(EAW intro plays…)
(Friday Night Dynasty intro plays. After a montage plays for last week’s show, recapping important events, we transition to a live look at the arena. Then, the shot dissolves to commentary, where Stew-O, Jake Mercer and Flannery McCoy are all present.)
Stew-O: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Friday Night Dynasty! I’m Stew-O, here alongside my partners Jake Mercer and Flannery McCoy, and we’ve got quite the show to look forward to as it is officially game time.
Jake Mercer: Absolutely! Tonight, we will determine who the finalists will be for both the Empress of Elite and King of Elite tournaments! Brianna Hill takes on Anna Wautier, and in tonight’s main event, it’ll be either BRAE or Kirk Redwood going up against Drake King or David Gideon Smith to nab Dynasty’s spot at King of Elite. So exciting!
Flannery McCoy: It is. So many crucial matches at play tonight to solidify King of Elite while we’re three weeks away from the show. It’ll be interesting to see who wins tonight.
(The Friday Night Dynasty feed pans out to a wide shot of the arena, before suddenly, “FINISH HIM” sounds over the speakers, and “Vent” by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar plays over the arena speakers and smoke billows through the curtain while flames begin to pulsate from both sides of the stage. The crowd goes wild with anticipation as the Chairman of EAW, Methuselah Elevation, makes his way out from behind the stage curtains with a maniacal grin on his face. He storms down the ramp towards the squared circle, procuring a microphone from the ringside staff before entering. He stops at the center of the ring, waiting as his music fades away and leaving only the sounds of the audience in its wake; he gauges the reaction, nodding before holding the microphone up to his mouth and beginning to speak.)
Methuselah: ARISE!
Methuselah: AWAKEN!
Methuselah: ARISE!
Methuselah: AWAKEN!
Methuselah: ARISE!
Methuselah: AWAKEN!
Methuselah: ARISE! ARISE! ARISE!
Methuselah: AWAKEN! AWAKEN! AWAKEN!
Methuselah: ARISE! AWAKEN! METHUSELAH ELEVATION!
(The guttural incantations reverberated throughout the arena, with the crowd chanting alongside the Chairman.)
Methuselah: Salutations, dear pupils! Even after the decades that I have invested my mortal vessel into this industry, moments like these remind me that my ears can still be bludgeoned by the vocal reverberations of your eager anticipation. Indeed, I am well aware of the cause of your anticipation as well…
(He shook his head.)
Methuselah: Salachya. A hundred pardons. A week ago, I left you all hanging from the proverbial cliff, waiting to hear who, exactly, would be ‘The Hunted’ that I alluded to as the next target of your humbly chosen and newly awoken fraternal father. Allow me to lift the veil that exists betwixt you and the answer… just as the Hunted arrives in cycles, so too does my skirmishes with him. I stated this before, did I not? The cycles, I mapped them out until my elevated mind became attuned with their algorithm.
Methuselah: Lo and behold, my barometer did not lie; the most recent cycle had reached its climactic point in the year 2025 Anno Domini Methuselah Elevation, returning to its most fearsome point and evoking the same awe and fear as the spectacle witnessed in the first iteration of the cycle. And, just as the cycle’s projected trajectory indicated, it reached its conclusion in the month of September, leading to the Hunted’s absence for three months, before the genesis of the newest cycle at the Festival of Lights.
Methuselah: THEREFORE, the cycle begins anew.
Methuselah: THEREFORE, the cycle reacquires its erstwhile ferocity.
Methuselah: THEREFORE, your Ascended Mahatma shall aim to rectify his past encounter with the cycle of 2025 Anno Domini Methuselah Elevation.
Methuselah: Surely no further elucidation is required. The Hunted is none other than CYCLONE, Cy Henderson.
(The crowd explodes with a tremendous mixed reaction at the confirmation that Methuselah will be targeting the returning legend Cy Henderson, who had not been seen since the end of his World Heavyweight Championship reign until he announced his return at the Festival of Lights upon receiving his award.)
Methuselah: KAN, our resident returning legend – for the umpteenth + 1 time – has fallen into my crosshairs. And though my ears were so viciously assaulted just minutes ago, I can nevertheless hear the questions… why would your elevated sensei pursue another war with the Force of Nature? It is quite simple!
Methuselah: The beginning of Cyclone’s cycle is when he will be consumed with the most vigor and motivation, eager beyond all else to reestablish his place in my pecking order just as he did yesteryear. As a matter of fact, this particular moment may be THE ideal moment for Cyclone to be struck; unlike the lengthened period between the previous cycle and the one before that, lasting for years upon years, it has been scarcely a handful of months since the culmination of the previous cycle, one in which he reigned with dominance as the World Heavyweight Champion.
Methuselah: In spite of his loss of the gold, he nevertheless felt spurred to return to the Land of Elite, Extreme, Merchants, Beasts, brimming with fire and desire, with his covetous eyes once again looking t’wards world championship gold. Commendably bold of him; contrary to the preconceived notions of his primary detractors, his spirit has been renewed in record time – relative to his past cycles, naturally. THEREFORE, it spurs my OWN spirit! His motivation provokes me, taunts me, as though his very spirit was begging to be broken by his Ascended Mahatma.
Methuselah: There should not have been any doubt when I openly proclaimed that all gladiators who fight in my coliseum were in danger of my warpath, and Cyclone is not exempt from that statement.
(The crowd cheers in anticipation of the two legends reigniting their feud from last year, when suddenly, “POV” by Clipse ft Tyler The Creator began blaring through the speakers to a raucous reaction as the Force of Nature himself, Cy Henderson, slowly sauntered out onto the center of the stage, his trademark cap lowered so as to obscure the look in his eyes. He slowly raised it, revealing his piercing eyes staring right at Methuselah across the ramp. Cy raised his own microphone up to his mouth and began to speak.)
Cy Henderson: Is that what this is about, Methuselah? Striking me when I’m at my most motivated? Or is this the lashing out of another legend, facing the same sands of time burdening his shoulders more and more with each and every passing day, after seeing one of his peers surge back to the top even after all the years away from the ring? The way I see it, you look less motivated to face me at my best and more worried that you haven’t even scraped the top of the line for years, let alone occupied it as dominantly as me.
(The crowd oooohs at the audacious statement as Cy begins pacing while he speaks.)
Cy Henderson: Even last year when you decided to aim for my head, looking to snatch the World Heavyweight Championship off my shoulders, you became obsessed with the idea that you could ‘predict’ me and ‘track’ me. The fact of the matter is that you’ve been trying to predict your return to the top for ages, and each of your predictions have failed. Me? I didn’t need to lay out an elaborate map to the top, I just lived up to my name as a force of nature and bulldozed my way through the entire current crop of talent to do so. And I intend to do so yet again, whether you like it or not.
Methuselah: :mjlol2: Salachya, salachya, I can scarcely contain myself whenever this narrative that I’m spiraling gets forced into the conversation. There is not a scintilla of doubt in me regarding my inevitable return to the peak of this industry, Cyclone, and that is because I am ETERNAL. It is not a prediction when I speak of my return to the pinnacle, it is a statement of preordained events. While I am well aware of your proclaimed ambitions, you suffer from the fact that your desires contradict my own… THEREFORE, the Force of Nature’s warpath shall be stopped before it can even recommence.
Cy Henderson: I’m not surprised. I knew you were going to do whatever you could to stop me, because the blow to your ego it would be watching me win two world titles in a span that you couldn’t even get a single one would be fatal. Feel free to do whatever you can to stop me, but if last year showed anything, it’s that I’m not easy to stop. Maybe, at some point, you’ll realize that you’re better suited in this day and age to sit behind a desk and operate the company with a pen rather than with a fist.
(The video feed lingered on the tense scene as Cy Henderson and Methuselah glared daggers into each other’s eyes, before the feed faded to black.)
(A commercial plays for White Castle, featuring Limmy Monaghan, Michael Machina and Milli Banks promoting the bacon cheeseburger promotion in conjunction with EAW. Get yours before they run out!)
Stephie Love: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FOLLOWING MATCH IS SCHEDULED FOR ONE FALL!
Crowd: ONE FALL!
(“TEFLON DON” by Future began blaring through the speakers to boos as Jamie Valdez, with a cocky smirk plastered across her face, emerged from behind the stage curtains and sauntered down the ramp towards the squared circle, cheekily ignoring the boos of the fans as she did.)
Stephie Love: INTRODUCING FIRST! Hailing from Laredo, Texas, weighing in at 120 pounds… she is THE PRODIGY, JAAAAMIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! VAAAAAAAAALDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!
Stew-O: Here comes one of the newest elitists to join the ranks of Elite Answers Wrestling, Jamie Valdez!
Flannery McCoy: She had a bit of a rough start with a loss in her first match, but if there’s one thing you can say about her, it’s that she is overflowing with confidence!
Jake Mercer: Tonight, she looks to rectify that first match and really establish herself as one of the premier new breeds of Elite Answers Wrestling!
(“Void Meridian” by Messa began blaring through the speakers to loud boos as Adam Hale Valentine, with a similarly egotistical expression on his face, made his way out onto the stage. He struck a pose at the center of the stage, before making his way towards the ring.)
Stephie Love: AND HER OPPONENT! Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, weighing in at 192 pounds… he is GOD’S CHOSEN TRAITOR, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAM! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE! VAAAAAAAAAAALENTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!
Stew-O: And as it turns out, we’ve got a battle of the New Breeds here as Jamie Valdez will be going up against another elitist new to EAW in the form of Adam Hale Valentine!
Flannery McCoy: Like Jamie, Adam may be new to Elite Answers Wrestling, but he’s been making the rounds in the professional wrestling industry! As a matter of fact, he’s the brother of former Universal Women’s Champion, Bea Valentine!
Jake Mercer: He also faced a loss for his first match in EAW, going up against none other than Drake King, but despite the intense challenge, he really brought the fight to Drake! It’s time to see how these two new breeds stack up against each other!
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
Stew-O: And the match is underway! EAW’s two newest new breeds, Jamie Valdez and Adam Hale Valentine, are going to be going at it to see which one of them is able to leave a positive mark on their records this early on in 2026!
Flannery McCoy: I hate to say it, but neither of these two really come across as the most honorable wrestlers; I’ve heard the history of their careers in the industry so far, and it seems like both of them are willing to take shortcuts!
Jake Mercer: Hey, if you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying! Adam isn’t even opposed to bragging about the way that he goes about the industry, he is willing to do whatever it takes to win! It’s probably the same for Jamie, although she seems to be a little more aggressive and ruthless with her approach.
Stew-O: The match starts off and Adam steps out of his corner, puffing out his chest as he taunts Jamie Valdez! The Prodigy doesn’t take too kindly to that, with Adam’s irritating approach already sparking her ire, and Jamie begins storming towards him with malicious intentions!
Flannery McCoy: But it looks like Adam was just baiting her in, because the moment she got close enough, he immediately dropped down to the canvas and rolled out of the ring, gesturing at Jamie as he does! The Prodigy immediately executes a baseball slide, looking to catch Adam with a dropkick out at ringside, but Adam is able to maneuver away from it and make his way around the post at the corner of the squared circle!
Jake Mercer: Jamie rushes around to follow him, launching a bicycle knee strike to try to knock him out, but Adam suddenly leapt onto the adjacent apron, getting out of dodge at the nick of time! Jamie quickly turns around to face Adam after he evaded her attack, but the only thing she sees coming her way is–
Stew-O: DIVING COMPLETE SHOT! It connects, knocking Jamie Valdez down onto the ringside floor, leaving her vulnerable for Adam Hale Valentine to capitalize and stomp the hell out of her while she’s down!
Flannery McCoy: This is a pretty unorthodox start to the match, but with two wrestlers like this, I guess we shouldn’t have been expecting anything even remotely normal!
Jake Mercer: Adam Hale Valentine is raining down on her with a barrage of ruthless stomps, but suddenly Jamie is able to catch Adam’s boot for one of the stomps before kicking out his other leg, sweeping him and causing him to faceplant and join Jamie Valdez on the ringside floor!
Stew-O: Jamie may be at a disadvantage when it comes to weight, but she’s able to take advantage of this set up by leaping onto the back of Adam Hale Valentine, positioning herself with a back mount before retaliating against Adam for his approach thus far with a flurry of strikes to the back of the head!
Flannery McCoy: She grabs a fistful of Adam’s hair and drags him up to a kneeling position from behind, leaving him dazed and vulnerable after enduring that head trauma as Jamie rushes past him, looking to get in front of him before sprinting towards him–
Jake Mercer: AND A RUNNING DOUBLE KNEE SMASH CONNECTS WITH THE FACE OF ADAM HALE VALENTINE! The Prodigy has taken control of this match now as she knocks Adam down onto his back with those knees, and now there’s no doubt that Adam is in quite a daze after getting hit in the head from behind and from the front!
Stew-O: Jamie looks down gleefully at the pain Adam is experiencing before grabbing a fistful of his hair and using it to drag him back up to a standing position, and it’s clear that Jamie Valdez gets a sort of sadistic joy from bringing the punishment to her opponents as we’re seeing right here and now!
Flannery McCoy: Still with that gripped hair, in spite of the referee’s admonishments, Jamie turns Adam Hale Valentine around and SLAMS him face-first into the steel post! And again! And yet another time! Adam’s head is being targeted relentlessly by Jamie who clearly has a goal in mind to knock this man out!
Jake Mercer: She transfers her grip from his hair down to his wrist, looking back for a moment before taking aim and executing an Irish whip, looking to send Adam Hale Valentine crashing right into the massive steel steps that are propped up against the adjacent corner of the ring!
Stew-O: BUT ADAM HALE VALENTINE WAS ABLE TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING! Not only that, but he managed to REVERSE the Irish whip, sending Jamie Valdez crashing into the steel steps instead! Jamie is now seated against the steel steps, clutching her head in pain after getting launched into them as hard as Adam did to her!
Flannery McCoy: But Adam seems to have a glare of his own locked onto Jamie, looking to get some payback for the ruthless offense he’s suffered in this match thus far! Jamie Valdez certainly is not in a good position right now, dazed and propped up against steel, and given what we know about Adam Hale Valentine, this is exactly the type of situation that he loves to capitalize on!
Jake Mercer: Adam Hale Valentine takes aim at the dazed Jamie Valdez before sprinting forward, dropping to the floor as he does with enough velocity to slide and connect with a sliding elbow, right to the head of Jamie Valdez, causing it to BOUNCE off those steel steps like a ball!
Stew-O: Whew, I felt the whiplash from that one! Jamie collapses from the seated position down to a supine position, laid out on the ringside floor, but unfortunately for her, she doesn’t get even a second of respite because Adam quickly scrambles back to a standing position and leaps into the air, falling down on her with a jumping elbow drop to the chest!
Flannery McCoy: OH, and look at the disrespect as he arches his foot over and just SCRAPES the bottom of his boot against the face of Jamie Valdez! Neither of these two seem to have a hint of respect for the other here!
Jake Mercer: Respect won’t get you anywhere, Flannery, action will! Adam is showcasing that right now as he grabs Jamie by the hair and practically YANKS her back into the ring! Adam follows suit, sliding back into the ring from beneath the bottom rope, before slithering over to where Jamie rolled to and following up on his assault!
Stew-O: Grounded Kawada kicks from God’s Chosen Traitor keep the damage going against Jamie Valdez, who has started taking quite a beating from the resourceful Adam Hale Valentine! Both of these wrestlers seemed prone to using the environment against each other; whatever their personalities are, they follow a similar playbook in that ring!
Flannery McCoy: But right now, Adam is taking charge! After those grounded Kawada kicks, Adam looks back to the nearby corner, seemingly getting an idea based on that expression on his face! He staggers over to the corner before starting to scale it, looking back as he does to keep an eye on Jamie as she starts to stir and stagger back up to her own feet!
Jake Mercer: Jamie does get back to a standing position, but it seems to be too late as Adam Hale Valentine LAUNCHES himself off the top rope, shooting towards Jamie Valdez like a literal missile as he looks to connect with a missile front dropkick– BUT JAMIE VALDEZ MANAGED TO SIDESTEP THE ATTACK JUST IN TIME!
Stew-O: Adam Hale Valentine ends up crashing and burning after that well-timed evasion, with Jamie Valdez cackling at the pain Adam must be going through right now! She walks over to his head and- well, turnabout is fairplay, she’s scraping her own boot all over the face of Adam Hale Valentine, going tic for tac after what Adam did to her out at ringside!
Flannery McCoy: Jamie grabs him by the hair and forces his way back to a standing position before giving him a stiff boot to the midsection, causing God’s Chosen Traitor to double over in pain! Just what Jamie was looking to accomplish, it seems, as she tucks his head into a front facelock before DROPPING him on the roof of his head with a classic DDT!
Jake Mercer: Adam Hale Valentine flips forward with that DDT, ending up laid out on the canvas on his back, leaving him vulnerable as Jamie looks to follow it up! She scales the ropes herself, getting to the top rope, but Adam is still out, surely still dealing with the back to back damage from that missed missile front dropkick and the DDT immediately afterwards!
Stew-O: Leaving him wide open as Jamie Valdez LEAPS off the corner and twists herself in mid-air, LANDING ON ADAM HALE VALENTINE WITH POETRY OF SILENCE! INVERTED SPIRAL TAP, HER SIGNATURE MANEUVER, CONNECTS WITH ADAM AND SHE IMMEDIATELY HOOKS THE LEG, LOOKING TO GET THE PIN OFF OF THAT MOVE! THE REFEREE SLIDES IN TO COUNT IT!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Flannery McCoy: BUT ADAM HALE VALENTINE IS STILL IN THE GAME! JAMIE LOOKS PISSED OFF AT HIS RESILIENCE! With a furious expression on her face, she drags Adam towards the middle of the ring and starts measuring him up, looking prepared to end the match on her terms right here and now!
Jake Mercer: Adam Hale Valentine does manage to struggle himself into a kneeling position, on both hands and both knees, and Jamie springs into action! She sprints towards him, launching her boot up into the air BEFORE LOOKING TO BRING IT DOWN WITH HER FINISHING AXE KICK, THE FIERCE KICK!
Stew-O: BUT ADAM HALE VALENTINE HAD IT SCOUTED, LOOKING TO HAVE DONE HIS RESEARCH AS HE IMMEDIATELY ROLLS TO THE SIDE TO DODGE IT! With adrenaline pumping in his veins after being put in that kind of danger, Adam manages to scramble up to his feet! Jamie lurches for him, but–
Flannery McCoy: SUPERKICK! BETTER THAN YOURS, ADAM’S SIGNATURE SUPERKICK, CONNECTS AND KNOCKS JAMIE OUT RIGHT ONTO THE CANVAS OF THE RING! THIS TIME, ADAM FALLS ONTO HER AND HOOKS THE LEG, LOOKING TO END THE MATCH HERE!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Jake Mercer: BUT THIS TIME, JAMIE WAS THE ONE WHO MANAGED TO HANG ON! Adam Hale Valentine is looking gassed out at this point, but he grits his teeth and tries to stay in the game, dragging Jamie up to a standing position before connecting with a heavy knee smash to the midsection to force her to double over!
Stew-O: He tucks her head between his quads as he locks both of her arms with a double underhook hold! I think I know what he’s going for here, I’ve seen this in his matches before arriving in EAW! HE’S GOING FOR ALL HALE, HIS FINISHING ANGEL’S WINGS MANEUVER– OH MY GOD, WHAT?!
Flannery McCoy: JAMIE JUST ARCED HER HEAD UP, PRETTY MUCH HITTING ADAM WITH A LOW BLOW TO GET OUT OF THE FINISHER! THE REFEREE CAN’T BELIEVE HIS EYES, HE’S ABOUT TO CALL THE BELL WHEN–
Jake Mercer: AND NO QUESTIONING THAT ONE, ADAM JUST GOT A SECOND LOW BLOW, WITH JAMIE KICKING HIM BELOW THE BELT AND CAUSING HIM TO UTTERLY COLLAPSE! THE REFEREE CALLS IT!
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
Stephie Love: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR WINNER BY DISQUALIFICATION… ADAAAAAAAAAAM! HAAAAAAAAAAAAALE! VAAAAAAAAALENTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!
Stew-O: A sort of pyrrhic victory here as Adam collapses to the canvas in pain from those two back to back low blows, and Jamie Valdez has just lost it here as she continues stomping him even after the match is over!
Flannery McCoy: Oh come on, this is too much, what is she hoping to accomplish with this?! This is just a temper tantrum because Adam had her dead to rights with the All Hale! He won the match, this is just gratuitous!
Jake Mercer: This isn’t a tantrum Flannery, this is called MAKING A STATEMENT! Jamie Valdez refuses to let a fellow New Breed in Adam pass her by on the way up the ranks, and now she’s looking to let the roster know that she won’t be letting anyone stop her on her way to the top!
(The video feed lingers after Jamie ends her assault, holding her arms up over the body of Adam Hale Valentine as the feed fades to black.)
(Friday Night Dynasty returns to show the backstage area of the Unibet Arena, where Michael Belfort is seen standing by with a microphone in hand and a smile on his face. As the crowd inside the arena begins to quiet down, the camera pans in, and the Backstage Correspondent doesn’t waste any time beginning to speak.)
Michale Belfort: Welcome back to Friday Night Dynasty, and what an opening to the show it’s been! We saw a barnburner between two of Dynasty’s newest Elitists, Jamie Valdez and Adam Hale Valentine, and we are just seconds away from seeing our first of two King of Elite quarterfinals matches get underway, leading into our massive semifinals main event! But speaking of the tournament, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as a team from Sunday Night Voltage would interfere on the Dynasty side to make sure a certain Elitist didn’t make it to the next round. Responding to that are our guests at this time, the EAW Unified Tag Team Champions… Rex McAllister and Raven Roberts, Fire & Ice.
(The crowd erupts into thunderous cheers as the camera pans over to show both Rex and Raven make their way into the scene. They have their titles over their shoulders with serious expressions on their face.)
Michael Belfort: Rex, Raven, thank you for joining us. I’d like to start this off by asking your thoughts. Kirk Redwood got a huge victory at the expense of Rex last week thanks to ToXXXin. And I can assume that Daniella Atlas and Selina Reyes are here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to go after those Tag Titles.
(Rex stares for a brief moment at Michael, he adjusts his title over his shoulder as he slowly begins to speak his mind.)
Rex McAllister: You’re right, Michael. ToXXXin made their presence felt last week on Dynasty for one reason. They are here because they decided that the quickest way to the front of the line wasn’t through merit, or through the grind that Raven and I have respected for years, but through a shortcut. I am at peace with who I am, Michael. I’ve told the world that my identity is not a costume, it’s a ledger. And on that ledger, there are wins, and there are losses. Kirk Redwood moved on in the King of Elite tournament, and I did not; that is the reality that is forced to be one bitter pill to swallow. But I don’t blame bad luck, I don’t make excuses that I wasn’t ready. It’s because Daniella and Selina decided to trade their dignity for efficiency. They saw a moment to make a statement, and make no mistake about it, they took it. They looked at the landscape of this division and decided that earning a shot the hard way was too slow. They chose the efficient path. They chose to manufacture a moment at my expense because they believed that “optics” is the same thing as a legacy.
Michael Belfort: Do you believe that any of this has to do with your history with Minerva? Both of you, specifically Raven, have a plentiful amount to go through. Do you think ToXXXin setting your sights on you was because of that?
(Rex looks toward Raven, as she bows her head down for a brief moment, taking a moment to think to herself, before starting to respond.)
Raven Roberts: I think assuming this is just about history is the comfortable answer, the easy narrative. It’s easy to look at Minerva and me, look at the stars that we’ve left on each other from our past encounters, and say this is just another chapter in a book we’ve been writing since 2021. And make no mistake about it, Minerva’s fingerprints are all over this. I watched Voltage, I watched Daniella and Selina bask in her approval, letting her tell them she was proud of them for taking this non-linear path. But this isn’t about my past with Minerva; this is about Daniella and Selina’s delusion about their future. I heard them, I heard their arrogance when they proclaimed that they were going to bring these Championships to ToXXXin. They look at what they did to Rex, and they confuse that with dominance. They stood there and convinced themselves that because they beat Team War Games, they could screw someone out of an opportunity, that they were suddenly ready to stand across from Fire & Ice.
Michael Belfort: I think it’s clear what they’re after, and that’s those titles, and they’re clearly goading you on. The question that I have for the two of you is whether you’re going to give them what they want?
Rex McAllister: In a normal world, you don’t reward bad behavior. You don’t hand opportunity to the people who try to steal it from you. But this isn’t a normal world, and Fire & Ice… we aren’t normal Champions.
Raven Roberts: Minerva is many things, but a liar she is not, and she warned Daniella and Selina. She asked them if they were actually ready, and that wasn’t a rhetorical question. That was a warning from a woman who has the scars to prove what happens when you underestimate us. Minerva knows, standing across from Fire & Ice is setting yourself up for failure if you aren’t prepared to bleed. The two of them looked at her in the face and promised they were ready, that they would bring the gold home like it was some foregone conclusion.
Rex McAllister: But it’s not, it’s not going to work out in their favor at all, no matter what they try and do. So the only thing that I have to say is that they will be getting exactly what’s coming to them, but they better be careful what they wish for. Because this dream of bringing the Tag Team Championships home to your group…
Raven Roberts: … Could prove to be your biggest nightmare.
(Rex and Raven proudly make their last statement before turning around and making their way out of the scene, leaving Michael Belfort to his lonesome.)
Michael Belfort: Well, there you have it! Statement made by Fire & Ice, making it known that it’s certainly not going to be the last time we see them and ToXXXin in the same ring together. But for now, back to you guys.
(The camera begins to pan out as Friday Night Dynasty fades to elsewhere.)
Stephie Love: The following is scheduled for ONE FALL!
Crowd: ONE FALL!!!
Stephie Love: And it is a Quarterfinals matchup in the King Of Elite Tournament!
(‘Razorface’ by Celldweller hits the PA speakers and David Gideon Smith emerges from the back, black and white lights flashing throughout the building. David slowly makes his way down the stage, outstretching his hands to draw his Black Blade signal.)
Stephie Love: Introducing first, residing in Boston, Massachusetts, weighing in at 245 pounds, he is “DGS” DAVID! GIDEON! SMITH!
Stew-O: I’m sure that on paper, many people didn’t expect David Gideon Smith to walk out with the victory over a former world champion in Limmy Monaghan, but a beautifully executed gameplan and a strong desire to win got DGS here in the quarter finals of the King Of Elite.
Flannery McCoy: Now he’s gotta carry that momentum with him at all costs. David is really starting to show everyone here what he’s made of, and that makes him a scary threat to everyone on this roster, from the most revered to the most unknown.
(‘When Darkness Falls’ by Killswitch Engage follows and Drake King makes his way out from the back, soaking in the boos from the crowd with no problem. He smirks at the anger from the fans, slowly making his way down, keeping his eyes on his opponent the entire time. When Drake makes his way up the steps, he swings into the ring and outstretches his arms, embracing the crowd’s reaction.)
Stephie Love: Her opponent, weighing in at 220 pounds, from Heaven’s Gate, he is “GOD” … DDDRRRRAAKKKKEEEE! KIIIINNNGGGGGGG!!!
Jake Mercer: On the other hand, Drake King defeated the debuting Adam Hale Valentine in order to secure his spot in the quarterfinals—and you can see how big of a difference in skill level for Drake’s victory compared to David’s victory.
Stew-O: However, that changes very little at the end of the day. DGS took down a top tier Elitists and there’s always a chance that Drake could be able to say the same about the man he beat down the line. What’s most important is how well these two men are performing regardless of opponent… and that is what makes this a close bout.
(DING DING DING!)
Jake Mercer: High stakes for both DGS and Drake King, as these two shuffle around the ring to get a feel for one another. DGS comes in for a collar and elbow tie-up, but Drake is immediately wary of the big man and he swings underneath him, sending a calf kick! He throws another and David staggers. Drake follows up with a forearm to the jaw, and DGS falls into the ropes, allowing Drake a quick opening here! He runs in for a clothesline over the top, but a back elbow sends him stumbling away.
Stew-O: We know how experienced Drake King is when it comes to competing on stages like this, but DGS is far too smart to allow that to deter him. Drake stumbles back towards David and swings for his head, but David ducks underneath and grabs him by the waist, sending him across the ring with a powerful german suplex! We’re already getting action early on in this match, and of course. One of these two men are going on to wrestle in the main event to advance to the finals of the King Of Elite!
Flannery McCoy: It would both do them good to go for the kill immediately, and Drake clutches at his head in pain. David is looking for just that. He stalks Drake up to his feet and grabs him by the waist for a second german suplex, but he lands on his feet this time! David turns around and rises, swinging for Drake’s head! He ducks under and follows with a spinning sole kick to the body! King quickly runs off the ropes, looking to follow through…!
Jake Mercer: But David hoists Drake up and drops him with a backbreaker, then spins him over and hooks the head, hoisting him up for a vertical suplex in the center of the ring! Drake yelps out in pain, meanwhile David sits up and dusts his hands off with no problem. Drake rolls away, trying to recuperate, but DGS brings him back up. He slams him against the turnbuckles and starts firing off on him with repeated knife edge chops! Drake covers up to the best of his ability but he’s getting killed in there!
Stew-O: DGS grabs him by the wrist and sends him across the ring with an irish whip. David runs forward for a corner shoulder thrust, but Drake takes the ropes and flips over his back the moment he comes closer. Drake stumbles towards the ropes, and David turns and runs after him. Drake responds with a thrust kick to the body, and then he leaps into an enzuigiri that crumbles him down to the canvas! David doesn’t have the slightest clue of where he’s at right now, but Drake is certainly taking his sweet time to get back up and follow through as well.
Flannery McCoy: He gets up to his feet and steps out to the apron, nodding his head. He takes the ropes and springboards up, but David suddenly shoots to his feet—was he playing possum?! He grabs Drake by the throat and hooks the tights, tossing him back in the ring! King lands harshly on his back and pulls himself up to his feet, only to be hoisted up and spun around by David for ‘VOID THUNDER!’ Already a big move from DGS, who wants to end this the first chance that he gets!
ONNNEEEEEEE!
TWO—
Stew-O: KICK OUT FROM DRAKE! Despite the two count, he’s still fairly healthy and he got his shoulder up immediately after two. David pulls him up to his feet and wraps his arms around his waist, running him back first into the turnbuckles! He tries to heave him up for a belly to belly suplex, but Drake holds on to the ropes for dear life! The referee gets involved, enforcing a clean break between the two…
Jake Mercer: And Drake swings his body back into a HEADBUTT! David falls on his ass, stunned in shock, meanwhile Drake bounces off the turnbuckles with a penalty kick! David goes down and Drake isn’t done there either, as he leaps up and stomps David across the side of the face. David clutches at his eye, grimacing in pain. Drake turns around and grabs him by the head, slowly pulling him up to his feet. He clobbers him with a forearm smash, and then a right hand to the body, followed by a left hand to the body. David staggers around, trying his best to shake it off.
Flannery McCoy: King grabs him by the head, slowly turning him around—but before he can go for that neckbreaker, DGS spins out and shoves him into the turnbuckles! Drake holds his side and he gets scooped up once again, but this time, Drake rolls over the shoulder and pins him to the canvas with a sunset flip!
ONNNNEEEE!!
Stew-O: Quick kick out from David, and both men rise to their feet. He swings for his head, but Drake ducks underneath and runs the ropes for added momentum! Flying forearm smash, but DGS doesn’t fall yet! Drake runs the ropes again, and a second one! DGS falls backwards into the ropes, and he bounces off as Drake revs up that third one—
Jake Mercer: Only to be caught in mid-air with a HELLACIOUS big boot from David! Drake ragdolls in the air and hits the canvas hard! He stares up at the ceiling, in complete shock, meanwhile this match has shifted right back in the favor of The Sovereign! David pulls Drake up to his feet and turns him around, grabbing him by the waist. He lifts him up in backdrop position, which Caedomorph variant does he have in mind?!
Flannery McCoy: It doesn’t matter, because Drake flips over his shoulder! David turns around and Drake dropkicks him! David staggers backwards, and Drake dropkicks him again! David falls back, and Drake rises to his feet, quickly running off the ropes! But there goes DGS, running after him! Drake ducks underneath, and he superkicks the knees out! Drake aims for a kneeling superkick—
Jake Mercer: Caught! David hooks the ankle, and he trips Drake onto his face! He keeps the ankle tucked underneath his arm, until he drops to his back and wraps both hands around it, twisting on the heel and now he’s got the heel hook in! Drake is in a dangerous position right now, as David continues to crank the hell out of his heel!
Stew-O: You can hear the screams of agony from Drake King, who is laid on his side, running his hands through his hair as he tries desperately to fight out of this heel hook! If David holds that in any longer, he’s gonna be walking in tonight on one wheel and that is the very last thing that you want! Drake is throwing punches at the hands, clawing at the fingers and trying to break free by any means necessary!
Flannery McCoy: David continues to have a tight grip on the heel, contorting it as far back as he possibly can, and Drake shifts to his side, pressing his hands on the canvas and crawling to the ropes with all that he’s got! He reaches for them, but David won’t let go so easily! Drake keeps crawling, doing whatever he can to break out of this hold…
Jake Mercer: AND HE’S THERE! DRAKE GRABS THE BOTTOM ROPE AND THIS MATCH CONTINUES ON! DGS slowly removes his hold, but he’s not happy about it by a long shot. Drake rolls away, clutching at his heel. David makes his way up, stumbling towards Drake.
Stew-O: He pulls him up to his feet, but Drake with a drop toe hold and David falls throat-first into the ropes! He bounces off and Drake grabs him by the head again, slowly twisting. This time, he doesn’t go for the neckbreaker, but instead he spins into the HANGMAN’S ELBOW! Massive elbow clashing against the back of David’s head, and he falls to his fours! Drake stumbles to the turnbuckles, aiming for DGS…! Could it be over already?!
Flannery McCoy: Drake comes barreling out of the corner! HE WANTS ‘JUDGMENT DAY!’
Jake Mercer: David moves out of the way, and he catches Drake by the waist! Drake scrambles, trying his hardest to break out of position, but David clobbers him in the back! And then he scoops him up high in the air! Drake flails, but there’s nothing that he can do here!
Stew-O: ‘CAEDOMORPH CLAW!’ HE TAKES HIM DOWN WITH THE SIT-OUT CHOKESLAM! AND DAVID QUICKLY HOOKS THE LEGS OF KING FOR THE WIN!
OOONNNNNNEEEEEEEE!!!
TTTTTTWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!
Flannery McCoy: KICK OUT FROM DRAKE KING! DGS thought that was enough, but he has to remember the man that he’s in the ring with! Drake rolls away, holding at his back. David staggers up to his feet and he grabs Jake by the head, slowly pulling him up. He grabs him in a front facelock, looking around.
Jake Mercer: DGS heaves Drake up in the air and lifts him vertically, but Drake sends a knee down to the top of the head! DGS stumbles with Drake in his grasp, and he uses that to his advantage as he rolls backwards and grabs him into an inside cradle! Shoulders tightly pressed to the canvas!
OOOOOONNNNNEEEEEE—
Stew-O: KICK OUT! DGS is up to his feet and Drake follows him up! David charges in, but Drake grabs him by the head and throws him shoulder-first into the ring post! DGS staggers out, holding at his shoulder, and Drake follows up with a SUPERKICK to that same shoulder! DGS falls backwards into the ropes, and once again, Drake revs up another one! David catches his ankle just in time!
Flannery McCoy: He spins him out, but Drake comes to a halt with his back turned to David and he leaps back into an OVERHEAD KICK! CAUGHT HIM OVER THE TOP OF THE HEAD, AND DOWN HE GOES! Drake rolls to his fours, shaking his head. He slowly pushes up to his feet, not done with David.
Jake Mercer: Drake slowly pulls David up to his feet and tucks his head in. He double underhooks the arms, trying to set up for ‘Ascension’, but David runs him back-first into the turnbuckle! Drake releases him, shaking his head. David turns around and quickly runs off the ropes, ready to follow up with ‘THE BLACK BLADE!’
Flannery McCoy: ONLY FOR DRAKE TO PULL THE ROPES DOWN! David falls over the top rope and he staggers into the apron! Drake rises to his feet and he quickly runs the ropes! SUICIDE DIVE! HE SENDS DGS INTO THE BARRICADE! Drake rolls in and hits off the ropes! A SECOND SUICIDE DIVE! He doesn’t waste time going for a third one, though!
Stew-O: Instead, he takes David by the head and throws him into the ring! Drake slides in after him, pointing right at DGS as he charges into ‘JUDGMENT DAY’ – NO! David moves out of the way and he grabs the waist of Drake, lifting him up for a german suplex, but Drake wraps his legs around his waist and yanks him down into a victory roll! Shoulders covered!
OOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!
Jake Mercer: David kicks out and both men race back up to their feet! KICK TO THE GUT FROM DRAKE! HE GOT HIM WHERE HE WANTS HIM! He double underhooks his arms and looks around to the crowd for a moment…
Flannery McCoy: THEN HE IMMEDIATELY LEAPS INTO ‘ASCENSION!’ FACE FIRST INTO THE CANVAS! DGS IS OUT OF IT! Drake hooks his arm underneath the body of DGS and he rolls him over for the cover, hooking the legs!
OOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Stew-O: KICK OUT FROM DAVID! HE GOT HIS SHOULDER UP JUST IN TIME! And Drake’s reaction is priceless! He sits up, looking at the referee with a disdain in his eyes. He’s gotta stay on the prowl, and he stumbles to the ropes, taking them and climbing up the middle rope.
Flannery McCoy: Drake adjusts himself up top, and he places a hand on the post, trying to steady himself. He’s really going for broke now, and this may be a risk at this point in the match. But Drake wants that Phoenix Splash… it’s only a matter of if he can hit it or not—
Jake Mercer: DGS rolls over and he just rams his head into the back of Drake! What a nasty headbutt! DGS with a clubbing blow to the back of Drake, and another one, and another one! Drake wheezes out in pain, and DGS climbs up with Drake, trying to apply a sleeper! Drake fights it though, with all that he’s got. He starts throwing elbows to the side of DGS, another one, and he leans against him!
Stew-O: Drake slips down to the apron, and he takes the head of DGS and he slams it into the top of the post! DGS loses his footing and he staggers back into the center of the ring, clutching at his forehead in agony. Drake nods his head, and he takes the top rope, springboarding up! He soars into a crossbody—
Flannery McCoy: ONLY TO BE CAUGHT IN MID-AIR WITH AN EUROPEAN UPPERCUT! GOODNESS! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?! DGS is still clearly dazed after meeting the steel, but his instincts kicked in for him there! He drags Drake up from the ground and he turns him around, grabbing him in an inverted facelock!
Jake Mercer: DGS takes the tights of Jake and heaves him up high in the air, holding him upside down as he spins into ‘THE MINDKILLER!’ INVERTED BRAINBUSTER, DROPPING JAKE RIGHT ON HIS HEAD! DGS lies on top of Jake, for the cover! This could send him straight to the semi-finals!
OOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Flannery McCoy: BUT DRAKE KICKS OUT! David made the mistake there! He pinned him, but he DIDN’T hook the leg! It gave Drake the opportunity to get his shoulder up, and this match continues on! David kneels up, looking around, panting heavily. He’s going to have to carry everything that he’s harnessing right now into the semi-finals if he makes it there, but damn is this not a challenge for him.
Stew-O: He looks down at Drake and backs up, warming his arm up. He circles around Drake like prey, and now, he draws the Black Blade. Drake is slowly pushing up to his feet, and he doesn’t have the slightest clue of what’s awaiting him. David quickly runs off the ropes, looking to put an end to this! HERE IT COMES!
Jake Mercer: Drake looks up as David swings his arm back, taking him out with ‘THE BLACK BLADE!’
Flannery McCoy: DRAKE DUCKS HIS HEAD AT THE LAST SECOND, AND HE TRAPS DAVID’S ARM! He’s got him locked in a tight half-nelson, and DGS is trying to free himself, but Drake won’t let go! He heaves him up with ALL of his might, and he brings him down for ‘CROWN OF THORNS!’ THE BACKBREAKER, RIGHT ACROSS THE KNEE! David hits the ground hard, grimacing in pain! Drake makes the cover!
OOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Stew-O: ONLY FOR DGS TO KICK OUT! This has been incredibly back and forth to this point, neither of these two have been able to keep the other down for long, but I can only imagine how that will actually play out for whoever advances!
Jake Mercer: Drake holds his knee, shaking his head. The pain is felt after having to slam a man of DGS’s size over his knee, and he crawls to the ropes. Drake takes them and slowly rises to his feet, turning and limping towards him. David holds at his back, trying to work his way back up…
Flannery McCoy: Both men are getting up right now, and both men are hurting to some degree. David nails Drake with a right hand across the jaw, and Drake fires back with one of his own! A punch from David, but Drake is quick to answer back!
Stew-O: Exchanging blows… someone’s gotta go down! Another punch from Drake, but David fires off on him! Drake with another punch to David, but he answers back! These back and forth punches, again, I don’t know how they’re still operating right now!
Jake Mercer: DGS is starting to falter, and Drake gets him with another one! But David bounces off the ropes and he throws his body into a MASSIVE PUNCH TO DRAKE! DRAKE NEARLY FALLS! David punches him again! And again! Drake is on wobbly legs right now!
Flannery McCoy: David backs up and he soars into a MASSIVE BOOT TO THE JAW! DRAKE FALLS BACKWARDS—
Jake Mercer: AND HE BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES–
Stew-O: ‘GUILLOTINE!’ DRAKE LEAPS INTO THE KICK AND IT TAKES DAVID OUT! HE JUST GOT KNOCKED OUT COLD! WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?! DRAKE TOOK ADVANTAGE WHEN DGS LEAST SAW IT COMING, AND HE SCRAMBLES INTO THE COVER!
OOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!
(DING DING DING!)
Stephie Love: Here is your winner of this match, and advancing to the semi-finals of the King Of Elite, DRAAAKKKEEEE!! KIIINNGGGGGG!!!
(Drake rolls off of David, rolling his shoulder. The referee offers a hand, but Drake slaps it away and rises on his own accord. Upon looking down at DGS, then, he holds his arm out for the referee to grab his wrist and raise it up.)
Jake Mercer: Great action there between the two, but it’s Drake King who advances to our main event match tonight and he will be taking on the winner of BRAE versus Kirk Redwood!
Stew-O: David Gideon Smith definitely brought a challenge to Drake King tonight, but as we’ve said before: this is a stage that Drake has been on in numerous occasions in his career—and it’s no surprise that he was able to take advantage of that and continue his run to what could be yet another world championship win.
Flannery McCoy: Absolutely, and you know Drake has to be feeling good right now. He’ll have more time to recover in comparison to the winner of BRAE versus Kirk Redwood, and he’ll have the luxury of being able to study while their match is going on without a single worry.
(A commercial plays for Resident Evil Requiem, releasing February 27—assuming that Capcom doesn’t join the industry wide trend of delaying games at the last second.)
(Returning from commercial break, the viewers are taken backstage to the door of the medical trainer room. It opens up, and out comes Milli Banks, the current EAW Universal Women’s Champion. She is not happy in the slightest. Her right hand rests along her lower back and she slowly rolls her neck around. A deep sigh is given through her nose.)
(Nearby, footsteps are heard. Milli’s head snaps to the side, eyes narrowing—but her posture relaxes once she sees that Michael Belfort is there.)
Michael Belfort: Good evening, Milli. I, uh, hope I’m not interrupting anything. It’s just that last week was pretty chaotic as our interview got cut short thanks to—
Milli Banks: Miku? Yeah, it sure did, huh? I bet she feels mighty proud of herself from that.
Michael Belfort: Yeah. No one was expecting that… just like how no one expected you to come out of the trainer’s room. Is everything alright?
Milli Banks: Hm? Oh yeah, everything is cool—fortunately. I mean, with how she wanted to freak the fuck out and almost take me out entirely, it’s actually a blessing I got the clear to continue competing.
(That brings cheers to come from the fans watching. However, for Milli, being close to being sidelined yet again, especially after capturing another world championship, doesn’t sit well with her. Her frustration is clear as day in how she speaks.)
Michael Belfort: I can imagine that was a scary situation. Speaking of Miku though, she seems intent on wanting to face you. She deliberately targeted you after losing last week to KASAI, leaving behind a very big statement for you to answer. So, Milli—will you be taking on Miku Sakai with the title on the line?
(Milli gives a breathless chuckle, as if saying that the answer doesn’t even need to be spelled out.)
Milli Banks: Well, I like to think my response is a rather obvious one. What other answer would I give to someone who wanted to attack me in a desperate attempt to garner relevance for themselves because they were too incompetent to get the job done the first time around. Granted, I don’t like it when people default to cheap ass tactics, but that’s the name of the game, isn’t it? People will do anything to get a big match to compete in. Someone like Miku especially was going to crash out and seek out any morsel of crumb her feeble little hands can get on.
(A shrug.)
Milli Banks: I definitely am not in the camp of laying down because she damn near hurt me all over again. But you know, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised since we both suffered similar leg injuries, only one of us was actually able to snap back in three months while it’s been almost three years since she came back and she still hasn’t done anything worthwhile since then. So, Miku…
(Milli turns toward the camera.)
Milli Banks: You want to think you’re so big and bad? You wanna jump me?! Okay, bitch—it’s me against you at King of Elite!
(The fans go wild for that confirmation from Milli.)
Milli Banks: But I’ll warn you now, Miku. I’m not going to be nice. I’m a fighting champion through and through. Many things may have changed with me, but that hasn’t, and I damn sure am not going to let people like you think you can get away with doing anything to me. So, get ready, because you’re getting what you asked for… and more.
(Milli gives one final stern look before she walks away, tension simmering underneath. Michael looks on, a bit concerned himself, before the shot transitions back to ringside for the next contest to begin.)
[BRIANNA HILL DEFEATS ANNA WAUTIER – MATCH TBP ASAP]
(A commercial plays for King of Elite.)
(The camera cuts to Stephie Love in the ring.)
Stephie Love: The following King of Elite quarterfinal contest is scheduled for one fall!
Crowd: ONE FALL!
(‘The Weight’ by Amigo the Devil can be heard blaring throughout the speakers as the loud audience lets their voices be heard through their mixed reactions, loud nonetheless with Kirk Redwood emerging from the back. He eyes the ring, not giving much of a glance to the crowd as he remains focused for his main event match.)
Stephie Love: Introducing first!!! From Boston, Massachusetts, weighing in at 210 pounds… KIRKKKKKKK REDWOOD!!!
Stew-O: Kirk Redwood is surely looking to mount the most considerable momentum tonight following a big win in the tournament. Out of all the victories needed, this is the night that has to turn out how he is hoping for. Tonight is as good of a night as any to continue his winning ways.
Flannery McCoy: There’s no doubt about that, Kirk has been able to put on multiple great performances, and moving toward the semi-finals is necessary. A win tonight can place him in the conversation as an elitist to vie for the crown, and a match of this caliber can do just that!
(‘Ultra Instinct’ by Norihito Sumitomo can be heard blaring throughout the speakers as the audience reacts loudly for the arrival of the Interwire Champion, as BRAE stands on the ramp while gazing outward. He takes a glance at the audience for a brief moment shortly before looking ahead to Kirk & heading down the ramp, focused in his own right.)
Stephie Love: Introducing first! From Novosibirsk, Russia! Weighing in at 215 pounds… HE IS THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION… ‘SON’ BRRRRRRRRRAE!!!
Stew-O: The Interwire Champion has always remained one to accept any challenge that should come his way, and this is not any different, although the opponent in question is surely raising the ire of his intensity in a more intense way. BRAE’s looking to have an incredible encounter with his opponent tonight, to move on in King of Elite.
Flannery McCoy: BRAE recently defended his title against Anna Wautier at Road to Redemption, & to march into battle yet again after winning the first round at that, it’s surely not gonna be anything for BRAE to even think about underestimating tonight.
(DING! DING! DING!)
Stew-O: NO TIME WASTED! BRAE & KIRK EXCHANGE IMMEDIATE FOREARMS AS WE KICK OFF! KIRK LOOKS FOR AN ELBOW—BUT BRAE WITH THE KNEE ACROSS HIS ABDOMEN! BRAE had Kirk scouted with precision there as he figured Redwood would place his attention on him!! Now Kirk is trying to bring himself back up to a better stance after the attempt to take BRAE’ down wasn’t as fruitful as he would’ve hoped, but his opponent isn’t looking to give him too much time to think on the next plan of attack as BRAE RUSHES FORWARD!
Jake Mercer: AS A RUNNING CORNER FOREARM IS ABLE TO LAND RIGHT ACROSS KIRK’S TEMPLE!! Redwood is trapped in a bad spot here as now BRAE is raining down the forearms against his temple, with the referee now being compelled to count down as the forearms only continue to grow more & more impactful with each blow being taken here! BRAE does back himself away before the five count, as he’s keeping his eyes on Kirk while motioning back over, looking to continue applying this pressure—BUT KIRK’S LOOKING TO SEND A BOOT TO JAW!
Flannery McCoy: BRAE SIDE-STEPS—ONLY FOR KIRK TO COMMIT TO AN EXPLOSIVE UPPERCUT ACROSS BRAE’ JAW! BRAE is absolutely rocked by the uppercut as he’s sent reeling back into the corner as well, with Redwood not relenting from rushing forward and sending a KNIFE EDGE CHOP ACROSS HIS CHEST!! BRAE felt every bit of that as Kirk is now sending repeated uppercuts across the jaw of BRAE, with the referee now counting down on Redwood as he’s delivering every single uppercut with enough force to knock any ordinary man down! Eventually he does raise his own hands as he just avoids the five-count, and Myla is given some breathing room—
Jake Mercer: BUT A SUDDEN HEADBUTT FROM KIRK MANAGES TO ROCK BRAE IMMENSELY SOON AFTER!! Kirk delivered that headbutt with amplified force as BRAE is now clutching his own head while dropping to a seated position against the corner!! The referee is now scolding Kirk after delivering the headbutt, but I firmly believe he was well in his play to commit the headbutt! He did let go before the five anyhow! Regardless, Redwood does see BRAE in a prime position for further advantages to make which LEADS HIM TO RUSH FORWARD FOR A BOOT!
Stew-O: BUT BRAE ARISES WITH A SWIFT BICYCLE KNEE THAT NAILS KIRK ACROSS THE JAW!! Kirk is rattled by the superkick as BRAE is vigorously shaking his own head as he’s now back up to his feet, and quickly hoisting Kirk over his own shoulder as he’s got his sights on the corner as well… BEFORE LAUNCHING HIM ONTO THE TURNBUCKLE FACE FIRST WITH SNAKE EYES!! Kirk is able to remain stood over his own feet as he’s not able to exactly return to a better spot for himself either, as this leads Redwood to turn around—
Flannery McCoy: DIRECTLY INTO A BLACK HOLE SLAM FROM BRAE THAT SENDS KIRK SPIRALLING! KIRK ROLLS TO THE RINGSIDE FLOOR! BRAE is now moving at a rhythm to his own liking here as he was able to send Kirk reeling onto the outside without avail! Redwood is trying to bring himself back up as he’s got a hand on the apron, now pulling himself back up to a proper stance while BRAE is able to take notice of this as well! He’s ready to apply further pressure onto Redwood by motioning onto the apron, LOOKING FOR A DIVING SHOULDER TACKLE—
Jake Mercer: BUT KIRK MOVES OUT OF THE WAY AS BRAE IS FORCED TO LAND ON HIS FEET & ROLL THROUGH! BRAE is a bit slower here as the roll can only take off so much pressure from his knee to allow him to maintain focus here—BUT A CHOP ACROSS THE BACK OF HIS NECK FOLLOWS FROM KIRK REDWOOD!! FOLLOWED BY A SWIFT SAITO SUPLEX ONTO THE OUTSIDE FLOOR AS REDWOOD HAS REASSUMED CONTROL OF THE MATCH! BRAE is now laid out on the ringside floor while Kirk is bringing himself back up, shaking off the pressure from before while the referee counts down!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!
FIVE!
Flannery McCoy: I’m certain Kirk would prefer to defeat BRAE by far greater means than just a countout victory, so he’s looking to drag BRAE back up to his own feet with all of his energy here before tossing him back into the ring! Now Kirk is able to roll himself back in as well, as BRAE is slowly able to return to his knees here while he doesn’t seem to be aware that Kirk’s lurking around, now looking to put him back down AS HE RUSHES FORWARD WITH A KNEE STRIKE—
Jake Mercer: BUT BRAE EVADES THE KNEE & IS ABLE TO ROLL UP KIRK SOON AFTER HERE!!! Redwood is squirming his arms around the mat but the referee quickly slides to the count as his shoulders are down!!!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOO!
Stew-O: KIRK SLIPS OUT OF THE ROLL UP!! BRAE tries to return to his feet as quickly as possible while Kirk is rolling himself backward and back onto his feet, bringing himself back up as well—BUT A HEADBUTT ACROSS HIS ABDOMEN FROM BRAE KEEPS HIM SUPPRESSED! Kirk’s clutching his midsection closely here while BRAE now looks to pull Kirk over, and with a of his handful of his tights as well this doesn’t look good for Kirk here as BRAE is now looking to HOIST HIM UPWARD FOR STALLING SUPLEX!
Flannery McCoy: But a STIFF KNEE ACROSS BRAE’S SKULL forces BRAE to drop Redwood back down to his usual stance onto the mat—WHICH ALLOWS REDWOOD TO NAIL A SNAP SUPLEX & TAKE BRAE DOWN AS WELL!!! But Kirk’s not done!!! He maintains the hold that he’s got over BRAE by turning BRAE back around and onto his feet here, as Kirk’s looking to shift from one emphatic maneuver toward the next with precision as well!
Jake Mercer: AS HE JUST SHIFTED DIRECTLY INTO A GUILLOTINE CHOKE!! Kirk makes sure to wrap his legs around BRAE’s waist as all of his body weight causes BRAE to slump downward and onto the mat!! BRAE is keeping his lower body elevated off the canvas to ensure that he’s not completely prone, but Kirk has placed BRAE in a rather terrible spot here as the choke is being strengthened the longer that Redwood is able to wear down his opponent! The referee is asking BRAE repeatedly if he’s about to give in yet the Interwire Champion is refusing to do so, as he’s trying to get himself out of this!
Stew-O: As BRAE is now able to summon up all of the energy he’s got to lift himself and Kirk from off the mat, as Redwood is trying to hold out for as long as he can but the strength & resilience of his opponent is being showcased in full display here! Kirk is shaking his own head while BRAE now has Redwood raised up in the air, and just before reconfiguring Kirk’s arm around his head TO SEND HIM OFF WITH A RELEASE SNAP SUPLEX FOR GOOD MEASURE!! A successful maneuver this time around as Kirk is laid out, with BRAE rushing to the cover!!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
T—
Flannery McCoy: KICK OUT!! Not enough to put down the former Unified Tag Team Champion in Kirk Redwood!! BRAE nods to himself as he’s understanding the nature of this match, and now he is able to bring himself back up to his feet while Redwood is still trying to find some measure of ground here while bringing himself upward, and BRAE doesn’t seem all too keen on slowing down either! He’s able to drag Kirk over and back onto his shoulder, as he’s now focused on sending Redwood into a whole new spiral WITH A BUTTERFLY SUPLEX FROM HERE!
Jake Mercer: BUT KIRK SQUIRMS FREE BEHIND BRAE—AND SENDS HIM CRASHING ONTO THE BACK OF HIS OWN NECK WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX!!! BRAE is clutching his own neck here as he’s trying to keep himself from staying down on the canvas for too long, but Kirk has been able to send a great deal of pressure against the way of the Champion tonight!!! BRAE is struggling to bring himself back up to a crouched manner here WITH KIRK RUSHING FORWARD—
Stew-O: ‘BLITZKRIEG BOP’ LANDS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE BACK OF BRAE’s OWN HEAD!!! BRAE is laid out for good here as Kirk made the most out of his opportunity and put him down! Now Redwood is trying to turn him over quickly before he’s hooking the leg, and the referee makes the count!!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
T—
Flannery McCoy: Still not enough!!! Kirk is sitting up now, and he’s also seemingly understanding that BRAE has become all the more difficult of an opponent for him tonight! Now Kirk is back up, and he’s grabbing a hold of BRAE’s neck as he’s trying to configure himself toward placing BRAE through an even greater deal of agony with THE NECK CRANK!!! KIRK IS LOOKING TO LOCK IT IN HERE!!
Jake Mercer: BUT BRAE IS CHOPPING KIRK ACROSS HIS CHEST REPEATEDLY, TRYING TO PREVENT HIM FROM APPLYING THE SUBMISSION AGAINST HIM! Redwood eventually has no choice but to back himself off of the Interwire Champ’ while BRAE is keeping himself on his feet with use of the ropes, yet Kirk is not willing to slow himself down by any means here as he’s rushing back toward BRAE AND SEEKS OUT A SWIFT LARIAT—
Stew-O: BRAE EVADES THE LARIAT BY DUCKING UNDER AS THEY ARE BOTH RUNNING THE ROPES & TOWARD ONE ANOTHER—AS THE DISCUS CLOTHESLINE NAILS KIRK REDWOOD ACROSS HIS JAW!!! Redwood is dropped down to his knees as he’s shaking his own head vigorously, all the while BRAE is bringing himself back up in as much of a hurry as he possibly can while Kirk is dazed from the clothesline that caught him square across the jaw! Redwood’s in a vulnerable state as BRAE has an opportunity… AS HE RUSHES FORWARD FOR ‘MORRIGIAN’ TO LAND!
Flannery McCoy: KIRK DUCKS THE KICK—AND QUICKLY PULLS BRAE INTO A CRUCIFIX PIN!!! BRAE is squirming and trying to free himself but Kirk’s got his shoulders down on the mat as the referee is rushing to the count here!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
T—
Jake Mercer: NO! BRAE IS ABLE TO KICK OUT OF THE CRUCIFIX PIN! Now the Interwire Champion is rolling himself back and onto his feet in a hurry to prevent himself from remaining down for long BUT KIRK WITH A CHOP!! AND ANOTHER CHOP!!! AND A THIRD! BRAE is being suppressed heavily here as Redwood is able to back him into the ropes, and he’s now continuing to apply pressure with these repeated chops as they only continue to mount up as the necessary setback for BRAE in this match!
Stew-O: But Kirk knows that these chops won’t be enough to put down the Interwire Champion, as he’s quickly turning BRAE back around and looking to send him crashing down onto the back of his neck again as he’s soon AIMING FOR A GERMAN SUPLEX WITH GOOD MEASURE—BUT BRAE LANDS ON HIS FEET!!! He proceeds to aim for another bicycle knee strike as well TO CATCH REDWOOD OFF GUARD—
Flannery McCoy: BUT KIRK EVADES THE KNEE IN TIME! BRAE stumbles forward and clutches onto the ropes now, perhaps a sign of the fatigue giving way while Kirk is back up to his feet and able to remain on the pursuit once more, rushing toward BRAE and LOOKING TO TAKE HIM BACK DOWN—BUT A URANAGE STOPS HIM IN HIS TRACKS!! The uranage connects & drops Kirk Redwood as BRAE pushes Redwood downward and hooks the leg for the pin!!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
THREEE—
Jake Mercer: NO! STILL NOT ENOUGH!!! KIRK REDWOOD KICKS OUT ONCE MORE!! Now BRAE is sitting up, and he’s allowing him enough breathing room to recollect his thoughts & focus on the victory that must be attained here! He’s able to rise back up to his feet, and he soon gets to backing away while he’s back up to a proper stance against Redwood’s prone state. BRAE is looking close off this match emphatically without having to think twice, as he’s rushing toward Kirk AS HE SEEKS OUT ‘RED DEATH’—
Stew-O: BUT KIRK WITH A BOOT UPWARD! BRAE is stumbling as Kirk rises—AND A BACK SUPLEX TAKES BRAE TO THE OUTSIDE FLOOR!!! That could’ve gone terribly wrong for BRAE if he didn’t reconsider his positioning when falling down to the outside! He was able to land on his feet to take up the impact of the fall but it wasn’t as effective in preventing the wear & tear that this match has posed! Now BRAE is trying to drag himself back up, looking to stay in this match as he’s not trying to remain on the outside while he’s got his opponent in the ring—KIRK IS RUSHING TO BRAE!
Flannery McCoy: ‘LETHAL ROUND’ NAILS BRAE AS KIRK TAKES BRAE DOWN WITH THE WESTERN LARIAT!! BRAE is absolutely dazed as Kirk is now emerging to his feet, and grabbing a hold of BRAE to now toss him back into the ring as he’s looking to send a statement here! BRAE is stirring back up to his feet despite being blasted by that maneuver as Kirk’s got him right where he needs him… LOOKING FOR THE ‘PAROLE VIOLATION’!!
Jake Mercer: LEAPFROG!!! BRAE EVADES THE SPEAR WITH A LEAPFROG AS KIRK COLLIDES WITH THE MIDDLE TURNBUCKLE!! Redwood’s dazed as BRAE is now looking to keep himself stood firm on his feet while Kirk is stirring about, AS BRAE IS RUSHING FORWARD ONCE MORE WITH ‘MORRIGIAN’—
Stew-O: BUT KIRK QUICKLY DROPS BEHIND BRAE AND TAKES HIM DOWN! HE’S TURNING HIM OVER AND—HE’S GOT KIMURA LOCK’ APPLIED!!!! Kirk has been able to apply the submission maneuver here as BRAE is being placed through the pain! Kirk is trying to maintain this submission with everything he’s got while the EAW Hall of Famer struggles! This could be it right here as BRAE is stuck in a bad position with how this match has persisted—
Flannery McCoy: BUT BRAE SLAMS KIRK INTO THE CORNER!!! KIRK SHAKES HIS HEAD VIGOROUSLY AS HE LETS GO, BUT SENDS A BACK ELBOW SPRAWLING ACROSS HIS TEMPLE!!! Now he rolls under the bottom rope, with BRAE slowly rising while he’s stuck in a tough spot here… FOR ‘.50 CAL’—
Jake Mercer: ‘MORRIGAN’!!!! MORRIGIAN DROPS KIRK WHO IS WIDE-EYED, STILL SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE—‘TILL BRAE DROPS RIGHT ONTO KIRK REDWOOD WITH ‘RED DEATH’!!!!! HE DRIVES THE FOREARM RIGHT INTO HIS JAW AS REDWOOD IS DOWN & OUT! BRAE WITH THE COVER AND THE REFEREE COUNTS AWAY!!!!
ONEEEEEEE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Stephie Love: HERE IS YOUR WINNER… EAW INTERWIRE CHAMPION, BRAAAAAAAEEEEEE!!!
Flannery McCoy: A hard fought battle here tonight from two formidable elitists, but BRAE is able to stand tall and he is able to stamp his ticket for the main event of Dynasty, which is expected from the reigning Interwire Champion!
Stew-O: Kirk Redwood has always been able to go toe to toe with the very best, and there’s no doubt that he is an elitist to continue looking out for as an immense threat, but the semi-finalist moving on emerges victorious. Congratulations to BRAE, as we will be seeing him in action once more in the King of Elite semi-finals!
(‘Ultra Instinct’ can be emanating across the arena once more as the referee raises BRAE’ hand in victory. He is given his title from the referee as well, and Kirk leans by the ropes, shaking his own head as BRAE hoists his title high & nods to himself with the scene soon fading.)
(A commercial is shown for the officially confirmed semifinals later in the night, Drake King versus BRAE.)
(Friday Night Dynasty returns as a shot of the Unibet Arena is seen, with the crowd immediately coming unglued as the sounds of ‘Number One’ by Shirō Sagisu & Hazel Fernandes begin to play through the speakers. The camera then goes over to the stage to show Limmy Monaghan as he’s seen making his way out from the backstage area. The expression on his face tells all, the bitterness after what happened the past week has set in, but he hides it with a relatively neutral face as he makes his way down the ramp and toward the ring.)
Stephie Love: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome… ‘THE ACE’… LIMMY MONAGHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stew-O: Last week, Limmy Monaghan made it known to Michael Machina backstage that he was going to win the King of Elite tournament and come after the World Heavyweight Championship. Ultimately, that would not be the case, as due to some shenanigans courtesy of his opponent, David Gideon Smith would end up having his hand raised when it was all said and done and advancing to the next round. And you know that has to sting for him.
Flannery McCoy: Ending 2025 without a Championship around his waist was already a bitter pill to swallow for Limmy, so with the distasteful beginning to 2026, I’m sure he doesn’t want that to continue. That’s why he’s making his way out to the ring here tonight to give his thoughts. And I’m sure he knows that he’s not out of the running for a match at King of Elite.
Jake Mercer: But if he’s going to think of something, he’s gotta think of something fast because that door closes every day! And you never know who’s going to take your spot if you’re not complacent! Now more than ever, The Ace needs to STRIKE!
(Limmy makes his way up the steps and onto the apron, as he enters through the ropes and into the ring. He makes his way over and takes a microphone from the ringside area, while ‘Number One’ then begins to come to a close. While heading toward the center of the ring, he takes a brief moment before raising his microphone and beginning to speak.)
Limmy Monaghan: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. By that definition, perhaps the world views me as instant. Perhaps they view me as broken.
(Limmy exhales as he says that, slowly beginning to pace back and forth while he goes on.)
Limmy Monaghan: Last week, reality struck. The record books will be updated, and they’ll say that David Gideon Smith advanced and Limmy Monaghan fell short. They will say that for another year, the King of Elite crown will not rest upon my head. I stand here tonight on the outside looking in. The bracket has moved on without me, the field narrows, and I am not among the names listed. That is the cold, hard truth, and that is the reality I must wake up to. But let us not confuse a setback with a funeral. Let us not confuse a detour with the end of the road. Because while the method may have failed… the mission remains unchanged.
(Limmy pauses for a brief moment, letting his words sink in before continuing.)
Limmy Monaghan: I stood in the back last week, and I looked Michael Machina in the eye. He stood there, World Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder, going on a tangent about worth and value, calling me a relic, a solved variable, telling me that I was just another name in a bracket he had already outgrown. And most importantly, he told me to worry about making it out of the preliminaries. Well, Machina… you were right. I didn’t make it out. But you made a mistake as well. You assumed that my path to you was linear. You assumed that the only way the Ace could stand across from the “God” was by permission of a tournament bracket. You forgot who I am. I do not need a tournament to define my worth. I do not need a crown to validate my standing. My value is not dictated by a win-loss record in January; it is dictated by six years of excellence that you are still desperately trying to catch up to.
(Limmy turns toward the hard camera as he steps toward the ropes.)
Limmy Monaghan: I made a promise to you, Machina. Less so about winning the King of Elite tournament, and more so that I would win the World Heavyweight Championship. I told you that your future was going to collide violently with the eternal, and I am a man of my word. You want to talk about elevating the competition? Being a fighting Champion? Then you’ll have to prove it. You don’t have an opponent for King of Elite yet. The tournament winner gets their shot later… but the event itself needs a challenger for that title. It needs a standard bearer. And despite my failures, despite the losses, despite the noise… There is no greater standard bearer than the man standing here right now.
(Limmy then turns around as he looks toward the stage.)
Limmy Monaghan: So I am done waiting for the stars to align. I am done waiting for brackets to break my way. I am forcing the hand of fate. Machina, I’m challenging you. At King of Elite, put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. If you really think that I’m this relic, then you put me down for good. Prove your divinity by burying the eternal. Because I promise you this… if you give me that one inch of daylight. If you give me that one shot… I will take back what is mine.
(Limmy steps back as he lowers his microphone, as he doesn’t have to wait long before the sounds of ‘Apostle’s Warning’ by Mobb Deep begin to blare through the speakers. The crowd erupts into thunderous cheers as the camera goes over to the stage to show Michael Machina as he makes his way out from the backstage area. He has a confident expression on his face with the World Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder, as he doesn’t waste any time beginning to make his way to the ring.)
Jake Mercer: Did you hear that, guys?! Do we have any DAWGS here tonight in ESTONIA?! ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF!
Stew-O: Limmy Monaghan has a point that Michael Machina does not have a challenger for the King of Elite Marquee Event. So honestly, why wait in line? Why put your fate solely in a tournament? Challenge him now.
Flannery McCoy: But is this biting off more than he can chew? Machina is going to revel in the fact that Limmy didn’t advance in the King of Elite tournament. Why should he give him the time of day? I guess we’re just going to have to see.
(Machina makes his way up the steps and onto the apron, entering through the ropes and into the ring. He makes his way over and takes a microphone from the ringside area while ‘Apostle’s Warning’ begins to come to a close. He turns around and makes his way over, taking a brief moment to chuckle before beginning to speak.)
Michael Machina: You’ve got to be kidding me.
(Machina shakes his head, taking a moment to process the challenge that has come his way, before continuing.)
Michael Machina: Let me get this straight… You walk out here, fresh off a loss to “David Gideon Smith,” a man I wouldn’t lose sleep over if he were standing in my bedroom with a knife, and you think you can demand a shot at this? Limmy, I like you. I respect the hustle, but let’s look at the hard evidence, shall we? Road To Redemption, the Extreme Elimination Chamber. I stepped into that damning structure with five other Elitists, including you, and I walked out exactly the way I walked in, and that was as the World Heavyweight Champion. I beat you, Limmy. I pinned your peers, and in a twisted form of irony, I outlasted the eternal. I proved that the New Legend isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s the pace this entire industry has to run at just to keep up. And now? You didn’t even make it past the first round of the tournament designed to find my next victim. So tell me, Mr. Ace… why in the hell should I waste my breath, let alone my time… on a man who is statistically trending downward…?
(Machina takes a step forward, getting closer to Limmy.(
Michael Machina: You’re asking for a handout, and frankly? That’s beneath you. You’re not the Ace right now, Limmy. What you are is a guy looking for a participation trophy because his year started in the gutter.
(The crowd reacts to this, but Limmy doesn’t. He’s calm as he raises his microphone.)
Limmy Monaghan: You’re right.
(The crowd murmurs as Limmy pauses, before he goes on.)
Limmy Monaghan: I am trending downward. I am not the invisible force I was three years ago. I am not the man holding that title, I am the man who wakes up every morning feeling the aces of six years of carrying this company on his back. I am mortal, Machina. I bleed, I lose, and last week… I lost to a man who, quite frankly, shouldn’t be able to lace my boots. But that is exactly why you should be terrified. Because a man with a pristine record has everything to protect. A man with nothing left to lose? He is capable of anything. You beat me in the Chamber. Congratulations, you survived. But you have never defeated Limmy Monaghan when it is just you, just me, and nowhere to hide.
Michael Machina: I beat you when the stakes were highest.
Limmy Monaghan: You survived me. There is a difference. You talk about being the New Legend, about being the one-on-one, the shepherd of this industry. But deep down, I see it in your eyes, you prefer the chaos. You prefer the multi-man matches where luck is a variable, because if you step into the ring with The Ace, one-on-one, with no distractions, no other bodies to break my fall… and you lose? Then the New Legend is nothing more than a myth.
(Limmy pauses, chuckling to himself before he raises his microphone once more.)
Limmy Monaghan: You don’t want to give me this shot because I don’t deserve it. You don’t want to give me this shot because you’re afraid that the “relic” has one last great performance left in him. You’re afraid that on my worst day, I am still better than you on your best.
(Machina’s smile vanishes, as he pauses before his response, scrunching his face.)
Michael Machina: You think I’m afraid of you? You think I’m protecting this?
Limmy Monaghan: Prove me wrong. Or go back to the locker room and wait for the tournament to hand-pick a challenger you’ve already studied. The choice is yours, Champion. Are you a God? Or are you a coward?
Michael Machina; Careful, Limmy.
Limmy Monaghan: I’m done being careful.
(Machina stares at Limmy for a long, uncomfortable couple of seconds before responding.)
Michael Machina: You want to talk about mortality? Fine. You want to talk about one last great performance? I’ll give you that stage, because at King of Elite… I accept.
(The crowd roars as the massive match announcement is made.)
Michael Machina: But listen to me closely, “Ace.” You’re not walking into a title match, you’re walking into an execution. I am going to embarrass you. I am going to take those six years of excellence and shatter it into a million pieces so small that nobody will ever be able to put you back together again. You want to force the hand of fate? Fate just pulled the trigger. You’re done.
(Machina slams his microphone down to the ground, clearly angered by what Limmy had to say, as ‘Apostle’s Warning’ begins to blare through the speakers. There’s a tense staredown between the two, Limmy smirking as he got what he wanted, while Machina turns around and makes his way out of the ring. He makes his way up the ramp as he takes his leave without a second glance. And it’s the last shot seen before Friday Night Dynastyf ades to elsewhere.)
(A commercial plays for the NFL, featuring Bea Valentine rooting for the Patriots.)
(Friday Night Dynasty returns from its final set of commercials for the evening. In the ring, Stephie Love can be seen with a microphone. She smiles, and gears up to call the final match of the evening.)
Stephie Love: Ladies and gentlemen, the following main event contest is scheduled for—
Crowd: ONE FALL!
Stephie Love: And it is the semifinals in the King of Elite tournament!
(‘Ultra Instinct’ by Norihito Sumitomo plays once more for the evening. BRAE comes back out, still a bit sweaty and tired from his quaterfinals match. However, he marches down the ramp with purpose, not at all ready to give up.)
Stephie Love: Introducing first! From Novosibirsk, Russia! Weighing in at 215 pounds… HE IS THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION… ‘SON’ BRRRRRRRRRAE!!!
Stew-O: And here is BRAE, as moments ago, he was able to defeat Kirk Redwood to advance. While Drake King will be far from fresh, he’s been able to gain more time to rest compared to the Interwire Champion. Will fatigue play a role here?
Jake Mercer: It very well could. No one is invincible. Having to go up against a heavy hitter like Kirk Redwood doesn’t help matters, either! Still, BRAE is a tough Elitist in his own right, and you know that when there’s a challenge involve, he isn’t going to duck it or second guess himself. He’s the kind of competitor who’s going to run at it at full force, ready to take it on all the same.
Flannery McCoy: He absolutely is. He made it this far. He isn’t going to stop, and if his body gives out, then so be it. But he’s not going to go down for a lack of trying, that’s for certain, and his opponent would do well to understand that in his own right.
(After BRAE gets in the ring, ‘When Darkness Falls’ by Killswitch Engage plays, drawing out an intense negative reaction from the fans. However, Drake King comes out, not at all disturbed by the hostility. He has signs of fatigue himself, but he’s ready to go. He slides inside the ring, eyeing down BRAE who mirrors the same intense gesture.)
Stephie Love: And his opponent! From Heaven’s Gate, weighing in at 220 pounds, he is ‘God’… DRAAAAAAAKE KIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
Stew-O: This has been a moment Drake has been waiting on for a good while. Things didn’t pain out for him at Road to Redemption, but tonight, Drake could be a step closer to getting himself the opportunity to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship if he can defeat BRAE and then win at King of Elite.
Jake Mercer: He certainly could! People think that Drake is slowing down, but thart couldn’t be far from the case. He made it to the semifinals for a reason, and going against him is going to be costly for anyone who want to be presumptuous!
Flannery McCoy: Well, it’s time to see who is going to win! Both men are ready to go!
(DING DING DING!)
Stew-O: And there it is! It’s officially main event time, and this will be to determine who will be the Dynasty representative for the King of Elite tournament finals! A monumental match between two Elitists who are more than familiar with each other at this point in their careers and especially this season. Tonight, we will see for ourselves if BRAE can come one step closer to cementing himself into elite competition, or if Drake King can finally undo some of the recent misfortunes that have happened to him.
Jake Mercer: BRAE has been dominate since he won the Interwire championship, but has had manny chances to be a double champion and has come up short in those. Meanwhile, every since Pain for Pride last year, we’ve been seeing a budding frustration from Drake King, and the further he’s been away from world championship gold, the more impatient he’s become. He’s been more calm and collected recently, but this heavy leaning into being God has been more of a way for him to cope and not transform into a complete crashout! He’s made it this far, as has BRAE—but someone is going to lose tonight, and it’s perhaps going to be the most bitter pill they’ll have to swallow in their career.
Flannery McCoy: Yeah, this is a high-stakes match for two men who have achieved a lot yet aren’t going to be content with any pass or current successes. They want to win and make it to King of Elite… and they waste no time as they lock-up in the middle of the ring! BRAE and Drake are giving each other equal amounts of resistance it seems! BRAE takes two steps forward, looking to push Drake back, but he’s holding his own—and he pivots off to the side, taking quick control! BRAE’s backpedaled into the ropes! The Interwire champion looks to try and escape, but King is a step quicker, latching onto the left arm and sending him rolling with an arm drag! He drops down, capturing that limb once more. He goes for an arm hold!
Stew-O: A fast break, yet BRAE isn’t stunned by it. He pushes himself up and rolls forward. He pops back up, spins, and twists right behind Drake! Now he’s the one who has a hold of his arm, wrenching it into a hammerlock. King purses his lips, but he looks like he’s formulating an escape plan as he walks closer to the middle of the ring, not wanting to remain idle.
Jake Mercer: Veteran of the game. Love him or hate him, Drake is as experiennced as can be, and that’s being highlighted as he drops down to the mat, using his legs to trap BRAE! He uses them to flip him down onto the mat and hooks the ankles! Nice pin reversal!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—
Flannery McCoy: Swift escape by BRAE. Drake gets up and GOES FOR A JUMPING DOUBLE FOOT STOMP!
Stew-O: But he hits nothing but the mat! BRAE evaded, and now he’s back on his feet! Drake shoots forward, looking to take him down—but the attempt is blocked! BRAE stops him dead in his tracks, and clobbers him over the back with an overhead forearm! He pries Drake off of himself, shoving him into the ropes. King bounces back on the rebound, and BRAE is ready to strike with a roaring elbow!
Jake Mercer: But Drake avoids it, and rolls him down with a backslide attempt!
ONEEEEEEEEEEE—
Flannery McCoy: Another kickout—MET WITH A LOW SUPERKICK! BRAE HAD NO CHANCE TO AVOID THAT KICK TO THE JAW! Drake isn’t playing around!
Stew-O: A precise hit that connected flush. BRAE looks staggered, and that gives King the opportunity to grab him. He hoists him up for a suplex… and GETS IT! BRAE is down! Drake floats into another cover, hooking the leg this time for extra measure!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
Jake Mercer: And that’s a shoulder up! Not enough to secure the victory, but BRAE still seems to be a bit dazed by that superkick. Drake gets up and forces him back onto his feet, bringing him along into the corner. There, the hall of famer starts to unload with a series of forearms, aiming for that same spot that he hit with the kick!
Flannery McCoy: BRAE is doing his best to defend against those shots, though. He isn’t entirely out! Drake opts for a stiff boot to the gut, which manages to break that guard of his! He grabs him and sets him up to the top turnbuckle. He fires off a punch, and decks him on the side of his head! Now, King scales to the top, where he no doubts have nefarious intentions.
Stew-O: And you do see that he has a bit of an urgent pace, as he along of BRAE already competed in their quarterfinal matches, and BRAE had little reprieve as his match was right before this one. He likely has some exhaustion, but BRAE is gonna be the one worse for wear, and he’s seeking to take full advantage of that as he lifts him up!
Jake Mercer: …but BRAE’s not budging! Look—he has hold of the top rope! Drake tries for it again, but no dice. He looks down, and that’s when he realizes what’s happening. He hits BRAE in the arm and looks to pry it off from the rope!
Flannery McCoy: HEADBUTT! BRAE caught him clean with that, and Drake falls off, staggering onto his feet before plopping down! At least he didn’t have a nasty fall, but man, that was not a pretty sight either way!
Stew-O: It certainly wasn’t, but Drake is trying to get a move on in spite of it. He gets up—AND GETS FLOORED WITH THE DIVING FOREARM! OH MY GOD!
Jake Mercer: :damn: Like a human missile, BRAE found his mark and struck it! He pops right up, dragging Drake along, and hoists him up for an EXPLODER SUPLEX! Drake cries out as he goes rolling over toward the ropes! He uses the middle one to help better assist himself—
Flannery McCoy: —But he doesn’t see that BRAE is up again, and charging toward him! HE COLLIDES WITH A BODY SPLASH RIGHT TO THE BACK, AND DRAKE JUST GOT SANDWICHED! DOWN HE GOES!
Stew-O: What a sequence! BRAE drags him into the center for a pin attempt! Will this be enough!?
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
Stew-O: A two count! Not enough to secure the win for himself, but Drake is hurting! Again, the earlier damage from his match against David Gideon Smith are creeping up here, and while he may call himself God, he is not immune to pain.
Jake Mercer: That he is not, Stew-O. BRAE gets to hustling though, even with him taking more ragged breaths. He takes him up and pushes him into the ropes. Drake rebounds backward—FOREARM TO THE SPINE! And you can see how much that hurt with Drake tensing up his back!
Flannery McCoy: BRAE doesn’t stop! He repeats it all over, once again landing that stiff and sick shot to the same area. Drake nearly drops—but is stopped only because his opponent has hold of him! Arms around the waist, BRAE heaves, going for a German Suplex!
Stew-O: Oh! Back elbow! Drake was able to swing that back, striking the side of BRAE’s head! The Interwire champ stops midway through, but he tries for the hold again—only to get hit with yet ANOTHER elbow!
Jake Mercer: :yikes: Things are definitely getting gnarly, and I ain’t talking Katseye! BRAE slumps forward, but still has a hold of Drake who goes down onto his hands and knees. Drake tries to pry himself away… BUT BRAE IS HULKING UP! ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE DEADLIFTS KING! HE HAS HIM UP—AND SLAMS HIM DOWN WITH AUTHORITY WITH THE SUPLEX! HE GOT IT ALL!
Flannery McCoy: And he has the bridge to boot! Another pin attempt here!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
Stew-O: Shoulder up from Drake King! An impressive display of strength, but that wasn’t enough to put him away decisively! BRAE sits up, realizing this, but rather than get frustrated with the outcome, he’s back on the move, looking to keep the pressure applied all the same. He grabs hold of his wrist before dragging him along toward to the corner. BRAE STOMPS down onto the stomach, looking to further incapacitate King! He lands one more stomp, and now, he lets go. Drake is clutching his stomach in pain, while BRAE is climbing up. Not sure what he has in store, but you can imagine that it’s not going to be good for his opponent whatsoever!
Jake Mercer: You’re right. BRAE isn’t a high flyer by any means, but in a match of this caliber, you’ve got to try and pull out all of the stops!
Flannery McCoy: Hang on—Drake is beginning to stir! He sees BRAE, and he scrambles as fast as he can back to his feet! He runs in, and hits him with a desperate forearm! BRAE GOES TUMBLING ONTO THE APRON, ALMOST SLIPPING OFF ENTIRELY BUT HE MANAGES TO HANG ON THANKS TO THE ROPES!
Stew-O: And THAT’S what you call too close for comfort! If BRAE didn’t have the wherewithal to grab the ropes, this could’v ended disastrously for him! However, he is not out of the clear just yet as Drake steps onto the apron and immediately decks him! Another punch! Then another! Drake is finding a way to get back into this thing!
Jake Mercer: He is! Drake takes one more swing—BUT A BOOT BY BRAE TO THE ATTACKING ARM SHOVES HIM BACK, AND THAT MANAGES TO THWART HIM! :lupe:
Flannery McCoy: BRAE’s far from dead! He runs in and swings, TAKING HIS HEAD OFF WITH A LARIAT!
Stew-O: NO! DRAKE CAUGHT HIM! HE WHIRLS HIM AROUND AND DROPS HIM ONTO THE APRON WITH THE BACK SUPLEX!! OH MY GOD!!
Jake Mercer: :damn:
Flannery McCoy: JUST LIKE THAT, DRAKE KING WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE MOMENTUM IN DRAMATIC FASHION! BRAE ROLLS BACK INTO THE RING, LETTING OUT A SHARP YELL! HIS LOWER BACK TOOK THE BRUNT OF THAT FORCE, AND THIS ISN’T LOOKING GOOD FOR HIM!
Stew-O: It’s not! However, Drake sees his window of opportunity! He works as fast as he can to scale to the top and takes off! FROG SPLASH TO THE BACK OF BRAE!
Jake Mercer: HOLY CRAP!
Flannery McCoy: PICTURE PEFECT, EVEN WITH THE ODDS! DRAKE POPS UP AND BRINGS BRAE UP! HE SNAPS HIM INTO PLACE WITH THE HALF NELSON AND LIFTS HIM UP—BACKBREAKER! ‘CROWN OF THORNS’ CONNECTS!
Stew-O: HE GOT ALL OF IT! BRAE’S BACK TOOK THE FULL BRUNT OF THAT, AND DRAKE SPARES NOT A SINGLE SECOND! COVER! COVER!
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOO!
THREEEEEEEEEEEE—
Jake Mercer: KICKOUT! BRAE GETS OUT OF THAT—
Flannery McCoy: —BUT NOT OUT OF THIS HOLD! DRAKE IMMEDIATELY TRANSITIONS IT INTO THE ANACONDA VISE HE CALLS ‘SCRIPTURE’!! HE HAS IT COMPLETELY LOCKED IN!!
Stew-O: THINGS JUST WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE! BRAE’S EYES WIDEN AS HE REALIZES HE’S BEEN CAPTURED! HE QUICKLY LOOKS AROUND FOR THE ROPES! HE REACHES OUT…! BUT HE’S JUST A BIT TOO FAR AWAY! HE’S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE ROPE BREAK AND FORCE DRAKE KING TO LET GO!
Jake Mercer: AND THIS MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN THE UNLUCKIEST POSITION BRAE FOUND HIMSELF IN! JUST LIKE THAT, DRAKE WAS IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO CINCH IN THE SUBMISSION BEFORE HE HAD TIME TO RECOIL AWAY! A SMART MOVE BY KING, BUT IF BRAE IS UNABLE TO ESCAPE, THEN THAT’S IT! THIS IS GOING TO BE THE END OF THE MATCH, AND WITH THAT, HIS DREAMS OF MAKING IT TO THE FINALS!
Flannery McCoy: Once again, neither of them are fresh! That means they’re significantly weaker, and even for someone like BRAE who is as battled tested as they come, he’s going to be weakened a lot easily! In fact, it’s looking like he’s beginning to fade!
Stew-O: You’re—you’re right, Flannery! You can see his eyes fluttering and his body not moving as frantically as before! It can be mere moments before he taps, or the referee steps in to call off the match and rule it in Drake’s favor!
Jake Mercer: That’s what he wants! Drake is yelling at him! ‘Tap out,’ he’s saying! He WANTS BRAE to give up and not fight back!
Flannery McCoy: And BRAE… HE RAISES HIS HAND! HE MAY TAP OUT RIGHT THERE!
…
Stew-O: NO!
Jake Mercer: :damn:
Flannery McCoy: OH MY GOD! HE GRABS THE BACK OF HIS HEAD AND FORCES IT BACK, SHOOTING HIS RIGHT KNEE UP INTO IT! HE’S KNEEING HIM! BRAE IS TRYING TO KNOCK HIM SILLY BEFORE HE BECOMES TOO WEAK!
Stew-O: Drake is hanging on, though! He doesn’t want to let go! Doesn’t want to give BRAE any chance to recuperate! He wants this to be the end right here!
Jake Mercer: But he’s starting to get weaker hismelf—and BRAE is picking up the pace! More knees bludgeon the back of his head! Drakes’ grasp on him is WEAKENING! He’s not going to be able to maintain the hold for long, guys…!
Flannery McCoy: And there it is! HE LETS GO! Drake rolls off, holding the back of his head, and BRAE is able to free himself! Still, he’s coughing, trying to get back into this!
Stew-O: LOOK OUT! DRAKE KING IS RUNNING IN FOR ‘JUDGEMENT DAY’!!!
Jake Mercer: HE LEAPS—BUT BRAE PULLS BACK AT THE LAST SECOND!! WHAT THE HELL!?
Flannery McCoy: WHAT A NARROW ESCAPE! DRAKE TURNS TO HIM AND RUSH ESFORWARD—BUT HE’S CAUGHT WITH A ROARING EUROPEAN UPPERCUT! DRAKE WOBBLES! AND BRAE STEPS FORWARD, INSTANTLY LIGHTING HIM UP WITH CHOP AFTER CHOP!
Stew-O: MACHINE GUN CHOPS FROM BRAE! DRAKE’S CHEST IS GETTING BATTERED IN! DRAKE IS FORCED TO TAKE EVERY SINGLE LAST HIT, BEING UNABLE TO STOP THIS BARRAGE!
Jake Mercer: BRAE finally stops… but look at that chest! THAT’S what you call an angry shade of red! Jesus!
Flannery McCoy: BRAE was able to do some serious damage off of that! Now he steps in, and goes for one more chop to Drake—
Stew-O: ENZUIGIRI! DRAKE WITH THE COUNTER! BRAE STAGGERS BACKWARD INTO THE ROPES AND DIPS BETWEEN THE MIDDLE ROPES—
Jake Mercer: —BUT BRAE COMES BACK IN AND BLITZ HIM WITH A DISCUS CLOTHESLINE! BOTH MEN GO DOWN TO THE MAT! WHAT AN INSANE MAIN EVENT THIS HAS BEEN!
Flannery McCoy: We didn’t expect anything less from these two! It was going to be all or nothing, and we’ve seen how they have been pushing one another to the absolute limit! However, pain and fatigue are rearing their ugly heads in! SOMEONE has to start gaining some much needed momentum soon!
Stew-O: It has been an ardent battle between these two, but only one of them will make it to King of Elite! Both Elitists begin to stir, looking to get out of the pain-induced daze they’re in… and BRAE strikes first with a forearm! Drake almost falls back…BUT RIPS FORWARD, STRIKING WITH A FOREARM OF HIS OWN! BRAE’S HEAD SNAPS BACK FROM THE IMPACT OF THAT!
Jake Mercer: Oh, man! Now they’re trading heavy shots! BRAE! DRAKE! BRAE! DRAKE! BRAE! IT’S LIKE THERE’S NO END TO THIS!
Flannery McCoy: Especially not when the both of them are rising to their feet, continuing to hammer away at each other! But Drake aims low, and he catches BRAE with the kick to the gut! He hits the ropes, and now, Drake comes back in—
Stew-O: ONLY TO GET CUT DOWN WITH THE BROGUE KICK! ‘MORRIGAN’ LANDS!
Jake Mercer: :damn: WHAT A KICK! DRAKE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HIT HIM!
Flannery McCoy: AND BRAE ISN’T DONE! WITH ALL OF THE ADRENALINE SURGING THROUGH HIM POSSIBLE, HE LEAPS UP AND COMES CRASHING DOWN WITH THE ‘RED DEATH’!! HE CRASHES HARD DOWN ONTO DRAKE KING!!
Stew-O: THAT FANS HAVE EXPLODED!! BRAE HOOKS THE LEG, DEAD IN THE CENTER! WILL THIS BE IT!?
ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Jake Mercer: YES! YES, IT WAS! HOLY HELL, WHAT A WIN!
(‘Clash of the Gods’ hits the arena speakers. BRAE rolls himself off of Drake King, exhausted as can be. However, the victory soaks in, and a content look crosses his face as he realizes that he did it. He fought long and hard, and now, he’s going to the King of Elite finals.)
Stephie Love: Here is YOUR winner… and moving on to the finals of the King of Elite tournament: BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEE!
Stew-O: WOW! What an explosive match from start to finish! Drake King and BRAE came on a mission, knowing they’d have to compete in two matches on the same night and give it their all. It was an intense contest, but in the end, the current Interwire Champion bags himself the Dynasty bracket of the tournament and made it to the end! He will be going to King of Elite!
Jake Mercer: What an impressive win! BRAE really didn’t give up! He truly is one tough son of a bitch, and he gets to yet again see if he has what it takes to be a double champion should he eventually be crowned King of Elite! Congratulations to him!
Flannery McCoy: Drake really fought hard in his own right, it just wasn’t enough. Now, his path toward King of Elite remains unclear, and I am a bit worried about the implications this may have. This hasn’t been the easiest season for him. :lupe:
Jake Mercer: Okay Flannery, you can relax with the doomer mentality. It’s not the worst season he’s had! I mean, he isn’t wearing some tacky headband with an awful tan, that’s for sure!
Flannery McCoy: I—er, fair enough. However, we know how Drake gets. He was hoping he’d be a step closer to the world heavyweight championship, but now, he’s faced with another blockade. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how he proceeds from here.
Stew-O: A lot of questions to be had, that’s for sure. However, what isn’t unclear is BRAE’s path. In three weeks, he’ll be able to main event King of Elite, and who knows? He might bring it all home. Until then, this has been Friday Night Dynasty. Thank you for joining us tonight, and we will see you all next week, same time! Goodnight, everyone!
(Drake is laying on his side, a blank expression on his face. The shot then transitions over to BRAE, who managed to get up and raise his arm in victory. He takes the Interwire Championship along with him on his shoulder and exits the ring. The final shot shows red pyro going off as he grins, basking in the win, before the broadcast feed of Friday Night Dynasty ends.)
(EAW logo buzzes…)
