#2 Contendership to TV Title
Scoops McGee
- vs -
Charlie Nickles Falls Count Anywhere
x2500 Guaranteed to the Winner
Aurora
- vs -
Solomon Kline
- vs -
Latoya Hixx
- vs -
Ash Quinn Fatal 4 Way
Game Girl
- vs -
Sarah Wolf
Bobby Bourbon
- vs -
Prince Adeyemi
#1 Contender to Tag Team Titles
Madison Dyson & Dolly Waters
- vs -
Enigma & Yelena Gorgo Strange Bedfellows Perhaps?
RP Deadline is 11:59:59 PM PACIFIC on Friday, January 3, 2025
All matches are 1 RP/4k unless stated otherwise.
The camera pans past Nadine, fitzing with her iPhone on the Quartiles puzzle for the day…
The camera hovers outside Peter Principle’s office, peeking through his blinds!
”...No, yes.”
…
”Yessir, of course not.”
…Principle tugs at the tie, desperately trying to get it looser… As if he was struggling to breathe.
”No, yes. Yes, no.”
…
”N…yes.”
[TALKING HEAD]
”Sometimes, when I get stressed on a phone call with Mister Lane, I forget if I’m supposed to be telling him ‘yes, of course you’re right.’ or ‘no, of course, YOU’RE right’...
…
”I suppose I could listen to him and try to use context clues to determine which it is, but when I start listening, he’s usually telling me to do things, and I feel a… sort of… NOOSE of responsibility, tightening around my neck, so… Y’know, listening is NOT an option.”
…
”I find it’s better to just sort of… do a mix of ‘yes’es and ‘no’es.”
“And then, when pressed directly, make an ambiguous statement that is (1) not false and (2) taken on its face, implies that the job is handled. It’s a FOOLPROOF system!”
...
"Y'know. So long as no one asks a follow-up question."
Principle lifts his mug to his face… His hand is visibly tremoring.
[/TALKING HEAD]
”What’s that, Mister Lane?”
…
”Did I handle the Wrestling Union last Warfare?”
…
Principle tugs nervously at his tie, before grinning.
”Let’s just say… After Last Warfare, You probably won’t hear about the UNION on Warfare anymore, heheh…”
…
…Principle’s smile fades.
”Explain that comment?”
…
Principle grits his teeth.
”Well, uh… See, now, instead of the Wrestling Union, they call themselves… The Revolution.”
…
”...They still call themselves the Union on Anarchy, though? Not sure what’s going on there? But that just means you won’t hear about the UNION on Warfare anymore.”
…
”No, sir. There’s definitely not ‘A’ Revolution in the XWF, heheheh…”
…
Principle sweats.
“Why did I put emphasis on ‘A’ Revolution, you ask?”
…Principle clears his throat.
”Well, technically, there isn’t a SINGLE Revolution… because there are… three.”
…
”Well, there’s the… um… the one with Mister Flynn and Mister Graves… And uh, Mister Bourbon.”
“Then, there’s VLI, with Mister Bacchus.”
“Then, Matthias Syn is also… a Revolution.”
…
”No, not *just* because he’s the Revolution champion, he also has a… small army, I believe.”
…
”Look, Mister Lane, I PROMISE you! The ONLY problem I’m dealing with right now is the Union… slash Revolution stuff. Once I quash that nonsense, Warfare is smoooooooth sailing!”
Nadine knocks on the inside of Principle’s office door.
”Mister Principle?”
Peter glances up at his assistant.
”The emergency staff needs your okay to do a concussion check on Mister Nickles before his match? They say it’s...” Nadine skims the form. ”Medically necessary?”
Principle shakes his head.
”I’m on the phone.” Principle mouths, before waving his assistant away.
”...Sorry, Mister Lane. As I was saying, ONE problem! That’s all!”
…
”...You’re asking… Did *I* tell Mister Shark about the company’s double champion rules?”
…
”Of course, I did!” Principle nervously scratches his nose.
…
”For the record, though. The double champion rule is…?”
…
”NO champion can holds multiple singles titles? Did I hear you correctly?”
…
[TALKING HEAD]
”So…. Mister Shark is the reigning XWF Television AND X-Treme champion.”
“Normally, company tradition dictates a wrestler can only hold one singles title at a time. And Mister Lane has told me he wants that rule enforced.”
…
”But… you might have seen last Warfare, Mister Duke cut a promo saying…”
Quote:Fuck Tradition.
”His words, not mine.”
…Principel sips at his coffee.
”So… on the one hand…”
Principle lifts his right hand.
”I live by a rule… A tradition, you might call it… Which is…
Do whatever the CEO says.”
…
”But.”
Principle lifts his left hand.
”I also have a creed… A relaxed ethos… One that some traditionalists might not understand… But, when you wanna upset the apple cart, sometimes you’ve got to…”
Do whatever the COO says.”
…
”But, when ONE says… uphold tradition.”
“And the other says… EFF tradition.”
…
”Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh… Uhhhhhhhhhh…”
Principle is suddenly paralyzed with terror.
[/TALKING HEAD]
”Sir, please! Of course, I… uh… personally…!”
…
”Asked Nadine to tell Mister Shark. Uh, Nadine!”
Nadine walks back in with the form.
”Thank you, sir! They say this form just needs a signat-”
Principle swats the form out of Nadine’s hands and into his trash bin.
”Nadine! YOU told Mister Shark he couldn’t be double champion, right?”
Principle shakes his head no, rapidly at Nadine.
”Uh…” Nadine squints confused. ”No? I didn’t?”
Principle breathes a sigh of relief, giving a thumbs up to Nadine.
”Nadine! Why wouldn’t you do that when I explicitly told you to!” Principle waves his hand in the air, indicating Nadine should make up an answer.
”Uh…” Nadine scratches her head. ”Because you told me your number one policy is never give anyone bad news?”
…
Principle rapidly shakes his head.
”Sorry, Nadine’s in a tunnel.” Principle shoos her out.
…
”Sir! Here’s an idea! Mister Shark has a title match tonight! What if…”
”And hear me out!”
…
”We just… see if he drops one of his titles tonight?”
”Then, no one has to do anything!”
…
”...Handle it BEFORE Mister Shark’s match?”
”Or I’m… fired?”
…
”B-b-but, sir.”
*click*
…
Principle presses his intercom.
”Nadine?”
…
”Could you get me… Cyrus Braddock?”
…
”And a… some sort of medieval shield?”
The arena lights pulse to the rhythm of SEB's entrance music. The crowd erupts as Sebastian-Everett Bryce emerges, flanked by Lucy Wylde and Aurora. His coat flaps in his gait as he swaggers down with his Universal Championship shimmering under the lights.
The trio enters the ring, each oozing confidence, each donning their gold, as SEB grabs a mic.
Sebastian: Last week, we all got to see what happens when desperate men try to make a name for themselves… In our ring. Bacchus and his little family of misfits… Stalking, scheming, ambushing. It’s almost funny, you come at me, thinking you’re rewriting the rules, but let’s be honest - you’re just another chapter in my story… In my legend. A mere call back to an earlier episode.
The crowd erupts into a cheer as SEB adjusts the championship belt on his shoulder.
Sebastian: You call yourself ‘The Insurgent’, a pretend revolutionary. Yet all I see is a man too scared to fight fair, a man too afraid to stand before true power. Doe and Goodson to soften us up, Leary to whisper strategies in your ear… And yet it’s we that stand here as your champions. Untouchable, unbreakable, unconquerable.
Once again the audience roars at his confidence. SEB paces the ring as he pauses, anger bubbling up under him. As the crowd settles, his tone becomes sharper.
Sebastian: Moriarty, let me be clear: This belt isn't just gold and leather -it’s validation. Validation that I am the best there is… And perhaps soon, will be the best there’s ever been. As long as I hold it, all you’ll ever be is a man wondering just why you can’t quite measure up, no matter what you do. At Snow Holds Barred… I’ll remind you once more, and once more alone. This time, be sure to remember it.
SEB lowers the mic, fuming, eyes of steel staring into a camera that sends his face into a million homes. The crowd chants his name, Lucy approaches the mic, but suddenly...
...The lights dim and the ominous theme of VLI, “The Death of Peace of Mind” by Bad Omens, fills the arena.
VLI step out onto the top of the ramp, faces adorned with their classic masks. Standing center stage is the Insurgent himself, flanked by David Doe and Goodson - exuding a calm menace. Leary stands to his immediate right. Bacchus raises a mic as he removes his mask, a small smile of confidence on his lips and his voice smooth as butter.
Bacchus: Hiiiii.
The crowd’s cheers evolve into a deep boos. Bacchus’ expression curls down into one of quiet disgust.
Bacchus: Your excellence. I’m hurt — I really am. I am not a person who will slide the blade into another’s back — I have the respect for any opponent, even you, to look you in the face before doing so. You can call it “an ambush”, a “cheap shot”, “unfair”... but there’s no “fair” in mortal combat. This isn’t a game of Tag — there’s no “time outs” or “home base”. Yes, that XWF Universal Championship is a designation of the best. But you still fail to understand that to be “the best”, you do not dictate the terms and conditions of that designation. This is not “your kingdom” if you cannot secure your borders. Your distinction is defined by the conditions of your adversity. “My time,” Sebastian — I said those two words to you over half a year ago. I told you I would be patient and that I would be persistent — that is what I have been. And the time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of other things.
Lucy takes a step back, fuming but Aurora grabs her wrist - steely eyes fixed on their aggressors. She won’t be taken advantage of again.
Bacchus: “Talk”. Not fight. Color yourselves surprised that we aren’t here to pick up where we last left off — at least, not in the manner which you anticipate. Temperance is a virtue.
The boos grow only louder. Goodson and Leary exchange looks and a nod before all four towards the ring.
Bacchus: So consider this another test of your excellency. How about we put our hearts on the scale and see who’s the virtuous man?
The four mount each side of the ring and go to slip in, SEB, Lucy and Aurora drop into a readied stance. Before they can step in - a guttural roar rises from the crowd. Hopping the fence, Prince Adeyemi leaps onto the steel steps, runs the apron and slams a shining wizard into the Insurgent.
JC: "What an ambush! Isaiah King just sent a loud and clear message to SEB and Bacchus—he’s not done with either of them!"
The arena explodes in shock as the challenger hits the ring apron. Chaos ensues.
Lucy and Aurora lunge, each fibre in their bodies poised for battle. They each go for Doe and Goodson respectively. Seb rushes the side of the ring Leary stands on, hitting a European uppercut and clearing the last side of the ring.
Bacchus pushes himself up from the ground, and brings a hand to his mouth checking for blood — just a little bit from a split lip. His eyes dart to the chaos in the ring, yelling at everyone to fall back, but the gathered trio in the ring refuse to let VLI slip from their grasp. Bacchus glances about to find his attacker, only to see Isaiah having found himself at the top of the ramp, arms extended and a cocky smile plastered on his face. He has a mic in his hands.
Isaiah King: Oh, don’t stop on my account! Please- keep going! I mean, it’s not like I’ve had ANY real estate in either of your heads these last few weeks. Both of you, so busy with your little tiff, your lil skirmish… that you forgot one crucial detail. This war is three-way. Remember… I’m the hottest little thing in this show right now, and you two ain’t fairing so good. Kicking up drama to keep your stock high is smart and all… But you’ve got a hunter on your tracks… The man who doesn’t need a gang or posse. The Prince.
BG: King is playing puppet master right now, pulling the strings and leaving SEB and Bacchus to tear each other apart! He’s a master strategist—and a dangerous wildcard.
The crowd is split, cheering for the chaos in the ring, booing for Isaiah’s arrogance and some cheering for his audacity. Jonathan turns to face Adeyemi and quietly smirks, though his legs are still shaky from the blow.
Isaiah King: You see, I don’t need to ambush you, SEB. I don’t need to stalk you, Bacchus. But I will… If I want to. I just do what I want, when I want to… And right now - I want you both angry, paranoid and looking over your shoulder - because it’s time to pay yo’ taxes, and the Prince has come to collect.
JC: But look at this ring! Lucy and Aurora are holding their own against VLI, but the numbers game might be too much. And SEB? He’s barely standing!
King tosses the mic to the ground irreverently as security flood past him, getting between him and Jonathan Bacchus. The brawl in the ring intensifies, with Wylde and Aurora holding their ground against VLI. Bacchus removes his coat and gloves, rolling his shoulders as he goads Isaiah on, beckoning him forward and daring him to shove off the security… until SEB grabs the back of his sweater’s collar, spinning him around to face him, but getting held back by the security as well. Bacchus’s eyes dart back and forth, face flitting between the sneaky Isaiah and his enemy - SEB. He smiles like a man who’s learned a secret, security wrestles… Chaos.
And then, some order.
Thaddeus Duke: EVERYBODY STOP. The lot of you have been nothing but a pain in the ass, lord knows how Theo dealt with this every single week. Ya’ll forget this is MY show. And when we FIGHT, we make MONEY. This isn’t some backyard promotion. So if ya’ll wanna go at it, make us some money, bring in those viewers. Make Snow Holds Barred a show to be remembered - a triple threat, for the Universal Championship, Sebastian, Bacchus… and Adeyemi. And the tag titles on the line, against VLI. Now all of you, leave.
JC: The GM putting his foot down! And we’ve got out main event!
BG: Isaiah King may have just painted a target on his back, but he thrives in chaos. This is far from over!
JC: Well, our show tonight seems to be, but we’ll see you lot at Snow Holds Barred… Where we’ll have to sort this out for good!
CAPTAIN FUTURE APPEARS IN THE RING AS HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE SINCE HE CAME FROM THE FUTURE!!!
JC: Oh wow! I didn’t see the Captain enter the ring! Where did he come from?
BG: THE FUTURE, obviously!
JC: …No, I mean, PHYSICALLY, where did he co-
BG: THE FUUUUUUTURE!
The aggressive electronic riff opening of “DEATHLIST” by Code: Pandorum and GHØSTKID blares across the arena’s speaker system as the lights shut off entirely. The edges of the entryway flash the lime green color and the lights flicker and strobe on the stage as the opening continues to play, rhythmic and angry.
As the lyrics whisper out "You're number one on my Deathlist", the lights die out entirely, and the arena is covered in darkness.
As the music plays again, combined with the rest of the aggressive instruments, the lights on the stage turn on, casting Dickie Watson in the same green from the floor of the stage upwards, the lights from above strobing as before while he smirks.
JC: What an entrance by a living legend in Dickie Watson!
He takes a couple of steps forward into the limelight and looks around at the crowd before raising his arms out to the side. Dickie doesn’t waste time in heading for the ring. He crosses to one side around the apron, doing as he always has done and high-fiving a few select fans with a smile on his face, then doing the same to the opposite side, using both hands to do so.
BG: Living Legend? C’mon, Jacko, this kid’s 28!
JC: And he’s already wracked up a lifetime of accolades and respect from the wrestling world! He’s a THREE-time World Champion! Some critics call him The GOAT! Even “The People’s GOAT” James Raven once said “Dickie Watson > Everybody.”
BG: That’s all blather and noise, though, Jayce! Until Dickie proves he’s the best HERE? In the XWF? The elite of the elite among the wrestling world? Then, he’s got NO claim to GOAT status in my book!
Watson then reaches upwards and grabs the rope, jumping up with both feet to the apron and propels himself over the top rope into the ring. He climbs the bottom one and raises a fist upwards as the crowd pops. As his music fades, he drops to the corner, pulls on the ropes to test them, and then squats down in the corner, waiting for the match to start.
The official beckons both competitors out of their corner.
Watson steps out, dukes up, hopping from one foot to the other to get his legs warmed up for high-speed action.
Future does not need to step out of the corner as he was always at the center of the ring since he came from the Future!
JC: …Wait, what? He was just in the corner!
BG: Your eyes are playing tricks on you, Jacko. Cap has always been at the center of the ring.
JC: …But, I just saw him!
DING DING
DICKIE WATSON
- vs -
CAPTAIN FUTURE Singles Match
Future opens things up with a spinning DISCUS PUNCH!
Watson nimbly ducks under Future’s blow… Future’s hand clips cleanly over Watson’s head!
JC: Incredible athleticism on display here by Dickie Watson!
Watson rises up, looking to grapple Future by the ar-
WHAM! Watson’s skull suddenly jerks to the side! His feet stutter toward the ropes, like he just took a blow to the head!
JC: Wait, what just happened? Did Dickie just get hit by a ghost?
BG: Hardly, Jayce! Future’s punch may have appeared to miss Watson in the present, but Captain Future was *aiming* for Watson… IN THE FUTURE!
JC: …What?
Future launches a kick towards Watson, currently supporting himself on the ropes! The tip of Future’s boot bounces off Watson’s ribs!
…Watson looks down, perplexed as Future retracts his boot back toward the mat. That didn’t hur-
WHAM! Watson doubles over in pain… He nods, like, ‘okay, getting what’s going on here…’
BG: Yet another future-based attack from Captain Future!
JC: …Okay, so the attack is delayed? Is that what’s going on here?
BG: ‘Delayed’ would suggest the Captain is attacking in the present! He is actually attacking… IN THE FUTURE!
JC: …Right, but he’s launching the attack in the present, right? I mean, we can see him attacking?
BG: Only to your present-tained eyes, Jacko! In fact, all of Future’s attacks take place… IN THE FUTURE!
Future reaches forward and pulls Watson by the scruff of the neck… A full second-and-a-half later, Watson is pulled from the ropes into Future’s grip!
Future begins to latch Watson into a front-facelock, seeking a FUTURE SUPLEX…
…But, Watson springs into action! The UnderDog latches his arms under Future’s shoulder and…
HIP TOSSES HIM ACROSS THE RING!
…Future looks unscathed… But quickly scoots outside the ring!
…Future rolls to the outside, still looking unharmed…
WHAM! He suddenly grasps at his back, a stinging pain rips down his spine!
BG: Wise veteran move by Captain Future! He SAW in the Future that Watson’s move would affect him… IN THE FUTURE!
JC: …Wait, so, okay, you’re saying Future’s offensive moves take place in the future… But, his opponent launches moves in the present… and those also hit him in the future? How does that work?
BG: Because Future is IN the future! So, while they APPEAR to hit his present form, the attack actually travels through the spacetime continuum in the future to hit Captain Future… IN THE FUTURE!
JC: …Why would it do that, though?
Future grips onto the audience railing on the mat outside… (his injuries recover twice as fast because he exists in the future, where his present injuries have already healed)...
Watson doesn’t waste a second, though! He backs into the rope… CARTWHEELS across the ring…
Watson spears through Future’s present form! Future and Watson crash in a heap against the metal railing
…
And several seconds later, Future’s body splays out like he just took in the damage!
JC: Oh My God! Incredible athleticism by Dickie Watson! He tore off an incredibly acrobatic move as easily as some wrestlers might throw a punch! Guess Captain Future didn’t see that one coming!
BG: Don’t be stupid, Jacko! Of course he saw it coming! IN THE FUTURE! He just missed it in the present!
JC: …Wait, I’m confused, again. He can *see* the future? Shouldn’t he be able to see his opponent’s moves coming and, like, counter them?
BG: No, Jacko. You don’t get it. He’s got FutureSight™. So, he can see the future from the present.
JC: …Okay.
BG: As you can imagine, when you’re looking at the future, you’re not in the present. So, it’s like the Future gets in the way of Captain Future seeing the present.
JC: …I’m lost again.
Watson scoops Future up around the neck, and heaves him back into the ring…
…
Two seconds later, Future rolls under the bottom rope.
Future scampers forward to the center of the ring, a futuristically sinister smile creeps across his face as he limps away from his opponent.
Watson crawls in after his opponent… He grabs Future by the ar-
FUTURE LAUNCHES HIS ATTACK NOW! IN THE FUTURE!
His whole body spins as his foot flies through the air!
FUTURE SPINNING ROUNDHOUSE KICK!
…
But, Watson’s head snaps backwards, outside the arc of Captain Future’s kick! He drops onto his back! The kick narrowly misses, catching only air!
A moment later, Watson kips back up onto his feet!
JC: Incredible agility! There might be no one faster in all of wrestling than Dickie Watson!
BG: But did it miss… IN THE FUTURE?!?
Watson gestures Future to keep coming…
Future grins in a futuristically cocky way.
”Space Omae Wa Mou Space-deiru.” Future says in Space Japanese, the Official Language of the Future.
…
In a flash, Watson ducks!
Future’s eyes widen! His jaw drops!
BG: WAIT! WATSON JUST DUCKED FUTURE’S FUTURE ATTACK! Can Watson also see into the future?!?
JC: Either that or he just comprehends Future’s whole deal and knows to dodge twice.
Watson strafes forward as Future is too shocked to prevent the timestream from arriving where it was always meant to arrive!
Watson scoops Future into the air, with an arm across his chest…
DICKIE’S REVENGE! (Modified Lifting Reverse STO!)
Future’s skull rebounds off the mat!
JC: Ooof, he’ll feel that one tomorrow! And NOT just because he feels things in the future, that attack will be so painful th-
BG: Yes, Jayce, we get it, shuddup.
Watson rolls into a cover over Captain Future!
The official counts!
1!
2!
THREE!
WINNER: DICKIE WATSON!
JC: What an opener! Captain Future was as effective in the ring as he was from the future! But Dickie Watson proved his superior in every way tonight!
BG: Feh. Watson may have beaten the Man from the Future! But, he’s got no shortage of challengers here in the present ready to knock him down a peg!
JC: Well, if Watson turns in a performance against them like he did tonight, I like his chances!
“Honestly… This is the biggest moment of the new year.”
We return to the camera and focus on XWF newcomer and Canadian hero, Tatiana Jolee. She is dressed in a striking yellow and black tartan suit, complemented by a white button-up shirt and a matching tie, paying homage to a Hockey Night in Canada opener. Her attractive feminine features are highlighted by minimalistic makeup, and her brunette hair is styled in a pineapple top knot.
“The first Warfare of 2025 and what better place to have it than the legendary Bell Centre in beautiful Montreal!”
This venue was home to the Montreal Canadiens, and although she was a Calgary Flames fan, TJ had been in this building many times before to watch hockey. Tonight's show was in front of an enthusiastic hockey crowd, eager to cheer the superstars of the XWF as if they were wearing red blue, and white.
"We have an exciting evening ahead with numerous high-profile, including the Main Event where the #1 contendership for the XWF Tag Titles is at stake. Will Enigma and Yelena secure an opportunity to challenge Lucy Wilde and Aurora? If they do, can they prevail against one of the premier tag teams in the wrestling world?"
We get a graphic of the potential match-up with the champs on the left side and both sets of contenders on the right.
"And speaking of Aurora, will she overcome Solomon Kline, Ash Quinn, and Latoya Hixx in one of the most challenging matches any superstar can compete in? I am referring to the Fatal-4-Way, where there are no rules, and the action is relentless... It is no simple task to outlast three others in what can only be described as four corners of chaos.”
Another graphic showcasing what would be a main event on any other wrestling show. The four-way dance was anxiety-inducing because you didn’t need to be anywhere near the pin or submission to get beat. There are no rules and no rope breaks… It’s often a game of stamina and luck.
“Then there’s the #2 Contender match for the Television title between Snoops and Nickles.”
She couldn’t help but grin… That could be a great 90’s sitcom title.
“I’ll be paying very close attention to the outcome of that match… Heck, I might even join Teddy in the sky box to watch this one.”
Bold yellow suit and all…
“However… The most interesting match of the night for me will be the Hardcore Title defense of James Shark as he battles Adam Garcia and Danny English.”
And we get to the meat of the point… Her opponent for Show Holds Barred was moonlighting as both TV and Hardcore Champion. James Shark was a legend in wrestling known for his loud mouth and his louder style. Selfishly, she hoped he would retain only to help keep him nice and distracted having to look over his shoulder 24/7.
“Who do I think will win?”
She taps her chin and looks upwards as if to think…
“Honestly, I don’t know… All three are phenomenal wrestlers, and the hardcore match is an unpredictable environment full of hazards. Any one of them could walk away with the strap. But if I had to bet money, then I’d bet on Mr. Money himself, James Shark.”
A compliment to her opponent for the PPV? Yes, but as stated before… A busy and distracted James Shark will play into the well-drilled and matriculate hands of Canada’s greatest technical wrestler. A man fighting a war on two fronts is less effective than a woman challenging on one.
“At the end of the day, there are no snoozers here tonight at the Bell Centre - and much like you, I’m going to be cheering like it’s Game Seven of Lord Stanley’s cup. So lets get out there and get it, Montreal!”
She throws up an arm in enthusiasm as we fade away to the ring.
Principle is at gorilla position, nervously pacing back-and-forth in front of the curtain…
”See, Mister Shark… when Thaddeus Duke said ‘EFF Tradition’... What he MEANT was…”
…
”Let’s THINK… about gradually changing tradition. In the next financial quarter.”
…
Principle shakes his head, reaching into his pocket for notecards… He shuffles one to the back, and brings another one forward.
”Two title belts? That sounds like a real pain to lug around! Lemme take one off your hands!”
…
”Mister… Principle!”
Nadine jogs up to her boss, panting exhausted… Clearly having sprinted the length of the backstage area many a time!
”Nadine!” Principle breathes a sigh of relief. ”Did you get the… *ahem*... item I requested?”
…Nadine grits her teeth. ”Right. So… I couldn’t get a… mediveal shield on a half-an-hour’s notice?”
”Did you try Bed, Bath ‘n Beyond?”
”Mister Principle, Bed, Bath ‘n Beyond mostly has bed-related and bath-related merchandise. Their ‘Beyond’ section doesn’t include… 14th century weaponry.”
”Well, we’ll never know, will we? Because it sounds like you didn’t check.”
”I did. They don’t have it.”
”Agree to disagree.” Principle sighs exasperatedly. ”Well, did you call… uh… Mister Braddock? For, um… Security purposes?”
”Yes, I did!”
Principle breathes a sigh of relief. ”And? When he’s coming?”
”...Oh. He’s not.”
”...He’s not?”
”He says he works for Mister Thaddeus Duke, not some…” Nadine reaches into her pocket to check a Post-It Note she wrote Braddocks’ message on…
”Lilly-livered pencil-pusher fuck.”
…
Nadine puts the note away.
”Nadine. I’m about to be murdered. Do you know what James Shark does to his opponents?”
”I mean, you’re not an opponent, though, Mister Principle! Against Mister Shark, you’re basically defenseless! It’s not even sporting!”
”Do you think that’ll stop him from hitting me, Nadine?!? Sure didn’t stop him hitting his wife after she filed a restraining order!”
…Nadine grits her teeth.
”Um… Mister Principle. We’re on-air.”
…
Principle peeks over his shoulder.
And looks into the camera.
…Principle clears his throat.
”Allegedly hit his… uh… we at the XWF do not cond-… *ahem.”
Principle gives up, spinning back toward his assistant.
”Nadine, please tell me I’m not going out there alone…”
”Oh, you’re not! I did find someone, on this short notice… Willing to operate as temporary security…”
”Really!?!”
”So long as they can… call in a favor later.”
”Of course! Anything! Money? Women? My executive parking space?”
”I don’t want no damn NONE of that!”
The ground shakes with each step, as lumbering around the corner!
Wearing a 5XL shirt that reads ‘UNION BUSTER’...
BIG PREESH!
”All I want is a chance to share the ring with the X-Treme champ… And when he lets his guard down… I’ll CLOBBER him!”
Preesh punches his fist into his hand.
…
”Actually, I will *also* take the money.”
…
”And the women.”
…
”And the parking space.”
…
Principle leans toward his assistant.
”Nadine, how do we get… uh… women, on short notice?”
Nadine squints, disgusted at her boss’s beh-
…Suddenly, above their heads, Principle’s entrance music plays!
”We’ll circle back on that…” Principle waves Preesh toward him. ”C’mon, Mister… Big Preesh!”
Preesh waddles on behind Principle as the two step through the curtain…
Principle walks down the ramp, flanked by “UNION BUSTER” Big Preesh, who waddles down the ramp…
Half the crowd seems ready to boo Principle, the other half doesn’t seem to quite know who he is.
BG: Well, folks! I would say it was nice knowing Peter Principle…
JC: C’mon, Brody!
BG: I would! But it wouldn’t be true! Good riddance to his moron!
JC: Warfare GM, Peter Principle, stuck between a rock and a hard place tonight! Asked by XWF Owner Vinnie Lane to deliver some bad news to XWF Double Champion James Shark… Or get the axe!
Principle nervously steps up the steps, as Preesh jelly-rolls under the bottom rope…
Walking about 70 steps has left Preesh completely drenched in sweat…
Principle waves for a microphone, and a member of the ring crew hands him one.
”Hello, XWF Universe! How we… doing! Er, tonight, I mean!”
…
Not much of a pop.
”Cool! Uh, neat! …Um… Well, I won’t take up too much time. Could… I just… Um, could Mister James Shark ple-”
THE CROWD BREAKS INTO A FRENZY!
JAMES! SHARK!
JAMES! SHARK!
JAMES! SHARK!
JC: This crowd is ELECTRIC, wanting to see the Trash Talk Royalty in action tonight!
BG: And/or see Shark actually bite Principle’s entire face off!
…Principle raises his voice…
”Um, just… if Mister Shark could come down to the ring! Just a… small, teensy little bit of… business we’ve gotta handle!”
…
No one comes out.
…
Peter looks back at Preesh, shrugging his shoulders. Actually, he looks more relieved than anything!
”...Welp! I tried! Did my best to deliver Mister Lane’s message, but CLEARLY, Mister Shark isn’t willing t-”
A custom version of BEAST by Tech N9ne begins to blast on the arena's speakers accompanied by the reaction of fans in attendance.
Insanity at it's finest
Fire starter,
Riot maker,
Moon stricken,
Animal need,
Bad seed,
Untamable beast!
A cloud of ocean blue smoke fills the top of the ramp, as the special lighting shines down upon the smoke it gives off the appearance of waves.
Shark steps through the curtain as he is immediately awash in the crowd’s absolute adoration! A packed arena screams his name!
Though he’s not in his fight gear… he’s dressed in a fine suit, sunglasses… And wearing a belt on each shoulder. The XWF Television Title on his right shoulder, the X-Treme title on his left… He calmly walks down the ramp as the crowd goes fucking ballistic for James Shark!
Shark walks up the steel steps inside the ring… As he does, Principle visibly sidesteps behind Preesh, making sure his meatshield is between himself and James Shark!
JC: Welp, James Shark is here. Now, what’s Peter Principle gonna do?
BG: He’s gonna get folded up like an accordion, is what he’s gonna do, Jacko!
…Shark steps toward the center of the ring. He tilts his head to the side perplexedly, trying to get a glimpse of Principle behind Preesh, like he’s trying to figure in what kind of sick, cowering rodent he’s sharing a ring with.
…Principle waves from behind Preesh, stepping out just enough to maintain a shred of eye contact with the Trash Talk Royalty.
”Yes! Mister Shark! Thank you so much for coming out here!”
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
”Uh… Yes, 100%! The XWF loves James Shark!”
…
”And that match with Charlie Nickles last Warfare! That was INSANE, right?!?”
The crowd pops even louder for Shark, as he glances around, coolly acknowledging the fans!
”I mean, what a match! Absolutely incredible way to crown a DOUBLE champion!”
…
Principle grits his teeth.
”Which is what makes this next part… difficult… See, company policy states th-”
”NOW!” Preesh lumbers across the ring, charging… as quick as he can… towards the X-Treme champion!
JC: Preesh calling his shot! The X-Treme title IS on the line 24/7!
Preesh goes for a leaping tackle on Shar-
WHAM! In a flash, Shark catches Preesh’s charge with a DISCUS ELBOW TO THE FACE!
PAID! IN! BLOOD!
Preesh is unconscious before he hits the mat! The ring shakes and rumbles as the gargantuan falls face-first onto the mat like a heap of cement and cake frosting!
Principle nearly tumbles to his knees as the ring vibrates and jiggles!
…Shark looks completely unshaken…
JC: Shark just knocked Big Preesh unconscious! With a single elbow! Without even using his hands!
BG: Hands?!? I think Shark took out Preesh without his sunglasses even moving off his face!
Shark turns to the crowd, folding his sunglasses, as he leans over the ropes to ask the front row… ”Who was that guy?”
…Principle dry-swallows, staring down at the pool of Preesh, snoring in the ring… Before Shark steps over the gelatinous blob, and right up to Peter Principle.
He opens his hand.
…And Principle immediately gives up his microphone.
”Now… Where were we?”
…
”Oh, that’s right. You was gonna strip me of one of these belts, right?”
The crowd boos furiously!
Principle raises his hands defensively.
”N-n-not me, sir! The… See… It’s just policy! Er… tradition!”
”Tradition, huh?” Shark scratches his head, trying to figure that one out. ”See… didn’t just last week… Thaddeus Duke say… FUCK TRADITION!”
Shark gets right up in Principle’s face as Principle cowers… It’s pretty clear that Shark’s fuck was directed at Principle, as well as anyone trying to take a belt off his shoulders.
”Well, he… uh… he did! But… see, Mister Duke said that BEFORE your m-”
”Ohhhhhhhhh! He said what he said, but didn’t mean what he meant? S’at right?”
…Principle shrugs, nodding.
Shark wraps an arm around Principle’s shoulder jovially.
”And I shouldn’t get mad at you for that, right, Opie? You’re just the messenger!”
Principle’s absolutely terrified as Shark’s arm is wrapped around his shoulder, squeezing him tight for a one-on-one.
…
”No hard feelings, Pete! After all, You’re just following orders… I’ll tell you something! I’ll tell you what you can do to get me to give up one of these belts!”
The crowd boos at the idea, but Principle nods emphatically, surprised that this is going so well!
Shark brings Principle in close until they’re nose-to-nose.
”You can take one of my belts…”
…
SHARK GRABS PRINCIPLE BY THE THROAT!
”WHEN YOU PRY IT OUTTA MY COLD DEAD HANDS!”
Principle helplessly swats at Shark’s hands… Completely ineffectively!
JC: Oh my God! Shark clearly not taking kindly to Principle’s mission tonight!
BG: That’s an understatement! Shark’s gonna actually debone Principle like the goddamned turkey he is!
As Shark shoves Principle into the corner, continuing to choke him…
Suddenly, XWF Security personnel rolls down the ramp! At the forefront of the crew… is XWF Chief Enforcer, Tommy Gunn!
JC: Hey! Tommy Gunn is back!
BG: Clearly, Theo Pryce’s hired goon missed getting to flex and bark orders!
Gunn et al charge toward the ring, as Shark continues putting the fear of God into Peter Principle…
Gunn rolls under the bottom rope… Stomping over the still-unconsious Big Preesh!
Shark releases Principle, who quickly retreats under the bottom rope…
As Gunn charges toward Shark, His security crew slides in to back him u-
WHAM! In one clean, swift motion, Shark rotates his body and DOWNS GUNN WITH ANOTHER ELBOW!
JC: Holeeeeeeeeee SHIT!
Gunn flops unconscious atop of Preesh’s body…
…The security crew that was ready to backup Gunn suddenly rolls back out… No one wanting to be the first one to charge at Shark…
Principle coughs up a lung, jogging up the ramp…
As Shark lifts his arms to the crowd!
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
TRASH TALK! ROY-AL-TY!
JC: Oh my God! This James Shark is an absolute specimen! He dropped two XWF Security enforcers back-to-back, one elbow each!
BG: And Peter Principle COMPLETELY failed to get the belt off his waist! What happens now? Is he fired? Please tell me he’s fired?
JC: We don’t know what’s going to happen regarding Peter Principle’s employment! But we do know the X-Treme Title Triple Threat? Is NEXT!
JC: Folks, if it wasn't made clear by the segment leading into this match, let me be clear that this contest is going to get NUTS!
The stadium lights slowly dim until the arena is in deep darkness. The crowd in turn stands quietly waiting for the next fighter to enter.
Rage Against The Machine's "How I Could Just Kill a Man" starts to play and some of the crowd boo. Some however... Few in fact, support the entrance of the Spanish wrestler.
JC: This man, Adam Garcia... Was just a SPLIT-SECOND away from winning a #1 contender's match for the Television Title last Warfare!
BG: Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Jacko! Did Garcia come close? Maybe. But, he didn't win! And now he's getting ANOTHER title shot? Against the man he failed to earn a match with last Warfare? It defies logic!
JC: Same man, different belt, Brody! And it's clear that Garcia impressed someone into thinking he deserves a shot to get X-Treeeeeeeme!
The lights turn a golden yellow and crimson red as Adam Garcia slowly makes his way to the ring steps, after hitting them he quickly climbs them, jumping over the third rope and placing himself in the center of the ring, where he holds his hand in a "rock" position imitating the horns of a bull to his heart, then to his lips and finally to the sky.
As he waits for the bout to start, he throws his coat to the outside of the ring and hands his glasses to the referee.
When the opening bars of “Murder Was the Case” begin to echo through the arena, a low, eerie hush falls over the crowd. The beat is slow, methodical, and ominous—setting the stage for something dark, something dangerous. The lights dim as the haunting tone of the intro creeps through the speakers, and the crowd begins to murmur in anticipation.
Suddenly, the lights flicker—then strobe flashes cut through the dark. A heavy mist begins to roll in from the stage, thickening the atmosphere. Silhouettes emerge, distorted by the fog, creating an ominous, otherworldly effect. A figure steps into view—a shadowy, calm presence amidst the chaos of the strobe lights.
Danny English walks out slowly, his silhouette cutting through the fog, his figure almost unreadable under the dim lighting. He wears his black leather jacket, the edges slightly frayed, a nod to his tough upbringing, and his eyes are hidden beneath a hood or dark sunglasses. He doesn’t rush. He doesn’t need to. His very presence carries weight. His head is down, his expression unreadable—detached, as if the world around him doesn’t matter. The crowd can feel the tension in the air. There’s no cocky swagger, no over-the-top celebration. Just focused silence.
As the beat drops and Snoop’s voice kicks in, Danny walks toward the ring with quiet confidence. He doesn’t engage with the crowd. He doesn’t raise his hands or make eye contact. His eyes are locked ahead, focused on the ring as if it’s just another battlefield. With each step, it’s clear that he’s mentally preparing for the destruction that’s about to unfold.
The fog rolls around his legs as he nears the ring, the lights flickering in sync with the beat. He slides under the bottom rope with a fluid, precise movement, like a predator slipping into its domain. As he stands, the fog dissipates, revealing him fully in the harsh light of the arena. He slowly removes his jacket and tosses it aside with a simple, deliberate motion, and for the first time, the crowd gets a clear look at the cold, focused expression on his face. He takes his place in the corner, eyes never leaving his opponent, as the music fades out.
BG: You wanna talk about. aguy that *actually* deserves this match, Jacko? Look no further than Danny English! He absolutely dominated his debut match against Latoya Hixx and Eli Caine!
JC: I can't argue with you there, Brody! You have to really impress the boys in the back to score a title match in your second match in the XWF. And Danny English has done just that!
The air is thick with tension as the last beats of the track die down, and Danny stands there in complete stillness, like a predator watching its prey. The crowd knows: this man is dangerous, and the match has only just begun. The lights flicker one last time, and the final haunting notes echo, marking the moment Danny is ready to strike.
A custom version of BEAST by Tech N9ne begins to blast on the arena's speakers accompanied by the reaction of fans in attendance.
Insanity at it's finest
Fire starter,
Riot maker,
Moon stricken,
Animal need,
Bad seed,
Untamable beast!
A cloud of ocean blue smoke fills the top of the ramp, as the special lighting shines down upon the smoke it gives off the appearance of waves.
Everybody around me always think they know what's going on inside my mind
think I'm Mr. Trash Talk all the time
How they say on Diary 'You think you know, but you have no idea'
As the music kicks in, Shark jogs out of the curtains on cue. The chains around his neck sparkling into the camera as he's wearing a T-shirt that insults his opponent. He stands at the top of the ramp with his hands on his waist as he looks out into the crowd and takes a moment to look around at the packed arena. He nods his head with his typical cocky smile stretched from ear to ear. Before heading down the ramp he closes his eyes and spreads his arms out with his hands open, absorbing the mixed reactions of boos, cheers and screams coming his way.
JC: Feels like they're seeing him for the very first time tonight at all is how hard this crowd is reacting to James Shark! Very few double champions in XWF History... And James Shark can't count himself among them!
BG: Much to the chagrin of management!
JC: Shark has been dominant so far in his XWF career! But, this is his first non-singles match in the XWF! Will his targeted striking adapt well to a triple-threat environment?
BG: More men in the ring, just means more meat for the Shark!
He sings along to the music as he walks down the ramp, taking off his shirt on his way there and throwing it into the crowd without looking. He slides into the ring and begins to bounce off the ropes before shadow boxing. He then walks around the ring mouthing out something to the crowd about his opponent, the insults continuing but the broadcast is unable to pick it up.
JC: You can cut the tension in the air with a knife right now, Brody. I don’t think this match is gonna be very pretty.
BG: Understatement of the century, Jacko. Time to see who’s got that killer instinct in them here tonight, though!
James Shark. Adam Garcia. Danny English. The three sides stare at each other, slowly pacing around the ring, none of them looking to give an inch. The camera picks up each of their mouths flapping at each other, talking some smack in the ring, but they can’t quite pick up on it.
BG: What do you think they’re saying?
JC: Well, you can tell from their faces that they’re not taking kindly to- WOAH!
James Shark stops on a dime and turns the other way to sock Adam Garcia with a thunderous right hand to the dome after he finished saying something! Garcia gets stunned and moves back towards the ropes, but Shark isn’t letting him off the hook as he starts delivering punches in bunches! Upstairs, downstairs! Rapid-fire!
Garcia finally manages to push Shark back towards the middle of the ring, where he bumps into Danny English! English takes his chance, trying to slap Shark on the backside of his head and set up for a quick Russian Leg Sweep! Hooks the leg behind - but Shark elbows out! Elbow! Elbow! Elbow!
AND ADAM GARCIA COMES OUT OF NOWHERE WITH A ROLLING LARIAT TO JAMES SHARK!
JC: The champion’s trying to take on both guys at once here, and he paid the price for it!
BG: It’s a matter of killer instinct, Jacko! But you gotta balance that hungry need with smarts and strategies, especially in a match like a Triple Threat where you need eyes in the back of your head!
Garcia turns towards English, but he eats a European Uppercut for his troubles! Another strike landing right on the chin now as Garcia comes back towards the ropes again. English tries lunging in… enzuigiri!
NO! Not quite! Garcia manages to duck the kick just in time as English lands on the ground on all fours, trying to quickly collect himself and get back onto his feet!
BUT WAIT! JAMES SHARK COMES RUNNING OVER-
BG: LOOK AT HIM GO! Shark just used Danny English’s body like a stepping stone to take Garcia’s head off with a lariat of his own!
JC: They went over the top rope to the outside while they’re at it! And believe me, folks, I think these guys might be even more comfortable on the outside than they are on the inside with how skilled they are with weapons…
Shark and Garcia are slow to get back to their feet, both of them dazed from the way they just went flying, but Danny English realizes the opportunity in front of him! He doesn’t waste any time as they manage to get back onto their feet! English runs the ropes - SUICIDE DIVE TAKES HIM TO THE OUTSIDE AND WIPES OUT BOTH MEN!
Crowd pops big-time for the display of athleticism! Danny doesn’t focus on it much, though, letting himself try to stay cool, calm and collected as he’s feeling the momentum right now! He grabs Shark by the back of his head, propping him up and quickly throwing him over the barricade into the crowd!
BG: Might have spoken a bit too soon, Jacko. These guys aren’t even wasting time letting ringside hold them!
JC: Mind you, everyone, this isn’t a Falls Count Anywhere match… but we are soon to see that after this. Point being, they’re gonna have to get to the ring eventually for a proper pinfall.
Shark is a bit dazed right now after the sudden throw, giving English a bit of time to continue to set up. Now he grabs Garcia up by the back of his head, and now he’s trying to throw him over the barricade as well!
But wait! Garcia sticks a leg up in time as he went running towards the metal guardrail! He kicks against it, stopping himself in place! English tries coming up behind him to force him over anyway, but Garcia answers back with a quick thrust kick to English’s gut! English staggers back, the wind knocked out of his sails…
Now it’s Garcia’s turn to make a move! He nods, getting himself ready as he hops onto the barricade-
SHARK KICKS THE GUARDRAIL UNDERNEATH GARCIA! GARCIA’S FOOTING SLIPS- AND CROTCHES HIMSELF RIGHT ON THE GUARDRAIL!
JC: And that’s why they call those types of moves ‘high-risk,’ ladies and gentlemen.
BG: Yeesh, Jacko. That’s the type of stuff you gotta put mountains of ice all over down there to try and make it all feel better.
JC: I’m sure Adam wishes he could do that right about now, but he’s got a title match to try and win here first!
Shark pauses for a moment, taking a minute to catch his breath still after the sudden move. He turns around, doubling over towards the nearby seats to lean on them. English realizes there’s blood in the water coming from the champ, though, and hurriedly makes his way over to there. He goes to hop over the barricade-
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
JAMES SHARK JUST THREW ONE OF THE STEEL CHAIRS FROM THE FAN SEATING RIGHT TO DANNY ENGLISH’S SKULL!
BG: Did you HEAR that just now, Jacko?!
JC: I think the fans in the nosebleeds could have heard that one, Brody. Forget the crotch impact from Garcia, I think English just earned himself a nasty little concussion…
A bright, gushing stream of blood right above English’s brow could plainly be seen right from the impact. He staggers back, eyes glassy as he falls back onto his behind, trying to make heads or tails of what just happened. The world’s fogging up, the noise of the crowd turning to static in his ears…
AND THAT HAS HIM AS SHARKBAIT FOR JAMES SHARK, WHO LEAPS OVER THE BARRICADE TO LAND A SUPERMAN PUNCH TO HIS GROUNDED FOE! Shark isn’t hesitating, feeding into his ground-and-pound addiction, trying to practically maim Danny English on live TV! He’s trying to cover up as well as he possibly can, but it’s no use!
JC: Brutal work here from the champion! I don’t know if Danny English can even defend himself against this onslaught!
BG: Listen, Jacko. No rules, no restrictions. Shark is just trying to put his opponent away for good here in this match - no shame about that!
JC: Maybe, but it’s worth remembering that there’s more than one opponent in this match-!
GARCIA RUNS TOWARDS THE KNEELING SHARK TO HIT HIM WITH A RUNNING BICYCLE KNEE! SHARK PRACTICALLY GOES FLYING FROM THE IMPACT, AND GARCIA QUICKLY SCOOPS UP SHARK AND THROWS HIM RIGHT INTO THE RING POST!
Shark bounces off, but Garcia sees his opportunity! He takes the steel chair in hand, measuring the weight of it before hitting it right off of Shark’s back!
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
JC: Look at the welt forming on Shark’s back, Brody! The champion might actually be in trouble here!
BG: How’s he gonna be able to handle himself when the pressure’s mounting like this?
Shark staggers away, trying to get some breathing room, but Garcia takes the champion by the back of the neck and rolls him into the ring. He looks underneath the ring before heading back in himself, trying to rummage through a little bit to find something of use… before he pulls out a sack of light tubes?!
The fans pop HUGE for the sight of the light tubes! Garcia smiles, holding up one of a dozen high in the air, parading it around for everyone to see!
BG: You know how bad it is to take glass on a bump in the ring, Jacko? Shark better be trying to figure out any way possible he doesn’t get whacked by any of those by Garcia!
JC: Desperation time might be about to settle in for the champion soon, Brody. What can Shark do here?
Garcia rolls into the ring, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The light tube twirls about in his fingers as he watches Shark trying his best to come back up to his feet. He raises the light tube…!
Shark aims a back kick to drive Garcia back! He’s trying to get right back up to his feet! Garcia moves in though, looking for a hit - and it’s a swing and a miss as Shark rolls to the side! It’s time for evasive maneuvers!
Shark is forced into the corner though, as Garcia smirks and points the light tube right towards him, daring him to make a move. Shark gives a deep scowl right back to Garcia’s direction, before quickly beginning to dig into his trunks.
JC: Hey, Brody, is that what I think it is?
BG: I think it is! That’s brass knucks Shark just brought into this match! What a thinker that guy is!
Shark slips on the brass knuckles before raising his hands and motioning for Garcia to bring it! Garcia scoffs, before rushing in! He tries to take Shark’s head off with another swing with the light tube, but Shark ducks underneath! Garcia turns around - INTO A BRASS-KNUCKLED LIVER SHOT!
GARCIA GETS STAGGERED BACK, HOLDING ONTO HIS SIDE! SHARK FOLLOWS IT UP WITH A PUNCH TO THE GUT, SENDING GARCIA BACK INTO THE CORNER! SHARK GOES FOR MORE PUNCHES-
DOWN COMES THE LIGHT TUBE RIGHT ONTO JAMES SHARK’S FACE!
GLASS GOES EVERYWHERE! A PLUME OF SMOKE SHOOTS OUT OF THE EMPTY TUBE, COVERING THE RING AS SHARK FALLS LIMP ONTO ALL FOURS! A nasty cut of his own starts to rain down blood as Garcia kicks Shark right in the ribs to turn him onto his side!
JC: Heavy shots delivered by the champion, but Garcia just used that light tube to devastating effect!
BG: You know those light tubes usually carry mercury vapor? You break enough of those, those can be toxic to keep inhaling like this! These guys are putting their own lives at stake here for the gold!
Garcia reaches down, grabbing Shark by the wrists and pulling him right to the center of the ring! He manages to raise him right onto his knees… AND SHOVES A KNEE RIGHT INTO HIS SKULL!
BG: YOU MESS WITH THE BULL, JACKO, AND YOU GET THE HORNS! THAT’S THE BULL’S HORNS RIGHT THERE!
JC: Can Garcia snatch the win right here and now?!
Garcia flops right onto Shark, looking for the pinfall here!
OOOOOOOOOONE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOO!
KICKOOOOOOOOUT!
BG: He’s still in this?!
JC: The champion’s got plenty of heart, but how much more is left in the tank? Garcia’s got to try to end this while he has the upper hand!
Garcia, in disbelief, stares up at the official, holding up three fingers. The official insists on two!
…Garcia glowers… but turns back toward his opponent!
JC: Clearly, Garcia learning from his error last time he and Shark shared a ring… He knows not to stop attacking until the final bell has rung!
Garcia grabs Shark by the scruff of the nec-
WHAM! In desperation, Shark cat hes Garcia with a rabbit punch uppercut, sending Garcia staggering backwards into the rope!
JC: These two men are both absolutely desperate to win this match!
BG: …Say, speaking of desperate men… is that Peter Principle up at the top of the ramp?
Indeed, Principle… After nearly being choked unconscious earlier in the night by the XWF’s Double Champion, is cautiously stepping down the ramp, as if trying to be sneaky undetected around the ring…
Shark exhaustedly shoves himself off the mat toward Garcia, who manages to tangle the striker in a grapple and trap him in the corner…
Principle tip-toes around the rim of the ring… Sidestepping over the bleeding skull of Danny English, currently crawling around the outside of the ring…
Peter approaches the announce table
BG: SHARK! LOOK OVER HERE!
Principle’s face contorts in fear as he desperately shushes Brody!
BG: Haha, fuck you, Pete.
Shark, despite Goodman’s best efforts, is preoccupied… Garcia has outmuscled him against the corner turnbuckle, before launching a series of CHEST KICKS! ONE! TWO! Planting Shark into the ropes!
Principle sidesteps to the announce table… Where the timekeeper has both of Shark’s belts. Pete does a yawning pantomime… Stretching his arms over his head…
Before snatching the Television Title off the table!
BG: What the?!?
JC: Mister Lane told Principle, strip one of those belts from Shark or you’re fired!
BG: But that’s not even the belt Shark’s defending tonight!
The timekeeper reaches up, to try and snatch the belt back, observing his duty to hold a competitor’s belts until he’s done wrestling…
But Principle grips it to his chest, telling the timekeeper to stand down!
BG: It’s a full-on mutiny! Not even the timekeeper respects Pete enough to let him get away with this!
Garcia reels back his leg… Looking for the knockout blow…
He throws a kick to the corner!
…
But Shark catches it!
And dragonscrews Garcia down to the mat!
BG: Incredible counter by the striker! And Garcia’s prone! Setup for a Shark Bait!
Garcia scrambles to get back on his feet…
Shark, like its a reflex, charges out of the corner, looking for a Superman punch!
…
When out of his periphery, he sees outside the ring…
Peter Principle, backing up outside the ring, with the timekeeper still trying to wrangle the Television title out of his hands! A little tug-of-war going on here… Over Danny English’s unconscious, bleeding body!
”BITCH, WHERE THE FUCK YOU TAKING MY BELT?”
Principle and the timekeeper both look up at Shark, whose staring daggers over the top rope!
Immediately the timekeeper releases it! Principle, still pulling on the belt, goes ass over teakettle, rolling backwards outside the ring!
Shark starts to dip through the ropes…
But Garcia springs behind the champ, wraps his arm over his head…
AND SLINGS HIM BACKWARDS ONTO HIS SKULL!
GRAND FINALE! (Blade Runner)!
JC: Oh my God! Shark took his eye off the ball!
BG: And he got hit by a charging bull!
Shark cradles his skull… As Garcia scrambles over him hooking the leg!
The official counts!
1!
2!
Shark, on instinct, forces a shoulder up!
…
……
At 3.25!
THREE!
WINNER AND NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW X-TREME CHAMPION: ADAM GARCIA!
The moment the bell rings, Garcia raises up, pointing three fingers at the official? And the official nods, pointing three fingers back! Garcia smacks his hands together, fist pumping as the crowd goes wild!
JC: What a comeback! After everyone had counted him out, after coming up short last Warfare against Shark for the Television Title… Garcia scores his first piece of championship gold and is walking away with the X-Treme championship!
The official raises Garcia’s arm, as the X-Treme title is slung over the Mad Bull’s shoulder!
BG: This is a travesty, Jacko! Shark wouldn’t have even been in that position if it weren’t for that idiot, Peter Principle, coming down here to take his belt!
JC: Well, Shark is now back to holding one championship and Peter Principle is…
…
JC: Wait, does he… STILL have Shark’s belt?
Indeed. Principle, likely knowing HOW mad Shark is going to be and WHO he’ll direct that anger at, quickly retreats up the ramp… Cradling Shark’s Television title to his chest as he runs!
JC: But… Shark’s still the Television champion! What does this mean going into Snow Holds Barred
The camera zooms in on the skybox above the arena where Thaddeus Duke, the XWF’s charismatic point-man, watches the action unfold below him in his luxurious seat. The sparkling lights of the arena reflect off his polished suit, his expression one of calculated indifference. His eyes scan the entire arena with an air of authority, while his fingers tap rhythmically on his seat’s armrest. But the peace of his secluded perch is shattered when Charlie Nickles barges in, his disheveled appearance making a stark contrast to Thaddeus' polished surroundings.
“Thad, Thad... I need you, man. I need you to help me with something.”
Charlie stumbles closer to the skybox window, his movements erratic, his hands trembling.
Thaddeus Duke finally looks up at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What now? I don’t have time for your theatrics, Charlie.”
Charlie’s voice drops to a near whisper as he leans in closer to Thaddeus.
“It’s... it’s the cabal, Thad. The shadow cabal...they’re... they’re everywhere, Thad. Watching me. Watching us.”
Thaddeus leans back in his chair, squinting at Charlie, a puzzled look crossing his face as he takes in the disheveled appearance and odd behavior.
“Shadow cabal? You talking about your drug-addled delusions again? Look at you, Charlie. You’re a mess. What are you on this time? Are you even going to be able to compete tonight?”
Charlie snaps, his voice suddenly rising as he takes a step back.
“I’m not on anything!”
Charlie quickly lowers his voice again, his face flushed and full of embarrassment.
“I’m sober, Thad. I almost have my six month chip. You can test me, Thad. I’m not on drugs. I’ve been sober, okay? No more of that for the ol’ Nickleman. Not anymore... you gotta believe me, man.”
Thaddeus steps back slightly, raising his hands defensively, clearly skeptical and stares
back at Charlie with cold eyes.
“You’ve been sober? I’ll believe it when I see it. Because from where I’m standing, you look like you're strung out on something. You’re twitching, slurring your words… You're rambling like a madman. So yeah, test you all you want, but right now? Right now, I’m not buying it.”
Charlie’s eyes widen in frustration, a sudden sense of paranoia creeping in.
“It’s my head, Thad! My head! I took that shot... and now I can’t think straight, man.”
Charlie’s hands tremble as he clutches at his mangled hair.
“But I’m sober. You can take a piss test if you want. I’ll show you.”
Charlie reaches for his zipper, but before he can begin undressing Thaddeus intervenes.
“Fine! No tests needed. But if you're truly sober, I expect you to stay focused. My time is valuable here, Charlie. What do you want from me? You came here for a reason, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I came here to ask something from you…something bigger than just some... some help with these...fake shadows.”
Charlie gestures his hands as if he were waving away the encroaching darkness, all around him, seemingly encircling him at this very moment. His eyes are glazed over, his tone uncharacteristically soft.
“I think…I think I need to leave…the recovery, what do you call it? Medica-”
Charlie voice lowers as a sinister edge creeps into his tone. His eyes suddenly dilate, the hazy gloss seemingly gone in an instant.
“I need you to leave Sharkboy alive for me. I’ve recovered enough from his bite- I realize now what needs to be done. I need you to make James Shark defend that X-treme title on Anarchy against me. Make it happen, Thad. I deserve it- and he has to defend it on there against somebody.”
Thaddeus Duke snorts, his brow furrowing.
“You’re out of your mind, Nickles. You’ve lost to Shark before, and now you’re asking for a title match after all this?”
Thaddeus gestures vaguely at Charlie’s unkempt state.
“It’s not happening. You’ve got no chance. He’s the next big thing, and I would call you washed up, but- it looks like you haven’t washed in days.”
Charlie’s eyes flicker with a strange intensity, his voice cold and almost rehearsed.
“I freed your son, Thad. Remember that? I freed him from Cypher’s grasp when no one else could. I did that. I came to OCW just for you, to rescue your son and enact your hostile takeover. And now, when you need someone—someone who’s loyal to you—I’ll always be here for you, man. You owe me, Thad.”
Thaddeus' expression softens for just a second as he recalls the incident, but then his gaze hardens once more. He steps closer to Charlie, eyeing him carefully.
“You think I owe you for that? That’s not at all how it happened! If you want another shot at Shark, you better prove you're not a walking mental breakdown first.”
“I can do it, Thad! I just need your help... your backing. Make it happen. If you don’t, I’ll lose everything. I’ll be gone from this place, out of my mind, lost, like the Emperor when he was out at sea... And I’ll never be able to repay you. Not after all that you’ve done for me. Please…help me help you.”
Thaddeus pauses, studying Charlie’s erratic behavior. He shakes his head, looking out toward the ring, then back to Charlie.
“I don't really interfere with the GM's, Charlie. But I'll think about it.“
Charlie stands there for a moment, his breath heavy, sweat glistening on his forehead. He stumbles slightly before straightening himself up, trying to appear more composed than he feels.
“I’ll show you I can do it, Thad. I’ll show everyone...”
The camera cuts to Thaddeus Duke’s eye roll as Charlie walks away, leaving the skybox behind.
JC: Welcome back here on Warfare and Brody, up next, Charlie Nickles goes one on one with a living legend making his XWF debut, Terry “Scoops” McGee!
BG: He is a bonafide professional wrestling legend, there’s no doubt about that! But the one thing everyone needs to worry about, what Terry needs to worry about, what Thaddeus Duke, Vinnie Lane, Bashmaster and Peter Principle need to worry about, is… the man is past 60 years old. How much does he really have left in the tank and is it really necessary for a man of his stature and a man at his age to mix it up with the young guns here in the XWF!?
JC: Those are all very valid questions, Brody! But I happen to have a lot of faith in the management of the XWF! If they didn’t think he was up for the challenge, they wouldn’t have brought him in.
RA: Ladies and gentlemen… the following is a falls count anywhere match set for one fall!
JC: These fans are alive with anticipation as Scoops McGee is set to debut!
Charlie enters the stage to a mixture of cheers and boos.
JC: Like him, love him, or hate him, Charlie Nickles no doubt puts on a show for these fans!
BG: And that no doubt breeds a certain amount of respect. If not for the man, but for what he’ll do for his own body!
Just as it appears as if Charlie is about to head to the ring, a figure comes flying from seemingly out of nowhere landing on top of Nickles to a massive roar from the XWF Universe!
JC: Holy shit!
BG: Where the hell did he come from!
A quick replay on the X-Tron shows that Scoops McGee came flying in with a moonsault off the bottom of the Tron frame.
JC: The bell rings and this falls count anywhere match is underway!
#2 Contender for the XWF Television Title
Charlie Nickles
- vs -
Terry “Scoops” McGee Falls Count Anywhere
Scoops gets back to his feet and throws his hand up in the air to a massive pop from the crowd. McGee retreats back through the curtain as a caught off guard and grounded Charlie remains in recovery mode. Seconds later, Scoops returns with a metal trash can. Charlie fights back to his feet and Scoops flips the can upside down. Charlie goes for an attack but Scoops slams Nickles face first into the bottom of the can. Both the can and Charlie fall to the ground on their sides.
Scoops lifts the can up and swings it, bringing it crashing down against Charlie who is now trying to crawl away. Halfway hidden behind the curtain, Nickels attempted escape is for the time being thwarted as Scoops grabs him by his ankles. Nickels flips himself over before sending a foot into Scoops face that sends McGee spiraling backward.
Nickles gets back to his feet and exits the Pryce Position long enough to send a few well timed punches into the face of Scoops McGee. Nickles grabs Scoops by his hair and pulls him into the Pryce Position. After a few seconds, the cameras follow. Nickles tosses Scoops into a wall before scooping him up and slamming him on the floor where XWF producers have scattered.
JC: This exclusive behind the scenes footage is brought to you by Jiffylube!
BG: Those production folks were wise to get the hell out of dodge!
Nickles looks around for anything he can use. Finding some young twink intern, Charlie punches him in the face then scoops him up and slams him down on top of McGee. Charlie gets back to his feet and pulls Scoops to his. McGee though drives his head into Charlie’s midsection like a battering ram then drives him hard into the wall before delivering a vertical suplex to Nickles.
Twink boy intern staggers back to his feet right in front of Scoops McGee. Scoops grabs twink boy by his head and drives him head first into Charlie’s midsection with a DDT.
JC: Welp… I'm sure that's a potential lawsuit.
BG: Maybe the Brass were smart enough to have these production folks sign waivers!
McGee lifts Charlie back to his feet and the two begin brawling, finally leaving the Pryce Position and exiting to the backstage area. The two extremists battle and fight tooth and nail all through the backstage corridors with the XWF official not far behind.
Finally, the spill into the shipping receiving area where Charlie drives Scoops head first into a large dumpster. Scoops falls flat on his back.
JC: Cover by Nickles, twooooo… annnnd No!
BG: Scoops resilience pays off as he kicks out at two. These two men are giving each other everything they got!
Nickles gets back to his feet and starts to climb up the loading dock. Scoops though isn't far behind. Both men now on the loading dock, another short brawl ensues with Nickles eventually getting the upper hand. With Scoops vicariously near the edge of the dock, a trash truck is backing up in their direction. Charlie charges forward but McGee lifts him up and turns him around, delivering a Double A like spine buster sending both men into the dumpster just before the trash track lifts the dumpster and dumps them both into the truck!
BG: …that’s one way to take out the trash!
JC: That truck is leaving! And both McGee and Nickles are aboard!
Match Continues Later
JC: Up next we have a fatal fourway match featuring the debut of an XWF alumni, a big return, one half of the American Storm and an XWF Tag Team champion!
BG: And you know what else, Jacko? This one’s paying out x2500 guaranteed to the winner. And there’s nothing like some cold hard cash to get ya motivated!
JC: As if there was any shortage of motivation. I’m sure all four of these competitors are hungry enough for the win on its own merit. But yes Brody, money is power. Cash is king. Who will be taking home the big paycheck tonight?
BG: Let’s find out, shall we?
"Forgotten" by The Plot In You plays throughout the arena. The lights go out. Once the beat drops, a spotlight shines on the entryway, where SOLOMON KLINE appears inside the light, clad in a black hoodie over his ring gear and kneeling on his right knee. As the lyrics come in, he stands, removes his hood and surveys the crowd as sparks rain down around him. He grooves his way toward the ring, and high fives fans along the way. He circles the ring and slides under the bottom rope. He continues rocking out to the song and at the 1:50 mark, he goes to the turnbuckle with a primal scream as the lyrics say "I have spent my life chasing things that have only brought me pain. In the end when I'm dead, hope it was for something!"
JC: You know, I’m really excited to see this kid make his XWF debut tonight.
BG: Son of Caedmon “Crimson” Kline, an Anarchy General Manager back in the day. And I mean way back, too.
JC: Crazy how XWF has been around long enough that the next generation is literally starting to pave their own way.
BG: Solomon has a long way to go. But he has worked his way up from PHW and AWF, as well as HoodSlam, whatever that is.
JC: It will be a tough challenge, perhaps the toughest that he’s faced. But Solomon comes off as a focused and determined kid ready to set the foundation on his own legacy.
Purple lights pulse in time with the intro as smoke covers the ramp. As the singer begins Ash comes out of the crowd jumping the barrier striding to the ring brandishing the rock on devil horns and wagging her pierced tongue. She rolls into the ring and climbs the turnbuckle as the music fades.
BG: Oh my, I think I could watch this entrance all night Jackie.
JC: Ashleigh Quinn is back in the XWF, making her return after, what? Two years since she last competed here?
BG: I hated to see her leave, but man on man, I love to watch her go sometimes.
JC: What is that supposed to mean?
BG: Watch her go, as in… you know what? Nevermind. She’s stunning in and out of the ring, Jacko. That’s all you really need to know.
JC: I know that. Quinn is not beneath using her looks to distract an opponent to gain an advantage.
BG: It’s smart, man. She knows what she’s got and she uses it. Speaking of-
When The Storm is Coming hits Latoya Hixx. they heard a voice laugh in the background and saw blue lights from the entrance and some smoke and rainfall coming down she walked onto the middle stage flexed her muscles walked straight down towards the aisle slapped a few XWF fans got inside the ring and dim the lights in the ring and she flexes her arms once more and spread her arms and climbs on the top rope and yell at her fans and tells them to let's go and climbs down off the ropes and waits for her Opponent to arrive
BG: Is it possible that Latoya has even less body fat than last time?
JC: Like, 0.001 percent body fat?
BG: I swear, Latoya is built like a you-know-what. I think fat just burns when it’s around her. I bet I could lose weight by standing close to her.
JC: Okay. Well, let’s talk about something less creepy, actually. Latoya Hixx hasn’t had the best string of luck recently, but she has stated repeatedly how much she wants those xbux.
BG: Think about it like this, Jacko. You have enough xbux, you can buy basically whatever you want. Title shots galore.
JC: There is no one who wants to be a champion in the XWF more than Latoya Hixx, that’s for sure. And 2025 may be her year!
All lights in the arena go dark and James Hetfield's opening vocals of Metallica's "The Memory Remains" blares suddenly over the public announce speakers. A minimal yet vocal minority of the fans in attendance shout the first lyrics aloud along with the singer:
Fortune, Fame, Mirror, Vain
Gone Insane
But the Memory Remains
The lights and the big screen both stay completely black. A single word appears on the screen:
. : A U R O R A : .
The guitar and drums come crashing in, along with the rest of the instrumental section. Soon after a mako green spotlight shines down upon the stage where Aurora herself is now standing. She’s wearing a mask that covers her face in what looks like old, pitted cast iron. Her hands and wrists are taped in all black tape and her silver-colored hair is pulled back into a ponytail. A smoke machine billows from beneath her, partially obscuring the view.
Rochelle Adams: Making her way to the ring at this time, she hails from Arizona Bay. Ladies and Gentlemen, AURORA!
Aurora walks through the smoke and down to and around the ring with purpose, moving all of the way around to the southeast ring post before pulling herself up onto the ring apron. She centers herself on the apron and stands facing the crowd. Another glowing emerald spotlight shines straight down on her as laser-lights mimic the northern lights onto the smoke that has gathered around the ceiling of the arena. She pauses for a few moments staring upward before turning and entering the ring.
BG: That’s one hell of an entrance for Lucy Wylde’s sidekick.
JC: Umm, I’m pretty sure Aurora is more than just-
BG: Lucy Wylde’s sidekick? Sure ain’t. I mean, we call her a tag-team champion, but if it wasn’t for Lucy, where would Aurora be right now?
JC: I’m pretty sure she’d be in an XWF ring. Which is exactly where she’s at.
BG: Don’t get smart, Jacko.
JC: I’m not, Brody. You have a right to your opinion as much as I have to mine. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucy herself didn’t agree with you.
BG: Rumor has it Aurora’s own manager fired her from Stars of Combat. Her own manager, Jackie.
JC: Yeah well, 2025 is a new year for all of us.
x2500 Guaranteed to the Winner
Aurora
- vs -
Solomon Kline
- vs -
Latoya Hixx
- vs -
Ash Quinn Fatal 4 Way
DING DING DING
The match begins with the four competitors each occupying their own corner of the ring. They size each other up, and there’s a clear divide between the mass of Kline and Hixx to Quinn and Aurora. There's some last minute potential team forming trying to happen as they inch towards the center of the ring, mainly from Kline. Ash Quinn interrupts this and hauls off with a forearm strike to Layota Hixx!
JC: Ash Quinn getting things started!
BG: Kline said he’d be open to working with anyone to possibly help take Latoya down. Looks like he got his wish.
Kline attempts to join in when Quinn catches him with a back elbow. She’s not interested. Aurora comes in to attack Ash but Quinn catches her with a forearm smash, too. By the time Quinn turns back around to Layota, Hixx catches her in the face with a bicycle kick that nearly takes her head off!
BG: Holy shit!
JC: That’s Latoya’s trademark Bicycle Kick!
BG: She must really want that cash!
Quinn drops to the mat hard and before The Storm can follow up, Quinn’s momentum carries her under the bottom rope and rolls to the floor on the outside. Solomon Kline takes a rear waste lock on Hixx and attempts a german suplex, but Hixx blocks. Standing switch, now with Hixx from behind. She smashes a hammerfist into Klines back between his shoulder blades.
JC: Kline nearly had her there with that german suplex attempt.
BG: Hixx is just too strong, though, Jackie. She’s got the power game like the Kline kid but she’s got the experience on when and how to use it, too.
Kline staggers into the near corner. Layota looks to follow up when Aurora jumps onto her back and attempts to lock in a sleeper hold. Hixx with a simple snapmare counter sends Aurora hard down to the mat. She then turns back to Kline, and charges with a corner splash that Solomon is just able to get out of the way of. Layota staggers out of the corner clutching her chest when Kline bounces off of the ropes and hits her with a clothesline. The force echoes throughout the arena but somehow The Storm isn’t knocked off of her feet.
BG: That kind of shot would have gotten a standing ovation from a Japanese crowd.
JC: I’m just impressed that it didn’t knock Latoya over.
BG: When you’re 99.999% pure muscle Jacko, your center of gravity becomes tied directly to that of the center of the earth. It’s science, google it if you don’t believe me.
JC: Yeah, no.
Solomon nods his head to acknowledge her, and bounces off of the ropes again this time looking to take her down. Hixx pops up for another Bicycle Kick, but Kline halts himself from running right into it with his grip on the rope. He smiles and points to his head. Layota charges him but he ducks and pulls the top rope down sending her spilling over him and to the ringside floor below!
JC: Solomon Kline may be a rookie but he damn sure moves around the ring like a general, Brody!
BG: Even I have to give the kid credit there. He paid attention in school.
Layota pushes herself back up to her feet. Ashleigh Quinn is up and takes Hixx by the hair to ‘help’ her back to her feet. On the apron, Aurora is waiting, and she charges with a Meteora double knee strike off of the apron, but Hixx ducks! Instead of catching the Storm, Aurora lands with her knees on the chest of Quinn, driving her down into the thin mats below.
JC: Aurora missed Latoya with the Meteora, but connected with Ash Quinn instead!
BG: She’s lucky that Ash was standing behind Hixx because I’m not one-hundred percent sure that Quinn was who she was aiming for.
Aurora attempts to follow up but before she can even discern where Quinn is, she is met in the stomach with a running knee lift by Layota. Hixx has some choice words for Aurora before popping her up onto her shoulders and powerbombing her shoulders first onto the ring apron! Aurora cries out in pain as Hixx grabs her by the hair and swings her around hard into the steel ring steps! Aurora’s body collides with the steps with a sickening thud and she slumps onto the ground near motionless.
BG: Now that’s what I’m talking about!
JC: Oh my God, Brody! The Storm just swung Aurora around like she was a baseball bat! A home run swing right into the steps!
BG: Knocked her out of the park!
By the time Hixx turns to grab Ashleigh Quinn she is taken down hard with a spear from Solomon Kline, who shouts out a big “let’s go!” when he seemingly floats back up to his feet. The crowd pops this as well as Kline picks Layota up and rolls her back into the ring. He sees Quinn working her way back to her feet and delivers a running boot to the side of her head to keep her down. He slides back into the ring to see Hixx fighting her way back up with one arm over her ribs.
BG: Smart move by the Kline kid keeping everyone separated. He’s picking his spots. I like it.
JC: He knows that this type of match is less about brute force and more about being in the right place at the right time. By isolating Hixx he’s opening a doorway to a favorable outcome here.
Kline takes her by the arm and attempts an irish whip but The Storm is able to slam her feet into the ground and put on the brakes. She whips him instead into the far ropes. Kline comes back with another spear attempt but Hixx with an impressive full split leap frog has Kline spearing nothing but the air beneath her. Hixx turns and grabs Solomon by the waist and with an impressive display of strength is able to pull off the big German Suplex that drops the 6’6” son of Crimson Kline down high and tight on his neck. She slides over him for the cover-
One!
Two!
Kickout by Solomon at two!
JC: Kickout by Kline after that massive German Suplex by Latoya.
BG: I don’t know how anyone can’t be impressed by the physical specimen that is Latoya Hixx. Sure, her win/loss record doesn’t quite show it. But a lot of that is simply bad luck.
JC: She does spend a lot of time at the arena, Brody. First one here, last to leave. Sayors says so anyway.
Hixx pulls Kline up into a chinlock, and begins to batter him with forearm clubs across the chest. As she does so, however, Ashleigh Quinn comes flying in from the top rope with a missile dropkick that breaks up the hold and sends the Storm flying back. Quinn clutches her head as she looks torn between Hixx and Kline. She tries to pull Kline back to his feet but Solomon is ready for her. He pops up to his feet and stops her attack with a grip by the throat, hoists her in the air, and sends her down with a thunderous chokeslam!
JC: Solomon Kline just stopped Ash Quinn dead in her tracks with a goozle!
BG: The kid is 6-6 and his hands look like the size of frying pans, Jackie. I’m pretty sure if he grabbed you by the neck he’d stop you, too.
JC: After seeing that chokeslam? No thank you!
Kline is standing over Quinn now, he grabs her by the legs and turns her over into a scorpion deathlock. Quinn cries out in agony as her legs and lower back are contorted by the man who has the size, weight, strength, and leverage advantage over her. It’s not too long before she appears as though she’s about to tap out when Layota comes flying back into the picture. Instead of letting her attack freely and getting the upper hand, however, Kline releases the hold in time and the two of them come to blows.
JC: We’re really getting at it now!
BG: I thought Kline left himself open for a moment there, but he’s staying true to keeping one eye on his situation.
JC: Situational awareness. I like it. Such a rare trait for such a young talent.
BG: Too bad his current situation is Latoya’s fists bouncing off of his face.
JC: Hey! He’s getting just as many shots in, too!
Layota gains the advantage with a knee strike to the solar plexus. She hooks Kline up looking for a vertical suplex, but Kline has clearly studied his counters and locks a leg around hers to keep her from achieving her goal. Solomon with a few well-placed shots to the ribs, he tries to counter with a vertical suplex of his own but Hixx goes up and over and lands on her feet behind Kline. She shoves Solomon off into the far ropes and goes for the Bicycle Kick yet again, but Kline ducks it. Layota spins around and Kline pops her up into the air and drives her with a massive forearm on the way down… Ashes to Ashes! Cover!
JC: That could be it!
One!
Two!
Ashleigh Quinn is just able to break up the cover after two and a half!
BG: Oh, big save there by the hot, crazy chick. Saved the match for herself there.
JC: Yeah, most likely. That pop up forearm blast looked deadly. There’d be no shame in staying down for a three after something like that.
Kline looks a bit disappointed that he didn’t account for Quinn. But she’s giving him little time to think about it with repeated stomps followed by a shining wizard. Quinn tries to follow up with a cover but Kline has the wherewithal to roll himself underneath the bottom rope to buy himself a little bit of a breather. Quinn doesn’t like this all too much, however, so she stomps on him until he falls the rest of the way out to the floor. She turns her attention back to Hixx, who is just now stirring and working her way back up to her feet.
JC: Now it’s Ash Quinn making sure to isolate her opponent. She’s got Solomon out of the equation.
BG: Yes, but she’s going to have to capitalize on this moment quickly.
Quinn sees her opportunity with just herself and Layota in the middle of the ring. She stomps forward and leaps into the air, looking for The Crown (curbstomp), but Layota pulls herself out of harm's way at the last possible moment. Latoya with a mexican roll brings herself back up to her feet. Ashleigh runs towards the ropes and springboards off of them with a high crossbody, but Hixx catches her and flattens her out with a vicious fallaway slam! She pulls Quinn up by her hair and spins her around to grab her from behind. She underhooks the arms and lifts her up into the air, and slams her down with a Latoya Slam! That has got to be all!
BG: Big Latoya Slam!!!
JC: Hixx is going for the cover!
One!
Two!
Th-Aurora flies in from the top rope with an Elbow Drop!
JC: Greetings from Arizona Bay!
BG: Where did she come from, Jacko?
JC: I don’t know, but that definitely saved the match there!
BG: Has Aurora been on the outside all this time?
JC: No, she left for concessions- Of course she was on the outside!
The three women are all sprawled out in the middle of the ring. Aurora is the first to get up, but somehow Latoya is not that far behind her. Aurora doesn’t seem surprised, however, as she stands over Latoya and rains down forearm shot after forearm shot to the side of Hixx’s head. Still, though, Hixx shoves her off like she is nothing, sending her backwards into the ropes. Hixx shakes off the cobwebs, and charges right into a V-Trigger style knee strike from Aurora!
JC: She calls that the Entropy Blade, Brody. She’ll do it several times a match.
BG: Hey, if it works, why not?
JC: With her small size and relatively unathletic build, Aurora has developed some of the most dangerous knee strikes in the business out of pure necessity.
BG: Like I just said Jacko. If it works.
Hixx staggers back, and Aurora charges again with another Entropy Blade style knee. Once more, it’s not enough to knock Hixx over, but it does send her back against the far ropes. Aurora charges a third time, but this time Layota catches her with a high back body drop over the ropes, sending her crashing into Solomon Kline who somehow catches her before they both fall down to the ringside floor.
BG: Oooh boy, that was damn near a disaster there!
JC: Latoya just launched her over the ropes, a full ten feet over the ringside floor!
BG: It was by pure luck that Solomon Kline just happened to be there.
JC: And he had the strength to catch her, too. Unreal.
The Storm can’t believe it, either, as she leans through the ropes to shout at Kline for catching Aurora out of the air. Ashleigh Quinn is up and she takes a running leap, springboarding off of Latoya’s back and taking out both Kline and Aurora on the ringside floor with a suicide crossbody! All three of them are down and out!
JC: She really is crazy, Brody!
BG: I think we knew that already, Jayce. It’s not Ash Quinn’s first rodeo here in the XWF.
JC: Still, though. I have it under good authority from the higher ups that she got a clean bill of mental health before returning to active competition.
BG: Sometimes, being a little bit unhinged is to your benefit in the squared circle. But the thing that makes Quinn dangerous out there is how she’s able to calculate the risks that she takes.
JC: That one seemed to pay off!
Latoya doesn’t seem impressed, however. She rolls herself out of the ring and makes her way to the timekeepers area. She shoves a few of the XWF staff to the side and the chairs that they were sitting on until she finds the perfect steel chair that she had her eyes on all along. She folds it up and bangs on the seat with her fist, making sure that the crowd can hear the metal reverberate throughout the arena. She walks around to the side of the ring where Ashleigh Quinn is just getting to her feet and CRACK! Slams the steel chair down over her head with a sickening thud!
BG: Listen to that, it sounded like a gunshot in here!
JC: Hixx is letting her hot temper get the better of her!
BG: Screw that. This is the XWF. It’s a fatal four-way. Anything goes and there’s 2500 xbux on the line!
Aurora is up next and Hixx wastes no time. She jams the head of the chair into her ribs and, after she doubles over in pain, slams the chair down across Aurora’s back! That’s two down! Hixx’s chair has seen better days, but she eyes up Kline who seems to be searching for something under the ring apron. As she approaches Solomon with the chair cocked back ready to strike, he pulls his arms out from under the ring, and in his hand a crowbar!
JC: Is that what I think it is?
BG: No, it’s a pony. What in the hell else could it possibly be Jackie?
Hixx stops cold as she sees the crowbar that Solomon’s wielding. For a moment, it’s a bit of a standoff. Latoya is shouting at Solomon Kline to drop the weapon while Kline is telling Hixx to bring it on. Hixx looks like she’s about to charge, when suddenly, she slides back into the ring with her chair. Kline slides in with the crowbar to follow, but Latoya puts her foot down on the crowbar to pin it to the mat while she follows up with a closed fist to the side of Kline’s jaw. Hixx kicks the crowbar over to the far side of the ring. She picks her chair back up and waits for Kline to get back to his feet. The moment he pulls himself up, she charges and swings, but Kline dropkicks the chair right back into Latoya’s face! Solomon slides over Layota for the cover:
JC: Dropkick counter! He smashed the chair right back into her face, Brody!
BG: He’s got her here, Jackie!
One!
Two!
Thr- NO! Somehow Layota was able to push her shoulder up off of the mat at two and seven-eighths.
Solomon can’t believe it, but then again, neither can the crowd. He crawls over to where his crowbar is, and attempts to pick it up, but again, there’s a foot on it, and this time it’s Ashleigh Quinn’s. Quinn leaps into the air and drills Solomon Kline with a curbstomp dangerously close to the crowbar itself, perhaps a glancing blow. She’s grabbing her own head and shouting for the voices to shut up while she watches Latoya on the far side of the ring using the ropes to pull herself back to her feet. Quinn stomps over and locks Latoya’s arms in the ropes, twisting them around her arms until she’s stuck and in a helpless position. Quinn takes a step back and drills Latoya with a superkick! Queens Caress! But she doesn’t stop there. She drills The Storm with a second Queen’s Caress, and a third!
JC: Latoya might be out cold!
BG: It’s too bad she’s still tangled up in the ropes, eh?
With Latoya slumped over and in the ropes, Quinn turns to find Solomon’s whereabouts. But as she does, Solomon Kline nearly spears her out of her shoes! Kline is back up and he’s pumped, and so is the crowd. He yanks Ashleigh Quinn back up to her feet, locks her arms behind her back and hoists her up onto his. He leaps into the air and drills her down in the center of the ring with a massive Vertebreaker!
JC: DUST TO DUST!
BG: COVER!!
One!
Two!
Three?
No!
Aurora comes diving in at the last possible moment and breaks up the pin! 2.99!
BG: THIS AGAIN?!
JC: Where does she keep coming from?
BG: I’m starting to think Aurora has a sixth sense for when a pinfall is about to happen, Jackie.
JC: I didn’t even see her slide back into the ring.
Aurora pulls herself up and moves over to the ropes where Latoya is still dangling and tied up from her arms and she… helps Latoya out of the predicament? Hixx appears to thank her as Aurora nods her head. Latoya then slams her knee into Aurora’s midsection and drops her with a quick DDT down where she stood. Hixx then crawls her way over to the crowbar and tries to pick it up, but it gets snatched off of the mat just before she can. When she looks up, Kline takes the crowbar and smashes her in the stomach with it! The Storm doubles over and takes a shot to the kidneys for good measure! She throws herself out of the ring and onto the ringside floor.
JC: Oh my! Ash Quinn looks like she doesn't know where she is... Latoya just got knocked clean out of the ring... Aurora just got dropped flat on her head!
BG: And Solomon Kline's got a crowbar! Clearly, this one's in the bag!
Kline sees Aurora stirring from the mat... He quickly charges into attack, not wanting to give Aurora even a moment to recover!
Meanwhile, behind Kline, Ash Quinn starts to stir, pulling herself up by the ropes...
Aurora pulls herself up on the middle turnbuckle, still facing the action... She sees Kline coming!
Kline surges forward with an overhead swing, looking to cleft Aurora's skull in twain!
Aurora's cornered! She can't go left, right or backwards!
...
But she can dive forwards!
She springs, headfirst out of the corner! Kline didn't anticipate this move, his finishing strike arches over her head...
And he catches a titanium plate straight to the chest!
JC: Holy cow! That was the perfect move, but I don't know how anyone with a sense of self-preservation would have thought of it!
BG: Aurora's got more guts than brains! Which is easy when you have no brains at all!
Kline, shocked, stutter-steps backward, toward Quinn, who tries to shove herself off the ropes, back into the action!
Kline reels his crowbar backwards, looking to swing!
...AND CLOCKS QUINN STRAIGHT TO THE SKULL! Quinn's backpedals woozily into the corner...
JC: Just not Ash Quinn's night!
Kline turns around surprised, clocks what his crowbar made contact with... Spins back around...
Straight into a shotgun dropkick from Aurora!
Kline gets BLASTED through the top and middle ropes!
And gets driven into Hixx, who just pulled herself off the padded concrete! The top collapse into a heap!
JC: Oh my! Aurora may be snatching victory from the jaws of defeat here!
Aurora manages to shove herself off the mat onto her feet, still running off the adrenaline of her desperate offensive flurry!
As Quinn stumbles woozily out of her corner... Bending at the waist...
Aurora runs almost entirely on instinct, straight into...
STARBURST SONATA! (Curb Stomp!)
JC: WOW! That move never stops being both dazzling and agonizing to see!
BG: Quinn might need to get checked for a concussion after all these head strikes!
As Aurora scrambles into the cover, Kline is already trying to crawl back into the ring to break it up...
...But, Hixx grabs him by the arm and tries to slingshot him away from the ring!
JC: The hell is Hixx thinking here, Brody?
BG: I think she's trying to beat Brody back inside the ring. It'd be a fair strategy... if time weren't of the essence to stop Aurora's pin, Jackie!
Aurora crawls into the cover!
The official drops to count!
Hixx tries to crawl inside... Kline crawls right after her, trying to stop the pin...
1!
Hixx sees Kline in her periphery and... wraps him in a grapple!
2!
Kline is howling at Hixx, as he tries a last second scramble for the p-
THREE!
WINNER: AURORA
The moment the three is counted, Aurora dips, sliding out of the ring!
Hixx looks up confused, wondering how the match could have ended...
As Kline hits her with a boot to the skull! Dropping Hixx to the mat!
JC: What a match! An absolutely chaotic slugfest from all four competitors! But Aurora saw in chaos, there is opportunity, and struck at exactly the right time! The right person won tonight in my book!
BG: Oh, your book, schmour schmook! Kline had that one in the bag and Aurora stole it!
JC: Well, we might see all four of these competitors share the ring in different configurations, but tonight, the winner gets the spoils!
The official jogs up beside Aurora to hand her her prize: A check for $2500 X-Bux!
Inside the ring, Kline sternly stares up the ramp, as both other competitors lay beaten in the ring around him.
JC: Brody, apparently the XWF chase car has finally caught up with that garbage truck!
BG: Do we have cameras out there?
JC: Of course we do!
Picking up on the streets of Montreal, the XWF chase car pulls up to a red-light behind the garbage truck. Nickles and Scoops continue to fight tooth and nail before finally, Scoops misses with a wild right hand and Charlie grabs a hold of him, then lifts during a leap that sees Charlie hit a Uranage on Scoops McGee from the back of the trash truck onto the hood of a parked car by the curb.
JC: Nickles with a hook of the leg on the hood of that parked Toyota Camry!
BG: The official pops out of the chase car!
JC: One! TWWWOOOOOOO AND…
BG: No!
JC: McGee with the kickout!
Nickles rolls off of the Camry and Scoops to the pavement. Grabbing a handful of Terry McGee’s hair, Charlie pulls him from the car and slams him back first into the fender on the sidewalk side. Nickles goes to open the passenger side door.
JC: I think it’s locked, Charlie!
BG: I don’t think he cares!
Charlie tugs on the door handle, ripping it off the car. Nickles sends a boot to the door out of frustration leaving a gigantic dent only for a passerby to try and question him. Charlie smashes the man in the face and sends him head first through the car window.
JC: This match continues to get more expensive for the company with every passing minute!
BG: An intern, a random Toyota and at least one random street NPC so far! But hey! The XWF can afford to pay some bills!
Pulling to presumed Montreal native from the window opening, Charlie face shoves him out of frame before returning his attention to Scoops. Nickles opens the car door and grabs Scoops by his hair and begins to place him between the car and the door. McGee though, has a lot of fight left in him and sends an elbow into the midsection of Nickles. The shot stuns Charlie for just a moment though and Charlie sets him up for a piledriver. McGee kicks and thrashes his legs to adjust his weight before countering with a back body drop sending Charlie crashing hard to the pavement.
Scoops stumbles, but winds up sitting on Charlie.
BG: Cover!
JC: Count! Twoooooo! AND NO!
BG: How the hell are these two gonna make it back here in one piece!?
JC: Who said they had to?
After the kickout, Scoops struggles back to his feet. Nickles rolls to his stomach and powers up to all fours. Unbeknownst to him, he set himself up perfectly within his own trap he tried to lay earlier as Scoops McGee sends a hard kick to the car door, slamming it shut against the head of Charlie Nickles!
JC: MY GOD WHAT A SHOT!
BG: Somebody get a medic! That was a sickening thud!
Grabbing Charlie by his ankles, Scoops pulls Nickles onto the sidewalk and hooks the leg.
JC: This should do it… TWOOOOOO AND THREE!
BG: NO! Nickles popped his shoulder up!
JC: The official agrees and this match, perhaps to the chagrin of Montreal residents everywhere, WILL continue!
McGee is back to his feet and perhaps surprisingly, Nickles is too! It turns into a hockey fight as the two men engage in another brawl before spilling inside the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel where security is quick to pounce on the two men.
Both men struggle against the security team and eventually temporarily work together as camera reception cuts out and we fade back to ringside at Centre Bell.
JC: This match just gets nuttier and nuttier, but Brody, we’ll have to take a break and if this match concludes, or for that matter, picks up again, we’ll cut to it if and when we can!
BG: I had my doubts about Scoops McGee with him being north of 60 years old but I’ll be damned if he’s not going toe to toe with Charlie god damn Nickles!
JC: It’s one hell of an XWF debut for that man, Universe STAY WITH US!
Match Continues Later
Helix Nebula by Anamanaguchi blasts as colored lights in beat to the rhythm pass over the roaring crowd. When the beat kicks in Game Girl swoops down from the rafters on her flying cloud, Nimbus, going over fans and reaching down to give them passing high fives before sailing over to the ring and flipping down to her feet into a fist-raising pose.
JC: Game Girl, wasting no time getting to the ring!
BG: She knows these fans didn't come to see anyone walking, they came to watch wrestling!
JC: Game Girl has racked up an impressive string of victories in the last weeks! A second place finish in the War Games Captain's Match, having eliminated Prince Adeyemi! Managing to eliminate the Universal Champion, Sebastian Everett-Bryce in War Games! AND, just last Warfare, she got a big win over one of the fastest-rising stars in the XWF, Matthias Syn...
...
The lights fade out suddenly. As her theme begins. the lights flicker on slowly and steadily, until they maintain a muted version of themselves, which Sarah stands in the middle of the entrance way. The lights follow Sarah as she slowly makes her way to the ring.
On either side of Wolf are no hands outreached, no fans trying to gain her attention. Just angry faces and concerned looks. Sarah steps into the ringside area, and moves to the ring area, rolling in, and rolling to her feet. She positions herself in the corner of her choosing, and waits.
BG: You wanna talk about *actually* impressive victories, though, Jacko? How about Sarah Wolf scoring a win over #1 contender to the Universal Title, Jonathan Bacchus! AND THE MONSTER ENIGMA!
BG: Hush! Sarah 'Dollface' Wolf, in her DEBUT match! Scored a victory over two men... One of whom hadn't been pinned since... what, September?!?
JC: I can't deny, Wolf was thoroughly impressive in her debut! But, you're only as good as your last match! And both these women have stiff challenges across the ring from them tonight! Only one can win!
Game Girl
- vs -
Sarah Wolf
Ding ding ding!
BG: “And we are officially underway! Game Girl versus Sarah Wolf, a matchup between sheer energy and calculated brutality!”
JC: “It’s a tale as old as time: speed and agility versus pure viciousness. Sarah is a skilled wrestler with a bad streak, and Game Girl’s going to have to be at the top of her game to come out on top tonight.”
Both women circle the ring, eyeing each other cautiously. Sarah's cold, calculating expression never falters, while Game Girl smiles confidently, bouncing on her feet. Game Girl strikes first, using her agility to close the gap and land a series of quick, snapping jabs. Sarah absorbs the hits, barely flinching, waiting for her moment to counter. Game Girl swings in with a spinning kick aimed at Sarah's midsection, but Sarah catches her leg and shoves her backward, sending Game Girl tumbling to the mat.
BG: “Game Girl’s quick, but Sarah Wolf’s got the power advantage here. That kick didn’t even faze her!”
JC: “It’s like trying to knock over a brick wall. Game Girl’s going to need a lot more than flashy moves to get the best of Sarah tonight.”
Game Girl quickly gets back to her feet, unfazed, and charges at Sarah again. This time, she ducks under a right hook from Sarah and springs off the ropes with a flying crossbody, taking Sarah off her feet! The crowd roars as Game Girl scrambles into a quick cover.
1!
Kickout!
BG: “Early pin attempt, but no way Sarah was going to let that be enough.”
JC: “It’s smart from Game Girl though. She’s keeping Sarah on her toes, trying to keep her off balance.”
Sarah shoves Game Girl off her with authority, quickly rolling back to her feet. As Game Girl rushes in again, Sarah catches her with a stiff knee to the gut, folding her in half. She grabs Game Girl by the head and viciously drives her knee into her face, following up with a snap suplex that rattles the ring. Sarah gets back to her feet, shaking her head in disgust as Game Girl struggles to recover.
BG: “That’s the brutality we’ve come to expect from Sarah Wolf. She doesn’t just want to win, she wants to punish her opponents for daring to compete against her.”
JC: “Game Girl better be careful, because once Sarah finds a weakness, she’ll rip you apart!"
Sarah picks Game Girl up by the hair, dragging her back to her feet. She tosses Game Girl into the corner with ease and follows up with a running European uppercut, snapping Game Girl’s head back. Sarah steps back, lining up for another strike, but Game Girl pulls herself up and ducks out of the way at the last second, causing Sarah to crash into the turnbuckle. Game Girl wastes no time, hitting a lightning-quick Shift-Slide dropkick to Sarah’s back, sending her face-first into the turnbuckle again.
BG: “Shift-Slide! Game Girl’s using her speed to turn the tide!”
JC: “That’s what she needs—keep moving, keep Sarah guessing!”
Game Girl follows up with a springboard Flip Kick, catching Sarah on the side of the head and sending her stumbling back toward the center of the ring. The crowd is on their feet as Game Girl bounces off the ropes and hits a Raging Uppercut, staggering Sarah. With her opponent dazed, Game Girl quickly ascends to the top rope, looking for a high-risk maneuver.
BG: “Game Girl’s going to the top! High risk, high reward!”
JC: "I'm not sure if Game Girl's done the proper prep work for this one!"
Before Game Girl can leap, Sarah recovers and rushes toward the corner, shaking the ropes and causing Game Girl to lose her balance. Game Girl crashes awkwardly onto the top turnbuckle, and Sarah seizes the moment. She climbs up after her, grabbing her by the waist and delivering a devastating top-rope German suplex! Both women crash to the mat, but Sarah rolls through, keeping her grip on Game Girl and immediately transitions into a Kimura lock!
JC: “What a German suplex! And now Sarah’s got that Kimura locked in tight!”
BG: “She’s looking to rip Game Girl’s right arm out of its socket! This could be it right here!”
Game Girl screams in pain as Sarah wrenches back on her arm, but she refuses to give in. With the crowd firmly behind her, Game Girl uses her forehead to land a series of desperate butts to Sarah’s head. After several hard headbutts, Sarah’s grip loosens just enough for Game Girl to break free, rolling out of the hold and staggering to her feet.
BG: “Game Girl escapes! But how much damage has been done to that arm?”
JC: “You can see the pain etched on her face. Sarah might not have broken the arm, but she’s definitely weakened it!"
Game Girl clutches her arm, clearly in pain, but she fights through it. Sarah, sensing blood in the water, charges at her, looking to capitalize on the injury. But Game Girl ducks under her and counters with a Power-Up Punch, her robotic left arm glowing as she drives her fist into Sarah’s gut. Sarah doubles over, gasping for air, and Game Girl follows up with a second Raging Uppercut, knocking Sarah off her feet.
BG: “Power-Up Punch! Game Girl’s fighting through the pain and turning the momentum back in her favor!”
JC: “Sarah’s down, but she won’t stay down for long. Game Girl needs to keep the pressure on!”
Game Girl wastes no time, climbing to the top rope once again. This time, she steadies herself and leaps off, hitting a beautiful Rocket Propelled Fist right into Sarah’s midsection! The impact sends Sarah rolling across the ring, clutching her ribs.
BG: “Rocket Propelled Fist! That’s gotta hurt!”
JC: “Game Girl’s going all out with these high-impact moves. But can she finish the job?”
With Sarah down, Game Girl quickly moves in for the cover.
1!
2!
Kickout!
Sarah kicks out with authority, and Game Girl looks momentarily frustrated. But she shakes it off, knowing she has to keep going. She grabs Sarah by the hair and pulls her to her feet, but Sarah rakes her eyes, causing Game Girl to stumble backward, blinded.
BG: “Dirty move by Sarah Wolf! But that’s exactly what we expect from her.”
JC: “Sarah will do anything to win. Anything.”
With Game Girl momentarily blinded, Sarah takes advantage, hitting a stiff spinning back elbow that drops her opponent to the mat. Sarah snarls as she stalks Game Girl, grabbing her by the legs and locking in a calf slicer, bending Game Girl’s leg in ways it’s not supposed to go.
BG: “Calf slicer! Sarah’s going to rip Game Girl’s leg apart!”
JC: “She’s systematically dismantling her piece by piece. First the arm, now the leg. Sarah's trying to break the game for good!”
Game Girl writhes in pain, trying desperately to claw her way to the ropes. The crowd is fully behind her, chanting her name as she inches closer. Just as it looks like she’s about to tap, Game Girl reaches out and grabs the bottom rope, forcing Sarah to break the hold.
BG: “She made it to the ropes! Game Girl’s showing incredible heart here.”
JC: “But how much longer can she last? Sarah is picking her apart in there!”
Sarah, frustrated that she couldn’t finish the match, drags Game Girl back to the center of the ring and signals for the Devillock. She grabs Game Girl by the face, attempting to lock in her brutal mandible claw finisher.
BG: “This could be it! Sarah’s going for the Devillock!”
But Game Girl, in a last-ditch effort, uses her robotic arm to block Sarah’s hand and counters with a desperation Kirākikku, her signature drive-by kick. The impact sends Sarah staggering back, and Game Girl quickly follows up with a Shift-Slide, taking Sarah’s legs out from under her.
BG: “What a counter! Game Girl’s still got some fight left in her!”
JC: “She’s like a video game character who refuses to lose that last life!”
Both women are down, exhausted from the back-and-forth battle. The crowd is on their feet, chanting for Game Girl as she slowly gets to her feet. Sarah, however, is already stirring, glaring daggers at Game Girl as she pulls herself up.
BG: “These two are giving everything they’ve got. What a match!”
JC: “But who’s going to come out on top? How much longer can these two go on?!”
Game Girl, fueled by the crowd, charges at Sarah with a full head of steam. Sarah swings with a wild lariat, but Game Girl ducks under it and bounces off the ropes, hitting a high-speed Moon Gravity Flip Kick that catches Sarah flush on the jaw.
BG: “Moon Gravity! Game Girl’s defying physics!”
JC: “That kick might’ve just knocked Sarah Wolf out cold!”
Sarah drops to the mat, dazed and barely conscious. Sensing victory, Game Girl climbs to the top rope one last time. With the crowd chanting her name she waits for Sarah Wolf to drag herself to a standing position before she leaps off, hitting the Rocket Propelled Fist from the top rope for even more impact!
BG: “Rocket Propelled Fist! Game Girl is going for the win here!”
Sarah Wolf is blasted up into the air by the powerful fist, and while Sarah's body is scrambling towards the skies Game Girl begins swaying her fingers in a peculiar rhythm. A literal, real-life lightbulb appears above Game Girl's head before she catches Sarah Wolf with a devastating double-armed DDT on her way back down to the mat!
JC: "I wonder where that Metronome came from!"
BG: "I think that might've been a DLC, JC- and that's why Sarah never saw it coming!"
Game Girl hooks the leg!
1!
2!
3!
WINNER: Game Girl
JC: Folks! I’m told we’re headed back to the Four Seasons as our connection issues have been resolved!
BG: Let’s do it!
The video feed is a bit snowy but clears up eventually as the cameraman follows the official. Four Seasons Hotel security forces have been laid out by the temporary tag team of Scoops McGee and Charlie Nickles. The two men look at each other for a second before Charlie sends a stiff kick to the groin of Scoops. McGee doubles over and Charlie DDT’s him on the floor near the elevator bank. Charlie goes for a cover.
JC: ONE! TWOOOOOOOO! AND….
BG: Scoops McGee kicks out and the craziness continues on Warfare!
Charlie straddles the old man and adopts a ground and pound style of offense driving fists repeatedly and rapidly into the skull of the Living Legend. Charlie eventually stops and gets back to his feet. Grabbing Scoops by his hair, he starts to pull him to his feet before Scoops lunges at him. The elevator door behind Charlie opens and both men stumble inside. Charlie though, still has his wits (lol) about him as he lifts McGee up and plants him hard against the elevator floor with a piledriver.
JC: Hook of the leg! TWO!
DING!
Before the official can count to three, the elevator door closes.
JC: Oh this has gotta be a first!
BG: This match might’ve been over!
JC: Or Scoops might’ve kicked out!
The cameraman follows the referee as he takes the stairs to the next floor and hurries to the elevator bank. With the door open, he counts again.
JC: ONE! TWO!
DING!
BG: Aww god dammit!
Take three as the elevator door closes and the camera and referee head to the next floor. Up on the next floor, the referee gets wise and positions himself partially inside the elevator.
JC: ONE! TWOOOOO! AND…
BG: McGee kicks out one more time!
JC: What a battle!
BG: AGAIN!? Hey Thad! Time to invest in some better technology!
JC: It appears as though we lost the feed again, but just like last time, we’ll take a break and see if we can’t get back to this match a little later on!
Match Continues Later
The ear-shattering guitar rift of "Black out the Sun" blares through the speakers as the crowd erupts onto their feet. Half scream in adoration while the other choruses into boos. Spotlights center onto the top of the stage as fire erupts from either side of the curtain. As the flames settle, Prince Adeyemi walks out, eyes shifting from the floor to the ring.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, weighing in 202 pounds, at a height of 6 foot 3 inches...
Hailing from the great borough of Harlem, New York City!
He is your Kingslayer, Prince Adeyemi!"
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown
I wanna watch your fortress crumble down
And when the witching hour sounds
I will be the one to count you down
Now that my backs against the wall
I have to fight to stop the fall
Don't need your approval, I will rise above"
He drops into a squat, leaning to the left and the right, stretching his legs out.
"I will not be denied, your kingdom come!"
The Prince leaps into the air as the crowd echoes "Your kingdom come!". He walks down to the ring, sliding under the bottom rope and rushing to the opposite side. Leaping onto the first and second rope, he throws a fist into the air as his fans cheer for him. Dropping off the ropes, he leans against them and awaits the bell.
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 Comanche 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.
Bobby Bourbon
- vs -
Prince Adeyemi
Adeyemi is shadow boxing in his corner as Bobby stands in his corner rolling his neck and shoulders. The referee looks between both competitors.
BG: Gonna be unpredictable how this match is gonna go, Jay-Cee. Bourbon helped Adeyemi at War Games, there’s gotta be some respect formed there that’s gonna play in this match.
JC: You would think Brody but both men had a lot to say about one another in their promos. Lot of respect but also a lot of fire between them.
The referee gives a nod and calls for the opening bell.
DING! DING! DING!
Adeyemi hops out of the corner with his stance up as Bobby circles the ring, swiping his nose with his thumb in a lumbering and waiting gait. Bourbon lifts up a hand calling for a test of strength which Adeyemi obliges.
Adeyemi pushes through but Bobby only backs up an inch before powering Prince down and forcing Prince onto one knee. Bourbon releases his hold over Prince and lightly slaps Prince’s cheek twice before backing off. A smirk sticks on Bourbon’s face as he steps back as Adeyemi glares at him before cracking a laugh and getting to his feet.
BG: Bobby having a little fun here to start the match.
Adeyemi raises his hand in the air wanting another chance at the test of strength which Bobby laughs at before gladly accepting. As Bobby grabs Adeyemi’s left hand, Prince surprises Bourbon with a lightning fast right hook but stops short.
Bobby glances at the closed fist slowly open and slaps Bourbon’s cheek as Prince smiles.
JC: Prince returning the favor here.
Bourbon’s eyes narrow and he delivers a quick gut kick to Prince before throwing him high up into the air!
BG: ROBBIEBOMB!!!
Robbie spikes Adeyemi down with a powerbomb but keeps a hold, flipping him over and dragging him back lifting him for a SECOND ROBBIEBOMB!!
But Adeyemi comes to life tightly grabbing the nape of Robbie’s neck and begins throwing down a hail of right hooks into Bourbon’s head! Bobby begins to sprint forward and lifts Prince higher into the air and throws him into the turnbuckle. Prince seizes as his spine crashes into the corner and Bourbon shakes the cobwebs before running forward and hurling his body at Prince who BARELY dives out of the way of the senton!
Robbie crashes to the mat cradling his neck as Prince forces himself up holding his back.
BG: Explosive start here! Both men are going all out fast!
Adeyemi gets to his feet first and Bobby follows shortly after; Prince rushes Bourbon but Robbie telegraphs it and turns Prince inside-out with a brutal clothesline! Adeyemi sits up not knowing where he is, bug-eyed and dazed as Robbie with pure strength plucks Adeyemi high into the air over his shoulders and locks Prince in a torture rack!
JC: Robbie is targeting Prince’s spine! Pinpoint focus! It’s only a matter of time until Adeyemi breaks!
Robbie bends Adeyemi like a bow as The Prince howls in agony.
Then Robbie flips Adeyemi over on his shoulders looking for the Samoan Drop!
JC: FLATIRON!
BG: COUNTERED!!!
As Adeyemi is flipped, he manages to hook Robbie’s neck and drops him with a Sling Blade!
Robbie drops and Prince throws an arm over Bourbon as the ref slides in for the count!
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-KICKOUT!!!
Robbie shoves Prince away!
Both men take a moment to catch their breath as the crowd get on their feet to rile each man up. Bourbon sits up like Frankenstein rising from his slab as Prince uses the ropes to aid himself to his feet.
BG: Jacuinde you can feel the electricity in the air! The fans are going crazy! I’m going crazy!!!
JC: There’s been a lot of back and forth! Both men going all out, you gotta love it!
Bobby turns to Prince and eggs him on to come close as he puts up his first, Bourbon talking shit as he does. Adeyemi puts his dukes up and throws a powerful right which rocks Bourbon but on the follow-up left Robbie slips the hit and nails Prince with a haymaker! Adeyemi stumbles back, his knees buckle but he stays up and strikes back with a left jab! A right! A huge uppercut!!!
That just grazes Robbie’s beard as Bobby reels his head back and headbutts Prince!!!
WHO FALLS BACK!
BEFORE HEADBUTTING ROBBIE BOURBON!!!
Both men push their foreheads together and go back and forth with barbs, both growing increasingly angry before letting loose and striking one another over and over and over!
Adeyemi gets some breathing room after a brutal shot and spins around with a Discus Elbow! But Bobby ducks the strike and as Adeyemi turns fully around Robbie grabs Prince’s waist and throws him up into the air!
JC: DINOSAUR EXTINCTOR!!!
Robbie grabs Adeyemi in a spinebuster!
JC: NO!
But Prince Adeyemi hooks Robbie’s head on the way down!
BG: G-O-FUCKING-D!!!!
Adeyemi goes to drop Bourbon!!!
BG: NO-OHMYGOD-NOOO!
BOURBON REFUSES TO GO DOWN!!!
ADEYEMI IS STUCK WITH BOURBON AND BEGINS TO TRY AND CHOKE THE BIG MAN OUT!
BUT ROBBIE BOURBON RUSHES THE CORNER AND SQUASHES ADEYEMI AGAINST THE TURNBUCKLES!
Bobby holds the top of his taking some of the damage from the corner crash. He grabs Adeyemi’s wrist and hurls him out the corner with an Irish Whip but Adeyemi counters with a whip of his own and short-arms Robbie! Leaping up and landing a Sling Blade!
BUT ROBBIE BOURBON CATCHES PRINCE ADEYEMI MID-AIR!!!!
JC & BG: ROBBIEBOOOOOOOOOMBBB!!!!
BOURBON DELIVERS A SPIN-OUT POWERBOMB TO PRINCE ADEYEMI!!!
Bobby falls to the mat catching his breath as Adeyemi is hurled several feet away from him and is motionless across the ring.
The crowd goes batshit as Bobby begins to crawl forward for the pin!
But Bobby gets to a knee and looks around at the roaring crowd.
BG: The XWF is behind Robbie right now! But what is he thinking!?
“FUCK ‘EM UP BOBBY! FUCK ‘EM UP! FUCK ‘EM UP BOBBY! FUCK ‘EM UP! FUCK ‘EM UP BOBBY! FUCK ‘EM UP! FUCK ‘EM UP BOBBY! FUCK ‘EM UP!”
Robbie looks around and back down to Prince Adeyemi before grabbing The Heir Apparent’s head and plucking him up, dog walking him over to the corner and scaling the turnbuckles!
JC: What is Robbie doing!?
BG: I don’t know but it reminds me of that scene from King Kong!
Robbie sets up Prince for a powerbomb as he looks around at the arena once more as the crowd are on their feet.
HE LIFTS ADEYEMI HIGH INTO THE AIR!
BUT ADEYEMI FIGHTS BACK!!!
THROWS SEVERAL STRIKES AS ROBBIE GOES TO THROW HIM DOWN TO EARTH!
PRINCE ADEYEMI GETS LOOSE AND DROPS AN ELBOW DOWN ONTO ROBBIE’S SKULL!!!
Prince drops to his feet on the mat and stumbles back as Bobby drops into a seated position on the top turnbuckle!
Prince rushes forward!
HE LEAPS UP!!!
JC: SUPER GUILLOTINE OF DESTRUCTION!!!!!!
Adeyemi locks in the guillotine hold and drops Bourbon from the top turnbuckle right onto his dome!
Prince locks in a tight pin and the ref slides in for the cover!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!!!!!!
WINNER - PRINCE ADEYEMI!
JC: We’re back here on Warfare and Brody! Wouldn’t you know it? Charlie Nickles and Scoops McGee are back on Warfare as well!
BG: Centre Bell is rockin’ as those two fight alongside ‘em!
The two men emerge in the lower bowl fighting among the fans. Security gives their best effort to keep the Universe away from the carnage as both men are bleeding profusely. A stiff shot from McGee sends Charlie falling down a flight of steps as he knocks his noggin multiple times off the hand railing. Charlie struggles to get back to his feet and has his back to the divider between the lower bowl and the floor section, but McGee has a head of steam as he bounds down the steps and takes both he and Nickles over the divider railing crashing several feet below to the floor level.
JC: How these two men can even stand anymore is beyond me!
BG: Adrenaline, my friend! That and a will to entertain, a will to win! THAT’s what separates XWF stars from other athletes!
McGee gets back to his feet, but stumbles quickly with a wild swing at no one in particular. Nickles, some how some way starts to get up and stumbles toward ringside before he too falls down. McGee gets to his hands and knees and leaps to cover Charlie.
JC: Coverrr twooooooooooooo and….
3!???????????????????
JC: KICK OUT FROM CHARLIE!
McGee uses fans offering him aid to his feet. Dozens of fans help the man up before McGee grabs a beer vendor, takes a couple of aluminum beer bottles and takes several long gulps. Charlie starts to get up and Scoops swings the aluminum bottles striking Nickles in the face. Nickles reels away just near the fan barricade at ringside. McGee chases after him with urging from the Universe.
Charlie gets to his feet and McGee charges toward him going for another lariat clothesline but Nickles was ready for him as he leans down and tosses McGee up and over the barricade. Scoops comes crashing down hard and awkwardly against the ring steps. Charlie throws himself over the barricade and falls to the floor.
Nickles gets back to his feet and pulls McGee off the steps before separating the two sections. McGee appears to be nearly unconscious as Nickles pulls him to his feet and plants him head first against the larger bottom section of the ring steps.
BG: Devil! Hook! Drop!
JC: This should do it! TWOOOOOO AND….
3!??????????????????????????????????
BG: He kicked out!
JC: My god I can’t believe it!
BG: If they weren’t believers before, Scoops McGee just won over this crowd with that kickout!
Nickles is beside himself with frustration momentarily before throwing the time keeper out of his chair. Folding up the trusty steel, Nickles brings it crashing down against Scoops and his midsection. The bandana wearing grizzled veteran winces in pain and grunts as Nickles throws the chair into the ring and pulls McGee to his feet before sending him in also.
In the ring, Nickles pulls McGee to his feet and goes for another Devil Hook Drop, but McGee counters and sends Nickles crashing awkwardly into the corner with a t-bone suplex. McGee tries to get back to his feet but collapses face down on the ring mat.
JC: These two are gonna need medical attention, Brody!
BG: They’ve been back in the ring for less than two minutes and there’s blood spatter everywhere!
Charlie Nickles uses the ropes and the referee to pull himself upright. Grabbing the chair, he begins stalking Scoops McGee. McGee gets to his hands and knees and Charlie swing the chair against McGee’s exposed back. Scoops arches and yells out but raises to an upright position on his knees.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
Charlie looks around at the crowd cheering for the Living Legend before bringing the chair down against McGee’s skull!
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
McGee slumps briefly but gets up to one foot.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
Charlie looks around at the crowd again before cracking McGee in the skull again.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
McGee slumps again briefly but stands to both feet.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
Charlie brings the chair down against McGee’s skull another time.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
JC: This crowd is somehow energizing Scoops McGee!
BG: The more Nickles hits him with that chair, the further Scoops rises!
Charlie drives the chair blunt edge first into Scoops McGee’s midsection that doubles him over and sends him reeling away just a little bit.
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
Charlie brings the chair down across the back of Terry “Scoops” McGee. McGee arches his back but stays standing. McGee turns to find Charlie, still with his back arched backward.
SMACK!
Taking a baseball bat like swing, Charlie nails McGee in the face with the chair and finally, the old man falls flat on his back. Nickles makes the cover.
HOOK OF THE LEG! TWOOOOOOO!
3!??????????????????????
3!
BG: He got ‘im!
JC: This one, thankfully is all over!
WINNER - Charlie Nickles
JC: Cheers, applause and a standing ovation for these two men tonight!
BG: Charlie Nickles takes the win catapulting him back into title contention, but I think I speak for the entire company when I say hat’s off to Scoops McGee here tonight!
Charlie rolls out of the ring still clinging to the chair as he starts to make his way back up the aisle. Back in the ring, somehow, Scoops McGee gets back to his feet with a mic in hand.
Hey Nickles!
Charlie Nickles stops, but doesn’t turn around.
Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you fat ass!
JC: Come on, Scoops! Don’t egg him on!
BG: Yeah, leave well enough alone!
Nickles turns around from about the midway point of the aisle and looks at Scoops McGee.
I ain’t dead yet!
Massive pop!
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
I’m still standin’ you son of a bitch!
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
JC: Oh God!
BG: And here comes Charlie Nickles!
XWF Universe: TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!
Nickles re-enters the ring and stands across from McGee. Scoops puts up the dukes but a moment later, he drops to his knees. Charlie goes to hit McGee one last time with the chair but stops himself.
JC: Could it be!?
BG: Maybe he earned his respect tonight!
JC: Is this compassion from Charlie Nickles!?
Charlie drops the chair, then face shoves Scoops McGee. McGee falls flat on his back and lays motionless. Nickles stares down at him for a moment before peeling backward and dumping himself through the ropes to make his exit.
The camera opens on a dimly lit utility closet in the back of the arena, cluttered with unfinished puppets strewn across a haphazard workbench. Pieces of wooden limbs, porcelain heads, and tangled strings are scattered haphazardly, as if abandoned mid-creation. Only one marionette sits complete—hanging dead-center, directly facing the camera. It looks eerily familiar as it's lifeless eyes stare forward, unblinking.
It looks just like you.
Their creator sits hunched over a small stool near the table, his hands trembling as he massages his temples. His face is pale, slick with sweat, and there’s a visible tension in his body, as though every movement causes him pain. He lets out a low groan, pressing his palms harder into his skull, trying to dull the throbbing headache that's been gnawing at him for weeks. Every breath he takes is more labored than the last, every twitch of his muscles seems to carry an extra burden.
"Look at it... look at you."
The beady eyes of Charlie Nickles drift slowly to the marionette—the one shaped just like you—and he grits his busted teeth, forcing himself to stand.
"They want you to believe you've got freedom. That you're the masters of your own fate. But every time you step into that ring, every time you try to claw your way back to the top, you feel it, don’t you? That little tug of the string."
Charlie's voice is raspy, pained. He sways slightly, blinking hard as if to clear a fog clouding his vision. His fingers shake as he lifts one of the loose strings from the workbench, holding it up between his thumb and forefinger, examining it in the dim light.
"We all start like this. Just pieces. Broken, incomplete... waiting for our Geppetto to come along, pick up the strings, and make us dance."
Charlie chuckles, but it’s hollow, almost bitter. He takes a step closer to the finished marionette, letting the string dangle in front of it, swaying slightly. His head twitches involuntarily to the side as a sharp pain shoots through his skull. He winces, pressing his free hand against his temple as his eyes force themselves shut.
"You think I don't know you're watching me? You think you’re the one in control, the one with the power to judge?"
Charlie steps even closer, his movements deliberate, though there’s an undercurrent of unsteadiness in his stance. His breath is shallow, every inhale causing his chest to tighten painfully.
"But that’s where you’re wrong. You’ve never been in control. None of you. You’re just like the rest of us. Little puppets... waiting for someone to pull your strings."
He grabs the head of the marionette with both hands, wincing slightly at the sudden movement as if the effort takes more energy than it should. His hands tremble again as his grip tightens around the puppet's porcelain face.
"I can feel your eyes, Geppetto. I can taste your desire. You think you can tell us when to fight, how to fight, who to be. You think you're making us into something better."
He releases the marionette’s head with a slight push, causing it to swing slightly on its strings. The motion makes Charlie’s vision blur for a second, and he shuts his eyes hard again, trying to steady himself as he leans against the workbench. His body seems heavier now, like he’s carrying an invisible weight upon his shoulders.
[nick]"But me...there's no controlling me. I’ve been cutting strings my whole career, haven’t I? Trying to break free. Trying to shake off the pain, the doubts... the headaches... the confusion."
He winces again, pressing his palm harder into his forehead as a sharp pulse of pain throbs behind his eyes.
"But sometimes..."
His voice trails off, his eyes drifting back to the marionette—the one still staring lifelessly at the camera. The one built to look exactly like you.
"Sometimes I wonder..."
His expression hardens, but there’s a hint of something else beneath it: fear, uncertainty. He swallows, his throat dry, and takes a shaky step toward the marionette once again.
"Sometimes I wonder if I’m just another puppet, too. Another broken piece, waiting for Geppetto to decide my fate."
His hand hovers over the marionette, fingers trembling. His face twitches again, and he lets out a low, pained groan, squeezing his eyes shut as the pressure in his head intensifies. When he opens them, the marionette’s features seem to warp for just a second—a grotesque, mocking grin flashing across its porcelain face.
Charlie’s breath catches in his throat, and he stumbles back, his chest heaving. For a moment, it’s like the marionette is mocking him, taunting him, daring him to sever the strings.
"I have to be the one in control! I don't care what it takes!"
The words come out as a forced whisper, more desperate than defiant. He stares at the marionette, his hand trembling over the strings. His breathing grows shallow, and his entire body seems to sag under the weight of exhaustion, pain, and uncertainty. The room feels too hot, the air too thick, too suffocating.
But then, with a sudden burst of energy, Charlie’s hand shoots forward, grabbing the strings attached to the marionette’s limbs. His fingers dig into the fibers, and with a fierce yank, he rips them free.
The marionette drops to the ground in a heap, its wooden limbs scattering across the floor. Charlie stumbles back, gasping for breath, his body trembling. The sound of the marionette crashing echoes through the room like the toll of a graveyard bell.
Charlie stares at the pile of broken pieces, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. His eyes are wild, lost in a fog of pain and confusion. The camera zooms in on his face, catching the momentary flicker of fear in his eyes before he grits his teeth, forcing himself to stand tall despite the agony searing through his body.
"Geppetto doesn’t pull my strings anymore...."
He spits the words out, though his voice wavers, his body betraying his weakened state. His hand hovers over the broken marionette, fingers twitching as if unsure whether to sever more or retreat.
"Because tonight..."
He looks directly into the camera now, his eyes locking with the audience, the broken marionette of the viewer lying in pieces between them.
"There are no strings on me."
The camera zooms out slowly, capturing the chaos in the room: the unfinished puppets scattered across the workbench, the shattered marionette on the floor, and Charlie, standing amidst it all, clutching his head as the throbbing in his skull pulses louder, his grin faltering for just a second before the scene fades away.
JC: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to XWF Warfare!
We’ve had an incredible show tonight, and we only anticipate things to be more jaw-dropping here in our main event.
BG: Warfare is closing the broadcast with a tag team match for the second show in a row. That just goes to show the level of talent that’s available week after week on XWF programming. You can’t keep these stars off TV!
JC: And the winners of this contest might get used to being on television more regularly, as they’ll go on to be the #1 contender to the XWF Tag Team Championships at Snow Holds Barred.
BG: I’m just glad we’ll have our booth to ourselves for this main event. Prince Adeyemi’s riddles made me uncomfortable.
JC: Amen, it gets pretty cramped over here.
JC: and speaking of comfortability, these teams doing battle tonight are going to have to hope they’ve become comfortable with one another. A real duo of odd bedfellow tag teams starting with this woman… the IMPRESSIVE Yelena Gorgo
The lights dim to a black, opaque screen with the noise of the crowd as the soundtrack. Thousands of layered voices quickly swell into a deafening roar when a woman's maniacal, cackling laugh echoes across the arena. Then, at once, a powerful feminine voice blasts the opening chorus of Sick Like Me by In This Moment.
♫ Am I Beautiful…
♫ As I Tear You To Pieces?
♫ Am I Beautiful…
♫ Even At My Ugliest…
♫ You Always Say…
CUT TO: The stage. Screams and boos are intertwined into a twisted harmony of love and hate. Cellphone lights dot the black canvas like stars marking a midnight sky. Seconds pass, until—
A silhouette is standing on the stage, surrounded by red strobing lights. Brief flashes give split-second glimpses of the unknown figure. Long blonde hair hangs over their face. Muscular shoulders and arms, but with feminine curves in all the right places. Their perfect, terrifying form is decorated by three championship belts—one around their waist and two hanging by their straps in each hand.
Slowly, both arms raise into the air as a red spotlight casts down onto the CU:LT Classic Champion. The Last UPRISING World Champion. The Last MIRACLE GALAXY PRO ENDVR Champion.
YELENA GORGO. The Woman Who Laughs. The Mama-san. The Mad Queen.
SEE black grease wiped across the forehead and eyes…
SEE the dry, flakey white paint smeared down her face, neck, chest and arms…
SEE those BLOOD RED lips contorted into a disturbed, hacksaw smile.
♫ Is It Sick Of Me…
♫ To Need Control Of You?
♫ Is It Sick To Make…
♫ You Beg The Way I Do?
♫ Is It Sick Of Me…
♫ To Want You Crawling On Your Knees?
♫ Is It Sick To Say…
♫ I Want You Biting Down On Me?
Their hands drop and the belt straps dangle to the floor as she begins walking down the aisle. A twisted giggle escapes their mouth like a jackal, with their shoulders hunching up and down with each hee-haw.
BG: A big time star in CULT wrestling, Yelena Gorgo is entering the XWF with a lot of promise. She’s a wildly successful entrepreneur. She’s a badass in the ring. She’s been everything everywhere, except for the XWF… yet.
Thousands of fans watch her every movement. Some cheer like a ravenous mob, while others boo out of utter contempt and disgust, but every single one of them are on their feet.
They climb the stairs to the apron and ducks into the ring. In the center of the ring, their knees drop to the mat and they raise the belts into the air while bending awkwardly backward, like a contortionist possessed by the devil. Then, suddenly, they lurch forward and let out a primal, howling, death metal scream with every muscle contracted and veins bulging outward through their skin as the house lights rise.
"Luna est dominae, volkodlak malorum
Artes et perditae, lycan incarnatus
Luna est dominae, volkodlak malorum
Artes et perditae, lycan incarnatus"
JC: If Yelena Gorgo is going to get off to a successful start here in the XWF, it’s going to depend on how well she can successfully align with this man, her tag team partner tonight, ENIGMA![/white]
A dense fog rolls out along the entrance ramp, the haunting whispered chant growing in volume along with the pulsing tempo of the music. A hulking horned beast appears from the gloom, slowly and methodically stalking towards the ring. His leather doomsday cloak is open over his massive chest, each step bringing him further into the light until "The Monster Machine" is revealed in full. The dark and Gothic chanting of “Night of the Wolf” by Nox Arcana continues, music swelling in volume as each pulse in the tempo and each measured step of the monster are in sync.
BG: And these two might be perfect odd bedfellows. They both want to overturn the applecart, bring chaos… because they can!
"Rota, vita, mara, vena
Mare, dracul, morte, vita
Rota, vita, mara, vena
Mare, dracul, morte, vita"
ENIGMA ascends the ring steps and subtly wipes his feet on the apron, turning towards the crowd as he removes the horned skull mask, revealing his soot-streaked face and colourless eyes. Throwing his head back, he sprays a bloody mist into the air before letting out a snarl. When his head lowers, blood drips from his chin and down his heaving chest.
Yelena and Enigma nod to one another and-
JC: And here comes one of the people they’ll have to prove that against, Madison Dyson!
BG: When I heard that Dyson and Waters were teaming together, I immediately figured it would be bad news for Gorgo and Enigma. But when I realized it was Dolly, and not Misty Waters, well that changed everything.
Madison Dyson saunters out onto the ramp as a plume of gold smoke filters out.
Madison Dyson then heads down the aisle confidently, bitching out any plebes that dare to boo her. She's often clad in elaborate feathery robes. The X-Tron shows a barrage of images of Madison kicking the holy living shit out of that abject loser Sean Parker and others, intercut with her name logo and a queen's crown laden with barbed wire.
JC: Look at the steely features of Madison Dyson. She made it very clear that she isn’t buying anything that Gorgo and Enigma are selling.
BG: Well sell me a front row seat to this one! I’m just glad we’ve got the booth to ourselves tonight.
JC: And here comes her partner, Dolly-
As Dolly Waters steps on the stage,
fuck it, cut the cord.
The means of production have been seized.
The crowd in Center Bell erupt with cheers for The Revolution.
Mark Flynn walks out from behind the curtain, brushing past Dolly who looks confused. She starts heading down the ramp as Schism and Bobby Bourbon march to the beat of their own drums from behind the curtain, and joining Mark Flynn who has converged the announcers desk.
Dolly climbs the apron, still looking perplexed while Madison barks profanities at The Revolution from the ring floor. They’re drowned out by the cheers.
REVOLUTION!
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP
REVOLUTION!
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP
REVOLUTION!
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP.
Dolly insists that Madison join her on the apron, and she finally does.
Gorgo and Enigma look on, encouraged, almost pleased by the sudden chaos in the arena.
Dolly and Gorgo step forward first.
#1 Contender to Tag Team Titles
Madison Dyson & Dolly Waters
- vs -
Enigma & Yelena Gorgo Strange Bedfellows Perhaps?
The bell rings and we’re under way, but we hear shuffling around the announcers desk as Flynn, Bobby and Schism have packed JC and BG into tight quarters. Flynn taking the center of the commentary desk.
JC: Well Brody, you jinxed it, and it appears as if we will have some guests on this broadca-
I’m not sure if that’s the way you want to introduce The Revolution, Jackie boy.
We’re seizing the means of this broadcast.
Hi Peter Principle! How you like these apples?
All the while Dolly has been pacing the ring with the much larger Yelena Gorgo. Showing her flashes of speed, diving in for a chopblock to Gorgo’s knee. Gorgo stumbles back but stays upright and retaliates with a vicious forearm. It sends Dolly sprawling to the canvas.
JC: Sorry folks if I’m a little distracted, but Mark Flynn, can we ask why The Revolution is hijacking the broadcast tonight?
Because the XWF is doing everything they can to silence our movement.
Peter Principle thought he was slick. He saw the threat of a TRUE movement, a TRUE revolution, and he tried to squash us with the best talent he could muster.
When that didn’t work, he tried booking only Bobby here in a solo match tonight, trying to starve the revolution of airtime.
The Revolution cannot be stopped. It cannot be outmaneuvered, The Revolution is HERE.
You know who looks like they cannot be outmaneuvered right now is this Yelena Gorgo chick, she’s got Dolly scrambled up
Dolly pops back up from another forearm, and then darts under a clothesline from Gorgo.
Dolly leaps with a spinning backfist, but Gorgo counters with a catching side slam that flattens Waters. Gorgo starts working her over with some hair grab knees to the head. Dolly throws her arms up to cover. She absorbs some of the blows, and gets to her feet, Gorgo still with a handful of Dolly’s short hair. Gorgo kicks, but Dolly drops and rolls, allowing some of hair to be torn. She pops back up and dives again, this time hitting the backfist perfectly in Gorgo’s jaw.
JC: What a counter there by Dolly Waters!
What counter?
I’m impressed she’s still standing. Hat Gorgo looks like she hits like a wrecking ball.
Wrecking balls are tools of destruction, but this Dolly, shes’ a song– an unpredictable melody of chaos.
The crew all pause, feeding Schism looks of increduilty as the unorthodox man stands and peels his aviator sunglasses away, his eyes wide and dilated.
Hey, if our guy said it, then he meant it.
Bingo!
Dolly is hitting the ropes running in at the staggered Gorgo, she leaps for another back fist, but this time is caught with a european uppercut! Gorgo with a counter of her own! And now she has Dolly Waters in a bearhug, squeezing her biceps into Dolly’s air supply. Frantic, Dolly rakes her boot down across Gorgo’s shin multiple times. Gogrgo hollers out in pain and Dolly is able to slip free, tagging in Dyson.
Madison hops over the ropes and launches herself at Gorgo with a step up enziguri, rocking the XWF newcomer. Dyson follows up with a flurry of open handed slaps, each one cracking over Gorgo’sface and chest, echoing through the arena.
BG: Dyson unloading with those slaps! That’s gotta sting!
Madison works Gorgo to the ropes, and springboards on the second rope, falling down and catching Gorgo with a swinging neckbreaker.
Dyson covers!
1!
2!!
GORGO POWERS OUT WITH AUTHORITY!
She throws Madison off her like a rag doll.
Dyson lands on her feet like a cat and charges Gorgo- BUT A POP UP BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX!
Dyson is crushed as Gorgo drags her to her corner by the hair, tagging in Enigma.
JC: And here comes The Abyss! This behemoth Enigma!
Gorgo hold’s Dysons arms while Enigma works in a few pucnhes to her stomach. Dyson falls in Enigma’s arms as Gorgo steps back to the apron. Enigma easily flips Dyson up on his shoulders and takes off running, leaping in the air and crushing Dyson with a sitting powerbomb in the middle of the ring. Enigma lays his feet over Dyson’s shoulders
1!
2!!
NO!
Dyson just kicks out. She turns on her stomach and tries crawling toward her corner. But Enigma is on her. Working her over with overhand clubbing blows, smacking them across her spine. He lifts her back up, pressing his advantage, throwing Dyson into the ropes and hitting her with an impressive samoan drop. But he’s not done!
He has Dyson up again, pulling her arm between his legs…. HELLBOUND PUMPHANDLE SLAM!
Enigma covers
JC: This one might be over!
1!
Dolly’s eyes go wide-
2!!
SHE STEPS THROUGH THE ROPES!
BUT DYSON KICKS OUT ON HER OWN!
The crowd boos having wanted to see Dyson pinned.
JC: That’s one of the meanest pumphandle slams maneuvers I’ve ever seen!
That wasn’t just a move, that was a statement by Enigma… I’m big, and you’re toast
Burnt toast burns bright when you see
Hey-oh! Schiz is batting a thousand tonight!
Enigma slams his fist into the mat lifts the helpless Dyson back up, and gorilla presses her over his head. The crowd gasps - BUT DYSON WRIGGLE FREE!
She falls down behind Enigma and throws a desperation chop block at his knee.
It buckles, giving Madison enough time to dive to the corner where she tags in Dolly.
The match picks up, Dolly rushes Enigma with a series of strikes that he easily blocks. Enigma swings wild with another overhand punch, and Dolly rolls out of the way. She darts toward the ropes, confusing the momentum in the ring. Enigma chases…
ODE TO JOY!!!!
The springboard european uppercut from Dolly lands flush.
JC: How in the hell is Enigma still standing after that? We’ve seen Dolly put away countless stars with that move, and this Monster Machine is still on his feet!
Dolly hits a spinning mule kick, blasting Enigma into the ropes where he catches himself. Dolly darts over to the turnbuckle, and leaps backward off the pad, catching Enigma with a falling cutter, planting enigma’s head in the mat,
She covers!
1!
2!!
ENIGMA KICKS OUT WITH FORCE! He sends Dolly tumbling.
JC: Enigma’s resilience is unreal!
Resilience is commonplace when you have that much mass to throw around.
Yes but don’t you see her? The SEER? She’s a seer.
See her? Yeah, yeah I see Dolly getting crushed by this monster
Mass collapses under the weight of inevitability. She her… she’s inevitable
Enigma staggers over and makes the tag to Gorgo, who charges at Dolly, wrapping her up from behind and planting her with a German suplex. Gorgo doesn’t release, instead, she seems to hit what feels like every suplex known to woman. After a stiff fishermens suplex, Gorgo rolls Dolly over on her stomach and locks her trademark Death Clutch! Wrenching Dolly’s neck with the dragon sleeper.
Dolly flails around, reaching for the ropes, but Gorgo rolls her back into the submission hold
ONLY DOLLY ROLLS AGAIN COUNTERING THE SUBMISSION
SHE HAS GORGO IN A PINFALL
1!
2!!
GORGO GRABBED THE ROPES!
The fall is broken and Dolly starts crawling toward Maidson. But Gorgo has taken little damage and is already up grabbing Dolly’s ankle, pulling her back. Dolly spins back, pulling Gorgo in with her leg, and kicking Gorgo in the face with her free leg.
Dolly lunges forward and makes the diving tag to Dyson!
Madison comes in hot, landing a running dropkick. Gorgo falls backward on the mat and Dyson chase after her. Raking her eyes and facewashing her into the mat before grabbing two handfuls of hair. She starts swinging Gorgo around in circles, trying to get her airborn, but Gorgo stops the helicopter swing with her feet. BUT DYSON JUST PULLS HER FACE FIRST INTO A DEVASTATING KNEE!
JC: OOF! That was hard to watch!
Gorgo falls to the mat, and Dyson turns, hitting a quick stepup enziguri on Enigma in the corner. He’s blasted off the apron and Dyson dives on Gorgo for the cover!
1!
2!!
GORGO KICKS OUT WITH FEROCITY!
Enigma rushes into the ring and attacks Dyson as she stands.
Dolly sprints across the ring and leaps for a hurricanrana on Enigma- BUT HE POWERBOMBS HER INTO THE TURNBUCKLE! Enigma runs at Dolly for a spear, but she somehow falls out of the way, and Enigma goes diving through the ropes, crashing into the ring barricade.
Dolly gathers herself and hits the ropes flying at Enigma with a suicide dive!
JC: This is bedlam!
Bedlam? Nah. This is just another day at the office for these exploited workers. GEtting beaten around with no guaranteed health insurance, no union representation! Bedlam’s ass, this is what we do week in, week out.
Bedlam is the place of rebirth. It’s a beautiful storm.
Inside the ring, Gorgo and Madison are trading strikes. Neither giving an inch. Until….
KICK DEMON!!!
GORGO’S ROUNDHOUSE - MISSES!
Dyson ducks and lands a jawbreaker! Gorgo stands back, and Dyson tags Waters
Dolly scales the turnbuckle waiting for Gorgo to rise. She leaps, connecting with a meteora.
Dolly covers!
But Enigma climbed his way back onto the apron, partially by climbing up the back of the Ref’s shirt.
Oh, look at this! Again these unperpaid, overworked refs in the XWF being taken advantage of!
Enigma’s distracting him! Prick.
Distraction births opportunity.
In the chaos, Enigma runs through the ropes and hits a running powerbomb on Dolly. The ref turns back and sees Gorgo crawling on the pin as Enigma sneaks out of the ring.
1!
2!!
3!! NOOOOOOOO- DYSON BROKE IT UP JUST IN TIME!
The ref tries restoring order, but now Dyson and Enigma are brawling on the outside of the ring. Dolly and Gogo are left alone. Dolly is struggling to get to her feet, and a big stomp in her spine doesn’t help matters.
Schism at the commentary desk has a wilder than normal look in is eye, as Bobby seems to be trying to calm him down. He grabs a live mic
Gorgo steps over Dolly locking in a DEATH CLUTCH!
Just as Yelena is locking Dolly into a more traditional camel clutch
SEE HER! SEER!
Schism yells into the live mic,
Gorgo flinches, and Dolly snags her arm from under her chin- rolling her into
THE ROLLING WATERS!
1!
SEE HER!
Dolly tightens her oklahoma roll
2!!
YELENA POPS OUT
3!!!
A SECOND TOO LATE!
WINNERS: Dolly Waters & Madison Dyson
The crowd erupts as Dolly’s music hits. She’s rolling out of the ring collapsing into Madison’s arms as the two of them celebrate the improbable victory of odd bedfellows. Enigma is fuming while Gorgo argues with the ref.
JC: Dolly Waters and Madison Dyson with the win! What a match!
Dolly’s sure got grit, and I guess grit beats all of that mass
Sure, grit. Maybe it was a well timed distraction?
The Revolution Schism winks, putting his shades back on A butterfly flapping it’s eyelashes.
JC: Well love em or hate em, The Revolution certainly left their mark on Warfare tonight
BG: And now we know it’ll be the dangerous team of Madison Dyson and Dolly Waters challenging for the Tag Team Championships at Snow Holds Barred.
JC:You can’t take anything away from Yelena Gorgo and Enigma tonight. That was an impressive showing. They were just an eyelash away from winning this!
Dolly and Madison make their way up the ramp, arms raised as the camera focuses on The Revolution at the commentary desk. The scene fades with Flynn shooting Dolly and Madison an… interesting look.
THANKS TO
Atticus Gold
Thaddeus Duke
Liam Desmond
Peter Principle
Charlie Nickles
Aurora
'Bashmaster' Barry Masterson
ELO
AND EVERYONE WHO RP'D
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