Dynasty 6/13/25

Dynasty 6/13/25

(EAW intro plays.)

(Friday Night Dynasty intro plays. Instead of the usual montage, a recap of all of the iconic happenings for season 18 of the brand was shown off. After the trip down memory lane wraps up, the live shot captures the Tarraco Arena in Tarragona, Spain, in all its glory. Inside, it is PACKED like a can of sardines as various fans flood the seats and standing area. Pyro goes off, and after a few more shots, we go to Stew-O, Jake Mercer and Flannery McCoy.)

Stew-O: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the FINAL Dynasty of season eighteen! I am Stew-O, and I am with none other than Jake Mecer and Flannery McCoy!

Jake Mercer: It’s been a long time, but a fun time! This season has seen so many things that will live on in EAW iconography forever, and I cannot wait for what 19 will entail. But for now, we are gonna enjoy the last week we have before we’re right back to the grind!

Flannery McCoy: Absolutely. A lot of Elitists tonight will share their final thoughts about their matches and what the road ahead may lead for them. In fact, let’s go ahead and learn a lesson or two, because opening up, we will be diving into the 24/7 Contract Battle Royal!

(The scene would open up to reveal a Classroom. In the classroom, we would see all the Elitists contending for the 24/7 Battle Royal at Pain For Pride. David Gideon Smith, Kai Rabeaux, Clayton Golde, Cosmo Goldworthy and finally, Vincent Mondrian. All of them looked confused as to why they were here, none of them impressed.)

Vincent Mondrian: Sorry I am late everyone, I had some business to attend towards.

(A smirk appeared across his face as he crossed his arms.)

Vincent Mondrian : Had some other business I needed to handle. But I spoke with Kensingten and Richard and they gave me the thumbs up to participate in this match.

(That annoyed a couple people, but none more than ever, Clayton Golde.)

Clayton Golde: Oh come on! We just keep putting people in here? This is why we really can take inspiration from my podcast, it’s the perfect example of a one man show. Sometimes you can have too many cooks in one kitchen, and it just doesn’t work out!

Teacher: SHHHHH!

(Clayton was shushed by the teacher, as he just threw his hands up.)

Teacher: Alright, so since you are all here, it goes without saying you are here with reasoning. The 24/7 Battle Royal is one of the most guaranteed matches at Pain For Pride. Entry into the event, but it takes a whole lot more than that to win it. Lately winners have been excellent, competing in major matches. Per example just look at Donovan Duke! Donovan Duke is a former 24/7 Battle Royal winner, and since that moment his career has done nothing but skyrocket.

(A presentation showing the growth and evolution of Donovan Duke’s career would showcase.)

Teacher: Donovan Duke went on to have one of the longest and most successful reigns in EAW history. And as for last year, we had a loaded field for the game. Won by SOSA Henderson, he would go onto become National Elite Champion as well, the very same title Donovan Duke went the long run with. He completed the process of being grand slam champion, edged himself into a future of even higher probability.

(An image showed SOSA with the National Elite Championship, once again going off what had happened at the direct result of the show.)

Teacher; Point is, Pain For Pride can change your lives forever. You can go from nothing to having everything over night, as long as you play your cards right.

Clayton Golde: Anyways, since we’re talking about this. Wouldn’t we all see Vinny over here as a little bit greedy? He already had a title reign! And well, it sucked, yeah it did! But he had one at the end of the day.

Vincent Mondrian: Well, at least one of us was able to beat an Interwire Champion, Clayton.

(Vincent rolled his eyes as Clayton stood there looking offended.)

Kai Rabeaux; Guys, you two are arguing about basically nothing here. It’s pretty pointless that you’re going to war over that, because it’s going to be me that leaves the match victorious.

Cosmo Goldworthy: Hell naw. You’re not getting ahead of me, dawg.

Vincent Mondrian: Really, Cosmo? I think it’s pretty easy to get ahead of you, if you were to ask me. You aren’t really in a deceit line, knock you out of the way and it’ll be perfectly fine. Despite what Clayton had to say, I know the experience of being champion before, and I lost that feeling. I’ll do anything to get it back, I am willing to topple any circumstances as long as it means I’ll be champion once again.

Kai Rabeaux: That is cool and all, man. But you can sit here and talk about that hunger and what was taken from you. But there is a reason you lost that title in the first place, Vincent. You became content and it kicked you right in the ass.

Clayton Golde: To be honest with Vincent, I try to have a little bit more respect and be nicer, but life for him just sucks man! I don’t think it’ll ever be good, but to be honest Kai, I don’t think it’ll ever be good for you either, as much as you are beckoning in my business. I will win at Pain For Pride, cause I got an experience and hunger like none other in this match. I—

Cosmo Goldworthy: Man, all you ever do is run your mouth. I am sorry but that Alpha Male podcast ain’t gonna teach us anything that we already don’t know. Nothing shines quite bright like gold, except dehydrated piss. Vincent might be trash, Kai Rabeaux might not be ready, but I know someone who is ready in this match. Remember ladies and gents, this is a marathon and not a sprint, and I am going to be the person in first place when that bell rings for a second time!

(Everyone had time to speak their case, before it panned on one person who had been quiet. David Gideon Smith was being an instigator if you’d ever seen one, as he shook his head.)

David Gideon Smith: Nothing like egos mixing in the wind, souring over one another showing who can whine the biggest. The wish and the want will be the overall hubris of your downfall. We can all want something, but giving genuine need is something else so much more different. Have fun with your failed words of contingency. So with that being said, I’ll leave the rest of my words out on the battlefield at Pain For Pride. You all choose what you wanna do.

(David Gideon Smith walked out of the classroom as all of them watched him go, but the teacher raised an eyebrow.)

Teacher: Class wasn’t over yet—

(David Gideon Smith glared at the teacher with a menacing cold stare, as the teacher gulps.)

Teacher: Class dismissed!

(With that being said, the segment would fade from there with each man walking off, only telling of how the big show would go for them.)

(DING! DING! DING!)

(Hans immediately takes off, running up on Impact who is more than ready for this. Both men meet up in the center, and that is where they collide in a violent whirlwind of punches.)

Stew-O: THE BELL HAS RUNG, AND HERE WE GO! IMPACT AND HANS GRAYSON RUN RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE AND WE ARE HAVING OURSELVES A GOOD, OLD FASHIONED, DRAGGED-OUT BRAWL BETWEEN THE TWO!

Jake Mercer: :damn: !!!

Flannery McCoy: THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED! NO FEELING OUT PROCESS! NO TIME TO GIVE EACH OTHER ANY ROOM TO BREATHE! EVERYTHING THAT HAS TRANSPIRED BETWEEN IMPACT AND HANS OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH HAS REACHED ITS BOILING POINT, AND THIS MATCH ALREADY EXEMPLIFIES THAT!

(It’s like a nasty hockey fight. Both men continue to land stiff punches, aiming right in their respective faces, the sound of their knuckles meeting flesh reverberating throughout the chamber. All the while, the fans are eating it up, especially with them eager to see one of them get the better of the other.)

Crowd: # FUCK HIM UP, HAAANS, FUCK HIM UP! 👏 👏

Jake Mercer: Well, it’s no shocker that the Canadian fans are throwing their full support behind their hometown hero, but Hans Grayson might need more than chants to overcome the man, the myth, the Hall of Famer himself—IMPACT! Oh, and just like that, a vicious kick to the gut from Impact doubles Hans over!

Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(Impact smirks as the crowd rains boos down on him. He grabs Hans by the wrist, leans in close, and starts jawing at him, trash-talking like only he can.)

Impact: (off-mic) You want to hang with the big boys? You’re not on my level, kid!

Stew-O: Impact jerks Hans toward him and whips him with all his strength into the ropes! Hans rebounds off them like a bullet, and there’s the ten-time world champion waiting in the center of the ring, ready to strike! He raises his leg for a devastating big boot—BUT HANS IS ABLE TO NARROWLY DUCK UNDERNEATH IT!

Jake Mercer: Whew, close call! The former Interwire Champion hits the opposite ropes and comes barreling back toward Impact at full speed! He launches himself into the air and BLASTS him with a massive flying forearm smash, catching the veteran clean on the jaw! Imp is down!

Flannery McCoy: Impact scrambles back to his feet, but Hans is right there and stiffs him with an elbow! Impact gets back up, and now, Hans kicks him in the gut before snatching him close and lifting him up into the air! He’s all fired up!

Stew-O: But that isn’t enough to stun Impact completely as he lands behind him! He wraps his arms around his torso! Hans runs forward towards the ropes! He grabs the top one as Impact tries to roll him backwards, but he goes tumbling through all on his own! Impact is up, and Hans runs, placing a hand on his shoulder and leads him to the other side! He leaps forward onto the middle rope—AND WHAT A TWISTING ARM DRAG BY HIM!

Jake Mercer: BANG! Impact gets a dropkick to the face for good measure after that move, too! Hans immediately falls on top of him, looking to get an early elimination!

Referee: ONE—

Flannery McCoy: Nope, not nearly enough! However, Hans isn’t at all perturbed by that. He’s on top of him, and right away, he wails at him with more punches! Impact raises his arms, trying to shield his face, but Hans punches through the defenses, landing shot after shot!

Jake Mercer: Yeah, Hans is being aggressive as hell here from early on. Aside from the stakes in this match, there’s been nothing but bad blood brewing between he and Impact ever since the latter cost him his title defense against Vincent Mondrian at Super Dynasty. Hans is not only looking to become a world champion for the first time in his career, but to also make Impact pay for everything he has done to him and more!

Stew-O: But at least Impact finally manages to shove Hans off him and rolls toward the corner, trying to create some distance. Hans is on him immediately, grabbing his arm and dragging him back toward the center of the ring. Hans pulls Impact to his feet and hooks his arm, looking to go for a snap suplex, but Impact fights back, throwing wild punches into Hans’ midsection to break the hold!

Flannery McCoy: Impact fighting back now! He’s not going to let the younger competitor dictate the pace for much longer! He lands a stiff European uppercut that rocks Hans backward, giving the veteran a moment to breathe! He grabs Hans by the arm and pulls him in, planting him with a sharp DDT! Hans’ head spikes off the mat, and Impact quickly rolls to his knees, wiping off his bottom lip! Seems like one of the punches Grayson threw managed to nick him!

Jake Mercer: It isn’t anything he isn’t used to by now. That’s the benefit of having a career here in EAW that spans three decades!

Stew-O: And with him being able to stunt Hans even for a bit, Impact is back on his feet. He grabs a rough handful of his hair and forces him to come up to a standing position. He crashes his forearm into his nose, and Hans staggers backwards into the corner! Impact throws his hand back—

(SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!)

Stew-O: CHOP TO THE CHEST!

Jake Mercer: :yikes: That definitely didn’t get dull at all! Wow! I would’t want to be in that position!

Flannery McCoy: No kidding—especially with Impact poised to chop Hans yet again! He reels his hand back and—

Stew-O: No! Hans gets his foot up just in time, driving it into Impact’s gut! Impact takes a few steps back after getting hit, and Hans steps up, starting to nail him with a kick to the leg! He follows that up wih an elbow!

Jake Mercer: Impact tees off in his own right, throwing a forearm! NOW WE’RE BACK AT SQUARE ONE WITH THESE TWO!

Flannery McCoy: And they don’t seem to care, because soon, we’re going to have another Elitist join the fray!

Crowd: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!

(BUZZZZZZZ!)

(…)

(The lights flash, cycling through the pods, and after a moment, they stop on…)

Stew-O: CHRIS ELITE! THE FORMER WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION GETS OUT OF HIS POD AND IMMEDIATELY LOOKS TO JOIN THE FRAY! GLINGING ONTO THE TOP ROPE, HE SPRINGS UP ONTO IT AND FLIES THROUGH THE AIR! DROPKICK! HANS AND IMPACT BOTH ARE SENT DOWN BY THE HALL OF FAMER!

Jake Mercer: Might as well become a human wrecking ball since he’s bald like one.

Flannery McCoy: :francis:

Stew-O: Chris Elite has shown a new side to himself ever since he qualified for this match against Rex McAllister. There’s a newfound urgency and even a bit more aggression from him as he realizes it can be potentially be a while before he has an opportunity like this!

Jake Mercer: Yeah, yeah, we been knew Chris has been a bozo, and he’s looking for a drastic turn around in his perception—so much so that he nails a penalty kick to the back of Hans’ spine!

Flannery McCoy: That’s the former Interwire Champion down! Chris turns his attention over to Impact who has managed to recover, and looks for a punch! Chris dips down and pops up! ENZUIGIRI! Impact twist around from that!

Stew-O: And Chris hops up onto his shoulders! Could be going for a head-spiking poisonrana!

Jake Mercer: Oh, but Impact still has enough to wherewithal to shove him off of him! Chris is on his feet, but Imp yanks his arms and spins him around! Clothesline!

Flannery McCoy: NO! Chris kicks at the arm! Impact charges forward, but Elite goes down and sweeps through his legs, knocking him down! Now, Chris hits the ropes—DROPKICK TO THE FACE! WHAT A SEQUENCE!

Stew-O: Ch ris comes to a stand and beats his chest! However, Grayson is up! From behind, he nails Chris in the head with a forearm! He turns the Hall of Famer around and drives the point of his knee into his gut! Hans lands a kick to the side of the head to boot! Chris drops to a knee! Now, Hans his the ropes and comes running back in, looking for something huge…!

Jake Mercer: A sliding clothesline—if it had connected! Chris just wrapped his arm around Hans and rolls forward, causing Grayson to go backwards! He gets up and springs off the middle rope, GETTING A CORKSCREW ARMDRAG! HOLY SHIT, DID YOU SEE THAT ELEVATION ON THAT!?

Flannery McCoy: I take it he isn’t much of a bozo anymore, huh? :mjpls:

Jake Mercer: Hey, I can be objective!

Flannery McCoy: Didn’t realize being adept at humor was a skill trait now for commentators here in EAW.

Jake Mercer: Say what you want, but I know how to do my job! Don’t be jealous, Flannery!

Flannery McCoy: Uh-huh. Jealous. Sure. Well, I know how to get the job done—as does Chris Elite! Hans is planted with a bulldog from him! He rolls over onto his back, clutching his head! Chris gets a move on, eyeing the top of the nearby turnbuckle. He heads on over and makes the climb up, no doubt looking to do even more damage to Grayson.

Stew-O: But right there is Impact, who comes roaring in with a punch! He climbs up, and the two Hall of Famers are duking it out, trying to see who can throw the other one off balance!

Jake Mercer: Someone’s noggin just might get cracked open. :lupe:

Flannery McCoy: This is becoming nerve-wracking with how much longer this goes on! Both competitors are at risk of falling! Impact swings with another punch, but Chris is able to fire back with another harsh shot that lands on his face! And now, Impact grabs him by the head—

Stew-O: OH MY! IMPACT IS DOWN!

Jake Mercer: AND IT WAS ALL THANKS TO THAT SPRINGBOARD SUNSET FLIP BY HANS GRAYSON! :damn: !! THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!

Flannery McCoy: Hans was able to recover in time and brought Impact down! He’s on the mat—

Stew-O: SHOOTING STAR DOUBLE FOOT STOMP!!

Jake Mercer: WHAT!?

Flannery McCoy: CHRIS ELITE DROVE ALL OF HIS WEIGHT DOWN ONTO IMPACT WITH PERHAPS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AERIAL MANUEVER I HAVE SEEN ALL YEAR! HOLY CRAP! HE AND HANS JUST WENT BACK-TO-BACK IN HURTING THE FORMER MULTI-TIME WORLD CHAMPION, AND HE ROLLS OFF TO THE SIDE, CLUTCHING HIS ABDOMEN IN ABSOLUTE PAIN! WHAT AN INSANE SERIES OF MOVES WE’VE WITNESSED!

Stew-O: IMPACT IS DOWN, AND THAT PAVES THE WAY FOR CHRIS AND HANS TO START REVVING UP THE ENGINE! HANS GOES FOR A HAYMAKER, BUT ELITE DUCKS AND HOPS BACK UP, CLIPPING HIM WITH A JUMPING ROUNDHOUSE! THAT WHIRLS HANS RIGHT AROUND, AND CHRIS GRABS HIM BY THE ARMS! HE LIFTS HIM FOR A TIGER SUPLEX!

Jake Mercer: Hans is able to shift his weight down though, preventing Chris from doing that! He tugs and thrashes about, and his arms are pried free! He sends a back elbow towards his forehead, catching the other Hall of Famer in this bout with it! Hans moves hastily, switching over behind him! He goes for a suplex of his own!

Flannery McCoy: But he’s sent tumbling down thanks to a quick-thinking arm drag reversal! Both men scurry up to their feet! STEREO DROPKICKS!

Stew-O: It’s just way too close between these two! Chris rolls forward and pops up after a headsand, while Hans kips up from his back! Both men stare right at each other, and the fans are going crazy!

Jake Mercer: Now, this? THIS is real aura. Not that manufactured shit some of these Elitists try to force down our throats! You can’t teach this kind of cool!

Flannery McCoy: Alright, cool your jets, Jake. :ufdup:

Stew-O: Chris and Hans lunge at each other again! Neither man is backing down! Chris with a forearm smash! Hans answers back with a stiff elbow! The intensity between these two is palpable, and it’s clear they’re both trying to prove who’s the better man in this chaotic environment!

Jake Mercer: Chris swings for a lariat—NO! Hans ducks under it and hits the ropes, coming back with a SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!

Flannery McCoy: BUT CHRIS ROLLS THROUGH! HE’S GOT HANS IN HIS GRIP, LOOKING FOR A STANDING POWERBOMB—BUT HANS COUNTERS INTO A HURRICANRANA! CHRIS ELITE IS SENT FLYING ACROSS THE RING!

Stew-O: These two are so evenly matched! Hans is already back on his feet, and Chris scrambles up as well! SUPERKICK FROM HANS—

Jake Mercer: NO! CHRIS CATCHES THE FOOT! He spins Hans around and nails him with a STUNNING ENZUIGIRI! HANS JUST MIGHT BE OUT ON HIS TWO DAMN FEET!

Flannery McCoy: AND CHRIS IS GOING FOR THE IMMEDIATE KILL! ‘OPEN YA MATA’!

Crowd: :lupe: !!

Stew-O: IT MISSES! HANS GRAYSON SIDESTEPPED AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND, AND NOW, HE COMES CHARGING IN! ‘FIRE PUNCH’!!!

Jake Mercer: BUT HE DOESN’T GET TO HIT THE BALD BULLSEYE!! CHRIS PIVOTS ON HIS FEET—

Flannery McCoy: AS DOES HANS—

Stew-O: AND THEY BOTH KNOCK EACH OTHER DOWN WITH DUELING ROARING ELBOWS!!

(Hans and Chris are on the mat, clearly shaken up by the hits they landed on one another. Both men shake their heads, gathering their bearings, but by the time they begin rising, the lights were flickering again.)

Jake Mercer: Oh, crap! Probably couldn’t have happened at a worse time, either!

(The fans chant along.)

Crowd: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!

(BUZZZZZZZ!)

(…)

(The lights flash, cycling through the pods. Anticipation builds up until the lights’ flickering ceases, and they stop on…)

Joso: (off-mic) Teehee.

Stew-O: THE CHAMPION HIMSELF! AND EVERYONE IS HOPING THAT JOSO WILL BE ABLE TO WIN HIS FIRST CHAMBER AND FIRST TITLE DEFENSE! STILL, WITH HOW COMPETITIVE THIS MATCH HAS BEEN THUS FAR, HE HAS TO PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS TO WIN!

Jake Mercer: He seems ready to go though, bolting right on out of his pod! He leaps over the top rope and rushes at Chris! CALF KICK! Elite is down again!

Flannery McCoy: Hans tries making a move! He gets cut off with a spinning kick to the gut! Back kick to the face! Joso spins, and lands a sharp knee to the nose! He uses his momentum to spin around—CLOTHESLINE! Grayson is down! Joso beats on his chest, all fired up, and while some fans are pulling firmly behind Hans, the rest of the audience are rooting for the world heavyweight champion!

Stew-O: BUT LOOK! IT’S IMPACT! HE JUST CAME IN AND THUMPS HIM DOWN WITH AN ELBOW TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! NOW HE’S STOMPING AWAY AT HIM, RECOVERED FROM THAT COMBO HANS AND CHRIS WERE ABLE TO LAND!

Jake Mercer: Oh man, Imp is trying to make quick work of this situation, and in particular, Joso! He lands one more stomp before he kicks at his ribs! Joso writhes in pain, clutching his midsection as Impact continues his brutal assault. The Hall of Famer smells blood in the water, and he’s not about to let Joso build any momentum in his title defense!

Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Flannery McCoy: Impact pulls Joso up by his head, dragging him to the corner. He tosses him face-first into the turnbuckle! Joso stumbles back and falls down! Now, Impact goes back to the corner, and he’s working quickly, undoing the strings of the padding so that he can remove it.

Jake Mercer: Welp, there goes the pretty boy’s face. 😔

Flannery McCoy: 🤨

Jake Mercer: … What? Is Joso not good-looking?

Flannery McCoy: I mean, yeah, he is, but—

Jake Mercer: I know! I know! Don’t worry. He can never replace my Limothy.

Flannery McCoy: Please, give it up already. He’s always been weirded out by you.

Stew-O: Sigh. We can talk about who is good-looking another time, because things are going to get real ugly soon, courtesy of the Quintessential Champion himself. Impact tosses the padding aside and stalks over towards Joso. He grabs him by the head and ear, yanking him up.

Jake Mercer: Impact’s got a sinister look in his eyes as he lines him up! AND HE DRIVES JOSO’S FACE INTO THE UNPROTECTED TURNBUCKLE!

Flannery McCoy: NO! JOSO BLOCKS IT! He gets his hands up just in time, stopping his face from connecting with the steel! Impact tries to force him into it, but Joso fights back, elbowing Impact in the ribs! Another elbow! Joso breaks free!

Jake Mercer: The champ’s still got some fight left in him! Joso turns around, but Impact charges—RIGHT INTO THE DROP TOE HOLD! HE GOES FACE-FIRST INTO THE EXPOSED TURNBUCKLE! TALK ABOUT REVENGE!

Stew-O: Impact’s head snaps back, and he stumbles out of the corner in a daze. Joso seizes the moment and leaps up onto the corner! Impact staggers forward, and he’s caught with the SPRINGBOARD DROPKICK!

Flannery McCoy: Impact’s down! The crowd is firmly behind Joso now as he starts to pick up momentum again! The champion is fired up, but here comes Chris Elite! He’s back on his feet and charging at Joso!

Jake Mercer: Joso ducks the lariat attempt and hits the ropes! SPINNING WHEEL KICK! CHRIS GOES DOWN AND ROLLS AWAY! Joso is running the show right now!

Flannery McCoy: Oh, but the fans are going wild because Hans manages to be back up in his own right and tries to sneak up on him! He runs, BUT JOSO CUTS HIM OFF WITH A PELE KICK! WHAT AWARENESS! Hans stumbles back into the ropes, and Joso runs full speed—HURRICANRANA! HANS IS SENT FLYING OUT OF THE RING!

Stew-O: Joso is putting on a clinic, proving why he’s the World Heavyweight Champion! But look at this—Chris Elite is climbing to the top turnbuckle, looking to intercept the champ’s momentum!

Flannery McCoy: Chris leaps off with a moonsault…BUT JOSO ROLLS THROUGH! THE HALL OF FAMER GOES DOWN IN A BLAZE OF GLORY, AND HE POPS UP, CRYING OUT IN PAIN AS HE CLINGS ON TO HIS STOMACH—

Stew-O: AND JOSO IS ON THE MOVE! HE’S GOT CHRIS IN HIS GRIP! HE LIFTS HIM UP—FIREMAN’S CARRY NECKBREAKER! THE CHAMPION IS ON FIRE!

Crowd: LET’S GO JOSO! LET’S GO JOSO!

Jake Mercer: The fans are firmly behind him now, but Joso can’t let up. This match isn’t over, and everyone in this Chamb er is still gunning for his title!

Stew-O: Joso climbs to his feet, surveying the chaos around him, but wait—IMPACT FROM BEHIND! Impact with a chop block to the back of Joso’s knee! The champion goes down hard, clutching his leg!

Flannery McCoy: Impact is relentless! He’s targeting the knee now, stomping away at it, trying to take away Joso’s mobility. A smart strategy, but it’s absolutely brutal to watch!

Jake Mercer: Say what you will about Impact’s tactics—he’s a legend for a reason. He knows how to dismantle his opponents, and Joso is finding that out the hard way!

Stew-O: Impact drags Joso to the center of the ring and locks in a FIGURE-FOUR LEGLOCK! The champion is writhing in pain, screaming as Impact applies more pressure to that injured leg!

Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Flannery McCoy: The champion’s in a world of trouble now, and he needs to find a way out of this hold before it’s too late—

Stew-O: HERE COMES HANS WITH A STOMP TO IMPACT’S HEAD! The hold is broken, and now it’s Hans going to work on Impact! This match continues to be a chaotic war!

Jake Mercer: Huh. I’m not sure how much of a smart move that is on Hans’ part. It would’ve been better for him to have let Impact handle Joso.

Flannery McCoy: Hans may not even care about strategy at the moment. He just wants to do everything to get back at Impact, and he’s making sure he won’t escape him!

Stew-O: At least the unattended assistance is giving Joso some time to recuperate…

Jake Mercer: Ah, spoke too soon! Chris Elite gets him up and tosses him into the corner, laying in some stomps to his gut! All four Elitists are occupied with each other!

Flannery McCoy: And that may be a good thing for one of the final two Elitists who are in their pods!

(The camera shows off Drake Armstrong and BRAE, respectively. BRAE’s eyes watches the field intently, more than likely formulating all of the ways he can win this match in his mind. Meanwhile, Drake exudes nothing but arrogance, smirking. It as if he as if he’s already declared himself the winner of this chaotic match. That cocky demeanor could either be his greatest strength or his ultimate downfall, but for now, he’s got the luxury of waiting while the other competitors tear each other apart.)

Stew-O: Hans has Impact up, and shoves him into the corner! He goes crazy with a barrage of punches aimed at the abdomen! Impact seems to be getting weaker with every consecutive shot he takes from him!

(The lights flash again.)

Jake Mercer: Here we go, the fifth Elitist! Will it be Drake, or BRAE!?

Crowd: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!

(BUZZZZZZZ!)

(The lights flash erratically, building anticipation as the crowd buzzes with excitement. The lights flicker between the two remaining pods before finally stopping on…)

Stew-O: IT’S BRAE! BRAE IS THE NEXT ENTRANT INTO THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER! HE COMES IN AND IMMEDIATELY TAKES CHARGE! HE ENTERS AND GOES FOR HANS, THROWING HIM UP AND OVER WITH A BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX! GRAYSON CRASHES HARD FROM THAT!

Jake Mercer: BUT IMPACT ISN’T SAFE! BRAE JUST LAUNCHED HIM WITH A T-BONE SUPLEX! THE NEW BREED CHAMPION IS ALL FIRED UP, AND IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE WHY! HE HAS A REAL SHOT OF MAKING HISTORY HERE!

Flannery McCoy: HE CAN BE DOUBLE CHAMPION, AND WITH HIM COMING INTO THIS MATCH LATE, HE HAS THE ADVANTAGE!

Stew-O: He’s moving like a missile! He runs towards where Chris and Joso are at—

Jake Mercer: HOLY SHIT! HE JUST TURNED HIMSELF INTO A GODDAMN TORPEDO AS HE THROWS HIS BODY WEIGHT INTO THE BOTH OF THEM WITH A LAWN DART SHOULDER THRUST!!!

Flannery McCoy: Joso and Chris collapse down onto the mat! Goodness! BRAE just cleared house!

Stew-O: He certainly did! Now, he needs to find who he can target his attacks on…and it seems like that unfortunate luck falls onto Chris Elite as the Lord picks him up! A stiff forearm combinations lands lightning-quick against him! He lands a chop to a chest, then a palm strike, and now, he traps Chris in the ropes!

Jake Mercer: Oh man, we know where this is headed! BRAE raises his fist—AND NOW, WE ALL COUNT ALONG!

Crowd: ONE!

Crowd: TWO!

Crowd: THREE!

Crowd: FOUR!

Crowd: FIVE!

Crowd: SIX!

Crowd: SEVEN!

Crowd: EIGHT!

Crowd: NINE!

Crowd: TEN!

Flannery McCoy: ‘Ten Beats of BRAE!’ Chris goes down in a heap!

Chris Elite: (off-mic, in pain) Fucking dickeaters.

Stew-O: BRAE wastes little time, going for the cover!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Jake Mercer: Shoulder is up!

Stew-O: Chris Elite manages to stay alive in this match, but he’s in bad shape after that vicious Ten Beats of BRAE! The New Breed Champion doesn’t look frustrated, though; he’s already plotting his next move.

Flannery McCoy: BRAE is a machine, staying laser-focused as he scans the field for his next victim. Hans is trying to pull himself up in the corner, but BRAE charges in like a freight train! RUNNING SPLASH! Hans is crushed against the turnbuckles—and it’s the same set that doesn’t have the padding! He hit the back of his head against the exposed steel!

Jake Mercer: Shit, and that’s not all! BRAE follows up by hoisting Hans onto his shoulders! SIT-OUT POWERBOMB! THE BACK OF HIS HEAD BOUNCES OFF THE MAT! THE FANS HERE PANIC AS BRAE KEEPS HIM PLANTED AND GOES FOR ANOTHER COVER!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stew-O: HANS GETS THE SHOULDER UP! Somehow, he stays in it! But BRAE is wasting no time as he’s back on his feet and dragging Hans up with him. He wants to end this domination with authority!

Flannery McCoy: But here comes Impact! The veteran refuses to stay down! He lands a stiff forearm to the back of BRAE’s head, followed by another! He grabs BRAE from behind—GERMAN SUPLEX!

Jake Mercer: NO! BRAE BLOCKS IT! He breaks the grip and elbows Impact in the jaw! Impact stumbles, and BRAE spins around! LARIAT! IMPACT IS TURNED INSIDE OUT—

Stew-O: AND JOSO IS BACK! The champion charges in, delivering a stiff knee to BRAE’s gut! He follows it up with a flurry of strikes, trying to take the big man down!

Flannery McCoy: Joso hits the ropes for momentum! SHINING WIZARD! BRAE IS ROCKED BUT STILL STANDING!

Jake Mercer: The champ isn’t done! He goes for a second—AND GETS IT! ANOTHER SHINING WIZARD! THIS TIME, BRAE DROPS TO ONE KNEE!

Stew-O: Joso is digging deep! He hits the ropes one more time! SUPERKICK TO THE SIDE OF BRAE’S HEAD! THE NEW BREED CHAMPION IS FINALLY DOWN!

Flannery McCoy: Joso collapses to the mat, catching his breath after that explosive sequence! The champion is showing why he’s holding the gold, but he’s got a long way to go if he wants to walk out with the title!

Jake Mercer: And look at Drake Armstrong in his pod, still smirking! It’s like he’s ready to go!

Stew-O: Everyone in this match has been through hell, but with one more entrant left, things are only going to get crazier! Who will have the endurance, and the heart, to outlast the rest?

(But it may not be about any of that.)

(The lights flash accordingly. But of course, it’s only inevitable who the last Elitist is. The fans know this. They boo as their eyes direct to perhaps the most hated man in the entire Chamber. Nothing but venom is spat out, but for the man who is the source of their ire, he couldn’t care less.)

(Closing his eyes, smirk remaining present, all Drake Armstrong does is lean back in his pod, and wait.)

(The fans do not count along. Not for him.)

(5.)

(4.)

(3.)

(2.)

(1.)

(BUZZZZZZZ!)

(…)

Stew-O: The pod door is open! Drake Armstrong is the last Elitist to enter, and this is the most advantageous position for him.

(Drake is in no rush. He walks on out, glancing over towards Joso. A chortle rumbles out of him as he shakes his head and looks out to the rest of the downed field.)

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) Idiots. So consumed by your desire to be the best, you really forgot the one important element of this match. :mjlol:

(He laughs, and draws out his ring. He slips it on his finger, and turns it as though it were a dial. Electricity crackles from it.)

Drake Armstrong: But not me.

(Joso, in the ring, narrows his eyes, seeing how the mechanisms of the weapon works.)

Joso: (off-mic) What the hell even is that…?

(And that’s when Joso realizes that he along with everyone else were ready for the action that they had all abandoned their weapons of choice in their pods. The champion’s eyes widen slightly. He glances over to his pod, seeing the 2×4 spike, but Drake enters the ring. )

(There was no way he was going to go back to get it now.)

Jake Mercer: … I’m negl, they all kinda did this to themselves. :lupe:

Stew-O: AND JOSO IS GOING TO FIND THAT OUT THE HARD WAY! DRAKE RUNS, AND HE CHARGES UP WITH THAT ELECTRICAL RING!

Flannery McCoy: Joso’s eyes widen, and he knows he’s in trouble! He ducks under Drake’s wild swing with the electrified fist and scrambles to the other side of the ring, trying to put some distance between them!

Jake Mercer: Drake’s playing it smart. He’s got the weapon, and he knows everyone else is too battered to retrieve their own! That’s a next-level strategy, and say what you want about the guy, but he’s exploiting every advantage.

Stew-O: Drake turns his attention to BRAE, who’s trying to get back to his feet. He smirks—

(ZAP!)

Jake Mercer: AND HE CLOCKS BRAE IN THE CHEST WITH A JOLT FROM THAT RING! BRAE STUMBLES BACK, THE ELECTRICITY SEEMINGLY SAPPING HIS STRENGTH!

Flannery McCoy: This is sick! That ring gives Drake an unfair advantage, and he’s making the most of it! Look at him, taunting the fallen BRAE now!

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) What’s the matter? Too much juice for the so-called “unstoppable” champion?

Jake Mercer: And here comes Hans! He’s back on his feet and tries to ambush Drake from behind—BUT DRAKE SPINS AROUND AND JABS HIM IN THE SHOULDER WITH THE RING! HANS COLLAPSES LIKE HE JUST GOT HIT BY A TAZER!

Stew-O: Drake is picking his spots perfectly, taking out anyone who dares to stand in his way! He’s got the entire field at his mercy right now!

Flannery McCoy: Joso finally realizes he needs to act. He sprints to his corner, glancing at his pod and the 2×4 spike he left behind. But Drake notices! He’s not about to let Joso arm himself!

Jake Mercer: Drake bolts after Joso like a predator after its prey! Drake is closing the distance!

Crowd: :damn: !!!

Stew-O: IMPACT WITH A FOREARM TO DRAKE ARMSTRONG! THE HALL OF FAMER SHOOTS DOWN TO THE MAT, GRABBING HIM BY THE ARM! I THINK IMPACT SAW THE WEAPON AND IS NOW LOOKING TO REMOVE IT AS HE SINKS IN AN ARMBAR!

Jake Mercer: And with that, he unintentionally saved Joso’s behind! Joso is in the pod now and has his weapon!!

Flannery McCoy: He’s armed now, and ready to go! Joso comes back into the ring—

(THWACK!)

Stew-O: OH! CHRIS ELITE HIT HIM IN THE FACE WITH THAT BAG! HE WAS ABLE TO GET HIS WEAPON FIRST AMIDST ALL THE CHAOS THAT WAS HAPPENING!

Jake Mercer: Yep. CTE. He’s got it now. 💔

Flannery McCoy: All of those Nokias in it has nearly knocked the champion out! That bag might as well be a brick!

Stew-O: And Chris goes for the cover! We’re going to have a new World Heavyweight Champion guaranteed tonight!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

(…)

Jake Mercer: OH MY GOD! NO!

Crowd: :damn: !!!

Flannery McCoy: JOSO—

Stew-O: KICKED OUT!

Chris Elite: (off-mic) :francis:

Jake Mercer: Chris thought he had the first elimination, and a huge one at that, but Joso survives!

(…But then, the camera trails to the bag of Nokias. A spot of blood is seen on it.)

Flannery McCoy: :lupe: !!

(And a shot shows off Joso, where his forehead is completely busted open due to the weapon.)

Jake Mercer: Wepa…….

Stew-O: Chris may not have been able to get Joso out of this match, but with that gash, it may not take him all that long before he’s able to! Chris mounts Joso and immediately goes to down, striking with his elbow, looking to worsen that cut!

Jake Mercer: And back on the other side of the ring, Drake has hold of Impact! He was able to turn things around on him! He looks for a crossface as he has his arm trapped in between his legs! All he needs to do is lock his hands around his chin, and that’s it! He could very well take out arguably the biggest threat in this entire chamber!

Flannery McCoy: But Impact isn’t making it easy! He doesn’t want to be eliminated! H eis a master of these high-pressure situations! Drake is trying to cinch in that crossface, but Impact is using his free arm to block it, clawing at Drake’s grip! He manages to shift his weight—AND HE ROLLS DRAKE OVER! Impact breaks free and scrambles to his feet, but Drake is already charging at him again!

Jake Mercer: BIG BOOT! BIG BOOT! Drake gets hit! Impact runs forward, and he’s going for it! ‘Fist of Fury’ connects!

Flannery McCoy: NO! DRAKE SCOUTS IT! THE FUTURE WAS ABLE TO SEE AHEAD AND TRAPS IMPACT AND LIFTS HIM UP—

Stew-O: ‘BY THE BOOTSTRAPS’!! HE GOT IMPACT—

Jake Mercer: BUT HE CAN’T COVER AFTER THAT SHINBREAKER BECAUSE HE MOVED OUT OF THE RING! :damn: !!

Drake Armstrong: :wtf:

Jake Mercer: ONCE AGAIN, IMPACT USES HIS VETERAN INSTINCTS TO GET HIMSELF OUT OF DODGE! HOWEVER…

(The camera pans over, where Impact is holding onto his right shin.)

Flannery McCoy: Will he be able to even get back into this match!?

Stew-O: I don’t know, but BRAE is back up again, even if he’s still frazzled by that shock he experienced! He takes up Hans and slams him down with a spinebuster! He pops back up and leaps into the air!

Jake Mercer: ‘RED DEATH’ ‘RED DEATH’!!!

Flannery McCoy: BUT HE JUST SLAMS THE MAT! HANS MOVED OUT THE WAY! BOTH MEN RACE UP AND BRAE SENDS HIM OVER THE ROPES! HE GRABS HANS—

Stew-O: ROUNDHOUSE KICK! ROUNDHOUSE KICK! BRAE IS STAGGERED! AND HANS LOOKS LIKE HE’S READY TO SEAL THE DEAL! HE FLIPS OVER, GOING FOR THAT LARIAT—

Jake Mercer: —ONLY TO GET CAUGHT AND SLAMMED DOWN WITH A URUNAGE TO THE KNEE! HE’S WIPED OUT!

Flannery McCoy: And while that’s happening, Drake has Impact, trying to get him back into the ring—OH!

Stew-O: HE’S BLINDED DRAKE! HE THREW SOMETHING INTO HIS EYES!

Jake Mercer: And not just anything: salt! A classic method of his! Drake couldn’t have predicted that!

Flannery McCoy: Impact gets up, even if he’s limping! He clotheslines Drake back into the ring! Armstrong is still struggling to see, but Impact re-enters and grabs him by the head! Drake throws some wild punches, but some of them are able to hit Impact, and now, they’re brawling!

Stew-O: Chris and Joso are still at it. The defending champion is on his feet, albeit wobbly, and more blood pouring down his face! He throws a punch, but Chris traps him with a side headlock!

Jake Mercer: …. :jr:

Jake Mercer: Uh…. does he usually like to dive?

Flannery McCoy: What do you— !???

(The camera pans to the top, where BRAE is on top of one of the pods, standing above the other Elitists.)

Stew-O: IT LOOKS LIKE THE NEW BREED CHAMPION IS LOOKING TO GO FOR BROKE HERE! THE FANS ARE ALL STANDING, AWAITING WITH BAITED BREATH TO SEE WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO FROM ALL THE WAY UP THERE!

Jake Mercer: THIS ISN’T HIS FORTE, BUT DAMN IT, MIGHT AS WELL TAKE A RISK HERE AND THERE, RIGHT!? HE JUST NEEDS TO BE CAREFUL!

(Joso, Chris, Impact and Drake continue to fight. Hans is able to recover, staggering up towards his feet. All five Elitists are completely oblivious to the human-formed wrecking machine that is laying in wait.)

Flannery McCoy: AND BRAE TAKES HIS CHANCE, LEAPING OFF!

Jake Mercer: WHAT THE FUCK???

Stew-O: BRAE JUST WIPED EVERYONE OUT WITH A LEAPING ‘RED DEATH’!!!

(Everyone goes nuts. It seemed like Joso in particular got the worst of that one. BRAE pops up and screams.)

Jake Mercer: NOW THAT IS HOW YOU MAKE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF! THE NEW BREED CHAMPION WENT NUTS! ALL OF THE ELITISTS ARE DOWN!

Flannery McCoy: … Wait. No. Not all of them, Jake.

Jake Mercer: Que? What, Joso is down, so is Hans. Then there’s Impact and Dr—

(CRAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!)

Crowd: :damn: !!

(It didn’t seem like everyone was caught.)

Stew-O: IT’S CHRIS ELITE!

Jake Mercer: OH MY GOD! HE GOT OUT OF THE WAY—AND HE HAD CRACKED BRAE UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH A NOKIA PHONE-ASSISTED ‘BOX OFFICE SMASH’!!!

(REPLAY: BRAE takes off into the air, landing the diving ‘Red Death’. However, at the last second, Chris Elite is able to get out of the way, falling right by his bag of Nokia phones. BRAE has his back turned to him when he gets back up. Chris works quickly to take one of the phones out and pops up, and that sets him up perfectly as he tosses the phone into the air and towards BRAE’s head. He hits the ‘Box Office Smash’, using his foot to drive the foot into him.)

Crowd: !!!!

Flannery McCoy: BRAE IS OUT COLD! CHRIS FALLS INTO THE COVER!!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

(…)

(…)

Stephie Love: BRAE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!

Stew-O: AND WITH PERHAPS THE MOST INSANE TRICK SHOT IN EXTREME ELIMINATION CHAMBER HISTORY, CHRIS ELITE IS ABLE TO GET THE FIRST ELIMINATION—AND WITH THAT, BRAE’S CHANCE OF MAKING HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST NEW BREED DOUBLE CHAMPION IS GONE!

Jake Mercer: Damn! There were some people within the EAW Universe who thought he was gonna win, too! However, that isn’t gonna happen now. Still, with the way he was straight-up dominating the field, him being the first one gone dramatically shifts the dynamic of this match!

Flannery McCoy: Chris Elite is smirking! But I guess we can’t really blame him! He got a huge elimination out of the way, and now, he has the chance to get another one! He gets back up and rolls his neck, looking around to see who else he can go after… and it seems like he has his eye sets on Impact!

Flannery McCoy: Chris charges at Impact—BUT IMPACT SPRINGS UP WITH A FOREARM SMASH! The veteran saw it coming and cuts Chris off mid-run!

Jake Mercer: Chris stumbles back, but he’s not down! He fires back with a forearm of his own! Impact retaliates! ANOTHER FOREARM FROM CHRIS! AND ANOTHER FROM IMPACT! THESE TWO ARE TRADING BOMBS!

Stew-O: Impact takes a step back to create space! CHOP TO THE CHEST! The sound echoes through the Chamber! Chris grits his teeth in pain but fires back with a STIFF SLAP TO IMPACT’S FACE!

Crowd: OOOOOOOOH!!!

Flannery McCoy: Impact looks stunned for a moment, but he steps forward—ANOTHER CHOP TO CHRIS’ CHEST! Chris stumbles but doesn’t go down! He bounces off the ropes and looks for a jumping knee strike—

Stew-O: But Impact clocks him with a backhand! Chris wobbles! Impact grabs him and lifts him up for a double underhook move!

Jake Mercer: Nope! Chris isn’t done! He squirms outta there! He yanks Impact towards him with a hammerlock and looks to drop him with the DDT known as ‘Face Value’!

Flannery McCoy: Impact uses his free hand to punch him! Chris lets go! Impact looks to go for a kick, but Chris is able to attack the hurt leg with a kick of his own, forcing Impact onto one knee!

Stew-O: Chris Elite steps back, signaling to the crowd. He sprints forward again—DOUBLE KNEES TO IMPACT’S CHEST! A VARIANT OF ‘HAWK EM’! The Hall of Famer is in trouble here, and Chris isn’t letting up!

Flannery McCoy: Chris drags Impact up and hooks him for a suplex—BUT IMPACT BLOCKS IT AND REVERSES! SMALL PACKAGE PIN!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Stew-O: Chris kicks out and races to his feet! So too does Impact, taking a quick moment to gather himself, shaking the cobwebs! Both men charge at each other! Chris slips through and goes for a back kick—

Jake Mercer: BUT IMPACT CATCHES THE FOOT AND PUSHES CHRIS AWAY! CHRIS RUNS IN!

Stew-O: ‘EVISCERATION’ OUT OF NOWHERE! DOUBLE KNEE FACEBREAKER CONNECTS!

Crowd: !!!!

Jake Mercer: THAT’S IT! IMPACT HIT IT FLUSH! CHRIS ELITE IS OUT COLD!

Stew-O: Impact scrambles into the cover!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stephie Love: CHRIS ELITE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!

Flannery McCoy: IMPACT WITH A MASSIVE ELIMINATION! The Hall of Famer just took out Chris Elite after a brutal back-and-forth exchange!

Stew-O: The field continues to narrow, and Impact just reminded everyone why he’s one of the most dangerous competitors in this company! But he can’t celebrate for long—there are still challengers left, and the Chamber waits for no one!

(Impact grins and comes up to his feet. However, the fans… cheer. Which confuses him.)

(However, as he backs up, he finds the source for their sudden reaction.)

Hans Grayson: (off-mic) Fuck are you smirking for?

Impact: (off-mic) Me?

(He chuckles and shrugs.)

Impact: (off-mic) Maybe it’s the fact I’m gonna win this match… just like this—

(CRACK!)

Stew-O: HANS GRAYSON JUST THWARTED IMPACT AS HE TURNED AROUND AND THWAKED HIM WITH THE HOCKEY STICK!!

(CRACK!)

(CRACK!)

(CRACK!)

(CRACK!)

Jake Mercer: Damn! What would be the Candian equivalent of putting belt to ass?

Flannery McCoy: In this case? Maybe it’s as simple as putting hockey stick to ass. :lupe:

(CRACK!)

(CRACK!)

(CRACK!)

(CRACK—)

Stew-O: OH! BUT IMPACT PUSHED PAST THROUGH THE PAIN TO SIMPLY GRAB THE HOCKEY STICK! NOW HE AND HANS ARE HAVING A TUG OF WAR, WRANGLING AND GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES FOR CONTROL OF THE WEAPON!!

Hans Grayson: (off-mic) Stupid fuck! You wanted to talk so much crap about how I know nothing, but where’s your weapon! Salt!?

Impact: (off-mic) Shut up, you ignorant, arrogant jackass!

Hans Grayson: (off-mic) Do you ever have just a measure of self-awareness!?

Impact: (off-mic) I do–enough to do THIS—

(Suddenly, Hans’ eyes goes wide and a sharp gasp escapes him.)

Jake Mercer: KICK TO THE NUTS! KICK TO THE NUTS! IMPACT WENT SOUTH!

Flannery McCoy: AND IMPACT IS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE, YANKING THE HOCKEY STICK—

Stew-O: BUT DRAKE ARMSTRONG GETS BOTH MEN WITH THE ‘HALBRED FROM HELL’!! FRONT DROPKICK CONNECTS!!

Jake Mercer: MY GOD! DRAKE MIGHT DO IT AND FURTHER TRIM THROUGH THE FIELD! HE CRAWLS OVER TO HANS AND COVERS HIM!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

(…)

(…)

Stew-O: ## NO! HANS GETS HIS SHOULDER UP AT 2.99 SECONDS!!!

Flannery McCoy: Look at Drake! He’s staring at the referee in absolute disbelief, slamming his fists into the mat, screaming at the official to count faster! But there’s no arguing—Hans is still in this match!

Jake Mercer: Hans Grayson’s resiliency is insane! The guy just got walloped by that ‘Halberd From Hell’ front dropkick, and somehow, someway, he’s still breathing in this Chamber! But you gotta wonder how much more he can take!

Stew-O: Drake Armstrong pulls himself to his feet, clearly frustrated but still calculating his next move. He glances over at Impact, who’s clutching his ribs in the corner, still recovering from that chaotic exchange!

Flannery McCoy: He’s got his sights set on Impact now, ready to strike again. He grabs the hockey stick lying on the mat—AND HE RAMS IT INTO IMPACT’S MIDSECTION!

Jake Mercer: Right to the ribs! Drake knows exactly where to target, and Impact is doubled over in pain! Drake raises the stick high—

(CRACK!)

Jake Mercer: AND BRINGS IT CRASHING DOWN ACROSS IMPACT’S BACK!

Stew-O: The sound of that impact echoes through the Chamber, and Impact crumples to the mat! Drake throws the hockey stick aside, his face filled with arrogance, and drags Impact to the center of the ring.

Jake Mercer: He hooks the leg! Drake’s going for the elimination!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Jake Mercer: IMPACT KICKS OUT!

Flannery McCoy: Drake is NOT amused by any of this! Still, he’s dealing with some stiff competition, and he’s gonna have to find a way to shut this all down! Quickly!

Stew-O: Drake rises, causing the fans to boo! He looks over at Joso and storms to him—

Jake Mercer: BUT HE GETS HIT WITH THAT 2X4 SPIKE IN THE STOMACH!!

Flannery McCoy: And Joso gets up as Drake stumbles backwards into the ropes! He leaps up, AND SENDS HIM DOWN WITH THAT ROPE-ASSISTED JUMPING FLATLINER! JOSO IS UP, FUMBLING TOWARDS THOSE ROPES! HE USES THE TOP ONE TO KEEP HIMSELF UP!

Stew-O: The champion has managed to survive, yet Impact is working his way back up to his feet as well! Joso’s eyes fall toward him! He springs into action, starting with a superkick to the leg!

Jake Mercer: Here we go! Impact drops to a knee, and Joso connects with another superkick! Impact is barely holding on! Joso comes on in and leaps up, looking to finish his trademark combo with the double foot stomp!

Flannery McCoy: Impact moved out of the way—AND HE HAS JOSO TRAPPED BY THE LEGS!! IMPACT HAS HIM CAUGHT!!

(The fans react loudly.)

Stew-O: AND THAT IS NOT GOOD, BECAUSE IMPACT IS LOOKING TO GO FOR HIS PATENTED ‘WALLS OF IMPACT’!! :damn: !!

Jake Mercer: WITH ALL OF THE PUNISHMENT JOSO HAS BEEN THROUGH, THIS COULD BE IT FOR HIM! IMPACT IS LOOKING TO TURN HIM OVER WITH ALL OF HIS MIGHT RIGHT NOW! JOSO GRABS THE BOTTOM ROPE, TRYING TO KEEP HIMSELF IN PLACE!

Flannery McCoy: HE’S FIGHTING, BUT IT’S NO USE! IMPACT TURNS HIS HEAD AND SEES WHAT HE’S DOING! HE STOMPS DOWN ON HIM REPEATEDLY AND JOSO’S GRIP LOOSENS! THAT’S ENOUGH FOR THE FIVE-TIME WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TO DRAG HIM TO THE CENTER OF THE RING AND GET THAT FINAL TWIST INTO THE SUBMISSION!

Stew-O: DEAD CENTER! DEAD CENTER! JOSO HAS NOWHERE TO GO—

Jake Mercer: BUT IN COMES HANS GRAYSON, AND HE SOMERSAULTS OVER, PLANTING IMPACT TO THE MAT WITH THE UNPRETTIER! ‘HIGH HEAT’!!!

Flannery McCoy: !??

Stew-O: HE GOT IT! HANS TURNS IMPACT OVER ONTO HIS BACK AND HOOKS THE LEG! THE FANS SCREAM, CHEER AND GO CRAZY! WILL HANS BE ABLE TO GET HIM OUT!?

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(…)

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

Stephie Love: IMPACT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!

Stew-O: IMPACT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED! AND WHAT A SHOCKER THIS IS! HANS GRAYSON JUST TOOK OUT THE LEGENDARY TEN-TIME WORLD CHAMPION WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOVES OF HIS CAREER!

(Impact remains down. The fans damn near celebrate as if they just won a major sports championship. The atmosphere has changed now that the most dangerous Elitist is offcially gone.)

(…However, their cheers grow quiet as it seems like Impact is gravely injured.)

Jake Mercer: Oh… :lupe:

Flannery McCoy: Well, this isn’t good.

(Medical personnel come in to assist Impact. He can barely stand. However, despite the serious matter, Hans is all fired up, shouting at him.)

Hans Grayson: (off-mic) Yeah, get out. Get the fuck outta here AND out of EAW for good! I told you exactly what was going to happen, but you kept playing with me! I hope your damn knee pops out when you go home and do what you’re actually good at now!

(Impact is disorientated. Bleeding. Right leg battered. He’s led out.)

Stew-O: Well, this is… this is quite the scene to look at right now. Doesn’t look good, either. Impact’s eyes seems glazed over as he can barely even walk.

Jake Mercer: 😦

Flannery McCoy: Wow. I don’t even know what to say.

(A few unsympatehtic fans start up a “Goodbye” chant. However, the majority watch on, realizing something may be wrong. Still, there is a match to win, and it is now down to three people…)

Stew-O: We’ll, uh, be sure to update all of you on Impact’s condition. But right now, we have a match continuing. Drake, Hans and Joso are the final three for this chamber, and soon, one of them will be one step closer to the world heavyweight championship.

Jake Mercer: Impact’s walking up gingerly on the ramp. Now, we go back to the action. Joso stands, and Hans notices him. Even though they have been cordial, they made it clear that no amount of respect was going to contain them.

Flannery McCoy: Absolutely. They hammered in that point all week, and they’re keeping their word! Hans punches Joso, but the champ returns the favor! Hans is fatigued since he started off this match, but he’s doing his best to keep going!

Stew-O: And so too is Drake Armstrong! He comes up from behind and grabs his arm, forcing him to turn to him! A jab is thrown, landing hard against his cheek!

Jake Mercer: Yet Grayson isn’t one to remain idle, and he strikes with a punch—

Flannery McCoy: Only for Joso to come on in and clock him! He goes after Drake, landing forearm after forearm!

Stew-O: Drake shoves him away! Now he steps up, going for an elbow—

Jake Merceer: Missed! Joso chops him across the chest!

Flannery McCoy: So too does Hans!

Stew-O: Both men look at each other and nod, CHOPPING DRAKE TOGETHER! HE GOES DOWN!

Jake Mercer: And now, we’re back to them! Hans and Joso go for forearms—but they end up hitting each other at the same time! They stagger from the unintended collision. They come back in, but again, it’s the same result!

Stew-O: Hans and Joso are locked in a battle of wills! Both are throwing forearms at the exact same time, and they’re hitting each other with such force that neither man can gain the upper hand! The crowd is eating this up!

Flannery McCoy: These two warriors are giving it everything they’ve got, and it’s clear neither wants to back down. This is what the Elimination Chamber is all about!

Jake Mercer: But wait! Look at Drake Armstrong! He’s crawling toward the ropes, clearly trying to regroup after that double-team onslaught. He might be out of the immediate picture, but don’t count him out just yet!

Stew-O: Hans and Joso finally separate, each man taking a step back to catch their breath. They circle each other, sizing one another up. Hans swings first—Joso ducks under and counters with a forearm to the jaw!

Flannery McCoy: Hans stumbles but fires back—SPINNING BACK ELBOW! Joso is rocked, but he bounces off the ropes and retaliates—RUNNING KNEE STRIKE!

Jake Mercer: Both men are down! The energy in this arena is off the charts, and the crowd is rallying behind both Elitists as they fight for survival in this brutal match!

(The crowd erupts into cheers. Drake is recovering. Hans sits up, shaking his head.)

(But then, someone breaks away from the group of medical personnel. With that, the fans react loudly.)

Flannery McCoy: Wait a second! What’s happening here? Who’s causing all this commotion!?

(The camera pans to reveal Impact, who is running right toward the chamber, holding a steel chain he pulled from his knee pad.)

Stew-O: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! IMPACT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED, AND HE WAS HURT! YET HERE HE IS RUNNING AND—OH, DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!

Jake Mercer: IT WAS A ROUSE! HE WAS NEVER SERIOUSLY INJURED!

Flannery McCoy: AND IMPACT PUSHES AWAY THE REFEREE BY THE CHAMBER DOOR! HE OPENS IT UP AND GOES IN!

Stew-O: HANS IS UP, AND HE TURNS—

Jake Mercer: ‘FIST OF FURY’ WITH THE CHAIN!!

Flannery McCoy: NO! NO! NOT LIKE THIS! FOR CHRIST’S SAKES, WHAT IS THE POINT OF BEING A SORE LOSER!? YOU LOST, IMPACT! GET OVER IT! HANS PROVED YOU WRONG!!

Jake Mercer: ANYTHING GOES, FLANNERY, AND IMPACT WASN’T GOING TO TOLERATE ANY OF THIS! IN FACT, THIS FEELS LIKE A BACK-UP PLAN FOR IF HE WAS ELIMINATED RATHER THAN SOME DESPERATE RETALIATION!

Stew-O: AND HANS IS THE VICTIM OF IT! IMPACT CONTINUES TO BATTER HIS FACE IN WITH THAT CHAIN-WRAPPED FIST!! HE’S OUT COLD!!

(It’s a horrid sight. Any and all hope from the fans are killed as Impact further brutalizes Hans. Security personnel now arrive, and they get in, prying Impact away from the unconscious former Interwire Champion. Impact smirks as he looks like, being whisked away from the structure.)

Impact: (off-mic) Who’s the stupid one now?

(And just like that, Impact got what he wanted in the end.)

Stew-O: Impact attacked Hans, setting him up! He’s vulnerable! I don’t even think he can move!

Flannery McCoy: B-but this isn’t fair! Not to Hans or this whole match! Hans needs help!

Jake Mercer: Again, Flannery, anything goes! You’ve got to expect the unexpected!

Flannery McCoy: And THIS is a part of that?!

Jake Mercer: You don’t have to like it, but there’s nothing that can be done—

(The fans boo.)

Stew-O: IT’S DRAKE! DRAKE IS UP, AND HE GRABS HANS!

Flannery McCoy: THIS IS OVERKILL!

Jake Mercer: BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER! HE GETS HANS GRAYSON UP, AND DRIVES HIM DOWN WITH THE ‘DEATH PENALTY’!!!

Stew-O: GOTCH-STYLE PILEDRIVER CONNECTS! DRAKE COVERS!

(Hans Grayson does not move.)

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(Neither do the fans.)

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(But Drake grins.)

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) I finally got you, you insignificant worm.

Stephie Love: HANS GRAYSON HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!

Crowd: …

Crowd: …

Crowd: # BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

(Drake rolls off of him, and the medical crew who were already out come in to quickly help Hans out of the chamber. The camera briefly shows the Dynasty commentary team who are just aghast by everything.)

Stew-O: I… that’s it, then. We are down to our final two, consisting of Joso and Drake Armstrong.

(Drake is giddy as can be. Meanwhile, Joso is back on his feet, but is in a worse state compared to Armstrong. Seeing the champ, Drake raises his hand and turns the dial on his ring.)

Joso: …

(Joso sighs, and takes up his weapon. He and Drake circle around one another, eyeing each other down.)

Joso: (off-mic) Bitch ass nepo baby. You ain’t winning shit from me.

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) So you say, but the title will be mine—and you’ll be handing it over to me.

Joso: (off-mic) Man, shut your goofy-ass video game villain ass the fuck up. If you were “dEsTiNeD” to be a world champion, you woulda been one by now.

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) You’re right. I could’ve.

(A dark smirk snakes across his face.)

Drake Armstrong: (off-mic) But destiny has its way of redirecting you to your fate, wouldn’t you say?

Joso: (off-mic) On God, I hate how half of you fuck niggas on this roster have started with this useless monologuing trend—

Stew-O: WHOA, WATCH OUT! DRAKE STRIKES JOSO WITH THAT ELECTRIC RING!

Jake Mercer: :damn: !!!

(…)

(…)

(…)

Flannery McCoy: ## BUT JOSO USES THE SHARP POINT OF THE SPIKE TO STAB DRAKE IN THE HAND!

Stew-O: OH MY! DRAKE SCREAMS! HE DIDN’T ANTICIPATE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN! HE STUMBLES BACKWARDS AND LOOKS ON IN HORROR AS BLOOD DRIPS DOWN FROM IT!

Jake Mercer: AND JOSO IS LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE! HE RUNS IN—

Flannery McCoy: BUT DRAKE IS ABLE TO SNAP OUT OF HIS SHOCK AND CATCHES HIM! ‘NATURAL TALENT’ IS HIT!

Stew-O: THAT SUPLEX SNAPS JOSO RIGHT ONTO THE TOP OF HIS HEAD! HE FLOPS BACKWARDS ONTO HIS KNEES, AND DRAKE RACES IN! ‘HALLBRED FROM HELL!”

Jake Mercer: JOSO TAKES AN UGLY-ASS TUMBLE INTO THE CORNER! I’M SURPRISED HE DIDN’T CLIP AGAINST THAT EXPOSED STEEL!

Flannery McCoy: JOSO IS HURTING! THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH MORE HE CAN DO! DRAKE BACKS UP AND GRINS, POINTING HIS FINGERS RIGHT AT HIM! JOSO’S REIGN IS COMING TO ITS END!

Jake Mercer: THE FANS ARE BOOING, BUT YOU CANNOT DENY WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THIS MOMENT! DRAKE CHARGES IN, AND LOOKS TO SEAL THE DEAL ONE LAST TIME!

(And Drake comes in on the barely-standing Joso, ready to drop him one last time.)

Stew-O: OH!

Jake Mercer: OH MY GOD!!

Flannery McCoy: OH MY FUCKING GOD!!

Crowd: :damn: :damn: :damn:

(Joso is down on the mat.)

(…)

(… But Drake wasn’t able to hit him. The champion got out of the way. Joso is able to avoid disaster—but not the challenger.)

(Drake backs up, and he screams. His hand covers up his left eye which hit the exposed steel and is bleeding. A trickle of crimson streams down his cheek and over lips.)

Stew-O: DRAKE ARMSTRONG IS WOUNDED! HIS EYE IS BLEEDING! DRAKE CONTINUES TO LET OUT THE MOST BLOOD-CURDLING SCREAM I’VE EVER HEARD! HE DROPS TO HIS KNEES!

(BANG!)

Jake Mercer: AND JOSO GETS A SECOND WIND, KNOCKING HIM DOWN WITH THE CURB STOMP!

Flannery McCoy: JOSO NEARLY DROPS, BUT HE REGAINS HIS FOOTING AND GETS DRAKE UP…

Stew-O: ’HEAVEN’S GATE’! DRAKE ARMSTRONG GETS LEVELLED FROM THAT, AND JOSO PINS!

Referee: (off-mic) I’m gonna need therapy after this match. ☹️

(The referee slides into positon and counts.)

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(DING! DING! DING!)

(‘2024’ hits. Joso rolls off of Drake. The champion looks up at the ceiling, completely and utterly exhausted with the caked-on blood on his face.)

Stephie Love: Here is YOUR winner…. aaaaaaaaand STILL the EAW World Heavyweight Champion… JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Stew-O: That was a war. Even then, saying it like that feels like an understatement. Joso had to endure five Elitists, and in the end, he was able to not only have a successful first defense, but win his first-ever Chamber!

Flannery McCoy: If this match showed us anything, it’s that Joso isn’t just a champion, but he’s a survivor. He went through absolute hell tonight, facing not just incredible competition, but also enduring blood loss, fatigue, and constant assaults from every direction. Yet, here he is, standing tall as the World Heavyweight Champion—or, well, he would be if he can get up. :lupe:

Jake Mercer: Bro. Our roster is done for.

(Drake continues to clutch at his eye, and the medical team come inside to assist him and the champion. The referee hands him the title. Joso gives a weary smile and raises it up high, with the fans cheering him on. Confetti falls from the rafters, with pieces of it landing on Joso.)

Stew-O: There are so many possible ramifications stemming from this one match, but I guess we’ll see how everything plays out. All I know is Joso deserves a much needed rest after this. And hopefully, Drake’s injuries aren’t too severe.

Jake Mercer: Speaking of which, I’m just receiving word that Hans is getting checked out and he is conscious again—but he’s very pissed off.

Flannery McCoy: I suppose that’s good news, in a way. But now, the biggest news of them all is that Joso hasn’t missed, and now, he’ll be entering 2025 with the EAW World Heavyweight Championship.

Stew-O: What an incredible Road to Redemption. So many title changes, shocking moments, and more—all of which will be followed up on next weekend at our Christmas Show!

Jake Mercer: Vancouver, here we come! I cannot WAIT to see the Space Needle!

Flannery McCoy: …

Stew-O: …

Flannery McCoy: God, please give us a new broadcast partner for Christmas this year. That’s all we ask for.

Jake Mercer: :troll:

Stew-O: Well, while we wish we can get Jake out of here, we’ll wish all of you a good night. Thank you for watching Road to Redemption!

(And with that, Dynasty fades back to ringside.)

( ‘Pride and Arrogance’ by Takeru Kanazaki blasts through the speakers of the Tarraco Arena as Drake Armstrong’s presence is showered in ear-deafening boos. He is once again accompanied by the same order of knighthood from last week, smiling ear to ear as he is pleased with how he was able to finally get the last laugh over Impact. )

Stephie Love: Ladies and gentleman, please welcome.. The 2025 King of Elite… DRAKE! ARMSTRONG!

Jake Mercer: After two weeks of being upstaged by the EAW Hall of Famer, Drake Armstrong was finally able to stand tall over Impact. Of course, it was at the help of the knights that surrounded him today, but a win’s a win and Armstrong was able to fulfill his desire to put Impact six feet deep into the ground, and he may have done exactly that.

Flannery McCoy: Impact was about to do a threepeat despite being outnumbered by Drake Armstrong and his chivalry, but Armstrong outsmarted and suckered him in, not only splitting him half with the Halberd From Hell dropkick, but drilling him onto the top of his head with the Death Penalty tombstone piledriver, which counts as the first time we’ve seen Impact taken offense since he’s come back to Elite Answers WRestling.

Stew-O: There is some word circulating around that those two back-to-back maneuvers dealt to him was enough to be seriously looked at by our medical staff, but we haven’t gotten any definitive word about his condition. But, considering how he wasn’t announced to appear tonight leading up, and Drake Armstrong and Impact still up in the air, Armstrong might’ve actually did what he had set out to do; and that was to kill the legend of Impact right then and there.

( Drake Armstrong stops soaking in the boos on the top turnbuckle before being handed a microphone. He speaks with the knights surrounding him at ringside. )

Drake Armstrong: The scale has balanced itself. Elite Answers Wrestling, under the banners of the Armstrong Dynasty Empire, had reached the equilibrium that it was once at many weeks ago. The peace has been restored, ladies and gentleman. The sun shines brighter than ever, the sky is baby blue, the air just smells good. It feels right, and you want to know why? It’s because this company had rid itself of the one thing that it never needed. Might I say, the one thing that no one ever asked for and that was your lord and saviour, Karl… Impact.

Drake Armstrong: I am a King, and I am such a benevolent one, so much so, that I feel obliged to share to everyone here, to bring you the good word, that no-good scoundrel is no more! That pitiful disgrace will not see another Pain for Pride! He will not get his match with yours truly. He will not even lay a foot ever in my squared circle as a professional wrestler anymore. The legend of Impact perished in Madrid and last week is the last ever week that you will ever see of him.

( Drake Armstrong smiles into the camera as the crowd boos to his news. )

Drake Armstrong: Like I said last week, Impact is a relic of the past. Nothing more and nothing else. He can go collect dust in the Louvre, in the archives in the Vatican, maybe even the Museo Del Prado, but one thing for sure, he cannot linger around in my presence, and last week, I made sure that Impact wouldn’t only not be able to disrespect or upstage me ever again, but physically able to lift a finger or step a food within vicinity of your King. He had the opportunity to leave this business for good, to have his legacy be admired in a museum, but instead, I put him in a hospital, and it was because he made a mistake.

Drake Armstrong: He’s making the same mistake you all are doing right now, shouting such blasphemous words and gestures towards your King, but luckily I am a forgiving King. I may forgive, but I will never forget, and I made sure Impact was going to be paid in full for his disrespect towards me. He dared punch and leave me unconscious in the middle of the ring? He dared make me look like a fool being held by nobodies!? These are the consequences of his actions, and now, he’s gone for good.

Drake Armstrong: Impact didn’t have the opportunity to tuck his tail in between his legs and run off like he did at the beginning of this year, no… That’s because I made sure that wasn’t an option. His permanent absence from this industry wasn’t going to be by his cowardice, but by my greatness, and I pray to the heavens above, that he takes the royal beating that I gave him in Madrid last week, and he learns never to disrespect the King. Now, there is no need for this Pain for Pride match. There is no need for the people to have their time wasted by this tarnished legend. It was about time that someone stopped from doing the same hip and jive he does every year and his little Pain for Pride record that he has, is the only thing that he’s been able to cling onto for the latter half of his career, and I’ve taken him away from making any additions to it.

Drake Armstrong: What I did last week was, hopefully, the decisive blow to the painful end of his “Hall of Fame” career. Take a lesson out of his book, ladies and gentleman. Learn how to respect your superiors. Learn how to respect your king. And most definitely… LEARN! YOUR! PLACE!

( Drake Armstrong smirks at the camera, as the arena is filled with even louder boos. Armstrong gestures the knights to escort him out as he begins to leave, but as he’s about to step through the ropes, he is pulled back in by someone. )

Jake Mercer: Looks like Drake might have hired this knight off Fiverr because what is it doing in the ring?!?!

Drake Armstrong (off-mic): What the hell are you doing? Get out of the ring! Escort me–

POW!

Flannery McCoy: DRAKE ARMSTRONG JUST GOT FLOORED WITH A HAYMAKER! AND THE KING OF ELITE IS SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE RING!! WHAT IN THE WORLD!?!
Jake Mercer: WE GOT A TRAITOR!! THIS IS TREASON!

( The knight takes off their mask and reveals themselves to be none other than: Impact. )

Flannery McCoy: IMPACT IS HERE! IMPACT IS NOT GONE AFTER ALL!! HE JUST LAID DRAKE ARMSTRONG OUT YET AGAIN WITH THE FIST OF FURY!!

Stew-O: THE CHIVALRY QUICKLY GET IN THE RING, BUT IMPACT HAS THE HEIGHT ADVANTAGE AS HE IS ABLE TO SEND THEM ALL OUT ONE BY ONE!! AND HE PICKS UP ONE OF THE KNIGHTS AND POWERBOMBS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE ONTO ALL OF THEM!!!

Flannery McCoy: AND IMPACT ISN’T DONE YET! AS HE RUNS THE ROPE!! AND HE SHOOTS THROUGH!! AND CLEARS THE WHOLE ARMY OF KNIGHTS OUT WITH A TOPE SUICIDA!! IMPACT IS CLEARING HOUSE!

Jake Mercer: AND IMPACT SLIDES BACK INTO THE RIN–

Stew-O: DRAKE ARMSTRONG IS BACK UP TO HIS FEET, SOMEHOW!! AS HE DRILLS IMPACT WITH THE DROPKICK!! HALBERD FROM HELL!!

Flannery McCoy: NO!! IMPACT HAD IT SCOUTED!! AND DROPS HIM WITH THE EVISCERATION! DOUBLE-KNEE FACEBUSTER TO THE KING OF ELITE AND HE IS OUT!!

( After delivering an eviscerating double-knee facebuster to Drake Armstrong, Impact picks up a microphone. )

Impact: YOU REALLY THOUGHT, HUH?!?!

Impact: YOU THOUGHT… A SOFT-ASS DROPKICK… A WEAK PILEDRIVER.. WAS ENOUGH TO PUT ME AWAY FOR GOOD?!?!

Impact: YOU’RE GREATLY MISTAKEN.. BECAUSE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.. I DON’T GO OUT TO SUCH WACK SHIT.. AND THE LEGEND NEVER DIES!!

( The crowd explodes in elation. )

Impact: AND COME NEXT WEEK… THE ONLY PERSON THAT WILL NEED TO LEARN THEIR PLACE IS YOU!! DRAKE ARMSTRONG.. IMPACT.. AT PAIN FOR PRIDE IN BARCELONA.. AND THIS TIME.. YOU TRULY LEARN THAT YOU’RE GOING TO WISH THAT YOU NEVER ATTEMPTED TO PULL THAT SHIT THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME..

( A passionate Impact throws the microphone and stands tall over Drake Armstrong.)

Stephie Love: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FOLLOWING MATCH IS A SINGLES MATCH SCHEDULED FOR ONE FALL!

Crowd: ONE FALL!

(‘Dragonborn’ by Jeremy Soule began blaring through the speakers to a HUGE reaction of cheers as Brian Daniels sauntered out onto the stage with the cool, calm exterior of a learned veteran; he gave the crowd an appreciative nod of respect for the ovation before spreading his arms out wide and making his way down the ramp, tagging the fans as he went. His wrestling gear and entrance jacket were themed after the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs, which the legend proudly adorned himself with.)

Stephie Love: INTRODUCING FIRST! Hailing from New York City, New York, weighing in at 195 pounds… BRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELSSSSSSSSS!

Stew-O: Despite his controversial past, which he shares with his opponent tonight, Brian Daniels has been welcomed back to EAW with open arms from the fans in the audience!

Flannery McCoy: It’s not too surprising, given that Brian is actually maintaining the integrity of the sport and not throwing away all of his good will just because of a mid-life crisis!

Jake Mercer: Well, tonight, he’ll be facing off against a ghost of his past – although, I’m sure his opponent would call him the exact same thing in return, given how things have gotten more heated between them over the past few weeks of debating their pasts and their presents!

(‘Saint Pablo’ by Kanye West began blaring through the speakers to an equally huge reaction of boos by the audience; Cy Henderson walked out onto the stage with a smug grin plastered across his face as he chuckled at the volume of the reaction. He bobbed his head to Saint Pablo as he made his way down the ramp, ignoring the fans entirely as he walked towards the squared circle.)

Stephie Love: AND HIS OPPONENT! Hailing from New York City, New York, weighing in at 240 pounds… HE IS THE JUSTICE SEEKER, CYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENDERSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Stew-O: There’s no love lost here between Cy Henderson and the fans, that’s for sure…

Flannery McCoy: Ever since Cy Henderson’s attitude adjustment from last year, I don’t think he has really cared about the fans at all. He’s entirely focused on building the future of his career, no matter how many bridges he ends up burning in the process.

Jake Mercer: That’s the price of a legacy, Flannery! Cy Henderson came to realize that all of the hold ups he had about maintaining the image of a respectable veteran were just holding him back, so he released himself and has achieved more success ever since!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson and Brian Daniels have entirely different philosophies when it comes to their renewed careers in EAW, but in this battle of ideologies between former friends, only ONE can come out with victory!

(Ding! Ding! Ding!)

Stew-O: And the match is underway! Officially underway, that is; however, neither Cy Henderson nor Brian Daniels has left their corners yet… simply put, the volume in the audience is DEAFENING right now!

Crowd: LET’S GO BRIAN! FUCK YOU CY! LET’S GO BRIAN! FUCK YOU CY! LET’S GO BRIAN! FUCK YOU CY! LET’S GO BRIAN! FUCK YOU CY!

Flannery McCoy: The fans are certainly letting their voices be heard tonight; the excitement is palpable! But can you blame them? Whatever you think about the man that Cy Henderson has become since his shocking turn last year, the fact of the matter remains that this was one of the most anticipated matches of the night through hype alone!

Jake Mercer: Cy Henderson and Brian Daniels, both historic legends and controversial ones at that, clashing in big 2025; the fans are excited for a reason! Of course, I’m rooting for the GOAT Cyclone all the way; the beard is nice, but I’m ride or die for the Justice Seeker!

Stew-O: Both wrestlers take a moment to soak in the reaction; Brian Daniels has an open grin on his face, and you can see the passion for the sport of professional wrestling in his eyes as he hears those cheers!

Flannery McCoy: Cy Henderson, on the other hand, looks a lot more bitter; his eyes tell the story, he’s looking at the audience as they make this deeply personal grudge match into a spectacle. But the fans can’t help it; this IS exactly as hyped as it should be!

Jake Mercer: It looks like both wrestlers snap back to reality, though, as they step out of their respective corners and begin slowly circling the ring, not breaking eye contact for a second; as personal as this feud may be, you don’t see either wrestler flying off the handle yet.

Stew-O: These are two seasoned veterans with more experience than many of the newer roster members’ experience combined! They’re trying to stay as calm and collected as they can, but it’s yet to be seen just how long that’ll be able to last!

Flannery McCoy: We have the aggressive and ruthless powerhouse in Cy Henderson facing off against the technical grappling mastermind in Brian Daniels; it’s difficult to predict who’ll be able to come out on top, because they both have strengths that can target each others’ weaknesses!

Stew-O: Brian Daniels can pick apart the limbs of Cy Henderson, rendering his power useless; however, Cy Henderson’s sheer strength can allow him to break out of many of Brian Daniels’ holds. It really is any man’s game in the ring tonight!

Flannery McCoy: They approach closer… closer… and boom, they’re locked up in the middle of the ring! This isn’t a typical lock up between regular competitors, though, you can feel the tension and deep-seeded hatred with the aggression being shown!

Jake Mercer: Ultimately, it’s hard to overpower a man like Cy Henderson, and he does end up forcefully pushing Brian Daniels back until he gets his back pressed up against the corner of the ring!

Stew-O: And Cy Henderson keeps pushing, bullying Brian against the turnbuckles even with Brian’s arms leaned against the ropes! The referee steps in to separate the two, and Cy Henderson gives a soft chuckle to himself with both hands raised–

Flannery McCoy: OH! The disrespect! Cy Henderson pretended to accept the break up and started backing off, but he lunged forward and caught Brian Daniels off guard with a slap!

Jake Mercer: Brian Daniels definitely did not like that one bit, that’s for sure, but he shakes his head and glares at Cy Henderson as he steps back out of the corner even more invigorated than before!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson is exuding smugness right now as he looks to engage Brian Daniels yet again… and they lock u– WOAH!

Flannery McCoy: One second of locking up before Brian Daniels transitioned from the collar and elbow tie up to a rear waist lock behind the Justice Seeker, but he immediately breaks that by reaching forward and grabbing the right wrist of Cy Henderson and yanking it back!

Jake Mercer: He transitions that into a hammer lock which he wastes no time in wrenching as hard as he can, instantly wiping the smug grin off Cy Henderson’s face and replacing it with a grimace of pain!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson doesn’t take it lying down, though, as he immediately arches his body to the side and reaches behind himself with his free left arm to wrap it around the head of Brian Daniels!

Flannery McCoy: With that grip on the head of Brian, Cy wrenches forward, pretty much plucking Brian Daniels out of that hammer lock position and forcing him into a side headlock! But he doesn’t follow the Brian strategy of cycling into worse submission holds; there’s nothing elegant or pretty about the stiff knee smash that Cy launches into the midsection of his opponent!

Jake Mercer: That gets Brian Daniels to double over, and Cy Henderson capitalizes on the vulnerability by tucking Brian’s head between his quads before reaching down and wrapping his arms around the waist of the dragonborn!

Stew-O: With that grip, he flips Brian up as he hoists him into a powerbomb position! We don’t often see Cy Henderson take this approach, but given where his eyes just drifted over to, I think we’re about to see something deadly!

Flannery McCoy: Cy Henderson takes aim at the corner of the ring before he begins running towards it, ready to launch Brian– BUT BRIAN IS ABLE TO JUMP OVER CY’S HEAD AND ESCAPE THE BUCKLE BOMB!

Jake Mercer: Not only that, but he launched a kick backwards as he jumped off, effectively thrust kicking Cy Henderson chest-first against the top turnbuckle! That was enough to daze the Justice Seeker for the time being, while Brian Daniels managed to land on his feet after getting out of harm’s way!

Stew-O: Expertly performed evasion technique by Brian Daniels there, who turns around and wastes no time in taking advantage after getting out of the way of Cyclone’s attempted buckle bomb! He rushes over to his opponent at the corner and turns him around to have his back to the turnbuckle!

Flannery McCoy: From that position, he begins lighting up the chest of Cy Henderson with a flurry of sharp chops! You can see that even with the size difference, the sheer ferocity of a man like Brian Daniels is a deep threat no matter who ends up on the other side of the ring from him!

Jake Mercer: The crowd is chanting their approval along with each of the chops landing on the Justice Seeker’s chest, which is getting redder by the second! Brian looks like he has no limit to the amount of energy he has tonight; he just keeps going and going like a damn machine gun!

Stew-O: OH! But Cy Henderson wasn’t going to just endure an endless stream of chops until the end of the match; he just snapped right back with a heavy handed forearm smash of his own, landing right across the jaw of the Dragonborn!

Flannery McCoy: That forearm smash managed to make Brian Daniels stagger a few steps back; he was clearly in the zone during those chops, so getting interrupted so abruptly and so brutally snapped him out of it in a painful way!

Jake Mercer: Cy Henderson narrows his eyes and scowls at the Dragonborn as he clenches his fist and makes his way forward towards him, suddenly picking up speed and SPINNING– HE’S GOING FOR THE CYCLONE LARIAT OUT OF NOWHERE!

Stew-O: But Brian Daniels had it scouted! I mean, of course he had it scouted; these two have more history with each other than most wrestlers have history in EAW at all! Brian Daniels was able to duck underneath the Cyclone Lariat, which brought him right back in front of the corner!

Flannery McCoy: Without warning, Brian Daniels quickly scaled the corner like a cat scaling a tree, before turning around to face Cy Henderson, who himself turned around to look up and find the Dragonborn in quite the unexpected place!

Jake Mercer: Before Cy Henderson was able to react, Brian Daniels launched himself off the top turnbuckle with a flying CROSSBODY! IT LANDS RIGHT ON TARGET AS HE CRASHES INTO CY HENDERSON!

Stew-O: Wait… WAIT! Cy Henderson just rolled through the crossbody and made it back to his knees with Brian Daniels caught in a scoop slam position! How in the world did Cy Henderson manage to do that?! The power on display by the Justice Seeker is nothing short of incredible, if not downright ludicrous!

Flannery McCoy: Whether you believe it or not, Cy Henderson just did that! He turns himself around to face away from the majority of the ring, before he lends forward and launches Brian Daniels behind him with a fallaway slam!

Jake Mercer: Brian Daniels is LAUNCHED back with that fallaway slam and lands with a painful thud as he gets sent tumbling across the length of the squared circle, with his nemesis in Cy Henderson rising up menacingly to his feet and glaring down at the Dragonborn with malicious intent!

Stew-O: He’s measuring Brian Daniels up, and Brian Daniels is quite quick in terms of forcing himself back to his feet! Both men are taking a beating, but they’ve certainly got a hell of a lot still left in the tank; what Brian did not happen to do, though, is get back to his feet while facing Cy, and that is a big mistake!

Flannery McCoy: The moment Brian Daniels turned around to see Cy Henderson rushing his way, it was too late; Cy launched himself off his feet and crashed into Brian Daniels with a sudden shoulder block, which knocked Brian Daniels off his feet and down to the canvas!

Jake Mercer: Brian Daniels, nevertheless, remains persistent as he tries scrambling back up as quickly as he can; Cy Henderson appears to be a believer of the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, because he hits him with yet another shoulder block to deal some additional damage!

Stew-O: Getting knocked down to the canvas thrice in a row like that looks to be taking its toll now, because Brian Daniels is not as quick to get back to his feet as he was the past few times; Cy Henderson notices this and dons a sneer as he makes his way to his fallen former comrade, looking to turn things up a notch!

Flannery McCoy: Oh, and the disrespect continues here! Cy Henderson kneels down and grabs a fistful of the beard of Brian Daniels, using that as a grip by which he’s pulling the Dragonborn back to his feet!

Jake Mercer: That’s that ruthless aggression we’ve come to see from Cy Henderson over the course of the past year, and I for one LOVE seeing it! PULL IT HARDER!

Stew-O: :ayo:

Flannery McCoy: :ayo:

Jake Mercer: You heard me. Anyways, Cy Henderson gets Brian Daniels back to his feet in a dazed position, and he reaches down to grab a hold of his leg just as he has a grip on his head! What’s Cy Henderson planning to do here?!

Stew-O: He uses those gripping points to hoist Brian Daniels onto his shoulders… and then overhead presses him! Cy Henderson has Brian Daniels high up in the air via a military lift, and we’ve seen this before from Cy! HE’S GOING FOR THE MILITARY PRESS POWERSLA–

Flannery McCoy: OR NOT! BRIAN DANIELS MANAGED TO WRIGGLE ENOUGH TO SLIP OUT OF THE GRIP OF THE JUSTICE SEEKER, BUT AS HE FELL DOWN FROM THE MILITARY LIFT, HE THREW HIS ARMS FORWARD AND LATCHED ONTO CY HENDERSON!

Jake Mercer: OH NO! HE LATCHED ON WITH A FACELOCK!

Stew-O: NOT JUST A FACELOCK! BRIAN DIDN’T GIVE CY HENDERSON A MOMENT TO DEFEND HIMSELF BEFORE SHIFTING HIS ARM TO WRAP AROUND THE JUSTICE SEEKER’S THROAT; BRIAN DANIELSON IS HANGING ONTO CY HENDERSON VIA A GUILLOTINE CHOKEHOLD!

Crowd: QUR3EHGWOIEURGHOWIEURHGOWIURGH

Flannery McCoy: The crowd was displeased with Cy’s displays of dominance, but now they’re back to good spirits with Brian Daniels turning things around in his trademark technical way! Cy Henderson is in a bad position right now for sure, and you can tell by the way he’s flailing his arms and slamming his fists against the back of Brian Daniels as he tries to force him to let go!

Jake Mercer: The oxygen is cut off from his brain, do you THINK he’d be feeling good about that? Of course he’s in a bad position, but he’s CYCLONE! He’ll be able to get out of it!

Stew-O: Are you sure? It looks like his movements are starting to slow down– I think Brian Daniels may have actually locked this maneuver in perfectly, because Cy doesn’t seem to have an answer to it and things are only getting worse as the seconds go by!

Flannery McCoy: Cy Henderson may be close to passing out, with the referee checking in on–

Jake Mercer: SEE! I TOLD YOU! CY HENDERSON JUST BROKE OUT INTO A RUN AS HE RUSHES FORWARD! HOW IS HE ABLE TO SEE WHERE HE’S GOING?!

Stew-O: THAT’S RING AWARENESS BY A TRUE LEGEND OF THE SQUARED CIRCLE! HE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THE CORNER OF THE RING WAS, AND HE RUSHED INTO IT FULL FORCE TO RAM BRIAN DANIELS BACK-FIRST INTO IT!

Flannery McCoy: Somehow, though, Brian Daniels tanked the blow and didn’t let go! How resilient is that guy?!

Jake Mercer: TOO resilient! But Cy Henderson is undeterred as he turns around and grips onto the body of Brian Daniels as tightly as he can! Without a moment to waste, Cy Henderson HURLS Brian Daniels onto the canvas with a VICIOUS spinebuster!

Stew-O: It looks like the guillotine chokehold did its job, though, because Cy Henderson falls back against the bottom turnbuckle the moment he connects with that spinebuster! Both men are down now after that violent exchange, and I’m not sure who got the worst of it! Brian Daniels definitely absorbed the most physical impact, but he was also choking the LIFE out of Cy Henderson for a considerable amount of time!

Flannery McCoy: It’s taking a few moments, but it looks like Brian Daniels starts staggering up first while Cy Henderson is still recovering in the seated position against the bottom turnbuckle! Brian arches his back as he rises, still feeling the pain from that bad landing, but he’ll have to push the pain aside and think about it later. Not everyone gets the opportunity to catch Cy in a vulnerable state like this, and Brian is absolutely looking to capitalize on it!

Jake Mercer: He backs his way up to the corner on the opposite side of the ring before breaking out into a sprint as he charges at Cy Henderson, looking to launch himself at the Justice Seeker with a basement dropkick, but he stops himself at the right moment because Cy Henderson just rolled himself out of the ring from underneath the bottom rope! What amazing evasive maneuvering!

Stew-O: Yeah, sure, if that’s what you want to call it. Brian looks discouraged for a moment, but then he gets a smirk of his own as he turns around and rushes over to the ropes! Cy Henderson is taking this moment to recuperate outside, but he doesn’t see it coming when Brian Daniels rebounds off the ropes and rushes to the side of the ring where Cy is!

Flannery McCoy: By the time Cy sees Brian coming, it’s too late; Brian is already in the air, having launched himself as a weapon through the ropes, hurtling towards Cyclone with a suicide dive!

Jake Mercer: The suicide dive connects and knocks Cy against our announcer table! HI CY!

Stew-O: I think he has more important things to take care of right now than a fanboy. Well, he’d probably prefer your fanboying right now, because Brian is looking to HURT this man! Cy clutches his back as he staggers away, trying to create some distance; Brian has no interest in letting that happen, though!

Flannery McCoy: Woah! Brian Daniels just leaped onto our announcer tables as Cy heads in the opposite direction! The Dragonborn runs across the announcer tables and leaps onto the barricades before running across them too! He makes it around to where Cy is before LAUNCHING himself!

Jake Mercer: MISSILE DROPKICK OFF THE BARRICADE RIGHT TO THE CHEST OF CY HENDERSON! The missile dropkick’s impact was so powerful that it launched Cy back, causing him to collide with the massive steel steps hard enough to knock them out of their positioning!

Stew-O: Brian Daniels staggers back to his feet after that massive missile dropkick and makes his way over to Cy Henderson, who is ABSOLUTELY dazed right now after the sheer impact of that maneuver! Brian reaches down and grabs both of Cy’s wrists, engaging a double wrist lock before he leans over and yells in Cy Henderson’s face!

Brian Daniels: I’M GONNA KICK YOUR FUCKING HEAD IN!

Flannery McCoy: A WAR CRY BY BRIAN DANIELS BEFORE HE BEGINS… DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID! With that double wrist lock, he’s kicking the absolute daylights out of Cy Henderson! For what it’s worth, Cy Henderson is doing the best he can to dodge some of the kicks by head movements, but a large amount of Brian’s kicks are landing!

Jake Mercer: Brian Daniels continues until it looks like Cy has had enough, at which point the Dragonborn forcefully drags Cy Henderson back into the ring and pulls him away from the ropes before hooking his legs!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Stew-O: BUT CY HENDERSON MANAGED TO KICK OUT, EVEN AFTER ALL OF THAT! For all of his attitude issues, Cy Henderson’s RESILIENCE is one thing that even the greatest elitists of today know and fear! This is one of the most difficult men to put down, and that shows when you realize just how few have done it since his return to the ring!

Flannery McCoy: You’re preaching to the choir here, Stew, because nobody is more aware of that resilience in the company today than Brian Daniels! Brian never once doubted the ABILITY of Cy Henderson, he simply does not like what his IDENTITY has become in recent times!

Jake Mercer: Well, he’ll just have to deal with it! Uh oh, I know I said deal with it, but I didn’t mean it like that; Brian Daniels is measuring Cy Henderson up from the other side of the ring, and I don’t think he’s going for any minor maneuver here!

Stew-O: Sure enough, Cy Henderson does eventually stagger back up to his feet, and when he does so, Brian Daniels springs into action as he rushes forward! He launches himself off his feet and GOES FOR VALAR MORGHULIS! THE SINGLE LEG RUNNING HIGH KNEE, ONE OF BRIAN DANIELS’ LEGENDARY SIGNATURE MANEUVERS–

Flannery McCoy: BUT CY HENDERSON HAD IT SCOUTED! THESE TWO KNOW EACH OTHER LIKE THE BACK OF THEIR HAND! CY MANAGED TO SIDE STEP IT JUST ENOUGH TO LAUNCH A BIG BOOT OF HIS OWN, COLLIDING WITH BRIAN WHO LAUNCHED HIMSELF AT CY WITH EVERYTHING HE HAS!

Jake Mercer: The sheer impact of that big boot sends Brian Daniels crashing down into the canvas… BUT HE’S NOT THERE FOR LONG! CY HENDERSON HAS A BETTER PLAN FOR HIM THAN LETTING HIM TAKE A NAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson once again drags Brian Daniels to his feet, and with more struggle this time, he once again begins to hoist Brian Daniels up onto his shoulders! And from his shoulders, he presses Brian Daniels high up into the air and goes for the military press powerslam YET AGAIN!

Flannery McCoy: This time……. IT CONNECTS! MILITARY PRESS POWERSLAM!

Jake Mercer: BUT CY DOESN’T GO FOR THE PIN! WHY NOT?!

Stew-O: BECAUSE HE’S NOT DONE YET, JAKE! HE DRAGS BRIAN DANIELS BACK UP ONE MORE TIME AND HOISTS HIM UP WITH A BODY SLAM SCOOP! HE TURNS HIM UPSIDE DOWN AND… OH MY GOD!

Flannery McCoy: PHANTOM DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH! CYCLONE’S SIGNATURE MICHINOKU DRIVER CONNECTS AS HE DRIVES THE HEAD OF BRIAN DANIELS INTO THE CANVAS WITH NO REMORSE WHATSOEVER! AND THIS TIME, CY HENDERSON IS GOING FOR THE PIN! THAT HAS TO BE IT!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Jake Mercer: HOW?! HOW?! HOW?! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS BRIAN DANIELS MADE OF, FOR HIM TO HAVE KICKED OUT OF THAT AFTER TAKING PHANTOM DEATH FROM CY HENDERSON?!

Stew-O: There’s TWO legends in that ring, Jake, and you’ll need to learn to respect Brian too, because rooting against him is just as difficult a task as it is to root against Cy! Keep in mind, Brian still hasn’t lost a match since he came back, and he’s not looking to start tonight!

Flannery McCoy: With that being said, Cy Henderson is looking more and more frustrated as this ghost of the past just won’t seem to go away no matter what he does! He grits his teeth with that frustration as he gets more memories of just how tough of a fighter Brian Daniels really is, and you see in the eyes of the Justice Seeker that he is ready to unleash anything and everything needed to win this match, even if it means BREAKING Brian Daniels in half!

Jake Mercer: Cy Henderson slowly staggers to his feet, bringing Brian Daniels with him, before he kneels down and drapes Brian Daniels over his shoulders… IN AN ARGENTINE BACKBREAKER RACK!

Stew-O: OH BOY! WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE’S GOT PLANNED HERE, BECAUSE WE’VE SEEN SO MANY MATCHES END IN CY’S FAVOR AFTER THIS CONNECTS! HE’S GOING FOR IT!

Flannery McCoy: RISING TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE! THE BURNING HAMMER– WAIT, NO, BRIAN DANIELS JUST MANAGED TO SLIP OUT OF THAT ARGENTINE BACKBREAKER RACK AT THE LAST MOMENT, ENDING UP BEHIND CY HENDERSON!

Jake Mercer: NOT ONLY THAT, HE PULLED CY HENDERSON’S HEAD BACK WITH HIM, FORCING IT BACK WITH AN IMPROMPTU SITOUT NECKBREAKER ON THE JUSTICE SEEKER! SOMEHOW, BRIAN DANIELS HAS AVERTED DISASTER ONCE AGAIN, AND HE MANAGED TO GET ANOTHER ONE UP ON CY HENDERSON IN THE PROCESS!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson definitely saw the end of the match in his grasp there, so he’s even more dazed now after having been caught off guard by Brian Daniels’ timely escape and reversal maneuver in the form of the neckbreaker!

Flannery McCoy: Cy Henderson is still STANDING, though, but he’s reeling from the damage; meanwhile, Brian Daniels is struggling, but doing all he can to scramble up and take advantage of the opportunity that he just created! Both of these wrestlers have put each other through hell thus far, that’s probably putting it lightly, but you can see the exertion and the damage starting to weigh on them!

Jake Mercer: Nevertheless, neither man is willing to just fall over because this victory would mean so much to EITHER one of them! Whichever one wins gets to uphold his side of the conflicting ideology war up, and he gets a massive boost to his momentum at the same time!

Stew-O: Right now, Brian Daniels has somehow managed to seize the reins of the match yet again, and he’s looking to follow through on this advantageous opportunity as he rushes over to the ropes while Cy is still reeling from the neckbreaker!

Flannery McCoy: Brian Daniels makes it to the ropes and leaps onto the middle ones before SPRINGBOARDING off of them and twisting himself in mid-air as he hurtles towards Cy Henderson at high speed! He CONNECTS with the diving high knee to the head of Cy Henderson, which is enough to drop Cy Henderson to his knees as he clutches his head in pain!

Jake Mercer: Brian Daniels scrambles back to his feet and sees the position that Cy Henderson is in! Almost as though it were muscle memory, Brian Daniels snaps into place with the right positioning for something big here!

Stew-O: He rushes forward towards Cy Henderson and launches himself at the head of the Justice Seeker BEFORE CONNECTING WITH ONE OF HIS SIGNATURE MOVES, THE KINGSLAYER! KINGSLAYER CONNECTS! THE AXE KICK SHINING WIZARD LANDS RIGHT ON TARGET, AND THAT MOVE IS ENOUGH TO TOPPLE CY HENDERSON DOWN TO THE CANVAS ENTIRELY!

Flannery McCoy: THE WAY THE MOVE LANDED, BRIAN DANIELS ENDED UP RIGHT ON TOP OF CY HENDERSON, AND HE REACHES OVER TO HOOK THE LEG JUST AS THE REFEREE SLIDES OVER TO COUNT THE SHOULDERS BEING DOWN AGAINST THE CANVAS!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Jake Mercer: AHAHA! THIS TIME, CY HENDERSON WAS THE ONE TO KICK OUT! YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN THE GOAT LIKE THAT, EVEN IF YOU ARE SOMEONE AS LEGENDARY AS BRIAN DANIELS!

Stew-O: For the love of god, man, give it a rest! Just as tired as we are of you, it looks like Brian is starting to get tired of Cy Henderson managing to endure through all of the punishment he sends his way; with all due credit to the two competitors that Brian Daniels has faced thus far, we haven’t seen Brian Daniels get pushed this far in a LONG time!

Flannery McCoy: If there’s anyone that can bring out the best in either of these competitors, it’s each other! As much as both of them hate the other for what they have become in 2025, you can see the type of chemistry they have in the ring, even if it does manifest in the form of a match against each other rather than alongside each other!

Jake Mercer: I can’t see the tag team ever re-forming, but hey, a match between them is the next best thing!

Stew-O: I don’t know how much longer it can last, though, because Brian Daniels has the same glare on his face that Cy Henderson had earlier this match; it looks like Brian Daniels has had just about enough of Cy’s kick outs, so he’s ready to really knock him out for good!

Flannery McCoy: He’s measuring Cy Henderson up as he signals for the end, and I think all fans of Brian Daniels know exactly what he’s aiming for here with this positioning!

Jake Mercer: Slowly but surely, Cy Henderson forcefully pushes himself off of the canvas and eventually staggers back to his feet, looking just as pained and exhausted as Brian Daniels is!

Stew-O: However, the moment Cy Henderson made it back to his feet, Brian Daniels IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR IT! HE LAUNCHED THE CAUSTIC ECHO TOWARDS THE TEMPLE OF CY HENDERSON, HE’S GOING FOR HIS FINISHING ROUNDHOUSE KICK!

Flannery McCoy: BUT NO! CY HENDERSON MANAGED TO ACTUALLY CATCH THE FOOT BEFORE THE IMPACT COULD BE MADE, STOPPING BRIAN DANIELS IN HIS TRACKS! Yet another example of these two having everything about the other scouted out like it was as easy as breathing air!

Jake Mercer: Cy Henderson isn’t in a reminiscing mood, though, as he immediately drops the foot forcefully before throwing Brian Daniels’ arm up in the air and hoisting him up! He’s not wasting any time, he’s looking to PLANT Brian Daniels and maybe even knock him out with a classic URANAGE!

Stew-O: BUT BRIAN DANIELS WASN’T GOING TO GO DOWN ALONE! MID-URANAGE, HE GRABBED HOLD OF CY HENDERSON’S HEAD AND BROUGHT HIM DOWN WITH HIM IN A MODIFIED JUMPING DDT TO THE JUSTICE SEEKER!

Flannery McCoy: BOTH WRESTLERS ARE DOWN, AND THE CROWD IS AT A FEVER PITCH! DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAS THROWN AT EACH OTHER, IT IS STILL ANYBODY’S GAME, BECAUSE BOTH OF THESE MEN ARE WILLING TO KILL AND REACH THE BRINK OF DEATH IF IT MEANS VICTORY BELONGS TO THEM!

Jake Mercer: It takes a while, and the referee even begins counting towards ten; however, the raucous roar of the crowd keeps the energy flowing in the arena, and soon enough Cy Henderson and Brian Daniels begin forcing their bodies to rise up to a kneeling position!

Stew-O: They’re putting the last bits of energy they have into this match, and they’re not going down without a FIGHT! They’re both at a kneeling position now, and they’ve begun throwing strikes of desperation at each other!

Flannery McCoy: Left jab! Right jab! Left! Right! Cy Henderson and Brian Daniels are going strike for strike in the center of the ring, and I can’t even tell which one of them is coming out on top in this exchange!

Crowd: BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY! BOO! YAY!

Jake Mercer: It seems evenly matched, but they’re starting to pick up the pace here as they slowly but surely make it back to their feet!

Stew-O: Cy Henderson breaks the strike fest and goes for a straight up lariat, but Brian Daniels was able to duck underneath and counter by spinning back around with a spinning elbow smash!

Flannery McCoy: That manages to daze Cy Henderson, and Brian Daniels immediately takes advantage by going for the DRAGON SHOUT! HE’S JUST GOING AT CY HENDERSON WITH EVERYTHING HE’S GOT, USING ALL RESERVE ENERGY! MORE ELBOWS, FOREARMS, KICKS AND BACKFISTS, HE’S THROWING HIS ENTIRE ARSENAL AT THE JUSTICE SEEKER!

Jake Mercer: I’m not sure how good of an idea that is, because he’s looking even more gassed than Cy Henderson now… but the Justice Seeker is in a bad place as well, all of those rapid-fire strikes have him just about ready to topple over!

Stew-O: One last time… BRIAN DANIELS MEASURES CY HENDERSON UP… AND HE’S CALLING FOR THE END!

Flannery McCoy: HE GOES FOR IT! CAUSTIC ECHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Jake Mercer: OH MY GOD, NO! NO! CY HENDERSON JUST HAD A BURST OF ADRENALINE, DUCKING UNDERNEATH THE ROUNDHOUSE KICK AND RUSHING PAST BRIAN DANIELS AND TO THE ROPES!

Stew-O: BRIAN DANIELS THREW EVERYTHING HE HAD IN THAT ROUNDHOUSE KICK! HE’S OFF BALANCE AND TRYING TO REGAIN IT, ALL WHILE CY HENDERSON REBOUNDS OFF THE ROPES AND RUSHES BACK AT BRIAN!

Flannery McCoy: BRIAN TURNS BACK AROUND TO SEE CY HENDERSON COMING AT HIM, BUT IT’S TOO LATE–

Jake Mercer: CALAMITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Stew-O: CY HENDERSON’S RARELY SEEN GORE FINISHER CONNECTS! THE CALAMITY LANDED RIGHT ON TARGET! I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT I’M SEEING! HE JUST GORED BRIAN DANIELS, SENDING HIM CRASHING DOWN INTO THE CANVAS, AND CY HENDERSON WENT DOWN WITH HIM!

Flannery McCoy: BUT CY HENDERSON’S ARM IS DRAPED OVER BRIAN DANIELS IN THE PROCESS! BRIAN’S SHOULDERS ARE ON THE GROUND! BOTH MEN MAY BE KNOCKED OUT, BUT THE REFEREE SEES ONE OF THEM THAT IS ACTUALLY PINNED, SO HE SLIDES IN RIGHT NEXT TO THEM! THE REFEREE BEGINS THE COUNT!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(Ding! Ding! Ding!)

(‘Saint Pablo’ by Kanye West begins blaring through the speakers to a loud set of boos; Cy Henderson has slayed the Dragonborn and got rid of the ghost of his past at long last. The referee slowly helps Cy Henderson get back to his feet to raise his arm in an exhausted victory.)

Stephie Love: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE IS YOUR WINNER! THE JUSTICE SEEKER… CYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! HEEEEEEEEENDERSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Stew-O: Say what you will about Cy Henderson’s attitude, but one thing you cannot deny is that he is an absolute MONSTER in that ring!

Flannery McCoy: Both Brian Daniels and Cy Henderson put EVERYTHING they had into that match, and the difference between victory and defeat was practically a hair’s width!

Jake Mercer: But tonight, that victory belongs to none other than the man himself… CY HENDERSON!

(The video feed lingered as Cy Henderson looked down at the fallen body of his past comrade with an inscrutable expression on his face, before he turned around and continued celebrating his victory amidst the boos of the fans. The video feed slowly faded to black.)

(As Dynasty returns from break, the camera cuts to Mia Santoro sitting off location at a blackjack table, twiddling a couple of cards in her hand.)

Mia Santoro: It goes without saying that since inking my contract with EAW, everything has gone the complete opposite of where I expected myself to be. I have to be honest and admit that a lot of it hinges on me, though. Setbacks that have come at my own doing, it’s left me many times throughout the season trying to figure out who I am and what comes next for me in this company.

(Mia shuffles through the deck, shaking her head as she begins to think about all of the hardships that she’s went through since coming to Dynasty. She grimaces at the thought of it.)

Mia Santoro: At Pain For Pride last year, I was just another cog in the wheel. I failed in my pursuit to become the Specialists Champion, but I refuse to let history repeat itself again. The fact I’ve been afforded another chance at it against the champion Brianna Hill, Auburn Ware, and Nikki Kimura tells you all that you need to know. It is like fate has sent me back to redeem myself. And as a result? Now isn’t the time for me to step back and allow someone else to have their big moment.

(She shakes her head, the anger practically brimming off of her face.)

Mia Santoro: Brianna Hill has been the Specialists Champion for quite some time, she’s picked up a couple of defenses and she has another thing that I don’t: winning the Extreme Enigma Memorial Battle Royal when the opportunity was right there for me to take advantage of. And with Silas World at her side, Brianna probably feels like she truly does have the whole world in the palm of her hands. But I’m not coming from Showdown. I’m not affected by anything that she says or feels about me. I know that I’m entering this one the underdog … but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They can all underestimate me, and what’s going to come out of it?

(Mia pauses for a second and looks back up to the camera with a wry smirk drawn across her face.)

Mia Santoro: I’m going to win that Specialists Championship and prove them wrong. Brianna isn’t the only one who’s had her moment. Auburn Ware has seen so much success since getting here. She got to retire Madison Kaline at last year’s Pain For Pride, she got to earn a unique opportunity which gave her an initial shot at the Specialists Championship. Auburn is likely the favorite to win this one if it isn’t Brianna, but what does that mean? That’s more expectations, more to go wrong for her. And what I know very well is that going with the odds-on favorite is being safe. I’ve never played things safe in my entire life. You win some and you lose some … but you’ll only win big if you take risks.

(She holds a King and a Queen card in her hand, and flicks both of them to the side in sync. They land hard on the table and slide to the edge.)

Mia Santoro: You know who I think is afraid of taking risks? Nikki Kimura. That’s why she’s out for revenge and not off to bigger and better things. Maybe I shouldn’t say so much since I’m in the same spot that I was at last year, but I have proven that I’m ready for my first championship… Nikki has already reached those heights, and she comes back out of greed. Two championship matches at the Universal Women’s and National Elite Championship. She failed to make something out of herself—so she comes crawling back under the pretense of “revenge”. I’m not going to allow her to have such an easy route, nor will I allow her to have a Pain For Pride moment when she’s had many moments herself and many opportunities to have something different on the table for her.

(Once again, Mia comes to a halt. She taps her finger on the table, as if she’s lost in thought about something.)

Mia Santoro: But above all else, what they have going for them? They have respect, they have a reputation. All three of my opponents are regarded well in some way, meanwhile I have nothing. But that doesn’t make me envious, not at all. If anything it fuels me to do even better come Pain For Pride. I am fired up, and I have one last trick up my sleeve to get me to my first ever championship in this company.

(Mia takes the sole card left in front of her, an Ace. She raises it up, before flicking it out of her hands. The card engulfs the camera lens and the scene cuts away.)

(The camera pans to Molly Waters in the report room. In the background, we get a splitscreen. One one side, Hans Grayson competing in various matches this season is played. On the other side, Kirk Redwood competed in various matches this season. Molly is with a smile on her face as she begins to speak.)

Molly Waters: Can you all just feel the excitement in the air? In about one week, Elite Answers Wrestling will host the eighteen consecutive Pain for Pride. An event that will go down as a miracle and masterpiece to remember! The matches are official. Especially, this one particular match that has always been known as the attention grabber of the entire show, the Cash in the Vault ladder match.

(In the background, highlights of the previous Cash in the Vault ladder matches are played on the screen.)

Molly Waters: Six Elitists enter the match. One will climb up the ladder, retrieve the briefcase and have the right to call themselves Mr. or Ms. Cash in the Vault. Each participant is feeling the nerves and excitement, but right now, I like to bring attention to two participants. Kirk Redwood and Hans Grayson from the Dynasty side of things. Both men will be walking into their first Cash in the Vault match, so let’s dive into both of these men. Let’s start with Kirk Redwood.

(A picture of Kirk Redwood is in the background as Molly Waters continues to talk.)

Molly Waters: After defeating two former World Champions at the previous Pain for Pride, Kirk Redwood would go into Dynasty this season, knowing that it was going to be a long fight to get to where he is. This would be the particular season, where he would find his focus shift from having his mind all over the place to having the aspirations to eventually become World Champion.

(The screen would begin to play Kirk Redwood’s performance in the Extreme Enigma Memorial Battle Royal. Then, it would highlight his run in the King of Elite tournament, where he would reach the semi-finals. It would also play some of his performance in the Iron Survivor Challenge at Operation: Doomsday. Then, it would highlight his run at Grand Rampage.)

Molly Waters: In the past couple of FPVs, Kirk Redwood would find himself in opportunities that could have meant great things for his standing on the Dynasty brand. The Extreme Enigma Memorial Battle Royal, King of Elite tournament, Iron Survivor, Grand Rampage – he’s been in a competitive mood all season long. When it comes to multi-Elitist matches, Kirk has grown accustomed to having to deal with multiple Elitists at once. He’s slowly, but surely, gotten himself prepared for what the Cash in the Vault ladder match is going to be. I managed to get some words from Kirk as we approach this match

(The camera pans to Kirk Redwood in the confessionals.)

Kirk Redwood: This has been a long fight to get to the position that I am. I’ll admit that it wasn’t the best start, but that’s what I anticipated. I’m used to having to fight for it more than others, but what mattered is the fact that I stuck around and fought through it and it paid off. From my strong performance in the King of Elite tournament, reaching the semi-finals, to participating in the Iron Survivor to now getting an opportunity to be in the Cash in the Vault match, I’ve always been fingertips away from a World Championship opportunity and now, I got a surefire path towards that which I am going to use to the fullest. One thing that you can never deny about me is that I’ll never quit, and I won’t quit now, now that I am this close.

(The camera pans back to Molly Waters in the report room. On the screen behind her, it begins to play Hans Grayson and his best moments of this season. Then, it stops at a picture of Hans, letting people know that he’ll be the focus on this next piece.)

Molly Waters: Some strong words from Kirk Redwood. Now, Hans Grayson would walk into Season 18 as the Interwire Champion. Right away, the bar was high and the pressure was on. At October’s Super Dynasty event, he would feel that pressure first hand as he would lose the title to Vincent Mondrian after some inference from the Hall of Famer, Impact, who Hans was dealing with at the time. From the season beginning on a high, it would take a bit of a nose dive when it came to the win and loss column, but for Hans, he remained positive and he saw this as an opportunity to take his career to the next level.

(The screen would begin with his performance in the Extreme Elimination Chamber, to his performance in the triple threat match at King of Elite, to Operation: Doomsday in the Iron Survivor Challenge to his match against Brian Daniels at Grand Rampage.)

Molly Waters: Since losing the Interwire Championship, Hans Grayson would use it as an opportunity to climb up the card on the Dynasty brand. Just like Kirk, he would find himself in opportunities that would be great for his standing on the brand. He would compete in matches like the Extreme Elimination Chamber to get an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship at King of Elite to be part of the Iron Survivor Challenge at Operation: Doomsday. Each of these matches showcased that possibly a Hans Grayson World title reign may be on the horizon for him. When dealing with someone like Cash in the Vault, he’s dealing with a crop of Elitists who could have World title reigns on the horizon for them as well. Each Elitist earned their way to this match. Each Elitist wants to walk out of Spotify Camp Nou with the briefcase, but Hans wants to show that he wants that more. We have some brief words from Hans that I would like to show everyone.

(The camera pans to Hans Grayson in the confessional.)

Hans Grayson: As I walked into the season as Interwire Champion, the bar was already high for me and I knew that I needed to make the best of it. Even though losing the title so close to the end of the year was bittersweet, it gave me the chance to take my career to the next level. I feel like I’ve always been one step away from it. From the Chamber to the World Heavyweight Championship triple threat at King of Elite to the Iron Survivor Challenge at Operation: Doomsday to now, here, I feel like now more than ever, I’m ready for an opportunity that people wouldn’t have imagined for me at the start of the season. I know what’s on the line and thankfully, I have been preparing one whole year for this and I can confidently say now, more than ever, I am ready to become a World Champion. The only way I can do that is through winning Cash in the Vault.

(The camera pans back to Molly Waters at the report room.)

Molly Waters: Confidence oozing out of Hans Grayson. Him and Kirk Redwood have a huge opportunity next weekend at Pain for Pride 18. Both men have had completely different seasons. Kirk’s season consisted of fighting to get to where he is and he’s aware that the fight is still on. He’s teased with the idea of being World Champion. He’s been fingertips away from getting his opportunity and looks for this match to be where he captalizes on everything. Hans’ season may have started out like a dream, but about four months in,he took a setback, looked at the positive and saw it as an opportunity to take himself to the next level.

(Behind Molly Waters, we begin to see a splitscreen. One half has Kirk Redwood and his hard-hitting moments in various matches. The other half has Hans Grayson and his hard-hitting moments in the match. Then, the match card for the Cash in the Vault ladder match is displayed on the screen.)

Molly Waters: Now, this match has about an eighty-five percent success rate. Most Elitists who have cashed in the briefcase have moved on to become World Champion. Some of them for the first time ever. Myles, Jake Smith, and most recently, Donovan Duke were already successful, but they were never World Champion until winning the briefcase. This year, we will have our eighteen Cash in the Vault ladder match. Ryan Wilson, Miku Sakai, KASAI, Daryl Kinkade, Kirk Redwood and Ryan Wilson have all found themselves in World Championship matches at somepoint this season. None of them were able to walk out with the gold, so this will be another Cash in the Vault, where we could see an Elitist win the briefcase and win the World Championship for the first time in their careers. This is a huge opportunity for Dynasty’s Hans and Kirk and Showdown and Voltage can be assured that they’ll be ready!

(The scene pans elsewhere.)

Stephie Love: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FOLLOWING MATCH IS A TRIPLE THREAT SCHEDULED FOR ONE FALL!

Crowd: ONE FALL!

Stephie Love: AND IT IS FOR THE EAW INTERWIRE CHAMPIONSHIP!

(‘Many Men’ by 50 Cent began blaring through the speakers to a loud reaction as Chris Elite stepped out onto the stage with a calm and focused expression on his face; his eyes locked in to the squared circle across the ramp, feeling the pressure in the air as he prepared to fight for the Interwire Championship. He cracked his neck and marched down the ramp towards the ring.)

Stephie Love: INTRODUCING FIRST! Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, weighing in at 210 pounds… he is Gawd Given Greatness, CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stew-O: I don’t think we’ve seen Chris Elite as focused as he is for this match; all season, there have been accusations flying back and forth against Gawd Given Greatness that he can’t hang with the new generation anymore, but that hasn’t stopped Chris from looking to prove them wrong every step of the way!

Flannery McCoy: And now, he’s looking to prove them all wrong in a BIG way as he looks to win the Interwire Championship from Jay Jerry Johnson, who quickly captured the gold after his return, sparking tension with Chris along the way!

Jake Mercer: But it’s not just the champion in the match, Chris has angered Holly Arrow, who thought this match was hers to win and hers alone; things have gotten heated between all three competitors, and it’s coming to a head tonight!

(“I’m Still Standing” by Elton John began blaring through the speakers to deafening cheers as Holly Arrow stormed out to the stage spreading her arms out wide; she surveyed the arena before her eyes landed on Chris standing in the ring. Determined as ever, she made her way towards the ring where he stood.)

Stephie Love: AND HIS OPPONENT! Hailing from Liverpool, England, weighing in at 149 pounds… she is the Final Girl, HOOOOOOOOOOLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!

Stew-O: Speaking of determination, though, we have Holly Arrow who has gone through so much struggle and turmoil in her journey to finally win herself a singles championship; tonight, she has that opportunity as she contends for the Interwire Championship!

Flannery McCoy: We’ve seen firsthand how her struggles have forced Holly to come to terms with who she is, but none of that has done anything to demotivate her; no matter how much elitists try to put her down, here she is, contending for a title at Grand Rampage!

Jake Mercer: Chris Elite and Holly Arrow are staring daggers into each other, but they’re not the only ones in this match; it’s time for the champion himself to get into the fray!

(‘Mayoi Uta (Song of the Lost Star)’ by MyGO!!!!! began blaring through the speakers to a loud mixed reaction as Jay Jerry Johnson emerged from behind the stage curtains with the Interwire Championship gripped in his hand; there was a wry, joyless expression on his face as his eyes flitted between his two competitors. He raised the gold into the air before marching down the ramp towards the ring.)

Stephie Love: AND THEIR OPPONENTS, HAILING FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WEIGHING IN AT 223 POUNDS… HE IS THE EAW INTERWIRE CHAMPION, JAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! JEEEERRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! JOOOOOOOOOOHNSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Stew-O: Jay Jerry Johnson’s single-minded focus towards achieving his goals has yielded him quite the success since his return last year; with no distractions and honestly no happiness to delay him, he made a beeline for the Interwire Championship shortly after resurfacing and immediately won it on his first try from then-champion Vincent Mondrian!

Flannery McCoy: Since then, the rest has been history; Jay has been defending against all challengers and making sure that NOBODY managed to take the gold from him!

Jake Mercer: Jay is a record-tying 2x Interwire Champion and we see no hint of him being willing to let that go tonight as he marches into war against Chris Elite and Holly Arrow!

Stew-O: Only one elitist can walk out of here with the gold, but who will it be?! The time has come to find out!

(Ding! Ding! Ding!)

Stew-O: And the match is underway! Chris Elite! Holly Arrow! The EAW Interwire Champion, Jay Jerry Johnson! All contending for the gold in a dangerous triple threat match up! The wrestlers have not left their corners yet, as they all look from opponent to opponent, gauging their stances and even the slightest bit of movement!

Flannery McCoy: A triple threat match is always a difficult place to find yourself into; you never know when you’re going to get hit from behind by an opponent you just weren’t keeping your eye on at the time, because there’s only so much attention that you can divide between two people!

Jake Mercer: But almost as if it were coordinated, all three wrestlers begin to take steps forward, heading towards the center of the ring with their arms and legs in a ready stance to encounter whatever could come about! Holly Arrow and Jay Jerry Johnson begin to circle the ring, but suddenly, Chris Elite lunges forward and catches the champion off guard with a sudden burst of fiery aggression!

Stew-O: THE ALMIGHTY PUSH! Jay Jerry Johnson just got out of his corner, but he just got tackled back into it with all of Chris Elite’s strength! You can see the determination to prove the naysayers wrong in Chris Elite’s eyes as he begins lighting Jay Jerry Johnson UP with a relentless barrage of strikes, culminating with a SNOOZE! THE MIKE TYSON UPPERCUT TO THE JAW OF THE CHAMPION!

Flannery McCoy: Chris Elite is looking hellbent on turning this championship match into a showcase for him for when he wins the gold, but he’s got to watch out; Holly Arrow comes stalking him from behind with a malicious expression on her face!

Jake Mercer: AND SHE BURSTS FORWARD WITH A SPRINT, CONNECTING TO THE BACK OF CHRIS ELITE’S HEAD WITH A RUNNING LARIAT! Not only that, but that lariat just knocked Chris Elite’s head into an impromptu headbutt to the champion, who Chris Elite was just ambushing in the corner!

Stew-O: The impact of that headbutt looks to have left Jay Jerry Johnson reeling as he falls to a seated position at his corner, and now Holly Arrow grabs the wrist of one of her competitors in Chris Elite before turning around to look at the corner on the opposite side of the ring! She uses her grip on the wrist of Gawd Given Greatness before launching him into a sprint towards that corner with an Irish whip!

Flannery McCoy: Chris Elite lands with his back against that turnbuckle, just for Holly Arrow to follow him with a sprint of her own, going from corner of the ring to corner of the ring in nearly no time at all, and using that impressive velocity to connect with ANOTHER running lariat to the cornered opponent!

Jake Mercer: The impact of that lariat caused Chris Elite to crumple down to a seated position with his back against the bottom turnbuckle, just like the Interwire Champion himself Jay Jerry Johnson on the other end! Holly Arrow glances back and forth between them, seemingly getting an idea!

Stew-O: From the corner that Chris Elite is at, Holly Arrow takes aim at Jay Jerry Johnson and rushes over to his end of the ring with all the speed that she could possibly muster before launching herself and turning around mid-air, connecting with the head of Jay Jerry Johnson with a running HIP ATTACK! The Champion’s head bounces off the bottom turnbuckle with a sickening impact, causing him to clutch his head in pain!

Flannery McCoy: I don’t think Holly Arrow is quite finished here, though, as she wastes no time in scrambling back up and running back across the ring, connecting with Chris Elite this time using the same running corner hip attack! The Final Girl is looking to DOMINATE this match as she has expertly divided her opponents up and put herself in a position to be able to attack both of them without getting caught by a surprise attack from behind!

Jake Mercer: Holly Arrow rises up to a standing position and looks across the ring to see Jay Jerry Johnson still in pain from the damage he has sustained thus far; she has that same look in her eyes, and hey, the saying DOES go that if it ain’t broke you shouldn’t fix it, so Holly Arrow begins running at the Interwire Champion looking to add to the pain he’s already feeling in his head by repeating that same attack!

Stew-O: OH, BUT THIS TIME THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION HAD IT SCOUTED! HE SEEMED TO BE PLAYING POSSUM AS HE QUICKLY ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY OF HOLLY’S ATTACK! Holly Arrow just launched her hip at the bottom turnbuckle, connecting with all the momentum she picked up across her sprint… and you KNOW that’s got to hurt! A yelp comes from Holly as she clutches her lower back in pain, and Jay Jerry Johnson is ready to capitalize on the moment of vulnerability!

Flannery McCoy: The Interwire Champion rises up from behind Holly Arrow with a menacing expression on his face as he grabs her back and shoves her chest-first into the turnbuckles! He uses the bounce of that impact to pull her away from the turnbuckles and lift her up from behind… BEFORE DROPPING HER ONTO HIS KNEE WITH AN ATOMIC DROP!

Jake Mercer: ONCE AGAIN JUST ADDING DAMAGE TO THE DAMAGE SHE ALREADY SUSTAINED WITH THAT MISSED CORNER HIP ATTACK! He doesn’t just let her go there, though, he maintains that grip on her back and hoists her up once more after that! Holly Arrow has nowhere to go as Jay Jerry Johnson has her up in the air before DROPPING her with a back suplex!

Stew-O: You cannot underestimate the Interwire Champion under any circumstances, and that painful lesson is being taught right now as Jay Jerry Johnson looks to begin turning this match into a Jay Jerry Classic! Holly Arrow arches her back and ends up in a seated position after being dropped by that back suplex, but Jay Jerry Johnson doesn’t even let her have a brief moment of reprieve as he immediately rushes forward–

Flannery McCoy: SOCCER KICK! A vicious soccer kick connects to the back of the already hurt Holly Arrow, causing her to fall over and get laid out fully on the canvas, still trying to hold her back in pain! Jay Jerry Johnson’s eyes glance from limb to limb of the Final Girl with a cold, analytical expression on his face; I think he’s trying to decide just HOW he plans to pick Holly Arrow apart here!

Jake Mercer: It looks like he’s made a decision as he bends over and reaches for Holly Arrow– OH! WHAT’S THIS?! JAY’S WRIST GETS CLUTCHED FROM BEHIND BY… CHRIS ELITE! He suddenly reasserts himself into the match as he ripcords the Interwire Champion and yanks him into THE BOZO SILENCER! BOZO SILENCER CONNECTS WITH ALL OF THE STRENGTH THAT CHRIS ELITE CAN MUSTER, AND I THINK JAY JERRY JOHNSON GENUINELY DID NOT SEE IT COMING AS HE WAS NOT BRACED FOR THAT IMPACT WHATSOEVER!

Stew-O: The champion begins to fall to his knees, but Chris Elite gives him a stiff kick to the midsection in order to force Jay Jerry Johnson to double over in pain instead! That puts him right where Gawd Given Greatness wants him to be, because he transitions from keeping Jay in that bent over position to hoisting him up onto his shoulders!

Flannery McCoy: Being in a position like this can only spell disaster for Jay Jerry Johnson, but he’s too dazed from the impact of the Bozo Silencer to be able to do anything about it! Holly Arrow is laid out right at Chris Elite’s feet here as Chris looks to execute what I can only imagine will be a–

Jake Mercer: POWERBOMB! SITOUT POWERBOMB! JAY JERRY JOHNSON IS DROPPED RUTHLESSLY WITH A SITOUT POWERBOMB… BUT HE DIDN’T LAND ON THE CANVAS! HE LANDED RIGHT ON THE BACK OF THE LAID OUT HOLLY ARROW! :damn: :damn: :damn:

Stew-O: CHRIS ELITE SHOWING A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF BRUTALITY HERE AS HE WEAPONIZES THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION JAY JERRY JOHNSON AGAINST HIS FELLOW CONTENDER, HOLLY ARROW!

Flannery McCoy: Jay Jerry Johnson rolls off of Holly Arrow, clutching his back in pain, while the impact of that maneuver was enough to send Holly Arrow rolling out of the ring to get out of harm’s way! Chris Elite looked to stop her from getting under the bottom rope, but it was too late by the moment he realized it!

Jake Mercer: He seems to think about chasing her out to ringside for a moment, but it seems like he’s chosen to focus his efforts on the Interwire Champion instead as he begins mercilessly stomping out Jay Jerry Johnson, who is still laid out after getting hit with that massive sitout powerbomb!

Stew-O: He gets Jay near the ropes with his barrage of stomps, and the Interwire Champion reaches for that bottom rope… but Chris Elite grabs his hand and instead uses it to drag Jay Jerry Johnson up to his feet! He seems to have Jay right here he wants him as he suddenly pulls that hand behind Jay’s own back and then does the same with Jay’s other hand!

Flannery McCoy: He’s got a double hammerlock applied here, something we don’t see from a man of Chris Elite’s style of wrestling, but it looks like he’s pulling all the stops out to match noted technicians Jay Jerry Johnson and Holly Arrow right where they are and prove he can do it just as well! What’s he got planned with this double hammerlock hold–

Jake Mercer: OH! HE USES IT AS A GRIP TO LAUNCH JAY JERRY JOHNSON OVERHEAD! DOUBLE HAMMERLOCK NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX CONNECTS! Chris Elite just executed a truly masterful maneuver, damaging the arms by forcefully using them as a grip to hoist all of Jay Jerry Johnson’s body weight before dropping him on them, damaging his arms and back as well, all in one move!

Stew-O: And he’s got it bridged right there as he goes for the pin off of that impressive attack! The referee slides into the fray and begins counting it!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TW-

Flannery McCoy: But Jay Jerry Johnson quickly and emphatically kicks out! The Interwire Champion has weathered many storms and is showing that it will take a lot more to be able to break through his iron defenses and resiliency! Chris Elite doesn’t seem deterred – as a matter of fact, what’s he doing?!

Jake Mercer: He’s still got Jay pressed against the canvas even after he got his shoulder up, and now Chris Elite swings his entire body overhead before landing with both boots on the mat… AND NOW HE’S STARTED DEADLIFTING JAY JERRY JOHNSON OFF THE CANVAS! LOOK AT THIS SHOW OF STRENGTH AND PHYSICALITY BY GAWD GIVEN GREATNESS ON DISPLAY! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!

Stew-O: From that laid out position, Chris Elite took Jay Jerry Johnson up to a standing position and fluidly hoists him up from there into a vertical suplex lift, holding him up in the air before JUMPING AND DROPPING HIM! A JUMPING VERTICAL SUPLEX BY CHRIS ELITE HERE, AND HE IMMEDIATELY SLIDES OVER TO GO FOR ANOTHER PIN ATTEMPT RIGHT OFF OF THAT! DOES HE HAVE IT?!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOO-

Flannery McCoy: Oh, and ANOTHER kick out by Jay Jerry Johnson! Chris Elite is pulling out all the stops, but the Interwire Champion just is not willing to let up here! Still, do you know how impressive it is to be able to execute a JUMPING suplex? You don’t just have your opponent’s entire body weight lifted above you, you have it and then you JUMP with it for added impact!

Jake Mercer: Despite the fact that Jay Jerry Johnson managed to kick out of it, you can SEE the toll that Chris Elite’s back to back heavy duty maneuvers are taking on his body with the damage starting to set in! Meanwhile, Chris Elite is facing some frustration here as Jay Jerry Johnson seems to be taking all the damage that Chris Elite has to offer but not going down as a result!

Stew-O: Chris Elite is going to have to pull out ALL the stops in order to be able to put down a champion like Jay Jerry Johnson, and from the look in the eyes of Gawd Given Greatness, I think he’s processing that and is ready to up the ante here in this championship match! He grabs Jay Jerry Johnson and begins forcing him back up to a standing position, albeit facing AWAY from Chris Elite!

Flannery McCoy: The Interwire Champion is looking dazed here, it appears, and Chris Elite wants to take full advantage of the momentum that he’s built up in this match so far after taking out Holly Arrow and managing to get this much damage performed on the champion himself! He finally ends up with Jay on his feet, and he gets right behind him–

Jake Mercer: CHRIS ELITE HOISTS HIM UP WITH A BACK TO BELLY SUPLEX HOLD… I THINK CHRIS ELITE IS GOING FOR BROKE HERE, WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE! HE’S GOING FOR HIS SIGNATURE MANEUVER, THE FUSION DANCE, THE BELLY TO BACK SUPLEX THAT HE TRANSITIONS INTO A NECKBREAKER–

Stew-O: OH, BUT IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE, BECAUSE JAY JERRY JOHNSON JUST FLIPPED HIMSELF OVER CHRIS ELITE’S HEAD AND GOT BEHIND HIM! THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION APPLIES A REAR NAKED CHOKE HOLD ON HIS WAY DOWN AND APPLIES BODY SCISSORS TO LATCH HIMSELF ONTO THE BACK OF CHRIS ELITE WITH THAT CHOKE HOLD APPLIED AT FULL FORCE!

Flannery McCoy: YOU CAN SEE THE PANIC FLARE UP IN THE EYES OF GAWD GIVEN GREATNESS! HE THOUGHT HE HAD THIS MATCH WON AS HE WENT FOR HIS SIGNATURE FUSION DANCE BUT JAY JERRY JOHNSON CAN NEVER BE COUNTED OUT! JUST AS THE CHAMPION MANAGED TO LURE HOLLY ARROW INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MATCH, HE JUST DID THE SAME TO CHRIS!

Jake Mercer: And now Chris Elite is struggling and flailing with all the force that he can to try to get Jay Jerry Johnson off, but this is JAY’S wheelhouse now! Once a man like Jay Jerry Johnson has you in a submission maneuver, it becomes one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in the professional wrestling industry to fend him off and save yourself!

Stew-O: Chris Elite is facing that reality right now because no matter what he does, it doesn’t seem to be affecting the Interwire Champion! Chris is throwing back elbows, but with the position that Jay is in, the impacts are barely managing to leave a dent on the champ; any attempt to just shake him off isn’t working either, because Jay is locked in with TWO grips, the choke hold itself as well as the body scissors!

Flannery McCoy: Chris looks around in a panic with the oxygen getting cut off from his brain before his eyes seem to flash with an idea; he scrambles forward as quickly as he can towards the corner… and he turns around at the very last moment, crashing into the turnbuckles using Jay Jerry Johnson’s body as a tool! That seems to have done the trick because it actually manages to force the champion’s grips to loosen, which Chris immediately realizes and takes advantage of when he forcefully wrenches away Jay Jerry Johnson’s arms and gets oxygen back!

Jake Mercer: The damage has been done, though, as Chris Elite staggers and stumbles forward, coughing and sputtering as he tries to process the oxygen that he finally got back; that rear naked chokehold did a number on him, we could see Jay really using the edge of his forearm on the throat of Gawd Given Greatness, increasing the damage by using the bone of his arm to make things worse! That’s the mark of a true technician right there!

Stew-O: Despite freeing himself, Chris Elite seems to be in a worse position than Jay Jerry Johnson here, because the Interwire Champion managed to recover from being bashed against the corner and is now stalking Chris from behind, measuring him up as he waits for his opponent to turn around-

Flannery McCoy: Sure enough, Chris Elite does turn around… BUT HE ENDS UP GETTING HIT WITH THE PRETTY VISITOR! PRETTY VISITOR CONNECTS, THE SIGNATURE JUMPING CUTTER OF JAY JERRY JOHNSON LANDS RIGHT ON TARGET AS THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION DROPS CHRIS FACE-FIRST ONTO THE CANVAS OUTTA NOWHERE!

Jake Mercer: AND JAY JERRY JOHNSON, FOCUSED AS EVER, WASTES NO TIME IN SLITHERING OVER TO GRAB THE LEGS OF CHRIS ELITE AND HOOKS THEM BOTH, GOING FOR THE PIN HERE AFTER THAT SIGNATURE MANEUVER CONNECTING!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOO–

Stew-O: OH! HOLLY ARROW SLIDES BACK INTO THE RING AND CONNECTS WITH BOTH JAY JERRY JOHNSON AND CHRIS ELITE WITH A BASEMENT DROPKICK! TWO BIRDS TAKEN OUT WITH ONE STONE, AND HOLLY ARROW HAS A SLIGHT SMIRK ON HER FACE; SHE COULDN’T HAVE TIMED THAT ANY BETTER!

Flannery McCoy: Chris Elite and Jay Jerry Johnson became so embroiled in that one on one situation that they managed to lose focus on the Final Girl, who is looking to become THE Final Girl of this match by taking out both the champion and the other contender! She separates the two of them on the canvas before connecting with Chris Eltie with a jumping foot stomp to the chest!

Jake Mercer: I guess that’s some immediate payback for dropping Jay Jerry Johnson on top of her with that earlier powerbomb! She immediately locks in on Chris Elite and forces him up to a standing position before barraging him with a flurry of rapid-fire strikes! An elbow smash across the cheek, an uppercut to send him staggering back, and then a palm strike connects right to the throat that was exposed from Holly’s uppercut! Chris Elite is still reeling after taking that signature jumping cutter from Jay Jerry Johnson and now he’s getting hit with all of this from a much less damaged Holly Arrow!

Stew-O: That palm strike to the throat sent Chris Elite staggering back some more, but Holly Arrow seems to have no intentions of giving Gawd Given Greatness any moment of reprieve here as she immediately spins right behind him and pulls his head into an inverted face lock! What does she have planned here–

Flannery McCoy: OH! INVERTED DDT! CHRIS ELITE WAS JUST DROPPED ON THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WITH IMPUNITY, AND HOLLY ARROW ISN’T EVEN LETTING THE MOVE STAND ON ITS OWN BECAUSE SHE BEGINS HITTING CHRIS WITH A BURST OF BACK ELBOWS RIGHT AFTER CONNECTING WITH THE INVERTED DDT!

Jake Mercer: We see the fire in Holly Arrow’s eyes as she looks to capitalize on all the damage that was done to both of these men while she was recuperating outside, and she’s dragging Chris Elite back up to his feet now to follow through on that! She drags him away from the ropes before– OH MY GOD!-

Stew-O: SHE SWINGS HER LEG OVER HIS NECK AND REACHES OVER TO GRAB HIS ARM; SHE’S LOOKING TO END IT ALL RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW! SUNSET PEAK! SUNSET PEAK! SHE’S APPLYING THAT DEADLY OCTOPUS STRETCH ON CHRIS ELITE RIGHT HERE AND NOW! SHADES OF KENDRA SHAMEZ!

Flannery McCoy: SHE’S WRENCHING THE MANEUVER AS HARD AS SHE CAN, AND THIS IS LOOKING BAD FOR CHRIS ELITE! ALL OF HOLLY ARROW’S STRENGTH IS BEING PLACED INTO THIS MANEUVER AND SHE’S UTILIZING ALL OF HER BODY WEIGHT TO PUT AS MUCH PRESSURE ON THE NECK, PECS, AND ARMS OF GAWD GIVEN GREATNESS AS SHE CAN!

Jake Mercer: THE REFEREE IS CHECKING ON CHRIS ELITE! IS HE OUT? IS THIS MATCH OVER!? CHRIS ELITE IS–

Stew-O: OH! NECKBREAKER OUT OF NOWHERE! JAY JERRY JOHNSON SPRUNG BACK INTO THE ACTION AND PULLED HOLLY ARROW OUT OF THAT POSITION AND RIGHT DOWN TO THE CANVAS WITH A DEADLY NECKBREAKER, WHICH CAUSED CHRIS ELITE HIMSELF TO SWING THROUGH WITH THE OCTOPUS STRETCH HOLD AND GET DROPPED RIGHT ON HIS HEAD!

Flannery McCoy: THIS IS CHAOS! PANDEMONIUM IN THE INTERWIRE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! Holly Arrow clutches the back of her neck in pain before locking eyes with Jay Jerry Johnson and glaring; you can SEE the frustration on her face! She had the match won, but once again the presence of a third wrestler kept the match going!

Jake Mercer: Jay Jerry Johnson does not have a hint of sympathy on his face, though; the dour champion staggers to his feet, burdened with all of the pain he’s experienced from both Holly and Chris thus far, and he stares daggers at the Final Girl!

Stew-O: They both rise to their feet and… IT’S ON! JAY JERRY JOHNSON LUNGES FORWARD WITH AN ATTEMPTED LARIAT, BUT HOLLY ARROW DUCKED UNDERNEATH IT! NO, NOT JUST THAT, SHE CAUGHT THE WRIST AND WRENCHED IT BACK BEHIND JAY, APPLYING A WRIST LOCK! AND SHE TWISTS THAT EVEN FURTHER BEHIND TO APPLY A HAMMERLOCK!

Flannery McCoy: WE’RE SEEING TWO TECHNICAL MASTERMINDS GO AT IT RIGHT HERE AS HOLLY ARROW KICKS OUT THE KNEES OF THE CHAMP, BRINGING HIM TO A KNEEL BEFORE SHE USES HER OTHER ARM TO APPLY A DRAGON SLEEPER HOLD WHILE KEEPING THE HAMMERLOCK APPLIED USING HER OTHER ARM!

Jake Mercer: SHE’S LOOKING TO CHOKE JAY JERRY JOHNSON OUT AND LIMIT HIS OPTIONS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! JAY’S GOT ONE FREE LIMB AND HE CAN BARELY REACH ANYTHING WITH IT! WAIT, LOOK AT THIS!

Stew-O: JAY IS USING HIS FLEXIBILITY TO HIS ADVANTAGE! HE’S ARCHING HIMSELF BACK EVEN FROM A KNEELING POSITION, DELEVERAGING HOLLY ARROW AS HE DOES SO! HOLLY LOSES HER GRIP ON THE HAMMERLOCKED ARM, FREEING IT FROM HER GRASP!

Flannery McCoy: That’s all Jay Jerry Johnson needed as he uses that arm to sweep the legs of Holly Arrow, bringing her down to the canvas! He caught one of the feet of Holly as he swept her down, though, and he IMMEDIATELY scrambles to his feet and desperately applies an ankle lock to the Final Girl! Ankle lock is applied, and he’s roaring at her to tap out!

Jake Mercer: BUT HOLLY IS DOING ANYTHING BUT TAPPING OUT! SHE’S SCREAMING BACK AT HIM SAYING SHE’LL NEVER TAP! JAY JERRY JOHNSON KEEPS THE ANKLE HELD AS HE FALLS OVER AND WRAPS BOTH HIS LEGS AROUND HOLLY’S, APPLYING A GRAPEVINE FOR GOOD MEASURE!

Stew-O: THE PRESSURE ELEVATES ON THE ANKLE OF HOLLY ARROW, AND SHE’S SCREAMING IN PAIN… BUT ALL THAT DID WAS GIVE HER ACCESS TO FIGHT BACK! SHE USES HER OTHER LEG TO BEGIN KICKING AS HARD AS SHE CAN AT THE KNEE OF THE CHAMPION! KNOWLEDGE OF THE BODY IS COMING INTO PLAY AS SHE CONNECTS WITH THE KNEECAP OVER AND OVER ON THE PERFECT SPOT TO MAXIMIZE DAMAGE!

Flannery McCoy: IT’S TOO MUCH FOR JAY! HE’S FORCED TO LET GO, BUT RELEASING THE PRESSURE JUST GAVE HOLLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO GRAB JAY’S LEG HIMSELF! SHE STAGGERS TO HER FEET HOLDING IT, PUTTING MOST OF HER BODY WEIGHT ON HER GOOD ANKLE, BEFORE CROSSING JAY’S LEGS AND… SHE’S GOING FOR THE SHARPSHOOTER!

Jake Mercer: SHARPSHOOTER IS APPLIED, AND JAY JERRY JOHNSON IS FEELING ALL OF IT! THE TECHNICAL MASTERMIND IS BEING PUT TO THE FIRE RIGHT HERE AND NOW, AND HE’S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO ESCAPE IT! BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH? WILL HE FIND THE ESCAPE BEFORE HE TAPS OUT?!

Stew-O: JAY RAISES HIS ARM UP IN THE AIR–

Flannery McCoy: BOX OFFICE SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH! HOLLY LOST HER FOCUS ON CHRIS AND LOCKED IN ON JAY, AND THAT GAVE CHRIS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LUNGE BACK INTO THE FRAY! HIS FINISHING HOUSE CALL MANEUVER CONNECTS RIGHT TO THE FACE OF HOLLY ARROW, RELEASING THE HOLD AND KNOCKING HER OUT TO THE SIDE! HOLLY FALLS OVER LIKE A TON OF BRICKS!

Jake Mercer: BUT CHRIS ISN’T LOOKING AT HER… JAY JERRY JOHNSON IS DOING HIS BEST TO CRAWL AWAY AFTER HAVING BEEN PUT THROUGH A DRAGON SLEEPER AND A SHARPSHOOTER IN RAPID SUCCESSION! CHRIS ELITE TAKES AIM AT THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION!

Stew-O: SLIME YOU OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUT! IT CONNECTED! THE RUNNING FOREARM TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD CONNECTS, AND CHRIS ELITE IMMEDIATELY HOOKS JAY’S LEGS LIKE HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! THE REFEREE BEGINS COUNTING! THIS HAS TO BE OVER!

ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(Holly Arrow slowly regains consciousness and looks at the pin occurring!)

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(She begins crawling over, raising her hand to stop it!)

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(It was too late.)

(Ding! Ding! Ding!)

(‘Many Men’ by 50 Cent begins blaring through the speakers to a deafening response as the crowd comes unglued at seeing the match end this way; Chris Elite falls back in exhaustion, but a smile appears as he hears the music.)

Stephie Love: YOUR WINNER… AAAAAAND NEEEEEEEEEEEEW EAW INTERWIRE CHAMPION… GAWD GIVEN GREATNESS, CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS! EEEEEEEEEEEELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!

Stew-O: I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! JAY JERRY JOHNSON’S REIGN IS OVER! CHRIS ELITE HAS JUST PROVEN ALL THE NAYSAYERS WRONG AND WON GOLD ONCE MORE IN HIS STORIED CAREER, THE INTERWIRE CHAMPIONSHIP IS NOW HIS!

Flannery McCoy: JAY JERRY JOHNSON IS KNOCKED OUT AFTER GETTING HIT WITH THAT TREMENDOUS OFFENSE! AND HOLLY ARROW… I THINK HER HEART MAY HAVE JUST BROKEN HERE AS SHE SCRATCHES AT THE CANVAS IN FRUSTRATION, UNABLE TO BREAK IT UP IN TIME!

Jake Mercer: IT DOESN’T MATTER IF SHE OR JAY LIKES IT OR NOT, CHRIS ELITE IS NOW THE INTERWIRE CHAMPION! HE BIDED HIS TIME AND SAW THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY, AND NOW THIS IS HIS WORLD AND WE’RE ALL LIVING IN IT!

(The camera pans around the ring as Chris Elite slowly staggers to his feet and gets handed the Interwire Championship, which he climbs to the top turnbuckle and raises up into the air in triumph. Jay and Holly both come to and look on in disappointment, but the crowd is roaring for Chris Elite as he has finally won Interwire Championship gold! The video feed fades to black on this triumphant image.)

(Friday Night Dynasty returns to show the backstage area as head correspondent Michael Belfort is seen standing by with a smile on his face and a microphone in his hand. He takes a moment before then beginning to speak to the many in attendance and watching at home.)

Michael Belfort: Welcome back! And what a go-home show it has been so far! We are so close to the season finale and the biggest Marquee Event of the year, Pain For Pride 18, and the anticipation for it is absolutely through the roof. There are many matches set to take place especially on the Dynasty side of things. One match in particular is one that a lot of people are looking for, especially one competitor, who’s looking to end the season the same way that he ended the last, and that’s as a Champion. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, BRAE!

(The crowd cheers loudly as the camera goes over to show BRAE as he’s seen making his way into the scene. He’s dressed in a suit with a serious expression on his face as he greets Michael with a nod of his head. It’s not long before the interview then begins to commence.)

Michael Belfort: BRAE, thank you for joining us tonight. How are you feeling?

BRAE: I am as ready and prepared as I’ve ever been. My mind is clear, I am focused, and I know what I need to do next week at Pain For Pride. I must take the Interwire Championship, I must make that my own, and I must do whatever it takes in order to do that. Credit where credit is due, Chris Elite is a great opponent. Despite the disrespect that he’s shown me, which is quite befitting of his character, I know that he has earned that considering the career that he has made for himself. He’s a Hall of Famer, he’s earned his stripes, and even then when he was treated with disrespect, he pushed through and defied expectations. If there’s one thing that shows me, it’s that Chris is full of surprises, but that’s something that I am ready for. If there is one thing that I have shown, it is that you can throw whatever you want at me, I will always get back up and fight back harder than ever, and that has led me to success in the past, and it is what is going to lead me to success now.

Michael Belfort: Well, as mentioned before, last year at Pain For Pride you beat Michael Machina for the New Breed Championship, and you held that all the way until King of Elite this year. Do you think that is something that gives you the edge as you walk into this high stakes match with a Championship on the line?

BRAE: Of course, but I know better than to hinge on that like my chances completely depend on it. Beating Michael Machina is a feat I am certainly proud of considering one year later he is walking into the same event as the EAW World Champion, but I know it takes so much more than that to make something out of this. One thing that they will not be able to take away from me is that I have earned this opportunity. That I have fought tooth and nail against anyone who would have something to say about it in order to get myself here, and now that that’s the case, I’m not letting it go. I have set the bar extremely high for myself and that is exactly how I like it. As the day’s go on, it continues to be raised higher and higher. At Pain For Pride I not only reach it with my own abilities, but I completely exceed it. I will become Interwire Champion and Chris Elite is not going to know what hit him. Because he’s not ready for it.

Michael Belfort: Why do you think that?

(BRAE chuckles, looking down at the ground as he shakes his head before looking up at him.)

BRAE: Michael, Chris Elite is so washed, I can get a good lather with my clothes just by using his bald head. He may be at the level that he truly desires to be, but little does he know in this current climate that is his ceiling, he doesn’t go any higher than that. And that’s not going to bode well against someone who’s constantly improving himself and becoming better, not at all.

???: You wanna say that again?

(The camera goes over as the crowd boos loudly for Chris Elite as he’s seen making his way into the scene with the Interwire Championship over his shoulder, fresh off of his win from just before that. He glares at his future challenger as BRAE speaks.)

BRAE: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Chris Elite: You know damn well the shit you said, don’t act stupid with me. You talking about how I’m “washed,” huh? Here I was thinking you could come up with a better argument, but no, it’s the same old shit over and over again, I ain’t even surprised.

BRAE: Your performances have been superb, do not get that wrong, but you’re making the mistake of putting all the chips on the table against an adversary that you have no idea what you’re walking into. You’re merely using experience as your crutch, and that is something that is going to be costly.

(Chris shakes his head as he turns around… but almost immediately, he quickly juts back and SLAMS his Championship against the face of BRAE! BRAE staggers back as Chris proceeds to grab hold of him, before sending him face-first directly into the concrete wall! BRAE drops down to a kneeling position as Chris shakes his head, picking his title back up.)

Chris Elite: You’re a fool, and at Pain For Pride, imma snuff out whatever ambitions you have left. I’m confident in that.

(Chris scoffs as he turns around and makes his way out of the scene. BRAE tries to rush toward him, but security breaks him up, as he feels his forehead to see a small cut which is slowly dripping blood. The last shot seen is the angered face of the challenger as Friday Night Dynasty then begins to fade out from there.)

(The scene pans to the backstage area, as Jake Mercer can be seen sitting comfortably as he sports a small grin on his face.)

Jake Mercer: Thank you for joining me today, I am here with two men who are set to collide at the biggest event of EAW, being the very next edition of Pain for Pride. I am joined by EAW Hall of Famer, Brian Daniels, and record two-time Interwire Champion, Jay Jerry Johnson.

(Brian Daniels & Jay Jerry Johnson stand across from one another, as they give each other a noticeable glance before Daniels first turns his head to Mercer with a slight grin on his face, nodding to him.)

Brian Daniels: Thanks for having us, Jake.

Jay Jerry Johnson: Should be interesting…

Jake Mercer: Of course, I cannot understate how you are both exceptionally capable elitists between those ropes on precisely every front of this business. You have carved out your own paths and have been able to achieve a large degree of success that cannot exactly be matched by many other people in this industry as a whole. Your in-ring styles can mirror each other on a very precise level, as does your approaches & philosophies when it comes to the squared circle. Not to mention, your motivations can also be compared, as they align well enough–

Jay Jerry Johnson: Respectfully, I beg to differ.

(Jay cuts off Jake as he leans back on his own seat, crossing his arms as he has his gaze toward Jake while Brian listens to him adamantly.)

Jay Jerry Johnson: The similarities that you seem keen on speaking of, are only present on a very marginally surface level. These are facets of indifference that you have to understand, alongside everyone else who wishes to place us on this totem pole where we are alongside one another. That is just not true, and I do not say this as any notion of disrespect toward Brian Daniels as well. I do respect him, and I respect what he has done for the industry to the point where he can return & be admired for his past and current efforts—but I must halt from there. I have to remain inherently honest with what I believe to be the fact of the matter, Daniels.

(Jay turns his glance toward Brian specifically, as he does not mince his words.

Jay Jerry Johnson: You are a byproduct of the past. There is no trouble with being deemed as much, this is simply the result of time passing by much of the wrestlers who made a name for themselves in a yesteryear. I can remark on how you could have been kept to this bygone era and that is where your impact would have been most attributed, but you are doing well enough in this modern day. However, the future is now, and I firmly believe that I represent much of that future which can continue to remain strong as this sport moves toward the next chapter. Well, the next season more accurately.
(Brian chuckles a bit, nodding to Jay as he sports a small smile on his face.)

Brian Daniels: The future is now, hm? That’s definitely an interesting point to make.

Jay Jerry Johnson: At the very least, you can declare how you have been a multiple time World Champion here, a solidified main eventer who has been able to reach the very top of the mountain on numerous occasions. You have earned your keep, that respect which you have been adorned with. I cannot declare the same rhetoric for myself, I say that with full understanding of where I find myself today & where I aim to be in the near future. While I am aware of how I have been able to retain success with each season that passes, as becoming Interwire Champion on two separate occasions is certainly nothing to dismiss by any fiber of this sport, I understand there are simply levels to this sport that I must eclipse further. Becoming World Champion, becoming the main eventer you have, that remains to be the breakthrough toward this final ceiling.

(Brian nods further, as he breathes outward & ponders on what to say.)

Brian Daniels: I will be upfront & honest like I always am, Jay. You do come across as a professional wrestler who is far too insecure. You want to pass yourself off as being this confident wrestler who can remain steadfast with his approach to this industry, steadfast with his goals as he looks to continue making his mark—but as much as you declare that you are the future, you don’t seem exactly all too sure of how ready you truly are to accomplish everything. You have this uncertainty that you can’t seem to shake from yourself, and I don’t think this should be ignored as we head into Pain for Pride. I don’t say this as a way of putting you down, that is simply my own observation after listening to you speak on how this should all pan out for the future.

Jay Jerry Johnson: I will regard that I am not one to make any grand claim, my honesty cannot be undermined when I declare how I look to bolster myself toward a much greater position. However, that does not imply that I am timid in any manner. My goal remains crystal clear, and that is to defeat you at Pain for Pride. To defeat an EAW Hall of Famer on such a grand stage would certainly mean an incredible deal, and your defeat will be the final step that I need in order to finally reach this apex that I have been eagerly looking toward. In this instance, it will be my time to use the wayward past in order to cultivate the future that I know I represent. I must achieve this.

(Brian sighs to himself.)

Brian Daniels: As you already understand, I have to disagree. You are a real good professional wrestler, I’d even go as far as to say you are truly great between those ropes. I do not want for you to mistake me as this past for you to just take complete advantage of though, ‘cause I can assure you that there is no chance of me falling off from where I have always been. I am still far too consistent to slow down now, and you will understand that at Pain for Pride. I want to go after the World Heavyweight Championship myself, as an elitist who understands the sanctity of becoming World Champion and how much that means to me.

Jake Mercer: Does that signal that you not only look to focus back on Cy Henderson, as well as hoping that he wins his match to remain the World Heavyweight Champion as well?

Brian Daniels: That’s neither here nor there, I am just remarking on what I look to focus on for the future to come.

(Jay rolls his own eyes as he shakes his head.)

Jay Jerry Johnson: Yes, I concur, no one is exactly inviting anymore flashbacks to a bygone era amongst the two of you anymore. All that must be left in the past, exactly as your dreams of becoming World Champion again must be.

Brian Daniels: Is that right…?

(Brian & Jay glare toward one another, as Jake is erratically looking at the both of them before speaking again.)

Jake Mercer: Well, that will be all for today. I thank you both for joining me today, and we all look forward to the immense match to come at Pain for Pride…

(The two elitists continue to glare toward one another, the tensions growing as the scene soon pans out from there.)

(The shot transitions over to focus on Gina Romano for the introductions of the tag team title match.)

Gina Romano: The following contest is scheduled for ONE FALL!

Crowd: HAN GA-EUL!

Gina Romano: And it is for the EAW UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS!!

(‘I2I’ by Magnolia Park hits To cheers from the fans as the left half of the stage is filled with orange and red smoke while the right side is filled in blue and white smoke. Rex McAllister and Raven Roberts walk out side by side, and Rex takes Raven by the hand and spins her into himself, catching her in a dip. The pair smile at one another before slowly turn to look out at the cheering crowd. Rex pulls Raven back to her feet and they begin walking down the ramp, high-fiving several fans as they go.)

Gina Romano: Introducing first, the challengers! At a combined weight of 360 pounds, they are Raven Roberts and Rex McAllister…. FIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRE AAAAAND IIIIIIIIIICEEEEE!

Persephone: 🥱

Stew-O: Here they come! Many believe that Fire & Ice are the best team there is to dethrone the Jaded Hearts and put a stop to their historic fourth reign as tag team champions. Given how personal things have gotten in recent weeks as well, Raven and Rex are on a mission to ensure that both women do not walk out with the last laugh.

Gavin Kirkland: Even though I am team Showdown all the way through, I agree. On paper, Raven and Rex have what it takes to get it done. They both want to be champions again and they see no better way of doing that then taking down the greatest tag team champions of all time, and in the process, become the only active multi-time tag team champions currently competing in EAW today.

Persephone: Yeah, would be nice, I guess. Too bad that isn’t going to happen.

Stew-O: Yeah? Do you wish to give us your insightful, unbiased opinion for why that would be the case, Persephone?

Persephone: Nah. I’m good!

(When they get to the ring, Rex slides in as Raven walks up the steps. He sits on the second rope as Raven climbs through, and Raven pauses to give him a kiss halfway through the ropes. Rex then crosses the ring to the far hard can turnbuckle where he climbs to the top and puts a fist in the air. Raven walks to the middle of the hard can of the ring where she steps on the second rope with one foot and crossed her other leg over the top rope, posing with her arms out. The pair take in the moment before taking their corner.)

(After ‘I2I’ fades, ‘True Love’ by CFO$ hits. Sienna Jade and Kassidy Heart stroll on out, confident as ever and wearing matching blue gear with the Unified tag titles wrapped around their respective waists. The duo pose on stage and then strut down the ramp, all while looking less than impressed with Raven and Rex.)

Gina Romano: And the champions! They are the current, reigning and defending EAW Unified Tag Team Champions… Sienna Jade and Kasisidy Heart, the JAAAAADEEEED HEEEAAAAARRRTS!

Gavin Kirkland: Now here come my girls! Look at how amazing they look, and the gold only compliments them even more.

Persephone: Oh, boy. Don’t you even start…

Stew-O: The Jaded Hearts are dominant, smart and focused. Also helps that perhaps heading into this match, they have the mental advantage as well. Still, this isn’t the first time Elitists have tried to get into the minds of Raven and Rex, and likely won’t be the last. Now, it’s only a matter of seeing whether Sienna and Kassiy can make everything count and have another successful title defense underneath their belts.

(Kassidy and Sienna enter whilst holding down the ropes for one another. With both women in, they walk to the center, unclasp the titles, and raise them high above the heads. The two glance back at Rex and Raven, flashing them some smug smirks. Raven and Rex remain focused though as they warm up in their corners, not at all backing down.)

(The titles eventually get handed to the referee. They raise them up once more before setting them aside and calling for the bell!)

(DING DING DING!)

Stew-O: And here we are, one fall to a finish! Fire & Ice versus the Jaded Hearts! This may be the biggest title match for the tag titles all year, and to start things off, we have Sienna Jade of the Jaded Hearts and Raven Roberts representing Fire and Ice. The two women circle around the ring before meeting at the center with a lock up! Sienna takes the initiative and taking a hold on Raven’s right arm. However, Roberts goes ahead and slips away from that, and in the process, she’s able to twist and latch onto Sienna’s own arm!

Gavin Kirkland: Raven moves behind to the ever-beautiful Sienna Jade. Looks like she’s going for a hammerlock. However, Raven reaches back with her other arm and manages to have that lace around her head, pushing down on it, and that causes Sienna to let go as she instinctively tries to pry that limb off of her! Raven drops to a knee, bringing her down some and uses her other arm to wrap around her head, capturing her in a sidelock.

Persephone: Oh fucking brother, is this going to be a graps-filled match? Because now Raven flips her down to the mat, getting her grounded. At least she’s moving kinda fast, but jeez, you four hate each other. Take each other to the top of the titantron and, I dunno… kill eech other from that height or something?

Stew-O: Well, that wouldn’t work considering that A.) Standard tag team rules apply, and B.) by the time they even get to that part of the stage, both teams would be counted out.

Persephone: :Noah: !! This is why Voltage is better.

Stew-O: At any rate, Raven has so far done a good job of keeping Sienna grounded. However, one-half of the defending champions, Sienna isn’t going to stay down for long. She raises her legs before — wow, she kipped up! And she grabbed Raven while doing so, forcing her up in the process! Of course, Sienna has travelled the world and has developed a unique moveset to help her adapt regardless of the situation. She pushes Raven into the ropes as she looks to get her to let go—

Gavin Kirkland: But Raven is able to curb that momentum by dropping to a knee, sliding before coming to a halt. Sienna decides not to panic even with that attempt being stopped! She slams her forearm into the side of her torso!

Persephone: Okay, forearms! Now we’re heating things up. She attacks her again, and again before wrapping her arms around Raven and lifting her up! She’s gonna break that bitch’s neck! :gladbron:

Stew-O: Not so fast, because Raven instead lands on her feet! Sienna whirls around and realizes this! She charges forward — arm drag! She quickly scrambles to her feet, but Raven takes her down AGAIN with another arm drag! Sienna gets back up to her feet, turns, and goes for a clothesline, but Raven ducks underneath it, grabs her by the wrist, turns her around, and SMASHES her fist into her face!

Gavin Kirkland: Raven isn’t done! She scoops up Sienna and drives her into the canvas with a bridging Northern Lights Suplex! Just as beautiful as she is!

Persephone: Great, so now you’ve gone on to simping for women outside of your own show? The Jaded Hearts are on YOUR brand, you moron!

Gavin Kirkland: Brand supremacy doesn’t get in the way of recognizing beauty. :mjlit:

Persephone: 🤦

Stew-O: Raven maintains the bridge for the pin!

Referee: ONEEE–

Gavin Kirkland: Shoulder up. Too soon for Sienna to lose here!

Persephone: Ugh, and knowing these two teams, it’s going to be a long ass night, but whatever. Raven’s moving quickly and gets Sienna up again, looking to lift her up for another suplex. However, Sienna uses her legs to wrap around hers, preventing her from taking her up into the air. Raven tries again, but it’s no use.

Stew-O: Raven takes a step back and knees Sienna right in the gut! She lurches forward! Raven looks back at her before charging to the ropes and coming back on the rebound —

Gavin Kirkland: — But hang on! Sienna is able to stand back up and hits the ropes herself! Raven sees her past by and stops in her tracks! Sienna now traps her by the arm and leg and rolls forward, bringing Raven down quickly and rolling forward, bridging for a pin of her own!

Referee: ONEEE–

Persephone: Kick out! Both of them get back on their feet and Sienna throws a forearm at Raven, but she catches the arm and grabs the other one, pulling her down for a backslide!

Referee: ONEEE–

Stew-O: Another kick out, this time from Sienna’s end! Raven gets up and walks to her, but Jade sweeps her at the legs, takes her down, and rolls over into a jacknife!

Referee: ONEEE–

Gavin Kirkland: Raven bridges up, wrapping her arms around Sienna! Now, both women are twisting and spinning around and around, jockeying for position!

Persephone: Seems like Sienna is getting bored of the monotony though as she’s close to the corner and brings her feet up, stepping up onto the turnbuckle paddings. She gets to the top, flips backwards, and lands on her feet, delivering a SLAP to Raven! Oh shit! :mjlol2: Now THAT was entertaining to watch!

Stew-O: Sienna mocks and teases Raven whose cheek seems to be turning red from that slap! However, she stares at Sienna, unphased and —

(## SMAAAAAAACK!)

Gavin Kirkland: :damn: !!! SHE SMACKS SIENNA RIGHT BACK, KNOCKING HER DOWN ONTO HER REAR END! SHE ALMOST RUINED HER PRETTY FACE!

Persephone: Eh, I’m sure the plastic helps to cushion the blow a little bit.

Stew-O: …

Gavin Kirkland: …

Persephone: What? Am I lying??

Stew-O: Anyways, Sienna is back up on her feet and she just mushes Raven right in the face! Roberts pushes her away and immediately goes for a big boot! Jade ducks! She reaches back, grabbing her, likely going for a neckbreaker, but Raven twists around and pushes her forward! Raven follows up on that and DRIVES HER INTO THE CANVAS WITH A BULLDOG!

Gavin Kirkland: Seems like Raven is starting to fire up here! Sienna staggers to her feet, but she gets levelled with a dropkick! She pops up again, but she’s taken down once more, only this time with a calf kick! Raven grabs her by the head and lifts her up… and NAILS that suplex she was looking for earlier! She floats over for the cover!

Referee: ONEEEEE—

Persephone: But that’s another kickout from Sienna. Raven goes over and grabs her by the ankles. However, Sienna manages to hold onto the ropes, stopping her from dragging her. Raven’s stubborn as hell, though. She’s trying to pry her off of those!

Stew-O: And the official has no choice but to step in, coming in the middle between them! Sienna rolls away, clutching her back and… she seems to be in a lot of pain? Did something happen?

Crowd: :lupe:

Gavin Kirkland: I have no idea. Was it from the suplex? It was pretty innocuous though, right?

Persephone: Eh. I dunno, but the referee is tending to Sienna and— WAIT! KASSIDY JUST KICKED HER IN THE BACK! Raven staggers and whips around, glaring right at her!

Sienna Jade: :mjlit:

Stew-O: AND RAVEN INADVERTENLY GOT CLOSER TO SIENNA WHO SCOOPS HER DOWN FOR THE SCHOOLBOY! SHOULDERS ON THE MAT!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stew-O: RAVEN ROBERTS KICKS OUT, BUT THAT WAS INSANELY CLOSE!

Gavin Kirkland: Ah, two smart, beautiful, crafty queens. You guys never truly appreciated them while they were on Dynasty.

Persephone: I can’t lie, that whole situation was funny. :mjlol: But I guess Raven herself is a stick in a mud because she immediately charges after Sienna who makes a bee-line for her corner! Raven tries to catch her, but Sienna slides in between her legs and tags Kassidy Heart in.

(TAG!)

Stew-O: And Kassidy wastes no time getting in the ring and right into the face of Raven! She shoves her, and Raven responds by shoving her back! Kassidy simply dusts off where Raven touched her at and goes for a forearm!

Gavin Kirkland: Raven blocks it! She follows it up with a chop to her chest! She hits the ropes – BUT KASSIDY CATCHE HER WITH A KNEE LIFT STRAIGHT TO THE GUT, CAUSING HER TO FLIP OVER AND ONTO HER BACK! KASSIDY BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES! LEG DROP!

Persephone: Raven sits up afterwards, but Kassidy hits the ropes once more time and catches her in the face with a knee. She goes down and we get another pinfall.

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Stew-O: Shoulder up! Kassidy grabs the hand and the other one, yanking Raven up before she tosses her back down onto the mat with a throw! Now, she cinches in a side headlock, keeping Raven trapped! Kassidy is completely calm and cool here, looking to do what she can to wear Raven out.

Gavin Kirkland: She’s the ’Fire’ in Fire & Ice for a reason, and if Kassidy is able to temper that, then she can… cool their momentum. Get it? :mjgrin:

Persephone: Oh my God, shut the fuck up and call the match!

Stew-O: Corny joke aside, the basis for it is correct. Raven can be a dangerous competitor once she gets the ball rolling, and Kassidy knows this. Raven right now is trying to fight her way out of this as she rolls onto the other side and looks to rise to her feet… but now, Kassidy switches her stance and latches onto her head. Keeping her in place, she begins to knee her into the chest as she forces her into a lurched position!

Gavin Kirkland: Between Sienna’s cunning and adaptability, and Kassidy’s ruthlessness and awareness, is there any wonder why the Jaded Hearts stand as the best tag team of all time? Kassidy lets one more knee fly before she traps Raven and sends her up and over with an arm-trapped suplex! Great move right there!

Persephone: Raven rolls over, more than likely to get some distance, but Kassidy walks over and kicks her in the ribs. :yikes: She grabs Raven and gets her up, forcing her into the corner! Now she’s just ramming her shoulder into her stomach, doing it over and over and over again! If she thought she was gonna be able to breathe, then she thought wrong.

Stew-O: And Kassidy only decides to let up just so that she can drive her knee into her once more. Raven clutches her abdomen. The domineering Heart smirks and backs up before she runs on in, leaping in with a forearm to the face! Raven could be in trouble here!

Gavin Kirkland: No kidding! She stumbles forward and Kassidy hangs on to her. She lifts her up — oh! Hang on! That was an elbow to the side of the head, courtesy of Roberts herself! Kassidy lets go of her as not even she was able to anticipate that! Raven switches over to bring herself behind her and wraps her arms around her! Kassidy runs forward and grabs the ropes! Raven tries to roll her backwards, but only ends up doing that to herself in the process!

Persephone: Raven runs to her and she ends up getting hit with a thrust kick! She drops to one knee! Kassidy looks to take advantage of that and heads over to her—

Stew-O: Punch to the gut by Roberts! Kassidy responds with a clubbing blow to her back! She gets her up and looks to Irish whip her but Raven reverses it—

Gavin Kirkland: — only for Kassidy to reverse it herself —

Persephone: — and Raven reverses it back on her —

Stew-O: — but Kassidy is able to get the job done! Raven is in the corner! Kassidy comes in with another forearm, but Raven kicks her away!

(TAG!)

Gavin Kirkland: And Rex gets the tag! Kassidy turns back around aiming for Raven, but she avoids the clothesline and Rex catches her and slams her down with a powerslam! Raven follows that up with a moonsault! Wow, the teamwork! Raven rolls out to the apron, and Rex goes for the cover!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Persephone: Shoulder up!

Stew-O: Rex McAllister keeps his focus as he understands the threat that Kassidy Heart poses. He takes hold of her and brings her to a seated position with a snapmare. Taking off, he runs to the ropes and comes back behind with a sliding back elbow! Kassidy goes down! The challenger has the champion on the mat and goes for another pinfall!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TW—

Gavin Kirkland: But Kassidy is far too tough to let the match end on that kind of note! Rex gets her up and lifts her up to a vertical base in the air! Brainbuster? Suplex?

Persephone: Maybe none of those things as Kassidy brings her knee down to his head, hitting him.

Stew-O: And that paves the way for Kassidy to fall down to her feet! She kicks Rex right in the knee and grabs him by the head, locking in a guillotine choke! But she doesn’t stop there! She leaps up and wraps her legs around him, looking to do everything she can to wear him down!

Gavin Kirkland: Oh, man, this may not end well for Rex. Though, I wouldn’t mind passing out after handling a beautiful woman.

Persephone: Uggggh. Whatever, dude. Either way, Rex is getting choked, and it seems like he’s beginning to fade. He goes down to one knee. Kassidy isn’t letting up, either.

Stew-O: Troubling predicament here. Raven is calling out to Rex to show somes signs of life!

Gavin Kirkland: And so are the fans here in Seoul!

Persephone: Guess all that ruckus managed to keep himself alert, because Rex is able to work his way back up. He’s struggling, but he’s up, and he brings his arm through Kassidy’s, breaking the hold and grabbing her. He hangs on and tosses her up —

Stew-O: BACKBREAKER! OH MY GOD! HOW DID REX MCALLISTER COME UP WITH THAT!?

Gavin Kirkland: :damn: !!!!

Persephone: Yeah forget about CTE, man, I think her back might be cooked.

Stew-O: Even Sienna looks shocked by that display! Rex goes ahead and covers Kassidy!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWO—

Gavin Kirkland: But Kassidy is able to power out of that one in her own right! That’s my champion!

Persephone: Yeah, but now Rex’s sitting her up and going for a chin lock. Guess he’s looking to wear her down in his own right.

Stew-O: Tit for that in this match. One half of the challengers here in Fire & Ice is able to get that hold in. Kassidy realizes the predicament she’s in though and looks to get back up to her feet.

Gavin Kirkland: That’s just the lifelong fighter in her. Kassidy has said many, many times that the only way people can ever truly get her to stop is if they were to kill her, and that this point, it may literally have to come down to that if anyone wants to get a win off of her, Fire & Ice included!

Persephone: Well, she’s back up to her feet, reaching back and grabbing Rex by the head. She sits down, and in the process, causes his jaw to crack against her shoulder! If Raven has to end up tube feeding that fucker, we know why.

Stew-O: Kassidy gets up, rolling her neck around, and she runs towards Rex who’s clutching at his jaw! Back elbow! He goes down, and Kassidy uses this as the chance for her to drag him towards her corner! She tags in Sienna!

(TAG!)

Gavin Kirkland: Never ones to get outdone when it comes to teamwork, Kassidy keeps Rex in place as Sienna climbs to the top rope. She flies off of it, and LANDS WITH A DOUBLE FOOT STOMP! SHE GOT ALL OF THAT!

Persephone: Should’ve gotten him in the dick.

Stew-O: Sienna drags Rex before she takes off to the ropes! She comes back with a senton! She falls into the cover, all while looking at Raven with a grin across her face!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO–

Gavin Kirkland: Kick out! Sienna rolls her eyes and grabs Rex. She gets him up to the knees before she goes ahead and kicks him across the chest! A little feisty heat from the Greatest!

Persephone: And there goes another kick that is unleashed on him. Still, why is she settling for that? Just go ahead and kick off his head!

Stew-O: Sienna laughs and mocks Rex before she gets herself ready, looking to strike with a third kick —

Gavin Kirkland: BUT HE CAUGHT THE LEG!

Persephone: Welp.

Stew-O: Sienna hops on one foot! Rex works his way back up to his feet! Sienna tries to swipe at him with a slap, but he pulls back and lifts her up! SPINEBUSTER! Sienna is down on the mat, clutching her back, and this time, it has got to be hurting her!

Gavin Kirkland: Oh, no! Not Sienna!

Persephone: Guess he was able to find his way out after all. He grabs Sienna and takes her over towards the corner. He slams her face into the top tunrbuckle padding and then lifts her up, situating her at the top. Rex climbs, and he starts to strike her in the face with some forearms.

Stew-O: Sienna is getting lit up here. Rex fires off some more shots before he hooks his arms around her. He lifts her up—

Gavin Kirkland: Only to find out that she is holding onto the top rope! He won’t be able to get her up! However, Rex isn’t bothered by this. He lets go and hits her again, punching her in the face!

Persephone: That seems to have stunned her. He goes for it again —

Stew-O: But Kassidy comes on over and pushes him off! Rex manages not to take a nasty spill as he lands on his feet! Raven comes on in, ready to rush after Kassidy, but the referee comes in and stops her from doing that, telling her to get back onto her side of the ring!

Gavin Kirkland: Rex yells something at Kassidy before he climbs back up — AND KASSIDY KICKS HIM BEHIND THE LEG THROUGH THE ROPES! HE’S CAUGHT UP IN THEM! HE’S HUNG!

Persephone: And now that he’s stuck, Kassidy goes back to her corner, acting all innocent while Sienna comes to a stand. Raven has no choice but to stop bitching and get back onto the apron!

Stew-O: And with the referee not seeing the plan the Jaded Hearts concocted, Sienna leaps off — CRASHING INTO REX WITH THE METEORA! OH MY GOD!

Gavin Kirkland: HAHA, YEAH! THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE! SIENNA LANDS RIGHT ON REX, AND IN A POSITION WHERE SHE IMMEDIATELY HAS HIS SHOULERS PINNED TO THE MAT! THE REFEREE SLIDES ON OVER AND COUNTS THE PIN!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEE—

Persephone: But he’s able to lift the shoulder off of the mat! Dang. I was hoping the back of his head cracked like an egg and he couldn’t power out of that one. 😔

Stew-O: Sienna thought so too! However, this match persists! Sienna gets up, taking Rex along with her. She holds onto his arm and strikes with a stiff kick across the chest! Now, she twists and wrenches the arm before Irish whipping him into the Jaded Heart’s corner! Sienna stalks him down and comes in with a back elbow! She rolls forward, runs back in and lands with a step-up knee into the corner! Rex is stunned!

Gavin Kirkland: What a beautiful succession of moves there by Sienna! But she’s not done! She snapmares Rex down and then climbs up to the middle ropes. He gets up to a seated position! Not realizing what’s happening! Sienna takes off and lands a MISSLE DROPKICK TO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD! TALK ABOUT PRECISION!

Persephone: Sienna crawls over to get another pin.

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO–

Stew-O: No, kickout! Sienna looks less than amused at this rate. Still, she grabs Rex, and just like before, she takes him over to the corner! She steps up on the ropes and uses her foot to choke him out!

Referee: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FI–

Gavin Kirkland: Sienna backs up and goes to the referee, apolgizing. Well, that’s nice! She didn’t mean to bend the rules!

Persephone: 🙄

Stew-O: And Kassidy looks to take advantage of the momentary distraction – BUT REX IS ABLE TO ELBOW HER RIGHT IN THE FACE! SHE HOLDS HER NOSE! THE FANS CHEER FOR THAT!

Gavin Kirkland: Sienna picks up on the sudden loud reaction and turns around, realizing what just happened! She immediately charges towards him, but Rex throws her up and over onto the apron! She lands on her feet! Kassidy gets levelled with a spinning elbow! She goes down! Rex follows through that momentum and catches SIENNA IN THE FACE WITH AN ENZUIGIRI! SIENNA GETS DAZED FROM THAT, AND REX TAKES IT UPON HIMSELF TO SLIP HER THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPES! ROPE HUNG DDT!! WHAT A COMEBACK THERE BY MCALLISTER!

Persephone: Oh brother, and now he’s STILL going! He floats back along with Sienna, lifting her up and connecting with a butterfly suplex! He kips up after that! What a goddamn showoff!

Stew-O: But it’s working! Rex takes Sienna up and throws her into his team’s corner, and he tags back in Raven who is eager to keep things rolling for her team!

(TAG!)

Gavin Kirkland: Rex grabs Raven and Irish whips her into Sienna! She hits her with a dropkick! Rex follows in tow as he’s able to get her with a clothesline! She drops down into the corner and it looks like she may be hurting from this onslaught by Fire & Ice!

Persephone: Now they both run in and nails those stereo basement dropkicks. Rex takes himself out and Raven pulls Sienna up!

Stew-O: She carries her right towards the middle of the ring! She lifts her up! ‘HUNTRESS BOMB’! SITOUT SPINEBUSTER CONNECTS! RAVEN GOES FOR THE PIN! COULD THIS BE IT!?

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Gavin Kirkland: :blessed: SIENNA IS ABLE TO KICK OUT FROM THAT!

Persephone: :notbad:

Stew-O: A whole lot of resilience there from the champion, but Raven is doing what she can to make sure she doesn’t get tripped up by that. She grabs Sienna, and now, Raven is looking for the end here as she has her right where she wants her to be! She hits the ropes, and—

Gavin Kirkland: OH! IT’S KASSIDY HEART! KASSIDY GRABBED HER OUT OF THE RING, STOPPING RAVEN FROM HITTING WHATEVER IT WAS SHE HAD PLANNED! NOW, HEART GOES TO ATTACK—

Persephone: — BUT RAVEN JUST CHARGED AT HER AND CAUGHT HER WITH THE ‘FACELIFT’!!!

Stew-O: OH MY! KASSIDY GOT WIPED OUT FROM THAT! RAVEN GOES BACK TO THE RING AND LOOKS TO GET THE JOB DONE AS SHE GOES TO SIENNA JADE!

Gavin Kirkland: ONLY FOR SIENNA TO HAVE CAUGHT HER BY SURPRISE AS WELL! ‘RDG’!!! ‘RDG’!!!

Persephone: OH SHIT, SHE’S DOWN! SIENNA BRIDGES FOR THE COVER!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stew-O: NO!! RAVEN ROBERTS WAS ABLE TO KICK OUT OF THAT ONE, AND THE FANS ARE GOING CRAZY FOR WHAT THEY JUST SAW! SIENNA SITS UP IN SHOCK! SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD THE TITLES RETAINED!

Gavin Kirkland: YOU CAN’T REALLY BLAME HER, CAN YOU?! THAT WAS SET UP PERFECTLY!

Persephone: Damn. I can’t even lie, I thought that was it. :wow:

Stew-O: Sienna slams her hands down onto the mat, but she quickly mounts Raven and strikes her in the face with forearms! She gets her up, and now, it seems like she’s going to go for yet another ‘RDG’!!

Gavin Kirkland: BUT RAVEN IS ABLE FIGHTING BACK WITH VARIOUS PUNCHES TO THE GUT! SIENNA IS GETTING LIT UP! AND RAVEN PUSHES HER TOWARDS THE CORNER, SLAMMING HER SHOULDER INTO HER GUT IN THE PROCESS! SIENNA GASPS OUT!

Persephone: Raven is still reeling from that, but she backs up. She shakes off the cobwebs and goes to run at Sienna—

Stew-O: Boot to the face! Raven staggers! She tries running forward again, but Sienna is able to leap up and over her! She does a forward roll and pops back before she turns, running to Raven—

Gavin Kirkland: AND SHE RUNS INTO THE ‘TALON’! CLAYMORE KICK CONNECTS!

Persephone: ?!!

Stew-O: THAT’S IT! NEW CHAMPIONS! NEW CHAMPIONS! RAVEN COLLAPSES INTO THE COVER!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

(…)

Gavin Kirkland: BUT KASSIDY HEART MANAGED TO SLIDE IN AND BREAK IT UP HERSELF! SHE DRAGS RAVEN OFF OF SIENNA AND LOOKS TO STRIKE!

Persephone: Ah man but here comes this fucking simp bitch Rex McAllister to the rescue and he hits her with a bicycle kick! I hate it here!

Stew-O: Kassidy goes down and rolls out of the ring! Rex quickly goes back to his corner and calls for Raven to tag him in! She crawls to him… before…

(TAG!)

Stew-O: GOT IT!

Gavin Kirkland: Oh no, and Sienna just got back to her feet, wobbly as can be! But Rex doesn’t care and immediately charges in with a SHOTGUN DROPKICK! JESUS!

Persephone: :roman: !!!

Stew-O: THAT JUST TOOK SIENNA ALL THE WAY INTO THE CORNER! REX COMES AND GRABS HER, AND HE LIFTS HER UP, CRACKING HER BACK WITH THE URUNAGE BACKBREAKER! BUT HE DOES NOT LET GO, INSTEAD TRANSITIONING THAT MOVE INTO AN ELEVATED FLATLINER! REX HAS GOT SIENNA IN A TROUBLING SPOT!

Gavin Kirkland: REX THEN FOLLOWS THAT UP WITH A CROSSFACE! HE HAS HER TRAPPED! SIENNA REACHES OUT FOR THE ROPES BUT SHE CAN’T QUITE REACH THEM! SHE DOESN’T WANNA TAP HERE!

Stew-O: BUT REX IS STUBBORN! REX IS RELENTLESS! HE’S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO TRY AND WIN THIS FOR HIS TEAM!

Gavin Kirkland: SIENNA TRIES TO CRAWL SO THAT SHE CAN GET CLOSER TO THE ROPES, BUT IT’S NO USE!

Persephone: :lupe: !!!

Stew-O: AND SIENNA RAISES HER HAND UP INTO THE AIR—

Gavin Kirkland: ‘PAINFULLY EVER AFTER’ BY KASSIDY HEART ONTO REX MCALLISTER!!!

Persephone: :damn: !!

Crowd: :damn: !!!

Stew-O: CURB STOMP FROM OUT OF NOWHERE! REX IS DOWN! AND RAVEN COMES CHARGING IN, SPEARING KASSIDY DOWN TO THE MAT! SHE TOOK THAT ONE OUT OF HER OWN PLAYBOOK!

Gavin Kirkland: RAVEN GRABS REX BY THE ARM AND LEADS HIM BACK TO THEIR CORNER! AND THEY’RE ABLE TO INITIATE THE TAG!

(TAG!)

Persephone: Carry job by his own woman, that’s craaaaaazy.

Stew-O: Well, in a match like this featuring two high-profile teams, you have to do what you can to support your teammate and pick your spots! Raven knows this! She and Rex were tag champions before! And now, she’s looking to do everything she can to win! She gets in the corner and waits for Sienna to get up! Jade looks a little bit out of it, but she manages to come to a stand! AND RAVEN LOOKS TO CATCH HER! ‘TALON’!!

Gavin Kirkland: SHE MISSED!!!

Persephone: SHE ACTUALLY MOVED!??

Stew-O: SHE DID! RAVEN GETS BACK UP, BUT FROM BEHIND, SIENNA GRABS HER BY THE ARM AND RIPCORDS HER THROUGH! ‘WITCHES HAMMER’!!! SHE GOT ALL OF IT, AND RAVEN SLUMPS DOWN TO HER KNEES!

Gavin Kirkland: SIENNA LOOKS OVER TO THE CORNER AND SEES THAT KASSIDY IS USING THE ROPES TO HELP HERSELF UP! KASSIDY NODS AT HER, AND SIENNA GOES OVER TO HER!

(TAG!)

Persephone: Well, she’s in! Sienna and Kassidy have Raven set up as they force her to stand!

Stew-O: ALL SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE HER OUT WITH THE ‘SUBCULTURE’!!! LEGSWEEP AND SPINNING HEEL KICK COMBO! VINTAGE JADED HEARTS!

Gavin Kirkland: AND KASSIDY IS FAR FROM DONE! SHE RUSHES IN – ‘PAINFULLY EVER AFTER’!!! CURB STOMP LAYS RAVEN ROBERTS OUT COMPLETELY!

Persephone: Kassidy goes ahead and locks in the submission known as the ‘Necro Mauler’! Raven is stuck right in the middle of the ring!

Stew-O: Rex, laying on the apron, lifts his head and sees what’s happening! He tries to crawl into the ring! He’s looking to break up the submission as Raven struggles, trying her best to fight out of it!

Gavin Kirkland: BUT SIENNA JADE LANDS A SLIDING KNEE TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD, STOPPING HIM RIGHT IN HIS TRACKS! AS FOR RAVEN….

(…)

(…)

(…)

Persephone: SHE’S TAPPING!

Gavin Kirkland: THAT’S IT! THE JADED HEARTS RETAIN!

(DING! DING! DING!)

(‘True Love’ plays throughout the arena. Kassidy lets go of Raven. She sits up, shaking her head and holding the back of it after having to go through an insanely competitive match. Still, she and Sienna are able to emerge victorious. Sienna smiles and runs over to her, hugging her as they got the win.)

Gina Romano: Here are your winners, aaaaaand STILL the EAW Unified Tag Team Champions…. THE JAAAAAAADEEEEEEED HEAAAAAAARRRRTS!

Stew-O: WOW! WHAT A MATCH! THE FINAL STRETCH OF THAT WAS INSANE AS IT LOOKED LIKE ANY TEAM COULD’VE WON IT! HOWEVER, THE JADED HEARTS WERE ABLE TO OUTSMART AND PERSEVERE, AND THEY JUST TOOK DOWN THEIR MOST CHALLENGING OPPONENTS TO DATE AS A TEAM!

Gavin Kirkland: YES! YES! YES! :blessed: MY QUEENS REIGN SUPREME YET AGAIN!

Persephone: They’re arrogant as hell, but they back that shit up in the ring when it matters. Plus, Rex lost, so that’s a nice little bonus. :mjlol:

Stew-O: The Jaded Hearts were able to get the job done here tonight, surviving an absolute tag team war here at Territorial Invasion. Now, they can look forward to Wicked Games, as they await to see which team will be able to take them on in the finals of the Tag Team Turmoil Tournament!

Gavin Kirkland: All praise to Rex and Raven, who showed up and showed out in the biggest way possible. Still, if a team as decorated as them couldn’t get the job done, then will whichever team emerges victorious in that tournament be able to beat them? They’ve pretty much defeated every type of team there is this year in EAW!

Persephone: Only one way to find out, I guess.

Stew-O: Now that is something we can all agree on.

(Kassidy and Sienna receive their titles and celebrate with each other, even with how exhausted they are. Meanwhile, Raven and Rex are on the outside, still recovering and disappointed that after how personal and bitter things got, they couldn’t get back at the Jaded Hearts. The final shot shows Kassidy and Sienna clinking titles before Territorial Invasion fades elsewhere.)

(The Friday Night Dynasty video feed shifted over to a backstage panning shot, which eventually came to a halt in the sit-down interview area; however, there was no interviewer in sight, just Rex McAllister and Raven Roberts taking up both seats. The crowd roared with cheers and approval upon seeing Fire and Ice; they were wearing casual clothes and had far lighter expressions on their face than the previous weeks. They were both looking on their phones, giggling to themselves as the commentators spoke.)

Stew-O: We’re now one week away from one of the most momentous tag team clashes in Pain for Pride history; reminiscent of POTARA’s massive clash and victory against so many other tag teams, but in this case we have three of the most competent and high-level tag teams in EAW today going head to head to head for the tag team titles!

Flannery McCoy: Not only that, but at least with Elysium and British Invasion, we have that ever-present drama with Jon Kelton and Pandora Paisley being lovers on opposite teams, alongside the history that Jon Kelton has with both tag members of British Invasion in general with the former stable Devolution!

Jake Mercer: That drama has been heating up on Showdown; romance and career ambitions clashing in their minds, brothers in arms looking to be there for each other through thick and thin, sacrifices being made left and right… and to be honest, Fire and Ice has made it perfectly clear that they are sick of being dragged into it! In their minds, the tag team championship should be freed from this soap opera happening between the other two tag teams in the Pain for Pride tag team triple threat!

Stew-O: And that’s exactly what they intend to do at Pain for Pride; leave the match with the gold and, consequently, leave the other two teams to deal with their drama however they wish WITHOUT the gold around their waists! With one week left before that huge match, let’s see what Raven and Rex have to say as their final words live and in-person before the match!

(Rex and Raven looked up from their phones and began to speak.)

Raven Roberts: There isn’t much left to be said that we have not already made perfectly clear heading into Pain for Pride; there is only one team that is going to walk out of that tag team triple threat match with the EAW Unified Tag Team Championships, and it’s going to be the only team in the match with ACTUAL life partners working together. I’ve said it time and time again, nobody is going to be able to match the energy that Rex and I bring to the table individually, let alone the synergy we have as a team of husband and wife; nothing that has happened in the past few weeks has done anything to change our minds.

Rex McAllister: In fact, we’ve just become even more determined to win the gold with every second we have to spend tolerating the drama between Elysium and British Invasion, between Kelton and Bronson, between Kelton and PANDORA, and so on; there’s drama for every combination between those two teams, but Raven and I aren’t going into that match with anything else on our mind. We won’t be thinking about romance with another tag team, we won’t be thinking about our relationships with the enemy, we won’t be thinking about sacrifices and lost opportunities, we will ONLY be thinking about walking away from that match with the goal we’ve consistently held since we reunited in the first place.

Raven Roberts: With that being said, after all the shenanigans we’ve had to deal with as a result of their drama, don’t you think we deserve to have a little fun at their expense, Rex?

Rex McAllister: Some well-earned rest and humor? I’d say so. The fact of the matter is that we aren’t just the only team actually bound to each other for life, we’re also the only team in the match that actually represents the fans no matter what. Both British Invasion and Elysium have had their moments of going low, even Elysium after they screwed us over at Fighting Spirit, but Raven and I have been consistent with our morals. We only fought back when we were messed with in the first place; always in retaliation, never a matter of cheating or unprovoked interference.

Raven Roberts: So, in the spirit of representing the fans, we figured we would address some of the things the fans have been sending us in the lead up to our match. This isn’t about the usual fanmail and presents we get sent from our loyal Fire and Ice fans – although we do really appreciate those – but it’s more about the STORIES we’ve been sent about the OTHER teams.

Rex McAllister: Not just any stories, Raven… they’re FANFICTIONS. Because if Elysium and British Invasion are going to make their drama the center of the tag team division, then it only makes sense that we address it with the amount of seriousness that it deserves; namely, no seriousness at all. We’ve actually been reading through some of these fanfictions since the show started!

Raven Roberts: This isn’t usually our thing; I’m not lying awake in the middle of the night kicking my feet over some random fanfiction, but the fact that it’s about the other teams perked our interest… and it was a worthwhile read to say the least. Rex, why don’t you start off with one of the fanfictions we took a look at?

(Rex narrows his eyes at his phone and begins to read.)

Rex McAllister: So this fanfiction is called… well, it’s just called “British Invasion” but with a winking face emoji next to it; oh, this is a raunchy one about Pandora and Jon Kelton, featuring a very neglected Bronson Daniels and Halsey Neel! In this fanfiction, Pandora and Kelton spend so much time thinking about each other that their tag teams end up falling apart at the seams, and eventually they end up abandoning their own tag partners and joining up together to form a tag team! Look at that, they actually wrote in advance… according to this, Pandora and Kelton are so deeply in love with each other that they can’t hold back, and end up costing their teams the match at Pain for Pride because they can’t bring each other to be the one that kills the other’s dreams!

Raven Roberts: How romantic! Aside from the gratuitous backstage sex scene, I think this one is one of my favorites; not just because of the quality of the writing, but because it’s actually good use of foreshadowing!

Rex McAllister: You mean the author used foreshadowing in the fanfiction?

Raven Roberts: No, the fanfiction itself is foreshadowing for what’s going to happen at Pain for Pride; the two lovers are torn apart in different teams, and that dissonance ends up costing them the match at Pain for Pride in the story. Funnily enough, I think that’s exactly how Pain for Pride is going to play out in real life!

Rex McAllister: I’d have to agree with you; how about you read one of the other ones?

Raven Roberts: Oooh, this one is a bit spicier; it’s called “Brothers in Arms and More”, and the main tag is cuckoldry! In this story, Jon Kelton just ends up ABANDONING Pandora Paisley because his bond with Bronson Daniels is just so deep that it keeps on getting deeper and deeper! So to speak. Pfft, how much detail is this one going to go into…?

Rex McAllister: Well, a lot of fans have been theorizing that the relationship between Pandora and Kelton is all for show, and that the relationship between Bronson and Kelton is where it’s really at. I wonder how Pandora feels, if she thinks that Kelton cares more about fulfilling his brother in arms’ dreams more than he cares about his supposed beloved?

Raven Roberts: This one doesn’t really have a happy ending for her, Rex; Bronson and Kelton go skipping off into the sunset, finding more meaning in love with each other than loving anything else, from women to victory, and end up retiring hand in hand! Meanwhile, Pandora falls into a deep depression that not even Halsey is even to drag her out of.

Rex McAllister: Halsey gets dragged so far down because of Pandora’s drama that she ends up leaving Pandora all alone for good before trying out a career as a singles star for a change.

Raven Roberts: I’m not sure how well that would go for her, Rex. Sure, she shouldn’t be forced to deal with Pandora’s out-of-team relationship especially with such a conflict of interest, but Halsey pretty much has NO experience outside of the tag team division. She isn’t like us, where we won world championships for ourselves and ALSO have a legendary tag team to boot.

Rex McAllister: Just another reason why her team won’t be able to stand up to ours; can’t stand up to our lack of drama, and can’t stand up to our competence either. Let’s go ahead and get to one more fanfiction… this one is called “Lover Swap” and it’s sort of a happier version of the other one; in this case, BOTH teams end up cheating and coming out better because of it! Pandora and Kelton realize that they are more in love with Halsey and Bronson, so they just end up with their own tag partner and end up getting married!

Raven Roberts: Aww, this author is sweet! She really wanted to make sure EVERYBODY got their happily ever after in this one! Pfft, look, there’s even FANART of the two couples getting engaged side by side!

(Rex and Raven both break out into laughter looking at the fanart, taking a few moments before regathering themselves.)

Rex McAllister: Well, it’s cute seeing fictional worlds where both Elysium and British Invasion are couples… but here, in reality, there’s only one real couple that has that couple’s coordination between them, and that’s Fire and Ice.

Raven Roberts: We promised each other we’d spend the rest of our lives together, and that’s going to INCLUDE having our big Pain for Pride victory together. As for the other teams?

Rex McAllister: They can do whatever mixing up they want to with their relationships… AFTER we win the gold. And hey, for what it’s worth, I think Lover’s Swap is the way to go! Everybody gets the happy ending; Elysium and British Invasion get fulfillment, and Fire and Ice get what they came for: the EAW Unified Tag Team Championships, what it’s REALLY all about.

(The video feed lingers as Rex and Raven continue scrolling through AO3 looking at more Elysium and British Invasion fanfictions and laughing to themselves while pointing at their phone screens, before the feed fades to black.)

Bella Braxton: The following contest is a singles match scheduled for…

Crowd: UNA CADUTA!

Bella Braxton: And if Joso wins, he will be

(DING DING DING!)

Stew-O: The bell rings, and that is the official signal of this match! Pain for Pride implications here as Joso is looking to defeat Drake King and insert himself into the World Heavyweight Championship main event at the grandest show of them all! He has let it known how frustrating it was for him to lose when he was so close to being a first-time Pain for Pride main eventer, and as the defending champion too, no less. However, he has turned that frustration into fuel, and he’s taking a huge gamble here tonight, looking to do everything he can to ensure it pays off BIG for him.

Jake Mercer: I admire the guts, but Drake King is no chump! With how fed up and annoyed he has been about all of this, not a single bit of mercy is going to be shown to Joso… and certainly not towards that shoulder that has the kinesiology tape wrapped around it. Might as well have painted it red and fashioned it into a bullseye for the ever-methodical and dangerous Father of EAW. :lupe:

Flannery McCoy: Yeah, Joso is going to have to be extra careful here, and at least he isn’t ready to barrel out of the corner. He’s scrappy but smart, and eyeing down Drake, I’m sure he can feel his gaze pointed directly at that hurt shoulder, a result of King curbstomping it last Friday night! Drake smirks, and it seems as if he’s mocking Joso, goading him on. He’s asking if he’s being a coward now all because he isn’t immediately trying to rip him apart here!

Stew-O: And you can see how all of that trash talk and belittlement is working on his nerves. However, his head remains cool as she steps towards the center and reaches his hands out, looking to initiate a lockup. Drake scoffs at this attempt. He shakes his head and immediately comes in, going for a swift kick to the gut!

Jake Mercer: But Joso caught the foot! Drake’s eyes widen! Joso shakes his head, not at all amused by the sneak shot attempt!

Joso: (off-mic) Wrong move, asshat.

Flannery McCoy: AND DOWN DRAKE KING GOES AFTER JOSO SWEEPS HIS STANDING LEG! JOSO MOUNTS HIM AND BEGINS TO FIRE OFF WITH PUNCH AFTER PUNCH! DRAKE RAISES HIS ARMS, LOOKING TO BLOCK MOST OF THE INCOMING FLURRY OF STRIKES, BUT SOME OF THOSE PUNCHES ARE STILL SLIPPING THROUGH HIS GUARD AND CONNECTING!

Stew-O: Joso’s coming out SWINGING! He’s hammering away with that pent-up aggression, those fists fueled by weeks of disrespect, assault, and missed opportunity! But look at Drake—he manages to roll out from underneath Joso and scramble to the ropes, forcing the ref to intervene!

Jake Mercer: The crowd is booing, not liking that Drake was able to slip away, but that’s the veteran instinct of his coming into play. He knows when to escape, when to buy himself a second or two, and he’s doing just that! Joso is forced to step back as Drake tries to catch his breath!

Flannery McCoy: Drake drops down to the outside, clutching his face and jaw, trying to regroup… but Joso decides that he is not waiting! He exits the ring against the official’s demands and heads to him! Drake sees him and he’s retreating already! Now that is just cowardly!

Jake Mercer: That’s not cowardice, that’s strategy, Flann! He’s trying to slow the pace and regain his composure after that flurry!

Stew-O: BUT JOSO’S NOT GIVING HIM THE CHANCE!! HE CHARGES AT DRAKE KING AND BLINDSIDES HIM WITH A CLOTHESLINE FROM BEHIND, SENDING DRAKE CRASHING TO THE FLOOR!

Flannery McCoy: And here’s the payback! Joso yanks Drake up by the head and—OH! HE RAMS HIM SHOULDER-FIRST INTO THE RING POST! A perfect callback to what Drake did to him last week! Drake falls down and clutches his arm! Bet that didn’t feel good for him!

Stew-O: That was no accident, folks! That was calculated retribution! Joso’s eyes are locked in, focused, intense, and now he pulls Drake back in and WHIPS HIM WITH AUTHORITY INTO THE BARRICADE!!

Jake Mercer: Damn! Drake just got LAUNCHED into the barricade, his back smacking HARD against the barrier!

Flannery McCoy: But if he thought Joso was going to relent, he thought wrong! Joso backs up just a few steps—A RUNNING SINGLE LEG DROPKICK RIGHT TO DRAKE’S FACE! DRAKE’S HEAD WHIPLASHING BACKWARD FROM THE IMPACT OF THAT SHOT!!

Stew-O: Joso quickly scoops him up and tosses him back into the ring! Drake’s seeing stars right now already in this contest! Joso slides in under the ropes, and he doesn’t hesitate to pin him, hooking the leg!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Jake Mercer: NO! Drake kicks out! A bit too soon to end things, but I can’t lie—Joso may have caught him completely by surprise after all.

Flannery McCoy: You think? King’s arrogance got the better of him, and the former EAW World Heavyweight champion made sure to remind him that he is above no one, least of all him. He goes ahead and forces the Grand Rampage winner to sit up. He traps one of his arms behind his leg while he brings his attention to the other one that has the shoulder that got rammed into the post! Joso roughs him up some more before he raises his arm! ELBOWS! POINTED ELBOWS TO THAT LIMB!

Stew-O: Landing them with the EXACT same fervor he did with those mounted punches! Joso is telling Drake that if he thinks he can wound him, he’s going to try and do the exact same thing to him! It’s all about keeping that energy reciprocated!

Jake Mercer: Oh, jeez. I can’t lie, guys: Joso is using his anger in a purposeful way right now, completely overwhelming Drake. He lets go… but he doesn’t entirely free him and instead, he comes to a stand. He grabs the arm he was just focused on and applies an armbar, looking to stretch the shoulder at an uncomfortable angle! :yikes: He’s not letting him escape!

Flannery McCoy: Yeah, Joso is adding as much torque as possible while having that hold locked in. Drake is trying to free his other arm…. And he manages to get it out! He reaches forward towards the ropes—

Stew-O: But Joso sees what he’s trying to do and uses his leg to re-trap the arm! He falls to the side, going down on the mat—AND HE HAS DRAKE’S SHOULDERS DOWN ON THE MAT FOR AN INNOVATIVE TRANSITION INTO A CRUCIFIX-LIKE PIN! The referee counts!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Jake Mercer: Kickout from King! Joso shoots up just as he gets up to his knees! He comes in with a superkick!

Flannery McCoy: Drake dodges it! He shoots up in his own right to his feet and CLOCKS JOSO WITH AN UPPERCUT! That takes him down to one knee, and King follows that up with a SUPERKICK TO HIS FACE! JOSO WOBBLES!

Stew-O: Drake takes the time to shake out his arm, making sure that Joso hadn’t done too much damage to his shoulder! You can see him wincing, but it’s still flexible even with the discomfort it’s giving him. Drake snarls down at Joso, who is holding his cheek after being on the receiving end of that kick. He hits the ropes and comes running back in!

Jake Mercer: And he gets halted with an enzuigiri! Drake stumbles towards the nearest corner, rocked by that shot! Joso shakes off the cobwebs and comes charging in! CLOTHESLINE!

Flannery McCoy: NO! The arm gets kicked—AND HE’S FAVORING HIS HURT SHOULDER! JOSO DROPS TO A KNEE AS HE’S HOLDING IT!

Stew-O: DRAKE KING COMES IN AND CONNECTS WITH A WELL-PLACED RUNNING DROPKICK TO THAT SHOULDER! JOSO IS DOWN ON THE MAT IN AGONY!

Jake Mercer: Oh, dear. It would only be a matter of time before Drake targeted that area, and Joso would pay the price dearly for it!

Flannery McCoy: He is because Drake storms in and grabs his arm! He keeps it trapped in his grasp… and he’s STOMPING DOWN ON THE SHOULDER! Over and over again relentlessly! Joso is trying to free himself, but he can’t, and each brutal stomp is causing him to writhe around as he has nowhere to go! That tape isn’t going to protect him from the force of those stomps!

Stew-O: And Drake isn’t stopping! Now, he’s pulling Joso back to his feet, dragging him by the injured arm… AND SNAPS IT DOWN ACROSS HIS OWN SHOULDER FOR A MODIFIED ARM-BREAKER!! Joso collapses to the mat again, clutching that shoulder! The pain is painted across his face… and Drake is mocking him! He kicks at his hand, daring him to get back up! Nothing but disrespect is on display here while Drake continues to systemically break apart Joso!

Jake Mercer: No love lost here, that’s for certain. Joso is looking to get up, but he is a tad slower this time around. Meanwhile, Drake eyes him down as he backs himself into the corner. Hands on the ropes, slightly squatting, it’s like he’s just waiting for him to rise so he can go in for the kill!

Flannery McCoy: There’s just nothing but dangerous intent in his gaze… and that twisted smirk he has on his face only confirms he is looking to seriously hurt him! Joso gets to his knees, but Drake comes barreling in…!

Stew-O: RUNNING KNEE STRIKE TO THE SHOULDER!! HE RAILS INTO IT AT FULL SPEED!! Joso’s body recoils as he yells out in pain! Drake immediately drops into a lateral press!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOO—

Stew-O: Joso kicks out of that! However, Drake mounts him and strikes him over the head repeatedly with stiff punches! The crowd boos, but he doesn’t care! Some of his own pent-up aggression is seeping out, and the tables have turned. Joso is now the one who is on the receiving end of that!

Jake Mercer: Yeah, Drake just doesn’t care anymore. He’s lost his patience. He doesn’t think Joso should be in the main event, and he’s going to do everything he can to ensure he keeps him in his place, reminding him that no New Era can ever bypass the Messiah and his legacy here in EAW! Fans and even Elitists alike can be funny or complain all they want about Drake King continuing to be in prominent matches, but he remains in the position that he is in because of this! He is never going to go easy on any opponent, and right now, he’s beginning to dominate in this matchup!

Flannery McCoy: Drake doesn’t do himself any favors, but… I’d be hard-pressed to disagree with that notion, Jake. The EAW Hall of Famer continues to find success because he can keep up with the competition and remain consistent. Just when everyone was pinpointing this season as his fall-off point… well, he proved everyone wrong by winning his second Grand Rampage match a month ago.

Stew-O: It’s a combination of things that has kept Drake ahead of the curve—and those same factors are what’s currently keeping him ahead of Joso as he just yanked him up and PUSHED HIM INTO THE CORNER, SENDING JOSO’S SHOULDER INTO THE STEEL POST! OH NO! EVEN MORE DAMAGE IS BEING DONE, AND JOSO IS IN A WORLD OF HURT, HANGING OFF THE ROPES!

Jake Mercer: Oof. Yeaaah, shit is getting gnarly here in Rome now.

Flannery McCoy: Absolutely a troubling predicament for Joso here, and one Drake seeks to further take advantage of. He heads over and gets on the bottom rope, reaching over to grab him… oh God, and now he’s pulling back on the arm, getting some sort of overhead lock in as he has Joso trapped between the ropes! He’s using them for extra leverage, and extra leverage means even more pain to that shoulder!

Stew-O: Drake is relentless! But even that has its own limits, and the official begins to count!

Referee: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FI—

Stew-O: Drake pushed his limits, but he let go of Joso… and he is in bad shape here.

Jake Mercer: No doubt about it, man. Drake takes him by the waist and rolls backwards, leading Joso through with the O’Connor roll and—HOLY CRAP! CHAOS THEORY GERMAN SUPLEX!!

Flannery McCoy: AND JOSO LANDED AWKWARDLY ON THAT SHOULDER! :damn:

Stew-O: DRAKE MAINTAINS HIS PLACEMENT ON THE MAT! THE REFEREE COUNTS!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—

Stew-O: A narrower kickout from Joso there—but Drake isn’t done! He’s applying a Fujiwara Armbar and WRENCHING BACK with all he’s got!

Jake Mercer: That joint is not supposed to bend that way! Look at how far he’s pulling it, too! Joso is reaching, fighting, screaming, and trying to dig his nails into the canvas to drag himself to safety, but it’s hardly any use for him in this situation! Drake’s not budging, and he’s not giving him any kind of room to escape from him!

Drake King: (off-mic) TAP! TAP! YOU DON’T BELONG HERE! YOU DON’T BELONG IN MY MAIN EVENT!

Flannery McCoy: And it looks like Drake is trying to impart some sort of psychological warfare here, telling Joso that he doesn’t deserve to have a world title match at Pain for Pride! At this point, this isn’t about simply quelling a nuisance and moving on. Drake wants to break Joso entirely down and get it through to his head that he has no space here on Dynasty!

Stew-O: He’s doing all he can to break the will of Joso! That armbar is deep, and Joso’s shoulder has been under non-stop assault since this match began! You can see him gritting his teeth, trying to endure the agony, but will he be able to escape this!?

Jake Mercer: His fingers are twitching, Stew! He’s that close to tapping out! And the fans here in Rome are getting antsy about the prospect of seeing that, but it could very well be the reality in just a few seconds as Joso raises his hand!

Crowd: :damn: :damn: :damn:

Stew-O: :lupe:

Jake Mercer: :lupe:

Flannery McCoy: … but somehow, somehow, Joso finds that extra inch to crawl forward! He’s dragging himself and all of Drake’s weight with him… inch by inch…!!

Jake Mercer: NO FREAKING WAY!

Stew-O: IT’S A STRUGGLE! GOD KNOWS IT’S A STRUGGLE, BUT JOSO IS PUSHING PAST THE PAIN TO MAKE HIS WAY TO THE ROPES!! HE’S ALMOST THERE!!

Flannery McCoy: And…. YES!! JOSO MAKES IT TO THE BOTTOM ROPE!! THE REFEREE CALLS FOR THE BREAK, AND DRAKE IS NOT HAPPY WHATSOEVER!!

Referee: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR—

Stew-O: DRAKE HOLDS UNTIL FOUR AND A HALF! HE FINALLY LETS GO, BUT THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE! JOSO IS CLUTCHING HIS ARM LIKE IT’S ABOUT TO SNAP OFF!

Jake Mercer: Drake King has this match in the palm of his hand now. He’s dissected his opponent. That shoulder? It’s cooked. The only thing keeping Joso in this is his heart and the grand ambition of being a first-time Pain for Pride main eventer.

Flannery McCoy: Still, as annoyed as Drake is about this match continuing… he knows he’s firmly in the driver’s seat. He pulls Joso up by the bad arm again, and jeez, just look at the pain on Joso’s face! Drake pulls him in, and—OH! A European uppercut FLOORS him!

Stew-O: Joso is down, writhing in pain, and Drake isn’t letting up! He drags him up again, hooks him! IRISH WHIP INTO THE CORNER—

Jake Mercer: WAIT, NO! JOSO REVERSES! DRAKE HITS THE CORNER HARD AND JOSO COMES STORMING IN BEHIND HIM! BACK ELBOW TO THE JAW! THE CROWD ERUPTS!

Flannery McCoy: AND JOSO FOLLOWS THAT UP WITH A SNAPMARE OUT OF THE CORNER! HE RUNS OFF THE ROPES—BASEMENT DROPKICK TO THE SPINE! HE’S BACK IN THIS!

Stew-O: He’s feeling it! Joso’s back to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him—but you can still see him cradling that shoulder, protecting it! He knows he’s compromised, but he’s fighting through it!

Jake Mercer: He grabs Drake and tries to lift him up…. ahhh, but his shoulder gives out! He drops Drake halfway! That arm just won’t cooperate!

Flannery McCoy: Oh, no! That couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time! Joso lets out a frustrated yell as he punches his own shoulder, trying to numb the pain! However, Drake is beginning to recuperate from that slim burst of offense! He sees that opening and lunges forward—

Stew-O: BUT JOSO WITH A KNEE TO THE GUT! JUMPS AND HE CONNECTS WITH A SINGLE-LEG CODEBREAKER!! HE USED HIS GOOD ARM FOR THAT ONE, AND DRAKE KING GOES DOWN LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES ON THE MAT!

Jake Mercer: Oh, but look! He rolls out of the ring! Once again, that veteran instinct is coming into play to save him in this match! Joso looks on, and he’s as frustrated as can be! No doubt he was hoping he could’ve followed that up with a pin or one of his stronger moves!

Flannery McCoy: Can’t blame him for beginning to become upset now, but there’s no time to waste. If he wants to win and be inserted into that world title match, he has to do what he can to end Drake, and soon!

Stew-O: Speaking of which… Drake King crawls to the barricade and latches onto it. He uses it to stabilize himself as he slowly comes back up to his feet. That modified codebreaker clearly took a lot out of him as he’s not at all steady. Almost looks like he doesn’t even know where he is—

Flannery McCoy: AND HE CERTAINLY WON’T NOW AS HE JUST CRASHED INTO THE BARRICADE WITH THE BACK OF HIS HEAD HITTING IT!

Jake Mercer: :damn:

Stew-O: WHAT A SUICIDE DIVE THAT WAS FROM JOSO! HE’S HEATING UP NOW AS HE FORCES HIMSELF BACK TO STANDING POSITION AND GRABS A HOLD OF DRAKE! HE TOSSES HIM BACK INTO THE RING!

Jake Mercer: Oh, boy! Drake! DRAKE! Don’t even think about trying to get back up…!!!

Flannery McCoy: Too late! Joso is on the apron, hawking him down! Drake stumbles to a vertical base—or, well, as straight as he can while standing! He’s in prime position, and turning around, Joso takes his shot! He leaps up and springs off the top rope! CLOTHESLINE!

Stew-O: That knocked Drake King clean off his feet!

Jake Mercer: And that paves the way for Joso to go for another cover!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—

Jake Mercer: Shoulder up!

Flannery McCoy: It wasn’t enough to end the match and seal his Pain for Pride fate, but Joso has managed to turn the tides back in his favor! Even with his shoulder bothering him, he’s doing all he can to fight past it! He grabs Drake and runs at him… SLINGBLADE!! HE’S ABLE TO SEND HIM DOWN WITH ONE ARM WITH THAT!

Stew-O: Joso is feeling it, and he immediately follows that up by leaping off of the middle rope! MOONSAULT!

Jake Mercer: BUT HE DOESN’T HIT DRAKE! HE MOVED!

Stew-O: Oh, no! Joso crashes and burns! He was looking to do one his signature combinations, but Drake King moved at the last second to avoid it! He grunts as he gets up–

Jake Mercer: –AND HE GETS TRAPPED RIGHT IN FOR ‘SCRIPTURE’!!!

Flannery McCoy: DRAKE KEEPS A HOLD OF JOSO AND LIFTS HIM UP TO SEND HIM DOWN FOR THAT ANACONDA VISE!!

Stew-O: BUT JOSO STOPS HIM MID-AIR! AND WITH ONE ARM HE SENDS DRAKE KING CRASHING DOWN WITH THE SPIN-OUT POWERBOMB KNOWN AS ‘INCOMING SILENCE’!!

Jake Mercer: HOLY CRAP!! HOW WAS HE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH ONE GOOD ARM?!!

Flannery McCoy: I DON’T KNOW, BUT JOSO NAILED IT! DRAKE IS DOWN, AND WITH THE SITOUT POSITION, JOSO IS ABLE TO TURN IT INTO A PINNING ATTEMPT!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEE—

Stew-O: SHOULDER UP FROM DRAKE KING!

Jake Mercer: BUT JOSO GRABS HOLD OF THAT OUTSTRETCHED ARM!!

Flannery McCoy: AND WE ONLY EVER SEE JOSO TRY TO GO FOR THIS MOVE WHEN HE’S REALLY DESPERATE, BUT HE PULLS DRAKE KING IN AND HAS HIM LOCKED!!

Stew-O: ‘FOR HONOR’! ‘FOR HONOR’! OVER-THE-SHOULDER CHICKENWING IS LOCKED IN TIGHT, AND DRAKE KING’S EYES WIDEN! HE IS STUCK!

Jake Mercer: MY GOD! JOSO MIGHT MAKE HIM TAP OUT!

Flannery McCoy: DRAKE KING IS FLAILING! THAT ‘FOR HONOR’ SUBMISSION IS CUTTING OFF CIRCULATION, BENDING THAT ARM BACK IN A WAY IT SHOULD NOT GO, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PANIC ON HIS FACE!

Stew-O: THIS COULD BE IT! THIS COULD BE WHAT PUNCHES JOSO’S TICKET TO PAIN FOR PRIDE! HE’S WRENCHING BACK WITH EVERYTHING HE HAS LEFT IN THAT GOOD ARM, AND DRAKE’S IN BIG TROUBLE!

Jake Mercer: THE REFEREE IS RIGHT THERE, ASKING IF HE WANTS TO QUIT, BUT DRAKE KING SHAKES HIS HEAD! HE WON’T DO IT! HE’S FIGHTING WITH WHAT LITTLE HE HAS LEFT!

Flannery McCoy: DRAKE IS SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT, TRYING TO ROLL THROUGH… AND HE DOES! HE FLIPS OVER INTO A PINNING PREDICAMENT!!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—

Stew-O: JOSO RELEASES THE HOLD TO KICK OUT!! BUT BOTH MEN ARE SCRAMBLING AND IT’S A RACE TO THEIR FEET!!

Jake Mercer: Joso charges! HE’S LOOKING TO TACLE DRAKE DOWN INTO THE MAT—

Flannery McCoy: DRAKE KING LEAPS INTO THE AIR!!!

Stew-O: PEDIGREE!! THAT’S ‘ASCENSION’!!! DRAKE CATCHES HIM MID-CHARGE AND SPIKES JOSO’S HEAD INTO THE MAT!!

Jake Mercer: THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE! JOSO’S MOMENTUM WORKED AGAINST HIM, AND DRAKE JUST DROPPED HIM SKULL-FIRST INTO THE CANVAS!

Flannery McCoy: HE’S HOOKING BOTH LEGS!! THIS MIGHT BE IT!!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

Stew-O: NO!!! JOSO KICKS OUT!! JOSO KICKS OUT OF ASCENSION, BUT DRAKE KING SPURS ON WITH ALL OF THAT ADRENALINE COURSING IN HIS VEINS! JOSO IS WEAK AS CAN BE, AND THE MESSIAH HAS HAD ENOUGH OF THIS FIGHT!

Jake Mercer: Joso is stirring… but it may be too late as Drake comes in–AND DOWN HE GOES AGAIN WITH ‘JUDGEMENT DAY’!!

Flannery McCoy: RIGHT ON THE BATTERED SHOULDER, TOO—JUST LIKE WITH WHAT WE HAD TO WITNESS LAST FRIDAY!!

Stew-O: He got all of it! Drake covers, and he makes sure he presses all of his weight down onto that shoulder as he folds Joso up!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(…)

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(…)

Stew-O: ## JOSO KICKS OUT!!

Jake Mercer: WHAT!???

Flannery McCoy: He… oh my God! He POWERED out of that at the last second, and Drake King is gobsmacked! He shoots up and immediately begins to argue with the official! However, the referee is NOT backing down! Joso did, in fact, kick out in time!

Stew-O: And listen to the audience! Everyone in Rome is on their feet, ecstatic at this outcome! Just when we thought it was going to be the beginning of the end for Joso, he pushed through, and he was able to save this match for himself!

Jake Mercer: But that means Drake King has a long way to go before he can decisively end things! He finally stops arguing and he gets to stomping, letting his anger out on Joso!

Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Stew-O: Nothing but temper flaring up! But Drake gets in one more good stomp before he grabs Joso and roughs up his arm!

Drake King: (off-mic) I AM TIRED OF YOU!!!

Jake Mercer: Crash out Drake. Lawd help me.

Flannery McCoy: Drake gets Joso into a kneeling position and looks for ‘Judgement Day’ yet again! He rushes in and COMES DOWN WITH THE STOMP!

Crowd: :damn: !!

Stew-O: ONLY FOR JOSO TO ROLL AWAY!!

Crowd: :gladbron: !!

Jake Mercer: AND DRAKE IS SHOCKED, BUT HE SNAPS OUT OF IT! SUPERKICK—

Flannery McCoy: TO THE KNEE AS JOSO WAS ABLE TO BEAT HIM TO THE PUNCH!

Stew-O: DRAKE GOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH THAT ONE! JOSO STEPS IN AND NAILS THE SUPERKICK AGAIN IN HIS FACE! AND WITH DRAKE OUT, JOSO AS ONE LAST THING TO DO…!!!

Jake Mercer: STANDING DOUBLE FOOT STOMP!!

Flannery McCoy: HE HIT THAT SIGNATURE COMBINATION OF HIS! DRAKE IS DONE! AND JOSO—WAIT, WHAT???

Stew-O: HE’S HOISTING HIM UP…. SOMEHOW WITH BOTH ARMS…!!

Jake Mercer: NO FUCKING WAY..!!

Stew-O: YES WAY—BECAUSE JOSO NAILS DRAKE KING WITH THE ‘HEAVEN’S GATE’!!

Crowd: M2KEMDMQ3LEFMDLMRFQEWLMNFJLRNGJLRNJVKWRNGTNJW5!!!!

Jake Mercer: That just took A LOT out of Joso to do! But adrenaline is the mightiest drug there is, and it helped him lift Drake King up and send him down with that gnarly package piledriver!

Flannery McCoy: Joso isn’t completely free from the effects of straining his shoulder, but it was a necessary sacrifice! Drake King is laid out, and Joso crawls over to cover him!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Jake Mercer: NO!! KICKOUT FROM DRAKE!! But the momentum is shifting! Joso is finding a way to stay alive in this!

Stew-O: What an incredible display for fortitude! Joso sits up, and—

Stew-O: …?

Stew-O: :comeagain:

Jake Mercer: Wait, why are the fans booing??

(The camera shot shifts away from Joso and Drake King to reveal that someone else has made their presence known, looking at the action directly from ringside…)

Cy Henderson: :Observe:

Flannery McCoy: :francis: !!!

Stew-O: It’s Cy Henderson! The EAW World Heavyweight Champion is here, and I doubt he’s nearby just because he wants to look at an incredible in-ring match with his own two eyes.

Jake Mercer: What?? Don’t you EVER disrespect my New York GOAT like that ever again! He is watching these two men kill each other for the sake of facing HIM, so he gets all the right in the world to watch it!

Flannery McCoy: Oh, suuuuuuure he does. He’s already wearing that smug smile of his as his arms cross over his chest. Joso is initially confused, but he turns his head and finally sees Cy!

Joso: :noah:

Joso: (off-mic) Nigga, the super senior citizen section of the arena is towards the back. Move there?

Cy Henderson: (off-mic) No. I don’t think I will, actually.

Joso: (off-mic) Don’t make me come out there and smack you upside the face with your goofy ass self, bro.

Cy Henderson: (off-mic) :mjlol: !!

Stew-O: Joso shakes his head and refocuses—BUT HE TURNS RIGHT INTO A RIGHT HAND FROM DRAKE KING! AND NOW THEY’RE TRADING BLOWS AGAIN, MID-RING!! STIFF FOREARMS FROM BOTH MEN! NEITHER ONE BACKING DOWN!

Flannery McCoy: This is what it’s all about! Drake is yelling in Joso’s face! Joso is firing right back! These two are exhausted, but they’re digging deep! And—WAIT! DRAKE ROLLS HIM UP!!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Jake Mercer: HE’S GOT THE TIGHTS!!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Flannery McCoy: NO! JOSO KICKS OUT, EVEN WITH THE EXTRA LEVERAGE!! DRAKE SHOOTS BACK UP—ONLY TO GET HIT WITH A JUMPING KNEE STRIKE!!
Stew-O: DRAKE STUMBLES BACK! JOSO RUSHES IN—BUT CY HENDERSON GRABS HIS ANKLE FROM OUTSIDE THE RING!! THE REF DIDN’T SEE IT!!

Jake Mercer: He innocent.

Flannery McCoy: BUT JOSO SPINS AROUND AND STOMPS ON CY’S HAND!! Cy reels back, but that has Joso’s focus is shaken and Drake comes in!

Stew-O: And… wait, what? Cy threw his hat into the ring! The referee is confused and goes to retrieve it!

Flannery McCoy: IT WAS A DISTRACTION PLOY! CY PULLS OUT HIS BRASS KNUCKLES AND HE GETS UP QUICKLY ONTO THE APRON!! HE’S GONNA TRY AND COST JOSO THE MATCH!

Jake Mercer: Like I said. He innocent.

Stew-O: DRAKE WITH THE LARIAT! CY WITH THE PUNCH! IT’S GOING TO BE A TWO-FOR-ONE DEAL!

Flannery McCoy: BUT JOSO DUCKS!!

Jake Mercer: ????

Stew-O: AND DRAKE KING GETS HIT IN THE FACE WITH THE BRASS KNUCKLES INSTEAD!!!

Jake Mercer: Uh……………………………….

Flannery McCoy: :stfudamn:

Jake Mercer: 😔

Stew-O: Cy is stunned! He hops down and removes the knuckles, but it’s clear he was looking to cost Joso the match so it could be one-on-one between him and Drake! He doesn’t want to face the former champion!

Flannery McCoy: Well, that backfired spectacularly! Drake is stunned, wobbling backward… and Joso is RIGHT there, waiting for him!

Stew-O: With ONE arm, Joso gets Drake up on his shoulders for the Argentine backbreaker rack… AND HE SENDS HIM DOWN INTO THE KNEE! ‘GRATEFUL DEAD’ CONNECTS!

Flannery McCoy: THE KNEE DOES NOT MISS! DRAKE IS HIT IN THE FACE AND HE SLUMPS DOWN! CY HENDERSON HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO WATCH HIS OWN PLAN BACKFIRE AS JOSO FALLS RIGHT ON TOP OF DRAKE TO PIN HIM!

Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(DING! DING! DING!)

(‘‘LIKE WEEZY’ by Playboi Carti hits. Joso sits up, holding his shoulder. He’s battered and exhausted, but he can’t help but smile.)

Bella Braxton: Here is your winner… ANNNNND heading into the World Heavyweight Championship main event match for Pain for Pride… JOOOOOOOOOOOOOSOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

(Joso turns to Cy…)

Joso: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Joso: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Joso: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Joso: (off-mic) SUCK MY DICK, DICKHEAD!!!!

Cy Henderson: :francis: !!

Stew-O: What a match! What a finish! It seemed like Cy was trying to take matters into his own hands by attempting to shut Joso out of his opportunity, but it ended up not working! Joso gets the win, and with that, he is heading to Pain for Pride as a first-time main eventer!

Jake Mercer: Forgive my GOAT, the sun was in his eyes.

Flannery McCoy: Well, that’s all she wrote! Both Cy and Drake are gonna have to come to gripes that Joso earned this win, and the world heavyweight championship match will now be contested in a triple threat!

(Joso grins and rolls out of the ring. He stumbles towards the fans in the front row, who are more than happy to celebrate with him!)

(Meanwhile, in the ring… Drake King stirs. However, a thin cut is on his nose as a result of Cy accidentally striking him with the brass knuckles. He lifts his head up, and sees Cy.)

Drake King: (off-mic) Y-you…

Drake King: (off-mic) ….

Drake King: (off-mic) …. You are going to pay for costing me this match…

(Cy huffs. He fans Drake off and begins to leave, not at all happy with how things turned out for him. Drake eyes him down, anger coursing in his body again.)

(The final shot shows Joso celebrating—with his one good arm, of course—before Fighting Spirit fades.)

(The shot fades ringside for the highly-anticipated final segment before Pain for Pride, and the camera sweeps around to take the viewers in the ring. However, nothing about this sight was ordinary. Security guard on top of security guard flanked one another, standing together like an indefatigable human wall of defense. It was the same for inside the ring. The wooden table, and chairs were there; inside, Joso, Drake King and Cy Henderson were already seated, and their eyes were on the titantron, having seen the final stretch of the Fighting Spirit between the two challengers for the EAW World Heavyweight Championship. Joso looks proud. Drake? Annoyed. However, for the champion himself, Cy was not at all happy with everything, and seeing the events unfold left a bitter, rancid taste in his mouth. It made him scowl.)

(In the middle of the crowded and security-packed space is Stew-O. He exchanges a few nervous glances all around him, but maintains his professional air. He clears his throat, and raising his microphone, he speaks.)

Stew-O: Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the home stretch towards Pain for Pride here on Dynasty. This is it. This will be the final segment for our show for this season before we head off to the biggest show of the year, and steamrolling ahead towards season nineteen!

(The fans cheer… but all three men don’t really share the same ecstatic glee. That sort of energy is palpable, almost stifling, so much so that Stew-O tugs at the collar of his pressed, white button-down shirt. Stew-O continues, trying to navigate through the pressure of being the lone voice in the eye of this hurricane.)

Stew-O: But before that, it is my honor, and my burden, to officiate this contract signing for one of the most anticipated main events in Pain for Pride history. The EAW World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line as Cy Henderson defends against not one, but two challengers: Drake King… and Joso.

(Camera cuts between each competitor: Joso sits back confidently, nodding to the chants in the crowd. Drake leans forward, arms crossed, unfazed and analytical. Cy? He’s breathing heavily. Jaw tight. Seething.)

Stew-O: Of course, you three are more than familiar with how these contracts go given your respective accomplishments, but it bears to be reminded given how everything has escalated. You each will have a chance to speak your final words, and then, you’ll sign this contract. We’re surrounded by enough security to guard Fort Knox—but for your sake, and mine, let’s try to keep this civil.

(He gestures to Joso.)

Stew-O: Joso. You first.

(Joso grabs the mic off the table, casual and cool as can be.)

Joso: Man… I almost forgot how good it felt to be here. You look at all these guards, all this drama, and you’d think we’re heading into a warzone. And maybe we are. But to me? This is just another night where I do what I always do: show out, shut people up, and keep moving forward.

(The fans cheer. Drake rolls his eyes. However, picking up on this, Joso’s smirk lessens and he directs his attention right to him.)

Joso: Don’t think I ain’t seen that slick shit, but you know what? It’s cool. You keep treating me like I’m beneath you, like I’m lucky to even be in the same ring as you. But at Pain for Pride, you’re gonna learn that the universe doesn’t revolve around your vision. And Cy? I ain’t scared of your rage. I ain’t duckin’ the smoke, talkin’ about who you gonna be coming back for blood and alladat like some fake-ass gangster. I’m walking through it. You beat me at Grand Rampage, yeah, but Pain for Pride? That’s my redemption arc. And this title?

(He taps the EAW World Heavyweight Championship.)

Joso: It’s coming back to me. Ain’t gotta drag nothing out, cause when I shoot…

Crowd: HE DOESN’T MISS!

Joso: :mjlit:

Drake King: :cmon:

Cy Henderson: :francis:

(Joso keeps his words plain and simple. He signs on the dotted lines, and actually shoves the clipboard with the contract towards Drake. The crowd ‘oooohs’ at this, but the Hall of Famer scoffs and gets his microphone up.)

Drake King: Joso, Joso, Joso, at this point, how many more times am I going to have to spell things out for you? You are not ready for the man you are about to face, and neither is Cy. In fact, this is easily the most insufferable two month span of my career because of having to put up with BOTH of your nonsense.

Drake King: Never before have I had to deal with headache after headache leading up to a major match before. Never had I had to deal with both THE champion and ANOTHER challenger being so incompetent, annoying, egotistical, and blatantly disrespectful. Say what you will about me, but at least I have shown up and proven myself to be a consistent threat. Meanwhile, we got Joso who IS LUCKY to be in this match at all, and as for Cy…?

(Drake narrows his eyes at him.)

Drake King: You only got yourself together two months ago, so if I were you, I would be the one walking into this match with a heavier chip on my shoulder.

(Cy doesn’t respond. He merely stares. However, Drake continues.)

Drake King: At least both of your efforts will be useless anyways. Everyone knows I hardly lose at this event. Gold is going to come to me one way or another, and the sooner you two get that through your heads, the less heartbreaking it’s going to be. However, if you still want to think you have a chance, then I can’t save you from disappointing yourselves.

(He takes the pen and signs off his signature.)

Drake King: A shame, too. If you weren’t such a child, Joso, I could see you as a probable leader… and Cy? I could almost respect the fact a fellow hall of famer has been able to find success again even within the current landscape if you weren’t such a maniacal fool.

Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Joso: Now THAT’s the pot calling the kettle black.

Drake King: Well, guess what? Be sure to add ‘champion’ next to that, because that’s what I am going to be again once Spain is over and done with.

(He eyes the championship.)

Drake King: I’d call it a return to form, but it wouldn’t be for me. No… it would be for the title I gave my all to, my first world championship, and it’s only fitting I get to finish my season on Dynasty by being on top of it once more.

(The crowd boos… and it takes a moment for it to die down. Once it does, Cy slowly brings his microphone up to speak.)

Cy Henderson: …I am done with you two. Truly, I am. The arguing. The spats. The yelling. So confident, yet so very, very wrong in all matters possible. Joso… you’re a loudmouth kid with a few wins and a whole lot of entitlement. You’re too busy chasing validation from the people to realize you’re in over your head. As for you, Drake? You’re still stuck in this twisted messiah delusion. Still preaching like anyone gives a damn. You keep acting like you’re above this… above us… when you’re just as deep in the mud.

(He leans over the table, the mic barely above a growl now.)

Cy Henderson: I’m not here for the theatrics. I’m not here to entertain the crowd. I’m not here to debate my worth. I’m here to fight, and at Pain for Pride, I’m going to rip through both of you to make sure this championship stays where it belongs—with a man who doesn’t need your respect to beat the hell out of you.

(He slowly picks up the pen. The camera zooms in tight as he scribbles his signature on the contract—methodically, like every stroke of the pen is carved in stone. Drake and Joso watch on, not at all impressed.)

Joso: So much for paying shit back in blood, huh?

(He mutters that underneath his breath. Cy stops after he signs off.)

Stew-O: And there it is, folks: it is official! The contract is signed, and at Pain for Pride, it will be Cy Henderson defending the EAW World Heavyweight Championship against Drake King and Joso in a triple threat match—

(Cy doesn’t even wait for Stew-O to finish. The moment the pen drops—he lunges across the table, flipping it aside and blindsiding Joso with a wild forearm to the jaw!)

Jake Mercer: WALLAHI!! NOT A SINGLE SECOND WASTED!! JOSO GOES DOWN, AND THE GUARDS IMMEDIATELY SWARM IN ON CY! NOOOOOOO, NOT MY GOAT! GET YOUR GRUBBY HANDS THE HELL OFF OF HIM!

Flannery McCoy: AND CY—HE’S GOING BALLISTIC! ONE BY ONE HE IS TAKING DOWN THE GUARDS! STEW IS ABLE TO GET OUT OF DODGE AND HE’S SCRAMBLING BACK TO SAFETY!

(The head commentator can be seen scurrying back to the rest of the team. He’s breathing frantically from that short burst of a sprint and even sweating!)

Stew-O: I–I don’t even know how it all fell apart anyways! There’s NO containing either man!

Jake Mercer: Uh oh! You may be right, ‘cause Drake is on the table and he’s running towards Cy! He leaps up, GOING FOR THAT CURB STOMP!

Flannery McCoy: HE’S CAUGHT! HE’S CAUGHT! HE’S ON CY’S SHOULDERS—

(CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!)

Stew-O: RISING TIDE THROUGH THE WOODEN TABLE!! DRAKE KING IS DOWN WITHIN THE HEAP!!

(Drake squirms and wreathes in absolute agony. Cy heaves, standing over him—)

Flannery McCoy: Joso! Joso spins him around and goes for a superkick—BUT CY TRAPS THE LEG OVER HIS SHOULDER AND RAISES HIM UP…!

Stew-O: Oh, no, no, NO, NO, NONONONONO!!!

Jake Mercer: :damn:

(And the fans are in shock as Cy TOSSES JOSO OUT OF THE RING, SENDING HIM FLYING AND CRASHING INTO THE SECURITY GUARDS ON THE RINGSIDE FLOOR!!!)

Jake Mercer: HOLY SHIT!!!

(Everyone goes down. Cy walks back over to Drake King. The other remaining guards don’t even dare to get involved. Henderson takes up the world heavyweight championship and keeps it firm within his grasp.)

(He smirks.)

(The camera zooms in, showing that a gash was on Drake’s forehead from the stiff landing he took. It’s not a massive stream of blood, but the damage has been done…)

(Cy stands tall in the middle of the ring amidst the chaos. He raises the championship high, and that is the final shot before Friday Night Dynasty fades.)

(EAW logo buzzes…)

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