LIVE FROM THE CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
“GUARDIANS PROTECTION SERVICES”
JAY OMEGA & ALEX RICHARDS
- vs -
THE DISINTIGRATORS Tag Match
NED KAYE
- vs -
BOBBY BOURBON Liberty Fireworks Match
The competitors battle atop a cell with ropes. Meanwhile, a very patriotic ring crew is intermittently setting off fireworks beneath the action! The crowd gets a fight AND shiny sparklies!
THUNDER KNUCKLES
- vs -
DIONYSUS
- vs -
JENNY MYST
- vs -
REGGIE ESTRADA FOUR CORNERS MATCH
Winner guarantees themselves a spot in the Leap of Faith Briefcase Match
HHL: XWF Universe, we’ve got our first match of the night, and this one promises to be a barnburner!
PIP: No doubt, Heather!
"Heroes" by Zayde Wolf plays
The arena lights darken as the opening notes of "Heroes" by Zayde Wolf float out from the speakers.
"I can hear the lost crying,
I can hear the truth hiding, hiding,"
A dim, angled spotlight partially illuminates a figure on the stage, standing to the left of the ramp with his head bowed and shoulders slumped.
"The shadows are calling us out
I see the fear rising,
Yeah, but my hope is burning,"
A second spotlight illuminates a larger figure standing on the right of the ramp, also with head bowed and shoulders slumped.
"The shadows are calling us out"
A spray of golden pyro goes up from the stage as the lights come up, revealing Jay Omega and Alex Richards.
"We are heroes!"
Jay and Alex raise their heads and square their shoulders, and start playing to the cheering crowd,
"Heroes in the darkest times
When there is no light
Whoa-oh-oh"
HHL: The Guardians Protection Services came within a hair’s breadth of scoring the tag titles last Warfare… But they came INCHES short!
PIP: Dynamite performance by GPS, Heather. But, in this industry, the only way to shake off a loss last show is a win this show. Can GPS get back on the right track tonight?
HHL: Not if their opponents have their way…
Richards and Omega make their way down the ramp, slapping hands as they go. At ringside, Alex takes a boot from his doctor's bag and has a drink, then tosses the empty boot into the crowd, while Jay hops up onto the apron and incites the crowd. Richards takes a tour around the ring to interact with fans, and Omega vaults over the ropes, climbs the far turnbuckle, and poses with one arm in the air while a multitude of camera flashes give the arena a strobe effect. Jay backflips off the turnbuckle as Alex rolls into the ring.
"The Disintegrators" by Megadeth plays
As Megadeth shrieks through the arena, "Dangerous" Dave Mustang and Johnny "Twisted" Steele roar down the entrance ramp on their twin Harleys.
HHL: And here are their opponents tonight! XWF Lege…
…
HHL: XWF Ico…
…
HHL: Beloved XWF stap…
…
……
HHL: Well, all-time fan-favorite tag-team… when they get booked! The Disintigrators!
They circle the ring once and then park their bikes on either side of the ramp and strut to the ring, giving each other a massive high ten once they are on the apron together.
HHL: They don’t always win, but these two have been a beloved tag-team for decades, Pip!
PIP: How often do they win, though, Heather?
HHL: They’ve actually racked up a decent record on Madness, Pip!
PIP: …Jesus, Is that still a thing?
HHL: …Y’know, it’s been so long, I’m… actually not sure.
In one corner, Mustang gets in the ring first and waits for the match to start.
In the opposite corner, Omega and Richards play rock paper scissors to determine who will start the match.
Omega plays rock!
Richards…
Richards makes a fist with a thumb out!
RICHARDS PLAYS DYNAMITE!
HHL: That’s Alex Richards for you! Ever the wildcard! The self-proclaimed Doctor of Confusion!
PIP: There’s no CHANCE that guy has a doctorate!
Omega’s a little like… hey, that’s not rock, paper or scissors! But Richards just sits on the ropes, beckoning him to step outside, Richards won fair-and-square. Omega, only facetiously frustrated, complies.
HHL: These are two electrifying, entertaining teams, Pip! Get ready for a dynamite show!
The official calls for the bell!
“GUARDIANS PROTECTION SERVICES”
JAY OMEGA & ALEX RICHARDS
- vs -
THE DISINTIGRATORS Tag Match
Mustang dives forward, looking for a collar-and-elbow tie-up!
But Richards deftly leap-frogs over this clumsy grapple attempt! Mustang hits the mat!
Mustang springs back and goes for another grapple… But Richards arm-drags! Whipping him across the ring, with maximum vertical height! Mustang hits the mat hard, looking dazed and confused!
Johnny Steele reaches over the ropes and tags his partner out… Steele runs at Richards…
AND Richards just catches him with another arm drag!
Steele gets tossed into the opposite corner… He reaches up and tags… Omega?!?
Omega climbs through the ropes… And dashes toward Richards!
Richards arm-drags!
…
Nah, Omega puts on the brakes at the last moment! The two laugh in the center of the ring as the crowd hoops and hollers!
Meanwhile, the two already-very-dizzy Disintegrators work their way to their feet in the corners of the ring…
Omega points at one corner towards Mustang! Richards points at the opposite corner toward Steele…
The two Disintegrators make it off the mat… As GPS set-up toward the targetted corners…
Delivering…
SHADES OF PANTHEOOOOOOOON! (Superkicks in STEREOOOOOOOOO!)
Mustang goes up-and-over the top rope… but lands on his hip… hanging outside the ring!
Steele’s head whips backwards against the steel turnbuckle and he falls down facefirst against the mat hard!
Omega pumps his fist to ramp up the crowd! They pop!
Omega turns around… And Richards wraps his arm… Arm dra-!
…Amazingly, Omega lands on his feet!
PIP: Is Richards trying to turn on his partner?
HHL: I think he’s just arm-dragged everyone else in this match and wants to complete the set.
…Richards scratches his scalp, embarrassed as Omega shakes his head. Meanwhile, behind Omega, Mustang rolls back under the ropes… Charging at GPS!
Omega irish-whips Richards…
And Richards DELIVERS A RUNNING BIG BOOT TO MUSTANG! Mustang gets kicked in the face, goes over the top rope… And this time, he hits the floor outside!
HHL: Typically, Omega whips the opponent at Richards… Slight inversion this time!
PIP: No complaints here! End result is a guy getting kicked in the face!
…Steele gradually eases his way up to his feet… Just in time for Richards to hoist Steele onto his shoulders!
Airplane spin!
ONE ROTATION!
THREE ROTATIONS!
SIX ROTATIONS! WOW, Richards keeps spinning the Disintigrator faster and faster…
TEN ROTATIONS!
…Richards drops Steele to his feet… Steele can’t see straight… He might not know which direction is up…
Omega puts two fingers up to Steele’s eyes…
Steele scratches his head…
And holds up two fingers back.
Omega nods. Steele smiles, relieved.
…
But, then Omega hoists Steele up on his shoulders!
HHL: Uh oh! I think the reward for passing that test is… More Airplane spins!
ONE ROTATION!
FOUR ROTATIONS!
NINE ROTATIONS! Omega is even faster than Richards!
FIFTEEN ROTATIONS!!!!!!!!!!
…Omega woozily, drops Steele to his feet….
Steele… twists… He takes a wild haymaker!
Hitting no one….
…He grabs!
…
At the official!
STEELE HOISTS THE OFFICIAL ONTO HIS BACK!
HHL: Oh God, no more!
ONE ROTATION!
TW-
Steele is too dizzy… Steele falls flat on his face with the official on his front!
Richards drops to count!
1!
2!
THREE!
WINNER: THE REFEREE!
The official stands up with his arms raised!
…
Before he remembers that he wasn’t competing… He sheepishly commands Richards or Omega to finish the match.
Omega shrugs… Before grabbing Richards by the arm… AND ARM-DRAGGING HIM!
Richards whips through the air, turning into a splash onto Steele!
Omega and Richards raise each other’s arms as the crowd pops cheering for them!
HHL: What a performance by GPS! Both dominant and crowd-pleasing! What a pair!
Kaaaaawwww!
A rush of fathers fill the screen as a beautiful eagle (an eastern imperial for our avid birdwatchers) sweeps through the air. It’s eyes a dark hazel that flash with determination, wings stretched out and claws tight to it’s lithe body. In the grasslands below there is much movement, prey can sense the bloodlust and have begun to scatter - juking from side to side to avoid the predators deadly claws. The bird circles surprisingly quickly, before shooting to the ground in what looks to be a…
Faint.
It cuts sharply upwards at the last moment, flying back towards the trees that enclose the area, flying past - Isaiah “The Kingslayer”.
Perched on the large branch of an unidentifiable tree, he has one leg hanging freely off it with the other bent so he can rest a hand. A hand gripping onto a beautiful maple bow. His eyes too scream of focus, darting through the green before him.
” My time in Japan has taught me many wonderful things about myself, my family and my… Prey. Most importantly, however…
It’s taught me patience.”
The eagle continues to circle the clearing, eager eyes scoping out every possible kill.
”Patience means restraining one’s inclinations.
It means knowing one’s impulses, needs and reactions - understanding them and keeping them at bay…
Until it’s time to strike.
Not to avoid them and suppress them indefinitely - but to let them boil and fester.
To let them build up - not until I am unable to hold them back.
But until the perfect time to strike.”
The eagle darts down once more, a rogue rabbit seems to have stuck it’s head out from the grass at an unfavourable time. The wings of the bird fold in as it makes its dive, talons falling towards the grass. The rabbits eyes seemingly go wide and it attempts to duck back into the grass. The eagle flaps it’s wings at the last second, hoping to shoot back into the sky quickly.
It’s white ears darting down.
”And the hunter my exude patience if he wants to survive.
If he wants to come out victorious.
Because ambition - as Raion was so quick to point us last week… When it arises it can overwhelm. It can burn and cloud the unwary hunter’s vision.
It is when Ambition becomes hard to restrain that one must look deep, think back to past victories and realise that it’s calculated RESTRAINT that is the root of ALL confidence.
When I am truly aware of my strengths AND my weaknesses - that is when the hunter can be so confident of his rise to glory that he can exercise restraint.
I proved to Kido, HELL! To the world…
…That I am far more aware of my strengths and weaknesses than our Universal Champion is.
And so I can exercise restraint.
So I can exercise patience.
So that the next time I strike it’ll be decisive.
It’ll be fatal.”
The eagle flaps once more, just as a snake shoots our from it’s hiding place, striking the eagle squarely in the neck. In a second, the predator is yanked into the covering, and a chuckle escapes out the protagonists’ lips.
“I am The Kingslayer.
And while I patiently wait…
It is best that you keep your eyes peeled open.
My wall begs for trophies.
And who knows where blade will come swinging down from next.”
The eagle lets out one final, dying shriek in the distance.
Isaiah leaps off the branch, catching another on his way down to cushion his fall. He slams a first fist into the bark of the tree, sending a loud crack rattling through the speakers.
"You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell plays
The arena flashes white as spotlights from around the venue converge at the entrance room as "You Know My Name" begins playing bombastically. As the lyrics start, Ned Kaye stands at the point where the spotlights merge to thunderous applause. He lifts his fist up in the air, awaiting the crowd to do the same before rushing down to the ring, serenaded by blue hues that light up the ramp following his steps. The lights above the stadium darken in their blue color as Ned gets closer to the ring, little bits of ember adorning the X-Tron and ramp, orange breaking up the blue. He leaps over the ropes into the ring before looking down, breathing the moment in, and pointing out at the crowd, ready to fight just with their energy alone. Jumping a bit from the adrenaline, he makes his way to his corner as he prepares for the bell.
"La Gazza Ladra" plays
The lights in the arena go deep blue as smoke fills the air. Pink and silver laser lights cut through the smoke and it looks fucking rad.
As La Gazza Ladra blares throughout the arena, slowly walking out onto the entrance ramp is Bobby Bourbon. He looks out at the crowd in the arena, cold and stoic, surveying his surroundings. He stops and raises his fists at 45 degree angles, and continues his deliberate plod towards the ring. Bobby climbs the steps, then climbs the nearest ring post half way and raises his fists at 45 degree angles. The lights go back to normal and the music stops.
NED KAYE
- vs -
BOBBY BOURBON Liberty Fireworks Match
The competitors battle atop a cell with ropes. Meanwhile, a very patriotic ring crew is intermittently setting off fireworks beneath the action! The crowd gets a fight AND shiny sparklies!
HHL: Here we are, Pip, this is going to be insane. Bobby Bourbon, Ned Kaye, in a match where they’re being shot at with fireworks.[red]
PIP: Bobby Bourbon created jobs here tonight by insisting he fight in the middle of a fireworks display.
The ring is surrounded by men and supposedly women dressed in the stars and stripes with welders masks on painted with the US flag as well. They have boxes and boxes of fireworks beside each firework... shooter? Ready to disrupt the match and bring some beautiful patriotism to the show.
[red]HHL: Seems a little odd for them to all be masked up while carrying pyrotechnics don't ya think?
PIP: Gotta protect the eyes I'm assuming, but yes, the masks are odd.
Bobby begins by jawing off at Ned, and both men rush each other. As a massive mortar explodes bright gold, both men connect and being throwing forearms into each other. Bobby, pressing his size advantage, gets Ned by the throat in a goozle, ready for a chokeslam. Just as Bourbon goes to lift Ned, a roman candle comes WHISTLING past him, narrowly missing him but staggering him long enough to stop his advance. Kaye takes no notice and rushes him with a bone-shattering SHINING WIZARD that drops the big man to a single knee.
HHL: Gonna take more than that to drop that man.
As if tempting the fates itself, another firework, this time one that sounds like 12-year-olds screaming comes shooting up towards Bobby, hitting him right in the tushy and sending him sprawling to the floor, char marks on his rotund ass, sprawling him across the cold cell floor.
HHL: Ain't the fireworks supposed to be shooting to the air?
PIP: Two in rapid succession, Bobby's luck ain't doing him too good is it?
Ned turns Bobby, and locks in a pin!
1…
2…
Kickout with authority. Bobby rolls up onto his ass with the Devil in his eyes after pushing Ned off. Bobby gets into a three-point stance as Ned gets up, and lays into Ned with a huge shoulder block as rockets whistle past each man. Ned is staggered and stumbles towards the edge of the cell. Bobby looks to take advantage, set to charge at Ned and send him flying.
A maniacal cackle bursts out from one of the masked men shooting off fireworks, as he points another straight at Bobby - this time what looks to be a blue flare that fires off towards Bourbon's face. The light blinds him, dazing him for long enough for Kaye to strike him... BUT HE STOPS.
Glancing down from the cell, Ned gestures wildly towards the rogue firework(er?), asking him what the big problem was. Ned's all about the honour, and too honorable to keep taking advantage of Bobby like this.
The pyrotechnician just shrugs in response, body language dramatic and comical. He points back to Bourbon, nonverbally asking Ned to get back into the match.
Bobby looks down in confusion at the rogue pyro, then back at Ned with a sneer.
HHL: You know, I half expected Bobby to have paid off the pyro workers to target Ned here.
PIP: Well someone down there has a bone to pick with Bobby.
Ned approaches Bobby slowly, as Bobby jaws at Ned. Ned says something to Bobby, and Bobby retorts with an open slap to Ned’s face! Ned strikes back at Bobby! Another forearm from Ned staggers Bobby, who’s been hit already multiple times by the fireworks! Another forearm sends Bobby to a knee on the edge of the cell! Ned hits the Notorious Knee, sending Bobby over the edge of the cell!
Careening…
Falling…
Heather and Pip scramble out of the way as Bobby lands on the announce desk, shattering it to smithereens! The crowd can’t believe it!
HHL: OH MY GOD! NED KAYE JUST MURDERED BOBBY BOURBON!
PIP: MY COFFEE! HEY!
Ned looks somewhat shellshocked at the happening. The fans are going insane.
Medics rush the scene of the crash where Bobby is sprawled out surrounded by what used to be an announce desk and a puddle of Pip’s latte. The referee, unsure of the specifics here, begins the ten count.
1…
2…
3…
4…
Ned interrupts the referee! He doesn't want this to end on a count out. The medics are puzzled as Bobby is still out. A fireball from the crazed pyro shoots directly at them, sending them scattering as it explodes right above Bourbon! The referee is baffled!
HHL: I KNOW THIS IS WARFARE BUT THIS FEELS LIKE A DEMILITARIZED ZONE!
PIP: Why don't people ever go through the Spanish announce desk?
We see the fabulous XWF Spanish Announce desk with Spanish announcers Grande Ricardo and the Dimallisher still calling the action.
GRANDE RICARDO: Bobby Bourbon ha sido asesinado aquí esta noche, ¡y ni siquiera el árbitro tiene idea de lo que está pasando! ¡Alguien traiga al hombre un médico y deje de dispararle!
DIM: Primero como los crayones azules, luego los rojos, y me dirijo al medio del arcoíris para poder saborear el arcoíris.
Ned scales down from the cell and approaches the wreckage that was caused by Bobby’s crash. Bobby slowly tries to peel himself from the ground, pushing away those who would help. Ned raises Bobby to his feet and looks at him incredulously. Bobby throws a chop to Ned Kaye! Ned can barely believe there’s still fight left in Bobby! Ned with a chop to Bobby! Bobby looks enraged, and he boots Ned in the stomach! He lifts Ned up for a Bobbybomb through the cell wall! Ned counters with a hurricanrana and goes for the pin!
1…
2…
3!
WINNER: Ned Kaye
As our winner celebrates, the fireworkers make their way up the ramp, including our rogue mischief. As he makes it to the curtains, he pulls out a familiar-looking wrench - one that's been travelling along with the XWF since Japan. Ned looks down, wondering what kind of guts it took for Bobby to even try to keep fighting. Ned helps Bobby to his feet, raising his arm! Bobby swings around with a clothesline to Ned!
HHL: This is ridiculous, Ned was helping Bourbon after Bourbon almost got destroyed!
PIP: Maybe Bobby doesn’t know the match is over!
Bobby picks Ned up after the clothesline, then throws him into the ring in the cell, rolling in slowly after him. The referee stops Bobby, letting him know the match is over. Bobby throws the referee out of the ring. Bobby picks up Ned and plants him with a Dinosaur Extinctor! Enraged, Bobby gets up and starts to stomp on Ned. As he does, “Falling Apart” by Trust Company starts to play.
HHL: Oh wow!
Big D comes out onto the entrance ramp, wearing a buttoned down jacket, and runs down to the ring as the cell is being lifted up.
PIP: The cavalry's here, Ned has a guardian angel that can help him against Bobby!
Big D steps up to Bobby, backing him away from Ned. Bobby backs into a corner, kicking aside spent fireworks tubes as he does. Big D helps Ned to his feet.
HHL: Bobby won’t get away with bullying Ned here!
Once to his feet, Big D hoists Ned.
THE DAN SLAM ONTO NED KAYE!
The crowd boos, so loudly the camera is shaking.
PIP: BIG D JUST PLANTED NED KAYE!
Big D rips off his jacket, revealing a BOB t-shirt underneath! The crowd is incensed, and trash is coming in from all directions pelting Bobby and Big D as they shake hands!
HHL: BOB RECRUITED BIG D!
PIP: HE WAS THE MOST WHOLESOME MAN IN WRESTLING, WHY!?!
HHL: This next match has MAJOR implications for Leap of Faith! Someone is about to stamp their ticket into the main event match!
PIP: Very true, Heather! And the match is filled to the brim with talent! It’s literally anyone’s game!
”TK Tron” by BOB Records plays
Twenty little people with sparkers in both hands held as high as their little arms can reach, line both sides of the entrance ramp. Thunder Knuckles walks out, an arrogant smile emblazoned on his face, and bobbing his head back and forth to the music. The sparkers ignite as he walks past the little people.
HHL: Speaking of men who have beaten Robert Main… Thunder Knuckles!
PIP: One-half of one of the greatest tag-teams in XWF History! And no slouch in singles competition either! He’s had lengthy reigns as X-Treme champ AND TV champ… The only belt that’s evaded him in his career… is the Universal Title.
HHL: But, the beginning of the TK era? The first domino could fall tonight, Pip!
Once Thunder Knuckles is down to the ring he rolls under the bottom rope and in one movement he pops up to his feet. With his back turned towards the camera, he raises his right fist in defiance. As soon as his fist goes up, counterfeit XBUX with Thunder Knuckles' face on them falls onto the crowd.
"Leaving Dionysus" plays
The lights dim as multiple spotlights rotate throughout the arena. As "Leaving Dionysus" begins to play, the spotlights all point to the stage, illuminating a velvet red curtain. At the moment the guitars begin to play, the curtain is drawn open, revealing the imposing figure of Dionysus, holding a Thyrsus in his right hand and a shield on his left arm. He clashes the staff against his shield to rouse the crowd to clap with him, then roars, raising the Thyrsus above his head.
You never had the right, Removing me from paradise. Your path removed the light, Rendering me colour-blind.
But now I’ll speak, Since I’ve become my own again, And now I’ll leave, Since I’ve become my own, again.
Dionysus sets the Thyrsus and shield next to the ring apron and rolls inside, running to one of the turnbuckles and climbing up to rally the crowd behind him. He then hops down and limbers up, awaiting his opponent.
HHL: Former TV champ! Anchor of the 2nd-place WarGames, Wishmaster! Dionysus! He’s a rising XWF star, and you have to figure he’s set to make a big splash in an environment like Leap of Faith!
PIP: Indeed, Heather. Dion had a bumpy start with his tag partner quitting on him shortly after they formed, but it feels like things are coming together for him now!
"The In-Between" by In This Moment plays
Jenny Myst walks down to the ring, looking as pale and spooky as ever as she stares at her opponents from the entrance ramp with empty eyes. It's a bit unnerving as she walks down to the ring, but eventually she slides inside, picking a corner and waiting for the match to get going.
A dark purple spotlight flash at the top of the ramp…
Jenny Myst playfully skips down the ramp!
PIP: Jenny Myst. A truly deranged individual.
HHL: Fun fact, Pip! An X-Treme champion hasn’t successfully satisfied the terms to receive a briefcase since Jim Caedus in November 2021… But Jenny Myst? Came closer than anyone else!
PIP: True enough, Heather! If it weren’t for a very game Jason Cashe and the Bizarro-land that is Anarchy, Jenny Myst might have scored a briefcase! She might be Universal champion today!
HHL: And tonight? Might be the first step on her journey to nab a briefcase and seize what she believes is her destiny!
Myst slides into one of the rampside corners and waves excitedly at her opponents. Neither regard her nearly as fondly…
"East 1999" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony plays
The smoke fills up with red on the stage, as the arena lights flickers. Then once we see "The Rebellious One" on the X-Tron, then we hear the voice of Bone Thugs and Reggie walks down to song. Then we see him with walking down the ramp, and stop at the camera gives it the finger. Then he rolls into the ring, and goes to the top rope and poses. Then he jumps down, and chills on the corner as his theme cuts off.
HHL: Reggie Estrada made a solid point this week in his promos. The other competitors in this match? They get no shortage of chances to compete in the main event. This is Reggie’s big chance! And if not now, when, Pip?
PIP: Reggie has pulled off major upsets in the past… Hell, he even has a win over Robert ‘The Omega’ Main, the man who held XWF titles for over 1000 combined days! Is Reggie always the odds-on favorite when he competes? No. But, can you ever definitively count him out? Not a chance.
Then we see him with walking down the ramp, and stop at the camera gives it the finger. Then he rolls into the ring, and goes to the top rope and poses. Then he jumps down, and chills on the corner as his theme cuts off.
THUNDER KNUCKLES
- vs -
DIONYSUS
- vs -
JENNY MYST
- vs -
REGGIE ESTRADA FOUR CORNERS MATCH
Winner guarantees themselves a spot in the Leap of Faith Briefcase Match
The moment the bell rings, Dionysus charges across the ring… Straight at Jenny Myst!
HHL: Interesting choice by Dion, going for the smallest competitor in the match! D might think Myst is easy pickings!
Dionysus charges with a head full of steam…
…
Myst effortlessly bends at the waist… And using only his own momentum, Myst PROPELS Dion up and over the turnbuckle to the outside of the ring!
Dionysus springs back to his feet, shaking off a counter possibly more embarrassing than high-impact… When from above, Myst springboards off the top-rope… BULLDOG FROM ABOVE! Dionysus’ skull SMACKS against the padded concrete outside!
PIP: Ooh, that looks like it hurt!
HHL: Looks like… And, in my expert opinion? It did, in fact, hurt.
Myst cackles maniacally over the fallen Dion…
Meanwhile, inside the ring, TK chills in the corner, enjoying watching his opponents scrap and wear each other out…
When Reggie steps up and out of his corner!
HHL: Two men with victories over Robert Main! Two long-time residents of the XWF about to lock horns!
Reggie goes for a collar-and-elbow tie-up…
But, TK effortlessly ducks under Reggie’s attempt! Reggie spins around… and bam! TK hits him with a gut punch, backing Estrada into a corner!
HHL: Holy hell, TK is deceptively quick!
PIP: You’d never call Thunder Knuckles a high-energy act… but what he is, is EFFECTIVE in the ring.
TK reels back and RAMS his shoulder into Estrada’s face! Once! Twice!
TK sets up Reggie for an Irish whip… TK slings Reggie out of corner…
But hangs onto his arm! Reggie is propelled forwards, then straight back into TK…
Who nearly DECAPITATES REG WITH A CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL!
Reggie does a full 360 in the air, landing flat on his face!
TK grins, flipping Estrada on his back, and driving a forearm into his face as he covers.
PIP: TK going for a quick victory here! It is one-fall-to-a-finish!
The official counts!
1!
Tw-NO! Reggie, despite not knowing which way is up after that hellacious clothesline, refuses to allow even a two-count this early in the match!
Meanwhile, outside the ring, Dion is shaking off cobwebs, trying to find his footing… When Myst catches him with an uppercut to the throat!
HHL: Pretty much every punch you throw has to be an uppercut when you’re a foot-and-a-half shorter than everyone else in the match!
Dion covers his throat, his airway smacked closed, as Myst leaps onto the apron and… ASAI MOONSAULT, dropping Dion!
PIP: After a certain point, for Dionysus, maybe the best strategy is staying down?
Back inside the ring, TK peels Reggie off the mat… But, Estrada catches TK with a body blow! A second! A third!
Reggie tries to break for the ropes to build up spe-TK clings onto a grapple and DRIVES his hip into Estrada’s gut!
HHL: Wise veteran move by TK there! Estrada is most dangerous zipping around the ring! Keeping him close is the best way to limit his offense!
Thunder Knuckles wraps Estrada in a front-facelock… He lifts up Estrada for a vertical suplex…
…
But Estrada drops to his feet on the other side!
In the time it takes TK to spin ‘round, Estrada has already hit the ropes and BAM! Kicked TK right in the back of his left leg!
TK’s face contorts in pain as he drops to one knee… Not done yet, Reggie hits the opposite ropes aaaaaand…
LOW DROPKICK STRAIGHT TO TK’S FACE! TK gets rammed back into the corner’s bottom turnbuckle!
Jenny’s peeling Dion off the ground… And has him in guillotine position!
HHL: Oh my! Myst may be looking for Myst Opportunities… But on concrete? That could end Dion’s career!
But, inside the ring, Estrada heads for the ropes…
Myst gives Dion a peck on the forehead!
Estrada hits the ropes…
Myst starts to tw-
ESTRADA DIVES OVER THE TOP! TOPE SUICIDA FROM ESTRADA TO BOTH DION AND MYST!
HHL: Nice move by Estrada! Reggie preventing a possible career-ending injury to Dion there!
PIP: Or he just saw Myst tenderize Dion and smelled blood in the water!
Myst splatters backwards to the railing! Reggie, still on his feet after that aerial maneuver, scoops up Dion and slides him under the bottom rope!
Estrada hooks the leg!
1!
Thunder Knuckles crawls out of the bottom corner!
2!
TK dives!
Thr-Estrada rolls off the pin, seeing TK coming!
And TK drops an elbow on Dion!
HHL: Oof, not a great showing for Dion so far!
As TK scrambles back to his feet, Reggie catches TK with another dropkick to the chest! TK falls backwards…
Into Dion! Dion, using the momentum from Reggie’s dropkick, rolls him up!
1!
2!
THR-NO! TK, surprised as he was, manages to kick-out!
Dion, despite the heavy damage he’s taken so far, springs back to his fet, ready for war!
HHL: Wow! A minute ago, I would’ve told you Dion was getting his teeth kicked in, all of a sudden, he’s looking like the freshest guy out there!
PIP: Like a possum! If you ran over a possum multiple times…
Reggie runs at Dion… Who scoops Estrada into the air… EUROPEAN UPPERCUT TO THE THROAT As Estrada comes down!
TK rushes back to his feet… As Dion catches him with a blow to the forehead!
TK looks woozy from that boxing punch of Dionysus… Dion grabs him by the arm and raises his fist!
HHL: Dion looking for that Ripcord Bullhammer! The Deified!
Dion pushes TK away… Then reels him in, looking to take TK’s head off!
…
But TK ducks! Stumbling past Reggie Estrada, who works his way up to his feet…
Dion spins around… Into a boot to the stomach from Estrada… Followed by a MASHFUL (Stone Cold Stunner)!
Dion’s head springs off the Estrada’s shoulder…
His legs look like jelly… BUT HE STAYS ON HIS FEET!
Which TK obliges, grabbing Dion by the leg and…
THUNDERSTRIKE!
HHL: Wow! Two of the most devastating finishing moves in the XWF, delivered back-to-back! Dion might be done for the night…
PIP: Hell, maybe even for the whole holiday weekend!
TK crawls across the mat, grinning, looking for the pinfall…
…
But Estrada grabs Knuckles by the leg and yanks him backwards!
Estrada dives ontop of Dion, yelling at the official ‘¡rapido, rapdio!’
The official counts!
1!
Knuckles scrambles forward!
2!
Knuckles dives!
THR-
TK SHOULDERBLOCKS ESTRADA OFF DION! The match continues!
HHL: Wow! Estrada almost stole that win off TK’s finishing move!
PIP: What are you talking about?!? TK might’ve only hit it because Estrada softened Dion up!
Outside the ring, Myst shakes off cobwebs, getting back to her feet… She goes to rush back inside the ring… Then, sees TK and Estrada rushing to their feet… And rolls back outside, grinning mischievously.
HHL: Wise move by Myst! Trying to bide her time and choose the perfect moment to get back in the ring!
TK tags Estrada in the skull! Estrada knocks TK right back!
PIP: TK is one of the toughest SOBs in wrestling!
HHL: But Estrada is hanging right in there with him!
TK delivers another right hand… Estrada swivels back on his feet… THEN DRIVES HIS HEAD FORWARD INTO TK’S NOSE! TK, both gobsmacked and actually-smacked, gets knocked back into the corner…
Estrada, taking some notes from his time on the lucha-libre tour in Guatemala, rushes toward the corner! He leaps onto TK’s shoulders! HURRICANRANA!
TK lands on his back, center of the ring… As Estrada climbs the ropes… His back to the ring!
HHL: Wow! I don’t know how often we’ve seen Estrada go high-risk before!
Estrada might be looking for a moonsault… but doesn’t see Jenny Myst take her time to slide back into the ring…
Estrada’s feet are set… He’s ready
As Myst rushes forward… AND SHOVES HIM! Estrada flies, his THROAT landing on the metal railing around the ring! As Estrada grabs his throat, agonized outside the ring, Myst giggles fiendishly, pointing and laughing.
HHL: …Ooof. That had to hurt.
Myst spins around, just as TK gets back to his feet! Myst aims for a step-up enziguiri!
…But TK’s bobs his head under it! Myst eats mat! TK chuckles, taking his own chance to point and laugh (albeit with somewhat less fervor than Myst).
PIP: What goes around comes around!
TK goes to peel Myst off the mat… But Myst grabs his neck and pulls him forward! Inside cradle!
The official drops to count!
1!
2!
THR-NO! TK forces a shoulder off the ground!
Myst and TK both scramble back up… Myst swings with a forearm… But TK blocks it! He spins around Myst, grabbing her from under the arms, looking for a full nelson slam…
When, still inside the ring, Dion woozily scrambles to his feet!
HHL: Holy Hell, Dion can still get up after what the other three in this match have put him through?!?
Dion charges… AND CATCHES TK with a running headbutt to the skull!
TK is driven back towards the ropes… Where Reggie Estrada is climbing back onto the apron! Reggie catches TK with a springing kick to the spine!
TK spins around, Reggie wraps him in a front-facelock, looking to suplex Knuckles to the outside!
…Meanwhile, inside the ring, Dion… is still looking woozy!
HHL: It’s possible that headbutt knocked as many of Dionysus’ screws loose as it did TK’s!
Myst gathers herself… She sees Reggie and TK grappling… Then turns to a very disoriented Dionysus!
Estrada liiiiiiiifts… LIIIIIIIIFTS!
…
But TK lands back on his feet. He counters, lifting Estrada into the air…
Just as Myst wraps Dion into her guillotine hold…
MYST OPPORTUNITIES!
TK DROPS ESTRADA STRAIGHT ON HIS SKULL! A devastating brainbuster!
Myst hooks Dion’s leg… And TK covers Estrada!
The official counts!
HHL:...But, wait, whose pin is he counting?
1!
2!
THREE!
The bell rings!
Both TK and Myst spring up to the feet! TK pumps his fist like he just won, Myst climbs to the top rope, villainously giggling like she just did it!
HHL: I don’t think TK realized that Jenny was pinning Dion…
PIP: And I think Jenny was trying to time it juuuust right to beat TK’s pin..
HHL: Did she pull it off though? Or did TK sneak it out?
The official marches outside the ring to the timekeeper. He whispers in his ear! The timekeeper nods and lifts his microphone.
TK turns around and sees Myst celebrating. His eyebrows wrinkle, like, what the hell is she so happy for?
Myst turns around and sees TK, and points and laughs at him.
TK sneers, and points and laughs back at her! Which makes Myst furious! The two might starting swinging all over again, until, over the arena’s PA system!
”LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH…”
HHL: Oh my God! Winner! Singular!
”EARNING A GUARANTEED SPOT AT THE LEAP OF FAITH LADDER MATCH!”
PIP: For Pete’s sake, GET ON WITH IT!
…
……
”JENNY MYST!”
WINNER: JENNY MYST
Jenny Myst laughs hysterically, as she rolls under the bottom ropes
TK’s beside himself, yelling at the official! The official tries to defend himself, but TK is having none of it!
HHL: That match was close as RAZOR-WIRE! TK very nearly had it LOCKED DOWN!
PIP: Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Heather! Only one fall to a finish! Only one person could win this match! And tonight that person is Jenny Myst!
Myst celebrates with her usual deranged shenanigans. As Knuckles stews with a snarl inside the ring.
HHL: The first spot in the Leap of Faith ladder match goes to Jenny Myst! But, there’s still no shortage of time for other competitors to make their intentions clear… And I have no doubt that TK has every intention of evening the score with Jenny! Can he earn a spot at Leap of Faith and rob her of a briefcase like she might’ve robbed him of a win tonight?
After the bell had rung, the arena lights went off, and we hear the crowd go crazy. Then the lights cut back on, and we see Reggie sitting on top of the stage of the entrance way indian style, wearing a JB’s .38 Special shirt. He had a mic on his hand, and breathing heavily after his match, then he looked at the three wrestlers inside the ring, and he gave them all a round of applause.
Reggie: Look it here, it was one fall to the finish, and I knew what time it was when I had to pass through that curtain before bell time earlier today. You know, I could have said fuck this match and stayed in the backstage and let you three duke it out for a chance at leap of faith, and well to that all i can say is this, fuck all that shit!
You know, I tried to keep myself from wanting to take things too far, but I am very angry at how things have played out from the start. All I kept hearing from the boys in suits was, “Reggie isn’t a strong draw”... “Reggie isn’t up to our expectations”... and many others of that nature. I might have a strong external shell, but man I'm broken from inside my own psyche when I hear from that type of person. It makes me question why I should even bother showing up to these shows knowing full well they would rather take on someone like a Knuckles instead of me.
Then we see Knuckles looking at Reggie across the stage, and putting up his knuckles and spewing something towards him.
Reggie: Look at you piece of trash, I said what I needed to say about you. You thought I was going to one up on you, well you are correct, I wanted to more than one up you. But the thing is, I know if I wanted to take things too far, I’d be out of the job like Chris Chaos was after he couldn’t get shit done.. Just like his bitch Jenny Myst.
Then Myst got angry that her ex was mentioned, as she wanted to also square up against Reggie who smiles at her across the stage.
Reggie: Hit a nerve there Myst? Well, I guess you are truly sensitive when you fake exude this confidence when you know deep down you ain't shit. All I see from you, is a past her prime type of chick who doesn’t realize that it aint 2017 no more, you aren’t the best of the best when you couldn’t even hang past that point. Maybe you should be like Atara and go hang out at the bar to drink your life away, or go hang out with that Carnes dude who is nowhere to be found. Either way Myst, maybe your ex was right about you being a wasted opportunity for someone else to step over on to.
Then the crowd started to slowly chant Reggie’s name as it cuts to the commentators who are very confused with what’s going on with Reggie. Then it cut back to Dionysus who tries to not have any part of the discussion as he tries to leave the ring.
Reggie: DION SIT YOUR CULO DOWN HERE! Man of many faces huh? Well I hope that I don’t have to encounter any of them, or else they would be somewhere in mythical folklore of what not to inspire to be as a wrestler. I know you have ties to many other places who love to kiss your intellectual, Sandow minded ass to be everyone’s top five contenders of being their world champion. But here, where the fuck are you in the chain of command here? You lost your ace to a Vaughn who’s in your place now, I know you don’t want to be reminded of your defeat but what does that make you a man?....
Then the crowd in union chanted “UCCY” in unison as Dionysus looked on in anger and tried to appease the crowd by being staunch and serious as he commanded them to be quiet. Then we see Reggie waving at the camera, and says what truly is on his mind.
Reggie: I know that I am no Leap Of Faith contender, I know that even if it was the case, they would rather have someone else who doesn't look like me to be in it. Time and time, I was always seen as a third rate man between JB and Tommy, at one point I was able to handle my own shit. I was able to see myself being able to break the mold of what it means to be a wrestler in the XWF. I’ve seen so many people come and go here, it's crazy how much time can change from having an owner who encourages backstage hazing and bullying, to an owner who tends to value everyone but still wants to push their own people who draw.
I know pro wrestling well, you know what people say it truly is. You can have that reel come into your face, just to be pulled back to reality that they aren’t what they are looking for. When I was a three time X-Treme champion, two of my reigns people thought it was a joke. Two men were duped and nobody thought it was worth it to have a run with it, but look what happened? I had to pull double duty to retain and to be a part of a battle royal for the belt that is up for grabs tonight two years prior.
Hell, the last time people took me seriously was my involvement with the whole Gemini thing, which was nothing to witness. I was just a cog in the machine, being just guided like an NPC in GTA to the next causality. Well now, it’s time to make some changes in my own time here in XWF, and whether or not I had won the spot isn’t of my concern. What is my concern is making an effort to prove to everyone in the corporate world that a Afro latino man can make an impact on a grand scale of things…. But oh no, they don’t want that.
They only want those who kiss their asses, stroke their ego, and to pacify keeping things the same until the next Smith comes in and turn the place into a homogenized place of blandness and forgiveness… that ain't gonna happen, no more of that shit. No more! No more!
Then the crowd were really eating up what he was saying, then he looked around the Seattle arena.
Reggie: So XWF, I'm gonna make some changes that will shake up the very core values this place has carried on for way too long. I might end up jumping into the Leap Of Faith match uninvited and taking the briefcase for myself to really stick it to you people out there who had no faith in my abilities. Pase lo que pase, voy a cambiar este lugar con mi propia mente y con la ayuda de THUGS para realmente poner fin a esta mierda.
Then he got up from the stage and dropped the mic on the ground, as the fans were chanting his name, then we see it shift back to the commentators who were still in shock with what just transpired as the next segment occurs.
"House of 1000 Corpses" by Rob Zombie plays
The arena goes dark and an ominous red fog rises up around the stage giving the illusion that there was a fire burning below it. Through the mist rises Doctor Louis D'Ville in his pearl-white suit and a grin from ear to ear. He takes a step forward, while standing at the top of the ramp he take a deep breath of the fiery mist and exhales before slowly making his way to the ring.
"Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles plays
Coming out from behind the curtains is none other than the Xtreme Champion himself, Mark Flynn! With his brand new custom "Good Guy" bomber jacket that he makes sure the fans see, he shines his belt up high and walks on down to the ring. He keeps his game face on though, and doesn't make eye contact with Doc D'Ville the entire time he walks down to the ring. He rolls inside, handing the belt off to the ref and awaits for the match to start.
The Xtreme Champion and the XWF’s Resident Psychiatrist circle each other in the middle of the ring, neither side fully engaging at first. The challenger seizes the initiative and launches towards Flynn with a right hand! Flynn answers with one of his own, and the two wrestlers exchange strikes without anyone getting the upper hand!
HHL: And a brawl has started right at the match’s onset!
PIP: This is gonna be a good one, Heather!
Neither side seems to concede any ground, so this will not be solved by the mere exchange of blows, and both wrestlers soon get into a wild, back-and-forth grapple!
HHL: Both wrestlers with a lock-up! Doc Deville gets the upper hand with some dirty boxing moves to break through Flynn’s grapple!
PIP: Smart move by the good doctor, but can he capitalize before the Xtreme Champion makes a comeback?
The Xtreme Champion is staggered back from an eye gouge, and DeVille quickly follows up by a DDT! Flynn is still reeling from the impact when Doctor DeVille picks him up again and takes him down with a stalling suplex! Flynn is laid out on the mat, and the Doc goes for the cover!
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
NO! Mark Flynn gets a shoulder up!
HHL: No way was Mark Flynn going down this early!
PIP: Easy Heather, Doc’s just softening him up. This is an Xtreme Rules match after all… and it looks like DeVille is aware of that!
And so it seems indeed, as right after this comment, Doctor DeVille has dropped down the apron with the downed Flynn, and looks to remove part of the matting around the ring, exposing the concrete below!
HHL: He’s going to break Flynn’s skull!
PIP: It’s the Doctor after all, and it’s time for surgery!
The XWF’s Resident Psychiatrist places Flynn between his legs and lifts him up for a Piledriver…
HHL: NO! Mark Flynn with a back body drop counter, and the Doctor is now laid out on that same concrete he exposed!
PIP: That could have been the end of the match right there!
The Doctor’s back feels the impact of the sharp fall, and is gingerly getting up. Mark Flynn, however, gets to him first and clocks him on the jaw with a knee lift! The Doc is staggered back and Flynn tosses him to the railing! He yells to the nearby fans…
“Look up close, people! I’m a GOOD GUY!!!”
… and starts laying chop after chop on Doctor DeVille’s chest! Flynn doesn’t let up and the Doctor is helpless to do anything!
HHL: For a so-called “good guy”, Flynn is being downright vicious!
PIP: He’s brought the action closer to the fans! Sure sounds like a good guy to me!
HHL: For God’s sake, Pip.
Flynn finishes the chop session with a neckbreaker, and Doctor DeVille hits the exposed concrete head first! Cover by the Xtreme Champion!
ONE!...
…
TWO!!
…
NO! Doc DeVille gets a shoulder up!
HHL: The Doctor is one of the toughest in the XWF, and even hitting the floor won’t stop him soon!
PIP: That’s the beauty of the Xtreme Title matches - anything and everything goes!
Flynn isn’t done paying back the Doctor for his attempted surgical intervention, so he tosses him back to the ring and soon follows himself. He picks Doc up from behind for a German Suplex… BUT THE DOC FIGHTS BACK WITH A COUNTER BACK ELBOW!
HHL: Caught him square in the face!
PIP: And the Doctor’s not done! One more! And another!
Doctor DeVille is not going to go down without a fight, and so he starts struggling against Flynn’s hold, until he finally breaks it! Flynn stumbles back and the Doctor is quick to turn around and level him with a clothesline! Flynn tries to climb back up, but he rises right in the way of a Spinning-Doc elbow! The Xtreme Champion is seeing stars, and Doctor DeVille capitalizes with a Reverse STO! Down goes Flynn and the Doc goes for the cover!
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
NO! Mark Flynn kicks out!
HHL: Nice try by the Doctor, but Flynn is just that hard to take down!
PIP: The Doctor is a patient man, he knows how to administer his treatment!
Doctor DeVille decides it’s time to take to the air! Flynn is barely showing any signs of life and so the Doctor has more than enough time to head to the nearest turnbuckle. As he begins to climb, Mark Flynn starts to rise. The Xtreme Champion has fully risen when the Doctor leaps in his direction!
PIP: IT’S THE TREPANATION…!
HHL: WAIT! FLYNN HAS CAUGHT HIM MID-FIGHT… ARGENTINE BACKBREAKER!!!
*SLAM!*
The devastating impact of the Xtreme Champion’s move has left the Doc lifelessly laid out on the mat!
PIP: Ouch… he’s gotta be feeling that afterwards…
The Doctor feels the effects of that hard impact, and Mark Flynn wastes no time in seizing his chance! He slides under the apron and picks up a steel chair! He places it in the middle of the ring and forces the Doc to his feet, then plants him face first on the chair with a DDT! The Doctor is wearing the proverbial crimson mask now, and his impeccable white suit now bears the fruits of Flynn’s handiwork!
ONE!...
…
TWO!!...
…
TH-NO!!! DOCTOR DEVILLE GETS HIS SHOULDER UP AT THE LAST SECOND!
HHL: And Flynn is beside himself!
PIP: Wouldn’t you be!? Doc DeVille should be dead after that!
Flynn argues with the referee, but it’s no good, as he will not be swayed! Screaming in frustration, Good Guy Mark Flynn decides it’s time for The End. He picks up the Doc in a front face lock - NO! The Doc is struggling to break free! He escapes Flynn’s hold and headbutts him right on the stomach! Flynn’s wind is knocked right off his sails, and he doubles over in pain! The Doctor seizes the chance to grab the chair Flynn used on him, and turn it upon him by smashing it straight into Flynn’s face!
*THWACK!!!*[/color]
An eye for an eye, and now Flynn’s face is red with blood! Flynn cannot even drop down as the Doc grabs him, and brings him down with the DOCK BOTTOM!!!
HHL: DOCK BOTTOM! A CHAIR SHOT AND A DOC BOTTOM OUT OF SHEER DESPERATION, AND IT MIGHT BE THE END FOR FLYNN!
PIP: Good Guy Flynn needs the crowd’s support right now!
The Doc drops down on top of Flynn!
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
TH- NO!!! FLYNN WITH A SHOULDER UP RIGHT AS THE REF’S HAND IS ABOUT TO HIT THE MAT FOR THE THIRD TIME!!!
PIP: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!???
HHL: Unbelievable! These two men have gone to the peak of human endurance!
PIP: That’s the XWF Xtreme Rules for you BAYBAY!
HHL: I think it’s safe to say whoever hits the final move shall take the XWF Xtreme Title!
PIP: And in this case, I guess that means “whoever gets up first”!
Both wrestlers on the mat begin to stir, very slowly and gingerly, after the damage they have both received. The Doctor gets to his feet just that instant earlier and approaches the still reeling Xtreme Champion! He hooks up the shoulder and prepares to lift him up…
HHL: This has to be it! The Doc’s Falcon Arrow!
PIP: Flynn’s going to be Lobotomized!
The Doctor lifts up Flynn in the air… BUT FLYNN COMES RIGHT BACK DOWN! He plants his feet on the floor, and uses Doctor DeVille’s own momentum against him! Counter Suplex by the Xtreme Champion and Doctor DeVille hits the mat hard! The doctor’s back is still feeling the effects of the impact as Flynn breaks into a sprint! The Doc turns around and Flynn is coming at him with a knee! RIPARTE RIGHT TO THE DOC’S CHIN, and the Doc is out cold!
HHL: The end is near…
PIP: Good Guy Flynn is going to make it!
Flynn forces the downed Doc to his feet, lifts him up to the air in a suplex, and the crowd begins a “GOOD GUY FLYNN! GOOD GUY FLYNN!” chant… before the Xtreme Champion brings down the Doc in a cutter![/color]
HHL: … AND THE END IS HERE!
Exhausted after the grueling match, it’s all Mark Flynn can do to crawl on the mat to hook the fallen Doctor’s leg!
PIP: Academic cover by Good Guy Mark Flynn!
ONE!...
...
TWO!!...
…
THREE!!!
*DING DING DING!*
Winner and STILL XWF XTREME CHAMPION - Mark Flynn
The arena darkens when suddenly, the X-tron flickers to life, showcasing a montage of twisted images.
HHL: "Oh no, here he comes! Brace yourselves, folks!"
PIP: "Get ready for a spectacle that will likely both captivate and disgust, courtesy of the one and only, “Dark Warrior” himself, Micheal Graves!"
As the haunting melody reverberates through the speakers, a single spotlight illuminates the entrance ramp. Out of the darkness emerges Michael Graves, The Dark Warrior.
Bound in duct tape, several figures stand motionless on the stage, their eyes filled with fear. Their bodies writhe awkwardly, held captive by the adhesive bonds.
The camera zooms in on their anguished faces, capturing their desperate struggle for freedom.
Graves slowly saunters towards the stage, running his fingers across the duct taped hostages, sexually teasing the bound figures with a sadistic delight.
HHL: "Look at him, PIP! Graves revels in the disgust he generates from the fans. He thrives on their discomfort!"
PIP: "Love him or hate him, you can't deny his ability to leave an unforgettable impression. The Dark Warrior has perfected the art of making the audience squirm in their seats."
With every step, Graves amplifies the theatrics. His movements become increasingly provocative.
He gyrates his hips and licks one of the bound figures cheeks with an unnerving intensity.
The camera captures the reactions of the crowd, from gasps of disbelief to expressions of discomfort and physical sickness.
Graves reaches the ring, where a microphone is waiting for him. The extras, still bound in duct tape, are left behind on the stage, a grotesque display that intensifies the unsettling atmosphere.
HHL: "I can't believe we're allowing Graves to come out and speak after that despicable attack on Mark Flynn last Warfare."
PIP: "Whatever he has to say, it's sure to be provocative and disturbing. The Dark Warrior never fails to push the boundaries."
Graves raises the microphone to his masked lips, and a hush falls over the arena as the audience erupts in boos.
"My beloved XWF Universe, have you longed for my return?"
The crowd's disapproval grows louder.
”It feels good to be out here as myself again!”
And louder still…
”I've endured an extended period in obscurity, hidden away from the limelight for far too long. It has been a tormenting six months since my fateful encounter with Mark Flynn, a bitter clash that left me questioning my very existence. Throughout this time, I've tried my utmost to endure the storm, to persevere and keep pushing forward. I even went to the lengths of rescuing Cadryn Tiberius from his own personal torment, all in pursuit of tag team gold. Yet, despite my efforts, nothing seemed to work. No matter what I did, I couldn't overcome the lingering effects of that "Bad Medicine" forcibly administered by Mark Flynn!
And all of you... Oh, how you reveled in my anguish, finding joy in every defeat and setback I endured. Mark Flynn, that detestable nuisance; he didn't just conquer me, he turned me into a laughingstock and humiliated me!
I was sold a worthless deception, not even worth the paper it was printed on!
I've experienced the deepest pits of despair multiple times in my life, but all thanks to Mark Flynn, I've been dwelling in that darkness for the past six goddamn months!
Flynn is nothing but a charlatan, a counterfeit, a complete fraud!
Yet, the world perceives me as the one who played that part, the loser Graves whom the entire world mocked and ridiculed!”
Graves glares at the audience in anger.
“You people laughed,” he sneers, his eyes darting across the sea of faces in the crowd. "And you continued to laugh even when RoboGravy began to rack up victories!
But while you were reveling in your ignorant amusement, I was soaring! Reclaiming my confidence and assuming the role of the superior wrestling machine that I am—BECAUSE I AM SUPERIOR!"
”Always have been!”
"Then it happened... Mark-fucking-Flynn triumphed over me once again," he hisses, his voice a seething mix of resentment and malice. "In that treacherous triple threat match, where victory may have slipped through my grasp, but let it be known—I didn't fail. I wasn't pinned! I wasn't submitted!"
”I WAS STOPPED BY A FUCKING MAGNET, NOT MARK FLYNN!”
“No matter, nothing to see here. It’s just another instance of Gravy not getting the job done. Par for fucking course! Nothing I can do but keep pushing forward…”
”So I did…”
”Enter Bobby Bourbon, that self-proclaimed savior of righteousness, with his ill-fated attempt to rob me of my identity. Clad in my RoboGravy armor, I stood tall, defiant in my reinvention. Yet, Bourbon, that insufferable fool, dared to soil my transformation with a devastating Bobby Bomb in the Xtreme Hallway’s that shattered my robotic facade.”
A moment of eerie silence fills the air, the weight of Graves' revelation hanging like a heavy cloud.
”It was in that moment, amidst the wreckage, that clarity struck me like a lightning bolt.”
”Ah, the bitter truth unveils itself, my treacherous fiends: I have spent far too long trying to appease those very same people who lampooned Peter Gilmoure and left him stranded on banishment island.”
”Enough of these pretenses! No longer shall I dance to the tune of YOUR expectations, sacrificing MY essence to satisfy this company's shallow desires. The lies and the games all end here!”
”I AM THE DARK WARRIOR! I AM THE MONSTER HIDING BENEATH YOUR CHILD'S BED. I AM THE FUCKING PAST THAT THIS COMPANY TRIES SO GODDAMNED HARD TO SWEEP UNDER THE RUG!”
”AND I AIN’T GOING ANY-FUCKING-WHERE!”
”BUT FUCKING-UP!”
”From this point forward, I, Michael Graves, shall cast aside the shackles of conformity and emerge as the unapologetic embodiment of my true self. No optimal path, just MY path—one carved in the flesh of my victims, of which at the moment there lies but one target: the motherfucker who dares to stand in the way of my ascension time and time again!”
The crowd pops into a mixed, but mostly positive reaction to the man they think Graves is hinting towards, Mark Flynn.
”Yes, my frenzied fiends, I direct my wrath towards none other than Mark Flynn. The time has come for his downfall, for his bones to shatter beneath my relentless assault. I shall deliver a reckoning so fierce, so merciless, that it shall reverberate through the annals of XWF history. Mark Flynn, prepare to writhe in agony, for your demise is inevitable. In the ring of our twisted theater, I shall strip YOU of YOUR facade, exposing the feeble, fragile, fractured mortal beneath, and I won’t do it in some dank hallway or with some uninspired ambush attack. No, instead, I’ll defeat Mark Flynn where it hurts him the most—head on, ONE ON ONE, in THIS VERY RING!”
Graves extends his hands into the depths of his cape and produces Mark Flynn’s Xtreme Championship, causing a loud and rowdy Mark Flynn chant to break out. Graves raises the coveted X-Title high above his head, a proclamation to his imminent reign.
“AND I TOOK THIS TO ENSURE THAT MATCH HAPPENS!”
”So Mark, whattaya say!?”
The crowd… gently boos Mark Flynn.
HHL: Hmm, y’know, I gotta say, the crowd is at least getting a little less fervent in their Flynn hatred.
PIP: Maybe they’re just excited Flynn’s coming out here to shut up Graves.
…Flynn has a microphone in hand. His gaze zeroes in on Gravy… He lifts the mic.
…
He shoves it to the ground. He rips off his bomber jacket. The crowd pops!
HHL: Oh wow! For once, the loudest mouth in the XWF has no words! And this crowd loves it!
The crowd erupts in a mix of cheers and jeers as their so-called “hero” comes charging down the ramp and looking for a fight.
With a twisted grin, Graves commands Mark’s attention. "STOP!" he bellows, his voice cutting through the noise like a dagger.
Flynn halts at ringside as the arena falls silent, held captive by Graves’ sinister presence.
With a twisted grin, Graves opens his cape, revealing a horrifying sight—Thunder Knuckles former make-a-wish kid, Lilabeth, tightly bound and helpless, secured to his leg by unforgiving restraints.
Mark Flynn's eyes widen in a mix of shock and concern as he locks his gaze upon the sight of Lilabeth in tears, pleading for help.
"...Or the girl gets IT!" Graves taunts, his voice oozing with sadistic pleasure while he thrusts his pelvis suggestively.
The crowd gasps in disbelief at the plight of this innocent child.
Mark’s gaze shifts from Gravy to Lilabeth… To Gravy… To the stolen X-Treme Title on Gravy’s shoulder…To Gravy… The Kid briefly…
"So, Mark, whattaya say? Will you dare to face me, your darkest nemesis one more time, and THIS time, in a match that's so X-Treme that one of us ain't walking away from it? The choice is yours… “good guy”, but know this—the clock is ticking, and the consequences of your inaction shall be dire!"
…
Flynn grins.
”Gravy, you think I give a shit about a sick child?”
”...Oh no.”
”Between TK, Graves and now Flynn, I don’t think Make-a-Wish is going to work with XWF in the future…”
”I’m gonna come in that ring and BEAT you to DEATH with your own arms!”
Graves looks… a little surprised. He looks down at the child, who shrugs.
”Well, Mark, if you wanna die right now, th-... H-hey, wait!”
Mid-dramatic-exchange, Flynn had slid into the ring, reeling back his fist for some brawling!
With his lightning-fast reflexes, the ‘Dark Warrior’ dodges backwards! Doing so, the belt flies off his shoulders…
Flynn grabs at the flying gold belt! He grabs an end! Graves grabs an end!
And the tug-of-war begins! The two pull and yank to rip it from the other’s grip!
”No! It’s mine! I stole it fair and square!”
”I won it via LEGAL TOMFOOLERY! The most legitimate way to win ANYTHING!”
As the two pull on it, Lilabeth grabs the bottom, (perhaps looking for some way to draw these adults’ attention to the fact she’s still bound to Graves’ leg!) She pulls straight down… Loading the belt with kinetic energy…
…Flynn’s eye twitches as he notices. ”Kid, you let go! It’s mine!”
Lilabeth complies, releasing… And the belt slingshots! Straight into the air!
Graves’ hands pop up like an outfielder.
”I got it! I got i-”
WHAM. Flynn kicks Graves in the stomach. Graves doubles over.
”I got it!” Flynn punches his own hand, to make it more glove-like! The belt reaches its apex… And starts coming down.
Graves goes to kick Flynn… But he can’t lift his leg as easily, with a (terminally-ill) eight-year-old tied to his leg!
”Oh shit, who put you there?!?”
HHL: YOU DID!
Flynn back-pedals… He’s got the belt in his sights!
Gravy… Masterfully, like the second coming of Pele himself, swings his leg backwards…
Lilabeth is kicked over Graves’ shoulder… At Flynn!
Just as the belt is coming down!
…
Flynn…
Flynn catches…
…
LILABETH!
Flynn lands on his back! The child is safe in his arms!
The crowd cheers! Lilabeth, grateful for the rescue gives him a peck on the cheek! ”My hero!”
PIP: Aha! Was Flynn’s not-caring a ploy to save the child?
HHL: How noble!
Flynn looks around, very confused as to why he’s being cheered all of a sudden. Distracting him, such that…
…Plop! The falling belt bounces off his face…
And into Graves’ arms!
The ‘Dark Warrior’ slides out of the ring, belt still in tow!
Flynn sneers, as he drops the terminally ill girl onto her feet.
”Graves, you want a match? You’ll get an EXECUTION! I will actually MURDER YOU!”
…
…The crowd goes silent, a little uncomfortable with that implication.
…
Flynn clears his throat.
”Uh… For justice!”
The crowd cheers all over again! Lilabeth hugs Flynn’s leg!
Graves sneers, dissatisfied with how this has played out…
”Hahaha, glad to hear it, Flynn… But, I have one last surprise for you…”
Graves reaches for his waistband… ”You see, I… uh…
…He checks his (mysteriously wet) pockets… ”I always have…uh…”
Graves checks his (mysteriously dry) back pockets… ”An ace up my sle-... SHIT, WHERE IS IT?”
The crowd murmurs, perplexed…
Flynn looks around… And spots where Graves was standing… A switch?
”hahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” The ‘Dark Warrior’ laughs as he disappears into red mist himself…[/dwg]
”Oh, what the fuck…”
…
The mist clears.
The ring is covered in red.
…
And Lilabeth…
Is… gone?
…
…
Oh God.
Flynn sees his right leg… The one that Lilabeth was holding onto… just drenched in crimson.
…
The crowd starts booing Flynn. So fuckin’ hard.
HHL: Unbelievable. I can’t believe Mark Flynn would explode a terminally-ill eight-year-old girl.
…
Flynn looks lost… Like a Looney Tunes character who just got hit with an anvil.
”No… Wait… They were cheering… I’d done it… I had them…”
PIP: Absolutely unforgivable. What a villain.
The segment closes as ring crew comes out with a hose to clean the ring.
HHL: But, we do have a match! Micheal Graves and Mark Flynn in “The Most X-Treme Match Ever Created!” Wow!
"Lil Sick" by Sick Carnt plays
"GET OUT OF ME COUNTRY"
The crowd pop as Noah Jackson strolls lazily from the back and basks in the glow of sick cunt energy washing over him. He slowly puts his right foot forward and glides down the ramp on his heelies, rhythmically raising and lowering pointed fingers to the sky as the crowd chants.
"CUNT!"
"CUNT!"
"CUNT!"
Until he reaches the apron where he gracefully rolls under the bottom rope and goes straight to the corner continuing his motions and then chants until his music is rudely cut off.
"Vaughnemous" begins to play
EYES
ON
VAUGHNEMOUS
NO, I WON'T GIVE IN, I WON'T GIVE IN
TILL' I'M VICTORIOUS
AND I WILL DEFEND
I WILL DEFEND
The lights in arena turn into an explosion of pinks, purples, greens, rainbows, unicorns on fire, lucky charms, rivers of sugar, and mountains of Meow Mix Ocean Explosion tuna treats as Angelica Vaughn walks out onto the ramp. She pauses with her hands on her hips, letting her cape sway gently, and gives her opposite coast home crowd a wide smile. Behind her, a blur of black and red speeds forward and under her arms as Sarah Lacklan slides in front of her and matches her pose, her head nearly a full foot under Angie's. Sarah tilts her head way wayway back and up and flashes her Billion $$$ Smile, and the two wink at each other. Angie then takes her hands off her hips and pushes Sarah forward, making the former Universal Champion squawk in wide-eyed surprise, before the two make their way down the aisle.
Halfway there, Angie slows to a stop, her face turning slack, with her jaw falling to her chin. Ahead of her, Sarah sighs and rolls her eyes before backing up to Angie and, with a gentle firmness, pulling her away from that Cute Boy she had noticed sitting in an aisle seat. Angie looks longingly at the verified Cute Boy while Sarah shakes her head.
Once at ringside, Sarah slides into the ring underneath the ropes as Angie climbs the steps. Sarah gets to her feet and pulls down the top rope with all her weight, allowing Angie to step over the top rope like the most giant of giant wrestlers. As Angie walks to the center of the ring and stands with her hands on her hips, Sarah takes a microphone from Tigs and gives her a big wink.
SARAH:Hello, everyone! My name is Sarah Lacklan-
The crowd, dutifully, responds with the sound of a trumpet’s fanfare.
SARAH:World’s Greatest Life Coach and I am here to introduce to you the very FIRST member of the Family First of the XWF and my absolute (non-spouse) #RideOrDie. She is standing at the eternally totes-too-tall height of five feet and eleven inches...
CROWD: BAY-BAY
SARAH:...and weighing in today at about...oh...I'd say about thirteen or fourteen well-fed kitties...and because she likes dumb, useless, God-awful farm chores-
Sarah shutters in disgust.
SARAH:-she is fighting out of the Supes Totes Amaze Ranch in Texas...she is the Leggy Blonde of Legend…President of the Deborah Hodge Fan Club…the FUN-raiser of the XWF...the Vaughnemous A.N.G…
The crowd waits patiently as Sarah takes a deep breath.
SARAH:ANGELICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Angie raises her hands into the air as a bedazzled spotlight shines down on her.
SARAH:VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
The crowd breaks out into a chant as Angie leads them with pumps of her arms.
With the cooking stations, pans and briefcases getting set up, it looks like everything is underway to start this match!
DING! DING! DING!
HHL: TV title match coming right up, but uh… Pip… you get the feeling that someone doesn’t look exactly ready for this match?
Pip: What I know, Heather, is that these eggs better not be fucking RAW when they’re done! Gordon Ramsay himself is waiting here at ringside for the taste test!
HHL: Very true! Hopefully these competitors can do their best to impre-
NOAH JACKSON RUNS OUT OF THE CORNER TO START, HAVING A BEE-LINE RIGHT ON ANGELICA VAUGHN!
BUT VAUGHN RESPONDS WITH A MUAY THAI KNEE TO THE CHIN THAT KNOCKS OUT NOAH JACKSON AS HE FLOPS TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING LIKE A FISH!
HHL: …Well… I’d say Noah Jackson should first worry about getting himself back onto his feet…
Angie looks surprised that her knee managed to do that much damage to Noah, but she’s not going to let her shock get in the way of her duty. She quickly passes by the cooking stations inside the ring, instead rolling out the other side of the ring to where the pans are suspended! Finding her pan written with her name in bright, white cursive, Angelina snatches it!
And the champ is off with her pan! The briefcases holding all the ingredients are scattered around ringside in a circle, so she has to waste no time going about it! Angie quickly snatches her briefcase labeled ‘eggs,’ and circles around to the cream briefcase!
But wait! Noah is back on his feet and looking for some more! He throws a right hand - but Angie responds by jabbing the cream briefcase into his gut! Noah’s on his knees now as Angie delivers a roundhouse kick to the face - AND IT BREAKS HIS NOSE AS BLOOD GOES FLYING!
Pip: That’s a hazard in the kitchen right there, Heather!
HHL: Angie’s not letting go of the driver’s seat in this match after that furious kick - Noah has to catch up quickly and get his head in the game if he wants to make a difference!
Angie manages to get the rest of the briefcases without any hassle, and comes back to the ring! She slides in gently, making sure not to break those eggs inside, before getting right to her work! Taking the key inside of her pan, she sets the briefcases up along her cooking station before opening them! Eggs, cream, butter, seasonings, chives… they’re all ready to go!
Things begin to fade away from the XWF and into the Food Network as Angie readies up the pan! With the eggs getting cracked into there and the butter being added, it looks like she’s going to get right to victory!
But wait! Noah’s back for some more! He looks groggy and lost on his feet, and that broken nose is a gusher right now with how much blood is flowing out! Angie looks mortified at the sight, but she can’t back down now! She circles behind Noah, before coming to his kitchen station - SHE BASHES HIS HEAD ON THE STOVE GRATE AT HIS STATION!
HHL: If Noah didn’t have a concussion before, he certainly does now!
Pip: He’s tenacious right now though, I’ll give him that, Heather! He’s not knowing when to give up!
With the distraction momentarily taken care of, Angie comes right back to her station. With the eggs and butter being combined, Angie cranks on the heat and starts to get right to stirring! She’s very careful to not accidentally start whisking as Gordon Ramsay squints daggers at her from ringside, pacing around. The nerves start to crank up a little bit, but Angie keeps her cool!
Just as she takes the pan off of the heat momentarily to keep stirring, Noah is back! He’s still groggy, but he’s still trying to go for some heavy strikes! Angie’s got to do her best here with the pan taking up her hands, but her movements are fluid! Slipping past the punch, backstepping out of the way of the kick, ducking back past the right hook - Angie is dancing around Noah AND she’s still keeping her eggs being stirred!
And another HARD roundhouse kick to the skull drops Noah to the mat!
HHL: Our Television Champion is showing her stuff right now! She may not be the most acrobatically talented of them all, but her reflexes are top-notch there!
Pip: At this rate, you gotta think the side for these eggs have to be Noah’s chances at winning this match…
As Angie repeats the process of stirring the eggs, Noah seems to get desperate, and takes the pan from ringside before HE comes into the ring and starts to get cooking! But wait - where are his briefcases?!
HHL: Do we even want to know what he’s doing?!
Pip: I dunno if we can show this on live TV, Heather…
In on Angie’s pan comes the cream! The seasonings! They’re all coming together to create a delicious platter of scrambled eggs! The delicious aroma coming from Angie’s pan floods practically the entire arena as everyone feels their mouths collectively water!
And finally, she takes it to the platter! She has no idea what Noah’s trying to do, but she turns up her nose at it as coming out on Angie’s pan is a perfect plate of scrambled eggs! With the chives as the finishing touch, she garnishes it and readies it for completion!
“STOP!” comes the booming voice of Gordon Ramsay, demanding both Angie and Noah step back from their stations. He comes in, brow furrowed, eyeing up Angie’s plate and inspecting it.
HHL: I dunno if I can take the suspense, Pip… Angie looks like she made a really good plate of eggs, but if there’s anyone who’s the toughest critic in the food world…
Pip: We’re gonna see if Angie’s got what it takes, or if she’s just another idiot sandwich!
Gordon takes a fork, piercing the eggs with it. It comes apart delectably, and he nods approvingly at it before taking a bite. He chews, chews, chews…
There’s a collective silence in the arena…
Everyone leans forward…
Sweat drips down Angie’s face…
Noah is, for some reason, back to cooking…
The tension is at a knife’s edge…
…And Gordon swallows the eggs!
AND HE’S GOING BACK FOR MORE!
HHL: It seems like he’s really liked it!
Pip: Seems like we’ve got a winner here already!
Relief breaks across Angie’s face as the fans pop while Gordon Ramsay goes to shake her hand! “Brilliant platter, love - excellent stuff!”
Feeling a level of content from the entire experience, Angie sneaks a bite of her own eggs and nods along as well, while meanwhile… Gordon goes over towards Noah, furrowing his brows at him. “The bloody Hell are you doing?”
Noah mouths off back at him, and ‘cunt’ can be audibly heard among his slurred speech. Gordon shakes his head as Noah presents the pan to him. Gordon holds it up by the handle… and slowly tips it over onto the mat. A thick, disgusting, yellowish sludge with streaks of red stream out onto the mat and spills all over… and the key falls out after! Gordon simply shakes his head at the sight.
HHL: That red… did… Did Noah’s blood get into his food?!
Pip: Oh, I’m gonna be sick!
Even Angie holds back the urge to vomit as Gordon turns back to Noah. “The Hell were you thinking?! How did you even get the ingredients to cook this utter garbage?!”
Noah simply shrugs, as if to say, “I don’t know, Cunt.”
“You just made… something… that would make every single abominable insect in Australia have their stomachs churn. That’s a fucking achievement right there, ‘Cunt.’”
Gordon tosses the pan right at Noah, and it hits his foot! Noah falls down onto one knee as Angie runs in to hit the VAUGHNEMOUS! It hits beautifully as Noah gets tossed from the ring from it!
HHL: Looks like Noah just got Chopped!
Pip: Hey-yo!
“Ladies and gentleman, STILL your Television Champion, ANGELICA VAUGHN!” Gordon Ramsay announces triumphantly as he raises Angie’s hand! She’s presented the belt from ringside and holds it up with Gordon raising her hand.
Winner and STILL Television Champion: Angelica Vaughn!
Backstage, Ned Kaye is sitting on a gurney, a doctor stitching up the damage he sustained after his battle with Bobby Bourbon. Kaye is stone-faced, a layer of dried blood covering his face, only somewhat cleaned and smeared as he stares at the camera, only nearly wincing at the stitches being placed in his face. He inhales deeply, his glare icy and focused before he speaks.
“Couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you, Isaiah?”
The XWF medical professional steps out of the way somewhat, letting the cameras get a clearer shot of Ned. Ned’s hand tightens as his nails dig into his hand.
“You decided you wanted to take this grudge you have against me as far as it will take you. Tarnish my win against Mastermind. Interfere on my behalf against Bourbon. You want to play with my honor because I believed in you, King. When I ended your streak, I let the world know the man you could be and instead you’ve opted to be… whatever the hell you are now. Worse still, you’re intentionally avoiding having a match with me. I tried being your ally, King. I showed you a better way and you have a War Games win because of it. But you can’t handle the fact that my way works and yours doesn’t, so you have to drag me in the scum and slime you think you need. You’re stealing merit from my victories. Now, most don’t give a damn how they win, but I do and you are counting on that. You’ve set out to turn me into an enemy of yours, Isaiah.”
The final stitch is placed, a clear spot of cleaned skin surrounded by a sea of crimson. Ned’s gaze does not falter. The doctor steps to the side, leaving Ned alone in the frame.
“All you’ve done is cement my place as a teacher. And you are about to learn a lesson that will be etched in your mind for the rest of your day: do not mistake compassion for weakness. You’ve got my attention, undivided. And I have a curriculum of violence prepared for you. I don’t care where it happens. If I need to face you one-on-one as soon as I can get the match signed. If we need to face in the Leap of Faith ladder match. Retribution, as you understand, is something worth being patient for.”
His voice is almost serene despite the fervor behind each word. He leans forward, staring through the camera, as if gazing into the eyes of Isaiah King himself.
“I can wait, Isaiah. But I won’t wait long.”
The scene cuts.
"Ode to Joy" by ADYA plays
The stadium spotlights rush up toward the ceiling and Waters appears under the XTron. She marches to the beat of Ode To Joy, the crowd roaring, her gaze set squarely on the squared circle. She climbs through the ropes and takes the center of the ring. Raising a single fist into the air.
"Identity" by Grandson plays
The arena is pitch black and the melancholy opening tunes to “Identity” begin. But as the song starts to pick up in intensity, down in the entry way, you see a Jericho-esque light up jacket glow brilliantly. Then, twin explosions emit from either side of the ramp and the lights turn on in a swirling red and blue pattern that throb in sync with the beats of the song. Corey comes down the ramp, the jacket now flashing intermittent heart and lightning bolt patterns. On the 'Tron you see images of Corey/Lux pulling off fantastic moves, intercut with blur effects on Corey's face that obscure his features in an eerie way.
Corey gets on the ring apron, throwing his arms over the top rope as the jacket keeps flashing. He looks pumped as hell, and starts pointing out at the fans before rushing to the top rope, surveying the crowd from on high, before dropping down to the canvas and handing off his jacket. He paces the ring now, waiting for the match to begin as the music and lighting effects wind down.
"Soldier Dream" by ROOT FIVE plays
The arena lights turn gold as the intro of “Soldier Dream” by ROOT FIVE hits the PA.
Tig: “And now, standing tall at 6'0" and weighing in at 227 lbs., from Osaka, Japan, “The Lion”... RAIOOOOOOOOOOON… KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Raion Kido appears on stage, letting out a lion’s roar.
“Saint Seiyaaa! (Seiyaaa!)
Mezasu kiboo no iro wa
Kedakai hodo utsukushii…”
Raion spreads his arms and breaks into a bird run towards the ring, slapping the fans’ hands along the way. He slides into the ring on his belly and springs into his feet.
“Saint Seiyaaa! (Seiyaaa!)
Tsubasa wa ten wo kakeru
Erabareta moushigo no you niiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”
Facing the camera, Raion throws a one-two punch forward, his final pose as the music dies down.
The referee holds the XWF Universal Championship in the air, and the camera pulls back from the image, panning a full circle shot of the capacity crowd in Seattle. Not a single fan is sitting in their seat.
The bell rings, and we’re underway.
Dolly and Smith slowly emerge from their corners, and begin moving toward Kido, while the champion darts his eyes back and forth, sizing both of them up. All the while Smith is keeping his distance from Waters, while the two converge on Kido from opposite angles. Just as the three are about to collide, Dolly rolls under the bottom rope and hits the floor. The crowd is mixed with boos and cheers as Corey and Kido lock horns.
HHL:I don’t guess we could’ve expected anything less from that huckster Dolly tonight.
PC: What do you mean? Employing a brilliant strategy? You’re not wrong Heather. Dolly doesn’t need to get her hands dirty here. If Kido and Smith want to act so brash and bold, let them! Dolly will be waiting to scavenge what’s left of these so-called heroes.
Kido’s tremendous strength shoves Corey back to the center of the mat, but the cagy Smith drops a knee and pulls Kido down to the mat with him. Smith raises his knees, planting them into Kido’s chest and flips the Universal Champion onto his back. Smith goes for a left forearm drop, but Kido grabs the arm, and tries slithering out from under the champion, wrapping his legs around and trying to lock in an armbar. Both men wrestle to their feet, unlock their grapples and step away. The crowd gives the two a standing ovation as Corey and Kido share smirks and start to circle one another..
The two lock horns again, but it’s Kido with a quick whip into the ropes this time. Smith rebounds, going for a running attack, but Kido drops to his stomach, leaving Smith no option but to hop over him on the run. Kido pops back to his feet, waiting on Corey to rebound again, only he doesn’t get a running Corey, but a stumbling Corey as Dolly jumps up on the apron to crack Corey in the back with a fling dropkick. Corey stumbles into the waiting arms of Kido who snaps Corey to the mat with a stinging sling blade.
Now Kido easily locks in the armbar he was looking for earlier, but Corey starts pulling toward the ropes quickly. Using his right arm, and shifting his knees around, Corey starts dagging toward the rope, but Kido is still pulling at the left arm. Torquing. Twisting. Tearing the arm right from the socket. Smith screams, and finally drapes the bend of his arm over the bottom rope…
But there’s no break!
PC: In this triple threat contest, the only way to win is via submission or pinfall. Kido doesn’t have to release his hold here!
Corey is in a bad way here, trying to pull himself under the ropes for separation, but it isn’t working. Kido’s back is facing the ropes as he squats over Smith, pulling the arm. Corey is climbing under the bottom rope, howling out in pain. But with a thud, the howling stops, and the resistance slips in Kido’s arms, as Dolly Waters comes running across the apron, punting Smith in the head. Before Kido can react, she has the Universal champion by the hair, pulling him throat-first across the top rope. But Dolly doesn’t let go, she strangles Kido. Using the champion’s hair as a rope to dangle just above the floor, and as the champion tries pulling himself over the top to break the struggle, Dolly releases, causing Kido’s head to whip back violently and smack the canvas.
Kido doesn’t even have time to grab at his throat before Dolly already has his leg from the outside, pulling him toward the turnbuckle post. She sets his knee right next to the steel post and reaches under the ring, grabbing a chair. She sizes his knee up and takes off running with the chair, looking to cause some serious damage here, but her momentum is halted.
From behind, Corey pulls the chair out of Dolly’s hands and throws it to the ground. The two share an argument before Dolly flips Corey the middle-finger. Smith has seen enough.
A big roundhouse kick from Smith!
THAT DOLLY ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY FROM!
Instead of connecting with Dolly, Corey’s kick lands right on Kido’s knee, driving it into the turnbuckle, and in the confusion Waters has shift behind Corey, blasting him in the back of the knee with a chop block.
Dolly regains possession of the chair and now she has the vulnerable Smith in her sights, who is struggling to regain his footing while hunched over the ring steps. Dolly screams and swings wildly with a decapitating chair shot…
ONLY SMITH AVOIDS THIS TIME!
Dolly meets steel with steel as the chair smacks on the steps. The recoil sending jolts of pain through her hands and forearms. And before anyone can realize it, Dolly is eating a running baseball slide kick from Kido under the ropes, causing her to fall into Corey just as he stands up beside her. The two tumble toward the barricade while The Lion pounces on his prey. A punch lands flush on Dolly’s chin, knocking her out cold. Corey kicks at Kido, but the champion grabs the leg. When Corey tries to reverse with an enziguri, Kido steps back, causing Smith to whiff. He snatches Corey up by the waist, and german suplexs him toward the ring apron. Corey’s head slaps the apron on his way to the arena floor, as The Lion roars to a thunderous approval from the fans. But the celebration is short lived, as down by his feet, Dolly twits up the sore knee of Kido and dragonscrews him to the floor, holding onto the leg and dropping a stabbing elbow smash into the joint. Counting her blessings, Dolly limps away from the action and takes a safe vantage point from the other side of the ring, watching as Kido and Smith gather back to their feet. Kido grabs Smith by the arm and whips him toward the corner barricade, but Smith reverses, and sends Kido flying in the direction. Just as Kido smashes into the barricade, he’s met by a sprinting Corey Smith who leaps in the air and delivers a shotgun dropkick to Kido’s chest.
Smith lifts Kido up and rolls him into the ring, following behind by climbing the top turnbuckle. Just as Corey stands, ready to lay dive onto the champion, Dolly grabs the ropes. Corey loses his balance and falls on his crotch. Witch Corey straddling the turnbuckle, struggling to breathe, Dolly does a double jump. She springs from the middlerope, onto the tope turnbuckle while flipping at Corey’s head and sending them both outside of the ring with an insane diving blockbuster. Both Corey and Dolly are out on the floor, and in a tremendous amount of pain
"King's Affirmation" by Iniko blasts through the speakers as the ring plunges into darkness, Kido standing alone in it as Dolly and Corey are recovering on the outside, away from the ramp.
HHL: This parasite has been all over today's show!
PIP: Heather, it looks like he's come out packin' too.
Isaiah King walks out into the ramp, pumping a hand into the air, holding onto a wrench. He points the wrench down the ramp right at Kido, a smirk playing omn his lips. Kido drops to a half-squat, beckoning his recent opponent to come at him. Isaiah simply shakes his head, but walks down the ramp anyways.
Isaiah makes his way to the edge of the ring, luring Kido to turn his back fully on his two other opponents and angrily gesturing at the interruption.
"Come fight me like a man, Mr King."
Isaiah laughs right in his face.
My my, oh how the King falls.
As the lights settle once more, Dolly and Corey have turned to face the ramp, and Dolly points down at Isaiah while Corey just shrugs, having never run into this man. Dolly slides into the ring with cat-like speed, chop-blocking Raion from the back and dropping him to a knee. Corey seems to be right next to her, considering whether to make the most of the situation or not - Dolly rolls her eyes and rushes the ropes, slamming a hard knee into the back of Raion's head before the big man gets back to his feet.
HHL: There you have the craftiest kid on the block! Does our white knight even want to win this fight?
PIP: Heather, I think it's a little something called honour.
Isaiah claps excited like a child on the outside, his eyes revealing a much darker, angrier side than his voice lets up.
Corey starts berating Dolly for taking advantage of the Champion, which quickly escalates into Dolly throwing an elbow into the young veterans jaw. The two begin trading blows once more. This gives the Universal Champion ample time to get to his feet, rubbing his chin and glaring down at his two other opponents - he rushes them and goes for a glorious lariat on whoever gets in his way.
HHL: Our champion FURIOUS and is gonna DECAPITATE someone!
Corey practically sniffs out the bloodlust and drops to the mat, catching the rushing champion in a toe-hold which sends him tumbling towards the smaller Dolly... WHO ROLLS OUTTA THE WAY!
Kido goes crashing into the ref, slamming the larger man and the official into the turnbuckle in a bundle of arms and legs.
PIP: Kido seems really off his game today, something doesn't seem quit right...
HHL: Maybe the pressure is finally catching up to the lil' kitty.
PIP: WAIT look at the corner!
HHL: OoOooOh that scheming weasel!
Isaiah eyes are wide, his mouth stretched into a sick grin... And in his hand is...
A BLOOD WRENCH.
The Kingslayer seems to have struck the universal champion on his way down to the mat. The Lion is OUT COLD.
PIP: Somehow has to get in there and check on him!
HHL: This is the BEST time for Dolly to capitalize!
Dolly smells the blood and has already slipped behind Corey, leaping onto his back and locking in a sleeper.
HHL: Hey, where's Isaaiah?
As the camera pans back to the corner, our Kingslayer, nor his bloody wrench is anywhere to be seen. The only evidence of him ever being there, the bloodied Universal Champion lying unconscious in the corner.
Dolly covers Kido…
1!
2!!
COREY DRAGS DOLLY OFF OF THE PINFALL!
Dolly is furious as she stands, she and Corey begin trading blows again. Corey swings with a swift roundhouse, and Dolly ducks out of the way!
She hits the ropes!
Corey chases!
ODE TO JOY!
The European uppercut lands flush on Smith’s jaw, causing him to fall back into the ref before hitting the mat. The ref tumbles out and hits his head against the floor.
Smith crawls up on all fours…
RUNNING WATERS!
Dolly’s trademark running knee blasts Smith in the temple, he’s out.
Dolly covers!
….
………
………
THERE’S NO COUNT FROM THE REF!
Until now!
The dazed ref slides back into the ring…
1!
2!!
KIDO TACKLES DOLLY!
Dolly screams in frustration, having the Universal Championship slip through her fingers. As she stands, Dolly headbutts Kido, but from behind she hears something…
FACE PAIN DELUX TO DOLLY!
Still dazed, and with blood in his eyes, Kido doesn’t even realize what’s happened and instead just tries falling on Dolly for the cover.
1!
FACE PAIN DELUX TO KIDO!
COREY COVER THE CHAMPION!
1!
2!!
KIDO KICKS OUT!
Corey is stunned. Sitting up on his rear and holding his hands out in disbelief. He thinks about pinning Dolly for a moment, but he realizes she’s starting to stir. He stands up, and graabs a handful of Kido’s hair, pulling the champion to his knees…
EXTRA FACE PAIN DE-
RUNNING SPEAR FROM DOLLY!
Just as the tip of Corey’s boot connected to Kido’s temple, Dolly Waters spears Corey to the mat. As the two fall, she’s ramming a thumb into Corey's eye. The two roll around on the mat as Waters tries locking in her trademark submission hold. But the partially blinded Corey is desperate, and slithers away under the bottom rope gasping for air.
As they fall out to the floor, Smith seems fairly incapacitated, while Raion is flat in to the center of the ring, a bloody mess and ready to be picked apart. Dolly notices, and punts Corey in the head for good measure before grabbing the chair again. She climbs up to the top rope, the steel chair tucked under her arm…
SUPER DIVING ELBOW DROP WITH A CHAIR!
BUT FROM NOWHERE, SMITH INCREDIBLY PULLS KIDO OUT OF THE WAY!
DOLLY VIOLENTLY LANDS ON THE CHAIR!
SMITH, WITH FURIOUS LOOK OF DESPERATION IN HIS EYES, LIFTS KIDO UP…
HE HOOKS HIM FROM UNDERNEATH!
END OF AGES!!!!!
HHL: OH MY GOD! THAT’S THE ENGINEER’S FINISHING MOVE!
Kido’s eyes roll into the back of his skull as the agonizing pain of being twisted into this Korean Zombie Stretch starts tearing his muscles apart.
COREY PULLS HARDER!
DOLLY IS CRAWLING TOWARD THEM!
BUT COREY ROLLS KIDO AND PULLS EVEN HARDER!
KIDO TAPS!
KIDO TAPS!
WINNER - And NEW Universal Champion- Corey Smith!
As the bell rings Dolly falls to her knees slamming her fists into the mat screaming.
Corey still has the End of Ages locked in, perhaps unaware that the match has even ended.
As the new champion’s music hits the loud speakers, Smith releases the hold. Waters spits blood from her mouth and glares at Corey. He stands, preparing to fight off Dolly if he has too, but Waters mouths something to him out of earshot of the camera, and limps out of the ring.
HHL: Incredible match here tonight from these three competitors but Raion Kido's second reign as Universal Champion has come to an end at the hands of Corey Smith.
Pip: You could see in the weeks leading up to the match that Corey just wanted it more.
HHL: And now he has it. Who will Corey face in his first title defense at Leap of Faith? Tune in to Weekend Warfare in two weeks to find out.
Special Thanks to the following match writers
Dolly Waters
Raion Kido
Bobby Bourbon
Peter Principle
Liam Desmond
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