djurdjevic goes all the way to the end and becomes the new UnYielding Champion, I'll pay your travel expenses. If she doesn't....you pay mine.
LO: You know what...to hell with it. You're on!
The wager is interrupted when 'Turn To Stone' by Joe Walsh fills the arena and the lights dim so that a single spot light illuminates the stage. Out from the curtain steps Cross Recoba, a titanium cane with a golden lion's head handle in one hand, touching the crucifix with the other. The crowd responds with a chorus of boo's for The Fox while Cross uses the handle of the cane to push his shag hair cut from his face, flicking his head back confidently as he grins out at the audience obnoxiously. He holds up the cane that has caused so much trouble in the past to an even more venomous response from the fans, and he begins down the ramp still holding it aloft.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing entrant number two, standing at five foot ten and weighting in at 230 pounds, hailing from New York, New York...He is THE FOX...CROSS RECOBBBAAA!!
Recoba reaches ringside and holds the lions head handle of the cane up to his lips and kisses it for luck. He sets the cane to rest against the ring steps, and then climbs them up onto the apron, and with a wipe of his feet slips between the ropes. He pops up with both hands out at his side, walking forward as if putting his glory on display, and delivers an over exaggerated bow that causes the fans to crow even louder in disdain. Cross stands to his full height and smirks over at a determined Katya Djurdjevic who hasn't taken her eyes off of him.
LO: Cross Recoba had some issues as of late, and both of them dealing with Fukushima Zombie. First, during their tag match against Indi Rhyder & Zachariah Krahe, our dual #6 Entrants, where he took the pin but blamed Fuki for not being there for him.
KO: It was true, but then that crazy Zombie ended up blindsiding him a second time on FTS Episode#7 when she picked up the win and got him slotted in the crappiest spot in the gauntlet.
LO: I would have thought that would be #1...
KO: Not when this crazy Djurdjevic comes out and asks to be placed there. Plus, #2 is just as bad as #1 cause they are both going to have to start this thing!
LO: Well we're going to find out which position holds the advantage cause there's the bell and this Gauntlet is underway!
Katya and Cross lock up in the center of the ring, and immediately Katya pulls Recoba’s head down into a headlock. Cross slaps at her back as he searches for escape, but Djurdjevic remains latched on, grinding his skull between her body and her arm. Cross, being the much larger of the two, lifts her up as if for a side Suplex, but Katya twists her body forwards, taking him to the mat with a Headlock Takeover! Cross slaps the mat in frustration as Katya chokes even further up, and he finds himself pushing both of them back to their feet.
LO: Katya in early control here and you can see that she wants to keep this thing slow and measured.
KO: She realizes that she potentially has six matches ahead of her and she has to conserve her energy..
LO: Well, Cross now pushes her back into the ropes for the break and shoots her off to the far side…
KO: BUT KATYA HANGS ON TO THE HOLD AND DRAGS HIM ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO THE MAT IN A MODIFIED BULLDOG!
With Cross back on the mat he seems to be even more frustrated but realizes that he’s compromised as more and more effort will be needed to get away from the woman. Finally he works them both back to their feet, and there isn’t any wrestling reversal but a few stiff elbows right to Katya’s gut that forces her to let loose the hold. The Knife Edge Chop that follows echoes and the fans all ‘Woooo’ despite hating the man.
LO: Cross finally free of Katya for a moment and lays in another devastating chop that knocks the woman back into the ropes...AND HE CLOTHESLINES HER RIGHT UP AND OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE OUTSIDE!
KO: Things are getting dirty right out of the gate now! See, Cross has a plan too! End this thing as quickly as possible by doing the most damage as possible!
LO: By bending the rules in whichever way but following them.
KO: Cross watches as Katya gets to her feet before charging the far side ropes for spring…thunders back now, and A MILLION LIRA WIPES KATYA OUT!
LO: Yeah, but Cross looks like he might have tweaked his Knee there as he hobbles around trying to get feeling back into it!
Cross reaches down and yanks Katya up by the hair of the head and sneers at the crowd as he whips her right into the barricade. Spine meets steel and Katya clutches at her back as she slides down while Cross smugly crows at the crowd. It’s obvious that his right leg is a little sensitive, however, as he gets hold of Katya and tosses her back into the ring.
LO: Cross rolls back in but Katya is already moving back to her feet, and now he measures her…
KO: And runs in for a Swinging Neck Breaker that sends her crashing back to the mat!
LO: Cross now just sitting back to lazily make the cover…
1…
2…
LO: NO! KATYA HOOKS RECOBA’S ARMS AND LEGS AND SWINGS HIM OVER INTO A CRUCIFIX PIN!
1…
2…
KO: Emphatic kick out by Cross and now both competitors are coming back to their feet and The Fox now rushes in…
LO: AND KATYA CATCHES HIM WITH A SNAP HEADLOCK TAKEOVER THAT PUTS HIM RIGHT BACK DOWN INTO THE POSITION HE WAS IN FROM THE START!
If Cross wasn’t irritated, he is now. It’s hard to tell with Katya grinding his head partially into the mat, her arm, and her body, but it’s there. Katya irritates him even further when she suddenly lets loose of the Headlock and rolls across his body to come to his feet and quickly puts on a Leg Lock on his right side.
KO: Oh come on! You talk about cheap! Katya must have noticed that Cross was favoring that leg and now she’s going after it.
LO: That’s not cheap, Ken, that’s called sound strategy. You work the body part that your opponent has signaled is injured.
KO: Of course YOU would take that position…
Laurence rolls his eyes at his brothers assessment as Cross finds himself in excruciating pain as he drags him and Katya towards the ropes. He reaches them fairly quickly and latches on and Katya immediately releases the hold and comes to her feet. As Cross tries to get to his she brings a sweeping kick into the right leg that sends him crashing back to the mat clutching at his knee. On instinct he rolls under the bottom rope and rubs at the injury to try and will it into normal function. He turns around just in time to see Katya grab the top rope and catapult herself up and over in a Rolling Splancha that wipes him out.
LO: Big high risk move there by Katya who the fans are completely behind as she pulls Cross up and tosses him back in the ring…
KO: Katya up on the apron as Recoba trudges up to his feet, and now SPRINGBOARDS TO THE TOP AND DIVES IN FOR A FLYING LARIAT…
LO: BUT CROSS RECOBA SAW IT COMING AND CATCHES HER WITH A HIGH STANDING DROPKICK THAT KNOCKS HER OFF HER TRAJECTORY!
Katya lands hard against the mat in a heap as Cross sits up and rubs his knee for a second before getting to his feet. Katya slowly rises, but before she can even raise her head, Cross pulls her in close while hooking her around the waist, and then Gut Wrench Suplexes her back down to the canvas. He floats over with the move directly into a hook of the leg.
1…
2…
KO: THRE-KICK OUT! Katya being pulled back up to her feet by Recoba, and OH! Wicked Chop knocks her back into the nearby corner..
LO: Cross following her in and he just said something disparaging as he lays in another chop..another…WHAT THE HELL! HE’S NOT STOPPING, ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER!
The loud slap of skin on skin reverberates through the arena, and despite hating him, the fans get caught up in the moment and begin counting along. Just before ten, Cross comes to a stop, looks out at his hometown crowd with a smirk and gives them the middle finger before firing in a European Uppercut that knocks Katya silly. The fans boo as he pulls her out of the corner, hooks her around the head, and then Vertical Suplexes her down to the mat with another float over pin.
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Katya gets out at two and three quarters, and now Cross is back to his feet and standing at hers…Oh no..
KO: OH YES! CROSS HAS BOTH OF KATYA’S ANKLES AND IS NOW CHOKING UP TO HER KNEE’S TO TURN HER OVER!
LO: His Garibaldi’s Guillotine has never been broken! If he gets this locked in it could spell the end of this match up!
Cross commits to the turn, but Katya kicks both of her legs violently to try and prevent it. Recoba, being the much bigger of the two, muscles his way over, but despite that, Katya refuses to let the move be completed, using her abnormally strong leg strength to force him to step back into the starting position. Cross, realizing that he might not be able to get her in this instance, instead falls back while driving his knee’s into her ass, and Sling Shots her towards the nearby corner!
LO: Katya sent right at the corner to land face first..NO! KATYA GOT HER FEET UP AND LANDED ON THE SECOND ROPE!
KO: CROSS…STOP SHOWBOATING AND TURN AROUND!
The Fox does just that and is caught completely off guard when Katya springs off the second and twists in midair to catch him with a Crossbody to crush him into the mat. She doesn’t remain down, instead leaps up and hops past him only to perform a Standing Moonsault that does even further damage. She hooks the leg after that for a pin..
1…
2…
LO: THRE-NO! Cross out at two and a half, but Katya is on a roll as she hops up and rushes the ropes….LIONSAULT DOWN ACROSS RECOBA!
KO: SHE CAN’T DO THAT!
LO: Well she just did, and now hooks the leg a second time…
1…
2…
KO: THREe-NO! Shooo! Cross out again, and now Katya is looking to go even higher…
Katya slips between the ropes out to the apron and begins to climb up the corner she had performed the crossbody from. Just as she reaches the top, however, Cross springs halfway to his feet and dives at the ropes which causes her to lose her balance and she comes crashing down crotch first on the top turnbuckle.
LO: Recoba playing a little possum there to pull that off, and now climbs to the second to join Katya…
KO: The Fox hooks her around the head while draping her arm over his and gets a handful of tights…
LO: SUPERPLEX FROM THE TOP...NO! KATYA ABLE TO TWIST HERSELF IN MIDAIR TO END UP ONTOP OF RECOBA!
KO: DAMN IT! THE REF IS DROPPING TO COUNT A PIN!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Recoba gets the shoulder up with a nanosecond to spare, and now Katya is dragging him up to his feet…places her boot under his chin while grabbing his arm…
KO: OH DAMN IT! DEATHBLOW!
LO: Katya with another cover!
1…
2…
KO: THREE!NO! Thank God! He gets the shoulder up at the last second…
LO: Your love for this man…I…I’m starting to get concerned.
KO: STEP OFF ME LAURENCE! I’M JUST A FAN!
LO: Anyways, Katya is looking to put The Fox away as she heads back up to the top, this time from inside the ring. You know what that means…
KO: God, I hope not. Come on Recoba...get up!
But no such luck as Katya reaches the top to a huge fan ovation. She gives the Madison Square Garden crowd a wink just before committing to her impressive Imploding 450 Splash known as Thundering Skies. While Cross was unable to get to his feet, that didn’t mean he couldn’t roll out of the way, which is exactly what happens when Katya comes crashing down to the mat with nobody home.
LO: DJURDJEVIC FACE PLANTS HARD TO THE CANVAS AS CROSS ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
KO: I knew it! He’s going to win this thing..
LO: The Fox pulling himself up by use of the ropes and looks a little haggard as he steps over to yank Katya up by the hair of the head..
KO: That’s right…talk some shit as you hoist her up onto your shoulder…
Recoba has Katya in Tombstone position for his famed finishing move, but before he can execute the next step, Djurdjevic’s feet kick for all their worth, pushing herself higher and higher up onto his shoulder. Cross tries to yank her back into position, but sensing the danger, she’ll have none of it and eventually slips down his back from behind. As soon as she lands she reaches down to grab both ankles and yanks backwards to send him hurtling face first to the mat.
LO: Katya now swinging around to so she’s standing over Recoba’s body while still maintaining control of the right ankle…and BOSTON CRAB!
KO: That his bum leg, Laur! She can’t do this!
LO: I don’t know what to tell you Ken, but Cross has come alive with pain as Katya arches back with the leg…AND NOW ARCHES BACK WITH HER OTHER HAND TO HOOK HIM AROUND THE CHIN!
KO: SHE’S BENDING HIM IN HALF!
LO: And at this angle, the size advantage doesn’t matter anymore…she has all the leverage! I heard she had this move in her arsenal, but this is the first time we’re seeing the Dragon’s Nest!
KO: Couldn’t she test this out on someone else! This isn’t right!
The Straight Line Demon roars as she torques more and more against Cross’ body, and every fan in the arena are on their feet cheering her on save for Kenneth Othello. The nature and positioning of the hold don’t leave a lot of options for The Fox, and after a solid minute being locked in and his hand hovering over the mat, he finally relents and taps.
LO: THAT’S IT! KATYA ADVANCES IN THE GAUNTLET!
KO: No..No..No! I can’t believe this!
LO: Believe it brother, cause here comes the announcement!
RING ANNOUNCER: The winner of the first fall and advancing to the next round of the 7 Pillars Gauntlet…KATYA DJURDJEVIC!
Katya releases the hold and falls onto her hands and knees besides cross. Nodding her head determinedly as the fans go bananas. Cross is helped to the edge of the ring just as the lights dim and "Human" by HELLYEAH begins over the PA system. With the aggressive drums and riffs Kaven Drell steps through the curtain wearing a long sleeveless leather trench coat left open so that you can see his hairy chest and black trunks.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the third participant in the Gauntlet, standing at six foot two and weighting in at 215 pounds, hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana...He is the current Union Battleground Trench Warfare Champion....KAVEN DRELLL!!
Drell grins down at Katya from the stage as Katya gets to her feet to await his arrival at ringside. The sudden boos from the crowd signal to her somethings wrong, and she whirls around just in time to see a chair wielding Rex Rumble coming right at her. The chair impacts off her skull with a sickening ‘BANG’ and she crashes to the mat clutching her head. The referee steps in but Rex shoves her away and moves to stand over Katya, raising the chair and bringing it crashing down onto her head, spine, and legs repeatedly.
LO: WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS MADMAN DOING!
KO: IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S BEATING THE HELL OUT OF DJURDJEVIC WITH A STEEL CHAIR WHILE KAVEN DRELL LAUGHS HIS HEAD OFF ON THE STAGE!
LO: Security finally rushes into the ring and tackles Rumble to the mat…But My God! The damage is done!
KO: Drell now takes that trench coat off and is making his way down the ramp towards the ring…
LO: OF COURSE HE IS! THE FUCKING JACKAL!
KO: LAURENCE!
LO: WHO CARES! THIS IS PPV, AND IT’S THE TRUTH!
Security pulls Rex from the ring at about the same time that Drell belly slides in and then directs Caputo, whose kneeling down to check on Katya, to ring the bell. She hesitates and Drell marches forwards as if he may do bodily harm to her and she wags her finger adamantly at the timekeepers table. The bell sounds, and Kaven steps over to Katya and yanks the poor woman up to her feet only to blast her in the face with repeated Head Butts that turn both their foreheads bloody.
LO: GOD ALMIGHTY! KAVEN DRELL IS BRUTALIZING KATYA DJURDJEVIC WITH HIS ‘HUSH’ HEADBUTTS AND IT ISN’T RIGHT! HE COULD HAVE JUST PINNED HER!
KO: Kaven Drell didn’t address a single other person in his promo earlier this week for the Gauntlet. His one and only goal was to dash out Katya Djurdjevic’s dreams, and that is exactly what he’s doing right now!
With one last shot to the face, Katya goes limp in Kaven’s arms, and he looks out to the booing crowd with his and her blood all over his face. He grins huge through that manic visual and allows her to drop back to the canvas before placing a boot on her chest. The referee, seeing this as a mercy drops to make the count..
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! SHE KICKED OUT!
KO: IS SHE AN IDIOT! THIS IS OVER FOR HER! JUST LAY DOWN AND DIE!
LO: That’s the problem with people like you and Drell…They can’t understand the overwhelming spirit that drives a superstar like Katya Djurdjevic! She is a champion whether she has a belt or not!
KO: Maybe so, but now Kaven Drell is on top of her, and laying in more of those Headbutts. He's going to HUSH her out of existence!
Kaven is absolutely incensed as his skull strikes Katya’s over and over until finally the referee threatens to disqualify him if he doesn’t stop. Both superstars are a bloody mess as a result, and both look to possibly have broken noses. Finally, Kaven looks out at the visceral crowd, shrugs, and hooks the woman’s leg.
1…
2…
3!!!
LO: This is sick…
KO: Maybe so, but he fulfilled his mission…
LO: How can you be so callous, Ken? Katya Djurdjevic had just been through an encounter with Cross Recoba, and she knew she had more matches to come…but Rex Rumble had no business being out here, and he sure has hell had no right to bash this woman down with a chair only for this asshole to come down and pick up the scraps.
KO: Maybe it was too much, Laur, but at the end of the day I didn’t do it. Kaven Drell did. The Let It Burn Movement did. A movement that now includes the Apex Champion. I mean, look out in the crowd! They aren’t alone…
Despite all the boos there are several lighters held aloft, signifying the cult is in mass for the event. EMTs come down to the ring to attend to Katya as Kaven stalks around the ring, as if putting himself on display.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the second fall and advancing to the next match in the 7 Pillars Gauntlet….KAVEN DRELL!
As the medical team get Katya on a stretcher at ringside the lights dim in the arena and the sound of boots marching can be heard as the Big Screen flickers to life with a group of Zombies ambling towards the screen. As the Zombie dead center blocks out the camera view the words 'The Zombie Clan' are left hanging there as Meshi Kuuna by Inu's upbeat song comes across the PA. The song doesn't really reflect what happens next when Fukushima comes ambling out onto the stage in her full horror style make up wearing thigh high leggings and a blue dress with white frill on the front covered in blood splatters. The fans give a mixed reaction as she begins her rickety style walk towards the ring, speeding up in spots and slowing down in others.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the next challenger in the Gauntlet, Representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot five and weighing 135 pounds, hailing from Fukushima, Japan...FUKUSHIMA ZOMMBBIEEE!!
Fuki reaches ringside where she pauses to give some twitchy bird like glances to the stretcher with Katya on it as it passes. She turns that odd stare up into the ring where Drell stands in the middle of the ring, nodding, begging her to come get hers. Fuki breaks character for just a second, flashing him a crazed grin that really does look horrific with all the paint. Suddenly she springs forward to belly slide into the ring, and pops only to duck his incoming clothesline.
LO: The bell sounds, and we are now into our third match of the Gauntlet with Cross Recoba and Katya Djurdjevic having been eliminated…and now Fukushima Zombie and Kaven Drell are set to do battle!
KO: Fuki ducked that clothesline and rushes at the ropes for spring, Kaven steps out to meet her and FRONT DROPKICK SENDS HIM DOWN TO THE CANVAS!
LO: The much smaller Fukushima back to her feet as Drell rises and here she comes again for another Running Knee right to the side of his head! After all those headbutts, you have to believe that Drell may very well have a concussion just as easily as Katya probably does.
Drell manages to get propped up in the nearby corner but doesn’t manage to avoid the Handspring Elbow from Fukushima that gets a huge pop! He drops to a seated position against the bottom turnbuckle and Fuki grabs the top rope, leaps up to the second, and then springs her body out before swinging both feet forward to impact off of Kaven’s chest. This seems to have knocked the breath completely out of him as she pulls him from the corner and then drops over him for the cover!
1…
2…
LO: THRe-NO! Drell out at two and a half and Zombie is already moving him back up to his feet and pushing him into the ropes…Sends him to the other side!
KO: NO! Reversal! Fukushima hits off the ropes and Kaven steps to the center of the ring and catches from the side into a Tilt-A-Whirl and then HOT SHOTS HER ACROSS THE TOP ROPE!
LO: Fukushima crashes to the mat clutching at her throat and scrambles to fall back against the nearby corner, but here comes Drell!
KO: He’s stomping a mudhole in her ass and now Fukushima is in trouble!
Kaven reigns down stomps onto the woman until she’s all the way down to the mat and continues stomping her until she’s pushed under the ropes and off the apron to splat on the concrete outside. Drell takes a moment to fall against the corner and try and wipe some of the blood from his self-inflicted wounds from his eyes. With a shake of his head to get rid of the cobwebs he slips through the ropes to land beside Fuki who has moved back up to her feet.
LO: Drell in behind Zombie and gets a fistful of hair, and OH! FACE FIRST ACROSS THE TOP OF THE STEEL STEPS!
KO: Drell now dragging her over the Guardrail and bounces her skull off of that as well!
LO: The referee starting a count from the ring, but Drell doesn’t seem to care as he scoops Fukushima up onto his shoulder…AND HOT SHOT AGAIN BUT THIS TIME ACROSS THE BARRICADE!
KO: These fans really giving Drell what for as he pulls Fuki up and tosses her back into the ring and follows her in…
Fuki rolls to the center of the ring clutching her throat and Drell steps over to her only to leap up and then bring his knee right down across her chest to further force the air out of her. He doesn’t follow up with a pin, but rather pulls her head up off the canvas and cradles it in her lap while hammering down piston like right fists down into the top of her skull.
LO: Drell softening her up for more headbutts it looks like, and we’ve already seen what that can do to a person…
KO: That or he’s just enjoying dolling out the punishment. Who can tell with this guy?
Drell’s fist finally stop coming down and he pushes up to his feet, pulling Fukushima up along with him. He takes the woman by the arm and feeds her arm through her legs, lifts up, and then drops her violently back to the mat with a Pump Handle Slam. He looks at the referee and directs her to pay attention as he puts chest to chest and hooks the leg for the cover.
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Fukushima able to kick out at the last minute, and now Drell is just staring at Caputo as she gets up and starts backing away…
KO: Drell up in the referees face and having some strong words, but now Caputo firing back...AH! SHE’S BACKING DRELL UP WITH A FINGER WAGGING! SHE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!
LO: WHOA! FUKUSHIMA WITH A SCHOOLBOY ROLL UP AND NOW CAPUTO DROPS TO MAKE THE COUNT!
1…
2…
KO: THRE-KICK OUT! Someone get out here and get control over this damn official! She almost cost Drell the match!
LO: Maybe Kaven Drell should stop trying to intimidate the referee and focus on putting Fukushima away…
KO: Well he looks ready to do just that as Fukushima comes to her feet and Drell charges her with a clothesline..NO! FUKUSHIMA THROWS HERSELF TO THE SIDE AND PERFORMS A DROP TOE HOLD THAT DROPS DRELL THROAT FIRST ACROSS THE MIDDLE ROPE!
LO: Fuki ambling over to her opponent, grabs the top rope, and LAUNCHES HERSELF UP AND OVER TO DROP THE LEG ACROSS THE BACK OF DRELL’S HEAD!
Kaven snaps back into the ring, and this time it’s him that’s clutching at his throat in the center of the ring. Fuki quickly pops back up onto the apron, grabs the top rope again, and this time Sling Shots herself back into the ring to nail Drell with a Rolling Senton! She drops over Drell for a cover but doesn’t even get a one count, instead Kaven kicks out with such authority that it actually pops her up to her feet. She charges at the ropes in front of him for spring and just as he sits up dives into a Sliding Forearm that snaps him back down to the canvas. This time she hooks the leg for the cover.
1…
2…
KO: THREe-NO! Fukushima now pulling Drell up, obviously wanting to quicken the pace of this matchup!
LO: She pushes him back into the ropes to send him to the other side, but Again he reverses it and she’s sent hurtling for the spring!
KO: Drell steps out to the center of the ring as Zombie hurtles back and he goes for another Tilt-A-Whirl BUT THIS TIME FUKUSHIMA LOCKS HER LEGS AROUND HIS HEAD…AND LOOK AT THIS!
LO: SHE’S SWINGING AROUND HIM IN MULTIPLE REVOLUTIONS! AFTER THOSE HEADBUTTS HE HAS TO BE GETTING DIZZY!
KO: FUKUSHIMA FINALLY TAKING HIM OVER WITH THE HEADSCISSORS AND DRELL IMPACTS BUT COMES RIGHT BACK UP TO HIS FEET!
LO: Here comes Fukushima with a full head of steam RIGHT INTO A TOLLING BELL ELBOW FROM DRELL THAT TAKES HER HEAD OFF!
KO: Drell still looks a little out of it but still coherent enough to drop over her for a pin!
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Fukushima gets the shoulder up in the nick of time, and now a woozy Drell gets her to her feet..
KO: He’s gripping her by the back of the head so you know what that means…Winds up for a Headbutt and NO! Fukushima dropped low and hooked him by the ankles to yank his feet out from under him!
LO: Drell tumbles down to the mat, and Fukushima performs a Front Roll while maintaining a hold of his legs for the pin!
1...
2…
LO: THRE-LOOK AT THIS! DRELL KICKED OUT WHILE ALSO HOOKING FUKUSHIMA AROUND THE WAIST! HE DIGS IN HIS HEELS AND PUSHES HER UP OFF THE CANVAS, SPINS THROUGH AND THEN DROPS TO HIS KNEES TO PULL HER DOWN INTO A SLIDING PIN!
1…
2…
KO: THREe-NO! Fukushima kicks out…both competitors coming to their feet at about the same time…Fuki throws up a front Roundhouse but Kaven ducks it..
LO: She spins around..Boot to the midsection by Drell doubles her over…STILLBORN DDT!
KO: AH! THAT MIGHT BE IT!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Fukushima rolls the shoulder at the last possible second, and look at Drell! He is beyond frustrated!
Kaven bangs his fists off the mat in a rage and then comes up to corner the referee once more. Caputo continues to hold up two fingers as he berates her and she warns him that she will disqualify him if he doesn’t back off. Drell spits just beside Caupto’s foot before turning back around just in time to see that Fuki has made it to her feet in the opposite corner. He nods just before tearing across the ring, but when he gets to her she throws both boots up that catch him square in the face as he’s coming in.
LO: Drell forced to back off to contend with what has to be a broken nose by now..
KO: Yeah, and Fukushima is stepping up the corners blind…positioned on the top…
LO: Drell now turns to face her and MISSILE DROPKICK CATCHES HIM FLUSH IN THE HEAD TO SEND HIM CRASHING TO THE MAT!
KO: FUKUSHIMA SCRAMBLING TO HOOK THE LEG!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! It’s Drell who defies the odds now as Fuki looks at the referee in shock and dismay!
KO: Zombie shakes her head as this capacity crowd is behind her…she’s heading back up to the top from inside the ring…what’s she going to do?
LO: I’LL TELL YOU! A GRAVITY DEFYING MOONSAULT DOUBLE STOMP TO CRUSH KAVEN DRELL INTO THE MAT!
KO: AH! SHE’S GOING TO DO IT!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! KAVEN DRELL GOT THE SHOULDER UP AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND AND NOW FUKI LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF SORTS!
The horror fanatic gets to her feet and falls into the nearby corner to sit and stare at Kaven Drell as he lay prone on the mat where she left him. She grabs at her own hair and begins pulling it out in manic fashion before finally banging the back of her head off the middle turnbuckle and snapping up to her feet. She slips through the ropes and starts to climb the turnbuckles from the apron.
KO: Fukushima going up top once more but she’s wasted lots of time with that tantrum…
LO: Yeah, but Kaven Drell doesn’t look to be going anywhere. He’s still out…WAIT! DRELL JUST ROLLED UP TO HIS FEET AND RUSHES THE CORNER!
KO: HE LEAPS TO THE SECOND AND GRABS HOLD OF A SHOCKED FUKUSHIMA…RELEASE BELLY TO BELLY FROM THE NOSEBLEED SECTION SENDS ZOMBIE ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHERSIDE OF THE RING!
Fukushima slams painfully off the mat, and as the announcer said, is almost clear across the ring. Kaven doesn’t look much better as he rolls onto his stomach and tries to get up, but instead topples back to the mat. The referee looks at both competitors, and seeing no other recourse starts her count.
LO: The referee is counting both these competitors out, and if one of them can’t make it to their feet this thing is over!
KO: What would that mean for the Gauntlet?
LO: I guess our #5/#6 entries would forgo that triple threat rule, and go one on one!
KO: Caputo’s up to seven, Laur, and they aren’t getting up!
Never fear, as eight rolls around and Drell puts knuckles to canvas and pushes up to his knees. At nine he gets to his feet and waves the referee off before stepping over to Fukushima who claws at the turnbuckles to get back to hers. She turns around just in time to take a Running Clothesline that crushes her against the buckles, but the pain doesn’t stop there. Drell falls back a few steps across the ropes, and then charges forwards once more, throwing his right leg up to have his boot collide with the side of Fuki’s skull.
LO: FUKUSHIMA HAS BEEN KNOCKED LOOPY AS SHE DRUNKENLY STUMBLES OUT OF THE CORNER AND FALLS TO THE CANVAS!
KO: Drell now dropping over her for another cover…
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! SHE KICKED OUT AGAIN!
KO: Drell is up on his feet now staring down at her, and he’s not even bothering with the referee…he just ran his thumb across his throat to signify this thing is OVER!
LO: Drell reaches down to pull Fuki up to her feet..WAIT! FUKUSHIMA HOOKS HIM AROUND THE HEAD AND PULLS HIM INTO A SMALL PACKAGE!
1…
2…
3!!!
KO: WHAT?!?
LO: SHE DID IT! FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE STOLE THIS ONE AWAY FROM KAVEN DRELL!
As soon as the bell sounds Fukushima quickly rolls for the safety of outside the ring as Kaven snaps up to his knees staring at the referee in disbelief. The following announcement doesn’t help with the shock.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the third fall and advancing to the next match in the 7 Pillars Gauntlet….FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE!
Fukushima rests on the steps, obviously tired and battered, but still keenly watching as Kaven Drell continues to look out at the crowd as they cheer his misfortune. Finally, Drell just shakes his head and pushes up to his feet, suddenly starting to chuckle as if the author of some unseen joke. He mouths the words ‘Let It Burn, Katya’ into the camera before exiting the ring and heading to the back.
LO: That guy is a maniac. He had the chance to become UnYielding Champion here tonight, but the fact that he was just ejected from the gauntlet doesn’t seem to bother him.
KO: I told you earlier, Laur. The man had a mission, and whether he took home the gold or not, he accomplished it.
LO: Well folks, as if the Guantlet isn’t interesting enough on its own, the odds are about to get even more difficult for Fukushima as she will now face, not one, but two opponents, turning this into a Triple Threat match!
KO: That’s right. Last Blitz Zachariah Krahe and Indi Rhyder fought over the coveted #6 spot but the match ended in a draw, and so both competitors were declared to be #6!
As if on cue with the explanation, the lights dim and a flood light from the entrance kicks on brightly while smoke pillows out onto the stage as 'Beat The Devil's Tattoo' by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club hits over the PA. The roaring crowd come to their feet when a silhouette appears in the flood light, and then steps out onto the stage wearing a black leather biker’s jacket, mussed hair, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. A loud cheer goes up from the crowd for the superstar as he sends a plume of smoke up into the rafters just before taking his first step down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the Dual #6 entrant in the Gauntlet, standing at six foot three and weighting in at 246 pounds, hailing from Hell, Michigan.....he is THE CATALYST, ZACHARIAH KRAHEEEEE!
Krahe stops at the bottom of the ramp to regard the front row to his left, then his right, letting a plume of smoke escape his lips. Sniffing the air as if he could smell the electricity, his eyes narrow on the ring and Fukushima Zombie who is on the opposite side of it still resting on the steps. He butts the cigarette out on the steel steps on his side just before climbing them to slip through the ropes. He cast shis Devil May Care grin towards Fuki, who shudders a little at the sight of him.
LO: There is no love lost between Fukushima Zombie and Zachariah Krahe, as Fuki is the one who tossed his partner, Munin, off of that roof many months ago.
KO: Yeah, and who can forget what Krahe did to her. He damn near killed her with a bucket of water and a car battery!
LO: Fuki seems almost a little skittish of the man, as if being transported back to that moment in time…it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
They don’t’ get the chance to continue their thoughts as 'Karma Chameleon' by the Culture Club hits over the PA System, and Indi Rhyder skips out onto the stage to a pretty big ovation. She leaps back and forth along the stage, a huge bubbly smile placed upon her lips. She turns to give the camera a wink as she passes on by down the ramp, slapping hands as she goes.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the other #6 entrant in the Gauntlet, standing at five foot five and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Los Angeles, California....She is THE GALACTIC PRINCESS, INDI RHYDDEERRR!!
As she reaches ringside she makes a dash across the front row with one hand extended for high fives, and then turns abruptly to leap up onto the ring apron, and then hops up to the second rope from the outside. She waves at the capacity crowd with a grin, and then hops over the top rope to land safely in the ring. She comes to a stop to regard the man she had went to a draw with two weeks ago, and then casts her glance over to Fukushima who has yet to reenter the ring.
LO: So we’ve got all our players out here save for one, the #7 Entrant, Moxie James, who will make her way down to the ring once someone is eliminated here..
KO: Triple threat rules, Laur, which means no disqualification as in our previous three matches…
LO: You’re right, which makes it all the more dangerous.
Caputo goes over the rules with all three competitors, and it takes a little convincing, but Fukushima finally slips back into the ring, all the while staring at Zachariah Krahe. She calls for the bell and immediately Fukushima charges at Krahe who leaps up to meet her with a Lous Thesz Press that rides her all the way down to the mat. Piston Right Hands follow, but are quickly interrupted by a Running Basement Dropkick from Indi which bowls Krahe off of Fuki and sends him tumbling through the middle and bottom rope to the outside.
LO: Action fast and furious off the bat as Krahe is sent outside the ring while Indi now pulls Fuki up to her feet and shoots her off the ropes!
KO: Fukushima returning here as Indi steps to the center of the ring…AND SLINGBLADE BY FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE TO INDI RHYDER!
LO: Indi got caught by surprise there as Fuki comes back to her feet to rush the ropes again...NO! SUICIDE DIVE THROUGH THE ROPES TO NAIL KRAHE WHO WAS TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE RING!
KO: How about that, Laur? Fukushima just had a grueling match with Kaven Drell, and now she’s in control on both fresh opponents!
LO: Fukushima may have been hesitant to be in the ring with Krahe, but she knows what’s at stake. She is also well aware that they are fresher than she is, and if she doesn’t control this narrative then they will have the distinct advantage!
Fukushima quickly moves to slide back into the ring, but when she pops up she finds that Indi Rhyder is moving to her feet as well. She rushes the woman only for Indi to side step, pushing her on towards the ropes. She springs back but this time Indi is ready, and delivers a Spin Wheel Kick that takes Zombie’s head off! Indi is up quickly and falls into the ropes only to come back into a front roll, back up to her feet, and then into a Rolling Thunder Senton. She quickly spins around and hooks Fukushima’s leg for a cover.
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Fukushima still somehow in this thing, but she’s already had a grueling match with Drell, and now Indi thinks she can put the woman away!
KO: Indi heading out to the apron and making her way up to the top turnbuckle…she’s poised and these fans are going nuts!
LO: WAIT! ZACHARIAH KRAHE BACK UP ON THE APRON AND HE RUSHES IN AND JUST SHOVES INDI RHYDER FROM HER PERCH TO A NASTY LANDING ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!
KO: Krahe now coming into the ring where Fukushima is…she’s trying to get up…BUT RUNNING PUNT KICK TO THE SIDE OF HER SKULL PUTS HER RIGHT BACK DOWN!
LO: Krahe drops down and hooks the leg this time..
1…
2…
KO: THREE!NO! How in the hell does she keep doing this?
LO: I don’t know, Ken, but it can’t be much longer now…
Krahe pulls Fukushima up to her feet and pulls her head under his arms while double underhooking her arms for his Catalyst DDT, but Fukushima deftly gets loose and drops to her knees, slips right between the mans legs, and comes up behind him in a Waist Lock. She rushes him towards the ropes where his chest bounces him backwards while Fuki pulls him down to the mat for a Rolling Pin.
1…
2…
LO: Krahe the fresher man kicks out at two, and now is coming back to his feet…Fukushima coming in hot and HEADSCISORS TAKE OVER SENDS KRAHE SPIRALING INTO THE FAR CORNER!
KO: Fukushima rushing in and leaps in for a splash to crush him even further, and now leaps up to place her feet on his hips….AND ROCKS BACK WITH A MONKEY FLIP!
LO: Fukushima now back up to her feet and she’s trying to rally this crowd as she goes towards the ropes…BUT THERE’S INDI, BACK FROM THE DEAD, AND SHE NAILS HER WITH A PELE KICK RIGHT FROM THE APRON!
Fukushima falls to the mat stunned, and Indi doesn’t miss a beat before grabbing the ropes and springs to the top. She had intended to finish up with Fuki, but upon reaching the top rope she spies Krahe coming at her, so she redirects into a Flying Lariat that takes his head off. Fukushima wisely rolls under the bottom rope to the outside for a breather while Indi pulls Krahe back up to his feet and starts forearming him back into the ropes.
LO: Indi Rhyder is cooking with grease now as she takes Krahe by the hand to send him to the far side…NO! REVERSAL!
KO: Indi spiraling back in and Krahe moves in for a clothesline but she ducks that as well…coming back one more time, but still, ducks the back elbow attempt..
LO: Indi back for a third time and Krahe drops his head while she rolls right overtop of his back to land on her feet behind him! OUCH!
KO: Sidekick into The Catalyst’s knee drops him down to the other one, and now Indi with another spring off the ropes…BLOCKBUSTER STUNNER HAS KRAHE LAID OUT!
LO: Indi going for a cover!
1…
2…
KO: THREe-NO! Krahe gets out at two and three quarters while Indi pulls him up for some more forearms to the face! Indi now directing Krahe to the corner and moves to send him to the opposite side, But Krahe gets hold of the top rope to prevent from being sent…
LO: AND KRAHE PULLS INDI RIGHT INTO A SHORT ARM CLOTHESLINE THAT LEVELS HER!
Thus far in the match Krahe, the bigger of both opponents, has been misdirected and flipped every which way imaginable using leverage moves. The rocking of his head from side to side indicates that this will no longer be the case. Indi pulls herself to her feet but Krahe steps right in beside the woman, hooks his leg through hers while hooking her around the chin with his arm and drops straight back with a Rusian Leg Sweep! He rolls back out of the move to end up on his feet and yanks Indi up only to lay in a hard right hand that knocks her back into the corner!
LO: Krahe looks dangerous here as he opens up on Indi with rights and lefts while the Galactic Princess does her best to cover up…
KO: Krahe is showing us those precision strikes of his as some of these blows are getting past Rhyder’s defenses!
Krahe grabs Indi by the wrist and whips her to the far side and follows close behind only to watch her walk right up the turnbuckles and spring backwards from the top rope. He rushes right underneath her, and she seems proud of herself when she lands safely behind him, only that he spins around and knocks that confidence right out of her with a ridiculously volatile Spear. Krahe hooks the leg deep..
1…
2…
LO: THREE-FUKUSHIMA WITH A SPRINGBOARD LEG DROP RIGHT DOWN ACROSS THE BACK OF KRAHE’S HEAD AND BREAKS UP THE COUNT!
KO: What the hell is she doing, Laur? Does she not know that Indi could have been eliminated there!
LO: I don’t know, Ken. Things have been so crazy all night it’s hard to keep up with what everyone’s doing. Instinct may have told her not to allow that pin, but you’re right. She should have let it happen.
KO: Regardless, Fuki is laying in Palm Strikes to Krahe to knock him back a few steps and now moves in to send him for the ride…but of course he reverses it…
LO: Theme of the night when your opponent outweighs you by a hundred pounds.
KO: Anyways, Fuki on her way back now and Krahe swings for a lariat…FUKUSHIMA SWINGS AROUND HIS ARM, LOCKS HER LEGS, AND HAS HIM IN THE CLUTCHES OF A SPIDER TWIST!
LO: Zachariah Krahe is being pretzeled here from a standing position and there’s not a whole lot for him to do, and look at this…Indi Rhyder just pulled herself over to the far corner and is resting against the bottom turnbuckle. She’s seeing all this and not doing a damn thing about it!
KO: Smart girl! Let Fuki take out Krahe, and she can come right in and scoop up the Zombie!
Krahe cries out in pain as Fukushima pulls back on his arm and pushes against his neck with her foot. He tries to walk his way towards the ropes, but her other leg has one of his knotted up, and the going is slow. Not to mention, every step he takes puts even more torque on his neck and arm. Yet, with no other escape in sight, he finds that is his only recourse, so doing more damage to himself, he makes the final couple of steps until he can hook onto the ropes.
KO: Uh…he does know that there are no rope breaks in a Triple Threat, right?
LO: Maybe not…BUT DUMPING HIMSELF OVER THE TOP ROPE WITH THE WOMAN WHO HAS HIM TIED UP MIGHT JUST BREAK THE HOLD!
Fukushima his the concrete first and then Krahe lands fully on top of her to crush her after the impact. All of her limbs go limp but Krahe is grabbing at his trapezius all the same, the fall having possibly done more harm than good. He begins to pull himself up to his feet and helps Fukushima up by the hair of the head. After all, there isn’t much room for Mr. Nice Guy when someone is trying to tie you up like a pretzel. They both have only a split second to look up at the shadow forming over them before Indi come crashing down on both with a Corkscrew Plancha from the top turnbuckle.
LO: GOOD LORD! INDI RHYDER TAKING OUT THE ENTIRE MATCH WITH THAT DIVE!
KO: Can you feel it, Laur! We’re getting close to the end here. Everyone of these superstars wants to be the UnYielding Champion!
Indi hesitantly gets to her feet, testing her joints to make sure that nothing is compromised, and when she feels like she’s a go she has Fukushima back up and into the ring. She leaves Krahe at ringside as she hops up onto the ring apron and springs all the way up to the top turnbuckle of the nearest corner. Fukushima crawls before getting up to her feet, turning just in time to see Indi spring off into a front flip that brings her posterior right down onto Fuki’s chest and rides her all the way down to the sudden stop of the mat!
LO: COOL RHYDER! And she’s staying on top for a pin!
1…
2…
KO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! HOW IS FUKUSHIMA STILL KICKING OUT OF SHIT!
LO: I don’t know, but we’re seeing some real heart out of the Zombie here as Indi looks at the ref in disbelief…
Indi has to hear from the Ref three times that it was only two, and finally she relents and turns back to Fukushima who has moved up to her knees. Indi steps over to come up with a new game plan when Fukushima suddenly hooks her around the back of the thighs, displays incredible strength when she gets to her feet and lifts Indi up into the air, and then throws her out a ways while keeping hold of one leg to lay her out with a Flapjack!
LO: Fukushima is just full of surprises as she now moves to get back to her feet…she looks ready to finish this by the way she’s point to the top…BUT ZACHARIAH KRAHE JUST SLID INTO THE RING TO BLOCK HER PATH!
KO: BOOT TO THE MIDSECTION! CATALYST DDT AS QUICK AS A CAT!
LO: Krahe pushing Fukushima over and going for the hook of the leg…
1…
2…
Suddenly the lights in the arena go out and the entire place explodes with panic and commotion as these words are spoken over the PA System.
“I’m The Pro. I’m The Pro. I’m The Pro. I’m The Prototype!”
The lights come back to full to find Krahe back on his feet, standing over Fukushima’s prone body while Indi has pushed herself over to the far corner. But standing right behind The Catalyst is the Submission Machine, fresh off of her suspension. Madison Square Garden nearly comes unglued as Krahe slowly turns and Brodie blasts off into action. She slams into him with enough force to knock him right through the ropes to the floor in front of the ramp and joins him quickly after, leaping on him with her Finality Crossface and rocking back for all she’s worth.
LO: MY GOD, IT’S BRODIE!
KO: THE SUBMISSION MACHINE HAS DROPPED IN ON 7 PILLARS SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GUANTLET, AND SHE IS TAKING ZACHARIAH KRAHE TO TASK!
LO: Brodie blames Zachariah Krahe for all of this mess. For everything that happened in the past, with Munin, Roman Novack, all of it…and now she is making him pay…
KO: YEAH, AND MEANWHILE IN THE RING…INDI RHYDER JUST CRAWLED OVER AND PINNED FUKUSHIMA!
1…
2…
3!!!
LO: I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! KRAHE IS BEING STRETCHED ON THE OUTSIDE BY BRODIE WHILE INDI PICKS UP A WIN OFF THE BACK OF HIS FINISHING MOVE!
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the fourth fall and advancing to the fifth match, INDI RHYDER!
Brodie snarls and spits as Krahe finds himself completely compromised in the Finality Crossface. Now that Indi had disposed of Fuki, who rolls under the bottom rope to get out of the ring, she stares down at the scene unfolding just below her on the floor. She seems to be going through some internal debate on what she should do, but after a moment she seems to come to an answer.
LO: Indi Rhyder is determinedly making her way towards the ropes and slips through to the outside, and she just STOMPED BRODIE ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD TO GET HER OFF OF KRAHE!
KO: WHAT? IS SHE CRAZY! HE IS HER ENEMY!
LO: Maybe so, but Indi is a good person, and doesn’t want to see this match interrupted by someone not part of it!
KO: WELL THAT JUST BACKFIRED! BRODIE GOT OFF OF KRAHE, AND NOW SHE’S ON INDI! IRISH WHIP RIGHT INTO THE STEEL STEPS WITH AUTHORITY!
LO: And now that that is done…RIGHT BACK TO KRAHE AND ANOTHER FINALITY CROSSFACE!
KO: JESUS CHRIST! GET SOMEONE OUT HERE!
LO: Who would you suggest, Ken?
KO: I don’t know…Security! A psychiatrist! A fucking priest!
The cryptic intro of “you should see me in a crown” by Billie Eilish's blares across the PA System and Moxie James bursts through the curtain only to pause at the top of the ramp, cocking her hip to the side while her hand rests upon it. She isn’t wearing her customary intro get up, but rather she looks down to business. She stares down at the madwoman ripping Zachariah Krahe apart and raises her eyebrows as she starts her way down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the 7th and final participant in the Gauntlet, standing at five foot seven and weighting in at 137 pounds, hailing from Los Angeles, California... MOXXXIEEE JAMESSSSS!
Moxie reaches the bottom of the ramp and Brodie snaps up to confront her, almost like a lion protecting its kill. James holds her hands up and shakes her head at the Submission Machine, slowly sliding around the scene to indicate that she has no intention of getting in the woman’s way. She instead steps right over to Indi Rhyder, gets her on her feet, and tosses her into the ring.
LO: Well, Zachariah Krahe isn’t going to receive any help from Moxie James, and quite frankly that’s smart. If Krahe can’t continue, that’s one less opponent.
KO: Indi Rhyder should have heeded that though and she wouldn’t be loopy in the center of the ring with a fresh superstar ready to take advantage!
LO: Regardless…we need to take care of this situation down here at the ramp….as Security has finally arrived, but Brodie is still standing over Krahe’s body and isn’t allowing anyone to touch him…
KO: Meanwhile, in the ring, Moxie James is begging for Indi Rhyder to get to her feet…Indi slowly does and here comes Moxie from behind for a German Suplex!
LO: NO! INDI FLIPPED OUT OF IT TO LAND ON HER FEET!
KO: MOXIE SPINS AROUND AND INDI TURNS INTO HER TO HOOK HER AROUND THE HEAD…STANDING SHIRANUI!
LO: INDI’S CIRCUIT SLAMS THE BACK OF MOXIE’S SKULL OFF THE MAT, AND SHE HOOKS THE LEG FOR A COVER!
1…
2…
KO: THREE-NO! Moxie kicks out just as the refs hand was about to hit for three, and wouldn’t have that been something to come out fresh and be handed a defeat that quickly!
LO: Well it didn’t happen, but it does buy Indi some time to try and catch her breath as Security has now dogpiled onto Brodie and are taking her away in cuffs…EMT’s are down and checking on Krahe…and man..I don’t think he’s going to be able to continue..
KO: Christ! Brodie is kicking and biting and spitting venom! These poor bastards..
LO: Never know what you’re signing up for when you apply with Valor Pro, eh?
KO: No crap. Welcome to America, I guess…
The EMT’s try and have Krahe rotate his arm but the minute he moves it, he grabs at his shoulder and cries out in pain. They begin shaking their heads but he refuses that answer and starts to push up to his feet. They begin to call for more security as the man tries to shove past them, but finds that being one armed has its limits. When more of the burly security officer’s show up Krahe finally holds up his one good hand in reprieve, and agrees to go to the back. The EMT says something to Caputo, and she nods and steps over to repeat it to the time keeper.
RING ANNOUNCER: As a result of not being able to continue in this match…Zachariah Krahe has been eliminated!
LO: HOLY CRAP!
KO: That means it really is going to come down to these two!
LO: How about that for the numbers game…#6 and #7 will finish out this years Gauntlet.
KO: Well Indi is finally got her faculties about her, and she’s pulling Moxie up to her feet…BUT JAMES WITH A JAW BREAKER OUT OF NOWHERE!
LO: Too much time was wasted between everything that was happening outside the ring and the fact that Indi has already been put through a three way against Krahe and Fuksuhima…
KO: And now Moxie is going to press the full advantage!
Moxie pulls Indi up to her feet and whips her to the far ropes and when she bounces back steps to the center and leaps right up to take her over with a Standing Hurricanrana. Indi’s skull bounces off the mat, and Moxie quickly slides in to try and pick up the quick victory.
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Indi out at two and three quarters, and Moxie is not relenting…pulling her back up and toss her over into the corner.
KO: Moxie steps in with a loud chop…hits her with another one, and then takes her by the wrist and sends her to the opposite side.
LO: Indi strikes the turnbuckle and stumbles out…AND HERE COMES JAMES WITH A RUNNING BIG BOOT THAT TAKES HER HEAD OFF!
KO: Moxie falling overtop of her again and hooking the leg..
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Rhyder able to kick out once more, but you can feel the sense of urgency here from Moxie. She knows Indi has been out her for awhile, and this is her last obstacle before becoming UnYielding Champion!
KO: Something she feel was robbed from her all the way back on Blitz#21 when this entire Gauntlet business began…
Moxie looks a little frustrated as she pulls Indi up to her feet and hooks her around the head in a suplex position. When she goes for the move, however, she finds it blocked by Indi. She moves to lift the woman again, but finds herself blocked once more. Finally Moxie abandons the Suplex and settles for a big right hand that knocks Indi to fall back into the ropes but when she springs back she dives forwards with a Flying Forearm that knocks the #7 Entrant down!
LO: Both women lying on the mat, but Moxie already making to get to her feet while Indi tries to get her barrings…rolls over onto her back, and JUST AS MOXIE GETS VERTICAL, INDI KIPS UP!
KO: SUPERKICK TAKES MOXIE BY SURPRISE AND SENDS HER CRASHING TO THE MAT!
LO: Indi going for a cover, but look at Moxie…great ring awareness by just rolling all the way to the outside…
KO: Yeah, but Indi is a flyer, and she’s already heading over to the corner to climb the turnbuckles…we saw her wipe out Fuki and Krahe with this move…can lightning strike twice?
Technically the answer to that question is yes, but it’s highly unlikely, as is proven when Indi dives from the turnbuckle only to find Moxie James dodging out of the way so that there’s nothing to break her fall but concrete. Rhyder splats off the floor and Moxie immediately yanks her up, tosses her back into the ring and slides in after to make a cover.
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! RHYDER SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET THE SHOULDER UP DESPITE THAT NASTY FALL SHE TOOK, AND MOXIE LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF SORTS!
KO: Moxie is shaking her head in denial as she stomps over to the corner and begins to climb…she’s about to prove that she can fly just as well as anyone!
Rhyder is laid out below her as she reaches the top turnbuckle, and the fans all come to their feet as she signals this is over. She dives high and wide in a huge arch, but when she lands her patented Seated Senton, there’s nothing but hard canvas there to cradle her bum.
LO: MOXIE GOES FOR SLAUGHTERAMA BUT NO ONE WAS HOME!
KO: Indi was just barely able to make it out of the way before impact, but she’s clawing at the ropes to try and get herself vertical!
LO: Moxie holding on to her posterior but getting to her feet as well..
KO: WATCH OUT! INDI IS IN MOTION!
LO: SUNSET FLIP TO DRAG MOXIE DOWN INTO A PIN!
1…
2…
KO: THRE-NO! MOXIE THRUSTS HER LOWER HALF FORWARDS WHILE LIFTING HER LOWER HALF UP TO COME TO SIT ON INDI’S CHEST!
1…
2…
LO: THRE-NO! Another kick out, and both women scrambling up…Moxie with a clothesline, but Indi ducks it and hooks her arm…now her other one…and drags her into a Backslide Pin!
1…
2…
KO: THRE-NO! Moxie kicks out again and rolls onto her feet as Indi rises in front of her…MOXIE LEAPS TO THE SIDE AND PAST INDI WHILE HOOKING HER THROUGH THE LEGS TO PULL HER INTO A SCHOOLBOY PIN!
1…
2…
LO: THRE-NO! Rhyder kicks out, and again both women rolling up to their feet..charging in…and DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE TAKES BOTH OF THEM OUT!
KO: Caputo is shocked and checking on both women…now she’s go no choice! She’s counting them out!
LO: This can’t end like this, can it? There has to be a winner or we have no UnYielding Champion!
KO: Normally I’d say no, but we already saw a match thrown out earlier tonight with the Hellcats versus Dead End Friends thanks to a surprise appearance by Kimitsu Zombie. We’ve seen the Unleashed title change hands. We’ve seen the Apex title change hands. We’ve seen Brodie return to take out Zachariah Krahe! Fuck me, Laur….ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN!
The announcer’s heads are swimming as the count continues to draw out, and at the six mark both women begin to stir and push up to their feet. By eight they are vertical and the two move in to lock up with a Collar and Elbow tie up.
LO: You don’t see that every day. Usually how you start a match, but after everything we’ve seen, why the hell not!
KO: Damn right! Both women jockeying for postion…OH! INDI WITH AN ARM DRAG TO MOXIE! Moxie pops back up and GIVES ONE RIGHT BACK TO MOXIE!
LO: Indi back to her feet and rushes in with a Clothesline, but Moxie ducks under and hooks her around the waist as she passes by and PULLS HER RIGHT INTO A REBOUND GERMAN SUPLEX!
KO: WHAT THESE BITCHES WANT, and Moxie now with a cover!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Rhyder thrusts the shoulder off the canvas again, and now Moxie is beside herself! What do these superstars have to do?
KO: After all we’ve seen, an ACME Anvil wouldn’t hurt…
Moxie slaps the mat with her fist as she rises and pulls Indi with her. She hooks her around the head in a cutter position and then rushes at the closest corner to walk right up the turnbuckles, but before she can complete whatever it is she’s doing, Indi grabs her by the hips and pushes forwards, sending James right up and over the top rope to crash land on the concrete below!
LO: THESE FANS JUST CAME TO THEIR FEET IN A COLLECTIVE GASP, AND I HAVE TO SAY…I’M AT A LOSS!
KO: SHE…SHE JUST SENT JAMES LIKE A JAVELIN TO THE FLOOR!
LO: Indi now resting on one knee next to the ropes, and you can see the fatigue has set in on her despite such a brutal reversal. Now she’s heading outside the ring to retrieve her opponent.
Indi steps over to where Moxie landed and reaches down to pull the woman up to her feet. She assists her back over to the edge of the ring and pushes her under the bottom rope, and then leaps up to the apron. She steps over to the corner and begins to climb the turnbuckles, but just as she’s about to reach the top, she’s suddenly cut off by a risen James!
LO: HOW IN THE HELL IS MOXIE ON HER FEET?
KO: HELL IF I KNOW, BUT SHE JUST GOT A HANDFUL OF INDI’S CROTCH AND NOW IT’S MOXIE WHO SENDS INDI FLYING!
Indi crashes to the mat from the top rope hard, but Moxie isn’t able to follow up as she is the one now down on one knee sucking wind. She grabs at the back of her head where she so unceremoniously landed moments ago on the concrete, and she pulls her hand away from her hair to view blood. Her head lulls for a moment, but soon after she pushes back to her feet…determined to see this through.
LO: Moxie has Indi back up on her feet now and pushes her back into the corner…Those are some tired chops, man, but they are still effective!
KO: Moxie laying them in deep here, and now takes Indi by the wrist to send her to the far side…NO! Reversal!
LO: Moxie puts on the brakes, and here comes Indi…MOXIE DROPS HER HEAD AND BACK BODY DROPS INDI RIGHT UP AND OVER THE TOP ROPE!
KO: YEAH, BUT INDI MANAGED TO GRAB THE ROPE ON HER WAY OVER AND SWINGS HERSELF AROUND TO LAND ON THE APRON!
LO: Moxie turns around and SLING SHOT SHOULDER TACKLE FROM INDI BRINGS HER BACK INTO THE RING AND TAKES JAMES DOWN TO THE MAT!
KO: Indi back to her feet, but so is Moxie…but Rhyder moves in first and picks her right up and back down with a Scoop Slam….WAIT! WHAT’S SHE DOING!
LO: SHE HOPS OVER MOXIE LEAPS UP TO THE SECOND, THEN THE TOP…SIT DOWN SPINNING CORKSCREW SENTON RIGHT DOWN ACROSS MOXIE JAMES!
KO: DON’T BE SO COMPLICATED, LAUR! SHE CALLS IT THE KHARMIC TRIP!
LO: Whatever it is, Indi is hooking Moxie’s leg…
1…
2…
3!!!
LO: SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! INDI RHYDER IS THE NEW UNYIELDING CHAMPION!
KO: SHE RAN THE GAUNTLET AND DEFEATED ALL COMERS TO GET TO THIS MOMENT, BUT IT IS FINALLY HERE!
The bell sounds and Indi crawls off of Moxie to the center of the ring where she rests on her haunches in tears. Caputo grabs the UnYielding Title from between the ropes and then jogs it over to present the championship to Indi. Rhyder just stares at the belt for a few seconds, soaking in the moment, and then reverently takes the title and holds it against her heart.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of this years 7 Pillars Gauntlet Match, and THE NEW UNYIELDING CHAMPION…THE GALACTIC PRINCESS, INDI RHYDER!
Moxie James has now moved to a seated position in the far corner as she stares across the ring at Indi Rhyder while she’s helped to her feet by the referee and then has her hand raised in victory. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and Moxie grabs the top rope to yank herself to her feet and steps right up to confront the new champ. The two women stare hard at one another until finally, Moxie James extends her hand towards Indi. The fans explode, wanting to see at least one match tonight end on good terms.
LO: Moxie James extending a hand to the new champion as a sign of respect…
KO: Yeah, but will she take it…
Indi stares at the woman’s hand for a minute and then looks out to the crowd, and the New York fans are going bonkers, screaming ‘Yes’. Rhyder turns back to Moxie and nods, and the two women share a firm handshake. Afterwards, Moxie gives Madison Square Garden a salute and then exits to leave Indi to celebrate. As Moxie disappears backstage, Indi finally turns to face the fans. Throwing her hands up in celebration she encourages the cheers and soaks in the atmosphere, climbig one of the turnbuckles, she carefully rests the UnYielding Championship over her shoulder and lovingly strokes the faceplate before calling for a mic.
INDI RHYDER: BUDS! DUDES! MY GUYS! We did it!!!!!!!!!
Another cheer rising up spreads a huge smile across her face, jigging her shoulders a little she's clearly enjoying every second. turning her head a little she rests her cheek against the belt for a second and the mic just barely picks up her words.
INDI RHYDER: Thanks pops...
Bringing her head back up she looks out to the fans once more and clears her throat, clearly getting a little emotional at the highest moment of her career, she nods her head for a beat before addressing the crowd again.
INDI RHYDER: This.. is everything you guys. When I put my faith in the universe, when I put my future in her hands. I did it knowing that I made the right call and no matter who doubted it, no matter who called me into question... The universe has provided. Things might, well buds they might get just a little weird for the right now but I want you to have faith and remember that I have never ever ever everrrrr led you guys down a bad path! The universe provides! HE provides.
For a split second her face changes, her eyelids hood over her eyes and she smirks directly down the camera, the change is a brief and fleeting second before she returns to her normal smile and she hops up to stand on the ropes and lean out towards the crowd.
INDI RHYDER: My name is Indi Rhyder, I am a Galactic Princess and YOUR UnYielding Champion!
With that she tosses the mic aside and continues to celebrate with the cheering crowd. The camera pans around to take in a wide shot of the event as the announcers takes us out..
LO: Folks, this has been a momentous night with many twists and turns...
KO: Brodie's back with a vengeance and to no one's surprise, Zachariah Krahe is her target!
LO: Lady Munin finally got her pound of flesh...
KO: Tommy Crimson is the new Unleashed Champion, and Danny Rizzo took home the Apex, just like he said he was going to do!
LO: We also know now that it will be Leela Watts taking on Crimson in his first title defense!
KO: The Hellcat Spangled Death Squad and Dead End Friends put on one hell of a tag match...
LO: And Kimitsu Zombie is now directing traffic for The Zombie Clan!
KO: And finally...the story playing out in front of us...Indi Rhyder has run the gauntlet and is our new UnYielding Champion!
LO: On that note, folks, that's all the time we have for you this evening, but tune in to the next round of Valor Pro action coming to a town near you!
KO: I am Kenneth Othello...
LO: And I am Laurence Othello, and together we are...
TOGETHER: The Othello Brothers signing off!
The camera gets one last shot of a happy Indi, now out in the crowd with the fans, before cutting to the Battleground Network logo, then the VPW log, and then finally...to black.
The fans erupt at the announcement, already on their edge of their seats thanks to the great in ring action of the matches that have come before.
RING ANNOUNCER: The rules are as follows. The first two entrants will start the match, and when one of them is defeated the next entrant will enter and the next match will begin. This will continue until all seven competitors have come down, and the last pinfall or submission of the evening will be crowned the UnYielding Champion!
The lights dim and purple bulbs flash as "Warriors" by Papa Roach hit's over the PA System. The lights converge on the center of the stage and standing there is Katya Djurdjevic with one hand pointing to the sky. The crowd goes absolutely nuts as she makes her way down the ramp, slapping hands, and pausing for photo-ops. She only manages to get halfway towards the ring before the announcer decides to go ahead with the particulars.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing first, standing at five foot nine and weighing in at 126 pounds, hailing from Moscow, Russia...She is The Straight Line Demon.....KATYA DURDJEVICCCC!!!!
Katya finally reaches ringside and leaps onto the apron, vaulting herself over the top rope. The minute she lands she reaches up to massage her shoulder, rolling it in obvious discomfort. She shakes the feeling away before stepping up to the second turnbuckle of the closest corner, and again points heavenward while nodding along with her music.
LO: Katya Djurdjevic has had tremendous momentum ever since earning her way into the Gauntlet, and went so far as to ask Dugan Callahan to be the #1 Entrant!
KO: Huge mistake in my opinion. She's all but hamstrung herself.
LO: I don't know...she was able to defeat the #7 Entrant, Moxie James, on Blitz#23, and got a win over Rex Rumble on the last FTS. I think she's as capable as any of going the distance from this spot.
KO: If you're so confident, how about a friendly wager? If Katya Djurdjevic goes all the way to the end and becomes the new UnYielding Champion, I'll pay your travel expenses. If she doesn't....you pay mine.
LO: You know what...to hell with it. You're on!
The wager is interrupted when 'Turn To Stone' by Joe Walsh fills the arena and the lights dim so that a single spot light illuminates the stage. Out from the curtain steps Cross Recoba, a titanium cane with a golden lion's head handle in one hand, touching the crucifix with the other. The crowd responds with a chorus of boo's for The Fox while Cross uses the handle of the cane to push his shag hair cut from his face, flicking his head back confidently as he grins out at the audience obnoxiously. He holds up the cane that has caused so much trouble in the past to an even more venomous response from the fans, and he begins down the ramp still holding it aloft.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing entrant number two, standing at five foot ten and weighting in at 230 pounds, hailing from New York, New York...He is THE FOX...CROSS RECOBBBAAA!!
Recoba reaches ringside and holds the lions head handle of the cane up to his lips and kisses it for luck. He sets the cane to rest against the ring steps, and then climbs them up onto the apron, and with a wipe of his feet slips between the ropes. He pops up with both hands out at his side, walking forward as if putting his glory on display, and delivers an over exaggerated bow that causes the fans to crow even louder in disdain. Cross stands to his full height and smirks over at a determined Katya Djurdjevic who hasn't taken her eyes off of him.
LO: Cross Recoba had some issues as of late, and both of them dealing with Fukushima Zombie. First, during their tag match against Indi Rhyder & Zachariah Krahe, our dual #6 Entrants, where he took the pin but blamed Fuki for not being there for him.
KO: It was true, but then that crazy Zombie ended up blindsiding him a second time on FTS Episode#7 when she picked up the win and got him slotted in the crappiest spot in the gauntlet.
LO: I would have thought that would be #1...
KO: Not when this crazy Djurdjevic comes out and asks to be placed there. Plus, #2 is just as bad as #1 cause they are both going to have to start this thing!
LO: Well we're going to find out which position holds the advantage cause there's the bell and this Gauntlet is underway!
Katya and Cross lock up in the center of the ring, and immediately Katya pulls Recoba’s head down into a headlock. Cross slaps at her back as he searches for escape, but Djurdjevic remains latched on, grinding his skull between her body and her arm. Cross, being the much larger of the two, lifts her up as if for a side Suplex, but Katya twists her body forwards, taking him to the mat with a Headlock Takeover! Cross slaps the mat in frustration as Katya chokes even further up, and he finds himself pushing both of them back to their feet.
LO: Katya in early control here and you can see that she wants to keep this thing slow and measured.
KO: She realizes that she potentially has six matches ahead of her and she has to conserve her energy..
LO: Well, Cross now pushes her back into the ropes for the break and shoots her off to the far side…
KO: BUT KATYA HANGS ON TO THE HOLD AND DRAGS HIM ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO THE MAT IN A MODIFIED BULLDOG!
With Cross back on the mat he seems to be even more frustrated but realizes that he’s compromised as more and more effort will be needed to get away from the woman. Finally he works them both back to their feet, and there isn’t any wrestling reversal but a few stiff elbows right to Katya’s gut that forces her to let loose the hold. The Knife Edge Chop that follows echoes and the fans all ‘Woooo’ despite hating the man.
LO: Cross finally free of Katya for a moment and lays in another devastating chop that knocks the woman back into the ropes...AND HE CLOTHESLINES HER RIGHT UP AND OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE OUTSIDE!
KO: Things are getting dirty right out of the gate now! See, Cross has a plan too! End this thing as quickly as possible by doing the most damage as possible!
LO: By bending the rules in whichever way but following them.
KO: Cross watches as Katya gets to her feet before charging the far side ropes for spring…thunders back now, and A MILLION LIRA WIPES KATYA OUT!
LO: Yeah, but Cross looks like he might have tweaked his Knee there as he hobbles around trying to get feeling back into it!
Cross reaches down and yanks Katya up by the hair of the head and sneers at the crowd as he whips her right into the barricade. Spine meets steel and Katya clutches at her back as she slides down while Cross smugly crows at the crowd. It’s obvious that his right leg is a little sensitive, however, as he gets hold of Katya and tosses her back into the ring.
LO: Cross rolls back in but Katya is already moving back to her feet, and now he measures her…
KO: And runs in for a Swinging Neck Breaker that sends her crashing back to the mat!
LO: Cross now just sitting back to lazily make the cover…
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LO: NO! KATYA HOOKS RECOBA’S ARMS AND LEGS AND SWINGS HIM OVER INTO A CRUCIFIX PIN!
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KO: Emphatic kick out by Cross and now both competitors are coming back to their feet and The Fox now rushes in…
LO: AND KATYA CATCHES HIM WITH A SNAP HEADLOCK TAKEOVER THAT PUTS HIM RIGHT BACK DOWN INTO THE POSITION HE WAS IN FROM THE START!
If Cross wasn’t irritated, he is now. It’s hard to tell with Katya grinding his head partially into the mat, her arm, and her body, but it’s there. Katya irritates him even further when she suddenly lets loose of the Headlock and rolls across his body to come to his feet and quickly puts on a Leg Lock on his right side.
KO: Oh come on! You talk about cheap! Katya must have noticed that Cross was favoring that leg and now she’s going after it.
LO: That’s not cheap, Ken, that’s called sound strategy. You work the body part that your opponent has signaled is injured.
KO: Of course YOU would take that position…
Laurence rolls his eyes at his brothers assessment as Cross finds himself in excruciating pain as he drags him and Katya towards the ropes. He reaches them fairly quickly and latches on and Katya immediately releases the hold and comes to her feet. As Cross tries to get to his she brings a sweeping kick into the right leg that sends him crashing back to the mat clutching at his knee. On instinct he rolls under the bottom rope and rubs at the injury to try and will it into normal function. He turns around just in time to see Katya grab the top rope and catapult herself up and over in a Rolling Splancha that wipes him out.
LO: Big high risk move there by Katya who the fans are completely behind as she pulls Cross up and tosses him back in the ring…
KO: Katya up on the apron as Recoba trudges up to his feet, and now SPRINGBOARDS TO THE TOP AND DIVES IN FOR A FLYING LARIAT…
LO: BUT CROSS RECOBA SAW IT COMING AND CATCHES HER WITH A HIGH STANDING DROPKICK THAT KNOCKS HER OFF HER TRAJECTORY!
Katya lands hard against the mat in a heap as Cross sits up and rubs his knee for a second before getting to his feet. Katya slowly rises, but before she can even raise her head, Cross pulls her in close while hooking her around the waist, and then Gut Wrench Suplexes her back down to the canvas. He floats over with the move directly into a hook of the leg.
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KO: THRE-KICK OUT! Katya being pulled back up to her feet by Recoba, and OH! Wicked Chop knocks her back into the nearby corner..
LO: Cross following her in and he just said something disparaging as he lays in another chop..another…WHAT THE HELL! HE’S NOT STOPPING, ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER!
The loud slap of skin on skin reverberates through the arena, and despite hating him, the fans get caught up in the moment and begin counting along. Just before ten, Cross comes to a stop, looks out at his hometown crowd with a smirk and gives them the middle finger before firing in a European Uppercut that knocks Katya silly. The fans boo as he pulls her out of the corner, hooks her around the head, and then Vertical Suplexes her down to the mat with another float over pin.
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LO: THREe-NO! Katya gets out at two and three quarters, and now Cross is back to his feet and standing at hers…Oh no..
KO: OH YES! CROSS HAS BOTH OF KATYA’S ANKLES AND IS NOW CHOKING UP TO HER KNEE’S TO TURN HER OVER!
LO: His Garibaldi’s Guillotine has never been broken! If he gets this locked in it could spell the end of this match up!
Cross commits to the turn, but Katya kicks both of her legs violently to try and prevent it. Recoba, being the much bigger of the two, muscles his way over, but despite that, Katya refuses to let the move be completed, using her abnormally strong leg strength to force him to step back into the starting position. Cross, realizing that he might not be able to get her in this instance, instead falls back while driving his knee’s into her ass, and Sling Shots her towards the nearby corner!
LO: Katya sent right at the corner to land face first..NO! KATYA GOT HER FEET UP AND LANDED ON THE SECOND ROPE!
KO: CROSS…STOP SHOWBOATING AND TURN AROUND!
The Fox does just that and is caught completely off guard when Katya springs off the second and twists in midair to catch him with a Crossbody to crush him into the mat. She doesn’t remain down, instead leaps up and hops past him only to perform a Standing Moonsault that does even further damage. She hooks the leg after that for a pin..
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LO: THRE-NO! Cross out at two and a half, but Katya is on a roll as she hops up and rushes the ropes….LIONSAULT DOWN ACROSS RECOBA!
KO: SHE CAN’T DO THAT!
LO: Well she just did, and now hooks the leg a second time…
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KO: THREe-NO! Shooo! Cross out again, and now Katya is looking to go even higher…
Katya slips between the ropes out to the apron and begins to climb up the corner she had performed the crossbody from. Just as she reaches the top, however, Cross springs halfway to his feet and dives at the ropes which causes her to lose her balance and she comes crashing down crotch first on the top turnbuckle.
LO: Recoba playing a little possum there to pull that off, and now climbs to the second to join Katya…
KO: The Fox hooks her around the head while draping her arm over his and gets a handful of tights…
LO: SUPERPLEX FROM THE TOP...NO! KATYA ABLE TO TWIST HERSELF IN MIDAIR TO END UP ONTOP OF RECOBA!
KO: DAMN IT! THE REF IS DROPPING TO COUNT A PIN!
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LO: THREE!NO! Recoba gets the shoulder up with a nanosecond to spare, and now Katya is dragging him up to his feet…places her boot under his chin while grabbing his arm…
KO: OH DAMN IT! DEATHBLOW!
LO: Katya with another cover!
1…
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KO: THREE!NO! Thank God! He gets the shoulder up at the last second…
LO: Your love for this man…I…I’m starting to get concerned.
KO: STEP OFF ME LAURENCE! I’M JUST A FAN!
LO: Anyways, Katya is looking to put The Fox away as she heads back up to the top, this time from inside the ring. You know what that means…
KO: God, I hope not. Come on Recoba...get up!
But no such luck as Katya reaches the top to a huge fan ovation. She gives the Madison Square Garden crowd a wink just before committing to her impressive Imploding 450 Splash known as Thundering Skies. While Cross was unable to get to his feet, that didn’t mean he couldn’t roll out of the way, which is exactly what happens when Katya comes crashing down to the mat with nobody home.
LO: DJURDJEVIC FACE PLANTS HARD TO THE CANVAS AS CROSS ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
KO: I knew it! He’s going to win this thing..
LO: The Fox pulling himself up by use of the ropes and looks a little haggard as he steps over to yank Katya up by the hair of the head..
KO: That’s right…talk some shit as you hoist her up onto your shoulder…
Recoba has Katya in Tombstone position for his famed finishing move, but before he can execute the next step, Djurdjevic’s feet kick for all their worth, pushing herself higher and higher up onto his shoulder. Cross tries to yank her back into position, but sensing the danger, she’ll have none of it and eventually slips down his back from behind. As soon as she lands she reaches down to grab both ankles and yanks backwards to send him hurtling face first to the mat.
LO: Katya now swinging around to so she’s standing over Recoba’s body while still maintaining control of the right ankle…and BOSTON CRAB!
KO: That his bum leg, Laur! She can’t do this!
LO: I don’t know what to tell you Ken, but Cross has come alive with pain as Katya arches back with the leg…AND NOW ARCHES BACK WITH HER OTHER HAND TO HOOK HIM AROUND THE CHIN!
KO: SHE’S BENDING HIM IN HALF!
LO: And at this angle, the size advantage doesn’t matter anymore…she has all the leverage! I heard she had this move in her arsenal, but this is the first time we’re seeing the Dragon’s Nest!
KO: Couldn’t she test this out on someone else! This isn’t right!
The Straight Line Demon roars as she torques more and more against Cross’ body, and every fan in the arena are on their feet cheering her on save for Kenneth Othello. The nature and positioning of the hold don’t leave a lot of options for The Fox, and after a solid minute being locked in and his hand hovering over the mat, he finally relents and taps.
LO: THAT’S IT! KATYA ADVANCES IN THE GAUNTLET!
KO: No..No..No! I can’t believe this!
LO: Believe it brother, cause here comes the announcement!
RING ANNOUNCER: The winner of the first fall and advancing to the next round of the 7 Pillars Gauntlet…KATYA DJURDJEVIC!
Katya releases the hold and falls onto her hands and knees besides cross. Nodding her head determinedly as the fans go bananas. Cross is helped to the edge of the ring just as the lights dim and "Human" by HELLYEAH begins over the PA system. With the aggressive drums and riffs Kaven Drell steps through the curtain wearing a long sleeveless leather trench coat left open so that you can see his hairy chest and black trunks.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the third participant in the Gauntlet, standing at six foot two and weighting in at 215 pounds, hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana...He is the current Union Battleground Trench Warfare Champion....KAVEN DRELLL!!
Drell grins down at Katya from the stage as Katya gets to her feet to await his arrival at ringside. The sudden boos from the crowd signal to her somethings wrong, and she whirls around just in time to see a chair wielding Rex Rumble coming right at her. The chair impacts off her skull with a sickening ‘BANG’ and she crashes to the mat clutching her head. The referee steps in but Rex shoves her away and moves to stand over Katya, raising the chair and bringing it crashing down onto her head, spine, and legs repeatedly.
LO: WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS MADMAN DOING!
KO: IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S BEATING THE HELL OUT OF DJURDJEVIC WITH A STEEL CHAIR WHILE KAVEN DRELL LAUGHS HIS HEAD OFF ON THE STAGE!
LO: Security finally rushes into the ring and tackles Rumble to the mat…But My God! The damage is done!
KO: Drell now takes that trench coat off and is making his way down the ramp towards the ring…
LO: OF COURSE HE IS! THE FUCKING JACKAL!
KO: LAURENCE!
LO: WHO CARES! THIS IS PPV, AND IT’S THE TRUTH!
Security pulls Rex from the ring at about the same time that Drell belly slides in and then directs Caputo, whose kneeling down to check on Katya, to ring the bell. She hesitates and Drell marches forwards as if he may do bodily harm to her and she wags her finger adamantly at the timekeepers table. The bell sounds, and Kaven steps over to Katya and yanks the poor woman up to her feet only to blast her in the face with repeated Head Butts that turn both their foreheads bloody.
LO: GOD ALMIGHTY! KAVEN DRELL IS BRUTALIZING KATYA DJURDJEVIC WITH HIS ‘HUSH’ HEADBUTTS AND IT ISN’T RIGHT! HE COULD HAVE JUST PINNED HER!
KO: Kaven Drell didn’t address a single other person in his promo earlier this week for the Gauntlet. His one and only goal was to dash out Katya Djurdjevic’s dreams, and that is exactly what he’s doing right now!
With one last shot to the face, Katya goes limp in Kaven’s arms, and he looks out to the booing crowd with his and her blood all over his face. He grins huge through that manic visual and allows her to drop back to the canvas before placing a boot on her chest. The referee, seeing this as a mercy drops to make the count..
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LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! SHE KICKED OUT!
KO: IS SHE AN IDIOT! THIS IS OVER FOR HER! JUST LAY DOWN AND DIE!
LO: That’s the problem with people like you and Drell…They can’t understand the overwhelming spirit that drives a superstar like Katya Djurdjevic! She is a champion whether she has a belt or not!
KO: Maybe so, but now Kaven Drell is on top of her, and laying in more of those Headbutts. He's going to HUSH her out of existence!
Kaven is absolutely incensed as his skull strikes Katya’s over and over until finally the referee threatens to disqualify him if he doesn’t stop. Both superstars are a bloody mess as a result, and both look to possibly have broken noses. Finally, Kaven looks out at the visceral crowd, shrugs, and hooks the woman’s leg.
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3!!!
LO: This is sick…
KO: Maybe so, but he fulfilled his mission…
LO: How can you be so callous, Ken? Katya Djurdjevic had just been through an encounter with Cross Recoba, and she knew she had more matches to come…but Rex Rumble had no business being out here, and he sure has hell had no right to bash this woman down with a chair only for this asshole to come down and pick up the scraps.
KO: Maybe it was too much, Laur, but at the end of the day I didn’t do it. Kaven Drell did. The Let It Burn Movement did. A movement that now includes the Apex Champion. I mean, look out in the crowd! They aren’t alone…
Despite all the boos there are several lighters held aloft, signifying the cult is in mass for the event. EMTs come down to the ring to attend to Katya as Kaven stalks around the ring, as if putting himself on display.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the second fall and advancing to the next match in the 7 Pillars Gauntlet….KAVEN DRELL!
As the medical team get Katya on a stretcher at ringside the lights dim in the arena and the sound of boots marching can be heard as the Big Screen flickers to life with a group of Zombies ambling towards the screen. As the Zombie dead center blocks out the camera view the words 'The Zombie Clan' are left hanging there as Meshi Kuuna by Inu's upbeat song comes across the PA. The song doesn't really reflect what happens next when Fukushima comes ambling out onto the stage in her full horror style make up wearing thigh high leggings and a blue dress with white frill on the front covered in blood splatters. The fans give a mixed reaction as she begins her rickety style walk towards the ring, speeding up in spots and slowing down in others.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the next challenger in the Gauntlet, Representing The Zombie Clan, standing at five foot five and weighing 135 pounds, hailing from Fukushima, Japan...FUKUSHIMA ZOMMBBIEEE!!
Fuki reaches ringside where she pauses to give some twitchy bird like glances to the stretcher with Katya on it as it passes. She turns that odd stare up into the ring where Drell stands in the middle of the ring, nodding, begging her to come get hers. Fuki breaks character for just a second, flashing him a crazed grin that really does look horrific with all the paint. Suddenly she springs forward to belly slide into the ring, and pops only to duck his incoming clothesline.
LO: The bell sounds, and we are now into our third match of the Gauntlet with Cross Recoba and Katya Djurdjevic having been eliminated…and now Fukushima Zombie and Kaven Drell are set to do battle!
KO: Fuki ducked that clothesline and rushes at the ropes for spring, Kaven steps out to meet her and FRONT DROPKICK SENDS HIM DOWN TO THE CANVAS!
LO: The much smaller Fukushima back to her feet as Drell rises and here she comes again for another Running Knee right to the side of his head! After all those headbutts, you have to believe that Drell may very well have a concussion just as easily as Katya probably does.
Drell manages to get propped up in the nearby corner but doesn’t manage to avoid the Handspring Elbow from Fukushima that gets a huge pop! He drops to a seated position against the bottom turnbuckle and Fuki grabs the top rope, leaps up to the second, and then springs her body out before swinging both feet forward to impact off of Kaven’s chest. This seems to have knocked the breath completely out of him as she pulls him from the corner and then drops over him for the cover!
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2…
LO: THRe-NO! Drell out at two and a half and Zombie is already moving him back up to his feet and pushing him into the ropes…Sends him to the other side!
KO: NO! Reversal! Fukushima hits off the ropes and Kaven steps to the center of the ring and catches from the side into a Tilt-A-Whirl and then HOT SHOTS HER ACROSS THE TOP ROPE!
LO: Fukushima crashes to the mat clutching at her throat and scrambles to fall back against the nearby corner, but here comes Drell!
KO: He’s stomping a mudhole in her ass and now Fukushima is in trouble!
Kaven reigns down stomps onto the woman until she’s all the way down to the mat and continues stomping her until she’s pushed under the ropes and off the apron to splat on the concrete outside. Drell takes a moment to fall against the corner and try and wipe some of the blood from his self-inflicted wounds from his eyes. With a shake of his head to get rid of the cobwebs he slips through the ropes to land beside Fuki who has moved back up to her feet.
LO: Drell in behind Zombie and gets a fistful of hair, and OH! FACE FIRST ACROSS THE TOP OF THE STEEL STEPS!
KO: Drell now dragging her over the Guardrail and bounces her skull off of that as well!
LO: The referee starting a count from the ring, but Drell doesn’t seem to care as he scoops Fukushima up onto his shoulder…AND HOT SHOT AGAIN BUT THIS TIME ACROSS THE BARRICADE!
KO: These fans really giving Drell what for as he pulls Fuki up and tosses her back into the ring and follows her in…
Fuki rolls to the center of the ring clutching her throat and Drell steps over to her only to leap up and then bring his knee right down across her chest to further force the air out of her. He doesn’t follow up with a pin, but rather pulls her head up off the canvas and cradles it in her lap while hammering down piston like right fists down into the top of her skull.
LO: Drell softening her up for more headbutts it looks like, and we’ve already seen what that can do to a person…
KO: That or he’s just enjoying dolling out the punishment. Who can tell with this guy?
Drell’s fist finally stop coming down and he pushes up to his feet, pulling Fukushima up along with him. He takes the woman by the arm and feeds her arm through her legs, lifts up, and then drops her violently back to the mat with a Pump Handle Slam. He looks at the referee and directs her to pay attention as he puts chest to chest and hooks the leg for the cover.
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LO: THREe-NO! Fukushima able to kick out at the last minute, and now Drell is just staring at Caputo as she gets up and starts backing away…
KO: Drell up in the referees face and having some strong words, but now Caputo firing back...AH! SHE’S BACKING DRELL UP WITH A FINGER WAGGING! SHE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!
LO: WHOA! FUKUSHIMA WITH A SCHOOLBOY ROLL UP AND NOW CAPUTO DROPS TO MAKE THE COUNT!
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KO: THRE-KICK OUT! Someone get out here and get control over this damn official! She almost cost Drell the match!
LO: Maybe Kaven Drell should stop trying to intimidate the referee and focus on putting Fukushima away…
KO: Well he looks ready to do just that as Fukushima comes to her feet and Drell charges her with a clothesline..NO! FUKUSHIMA THROWS HERSELF TO THE SIDE AND PERFORMS A DROP TOE HOLD THAT DROPS DRELL THROAT FIRST ACROSS THE MIDDLE ROPE!
LO: Fuki ambling over to her opponent, grabs the top rope, and LAUNCHES HERSELF UP AND OVER TO DROP THE LEG ACROSS THE BACK OF DRELL’S HEAD!
Kaven snaps back into the ring, and this time it’s him that’s clutching at his throat in the center of the ring. Fuki quickly pops back up onto the apron, grabs the top rope again, and this time Sling Shots herself back into the ring to nail Drell with a Rolling Senton! She drops over Drell for a cover but doesn’t even get a one count, instead Kaven kicks out with such authority that it actually pops her up to her feet. She charges at the ropes in front of him for spring and just as he sits up dives into a Sliding Forearm that snaps him back down to the canvas. This time she hooks the leg for the cover.
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KO: THREe-NO! Fukushima now pulling Drell up, obviously wanting to quicken the pace of this matchup!
LO: She pushes him back into the ropes to send him to the other side, but Again he reverses it and she’s sent hurtling for the spring!
KO: Drell steps out to the center of the ring as Zombie hurtles back and he goes for another Tilt-A-Whirl BUT THIS TIME FUKUSHIMA LOCKS HER LEGS AROUND HIS HEAD…AND LOOK AT THIS!
LO: SHE’S SWINGING AROUND HIM IN MULTIPLE REVOLUTIONS! AFTER THOSE HEADBUTTS HE HAS TO BE GETTING DIZZY!
KO: FUKUSHIMA FINALLY TAKING HIM OVER WITH THE HEADSCISSORS AND DRELL IMPACTS BUT COMES RIGHT BACK UP TO HIS FEET!
LO: Here comes Fukushima with a full head of steam RIGHT INTO A TOLLING BELL ELBOW FROM DRELL THAT TAKES HER HEAD OFF!
KO: Drell still looks a little out of it but still coherent enough to drop over her for a pin!
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Fukushima gets the shoulder up in the nick of time, and now a woozy Drell gets her to her feet..
KO: He’s gripping her by the back of the head so you know what that means…Winds up for a Headbutt and NO! Fukushima dropped low and hooked him by the ankles to yank his feet out from under him!
LO: Drell tumbles down to the mat, and Fukushima performs a Front Roll while maintaining a hold of his legs for the pin!
1...
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LO: THRE-LOOK AT THIS! DRELL KICKED OUT WHILE ALSO HOOKING FUKUSHIMA AROUND THE WAIST! HE DIGS IN HIS HEELS AND PUSHES HER UP OFF THE CANVAS, SPINS THROUGH AND THEN DROPS TO HIS KNEES TO PULL HER DOWN INTO A SLIDING PIN!
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KO: THREe-NO! Fukushima kicks out…both competitors coming to their feet at about the same time…Fuki throws up a front Roundhouse but Kaven ducks it..
LO: She spins around..Boot to the midsection by Drell doubles her over…STILLBORN DDT!
KO: AH! THAT MIGHT BE IT!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Fukushima rolls the shoulder at the last possible second, and look at Drell! He is beyond frustrated!
Kaven bangs his fists off the mat in a rage and then comes up to corner the referee once more. Caputo continues to hold up two fingers as he berates her and she warns him that she will disqualify him if he doesn’t back off. Drell spits just beside Caupto’s foot before turning back around just in time to see that Fuki has made it to her feet in the opposite corner. He nods just before tearing across the ring, but when he gets to her she throws both boots up that catch him square in the face as he’s coming in.
LO: Drell forced to back off to contend with what has to be a broken nose by now..
KO: Yeah, and Fukushima is stepping up the corners blind…positioned on the top…
LO: Drell now turns to face her and MISSILE DROPKICK CATCHES HIM FLUSH IN THE HEAD TO SEND HIM CRASHING TO THE MAT!
KO: FUKUSHIMA SCRAMBLING TO HOOK THE LEG!
1…
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LO: THREE!NO! It’s Drell who defies the odds now as Fuki looks at the referee in shock and dismay!
KO: Zombie shakes her head as this capacity crowd is behind her…she’s heading back up to the top from inside the ring…what’s she going to do?
LO: I’LL TELL YOU! A GRAVITY DEFYING MOONSAULT DOUBLE STOMP TO CRUSH KAVEN DRELL INTO THE MAT!
KO: AH! SHE’S GOING TO DO IT!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! KAVEN DRELL GOT THE SHOULDER UP AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND AND NOW FUKI LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF SORTS!
The horror fanatic gets to her feet and falls into the nearby corner to sit and stare at Kaven Drell as he lay prone on the mat where she left him. She grabs at her own hair and begins pulling it out in manic fashion before finally banging the back of her head off the middle turnbuckle and snapping up to her feet. She slips through the ropes and starts to climb the turnbuckles from the apron.
KO: Fukushima going up top once more but she’s wasted lots of time with that tantrum…
LO: Yeah, but Kaven Drell doesn’t look to be going anywhere. He’s still out…WAIT! DRELL JUST ROLLED UP TO HIS FEET AND RUSHES THE CORNER!
KO: HE LEAPS TO THE SECOND AND GRABS HOLD OF A SHOCKED FUKUSHIMA…RELEASE BELLY TO BELLY FROM THE NOSEBLEED SECTION SENDS ZOMBIE ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHERSIDE OF THE RING!
Fukushima slams painfully off the mat, and as the announcer said, is almost clear across the ring. Kaven doesn’t look much better as he rolls onto his stomach and tries to get up, but instead topples back to the mat. The referee looks at both competitors, and seeing no other recourse starts her count.
LO: The referee is counting both these competitors out, and if one of them can’t make it to their feet this thing is over!
KO: What would that mean for the Gauntlet?
LO: I guess our #5/#6 entries would forgo that triple threat rule, and go one on one!
KO: Caputo’s up to seven, Laur, and they aren’t getting up!
Never fear, as eight rolls around and Drell puts knuckles to canvas and pushes up to his knees. At nine he gets to his feet and waves the referee off before stepping over to Fukushima who claws at the turnbuckles to get back to hers. She turns around just in time to take a Running Clothesline that crushes her against the buckles, but the pain doesn’t stop there. Drell falls back a few steps across the ropes, and then charges forwards once more, throwing his right leg up to have his boot collide with the side of Fuki’s skull.
LO: FUKUSHIMA HAS BEEN KNOCKED LOOPY AS SHE DRUNKENLY STUMBLES OUT OF THE CORNER AND FALLS TO THE CANVAS!
KO: Drell now dropping over her for another cover…
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! SHE KICKED OUT AGAIN!
KO: Drell is up on his feet now staring down at her, and he’s not even bothering with the referee…he just ran his thumb across his throat to signify this thing is OVER!
LO: Drell reaches down to pull Fuki up to her feet..WAIT! FUKUSHIMA HOOKS HIM AROUND THE HEAD AND PULLS HIM INTO A SMALL PACKAGE!
1…
2…
3!!!
KO: WHAT?!?
LO: SHE DID IT! FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE STOLE THIS ONE AWAY FROM KAVEN DRELL!
As soon as the bell sounds Fukushima quickly rolls for the safety of outside the ring as Kaven snaps up to his knees staring at the referee in disbelief. The following announcement doesn’t help with the shock.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the third fall and advancing to the next match in the 7 Pillars Gauntlet….FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE!
Fukushima rests on the steps, obviously tired and battered, but still keenly watching as Kaven Drell continues to look out at the crowd as they cheer his misfortune. Finally, Drell just shakes his head and pushes up to his feet, suddenly starting to chuckle as if the author of some unseen joke. He mouths the words ‘Let It Burn, Katya’ into the camera before exiting the ring and heading to the back.
LO: That guy is a maniac. He had the chance to become UnYielding Champion here tonight, but the fact that he was just ejected from the gauntlet doesn’t seem to bother him.
KO: I told you earlier, Laur. The man had a mission, and whether he took home the gold or not, he accomplished it.
LO: Well folks, as if the Guantlet isn’t interesting enough on its own, the odds are about to get even more difficult for Fukushima as she will now face, not one, but two opponents, turning this into a Triple Threat match!
KO: That’s right. Last Blitz Zachariah Krahe and Indi Rhyder fought over the coveted #6 spot but the match ended in a draw, and so both competitors were declared to be #6!
As if on cue with the explanation, the lights dim and a flood light from the entrance kicks on brightly while smoke pillows out onto the stage as 'Beat The Devil's Tattoo' by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club hits over the PA. The roaring crowd come to their feet when a silhouette appears in the flood light, and then steps out onto the stage wearing a black leather biker’s jacket, mussed hair, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. A loud cheer goes up from the crowd for the superstar as he sends a plume of smoke up into the rafters just before taking his first step down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the Dual #6 entrant in the Gauntlet, standing at six foot three and weighting in at 246 pounds, hailing from Hell, Michigan.....he is THE CATALYST, ZACHARIAH KRAHEEEEE!
Krahe stops at the bottom of the ramp to regard the front row to his left, then his right, letting a plume of smoke escape his lips. Sniffing the air as if he could smell the electricity, his eyes narrow on the ring and Fukushima Zombie who is on the opposite side of it still resting on the steps. He butts the cigarette out on the steel steps on his side just before climbing them to slip through the ropes. He cast shis Devil May Care grin towards Fuki, who shudders a little at the sight of him.
LO: There is no love lost between Fukushima Zombie and Zachariah Krahe, as Fuki is the one who tossed his partner, Munin, off of that roof many months ago.
KO: Yeah, and who can forget what Krahe did to her. He damn near killed her with a bucket of water and a car battery!
LO: Fuki seems almost a little skittish of the man, as if being transported back to that moment in time…it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
They don’t’ get the chance to continue their thoughts as 'Karma Chameleon' by the Culture Club hits over the PA System, and Indi Rhyder skips out onto the stage to a pretty big ovation. She leaps back and forth along the stage, a huge bubbly smile placed upon her lips. She turns to give the camera a wink as she passes on by down the ramp, slapping hands as she goes.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the other #6 entrant in the Gauntlet, standing at five foot five and weighting in at 130 pounds, hailing from Los Angeles, California....She is THE GALACTIC PRINCESS, INDI RHYDDEERRR!!
As she reaches ringside she makes a dash across the front row with one hand extended for high fives, and then turns abruptly to leap up onto the ring apron, and then hops up to the second rope from the outside. She waves at the capacity crowd with a grin, and then hops over the top rope to land safely in the ring. She comes to a stop to regard the man she had went to a draw with two weeks ago, and then casts her glance over to Fukushima who has yet to reenter the ring.
LO: So we’ve got all our players out here save for one, the #7 Entrant, Moxie James, who will make her way down to the ring once someone is eliminated here..
KO: Triple threat rules, Laur, which means no disqualification as in our previous three matches…
LO: You’re right, which makes it all the more dangerous.
Caputo goes over the rules with all three competitors, and it takes a little convincing, but Fukushima finally slips back into the ring, all the while staring at Zachariah Krahe. She calls for the bell and immediately Fukushima charges at Krahe who leaps up to meet her with a Lous Thesz Press that rides her all the way down to the mat. Piston Right Hands follow, but are quickly interrupted by a Running Basement Dropkick from Indi which bowls Krahe off of Fuki and sends him tumbling through the middle and bottom rope to the outside.
LO: Action fast and furious off the bat as Krahe is sent outside the ring while Indi now pulls Fuki up to her feet and shoots her off the ropes!
KO: Fukushima returning here as Indi steps to the center of the ring…AND SLINGBLADE BY FUKUSHIMA ZOMBIE TO INDI RHYDER!
LO: Indi got caught by surprise there as Fuki comes back to her feet to rush the ropes again...NO! SUICIDE DIVE THROUGH THE ROPES TO NAIL KRAHE WHO WAS TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE RING!
KO: How about that, Laur? Fukushima just had a grueling match with Kaven Drell, and now she’s in control on both fresh opponents!
LO: Fukushima may have been hesitant to be in the ring with Krahe, but she knows what’s at stake. She is also well aware that they are fresher than she is, and if she doesn’t control this narrative then they will have the distinct advantage!
Fukushima quickly moves to slide back into the ring, but when she pops up she finds that Indi Rhyder is moving to her feet as well. She rushes the woman only for Indi to side step, pushing her on towards the ropes. She springs back but this time Indi is ready, and delivers a Spin Wheel Kick that takes Zombie’s head off! Indi is up quickly and falls into the ropes only to come back into a front roll, back up to her feet, and then into a Rolling Thunder Senton. She quickly spins around and hooks Fukushima’s leg for a cover.
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Fukushima still somehow in this thing, but she’s already had a grueling match with Drell, and now Indi thinks she can put the woman away!
KO: Indi heading out to the apron and making her way up to the top turnbuckle…she’s poised and these fans are going nuts!
LO: WAIT! ZACHARIAH KRAHE BACK UP ON THE APRON AND HE RUSHES IN AND JUST SHOVES INDI RHYDER FROM HER PERCH TO A NASTY LANDING ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!
KO: Krahe now coming into the ring where Fukushima is…she’s trying to get up…BUT RUNNING PUNT KICK TO THE SIDE OF HER SKULL PUTS HER RIGHT BACK DOWN!
LO: Krahe drops down and hooks the leg this time..
1…
2…
KO: THREE!NO! How in the hell does she keep doing this?
LO: I don’t know, Ken, but it can’t be much longer now…
Krahe pulls Fukushima up to her feet and pulls her head under his arms while double underhooking her arms for his Catalyst DDT, but Fukushima deftly gets loose and drops to her knees, slips right between the mans legs, and comes up behind him in a Waist Lock. She rushes him towards the ropes where his chest bounces him backwards while Fuki pulls him down to the mat for a Rolling Pin.
1…
2…
LO: Krahe the fresher man kicks out at two, and now is coming back to his feet…Fukushima coming in hot and HEADSCISORS TAKE OVER SENDS KRAHE SPIRALING INTO THE FAR CORNER!
KO: Fukushima rushing in and leaps in for a splash to crush him even further, and now leaps up to place her feet on his hips….AND ROCKS BACK WITH A MONKEY FLIP!
LO: Fukushima now back up to her feet and she’s trying to rally this crowd as she goes towards the ropes…BUT THERE’S INDI, BACK FROM THE DEAD, AND SHE NAILS HER WITH A PELE KICK RIGHT FROM THE APRON!
Fukushima falls to the mat stunned, and Indi doesn’t miss a beat before grabbing the ropes and springs to the top. She had intended to finish up with Fuki, but upon reaching the top rope she spies Krahe coming at her, so she redirects into a Flying Lariat that takes his head off. Fukushima wisely rolls under the bottom rope to the outside for a breather while Indi pulls Krahe back up to his feet and starts forearming him back into the ropes.
LO: Indi Rhyder is cooking with grease now as she takes Krahe by the hand to send him to the far side…NO! REVERSAL!
KO: Indi spiraling back in and Krahe moves in for a clothesline but she ducks that as well…coming back one more time, but still, ducks the back elbow attempt..
LO: Indi back for a third time and Krahe drops his head while she rolls right overtop of his back to land on her feet behind him! OUCH!
KO: Sidekick into The Catalyst’s knee drops him down to the other one, and now Indi with another spring off the ropes…BLOCKBUSTER STUNNER HAS KRAHE LAID OUT!
LO: Indi going for a cover!
1…
2…
KO: THREe-NO! Krahe gets out at two and three quarters while Indi pulls him up for some more forearms to the face! Indi now directing Krahe to the corner and moves to send him to the opposite side, But Krahe gets hold of the top rope to prevent from being sent…
LO: AND KRAHE PULLS INDI RIGHT INTO A SHORT ARM CLOTHESLINE THAT LEVELS HER!
Thus far in the match Krahe, the bigger of both opponents, has been misdirected and flipped every which way imaginable using leverage moves. The rocking of his head from side to side indicates that this will no longer be the case. Indi pulls herself to her feet but Krahe steps right in beside the woman, hooks his leg through hers while hooking her around the chin with his arm and drops straight back with a Rusian Leg Sweep! He rolls back out of the move to end up on his feet and yanks Indi up only to lay in a hard right hand that knocks her back into the corner!
LO: Krahe looks dangerous here as he opens up on Indi with rights and lefts while the Galactic Princess does her best to cover up…
KO: Krahe is showing us those precision strikes of his as some of these blows are getting past Rhyder’s defenses!
Krahe grabs Indi by the wrist and whips her to the far side and follows close behind only to watch her walk right up the turnbuckles and spring backwards from the top rope. He rushes right underneath her, and she seems proud of herself when she lands safely behind him, only that he spins around and knocks that confidence right out of her with a ridiculously volatile Spear. Krahe hooks the leg deep..
1…
2…
LO: THREE-FUKUSHIMA WITH A SPRINGBOARD LEG DROP RIGHT DOWN ACROSS THE BACK OF KRAHE’S HEAD AND BREAKS UP THE COUNT!
KO: What the hell is she doing, Laur? Does she not know that Indi could have been eliminated there!
LO: I don’t know, Ken. Things have been so crazy all night it’s hard to keep up with what everyone’s doing. Instinct may have told her not to allow that pin, but you’re right. She should have let it happen.
KO: Regardless, Fuki is laying in Palm Strikes to Krahe to knock him back a few steps and now moves in to send him for the ride…but of course he reverses it…
LO: Theme of the night when your opponent outweighs you by a hundred pounds.
KO: Anyways, Fuki on her way back now and Krahe swings for a lariat…FUKUSHIMA SWINGS AROUND HIS ARM, LOCKS HER LEGS, AND HAS HIM IN THE CLUTCHES OF A SPIDER TWIST!
LO: Zachariah Krahe is being pretzeled here from a standing position and there’s not a whole lot for him to do, and look at this…Indi Rhyder just pulled herself over to the far corner and is resting against the bottom turnbuckle. She’s seeing all this and not doing a damn thing about it!
KO: Smart girl! Let Fuki take out Krahe, and she can come right in and scoop up the Zombie!
Krahe cries out in pain as Fukushima pulls back on his arm and pushes against his neck with her foot. He tries to walk his way towards the ropes, but her other leg has one of his knotted up, and the going is slow. Not to mention, every step he takes puts even more torque on his neck and arm. Yet, with no other escape in sight, he finds that is his only recourse, so doing more damage to himself, he makes the final couple of steps until he can hook onto the ropes.
KO: Uh…he does know that there are no rope breaks in a Triple Threat, right?
LO: Maybe not…BUT DUMPING HIMSELF OVER THE TOP ROPE WITH THE WOMAN WHO HAS HIM TIED UP MIGHT JUST BREAK THE HOLD!
Fukushima his the concrete first and then Krahe lands fully on top of her to crush her after the impact. All of her limbs go limp but Krahe is grabbing at his trapezius all the same, the fall having possibly done more harm than good. He begins to pull himself up to his feet and helps Fukushima up by the hair of the head. After all, there isn’t much room for Mr. Nice Guy when someone is trying to tie you up like a pretzel. They both have only a split second to look up at the shadow forming over them before Indi come crashing down on both with a Corkscrew Plancha from the top turnbuckle.
LO: GOOD LORD! INDI RHYDER TAKING OUT THE ENTIRE MATCH WITH THAT DIVE!
KO: Can you feel it, Laur! We’re getting close to the end here. Everyone of these superstars wants to be the UnYielding Champion!
Indi hesitantly gets to her feet, testing her joints to make sure that nothing is compromised, and when she feels like she’s a go she has Fukushima back up and into the ring. She leaves Krahe at ringside as she hops up onto the ring apron and springs all the way up to the top turnbuckle of the nearest corner. Fukushima crawls before getting up to her feet, turning just in time to see Indi spring off into a front flip that brings her posterior right down onto Fuki’s chest and rides her all the way down to the sudden stop of the mat!
LO: COOL RHYDER! And she’s staying on top for a pin!
1…
2…
KO: THREE!NO! MY GOD! HOW IS FUKUSHIMA STILL KICKING OUT OF SHIT!
LO: I don’t know, but we’re seeing some real heart out of the Zombie here as Indi looks at the ref in disbelief…
Indi has to hear from the Ref three times that it was only two, and finally she relents and turns back to Fukushima who has moved up to her knees. Indi steps over to come up with a new game plan when Fukushima suddenly hooks her around the back of the thighs, displays incredible strength when she gets to her feet and lifts Indi up into the air, and then throws her out a ways while keeping hold of one leg to lay her out with a Flapjack!
LO: Fukushima is just full of surprises as she now moves to get back to her feet…she looks ready to finish this by the way she’s point to the top…BUT ZACHARIAH KRAHE JUST SLID INTO THE RING TO BLOCK HER PATH!
KO: BOOT TO THE MIDSECTION! CATALYST DDT AS QUICK AS A CAT!
LO: Krahe pushing Fukushima over and going for the hook of the leg…
1…
2…
Suddenly the lights in the arena go out and the entire place explodes with panic and commotion as these words are spoken over the PA System.
“I’m The Pro. I’m The Pro. I’m The Pro. I’m The Prototype!”
The lights come back to full to find Krahe back on his feet, standing over Fukushima’s prone body while Indi has pushed herself over to the far corner. But standing right behind The Catalyst is the Submission Machine, fresh off of her suspension. Madison Square Garden nearly comes unglued as Krahe slowly turns and Brodie blasts off into action. She slams into him with enough force to knock him right through the ropes to the floor in front of the ramp and joins him quickly after, leaping on him with her Finality Crossface and rocking back for all she’s worth.
LO: MY GOD, IT’S BRODIE!
KO: THE SUBMISSION MACHINE HAS DROPPED IN ON 7 PILLARS SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GUANTLET, AND SHE IS TAKING ZACHARIAH KRAHE TO TASK!
LO: Brodie blames Zachariah Krahe for all of this mess. For everything that happened in the past, with Munin, Roman Novack, all of it…and now she is making him pay…
KO: YEAH, AND MEANWHILE IN THE RING…INDI RHYDER JUST CRAWLED OVER AND PINNED FUKUSHIMA!
1…
2…
3!!!
LO: I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! KRAHE IS BEING STRETCHED ON THE OUTSIDE BY BRODIE WHILE INDI PICKS UP A WIN OFF THE BACK OF HIS FINISHING MOVE!
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of the fourth fall and advancing to the fifth match, INDI RHYDER!
Brodie snarls and spits as Krahe finds himself completely compromised in the Finality Crossface. Now that Indi had disposed of Fuki, who rolls under the bottom rope to get out of the ring, she stares down at the scene unfolding just below her on the floor. She seems to be going through some internal debate on what she should do, but after a moment she seems to come to an answer.
LO: Indi Rhyder is determinedly making her way towards the ropes and slips through to the outside, and she just STOMPED BRODIE ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD TO GET HER OFF OF KRAHE!
KO: WHAT? IS SHE CRAZY! HE IS HER ENEMY!
LO: Maybe so, but Indi is a good person, and doesn’t want to see this match interrupted by someone not part of it!
KO: WELL THAT JUST BACKFIRED! BRODIE GOT OFF OF KRAHE, AND NOW SHE’S ON INDI! IRISH WHIP RIGHT INTO THE STEEL STEPS WITH AUTHORITY!
LO: And now that that is done…RIGHT BACK TO KRAHE AND ANOTHER FINALITY CROSSFACE!
KO: JESUS CHRIST! GET SOMEONE OUT HERE!
LO: Who would you suggest, Ken?
KO: I don’t know…Security! A psychiatrist! A fucking priest!
The cryptic intro of “you should see me in a crown” by Billie Eilish's blares across the PA System and Moxie James bursts through the curtain only to pause at the top of the ramp, cocking her hip to the side while her hand rests upon it. She isn’t wearing her customary intro get up, but rather she looks down to business. She stares down at the madwoman ripping Zachariah Krahe apart and raises her eyebrows as she starts her way down the ramp.
RING ANNOUNCER: Introducing the 7th and final participant in the Gauntlet, standing at five foot seven and weighting in at 137 pounds, hailing from Los Angeles, California... MOXXXIEEE JAMESSSSS!
Moxie reaches the bottom of the ramp and Brodie snaps up to confront her, almost like a lion protecting its kill. James holds her hands up and shakes her head at the Submission Machine, slowly sliding around the scene to indicate that she has no intention of getting in the woman’s way. She instead steps right over to Indi Rhyder, gets her on her feet, and tosses her into the ring.
LO: Well, Zachariah Krahe isn’t going to receive any help from Moxie James, and quite frankly that’s smart. If Krahe can’t continue, that’s one less opponent.
KO: Indi Rhyder should have heeded that though and she wouldn’t be loopy in the center of the ring with a fresh superstar ready to take advantage!
LO: Regardless…we need to take care of this situation down here at the ramp….as Security has finally arrived, but Brodie is still standing over Krahe’s body and isn’t allowing anyone to touch him…
KO: Meanwhile, in the ring, Moxie James is begging for Indi Rhyder to get to her feet…Indi slowly does and here comes Moxie from behind for a German Suplex!
LO: NO! INDI FLIPPED OUT OF IT TO LAND ON HER FEET!
KO: MOXIE SPINS AROUND AND INDI TURNS INTO HER TO HOOK HER AROUND THE HEAD…STANDING SHIRANUI!
LO: INDI’S CIRCUIT SLAMS THE BACK OF MOXIE’S SKULL OFF THE MAT, AND SHE HOOKS THE LEG FOR A COVER!
1…
2…
KO: THREE-NO! Moxie kicks out just as the refs hand was about to hit for three, and wouldn’t have that been something to come out fresh and be handed a defeat that quickly!
LO: Well it didn’t happen, but it does buy Indi some time to try and catch her breath as Security has now dogpiled onto Brodie and are taking her away in cuffs…EMT’s are down and checking on Krahe…and man..I don’t think he’s going to be able to continue..
KO: Christ! Brodie is kicking and biting and spitting venom! These poor bastards..
LO: Never know what you’re signing up for when you apply with Valor Pro, eh?
KO: No crap. Welcome to America, I guess…
The EMT’s try and have Krahe rotate his arm but the minute he moves it, he grabs at his shoulder and cries out in pain. They begin shaking their heads but he refuses that answer and starts to push up to his feet. They begin to call for more security as the man tries to shove past them, but finds that being one armed has its limits. When more of the burly security officer’s show up Krahe finally holds up his one good hand in reprieve, and agrees to go to the back. The EMT says something to Caputo, and she nods and steps over to repeat it to the time keeper.
RING ANNOUNCER: As a result of not being able to continue in this match…Zachariah Krahe has been eliminated!
LO: HOLY CRAP!
KO: That means it really is going to come down to these two!
LO: How about that for the numbers game…#6 and #7 will finish out this years Gauntlet.
KO: Well Indi is finally got her faculties about her, and she’s pulling Moxie up to her feet…BUT JAMES WITH A JAW BREAKER OUT OF NOWHERE!
LO: Too much time was wasted between everything that was happening outside the ring and the fact that Indi has already been put through a three way against Krahe and Fuksuhima…
KO: And now Moxie is going to press the full advantage!
Moxie pulls Indi up to her feet and whips her to the far ropes and when she bounces back steps to the center and leaps right up to take her over with a Standing Hurricanrana. Indi’s skull bounces off the mat, and Moxie quickly slides in to try and pick up the quick victory.
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Indi out at two and three quarters, and Moxie is not relenting…pulling her back up and toss her over into the corner.
KO: Moxie steps in with a loud chop…hits her with another one, and then takes her by the wrist and sends her to the opposite side.
LO: Indi strikes the turnbuckle and stumbles out…AND HERE COMES JAMES WITH A RUNNING BIG BOOT THAT TAKES HER HEAD OFF!
KO: Moxie falling overtop of her again and hooking the leg..
1…
2…
LO: THREe-NO! Rhyder able to kick out once more, but you can feel the sense of urgency here from Moxie. She knows Indi has been out her for awhile, and this is her last obstacle before becoming UnYielding Champion!
KO: Something she feel was robbed from her all the way back on Blitz#21 when this entire Gauntlet business began…
Moxie looks a little frustrated as she pulls Indi up to her feet and hooks her around the head in a suplex position. When she goes for the move, however, she finds it blocked by Indi. She moves to lift the woman again, but finds herself blocked once more. Finally Moxie abandons the Suplex and settles for a big right hand that knocks Indi to fall back into the ropes but when she springs back she dives forwards with a Flying Forearm that knocks the #7 Entrant down!
LO: Both women lying on the mat, but Moxie already making to get to her feet while Indi tries to get her barrings…rolls over onto her back, and JUST AS MOXIE GETS VERTICAL, INDI KIPS UP!
KO: SUPERKICK TAKES MOXIE BY SURPRISE AND SENDS HER CRASHING TO THE MAT!
LO: Indi going for a cover, but look at Moxie…great ring awareness by just rolling all the way to the outside…
KO: Yeah, but Indi is a flyer, and she’s already heading over to the corner to climb the turnbuckles…we saw her wipe out Fuki and Krahe with this move…can lightning strike twice?
Technically the answer to that question is yes, but it’s highly unlikely, as is proven when Indi dives from the turnbuckle only to find Moxie James dodging out of the way so that there’s nothing to break her fall but concrete. Rhyder splats off the floor and Moxie immediately yanks her up, tosses her back into the ring and slides in after to make a cover.
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! RHYDER SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET THE SHOULDER UP DESPITE THAT NASTY FALL SHE TOOK, AND MOXIE LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF SORTS!
KO: Moxie is shaking her head in denial as she stomps over to the corner and begins to climb…she’s about to prove that she can fly just as well as anyone!
Rhyder is laid out below her as she reaches the top turnbuckle, and the fans all come to their feet as she signals this is over. She dives high and wide in a huge arch, but when she lands her patented Seated Senton, there’s nothing but hard canvas there to cradle her bum.
LO: MOXIE GOES FOR SLAUGHTERAMA BUT NO ONE WAS HOME!
KO: Indi was just barely able to make it out of the way before impact, but she’s clawing at the ropes to try and get herself vertical!
LO: Moxie holding on to her posterior but getting to her feet as well..
KO: WATCH OUT! INDI IS IN MOTION!
LO: SUNSET FLIP TO DRAG MOXIE DOWN INTO A PIN!
1…
2…
KO: THRE-NO! MOXIE THRUSTS HER LOWER HALF FORWARDS WHILE LIFTING HER LOWER HALF UP TO COME TO SIT ON INDI’S CHEST!
1…
2…
LO: THRE-NO! Another kick out, and both women scrambling up…Moxie with a clothesline, but Indi ducks it and hooks her arm…now her other one…and drags her into a Backslide Pin!
1…
2…
KO: THRE-NO! Moxie kicks out again and rolls onto her feet as Indi rises in front of her…MOXIE LEAPS TO THE SIDE AND PAST INDI WHILE HOOKING HER THROUGH THE LEGS TO PULL HER INTO A SCHOOLBOY PIN!
1…
2…
LO: THRE-NO! Rhyder kicks out, and again both women rolling up to their feet..charging in…and DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE TAKES BOTH OF THEM OUT!
KO: Caputo is shocked and checking on both women…now she’s go no choice! She’s counting them out!
LO: This can’t end like this, can it? There has to be a winner or we have no UnYielding Champion!
KO: Normally I’d say no, but we already saw a match thrown out earlier tonight with the Hellcats versus Dead End Friends thanks to a surprise appearance by Kimitsu Zombie. We’ve seen the Unleashed title change hands. We’ve seen the Apex title change hands. We’ve seen Brodie return to take out Zachariah Krahe! Fuck me, Laur….ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN!
The announcer’s heads are swimming as the count continues to draw out, and at the six mark both women begin to stir and push up to their feet. By eight they are vertical and the two move in to lock up with a Collar and Elbow tie up.
LO: You don’t see that every day. Usually how you start a match, but after everything we’ve seen, why the hell not!
KO: Damn right! Both women jockeying for postion…OH! INDI WITH AN ARM DRAG TO MOXIE! Moxie pops back up and GIVES ONE RIGHT BACK TO MOXIE!
LO: Indi back to her feet and rushes in with a Clothesline, but Moxie ducks under and hooks her around the waist as she passes by and PULLS HER RIGHT INTO A REBOUND GERMAN SUPLEX!
KO: WHAT THESE BITCHES WANT, and Moxie now with a cover!
1…
2…
LO: THREE!NO! Rhyder thrusts the shoulder off the canvas again, and now Moxie is beside herself! What do these superstars have to do?
KO: After all we’ve seen, an ACME Anvil wouldn’t hurt…
Moxie slaps the mat with her fist as she rises and pulls Indi with her. She hooks her around the head in a cutter position and then rushes at the closest corner to walk right up the turnbuckles, but before she can complete whatever it is she’s doing, Indi grabs her by the hips and pushes forwards, sending James right up and over the top rope to crash land on the concrete below!
LO: THESE FANS JUST CAME TO THEIR FEET IN A COLLECTIVE GASP, AND I HAVE TO SAY…I’M AT A LOSS!
KO: SHE…SHE JUST SENT JAMES LIKE A JAVELIN TO THE FLOOR!
LO: Indi now resting on one knee next to the ropes, and you can see the fatigue has set in on her despite such a brutal reversal. Now she’s heading outside the ring to retrieve her opponent.
Indi steps over to where Moxie landed and reaches down to pull the woman up to her feet. She assists her back over to the edge of the ring and pushes her under the bottom rope, and then leaps up to the apron. She steps over to the corner and begins to climb the turnbuckles, but just as she’s about to reach the top, she’s suddenly cut off by a risen James!
LO: HOW IN THE HELL IS MOXIE ON HER FEET?
KO: HELL IF I KNOW, BUT SHE JUST GOT A HANDFUL OF INDI’S CROTCH AND NOW IT’S MOXIE WHO SENDS INDI FLYING!
Indi crashes to the mat from the top rope hard, but Moxie isn’t able to follow up as she is the one now down on one knee sucking wind. She grabs at the back of her head where she so unceremoniously landed moments ago on the concrete, and she pulls her hand away from her hair to view blood. Her head lulls for a moment, but soon after she pushes back to her feet…determined to see this through.
LO: Moxie has Indi back up on her feet now and pushes her back into the corner…Those are some tired chops, man, but they are still effective!
KO: Moxie laying them in deep here, and now takes Indi by the wrist to send her to the far side…NO! Reversal!
LO: Moxie puts on the brakes, and here comes Indi…MOXIE DROPS HER HEAD AND BACK BODY DROPS INDI RIGHT UP AND OVER THE TOP ROPE!
KO: YEAH, BUT INDI MANAGED TO GRAB THE ROPE ON HER WAY OVER AND SWINGS HERSELF AROUND TO LAND ON THE APRON!
LO: Moxie turns around and SLING SHOT SHOULDER TACKLE FROM INDI BRINGS HER BACK INTO THE RING AND TAKES JAMES DOWN TO THE MAT!
KO: Indi back to her feet, but so is Moxie…but Rhyder moves in first and picks her right up and back down with a Scoop Slam….WAIT! WHAT’S SHE DOING!
LO: SHE HOPS OVER MOXIE LEAPS UP TO THE SECOND, THEN THE TOP…SIT DOWN SPINNING CORKSCREW SENTON RIGHT DOWN ACROSS MOXIE JAMES!
KO: DON’T BE SO COMPLICATED, LAUR! SHE CALLS IT THE KHARMIC TRIP!
LO: Whatever it is, Indi is hooking Moxie’s leg…
1…
2…
3!!!
LO: SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! INDI RHYDER IS THE NEW UNYIELDING CHAMPION!
KO: SHE RAN THE GAUNTLET AND DEFEATED ALL COMERS TO GET TO THIS MOMENT, BUT IT IS FINALLY HERE!
The bell sounds and Indi crawls off of Moxie to the center of the ring where she rests on her haunches in tears. Caputo grabs the UnYielding Title from between the ropes and then jogs it over to present the championship to Indi. Rhyder just stares at the belt for a few seconds, soaking in the moment, and then reverently takes the title and holds it against her heart.
RING ANNOUNCER: And the winner of this years 7 Pillars Gauntlet Match, and THE NEW UNYIELDING CHAMPION…THE GALACTIC PRINCESS, INDI RHYDER!
Moxie James has now moved to a seated position in the far corner as she stares across the ring at Indi Rhyder while she’s helped to her feet by the referee and then has her hand raised in victory. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and Moxie grabs the top rope to yank herself to her feet and steps right up to confront the new champ. The two women stare hard at one another until finally, Moxie James extends her hand towards Indi. The fans explode, wanting to see at least one match tonight end on good terms.
LO: Moxie James extending a hand to the new champion as a sign of respect…
KO: Yeah, but will she take it…
Indi stares at the woman’s hand for a minute and then looks out to the crowd, and the New York fans are going bonkers, screaming ‘Yes’. Rhyder turns back to Moxie and nods, and the two women share a firm handshake. Afterwards, Moxie gives Madison Square Garden a salute and then exits to leave Indi to celebrate. As Moxie disappears backstage, Indi finally turns to face the fans. Throwing her hands up in celebration she encourages the cheers and soaks in the atmosphere, climbig one of the turnbuckles, she carefully rests the UnYielding Championship over her shoulder and lovingly strokes the faceplate before calling for a mic.
INDI RHYDER: BUDS! DUDES! MY GUYS! We did it!!!!!!!!!
Another cheer rising up spreads a huge smile across her face, jigging her shoulders a little she's clearly enjoying every second. turning her head a little she rests her cheek against the belt for a second and the mic just barely picks up her words.
INDI RHYDER: Thanks pops...
Bringing her head back up she looks out to the fans once more and clears her throat, clearly getting a little emotional at the highest moment of her career, she nods her head for a beat before addressing the crowd again.
INDI RHYDER: This.. is everything you guys. When I put my faith in the universe, when I put my future in her hands. I did it knowing that I made the right call and no matter who doubted it, no matter who called me into question... The universe has provided. Things might, well buds they might get just a little weird for the right now but I want you to have faith and remember that I have never ever ever everrrrr led you guys down a bad path! The universe provides! HE provides.
For a split second her face changes, her eyelids hood over her eyes and she smirks directly down the camera, the change is a brief and fleeting second before she returns to her normal smile and she hops up to stand on the ropes and lean out towards the crowd.
INDI RHYDER: My name is Indi Rhyder, I am a Galactic Princess and YOUR UnYielding Champion!
With that she tosses the mic aside and continues to celebrate with the cheering crowd. The camera pans around to take in a wide shot of the event as the announcers takes us out..
LO: Folks, this has been a momentous night with many twists and turns...
KO: Brodie's back with a vengeance and to no one's surprise, Zachariah Krahe is her target!
LO: Lady Munin finally got her pound of flesh...
KO: Tommy Crimson is the new Unleashed Champion, and Danny Rizzo took home the Apex, just like he said he was going to do!
LO: We also know now that it will be Leela Watts taking on Crimson in his first title defense!
KO: The Hellcat Spangled Death Squad and Dead End Friends put on one hell of a tag match...
LO: And Kimitsu Zombie is now directing traffic for The Zombie Clan!
KO: And finally...the story playing out in front of us...Indi Rhyder has run the gauntlet and is our new UnYielding Champion!
LO: On that note, folks, that's all the time we have for you this evening, but tune in to the next round of Valor Pro action coming to a town near you!
KO: I am Kenneth Othello...
LO: And I am Laurence Othello, and together we are...
TOGETHER: The Othello Brothers signing off!
The camera gets one last shot of a happy Indi, now out in the crowd with the fans, before cutting to the Battleground Network logo, then the VPW log, and then finally...to black.