(EAW intro plays)
(The camera opens up and a recap of last week’s Voltage begins to play. The show starts with the Universal Women’s Champion Dr. Bethany Blue and Sheridan Muller as Sheridan reveals the stipulation for their match being a Mixed Martial Arts Match, the two women throw a few comments at each other before Bethany raises her title and leaves. Sheridan stays in the ring to fight Daryl Kinkade in the opening match, as she ends up being successful in picking up a victory. Mercer Mckay has an interview with Sofia Clarke where he declares for the Grand Rampage. Korey Gaines interrupts the interview as the two go in a small back and forth and Mercer ends up laying him out. Miku Sakai defeats James Ranger. Minerva comes out to the ring, and after what happened last week, she simply wants to challenge Samael to a match at Grand Rampage and it is accepted by Caine. Caine and Michael continue to play mind games with her until finally Minerva decides to go backstage and find them herself but she ends up being attacked by Samael and the masked mystery man, who is revealed to be Dr. Doyle. Theron Nikolas defeats Korey Gaines. Ayu is given an opportunity for the Hardcore Championship in the future. Hikari Kanno beats Candice Blair. After the match it is revealed that Halsey and Sierra are attacking Ronan, but he is able to turn the tables and come out on top, as he warns the Disney Besties that they are going to face his full wrath. In a shocking upset Usagi Senshi and TLA are able to defeat Drake King and Methuselah, as Methuselah arrived at the arena late due to some “family” issues. After the match Drake was angry at him for taking so long but he makes it up to him by giving him the number 30 in the Grand Rampage match, it was then during that moment that Yhwach takes advantage to attack Methuselah but with the two on one advantage, Drake and Methuselah end up laying him out. Daryl Kinkade comes out to say that this is one of the biggest matches of his career and he doesn’t want to blunder this kind of opportunity again. He gets interrupted by Myles who continues to say he can’t reach the level he is at and he continues to disappoint every week. Daryl challenges him to see if he can do better than what he did tonight in his match and Myles accepts. In the main event after a very heated match that involved two champions, Myles and Dr. Bethany Blue, Bethany comes out on top of the victory and after the match Daryl mocks Myles about not being able to win either so their altercation ends up breaking out in a brawl that makes security guards come out and try to pull them apart as the recap ends there.)
(Sunday Night Voltage transitions to show a shot of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An edited version of ‘33rd Blakk Glass’ by ZilaKami & SosMula is played through the speakers while spotlights are panning around and golden pyro is shooting out from the stage. The Voltage crowd cheers loudly while the shot then goes over to show the broadcasting team of Rich Russillo, James Peters, and Persephone.)
Rich Russillo: Welcome everyone…TO SUNDAY NIGHT VOLTAGE! We are officially one week away from Grand Rampage, as 30 men and women fight against each other for an opportunity to headline Pain for Pride and compete for a world championship! It is sure to be a great event but tonight we have another go-home show for you all!
James Peters: Exactly, tonight we have for you…uh…hm, that doesn’t seem right.
(James looks through his papers for a moment before speaking up again.)
James Peters: Actually…we don’t have any matches for you tonight.
Persephone: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- I mean…aw man! That sucks, I really wanted to see some good old wrestling tonight, oh well, guess we have to go early, bye guys and gals!
James Peters: Hold your horses, there is still a lot more tonight besides wrestling.
Persephone: …How fun. 🙂
Rich Russillo: Just as James said, we are going to hear from Captain Charisma and he has a major announcement for Fighting Spirit! There is a contract signing hosted by Persephone between the EAW Champion Myles and Daryl Kinkade, a weigh-in between the Universal Women’s Champion Dr. Bethany Blue and Sheridan Muller, as well as recaps from Grand Rampages of the past and other appearances from Voltage Elitists!
James Peters: And it seems we are getting those appearances soon, let’s not waste time then and let’s get to the show!
(Voltage fades to the stage, and after a few seconds, ‘Low of Solipsism II’ by Yoshihisa Hirano hits. This causes extremely loud boos to come from the crowd, as expected, and before long, the man who the music belongs to would walk out. When Drake King walks out he is seen holding a microphone in his hand, and he’s not paying any attention to the crowd. Drake doesn’t spend very long on the stage, walking down the ramp and towards the ring as he prepares to speak.)
James Peters: All things considered, we really can’t say last week went too badly for Drake King. Sure, he didn’t get that tag team win he was looking for due to Methuselah not showing up on time, but I’d say he was compensated for it pretty well as he received something nobody would have wanted to hear about.
Rich Russillo: I have to agree with you there. The last time Drake was in the Grand Rampage he was the number one entrant. This year, he’s number thirty. We can’t deny how much of a problem that is for everyone else in the match.
Persephone: Hmm.. I wonder if Rexy will be in the match. If he is, I hope you know he’s gonna win another Grand Rampage!
(Drake walks up the steel steps before entering the ring, taking only a few seconds before beginning to speak.)
Drake King: Things worked out better than I expected them to last week. I’m not pleased that our “tag team” match played out the way it did, but with that now out of the way and Grand Rampage in only a week, I can turn my attention to what really matters, and I believe we all know exactly what that is. Whether you like it or not, I will be the final entrant in the Grand Rampage match this year. I will be the last person to enter the match. Truthfully, I don’t believe there could’ve been worse news for the rest of the participants in the Grand Rampage match than that. I told you all what I was going to do when I first added myself to this match, and from the start I was prepared to do this regardless of what spot I entered at. Even if it was once again from the number one entrant I would have carried out the plan I warned you all about, but now? Now there’s not even a chance that things go wrong. Now there’s no possible scenario where I’m thrown over that top rope and eliminated. When this match ends I’ll be the last one standing, and by the time I even enter the ring, most of you will already be gone.
(This causes the boos to grow louder, but Drake just continues speaking.)
Drake King: There’s really not even any point in hoping for another outcome. You might as well just accept the way things are, because nothing that’s said between now and the night we enter the Grand Rampage match will change what’s going to happen. I gave you all enough chances in the last few years, and I even took a Grand Rampage away from you all with the hopes that you’d one day learn that there’s no need for terrible matches like that in this company. In the years since New Eden ruined the Grand Rampage match, this company has shown that they won’t learn. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m once again competing in the Grand Rampage match, and why I once again will win it. You all don’t deserve-
(‘A Cruel Angel’s Thesis’ by Yoko Takahashi hits, cutting Drake off as the music receives loud cheers. Usagi Senshi is seen holding a microphone, and she walks down the ramp as Drake King doesn’t look too pleased. Usagi sees this, and she has a smirk on her face knowing that as she continues to walk down the ramp to the cheers of the fans, who are in full support of Usagi Senshi and the Ice Aces.)
James Peters: It looks like Usagi didn’t want to hear anything else that Drake had to say! I don’t blame her, either. She’s one of the participants in the Grand Rampage, she wasn’t just going to listen to all of that.
Rich Russillo: Let’s not forget, she pinned Drake King just last week! That’s how the tag team, or really the handicap match ended.
Persephone: I remember that! It was like… Three weeks ago, right? Good show, loved every part of it.
James Peters: It was last week..
(Usagi Senshi enters the ring, and Drake tries to speak.)
Drake King: I don’t-
Usagi Senshi: We’ve heard enough from you, already. We know you’re going to have more to say about the Grand Rampage match after tonight, I don’t think we need to hear any more of your threats right now. You do this every week. You tell us that there’s no possible way things could go wrong for you, but last week proved that idea wrong, didn’t it? Just like with the Grand Rampage match, you had this idea that you couldn’t possibly walk into Voltage and lose. You’re Drake King! You had Methuselah on your side! You couldn’t possibly lose to TLA and Usagi Senshi!… Then you did. Methuselah didn’t show up when you thought he would, and in the end not only did you lose. You were pinned by me, the only Elitist in that match that didn’t have the resume the rest of you did when it comes to your World Championship reigns and Pain for Pride main events. I proved you wrong, Drake. I proved that I could defy expectations and shock the world. I proved that I could get these wins that nobody was expecting to happen, and at Grand Rampage I’m going to do it again.
(The fans cheer loudly hearing this, which just annoys Drake. Usagi Senshi continues to speak.)
Usagi Senshi: I don’t really care what number you’re entering at. Someone was always going to have to take the number thirty spot and gain the biggest advantage in the match, and if it wasn’t going to be me, it didn’t really matter who it was. I’d be fighting an uphill battle regardless, and I’m going to make sure that I’m as prepared for that as I could possibly be at Grand Rampage. I don’t need to hear your doubts, or your promises that this Grand Rampage match will turn out to be a disappointment for everyone. If you want to get what you want you’ll have to go through twenty-nine other competitors, and I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say this. I won’t let you throw me out of that match. Winning the Grand Rampage won’t be as easy as you think it is.
Drake King: You’re only saying that because it’s how you hope things turn out. You know just as well as everyone else that there’s not a good ending to this match. This isn’t the same as some tag team match.
Usagi Senshi: You’re right, it’s not. At Grand Rampage I won’t be pinning you, I’ll be throwing you over the top rope and earning a shot at my first ever World Championship.
(This once again causes loud cheers to come from the crowd, and the cheers only grow louder as ‘Ambitionz az a Ridah’ by Tupac hits. TLA makes his way to the ring through the crowd who are going crazy and he hands them free merch. Though that free merch comes with the intent they hit up the Poon Palace which ain’t nearly as free. TLA considers leaving the crowd to make his entrance through the ramp with his lowrider but he realizes he is already in the ring at that point so there is no turning back. TLA steps right up into the ring when he is confronted by Usagi Senshi.)
Usagi Senshi: Grand Rampage is only a week away. We made a good team, but I won’t let you get in the way of my win.
TLA: Oh but you shall Usagi. Thou art no match for my lucha skillz! For real tho we ain’t tag teaming no longer! That was then and this is now. It is every luchador for themselves and imma get to tossin’ all y’all up and over that top rope. The same goes for Drake King. Imma get to style on him and just crush he hopes and dreams just like me and Usagi did with his old man last week. Imma straight crush all of the other competitors and come out as that toppest of dawgs. Y’all know how it be. They be saying that TLA having a bad year but my bad year better than all y’all good years. I go harder than most and the Grand Rampage ain’t no different. Imma be straight making them promises just straight guaranteeing that imma be signing that ticket to head on up to Pain for Pride like the realest ones can. Main event Pain for Pride two years in a row. Then we make it three years in a row next year. I just be taking all the spots from y’all ain’t none of y’all taking my spot. You come around my spot I be blastin’ on some of y’all wanna step to a vato. You get dealt with.
Drake King: There’s really no point in you two making all of these promises now. They’re just going to turn out a waste of time.
TLA: Nah imma be turning them promises into reality with the quickness. Y’all wanna act like we going to regret saying this if we lose. Pero we ain’t regret nothing up in here. This that Grand Rampage season you know you gots to go all out. No regrets whatsoever it’s all about that hustle. You know that when it comes to TLA it be all about that hustle. Bringing that struggle up into the ring and y’all going to be struggling to survive. Best hope that Steroid Dawg ain’t one of the entrants y’all know mi perra finna get them fangs in straight bite all y’all you know you ain’t safe.
(‘Show Me Your God’ by The Amity Affliction hits, and this gets a mixed reaction as Theron Nikolas begins to walk out, having interrupted the three already inside of the ring. Theron remains on the stage for a few seconds, holding a microphone in his hand, before finally beginning to walk down the ramp. As Theron makes it to ringside he walks up the steel steps, entering the ring before beginning to speak.)
Theron Nikolas: I can see what’s going on here, and I just hope you can all understand that it’s all pointless. Walking out here and making all of these promises now just to ultimately fail to deliver even half of them once the time comes, is that really what you all plan to spend your time doing? Following my loss to Methuselah I was not sure what was next, if anything. I could have given up, and walking into that match I believed that I would’ve in the event that I failed. Despite all of it though, I’m still here. I’m still in EAW, I’m still walking into the Grand Rampage match along with all three of you, and I’m still going to win the entire thing. I’m not going to discuss some tag team match that took place last week or any other preview match, because none of it actually matters in the long run. What matters is the way that this ends, and that’s with the Elitist that cares enough to fight through it all, to push themselves past twenty nine other competitors. That is me.
(There’s a few seconds of silence, until finally TLA speaks up.)
TLA: I be pressing X to doubt real hard right now ese.
Theron Nikolas: That’s fine. I expect you to doubt me, just like I expect the other Elitists in the match to. Just know that I won’t be walking into that match accepting anything besides victory, because whatever doubts you all may hold for me don’t exist within me. I’m not going to be doubting myself walking into that match. I’m not going to be standing inside of that ring wondering whether or not I actually belong there, because I know that I’m one of the very few that actually does.
(Theron looks at Drake and Usagi as he says this, and Usagi Senshi speaks up.)
Usagi Senshi: Believe what you want, Theron. I don’t care how unlikely you or anyone else thinks it is. I’m going to make sure that I win the Grand Rampage match.
Theron Nikolas: You’ll try, I bet. What you actually accomplish will be a different story though, and you of all people should understand that better than anybody.
Drake King: You’re in the exact same spot she’s in as far as I’m concerned.
Theron Nikolas: And you say this as the man still trying to burn down the entire industry, having yet to even slightly damage just this company.
(‘Run’ by Zeal & Ardor hits as Mercer McKay walks out. Mercer couldn’t seem to care less about what’s going on inside of the ring as he is holding a microphone of his own, walking directly down the ramp. He quickly enters the ring before beginning to speak.)
Mercer McKay: It seems like you all are focusing too much on the same people and forgetting about a certain someone in this match. Someone who has been a force to be reckoned with this entire season, and now I get to take it out on all of you with no limitations holding me back, while securing myself the opportunity of a lifetime in the process. I promise you that none of you guys or anybody else on the other brands realize the destruction that I’m capable of and you all won’t realize it until it’s too late after I’ve smashed every last one of you and have punched my ticket to Pain for Pride.
Drake King: It’s not that we don’t know what you’re capable of, more so that nothing you’re capable of will actually matter.
Mercer McKay: We can go right now and I’ll make you remember next time.
(Mercer steps up to the face of Drake who clearly wants no part in fighting Mercer right now.)
???: Nah, nah, nah Mercer you got it all wrong.
(Korey Gaines emerges from the curtain and races down the ramp with a microphone.)
Korey Gaines: If there’s anybody who you’re going to likely fight tonight, it’s me for what you pulled on me last week.
(Mercer rolls his eyes as Korey enters the ring.)
Mercer McKay: You’re lucky that’s all I did.
Korey Graves: I have a bone to pick with you, and then with the rest of all these competitors in the ring. I’ve been searching for the perfect moment to showcase my ability and show how much I’ve grown since I came back to this company, and I plan on doing that in the Grand Rampage match. I know nobody is going to give me a sliver of a chance but that’s fine with me. You can bet everything that I’m coming in laser focused and do everything in my power to pull off the ultimate underdog story and have that pyro going off for me when the final bell rings. Sometimes things you least expect just come up out of nowhere.
Mercer McKay: Yeah okay anyways, Drake, TLA, Theron and Usagi –
Korey Graves: I’m also not going to stand here and take that disrespect.
Usagi Senshi: Korey you’re wasting your breath because if there’s going to be an “underdog story” in the Grand Rampage match, it’s –
(Usagi is cut off by ‘LIKE IT! LOVE IT!’ by Setsuna Yuki as it plays as Usagi’s girlfriend and partner Ayu Megumi steps out with a microphone as the crowd shows their love. She quickly makes her way down to the ring.)
Ayu Megumi: You’re looking at her.
Drake King: No. None of you are winning.
(Ayu just ignores Drake, shaking her head before turning to the others.)
Ayu Megumi: I didn’t want to follow everyone else in coming out, but I figured why not join in on the fun. Every one of you has a solid case to win the Grand Rampage match, but most of you don’t have anything to prove in the match, especially Drake over there. I made the decision to step up to Hikari and now I have to show I’m willing to float on my own in the deep sea with the sharks swimming around me. I am coming with every drop of sweat, every drop of blood and will do it or die trying making sure that I pull it off and have my hand raised in victory. I also know that it’s every person for themselves, and Usagi wants this match just like I do. No matter what happens, whether we decide to work together until the end or fight our own battles, it’ll come down to the two of us.
Mercer McKay: You really think you stand a chance?
Ayu Megumi: You guys hear that? It sounds like somebody I already beat.
TLA: :mjlol:
(The conversation between the Grand Rampage entrance starts to take a turn, as this comment from Ayu Megumi frustrates Mercer McKay. He’s not the only one annoyed either, as the entire argument begins to heat up.)
Mercer McKay: I bet you won’t say that again. I dare you to do it.
Ayu Megumi: You try to act tough and think people are scared of you when that’s just not the case Mercer.
Korey Gaines: You’re right about that Ayu which is why that was an empty threat, but he’s right to question you by asking if you think you really stand a chance because neither of you are winning the Grand Rampage…I am.
Theron Nikolas: :francis:
Usagi Senshi: Leave her alone. You’re definitely not winning the Grand Rampage match, so you’re better off just focusing on Mercer McKay and dealing with him.
Korey Gaines: You of all the people in this ring should not be telling me that because you’re no better. You think just because you’re on a little streak that you’re hot stuff? You’re still just a tag team wrestler no matter how hard either of you try.
Theron Nikolas: It was only a matter of time until things turned out like this, but that doesn’t make this any less embarrassing. I understand this from the newer Elitists who don’t have much experience in the Grand Rampage, but are you really going to keep this attitude knowing your own history with this match?
(As Theron says this, he looks at TLA.)
TLA: Y’all know I be bringing that attitude everyday homie. Imma hardened veterano up in this thang. I may not have won the Grand Rampage before but I gots that experience. And let’s not forget that in 2017 I was the runner-up to the Grand Rampage. I done came inches away from winning it. Now this time we go them last inches further!
Mercer McKay: And what was most important in what you said? Oh that’s right…you LOST! You can throw all that garbage out the window when it comes to me because I literally don’t care. This is a match where experience doesn’t mean a thing for anybody. If anything though, you bringing all that up makes me look better when I’m the one who shocks the world and wins. I mean it’s not like you ain’t used to it TLA, remember when that one random dude what was his name…Master of the ring or something dominated you and eliminated you before almost winning it all a few years ago?
TLA: Mercer stay hatin’ you know he a big homie he a mean homie thinking he can jump a homie backstage. But we going to see him coming in that ring going to find he self tossed over the top rope he ain’t going to be able to stealth on us none.
Theron Nikolas: I don’t think you truly understand what kind of match you’re about to enter Mercer, but that’s fine. In one week’s time, you’ll see just how outmatched you really are.
Usagi Senshi: Don’t get the wrong idea. You guys have more experience, but history shows that it hasn’t always served either of you well.
Ayu Megumi: She’s absolutely right about that and it should be noted. All it takes is literally just throwing somebody over the top rope and you don’t have to be experienced in that, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
(Usagi and Ayu stare at one another for a second as the commotion continues as Drake King just stares at them all, until finally he begins to speak.)
Drake King: None of you get it, do you? You’re wasting your time right now arguing for the right to be the last person eliminated in the Grand Rampage. You can keep acting like fools, it’s not going to bring you any closer to winning the actual match. When this ends, it’ll be because I was the last Elitist inside of the ring, not ANY of you.
(This finally causes the other six Elitists to stop arguing as they look at Drake King. The silence between them all lasts a little while as they stare at Drake, before finally looking at each other. It’s at this point Drake realizes something is wrong, and as the six Elitists turn back to him..)
James Peters: WOAH!!! ALL OF THE VOLTAGE PARTICIPANTS IN THE GRAND RAMPAGE MATCH JUST TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO DRAKE KING AND ATTACKED HIM!!! THEY ALL JUST DROPPED HIM AND NOW THEY’RE BEGINNING TO STOMP AWAY AT HIM!! IT LOOKS LIKE IF ALL SIX OF THOSE ELITISTS COULD AGREE ON ONE THING, IT’S THAT THEY DON’T LIKE DRAKE KING AND THEY DON’T WANT HIM WINNING THE GRAND RAMPAGE MATCH!
Rich Russillo: All six competitors lift Drake up, AND NOW THEY TOSS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!! DRAKE KING WAS JUST THROWN OVER THE TOP ROPE BY ALL SIX ELITISTS, AND IF THIS HAPPENS NEXT WEEK DRAKE WILL HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE GRAND RAMPAGE MATCH WITHOUT EVEN PUTTING UP MUCH OF A FIGHT!
(The fans cheer loudly after seeing Drake King thrown out of the ring, and after a few seconds, the six Elitists begin to stare at each other.)
James Peters: AND HERE WE GO! THE SIX ELITISTS ARE NOW ATTACKING EACH OTHER! THE ICES ACES GO BACK AND FORTH WITH TLA AND THERON NIKOLAS, MEANWHILE KOREY GAINES AND MERCER MCKAY ARE GOING AT IT! THIS COULD VERY WELL BE A PREVIEW OF WHAT’S TO COME AT GRAND RAMPAGE, ONLY THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH OVER TWENTY OTHER PARTICIPANTS TO WORRY ABOUT!
Rich Russillo: KOREY GAINES AND MERCER MCKAY CONTINUE TO TRADE PUNCHES, BUT MERCER CONNECTS WITH AN UPPERCUT THAT CAUSES KOREY GAINES TO STUMBLE BACKWARDS INTO THE ROPES!!! MERCER MCKAY RUNS IN- AND HE DELIVERS A CLOTHESLINE SO POWERFUL THAT IT SENDS BOTH ELITISTS OVER THE TOP ROPE!!! IF THIS WAS THE GRAND RAMPAGE MATCH, MERCER MCKAY WOULD HAVE JUST ELIMINATED HIMSELF TO GET TO KOREY GAINES!
Persephone: THE ICE ACES WORK TOGETHER TO DROP TLA BEFORE HITTING THERON NIKOLAS WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!!! Usagi and Ayu have been working together since this brawl started, which I guess makes sense seeing as they’re in a relationship and have no reason to-
James Peters: WOAH, WHAT THE HELL??? USAGI SENSHI JUST THREW AYU MEGUMI OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!!!!
(This causes a loud reaction from the fans as they’re surprised at what they just saw. Ayu Megumi sits at ringside, taking a few seconds to even process what just happened, before looking back at Usagi. Usagi has a smirk on her face as she shrugs her shoulders, and at that point Ayu Megumi understands, beginning to smile back.)
Rich Russillo: Ayu Megumi understands just as well as Usagi does that in the Grand Rampage match you can only work together for so long! You’re eventually going to have to fight each other, and Usagi clearly had no problem with that
Persephone: YEAH, BUT WHILE USAGI WAS TOO BUSY FOCUSED ON AYU, TLA RECOVERED AND HIT USAGI WITH THE VERY MEXICAN UPPERCUT!!! USAGI STUMBLES INTO THE ROPES, AND TLA SENDS HER OVER THE TOP ROPE WITH A CLOTHESLINE!!! YOU CAN’T GET DISTRACTED LIKE THAT IN THE GRAND RAMPAGE EITHER, OR YOU’LL JUST BE TAKEN OUT!
James Peters: TLA now turns around-
Rich Russillo: RIGHT INTO THE CARPE DIEM!!!!! THERON NIKOLAS LANDS THE ELBOW, AND NOW HE GRABS TLA BEFORE SENDING HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!!!!
James Peters: THERON NIKOLAS IS THE LAST ELITIST STANDING, AND WITH ALL OF THE HUGE THINGS HE’S DONE THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, THIS COULD VERY WELL BE THE EXACT SAME SIGHT WE SEE AT GRAND RAMPAGE!
Rich Russillo: Only time will tell what will happen once the time comes for all seven of these Elitists to enter the ring again, but tonight Theron Nikolas stands tall, giving him momentum heading into Grand Rampage!
(‘Show Me Your God’ hits as Theron Nikolas remains inside of the ring, staring down at the fallen Elitists. Those on the outside are slowly recovering and getting back to their feet after their falls to ringside, and none of them look too happy. Even so, Theron Nikolas standing tall is the last sight shown as Voltage fades away from ringside.)
(The camera switches backstage to see Hikari Kanno watching what just went down in the opening few minutes of Voltage where all of the competitors who are competing in the Grand Rampage match get into an all out brawl. She is wearing casual attire with the Hardcore Championship on her right shoulder.)
Hikari Kanno: Ayu Megumi is my challenger? That’s cute.
(She just has a tiny grin on her face as Sofia Clarke is seen walking up behind her with a mic in her hand. Hikari hears her and turns around, motioning for her to come forward.)
Hikari Kanno: You got a few questions you wanna ask me? Go ahead.
Sofia Clarke: Hello Hikari I just wanted to perhaps get your thoughts on your upcoming title match with Ayu Megumi and will you be keeping a close eye on her performance in Grand Rampage next weekend?
Hikari Kanno: I mean of course I’ll be watching the Grand Rampage match, but I may not look too deep into it because I think I’ve seen everything I’ve needed to for this season. I say that because I know what Ayu is all about and I know she’s going to put up a solid fight, but in her heart she knows deep down that she’s not on my level but she’s just too proud to admit it. Nobody looks at this match and thinks Ayu stands a chance against me especially with how white hot I am in my career right now. I also know Ayu knows what she’s doing because let’s be honest, she has big shoes to fill because I had high intentions for whoever was the next one who dared to step up to try and take this title away from me. I said a few weeks ago that it’s Pain for Pride season and I wasn’t going to have my time wasted so best believe Ayu is going to come in swinging for the fences at her very best but at the end of the day, it’s not going to be enough because I didn’t come this far only to have everything ripped away from me with Pain for Pride right around the corner. I know Ayu is going to try, but so have all of my past opponents and that did not stop them from meeting the fate that she will when our title match is done and over with. Ayu thought she was proving bravery or showing ambition by stepping up to me and likely thinks it’s going to be a career altering decision, and she’s right about that but for the wrong reasons as I’m going to wish she never took that challenge realizing she’s not in my league. Ayu is going to find out that she’s not cut out for not only this division that I reign supreme in, but perhaps as a singles wrestler, period.
Sofia Clarke: Do you have any last thoughts or messages you want to get across?
Hikari Kanno: The only thing I have really left to say is that I hope Ayu enjoys her fifteen minutes of fame being in this kind of match with me because it’s likely as far as she will get as a singles wrestler. That’s not being mean, it’s likely the truth because as long as I’m the champion, she and I both know she doesn’t stand a chance. I’m going to dispose of her and then my eyes are focused on the grandest stage of them all that is Pain for Pride where I will walk in….STILL the Hardcore Champion.
???: Fifteen minutes?
(The camera pans to its right to see Ayu Megumi holding her back from the brawl that just occurred in the ring a few moments ago. She gets in the face of Hikari before Sofia backs up out of the picture.)
Hikari Kanno: You heard me, and also, way to go on getting thrown over the top rope by Usagi out there. You know, I kind of see a lot of myself in Usagi there because she has the desire to strike out on her own rather than be held back in a tag team or even in a relationship, and I completely relate to that. Maybe Usagi wants to build on that momentum from last week when she pinned a future Hall of Famer in Drake King and get as far away from you as possible. I wouldn’t be shocked if you were jealous of Usagi and ARIA and held it against them deep inside you, which is why you lash out on them at times. You’re jealous that ARIA and Usagi went on to have success such as winning the Specialists title or teaming with TLA against the team of Drake and Methuselah. I mean, let us not forget that you were always bringing her down and you even kept blaming yourself on why you guys have never won the Unified Tag Team Championships. During my time in IDOL-GUN, we won the tag titles while only being on the roster for what, a cup of coffee? I was bound to do bigger things and one of those things is sitting right here on my shoulder and maybe Usagi realized that out th –
Ayu Megumi: Can you just please stop with this? I’m not going to take the bait with this and the only thing I’m going to say is our love has been put in question before and we came out of it even stronger. We both have every right to go on as singles competitors and Grand Rampage is every person for themselves with only one winner and we both know that which is why I don’t blame her for keeping that in mind when she threw me over the top rope. But that isn’t the important part you should be focused on during that match. Instead of trying to perhaps throw a wrench in my relationship, you should pay attention to the statement I plan on making the second I enter that match. If you decide to take it seriously, great but if not, you’re walking into our title match with a disadvantage.
Ayu Megumi: I can tell that you don’t see me as a legitimate threat and that’s fine because that’s one of the reasons I stepped up to the plate, to show you that I am. Look into my eyes right now and believe me when I tell you that this isn’t no fifteen minutes of fame. This isn’t just some match that I accepted only to put up a good fight against you or gain some big time match experience, nah. I challenged you with the full intention of knowing that I have what it takes to dethrone you from the top of the Hardcore division. I accepted Captain Charisma’s offer because I want to see how far I have evolved as a singles competitor against someone like you, and I accepted because I heard you wanted someone worthy of your time and I know I’m that person who can take you down and if you don’t believe that, you will very soon enough.
(Hikari just rolls her eyes.)
Hikari Kanno: I don’t buy that in the slightest Ayu, none of it. But let’s back up to what you said about Usagi and your bond always remaining strong, you’re clearly jealous of her and ARIA’s singles success so you think making a splash against me will put you at their level. However, in this instance, you have bitten off far more than you can chew. Also let me remind you that what you just described with Usagi is exactly how I felt in IDOL-GUN. If I’m being honest with you, I wouldn’t be surprised if tonight isn’t the last time Usagi decides to throw you away.
(You just tell that what Hikari just said got under the skin of Ayu who has gone from calm to annoyed in a split second as she runs her fingers through her hair, before laying Hikari out with a right hand punch to the face.)
James Peters: I mean, who can blame Ayu after that? AND IT LOOKS LIKE AYU ISN’T DONE AS SHE PICKS HIKARI UP AND THROWS HER INTO THE WALL – AND THEN BASHES HER HEAD INTO THE WALL!!!! Ayu now….AYU DELIVERS HER “STARSTORM” DRAGON SUPLEX RIGHT ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!!! Ayu sending a clear message to the Hardcore Champion right now that she’s not the person you wanna push too far and also show that she’s capable of beating Hikari. If Hikari wasn’t on notice, she most certainly is now!
Ayu Megumi: Only thing you should be worrying about is me becoming the NEW Hardcore Champion!
(Many officials step in and back Ayu up away from Hikari as they try to check on her. Ayu backs up slowly out of the scene as officials and medics attend to the unconscious Hikari Kanno laying on the concrete floor as the camera fades elsewhere.)
(Commercial for Uber Eats featuring Xander Payne. He’s mad the driver took a bit too long and yelled he ain’t getting a tip.)
(Sunday Night Voltage fades back into the arena and toward the commentary booth, with the camera specifically focusing on James Peters who is standing by with a smile on his face before then beginning to speak.)
James Peters: Welcome back! With just a week left until the Grand Rampage Marquee Event, we at Sunday Night Voltage wanted to take the time to look back at the moments that truly defined a generation at the big show. Right now we take a rewind back to Grand Rampage 2019, live from the land down under, Australia. The winner of the Grand Rampage match that year would end up going to Jamie O’Hara, who eliminated Rex McAllister in the final two to come out victorious. This would lead Jamie to Pain For Pride 12, where he looked to dethrone the Answers World Champion, Theron Nikolas, who at the time was the longest reigning holder of the title at that point. They would main event that night in a fatal four way match which would also include his opponent this year at the Marquee Event in Mr. DEDEDE. As history showed, DEDEDE would end up winning in what some would say is perhaps the greatest Pain For Pride match of all time, and the Grand Rampage winner would end up back at the beginning with a long climb in front of him, and you all should know by now how that ended. So let’s go back to what started it all, the final two of the Grand Rampage match, Jamie and Rex.
[SCREENBAR: GRAND RAMPAGE 2019]
Bella Braxton: Charlie Marr has been eliminated!
(Rex and Jamie both dive through the ropes and back into the ring where they collapse in the center. The crowd rises to their feet for the two, the FINAL two)
Stew-O: AND THE FINAL TWO THAT A LOT WERE HOPING FOR IS THE FINAL TWO THAT WE’RE GONNA GET!! JAMIE O’HARA, REX MCALLISTER… THE MAIN EVENT OF PAIN FOR PRIDE IS ON THE LINE!! And guys, with both men down, spent the way that they are… it’s almost as if we’re starting from square one! Quarter one! The first inning! The object of the game is still the same, throw your opponent over the top rope and have both of their feet hit the floor… but the question is, what is it going to take for that to happen?!
Eve: Guys hold on, I think props need to be given to Charlie Marr here… who cares what you think about him as a person, this man made it to the final three entering at #1 AND he broke the record for most eliminations in a single Grand Rampage match… we may have just seen the greatest performance in Grand Rampage HISTORY!
Stew-O: But did he win???
James Peters: Jamie O’Hara crawls over to the rope and pulls himself to his feet, Rex McAllister is on his knees, not using the ropes to get to his feet, instead pushing, almost forcing himself to a vertical base… they lock eyes and meet in the center of the ring and this crowd is LOUD! We’ve seen it teased all night throughout the match, but there’s no one to interrupt now… WE’RE GONNA SEE JAMIE O’HARA VERSUS REX MCALLISTER AND THE STAKES COULDN’T BE HIGHER!! I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU WOULDN’T BE, BUT IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO ISN’T WATCHING… CALL THEM AND TELL THEM TO TUNE IN NOW!!
Stew-O: Jamie and Rex meet face to face in the center of the ring, some words are being exchanged between the two but I can’t quite make out what’s being said. Jamie points towards the Pain For Pride sign, Rex glances up at it as well… AND NOW WE GET TO THE ACTION, THEY COME TO BLOWS!! A FLURRY OF PUNCHES BEING THROWN IN AND FROM EVERY DIRECTION AND THIS CROWD IS ABSOLUTELY EATING IT UP!! I CAN’T KEEP UP, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE… AND NEITHER MAN IS LETTING UP OR GETTING THE UPPER HAND ON THE OTHER!! REX GRABS JAMIE BY THE ARM AND WHIPS HIM INTO THE ROPES!!
Eve: BUT JAMIE COMES BACK WITH A SLINGBLADE!! REX, THROUGH THE PAIN IMMEDIATELY SCURRIES INTO THE CORNER… HE KNOWS HE CAN’T LEAVE HIMSELF VULNERABLE, HE, ALONG WITH JAMIE… AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO WIN, IF THINGS AREN’T GOING THEIR WAY, THEY HAVE TO PLAY A DEFENSIVE GAME, THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO GO FOR GUSTO… IT’S TOO RISKY!! REX IS UP IN THE CORNER… JAMIE O’HARA COMES CHARGING TOWARDS HIM… BUT REX GETS HIS KNEES UP, SENDING THEM RIGHT INTO THE FACE OF JAMIE O’HARA!!… AND NOW REX COMES RUNNING OUT OF THE CORNER… BULLDOG!! O’HARA GOES FACE FIRST OFF OF THE CANVAS!!
James Peters: Jamie turns onto his stomach making it harder for Rex to get him to his feet, both of these competitors are SO incredibly smart, I’d argue the smartest we’ve seen in maybe the history of EAW! We don’t have a graphic for you, but if you want to know the tale of the tape between these two unbelievable competitors, Rex McAllister has five inches and about forty pounds on Jamie, I’d also argue that he’s the better striker of the two… but disadvantages of that nature have never stopped O’Hara before… they’ve never even slowed him down!
Stew-O: Rex is able to get Jamie to his feet… BUT JAMIE SWATS REX AWAY, GOES FOR A RIGHT HAND… BUT REX DUCKS UNDER IT AND SLIDES BEHIND JAMIE, WRAPPING HIS ARMS AROUND HIM, LIFTING HIM UP AND DELIVERING A GERMAN SUPLEX!! A HIGH ANGLE GERMAN SUPLEX AT THAT, JAMIE O’HARA DAMN NEAR LANDING ON HIS NECK!! O’HARA ROLLS BACKWARDS, ONTO HIS KNEES… A FAR AWAY LOOK IN HIS EYES, REX COMES CHARGING… HE CRACKS A SHINING WIZARD ACROSS THE JAW OF JAMIE O’HARA!! JAMIE MIGHT BE OUT… THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY THAT REX NEEDS, GO ON, ELIMINATE HIM!!
Eve: IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE REX IS IN ANY HURRY HERE!! After the Shining Wizard, he collapsed beside Jamie… he’s using these moments not to eliminate Jamie, but to regain some energy! I hope it doesn’t come back to bite him!
James Peters: I don’t think it will, this is a good strategy in my opinion! With so much on the line right now, you want to be sure that when you throw your opponent over the top rope, his feet hit the floor! And Eve… you NEED energy to do that! Energy that Rex is building right now!
Stew-O: But it’s allowed Jamie O’Hara some time to get his wits about him! He shakes his head, getting the cobwebs out… pulling himself to his feet, as does Rex McAllister… he makes his way over to JAMIE… AND O’HARA DELIVERS A KICK TO THE GUT, HE LIFTS MCALLISTER UP, LOOKING FOR A SUPLEX!!
Eve: LOOKING TO SUPLEX HIM OUT OF THE GRAND RAMPAGE!!
James Peters: O’HARA IS TEETERING BACKWARDS, HE HAS MCALLISTER RIGHT OVER THE ROPES HERE… AND MCALLISTER REALIZES WHAT’S GOING ON, AND HE’S FRANTIC… SENDING KNEES RIGHT TO THE TOP OF JAMIE’S HEAD… TRYING TO GET OUT OF THIS SOMEHOW, AND OH GOOD GOD!! JAMIE JUST… JUST DROPS HIM!!
Stew-O: JAMIE JUST DROPPED REX ONTO THE APRON, HE DAMN NEAR LANDED ON HIS NECK… AND NOW LOOK AT THE PREDICAMENT THAT REX MCALLISTER FINDS HIMSELF IN, HIS HANDS ARE ON THE FLOOR!! REX MCALLISTER’S HANDS ARE ON THE FLOOR, HE’S DOING A HANDSTAND TO STAY IN THIS MATCH!! He has his knees pressed up against the ring apron, for support, and he’s managed to wrap the toe of his boot around the middle rope… I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOLKS… AND IT’S CLEAR THAT JAMIE O’HARA HASN’T EITHER, I DON’T THINK HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO!!
Eve: Jamie tries kicking at the left boot, and he’s able to get it loose but Rex is sticking to those ropes like glue, he immediately gets his foot back on… and even if Jamie is able to immobilize one foot, it’s not enough!! Rex is able to keep the other foot on the rope, and as long as he can do that, he’s safe!
James Peters: But you can’t stay like that forever! Eventually Rex McAllister is going to have to find a way back into this match, or Jamie O’Hara is going to have to find a way to eliminate him! Jamie goes to work on the other foot, trying to push it forward but it won’t budge! For all the pressure that Jamie is applying, Rex is applying just the same in the opposite direction! Jamie is starting to get very frustrated… OH AND WHAT’S HE DOING!?!
Stew-O: HE’S TRYING TO LIFT REX UP!! JAMIE GOES DOWN, UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND THE STOMACH OF REX!! JAMIE STRUGGLING, BUT MANAGING TO MAKE IT BACK TO HIS FEET, HE HAS REX MCALLISTER IN SOME WEIRD, MODIFIED TOMBSTONE POSITION!!… AND HE’S WALKING WITH HIM, REX’S BOOTS ARE STILL HOOKED ON THE MIDDLE ROPE, HIS KNEES ARE STILL AGAINST THE RING APRON, BUT JAMIE IS SLIDING HIM ACROSS THE LENGTH OF THE RING ROPE!!… OVER TO THE CORNER, WHERE HE SLAMS THE BODY OF REX MCALLISTER INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!!
Eve: HE DOES IT A SECOND TIME, LITERALLY RAMMING REX INTO THE TURNBUCKLE, HARD, MAKING A LOUD CRACKING SOUND… REX CAN’T SUSTAIN MUCH MORE OF THIS!! A THIRD TIME NOW!!… BUT REX STILL MANAGES TO HOLD ON, AND NOW JAMIE, TAKING A FEW STEPS BACK… LOOKING TO GET A RUNNING START PERHAPS?! HE RUNS FORWARD, LOOKING TO SLAM REX INTO THE TURNBUCKLE YET AGAIN… BUT REX LIFTS HIS ARMS UP OFF THE FLOOR AND WRAPS THEM AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE TURNBUCKLE, HE GLIDES AROUND THE TURNBUCKLE, FEET IN THE AIR… AND BACK INTO THE RING!! I’M IN DISBELIEF, THE CROWD IS IN DISBELIEF, JAMIE O’HARA IS IN DISBELIEF!!
(The crowd is on its feet chanting “REX!” Jamie O’Hara can’t help but laugh)
James Peters: I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE WHAT WE JUST SAW… BUT I MUST SAY… THE CORE STRENGTH OF REX MCALLISTER… TO DO WHAT HE DID, SO DEEP INTO A MATCH LIKE THIS, MAY BE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING I’VE EVER SEEN!! HE SWUNG ACROSS THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING AND DIDN’T LET HIS FEET TOUCH THE FLOOR!! HE WAS ABLE TO KEEP THEM UP AS HE SLID BACK INTO THE RING!! But as McAllister is making it to his feet, one thing is certain… HE’S HURTING!! HURTING BAD!! Jamie closes the distance between the two… BUT OH!! REX SENDS JAMIE OVER THE TOP ROPE!! JAMIE HOWEVER IS ABLE TO LAND ON THE APRON… REX COMES RUSHING WITH A YAZUKA KICK… BUT HE’S NOT QUICK ENOUGH!! O’HARA IS QUICKER ON THE DRAW AS HE DELIVERS IN EXCELSIS!! REX IS DOWN, REX IS OUT… AND JAMIE O’HARA HEADS TO THE TOP ROPE!!
Stew-O: HE’S LOOKING FOR THE COMBINATION, THE ULTIMATE COMBINATION, THE COMBINATION THAT NO DOUBT WILL WIN HIM THE 2019 GRAND RAMPAGE… O’HARA LEAPS OFF OF THE TURNBUCKLE… GENKI CANNON TO THE RIBS OF MCALLISTER… BUT OH NO!! JAMIE LANDED ROUGH, JAMIE LANDED HARD ON HIS ANKLE AND HE IMMEDIATELY GRABS IT, ROLLING AROUND THE RING IN PAIN!! AND WHAT A BREAK THIS IS FOR REX MCALLISTER!! IF THAT’S A PERFECT LANDING THEN JAMIE O’HARA RIGHT NOW IS THE GRAND RAMPAGE WINNER, BUT NOW IT LOOKS AS IF HE’S GONNA GET THE TIME HE NEEDS TO RECOVER!!
Eve: The referee is over, tending to Jamie O’Hara… and what happens if Jamie can’t compete? Is his ankle broken? I mean, we’re down to the final two… this is uncharted territory, there’s no precedent for this!
James Peters: And you can see now, Rex McAllister with his eyes open, coming to his senses… what’s he gonna do?! He sees Jamie, clearly in pain… does he just stay back? Or does he go on the attack?!
Stew-O: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE TWO OF YOU?! AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAIN EVENT PAIN FOR PRIDE IS ON THE LINE!! YOU BET YOU GO ON THE ATTACK!! AND GOOD, THAT’S WHAT REX IS GONNA DO!! THIS ISN’T A CHARACTER THING, IT’S A CAREER THING, REX SHOVES THE REFEREE AWAY, HE PULLS JAMIE O’HARA TO HIS FEET… GRABS HIM BY THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND THROWS HIM OVER THE ROPES!!
Eve: BUT AGAIN O’HARA LANDS ON THE APRON!! O’HARA WON’T DIE AND REX DOESN’T EVEN BOTHER WITH IT, HE PULLS JAMIE BACK INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RING, READY TO DO MORE DAMAGE!! JAMIE IS ON HIS KNEES… REX CHARGES AND LANDS THE YAZUKA KICK THAT HE MISSED ON EARLIER!! AND NOW REX GETTING A BIT VICIOUS, SENDING ELBOWS INTO THE HEAD, THE TEMPLE OF JAMIE O’HARA… TRYING TO LEAVE NO ROOM FOR ERROR, NO ROOM FOR DOUBT!!
Stew-O: AND REMEMBER… CAREER… NOT CHARACTER!! IF YOU WERE THIS CLOSE TO THE MAIN EVENT OF PAIN FOR PRIDE, YOU WOULD BE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING HERE!! MCALLISTER WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY FROM THE GODS, SO HE’S GONNA TAKE IT!!
James Peters: REX WITH ONE MORE ELBOW TO THE SIDE OF JAMIE’S HEAD, JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE!! REX NOW SETS HIMSELF UP IN THE CORNER, JAMIE O’HARA ROLLS TO THE EDGE OF THE RING, HE’S STILL SHOWING LIFE!! HE GRIPS HIS HAND ON THE ROPE, AND HE’S GRIPPING IT HARD… YOU CAN SEE THE WHITES OF HIS KNUCKLES… AND THAT’S ALL THAT’S ALLOWING JAMIE O’HARA TO STAND RIGHT NOW, IF IT WASN’T FOR THEM… I HONESTLY DOUBT THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO!! JAMIE’S UP AND HE STAGGERS AS HE TURNS AROUND… REX MAKES A B-LINE FOR HIM… LOOKING FOR THE REX EFFECT!! HE GRABS JAMIE’S HEAD… FLOATING OVER THE TOP OF HIM… BUT OH!! OH!! JAMIE!! JAMIE LIFTS REX AND PUSHES HIM OVER THE ROPES, ONTO THE OUTSIDE!! JAMIE O’HARA IS DONE IT!! JAMIE IS GOING TO HOTLANTA!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
(Jamie O’Hara’s ankle gives out as he collapses into the middle of the ring)
Bella Braxton: YOUR WINNER OF THE 2019 GRAND RAMPAGE… JAMIEEEEEE O’HARRRRRAAAA!!
James Peters: HE DID IT!! HE DID IT!! JAMIE O’HARA DID IT!! THE LEGEND OF JAMIE O’HARA CONTINUES TO GROW!!
(Jamie O’Hara slowly rises to his feet as fireworks begin to shoot off all around the stadium)
Eve: HE OUTLASTED 29 OTHER MEN, AND WAGED WAR WITH REX MCALLISTER AT THE END THERE, THAT WAS THE MOST INTENSE FINAL TWO I’VE EVER SEEN, SO MUCH DRAMA, SO MUCH EMOTION… AND WHAT A WAY TO END IT!!
(The camera focuses in on a disappointed Rex McAllister, on his knees with his hands on his hips. He lowers his head)
Stew-O: WHAT A NIGHT THIS HAS BEEN!! THE ROAD TO PAIN FOR PRIDE 12 IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY AND JAMIE O’HARA IS AT THE WHEEL!! For Eve and James Peters… I’m Stew-O… signing off!!
(Jamie O’Hara slowly gets to the turnbuckle and begins pointing at the Pain For Pride sign, pyro once again begins firing off. The camera slowly fades to black while Sunday Night Voltage fades away from the rewind to elsewhere.)
(Promotional ad for Grand Rampage, the event where the annual thirty-person Grand Rampage match takes place.)
(Sunday Night Voltage fades back into the arena as the sounds of ‘Changed It’ by Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Wayne is heard blasting through the speakers. The crowd erupts into a mix of cheers and boos while the camera spirals around before landing at the stage to reveal Friday Night Dynasty’s Milli Banks making her way out from the backstage area. She has a smirk on her face while she looks around at the hyped fans tonight in Philadelphia, doing a little dance and posing, also twirling a microphone in her hand. She takes a moment before then beginning to make her way down the ramp and toward the ring from there.)
Bella Braxton: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome… ‘THE SUPERNOVA’… MILLI BANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rich Russillo: Well as we all know, next week Milli Banks will have the opportunity to fight for the Specialists Championship against ARIA at Grand Rampage, and the two of them haven’t been short of conflict with one another these past couple of weeks. We saw last week on Dynasty in their first encounter Milli dropping ARIA, then on Dynasty this week we saw ARIA return the favor when Milli tried for it a second time. It’s safe to say that wasn’t taken kindly by the challenger, as now she makes an appearance on Voltage in what I can only assume to be a way for her and ARIA to meet one more time before their match in Boston.
James Peters: Well if this is anything like their last two face-to-face meetings, this is certainly one to be interested in. Given this is, as you said, going to be their last before the Marquee Event, I’m sure both of them will be looking to make a statement here tonight at the other’s expense, the question is who will beat the other to the punch? That’s something that remains to be seen, but right now, base level Milli has something on her mind, and I’m interested to hear what she has to say.
Persephone: Well I certainly am not, I’ve heard too much talking for my liking tonight on Voltage and I’m getting real tired of it. I hope they beat the stuffing out of each other again so I can at least pretend to be interested in the violence.
(Milli makes her way up the steel steps and onto the apron, entering through the ropes and into the ring as she makes her way over to get a microphone from the ringside area. From there, ‘Changed It’ begins to come to a close. Milli takes a moment before bringing her microphone up to her mouth, speaking to the crowd tonight.)
Milli Banks: Now I’m not gonna front with y’all when I say it, I got ahead of myself on Dynasty this week. I said I wouldn’t, promised even, but I tried my luck and paid for it and I’ll give my girl ARIA that at least. She wasn’t going to fall for the same tricks again, and turned it around on me before I could send her down to the mat for a second time, and really the only thing that can go through my mind right is fair game to her. She’s not as innocent as I expected, and when Milli Banks pulls up on the block, she does the same. While I could’ve come out here tonight and balled my fist in anger, fire in my eyes, calling her out immediately, I’m not in the mood for that. I’m not here to play games with her anymore, it’s a week left until Grand Rampage and the only thing on my mind is that Specialists Championship and you best believe imma take what’s mine.
(The crowd cheers while Milli has a smirk on her face.)
Milli Banks: I’m not going to say ARIA got lucky, but I’m definitely going to say that I ain’t gonna let it happen again. In fact, I’m gonna get my get back, and you know I’m with that. Only time left I have to do so is tonight and next week at Grand Rampage when I beat her for the title, but really, tonight I’m not here for nonsensical violence. Nah, while I could very well go about my business that way, that’s not my flow. But what I do want to do is put it out there to not just the Sunday Night Voltage brand but the entirety of Elite Answers Wrestling that you’re going to be seeing a lot more of my pretty face beyond the Dynasty brand once I win the Specialists Championship. Because when I do it’s not even a question whether or not I’m going to confine myself to one space, I’m doing a whole world tour and whoever wants a shot whether that be from Showdown or Voltage can bring it.
(The crowd once again cheers for this. Milli has a smile on her face as she brings her microphone up again, once again looking to speak… but that’s before ‘DESTINY’ by Saori Yoshida is heard playing through the speakers.)
Rich Russillo: Well, I think someone has heard enough. :lupe: The Specialists Champion is here and looking to confront her challenger!
(The camera goes over to Specialists Champion ARIA beginning to make her way out to the stage. She has a small smile on her face as she looks around at the crowd with her title around her waist, microphone already in hand. She begins to make her way down the ramp and toward the ring, while Milli watches her do so with a smirk as well. She slides into the ring, with the two of them coming face-to-face before ‘DESTINY’ begins to come to a close and ARIA brings her microphone up, beginning to speak.)
ARIA: Who would I be to knock you for trying, Milli? I appreciate the enthusiasm, I definitely appreciate the fire, it shows just how much you want the Specialists Championship and the lengths that you’re willing to go to in order to get there, and that’s really all I want out of whoever is going to face me for this title. But, at the same time, I don’t want you to end up making the same mistakes as… yeah… because I’ve already had two defenses under my belt so far, and the challengers, Lexi and Sierra, all thought the same thing that Milli thinks now. I don’t think you need to be a detective like me to find out what happened. I’ll admit that I’m not invincible, I’ve been beaten before, heck in my last match I lost. But I know when the stakes are high, and when the Specialists Championship is on the line I’ve not only proven that I’m at the top of my game, but with every defense I continuously get better.
Milli Banks: Glad we can agree on the same thing, sis. Now I’ll admit you brought up a valid point about my failures, even if that did irritate me at the moment, it’s easy to see on the surface that, especially with the Specialists Championship, I haven’t had the best of luck. I’ve fallen while you’ve risen and that’s something that I haven’t glossed over. But not only have you grown as an Elitist, but I have as well, and just as you are at the top of your game, I’m at the top of mine as well. You’ve beaten Lexi, you’ve beaten Sierra, but none of those girlies can hold a candle to Milli Banks, and at Grand Rampage you’re going to be facing the great challenger of your reign, and I just don’t think that you’re ready for that. You haven’t taken that into account yet as good of a detective as you are, and that’s going to end up being where you collapse and I walk out of Boston, Massachusetts with your title.
ARIA: That’s the issue that I have, Milli, taking this title is something that’s easier said than done, as shown. I don’t care who the opponent is, I’ve shown that I can face anyone that stands in my way and push them to their limits, and I’m not going to exclude beating them either. I’ve had the best of the best stand in my way time after time again, and I’m the one that has the title in my hands and they don’t. It may have been smooth sailing for me right now, but I know that I’m going to have to ramp it up against you and anyone else as I head into Pain For Pride 16, but I’m capable of doing so and carrying that weight. I knew what I was going to have to sacrifice to be Champion, and I did so tenfold. So I apologize Milli, but you’re going to have to wait a little while longer for your moment to come, because this title reign isn’t over yet.
(The two of them step up to one another, staring daggers while the crowd murmur in anticipation for what’s about to happen next. Milli looks like she’s seconds away from swinging at her, but composes herself as she breaks away for a moment and scrunches her face. She then looks back at ARIA before speaking.)
Milli Banks: Grand Rampage, my story of struggle ends, and not even you will stop that for me.
(Milli drops her microphone down to the ground, turning around and taking her leave while ‘Changed It’ begins to blast through the speakers again. She makes her way up the ramp while the crowd cheers loudly, while ARIA, still inside the ring, raises her title into the air. The two of them have one final glance with one another, as it’s the last shot seen before Sunday Night Voltage from there begins to transition to elsewhere.)
(Promotional ad for Grand Rampage, where Minerva faces Samael.)
(The camera cuts to the stage area as Rhapsody in Pink’ by Stela Cole (Clean Version) blares throughout the arena, garnering massive boos from the audience in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Candice Blair exits through the curtain first, but following behind are Sierra Everett and Halsey Neel, who flank either side of Candice Blair on the stage area. Neither woman have a match tonight, but are dressed for competition, wearing #DisneyBesties shirts over their ring gear. Sierra has a cropped version, and Halsey has hers underneath her leather jacket. The three women have stern looks on their faces as they march down toward the ring, standing side-by-side.)
Bella Braxton: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome… the team of Candice Blair, Sierra Everett, and Halsey Neell… #DISNEYBESTIES!!
James Peters: #DisneyBesties have arrived, and they do not look happy.
Rich Russillo: Although, united? That’s a different story. They’re marching to the ring, and they’re marching with a purpose. For who? I’m sure everyone knows at this point.
Persephone: Yep, that being Ronan Malosi…whoopie!
James Peters: Last week must be still fresh on their mind.
Rich Russillo: Why wouldn’t it be? If you were attacked, especially with a foreign object, that isn’t something you’d forget either.
James Peters: For those who missed it, let’s recap how Ronan Malosi managed to lay out both Sierra Everett and Halsey Neel last week.
(A replay shows of last week, featuring Ronan Malosi involved in a scuffle with Sierra Everett and Halsey Neel backstage. At first, they had the upper hand, utilizing the numbers game, but Ronan began to fight back, going as far to pull out a baseball bat to even the odds. Sierra and Halsey were left laying, but Candice Blair was left to watch from inside the ring, irate at the fact she was unable to stop it. After laying out her friends, Ronan managed to send a message to Blair as well, claiming that he’ll make her life a living hell.)
(The camera cuts back to inside the ring, and ‘Rhapsody in Pink’ by Stela Cole (Clean Version) can be heard fading out in the background. All three women leaned forward on the ropes, holding microphones in hand, facing the hardcam side of the ring, but were looking towards the replay, and a look of pure disgust had formed on their faces. #DisneyBesties backpedals towards the center of the ring, and Candice begins speaking.)
Candice Blair: Look, let’s cut to the chase. I, for one, am sick of Ronan Frederick Malosi. I’m sick of his face, I’m sick of his outfits, I’m sick of his lame attempt at humor, I’m sick of everything about him.
Halsey Neel: Candice, you aren’t the only one sick of Ronan Malosi. I’m sick of him too. Mainly, I’m sick of him being a constant thorn in our side.
Sierra Everett: Halsey, if you’re sick of Ronan Malosi, imagine how sick me and Candice are. We’ve been sick since the very beginning.
Candice Blair: Since day one, Ronan’s been a thorn in our side. He’s been a burden, he’s been an anchor, only serving one purpose, and that’s to drag us down.
Sierra Everett: When turning on someone, everyone claims that they dropped dead weight, but at least with us… it’s true. We dropped 280 pounds of dead weight in the form of Ronan Malosi, the man who’s been to blame for all our respective failures.
Candice Blair: Need a reminder? Road to Redemption 2022 is one of them! Ronan’s sole purpose was to be our backup, our insurance policy against the Ice Aces, and he couldn’t even do that correctly.
Sierra Everett: Well, failure is a common trend in Ronan’s career. He’s been on three separate brands, somehow, always finding himself in prominent spots, whether it be aligning himself with general manager, Ryan Wilson, or competing for the EAW Championship against Minerva. However, in the end, he always comes up short, and leaves with nothing to show for it.
Candice Blair: Well, Ronan succeeds at… some things, one of those being screwing things up for others.
Halsey Neel: At King of Elite, he screwed things up for me, and is the SOLE reason why I’m not Hardcore Champion. I haven’t forgotten that, and kept it in mind during our three stages of hell match, a match which I was hoping would be the last of you.
Candice Blair: Unfortunately, Ronan never knows when to say “I quit.” He just keeps making the problem worse and worse, digging the hole deeper and deeper for himself.
Sierra Everett: Last week, that’s what he did, dug himself a hole. He dug himself a hole that’s six feet under ground.
Halsey Neel: Ronan may have got the one up on us last week, but this week… this week is an entirely different story. This week, we’re ready for whatever you have planned, whether that be a baseball bat, or whether that be some schmuck you found to help fight your battles.
Candice Blair: So, what are you waiting for, Ronan? If you can take out two of us, I’m sure a “manly man” like you has no problem taking out three of us. Just know, we’re going to make you regret ever coming to Voltag-
(‘Mo Money’ by Ben McLusky cuts Candice Blair’s speech off, and the three women turn towards the stage area, getting into a fighting stance.)
James Peters: Wow! Some bravery being shown by Ronan Malosi tonight.
Persephone: Bravery? …you might as well call it stupidity.
Rich Russillo: Ronan Malosi is not backing down from #DisneyBesties, despite being on the receiving end of three-on-one attacks. Perhaps he doesn’t know when to quit.
James Peters: Cut the man some slack. Maybe he’ll surprise us, he certainly did last week.
Rich Russillo: That’s true, but hey, where is he?
(‘Mo Money’ by Ben McLusky continues to play, and #DisneyBesties are getting restless, but the song abruptly comes to an end as Ronan Malosi appears on the titantron, prompting loud boos from the EAW audience. He’s wearing a custom-tailored $10,000 suit, complemented by his signature fedora, and carries a smug grin on his face while sitting down on a black leather couch in the living room of a luxurious home.)
Ronan Malosi: Surprise!
(SCREENBAR – LIVE VIA SATELLITE)
(Ronan begins chuckling to himself, blocking out the encore of boos from fans, and the fact he’s annoyed #DisneyBesties even more, as if that was possible. Eventually, he manages to reel his laughter in, and goes back to addressing #DisneyBesties.)
Ronan Malosi: Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed. I mean, do you guys seriously think that low of me? Do you think I’m stupid to the point where I’d willingly walk into a three-on-one situation? :mjlol: No, I’ve had enough when it comes to the three of you, and being outnumbered. Although, last week, I proved that the number game doesn’t always matter. Sure, it can be three-on-one, two-on-one, but even that doesn’t guarantee any of you to quite measure up to me. Must suck to suck, right?
Candice Blair: Ronan, enough games. Maybe we chose to call you out on too short of a notice, maybe you need extra time to prepare, so we’re giving you just that. Extra time to prepare, because I’m issuing a challenge, which has been a long time coming, because Halsey got her crack, and Sierra got her crack at you. Oh yeah, they also wiped the floor with you.
Ronan Malosi: Did they?
Candice Blair: Sure did.
Ronan Malosi: That’s not how I remember it, but go on.
Candice Blair: I’m issuing a challenge for you versus me… at Grand Rampage!
(Ronan thinks about it for a moment while fans cheer at the prospect of another match being added to the card of Grand Rampage.)
Ronan Malosi: …nah, I’m good. :mjgrin:
(Candice grits her teeth at this answer, fed up with Ronan, and his antics.)
Ronan Malosi: Sorry, but… I’m kind of busy. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not in Philadelphia… thank God.
(The crowd boos loudly at this diss from Malosi.)
Ronan Malosi: I’m actually in Cape Town, South Africa, my hometown, which isn’t much better, but… it’s a step up. I mean, the people… don’t get me started on the people. But there is some genuine beauty to be found in this city, which I am treating my good friend, and personal assistant, Nicholas Roald, to. Can you believe he’s never been to South Africa? Everything here amazes him, its-
Candice Blair: Okay, so you’re in Cape Town, South Africa, you still haven’t given me a reason as to why you can’t accept my challenge.
(Ronan rolls his eyes.)
Ronan Malosi: Connect the dots, idiot. I’m on vacation, which cuts into Grand Rampage. Meaning: I won’t be there either.
Candice Blair: Fine. I have no problem waiting.
Ronan Malosi: Well, good for you. *sarcastic tone* You’re in quite the rush to be humiliated.
Candice Blair: No, humiliated is something you’ve been by us multiple times now.
Ronan Malosi: Is that so? Yeah, getting jumped three-on-one constantly is humiliating. It’s humiliating for the attackers, because one-on-one, it’d be a different story. Matter of fact, it was a different story against one of your cronies there, Sierra.
Candice Blair: Okay, and you had Diamond Dixon there to ensure victory.
Ronan Malosi: Diamond Dixon didn’t ensure anything, I would’ve beaten her either way. Besides, Sierra had it coming.
Candice Blair: Just like you had multiple beatdowns coming at the hands of us. Daily reminder: you’re the reason Eden decided to leave.
Ronan Malosi: Eden, Eden, Eden… enough about Eden! I mean, you guys are practically captains of her fanclub, and professional wrestling shouldn’t be for fanboys or fangirls. It should be a place for real men, and legitimate tough guys like myself.
Candice Blair: Tough guy? Aren’t you the one running scared from us right now?
Ronan Malosi: Running? Well, running isn’t something I saw you do last week. Your supposed best friends were in trouble, and what’d you do? You stood there, and watched. Now, you’re going to stand there, and watch as I sign off. Later, Candice. Later, Sierra. Later, Halsey. Enjoy the rest of your night thinking about me, because… I won’t be thinking about you.
(The feed cuts, and Candice Blair is enraged. Her eyes carry a thousand yard stare, and Candice brings the microphone close to her face, forgetting she’s a Disney princess, forgetting everything in this moment.)
Candice Blair: Ronan Malosi needs to die. No. Ronan Malosi must die.
(The arena deafens, given how serious Candice Blair seems in saying this, and ‘Rhapsody in Pink’ by Stela Cole (Clean Version) plays. Halsey and Sierra try cooling down Candice a bit, and the three women exit the ring, heading to the back, but Blair is still visibly seething as the camera fades to elsewhere.)
(Promotional ad for Grand Rampage, where ARIA defends the Specialists Championship against Milli Banks.)
(Sunday Night Voltage would then fade back into the arena and for the second time tonight, to the commentary booth, where of course it would focus back on James Peters, who was standing by with a smile on his face before beginning to speak.)
James Peters: Welcome back, and thank you for joining us once again as we take a look back at the history of the Grand Rampage Marquee Event on the Voltage side of things. Before this we talked about 2019 and Jamie O’Hara’s victory in the Grand Rampage match, but right now I’d like to talk about the following year and more specifically, someone who was in the final two with Jamie the year before that. Starting from Pain For Pride Festival when he lost the EAW World Championship to fellow EAW Hall of Famer Cage, Rex McAllister had suffered a tremendous heartbreak in which yet another World Title eluded him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but when it came down to it, it was up to him to build back from the ground up and get what he believed was rightfully his back in his possession. While 2019 wasn’t a success, 2020 was another opportunity with all the experience that he had garnered to make things different. Even more so with the challenge that stood in his way, which fittingly ended up being who took the World Championship from him in the first place, Cage. Rex would right his wrongs that night by eliminating him and winning the Grand Rampage match, moving on to Pain For Pride 13 where he would beat then Champion Andrea Valentine to once again win the EAW World Championship. So let’s go back to the final three of that Grand Rampage match, with two very familiar opponents squaring off in what was a bout to be remembered!
Bella Braxton: Ahren Fournier has been eliminated.
[SCREENBAR: GRAND RAMPAGE 2020]
Stew-O: Here we go… Only three competitors left in this match. The Ringmaster, Rex McAllister, and Cage. Rex has managed to stay in this match since entrant fifteen, meanwhile Cage and the Ringmaster were entrants one and two. How those two managed to survive this long is beyond me, but now we’re in the endgame. This is what it’s come down to. Cage, Rex, or Ringmaster, one of these three men are going to main event Pain for Pride as this year’s Grand Rampage winner. Rex McAllister came so close to getting the job done last year, and we all know how much he wants to right his past wrongs. Cage was made the first entrant by Chris Elite, and even that wasn’t enough as Chris made it so going through any one of the ropes counts as an elimination for Cage. The Ringmaster, this is his first ever Grand Rampage guys. He asked to be the second entrant, and from there he went on to get the most eliminations in this match. All three men slowly beginning to circle the ring, waiting to see who will make the first move.
James Peters: RINGMASTER DOESN’T WAIT AROUND! THE RINGMASTER JUST BLASTED REX WITH A LARIAT, AND NOW HE’S JUST PUMMELING HIM AS CAGE BEGINS TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND JUST WATCH! REX IS BACKED INTO THE CORNER, BUT RINGMASTER NOW KICKS REX IN THE MIDSECTION BEFORE LIFTING HIM UP! SNAKE EYES ONTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! REX IS HURT, AND NOW RINGMASTER IS LOOKING FOR THE ELIMINATION- BUT REX IS ABLE TO KICK RINGMASTER AWAY BEFORE HE COULD SEND HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE! REX NOW JUMPING ONTO THE MIDDLE ROPE- AND REX ATTEMPTED A DIVING DOUBLE AXE HANDLE BUT RINGMASTER CATCHES HIM AND HITS A SPINEBUSTER-
Eve: CAGE GOES RIGHT AFTER THE RINGMASTER! THE RINGMASTER IS THE BIGGEST GUY CURRENTLY IN THIS MATCH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE MAY STILL BE THE BIGGEST THREAT AS CAGE BEGINS POUNDING AWAY AT HIS FACE! RINGMASTER TRYING TO BLOCK UP BUT CAGE IS STILL ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MOST OF HIS PUNCHES! THIS MAY BE BAD FOR RINGMASTER! CAGE PICKING RINGMASTER UP, AND I THINK HE’S SETTING UP FOR THE MOVE THAT’S PUT DOWN SO MANY OF HIS OPPONENTS IN THE PAST! CAGE, HITS THE MURDER DEATH KILL!! NO HE DOESN’T, RINGMASTER MANAGED TO DUCK THE CLOTHESLINE AND INSTEAD PICK CAGE UP, BUT CAGE IS QUICKLY ABLE TO COUNTER WHATEVER RINGMASTER WAS GOING FOR WITH A DDT!
Stew-O: Rex is back to his feet, and instead of going after Cage, IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S GOING TO HELP HIM! REX PULLING RINGMASTER TO HIS FEET BEFORE GRABBING HIS ARMS, AND NOW CAGE IS JUST PUNCHING AWAY AT RINGMASTERS MIDSECTION! PUNCH AFTER PUNCH, AND REX IS STILL PULLING ON RINGMASTERS ARMS SO HE CAN’T EVEN DEFEND HIMSELF! CAGE AND REX NOW BOTH GRABBING RINGMASTER, AND THEY SEND HIM CRASHING INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! THESE TWO ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY POSSIBLY CAN, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY AND TAKE OUT THE RINGMASTER! CAGE SLOWLY PULLING RINGMASTER TO HIS FEET WHILE HOOKING BOTH ARMS, MERCY RULE!!
James Peters: WAIT, NO!! RINGMASTER IS ABLE TO RAM CAGE RIGHT INTO REX! RINGMASTER TAKING DOWN BOTH MEN AS HE GOES DOWN HIMSELF, AND IT’S CLEAR TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH THESE MEN WANT TO MAIN EVENT PAIN FOR PRIDE! RINGMASTER SOMEHOW PULLING HIMSELF BACK TO HIS FEET, AND NOW HE GOES AFTER REX! RINGMASTER WASTING NO TIME HERE AS BE PICKS REX UP, AND THIS MAY BE THE END OF REX MCALLISTER IF HE CAN’T ESCAPE THIS! RINGMASTER WITH REX ON HIS SHOULDER, AND THERE’S THE BIG ENDING-
Eve: IT DOESN’T CONNECT! REX MANAGED TO JUMP OFF OF RINGMASTERS SHOULDERS AT THE LAST MOMENT, AND THERE’S AN ENZUIGIRI TO THE RINGMASTER! RINGMASTER BACKING UP INTO THE ROPES- AND NOW BOTH CAGE AND REX CHARGE IN, SENDING RINGMASTER OVER THE TOP-
Stew-O: RINGMASTER JUST SENT BOTH MEN OVER HIM AND OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!
James Peters: BOTH MEN BARELY MANAGE TO HANG ONTO THE ROPES AND STAY ON THE APRON! THEY’RE BOTH TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE RING, BUT THE RINGMASTER IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO TAKE BOTH MEN OUT AT ONCE AS HE TRIES TO PUSH BOTH REX AND CAGE OFF THE APRON! BOTH MEN ARE TRYING DESPERATELY HARD HERE TO HANG ON, BUT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT’S GOING TO BE DUE TO THE INSANE STRENGTH RINGMASTER POSSESSES, WE MAY SEE A DOUBLE ELIMINATION HERE TO END THE 2020 GRAND RAMPAGE!
Eve: I honestly believe we may be seeing one of the greatest individual Grand Rampage performances of all time from this man. The Ringmaster has had his ups and downs this season, but tonight he has more than proven what he is capable of. Ten years ago, at the third ever Grand Rampage, we saw another unexpected competitor make his name known, by emerging from the shadows and winning the entire match as the underdog. That man was Cy Henderson, who would go on to become EAW Champion, and eventually a hall of famer. Honestly, if Ringmaster can win here tonight after all he went through, Cy’s win in 2010 will seem like child’s play.
Stew-O: Cage is able to push Ringmaster’s hand away, and he hits Ringmaster with a forearm, causing him to let go of both men! Both Cage and Rex getting back into the ring, AND IMMEDIATELY BOTH MEN GO RIGHT BACK AFTER THE RINGMASTER! THEY’RE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO STAY IN THIS MATCH, AND SURELY THEY BOTH KNOW THAT IF THEY WANT TO WIN THIS MATCH, THEY NEED TO TAKE THE RINGMASTER OUT OF THE EQUATION! REX NOW RUNNING THE ROPES- ONLY TO BE MET WITH A BOOT BY RINGMASTER! CAGE NOW TRYING TO DO WHATEVER DAMAGE HE CAN AS HE CONTINUES THROWING LEFTS AND RIGHTS- BUT RINGMASTER PUSHES CAGE INTO THE ROPES, AND NOW HE GOES FOR THE ELIMINATION!
James Peters: CAGE DUCKS THE CLOTHESLINE FROM RINGMASTER, AND NOW LOOK! BOTH REX AND CAGE WITH A CLOTHESLINE SENDING RINGMASTER OVER THE TOP! RINGMASTER MANAGES TO STAY ON THE APRON, AND HE IMMEDIATELY GOES TO FIGHT BACK AS HE HITS CAGE WITH AN ELBOW, BEFORE DOING THE SAME TO REX! RINGMASTER FIGHTING BOTH MEN OFF AT THE SAME TIME, AND NOW RINGMASTER HITS REX WITH A DEVASTATING HEADBUTT!
Eve: ONLY TO BE MET WITH BOTH A DROPKICK BY REX, AND A FOREARM BY CAGE, KNOCKING RINGMASTER OFF OF THE APRON! THE RINGMASTER IS OUT OF THE GRAND RAMPAGE, WE’RE DOWN TO TWO!
Bella Braxton: The Ringmaster has been eliminated.
Stew-O: THE RINGMASTER IS OUT! There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of for the Ringmaster after the incredible performance he had this year, and after this there shouldn’t be any doubt that the kid is gonna go far, but now we’re down to two. Cage and Rex McAllister. Both former World Champions, and just two years ago at Pain for Pride Festival, Cage beat Rex to win the EAW Championship. This probably isn’t where any of us expected their rematch to be, but here we are. The last two men remaining. One of these two men are going to find themselves back in the main event of Pain for Pride, but who is it gonna be?
James Peters: Both men meeting in the center of the ring, but neither man is saying a word. You can already see it in their eyes, both of them want to headline Pain for Pride, and after coming this far there’s just no way either of them could quit. CAGE GOING FOR A PUNCH, BUT IT’S BLOCKED BY REX! REX GOING FOR AN OPEN HANDED CHOP- BUT CAGE MANAGES TO CATCH HIS HAND BEFORE KICKING HIM IN THE MIDSECTION! STUNNER- NO! REX PUSHES CAGE INTO THE ROPES! CAGE DUCKS A CLOTHESLINE BEFORE GRABBING REX FROM BEHIND! MURDER DEATH- NO! REX MANAGES TO DUCK THE LARIAT, AND NOW THE TWO BACK AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, KEEPING EYE CONTACT AS THEY BEGIN TO CIRCLE THE RING!
Eve: REX CONNECTS WITH A BIG RIGHT HAND! REX CHARGES IN AND IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR THAT PUNCH CATCHING CAGE OFF GUARD, AND NOW HE HITS A SECOND RIGHT HAND, BEFORE FOLLOWING IT UP WITH A BICYCLE KICK- NO! CAGE AVOIDED THE BICYCLE KICK BEFORE LIFTING REX UP IN A TORTURE RACK! GREETINGS FROM- NO! REX MANAGES TO GET BACK DOWN TO HIS FEET, AND HE GRABS CAGE IN A FRONT FACELOCK BEFORE HITTING A SNAP SUPLEX! CAGE IS HURTING AFTER THAT THANKS TO ALL THE DAMAGE HE TOOK THROUGHOUT THE MATCH, BUT SOMEHOW CAGE STILL FINDS IT IN HIM TO GET BACK TO HIS FEET- WAIT! REX GRABBING CAGE NOW, AND HE HITS THE REX EFFECT!
Stew-O: NO HE DOESN’T! CAGE MANAGES TO BLOCK THE REX EFFECT BY PUSHING REX AWAY, AND NOW HE DROPS REX WITH A DOUBLE LEG TAKEDOWN! CAGE NOW PUNCHING REX IN THE FACE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE WHAT CAGE MUST BE THINKING HERE! THIS MAN HAS WENT THROUGH HELL ALL THROUGHOUT THIS MATCH, BUT IF HE LOSES NOW IT’LL ALL BE FOR NOTHING! CAGE JUST TEARING AWAY AT REX WITH THESE PUNCHES, AND THINGS HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN UGLY BETWEEN THESE TWO! CAGE JUST PUNCHING AND PUNCHING AWAY, AND IT LOOKS LIKE BLOOD IS BEGINNING TO POUR FROM REX’S NOSE AS HE MANAGES TO PUSH CAGE OFF OF HIM- BUT JUST AS REX GETS BACK TO HIS FEET CAGE SENDS HIM OUT OF THE RING WITH A CLOTHESLINE!
James Peters: NO HE DOESN’T! REX LANDS ON THE APRON AND IMMEDIATELY SLIDES UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE BACK INTO THE RING BEFORE GRABBING CAGE’S LEG! REX HAS AN ANKLE LOCK APPLIED, AND IF CAGE ISN’T ABLE TO WALK I’D IMAGINE ELIMINATING HIM WOULD BECOME MUCH EASIER! CAGE HOLDING ONTO THE ROPES, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE’S NO ROPE BREAK IN A MATCH LIKE THIS! REX IS TWISTING THAT ANKLE AS MUCH AS BE POSSIBLY CAN- BUT CAGE TURNS HIMSELF AROUND BEFORE PUSHING REX OFF OF HIM! CAGE CHARGING TOWARDS REX- BUT CAGE IS DROPPED WITH A LEG SWEEP BY REX!
Eve: REX LOOKING TO APPLY A FIGURE FOUR- BUT CAGE IS ABLE TO FREE HIMSELF BEFORE KICKING REX OFF OF HIM! REX ATTEMPTING A JUMPING KNEE OUT OF NOWHERE, BUT CAGE MANAGES TO SIDE STEP IT BEFORE GRABBING REX FROM BEHIND! GERMAN SUPLEX- NO! REX MANAGES TO LAND ON HIS FEET, AND NOW HE PULLS CAGE UP AND HITS HIM WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX! REX NOT LETTING GO AS HE PULLS HIM UP ONCE MORE, AND HITS A SECOND GERMAN SUPLEX! REX PULLING CAGE UP FOR A THIRD TIME, AND NOW THERE’S A THIRD-
Stew-O: NO! CAGE MANAGES TO AVOID THE THIRD GERMAN SUPLEX FROM CONNECTING! CAGE PULLING REX DOWN NOW WITH A SNAPMARE BEFORE RUNNING THE ROPES, AND CAGE HITS REX WITH A SLIDING CLOTHESLINE! CAGE TAKING A FEW MOMENTS TO CATCH HIS BREATH AFTER BEING IN THIS MATCH FOR SO LONG, BEFORE FINALLY MANAGING TO GET BACK TO HIS FEET! THE RATE THESE TWO ARE GOING AT IS INCREDIBLE, ESPECIALLY SEEING HOW LONG BOTH MEN HAVE HAD TO COMPETE TONIGHT!
James Peters: Rex slowly using the turnbuckles to get to his feet, BUT CAGE CHARGES IN AND HITS A CLOTHESLINE! CAGE NOW TAKING REX OUT OF THE CORNER, AND HE GOES FOR A BULLDOG- BUT REX PULLS CAGE UP AND DROPS HIM WITH A BACK SUPLEX INSTEAD! NEITHER MAN IS EVEN TRYING TO ELIMINATE ONE ANOTHER YET, THEY BOTH KNOW JUST HOW MUCH IT’S GONNA TAKE TO WIN THIS MATCH FROM HERE! REX GRABBING CAGE’S LEGS, AND NOW HE SETS UP FOR A BOSTON CRAB!
Eve: CAGE IMMEDIATELY MANAGES TO GET OUT OF IT! CAGE TURNED ONTO HIS BACK BEFORE REX COULD FULLY LOCK IT IN, AND HE FREED BOTH OF HIS LEGS BEFORE KICKING REX AWAY! CAGE GETTING TO HIS FEET- BUT NOW REX CHARGES RIGHT TOWARDS HIM- JUST TO BE PICKED UP INTO A FIREMAN’S CARRY! USHIGOROSHI BY CAGE! REX IS HURT, AND NOW CAGE IS LOOKING TO PUT AN END TO REX MCALLISTER AS CAGE PUTS HIS HEAD BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND HOOKS BOTH ARMS! MERCY DRIVER!!!!
Stew-O: DOES NOT CONNECT!! REX FREES HIS ARMS BEFORE PULLING CAGE UP FOR A BACK BODY DROP- BUT HE CAN’T GET CAGE ALL THE WAY UP AS CAGE MANAGES TO DROP BACK DOWN AND LIFT REX UP! PILEDRIVER BY CAGE!!! CAGE DRIVING REX’S HEAD RIGHT INTO THE CANVAS, AND WE STILL MAY BE SEEING THE END OF THIS MATCH VERY SOON! CAGE IS CRAWLING TOWARDS THE CORNER, GRABBING ONTO THE TURNBUCKLES TO PULL HIMSELF UP, AND I THINK HE’S ABOUT TO GO FOR THE ELIMINATION, IS THIS IT FOR REX!? CAGE GRABBING REX AND BRINGING HIM TO THE ROPES!
James Peters: REX WITH REPEATED ELBOWS TO CAGE! CAGE BEING FORCED TO LET GO OF REX, AND NOW REX IRISH WHIPS CAGE TO THE ROPES! TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER BY REX MCALLISTER! CAGE IS HURTING AND NOW IT’S REX AIMING TO GO FOR THE ELIMINATION AS HE SENDS CAGE OUT TO THE APRON! CAGE IS QUICKLY ABLE TO GET BACK TO HIS FEET, AND REX ATTEMPTS A LEG SWEEP, BUT CAGE MANAGES TO JUMP OVER IT! CAGE NOW GOING FOR A PUNCH, BUT REX BLOCKS IT! REX NOW PUNCHING CAGE OFF THE APRON! THAT’S IT, THIS ONE IS OVER!
Eve: NO IT IS NOT! THIS MATCH IS NOT OVER YET, CAGE BARELY MANAGES TO HANG ON! CAGE RETURNING THE FAVOR WITH A HUGE PUNCH TO REX’S JAW, AND NOW CAGE CLIMBS UP TO THE TOP ROPE! REX CHARGES IN TO TRY AND KNOCK CAGE OFF, BUT CAGE KICKS REX AWAY! DIVING ELBOW DROP TO A STANDING REX MCALLISTER! BOTH MEN FALL ONTO THE MAT, AND MY GOD, WHAT A FIGHT THIS HAS BEEN BETWEEN THESE TWO! THESE TWO ARE GIVING THIS MATCH THEIR ALL, AND IT’S THIS INTENSITY THAT GOT THESE TWO TO A MATCH OF THE YEAR BACK IN 2018! IT’S A SHAME THERE ARE NO FANS HERE IN ATTENDANCE, BECAUSE IF THERE WERE, I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE HOW ELECTRIC THEY’D BE FOR THIS CLASH!
Stew-O: Cage slowly getting back to his feet, meanwhile Rex has gotten up to a knee. Rex slowly holding his arms out while looking at Cage, and I think I remember a similar scenario playing out back during their last match.
Rex McAllister (Off Mic): Finish the job.
James Peters: Cage looking down at Rex with a nearly disgusted look on his face, BEFORE RUNNING THE ROPES! CAGE WITH A LARIA- NO! REX DUCKS THE LARIAT, AND THERE’S AN ENZUIGIRI- NO! CAGE BLOCKED THE ENZUIGIRI AND NOW HE PULLS REX UP! MURDER DEATH KILL- NO! REX WITH THE BOOT TO CAGE’S FACE, AND NOW HE RUNS THE ROPES! THE REX EFFECT- NO! ONCE AGAIN CAGE MANAGES TO PUSH REX AWAY, BUT HE GRABS REX’S ARM AND PULLS HIM INTO A SHORT ARM CLOTHESLINE- OR NOT! REX DUCKS UNDER THE CLOTHESLINE BEFORE GRABBING CAGE FROM BEHIND! REX WITH THE MURDER DEATH KILL ON CAGE!!! REX JUST HIT CAGE WITH HIS OWN FINISHING MOVE, AND ONCE AGAIN BOTH MEN ARE DOWN!
Eve: I can only imagine how difficult this must be for both men. These are two of the best Elitists not just on their respective brands, but in all of EAW. There’s a reason why these two have managed to make it this far, but now we have to see who is the better man. Rex is slowly crawling to the corner, and it’s clear even he needs some time to catch his breath after this. This is only the second fourty man Grand Rampage in history, and Rex has been in this match with some of the best Elitists on the roster since number fifteen. As we all know, Cage was the very first entrant, and at the moment he looks absolutely out of it. This is not Cage’s first ever Grand Rampage, but this is definitely going to be one of, if not the most memorable for him after his performance tonight. Rex McAllister finally getting back to his feet, and now I believe he’s about to try and finally put this Grand Rampage match to rest.
Stew-O: Rex grabbing Cage and dragging him up to his feet before picking him up- BUT BEFORE REX COULD THROW HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE, CAGE SLIPS BEHIND CAGE! CAGE NOW ATTEMPTING A CLOTHESLINE AS REX TURNS AROUND- BUT REX CATCHES CAGE AND HITS A REVERSE STO INTO THE ROPES- BEFORE FOLLOWING IT UP WITH A NORMAL STO, SLAMMING CAGE ONTO THE MAT! REX NOW GRABBING CAGE AND NOW TRYING TO TAKE HIM OUT THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPE, BUT CAGE IS TRYING AS HARD AS HE CAN TO STAY IN THIS MATCH! CAGE IS CLEARLY STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW, I THINK THIS IS IT! I HONESTLY BELIEVE WE ARE APPROACHING THE FINAL STAGES OF THIS MATCH AS REX GETS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO GETTING CAGE OFF THE APRON-
James Peters: CAGE WITH A KICK TO THE MIDSECTION! CAGE NOW WITH A THUMB TO REX’S EYE, AND HE GETS ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE RING BEFORE DRIVING REX INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! CAGE SAVES HIS CHANCES IN THIS MATCH, AND NOW HE TOSSES REX OVER THE TOP ROPE- BUT REX MANAGES TO LAND ON THE APRON HIMSELF! REX BARELY LANDED ON THE APRON THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE HE WAS CLOSE TO SLIPPING OFF, AND THAT DISTRACTION GIVES CAGE ALL THE TIME HE NEEDED TO RUN THE ROPES, CAGE-
Eve: REX ATTEMPTED A SLINGSHOT SPEAR, BUT CAGE JUST KNEED HIM RIGHT IN THE HEAD! CAGE NOW DRAGGING REX UP, AND HE FOLLOWS THAT KNEE UP WITH A HUGE BRAINBUSTER! BOTH MEN ARE OUT OF IT, BUT AFTER THAT IT MIGHT BE LIGHTS OUT FOR REX! I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU COULD POSSIBLY RECOVER AFTER THAT, THERE’S JUST NO WAY AFTER BEING KNEED IN THE HEAD, THEN HAVING YOUR HEAD BE SPIKED RIGHT ONTO THE MAT! SOMEHOW REX IS REACHING OUT TO THE ROPES, TRYING TO USE THEM TO GET UP- BUT LOOK! CAGE PULLS REX RIGHT TO HIS FEET, AND NOW HE LOCKS IN THE COQUINA CLUTCH!!!
Stew-O: THIS IS THE MOVE CAGE USED TO DEFEAT REX MCALLISTER BACK AT PAIN FOR PRIDE IN 2018, AND IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, REX DID NOT TAP OUT, HE PASSED OUT! CAGE IS LOOKING TO MAKE REX GO TO SLEEP ONCE AGAIN, AND IF HE DOES, HE’LL HAVE AN EASY TIME ELIMINATING HIM AND WINNING THE GRAND RAMPAGE! CAGE NOW MANAGING TO PULL REX DOWN ONTO THE MAT, AND THAT’S IT! CAGE HAS THE BODY SCISSORS APPLIED, AND NOW I DON’T SEE REX GETTING OUT OF THIS! CAGE HAS HAD A ROUGH YEAR HIMSELF AFTER FACING ALL THE LOSSES HE’S FACED, AND ALL THE TIMES HE’S BEEN SCREWED OVER, BUT NOW HE LOOKS TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT! REX LOOKS LIKE HE’S FADING GUYS, I THINK THIS IS IT!
James Peters: WAIT- NO! REX ROLLS UP INTO A PIN POSITION, BUT THERE’S NO PINFALLS IN A GRAND RAMPAGE! WAIT, NO! REX ISN’T TRYING TO PIN CAGE! REX JUST DEADLIFTED CAGE UP ONTO HIS SHOULDER TO ESCAPE THE COQUINA CLUTCH!! REX RUNNING OUT TO THE ROPES, AND HE TOSSES CAGE OVER THE TOP ROPE!! CAGE MANAGES TO HANG ON! CAGE JUST BARELY STAYING ON THE TOP ROPE- BUT REX IMMEDIATELY RUNS THE ROPES BEFORE CAGE COULD FULLY RECOVER! REX WITH A BOOT TO CAGE’S FACE, AND CAGE IS KNOCKED OFF OF THE APRON! THAT’S IT!!! REX WINS!!! REX MCALLISTER WINS THE GRAND RAMPAGE!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
(‘Alive’ plays up as Rex McAllister is seen as he collapses to the canvas ground in pain. Rex looks up momentarily as he breathes heavily as he hears his theme blast. He pulls himself up to his feet as a smile crosses his face, joy is seen on the face of Rex as he finally feels accomplished with himself. He leans against the ropes for a moment giving a nod as with a pop confetti begins to fall down as Rex looks on keeping a smile glued on his face before continuing to celebrate)
Bella Braxton: Ladies and gentlemen the winner of the 2020 GRAND RAMPAGE MATCH… REX MCALLISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stew-O: One year, that’s how long the journey for Rex was, a redemption task that would be long and hellacious to endure. Rex climbed the mountain, he used everything in his arsenal to make sure that things would change. And things did, now he makes things right, doing it all by himself winning Grand Rampage!
James Peters: Rex McAllister has finally got the payoff that he’s been working for ages for. Blood, sweat, tears just many of the qualities that Rex possess and now he gets his rightful place, in the Pain For Pride main event. We could not be more happy for him himself because this is way more than well deserved for him, this was needed. Congratulations to our 2020 GRAND RAMPAGE WINNER, REX MCALLISTER!
(The last shot is of Rex climbing up the top rope. He looks around for a moment with a nod as he points to the Pain For Pride 13 sign as pyro begins to burst out in a array from all around the arena. That is the last shot that is shown as the camera fades away and Sunday Night Voltage transitions away from the rewind from there.)
(Commercial for Blue Beetle, coming soon.)
(The camera fades backstage where Captain Charisma is shown in his office. This causes loud cheers from the crowd, which seems excited to see the Voltage commissioner. He turns towards the camera and smiles, waiting a few seconds so the cheers can begin to quiet down. It only takes a few seconds for this to happen as the fans are eager to hear what he has to say, and once given the opportunity, Captain Charisma begins to speak.)
Captain Charisma: Can you feel the excitement? I know I can. This has been an amazing season so far. From Midsummer Massacre, to Rise of the Resistance, to Territorial Invasion, to Wicked Games and on, every single event has delivered and showcased just how talented this roster is. King of Elite was the event that opened up 2023, and the excitement only continued as Tempest turned out to be a huge success. This has been such a great season, and the best part of it all is the fact that it’s nowhere near over. Even after all the great things we’ve witnessed, we have a lot more planned. If you thought everything you’ve seen so far was good, the next few months are going to be extremely exciting indeed I can promise you that. That’s my job. I am here to make it even more exciting than it already is for all of you. I take pride in my position as the Voltage commissioner. I enjoy being able to do this, which is why I’m glad to say that I have some great news regarding the big show between Grand Rampage and Pain for Pride. I know you are all focused on the Grand Rampage right now but I just could not wait. I wanted to give you all a taste of what you have to look forward to after that big show!
(This is enough to get the fans to start cheering, as they’re already looking forward to whatever this announcement is. Captain Charisma pauses for dramatic effect as he clears his throat, and after a few seconds the cheering quiets down, giving Captain Charisma the chance to continue speaking.)
Captain Charisma: After Grand Rampage… will be Fighting Spirit! There’s really no telling what will happen at Grand Rampage with all of the matches happening, even excluding the actual Grand Rampage. With this in mind, anything could happen between the event and Fighting Spirit, and these events may even leave an impact on the show. I’m here to say something that I can plan for though, and that’s a match that I think you all will love to hear about. I’ve been thinking about it for some time, and with this being the road to Pain for Pride, there’s no better way for Elitists to get themselves a major spot on the biggest show of the year than with this. At Fighting Spirit we are going to have an ULTIMATE OPPORTUNITY LADDER MATCH!!!
(This causes extremely loud cheers to come from the crowd.)
Captain Charisma: That’s right. This won’t be the usual ladder match, either. Usually we would see either a Championship or a single briefcase containing a reward hung above the ladder. While this match uses the same concept, the reward is something that’ll leave the competitors involved with an even greater chance for a spot at Pain for Pride. In this match we will be hanging… not one… But TWO briefcases above the ring! The two that unhook the briefcases will receive the ULTIMATE OPPORTUNITY! I’m sure you all are wondering exactly what that opportunity is, and lucky for you, I don’t plan to keep you waiting. The opportunity is exactly what I said it was. It’s a chance for the two winners to get a spot on the Pain for Pride card, but it’s not just any spot. The two winners will be automatically entered in one of the most prestigious matches that EAW has to offer. If they win this match… They will go on to represent Voltage in the Cash in the Vault Ladder Match at Pain for Pride!!!
(Captain Charisma pauses as the crowd cheers and a brief video package is shown of Cash in the Vault highlights over the many years it has been in existence. The fans are extremely excited for this, knowing that at Fighting Spirit they will learn of two of this year’s Cash in the Vault participants.)
Captain Charisma: Now I know you all want to know even more than that, and I don’t blame you. After such a huge announcement, I can see why you’d want to know more about what’s to come. For example, you want to know who is going to be involved in that match right?
(There’s another positive reaction coming from the crowd, giving Captain Charisma his answer.)
Captain Charisma: Well, today really is your lucky day. While the rest of the field will be revealed in the week’s leading up to Fighting Spirit, I can at least tell you all who one of the competitors involved is. That’s right. Tonight, I have the pleasure of introducing you all to the first of many competitors in that match… Ladies and gentlemen please welcome a former Specialists Champion and Unified Tag Team Champion… MIKU SAKAI!!!!!!
(The door opens, and Miku Sakai enters the room as the fans begin to boo, not to happy to learn that Miku Sakai will be one of the Elitists in the match. Miku shakes hands with Captain Charisma who then walks away. Miku sprays some sort of disinfectant onto her hand behind her back and looks disgusted before she turns towards the camera.)
Miku Sakai: :mjlol: That’s right haters! I am the first entrant into this match and can you even think of anyone more deserving? I don’t know what anyone expected. I don’t know if you all thought that my Hardcore Championship match would be the last opportunity I got to get what I deserved or if you were just slow enough to think that I wouldn’t find a way to get onto the Pain for Pride card, but every single one of you that doubted me is gonna cry after Fighting Spirit, and I can promise you that much! I may be the first entrant announced but that is not the only announcement I am giving all of you. Nope! You are getting far more than that! I have come before you all tonight to announce… that I am going to win this match!
(The crowd can be heard booing from the arena where the video is playing on the big screen.)
Miku Sakai: I mean my bad for spoiling it. But it should be obvious? What with all I have accomplished in the past. I mean are you aware of everything that I have been through to return to this place? I injured my knee. But not only that but I injured my heart. I’ve been through hell in the last year, and if most people were in my position they probably wouldn’t even be alive today. I am though, and not only that, but in only a matter of weeks I’ll be thriving as I head into Pain for Pride for one of my biggest matches yet. I have returned and I am better than ever, and that’s really saying a lot because I was pretty good to begin with. Well…. No. More than that actually. I was always amazing. I’m clearly the best Voltage has to offer, and if ANYONE was going to find their way into a match like Cash in the Vault, it’s me!
Miku Sakai: I mean there is just no way I can lose this match. No matter who else is included, none of them will be anywhere near as talented as me. The same can be said for Pain for Pride because I will definitely be winning Cash in the Vault as well. I guarantee this season will not end on a sour note for me. Not after everything I have done to return here I will not leave disappointed! I know a lot of you would love to see me once again leave Pain for Pride empty handed and on the losing side, but not this time! This time I am going to shut all the haters up! I am going to shut all the doubters up! They are all jealous of me and I am going to win every match put in front of me. Because you know what else? I am going to be the next World Champion one way or another. One brand or another. Suck on that losers.
(Miku Sakai has a grin on her face, knowing that her words did not sit well with the passionate fans in the crowd tonight. Miku clearly doesn’t care about their opinion, and she begins to leave as the crowd can be heard booing loudly. Once Miku is out of the picture, the camera then fades away from the area.)
[SCREENBAR – ???]
(Voltage fades to a completely unknown area. It appears to be some sort of abandoned building, but it’s dark and there’s not much there to even give a hint as to where this footage is coming from. The only thing that’s clear is that the building appears to be made of wood. This leaves the fans in the arena confused as they wait to see what’s going on. Questions would rise amongst the fans as they’re unsure of what they’re watching, and it would take some time for their questions to be answered. For closer to a full minute all they would see is the inside of the empty building, which is barely visible due to how dark it is. This would change however, as the camera would switch to a shot of someone walking. They appear to be dragging something, and before long they reach what appears to be the entrance of the building. As they reach the building there seems to be someone standing there already, and as the camera pans up, everything would be revealed. The item being dragged would be the burnt effigy of Minerva, and the person dragging it is none other than Minerva’s opponent at Grand Rampage, Samael. The person at the doorway is the man who was revealed to be Dr. Doyle, and the two only stare at each other before entering the building.)
(Samael would walk towards the center of the small building, and Dr. Doyle would slowly trail behind, picking up one of the few items inside of the building. It’s a gasoline canister, and as Samael drops the effigy in the center of the building, he turns towards the camera. He just stares for a little while, not saying a word, until finally he begins to speak, only not as Samael.)
Caine: Ignorance is bliss. Some of you should learn that, sometime. Minerva had the freedom of choosing whether she wanted to learn what was in store for her at Grand Rampage or not. She had the freedom of choosing whether or not she wanted to learn the identity of the man behind the mask. When she walked to the back, she didn’t need to start searching for me. She didn’t have to listen to Draven. She could have just as easily walked directly out of the arena. She instead made the decision that left her broken, beaten, battered, with the knowledge that there’s nothing but terror coming her way at Grand Rampage. That was her fault. What happened that night was entirely her doing. That fool Michael tried to make a game out of all this, and to his credit Minerva played it perfectly. She found me without much trouble at all, and at what cost? If you ask me, I think she would have been better off forgetting about all of this. Then again, if she was ever concerned about her safety, she shouldn’t have challenged Samael in the first place. As soon as she made that mistake, she was doomed. What happened last week was only a taste of the hell that’s coming to Grand Rampage.
(Dr. Doyle would slowly begin pouring the gasoline, from one corner of the room to the other, pouring it directly over the already burnt effigy of Minerva.)
Caine: You’ve had enough warnings, Minerva. You’ve had enough chances to walk away with this, yet you continue to move forward, walking directly into a match against someone that already shortened your career last time you faced him. What makes you so sure that history doesn’t repeat itself at Grand Rampage? What makes you so sure that your career doesn’t end entirely once you’re in the ring with Samael, nobody there to bail you out, nobody there to save you from him.
(Dr. Doyle begins walking towards one of the untouched corners, beginning to once again pour the gasoline, causing an X to be formed over the effigy of Minerva. Suddenly, the camera cuts to a shot of another person walking. It’s unclear to the fans exactly who this is, but some fans cheer as they seem to at least have an idea of who the third person walking is. The camera cuts back to Caine and Dr. Doyle, and at this point, the room is slightly altered. Besides the effigy and the gasoline, on the wall behind Samael now has the words “HERE LIES MINERVA / OCTOBER 30TH 1997 – GRAND RAMPAGE 2023”. Seeing this suddenly appear is enough to scare some of the fans in attendance, and Caine would begin to speak before long.)
Caine: I’ve decided that this building will be a fitting burial ground for you, because once Grand Rampage is over, there’ll be nothing left of the Minerva that spent half of this season as the unstoppable EAW World Champion. There’ll be nothing left of the Minerva that reigned on top of the Voltage roster as the face of the brand. The only thing that’ll be left is a body as lifeless as this one, and after our inferno match, you’ll get to look exactly like it. I hope you remember that you wanted this, Minerva. You put out the challenge to face Samael. You made it clear week after week that this is where you wanted to go with your career, and that challenge will go down as your greatest regret. Those few words used when calling Samael out will be mistakes, one after the other, and these are the kind of mistakes that can’t be undone. Instead they’ll haunt you for whatever’s left of your career. The next time you’ll see this building, you’ll be looking at nothing but its burnt remains-
(Suddenly, the door slams open. The camera quickly pans over to the door to reveal who was responsible, and as soon as the person is seen, an explosion of cheers comes from the crowd. The person standing at the doorway turns out to be Minerva, who Samael and Dr. Doyle laid out just last week. Even Caine looks surprised seeing that Minerva was able to find him, leading to a brief staredown as Minerva looks at the duo.)
Caine: You just don’t learn, do you?
Minerva: You’re not going to keep hiding from me. You already managed to surprise me once. It won’t happen again.
(This causes Caine to break into laughter, the same sinister laughter that usually comes from him.)
Caine: Hiding? Minerva, you’re not speaking to the manchild right now. I’m not here to play childish games, I’m here to make sure you understand exactly where you’re headed. I’ll admit, I’m surprised that you managed to track down my location this time around, but it’s a pleasant surprise. Now you have no choice but to understand what you’re in for.
(Minerva looks down at the effigy, before looking at the trail of gasoline created by Dr. Doyle. After seeing this, a smirk appears on her face.)
Minerva: I know exactly what I’m in for. That’s not the problem. The problem is that you thought I’d actually have a problem tracking you down, as if I was ever going to let you get away with what happened last week. The problem is that you think I’m afraid of you. The problem is that you think you’re the one who’ll be responsible for this match going up in flames.
(As Minerva says that, she takes out and lights a match. Before there would even be a chance to react, Minerva tosses the match on top of the burnt effigy covered in gasoline, causing a burst of flames as the fire begins to overtake the trail of gasoline, beginning to reach all four corners of the small building. Despite this, neither Caine nor Dr. Doyle has even moved a muscle. There’s not a look of fear on Caine’s face, instead he looks more annoyed as he stares at Minerva. There’s a staredown between the two that lasts a little while, with the two Elitists separated only by the trail of flames. The silence between them is only broken once Minerva begins to speak.)
Minerva: You don’t understand who I am, and that’s okay. You don’t have to know me. You don’t have to know everything about me, as long as you know this. I’ve never been afraid of getting my hands dirty, even if it meant putting my own career at risk. This is what I do. This is what I’ve spent my entire career doing from the day that I made my EAW debut to today. You made this an inferno match with the intention of scaring me, but that’s not the kind of Elitist you’re dealing with here. I’m like a moth to the flame, and now you’ve given me the opportunity to face you in a match where you won’t have the option of running away. You won’t have the option of escaping. The only thing you’ll be able to do is fight me, just as you did in the past. History will repeat itself, only that history won’t feature you injuring me. What’ll be repeated is your failure, only this time you’ll have the burns to match all the damage your humiliation will do to you.
(Despite the fire slowly starting to affect the walls of the building, none of the three Elitists inside of it move. Instead, Caine begins to speak.)
Caine: I don’t understand? How could I not? We’ve seen you at your peak. The entire world watched you take the EAW World Championship from the man that’d propose to you only minutes later. We watched you defend your Championship against Ronan Malosi, against Daryl Kinkade, against Charlie Marr, and even win an Elimination Chamber that Samael participated in. Minerva, we know who you are. All of us. Me, Michael, Samael, even Justin knows. That’s why we’re doing this. We’re going to do what nobody else has been able to, and finally break you.
(The flames continue to rise, and at this point it is slowly becoming unsafe for everyone to remain inside of the building.)
Minerva: If you think this is what’s going to break me, you clearly don’t know anywhere near as much as you’re letting on. My Elimination Chamber win came at the expense of multiple people who believed they were the most dangerous Elitist Voltage had to offer. My match against Charlie Marr was a Hardcore match, and he couldn’t stop me. My EAW World Championship reign started in a Barbed Wire Massacre match, yet this is what’s supposed to end my career? This is what’s supposed to break me? This is amusing, Samael. Nothing more than that. Maybe against anyone else, your tricks would serve you well. Maybe in another match, against another opponent, you’d be able to put your mind games to good use, and maybe even leave them too afraid to show up. By this point you should understand it’s not going to happen with me.
Caine: Maybe not. You can walk into this match as fearless as you want, Minerva. It’s not about how afraid you are walking into it, it’s about the end result, and when that result comes you’ll be regretting every single word you’re saying right now. That’s all I’m waiting for. Until that time comes, I leave you with previews. Previews of the horror Samael has planned. Previews of your own future.
(At this point, the building is slowly starting to fall apart, something that Minerva has already started to notice. Minerva clearly doesn’t care though, as she does something that surprises even the fans in the arena, grabbing the burning effigy and holding it up. She glances at the flames, before turning back towards Caine and staring at him.)
Minerva: You have one more week. After that, you’ll see just what mistakes were actually made recently.
(Minerva turns away from Caine, knowing that neither he nor Dr. Doyle will attack.)
Minerva: I’ll see you at Grand Rampage.
(With that being said, Minerva finally drops the effigy and begins to walk out, leaving Caine and Dr. Doyle inside of the building as it slowly starts to crumble. Despite the flames, Caine has a huge grin on his face.)
Caine: Even after all this time, that poor soul still doesn’t understand what she’s in for.
(The grin slowly begins to disappear, and at this point Samael has fully taken over. Samael and Dr. Doyle would remain inside of the building, and before long, laughter was heard. The laughter is coming from both Samael and Dr. Doyle, and the final shot would be a close up of Samael within the flames. From there, the camera would fade to black.)
(Promotional ad for Grand Rampage, where Myles defends the EAW World Championship against Daryl Kinkade.)
(Sunday Night Voltage would fade into the arena and once again back to the commentary booth, where the camera would focus on James Peters standing by with a smile on his face while the shot panned in. After a moment he would then begin to speak from there.)
James Peters: Welcome back! Before this we took a look at the 2020 and 2021 Grand Rampage, with Jamie O’Hara and Rex McAllister coming out victorious in those two matches. But now we move onto the following year, which of course consisted of three Elitists that the Sunday Night Voltage brand are all too familiar with, the dastardly trio of Drake King, Myles and Minerva, better known collectively as New Eden. The three of them believed at the time the system of Elite Answers Wrestling was flawed, and that Captain Charisma was ruining the Voltage brand and it was up to them to save EAW if nobody else was going to make an effort to fix it. That of course led them to completely shut down the Grand Rampage match, with it coming down to the final four of them and EAW Hall of Famer Impact. With him being the only thing that stood in their way, it came down to the wire with Impact managing to eliminate Minerva and him coming inches away from taking out Drake, but it was Myles that made the ultimate sacrifice which allowed Drake to win the entire thing. And of course we remembered what happened at Pain For Pride, the unforgettable night three where Myles wins the Cash in The Vault briefcase, Minerva wins the National Elite Championship, and Drake King retires Malcolm Jones in the main event to win the EAW World Championship. We can dive into the aftermath of all of that another time, but right now let’s rewind to the intense final four, with New Eden going up against the ever so stubborn Impact, who put on the performance of a lifetime that night in hopes of stamping a ticket to Pain For Pride.
Bella Braxton: JAKE SMITH HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[SCREENBAR: GRAND RAMPAGE 2021]
Gavin Kirkland: NEW EDEN ARE PISSED! THEY WANTED JAKE SMITH ALL TO THEMSELVES FOR STEALING REX MCALLISTER’S ELIMINATION FROM THEM!
Stew-O: And just like that, there were four.
(Jake Smith takes a minute to collect himself and gets out of the ring. It was the best performance of his career so far, but the pain of coming up short is written all over his face. He takes his leave, and shockingly enough, the crowd applauds his efforts. He will never win a popularity award, but if this week proves anything, it’s that Jake Smith will reach that next level.)
(The camera transitions back into the ring where New Eden is regrouping. All that stands between them and their vision for Grand Rampage coming to fruition is Impact. The decorated Elitist stands in the middle of the ring, while New Eden drag themselves up and start to circle him.)
Gavin Kirkland: :lupe: Well, the odds certainly aren’t in Impact’s favor right now.
Persephone: I stopped giving a shit once Jake got rid of my Rexy :mjcry:
Stew-O: If there is anyone who can possibly stop New Eden from winning this Grand Rampage, it will be Impact.
(Impact throws his fists up, ready to fight for yet another Pain for Pride main event, but New Eden have other plans.)
Gavin Kirkland: :skip: New Eden just looked at one another and they’ve bailed! Drake, Myles, and Minerva slip out of the ring through the bottom ropes and they are all digging under the ring!
Persephone: MYLES JUST THREW A LADDER INTO THE RING :blessed:!!!! WE’RE ABOUT TO GET VIOLENT!!!! MAYBE GRAND RAMPAGE WITHOUT REX WON’T BE SO BAD IF WE SEE SOMEONE GET DISEMBOWELED!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: :ciampa:
Stew-O: MINERVA HAS A METAL TRASH FULL OF STUFF AND SHE PULLS OUT A NAIL GUN!!!! SHE SLIDES BACK INTO THE RING, LICKING HER LIPS AT IMPACT, WHO IS WELL AWARE THAT MYLES JUST SLIPPED IN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE! MINERVA FLIES AT IMPACT, LOOKING TO BASH HIM ACROSS THE FACE WITH THE NAIL GUN, BUT IMPACT QUICKLY THROWS HIMSELF TO THE MAT! MINERVA NEARLY COLLIDES WITH MYLES AND THAT ALLOWS IMPACT TO GRAB THE LADDER!
Gavin Kirkland: IMPACT HAS THE LADDER AND HE IS USING IT AS A BATTERING RAM! HE WHIRLS AROUND AND THE LADDER SLAMS INTO MYLES AND MINERVA! BOTH OF THEM HIT THE GROUND AND IMPACT SLAMS THE LADDER DOWN ON TOP OF THEM! HE QUICKLY SPRINTS ACROSS THE RING AND USES THE ROPES AS A SPRINGBOARD! ‘FLIGHT SIGHTS’!!! THE LIONSAULT CONNECTS TO THE TOP OF THE LADDER, SQUASHING MYLES AND MINERVA UNDERNEATH!
Persephone: :francis: That fat fuck hurt himself though. Impact has rolled onto his side and he’s clutching at his ribs right now. That probably did more harm than it did good, and we’re really supposed to believe this man has a MENSA level IQ. :mjlol:
Stew-O: Desperate times call for desperate measures, Persephone, and Impact had to do something. If he allows New Eden to rest, that will be an absolute disaster for him. Impact is one of the greatest professional wrestlers this sport has ever seen, but he’s not invincible. Three-on-one odds don’t favor the odd man out.
Gavin Kirkland: ‘The Messiah’ is back in the ring now and he’s brought with him a branding iron :lupe:. We’ve seen Drake use this weapon to terrorize people so many times, and it appears he plans to leave his mark on Impact tonight. Drake puts the boots to Impact, stomping all over the Dynasty Elitist’s ribs. He’s definitely softening him up, guys.
Persephone: Not sure how someone that big could get any softer but okay.
Stew-O: Myles and Minerva have managed to crawl out from under the ladder, although both of them look to be a little worse for the wear. It’s Minerva who forces herself up first and she joins Drake. They both kick and stomp Impact, and of course, here comes Myles. This is an absolute mugging at the moment
Gavin Kirkland: Drake kicks Impact in the ribs one final time and he signals for Myles and Minerva to grab Impact! Myles and Minerva both grab one of Impact’s arms and they force him to his knees. Impact still has fight left in him, and he is doing whatever he can to try and break free. Myles begins to destroy him with several clubbing blows to the back of the head, and that puts a stop to Impact’s offense, for now anyway.
Drake King: (off mic) It’s fitting that you’re the one who stands between New Eden and their goal of winning this absolute farce of a match. You’ve always been the antithesis of what New Eden stands for. You are the embodiment of the seven deadly sins; pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. You won’t quit, despite your time being up, because your pride will not allow it. Your greed continues to drive you because you lust after these stupid championships. You envy those who are new and come in with hype behind them, and do whatever you can to bring your wrath down upon them. You want everything because you’re a fricking glutton but the lack of effort you sometimes display is nothing more than sloth like behavior.
Persephone: Well damn, fam. Tell the man how you really feel.
Drake King: (off mic) You’re disgusting, Impact. I really wish I would have ended you at Reckless Wiring. I tried. I know I did. However, your ridiculous dream of main eventing yet another Pain for Pride comes to an end now, and you’re going to be marked by New Eden forever.
Stew-O: NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DON’T DO THIS, DRAKE! THAT MAN IS THE MOST DECORATED ELITIST IN EAW HISTORY! IMPACT IS AN ICON!!!
Persephone: 🍿🍿🍿
Gavin Kirkland: THAT’S ONE SICK SMILE THAT JUST CROSSED DRAKE KING’S FACE! HE HAS THE BRANDING IRON UP IN THE AIR AND HE’S ABOUT TO LEAVE HIS MARK ON IMPACT!!!
Stew-O: NO HE’S NOT! 😾😾 IMPACT JUST LEANED OVER AND BIT MINERVA, FORCING A SCREAM TO ERUPT FROM HER THROAT! SHE LOSES HER GRIP ON IMPACT, AND HE IS ABLE TO NAIL MYLES RIGHT IN THE CROTCH WITH THE ‘FIST OF FURY’!!! DRAKE SWINGS THE BRANDING IRON BUT IMPACT CATCHES IT! THEY ARE WRESTLING FOR CONTROL AND IMPACT RIPS IT RIGHT FROM DRAKE’S HAND! HE KICKS DRAKE IN THE MID-SECTION AND HE SNATCHES MINERVA BY THE HAIR! IMPACT HAS MINERVA AND HE’S QUICKLY SPIKES HER INTO THE MAT WITH A DDT!!!! IMPACT PLACES HIS FOOT ON THE SMALL OF MINERVA’S BACK AND HE POINTS THE BRANDING IRON AT HER!!!!
Drake King: (off mic) :whoa: Hold on now…
Persephone: :gladbron: DO IT FATPACT! BRAND THAT REX HATING CUNT!!!!
Impact: (off mic) Fuck New Eden.
Stew-O: IMPACT DRIVES THE BRANDING IRON DOWN INTO MINERVA’S SHOULDER!!!!! HER SCREAMS ARE PIERCING THE NIGHT HERE AT GLOBE LIFE FIELD! DRAKE KING IS BESIDE HIMSELF AS IMPACT SEARS DRAKE’S OWN INITIALS INTO MINERVA’S PALE SKIN!!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: MINERVA’S CRIES AWAKENED MYLES AND HE CUTS IMPACT IN HALF WITH A SPEAR! THE BRANDING IRON GOES FLYING OUT OF THE RING AND MYLES IS BLINDED BY RAGE RIGHT NOW! HE IS PUMMELING IMPACT RIGHT NOW! OVER AND OVER HIS FISTS MEETS IMPACT’S FACE, AND NOW DRAKE IS HELPING HIM! THEY ARE FUCKING UP IMPACT, AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE IMPACT CAN DO RIGHT NOW! HE IS AT THE ABSOLUTE MERCY OF THESE TWO PISSED OFF, COLD-BLOODED FIGHTERS, AND THEY HAVE BUSTED HIM OPEN!
Persephone: :blessed: THIS IS FANTASTIC! THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE BETTER IS IF NORTH KOREA HAD ANOTHER NUKED BROADCAST TABLE THAT ALL FOUR OF THEM COULD GO THROUGH :blessed:
Gavin Kirkland: DRAKE AND MYLES SNATCH UP IMPACT AND THROW HIM INTO THE CORNER! DRAKE TAKES OFF RUNNING AROUND THE RING, AND HE USES ALL THAT MOMENTUM TO NAIL IMPACT IN THE FACE WITH A BRUTAL, RUNNING JUMPING KNEE! IMPACT’S HEAD SNAPS BACK AND MYLES IMMEDIATELY UNLOADS CLOSED-FIST PUNCHES TO THE GUT AND RIBS OF IMPACT! DRAKE TAKES OVER ON THE BEATING NOW AS MYLES TAKES OFF AROUND THE RING! DRAKE MOVES OUT OF THE WAY AS MYLES RETALIATES WITH A RUNNING, JUMPING KNEE STRIKE OF HIS OWN!!!!
Stew-O: MYLES IMMEDIATELY GRABS IMPACT BY THE HAIR AND DRAGS HIM TO THE ROPES! HE WORKS WITH DRAKE TO TIE UP IMPACT AND HE’S NOT ABLE TO BREAK FREE! MYLES RUNS THE ROPES, USES THE MOMENTUM TO PROPEL HIMSELF FORWARD, AND IMPACT EATS ANOTHER KNEE TO THE FACE! DRAKE FOLLOWS SUIT, AND IMPACT TAKES ANOTHER KNEE TO THE FACE! MYLES AND DRAKE CONTINUE TO DISMANTLE AND DESTROY IMPACT, AND THERE’S NO ONE WHO CAN STOP THEM. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! NEW EDEN NEED TO BE STOPPED!
Persephone: And just who is going to stop then, Stew? Like, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but Impact is probably going to die soon.
Gavin Kirkland: :lupe: Especially with Minerva back up.
Persephone: 🍿🍿🍿
Stew-O: This is not going to end well for Impact, is it?
Persephone: NOPE 😁😁😁
Stew-O: Minerva is holding her burned, branded shoulder as she staggers towards Drake and Myles. Myles just nailed Impact with yet another knee strike, and Impact’s basically out of it at this point. Blood is coming from his nose and mouth, and he’s basically dead weight at this point.
Persephone: Which is why they should just toss his ass out of the ring and be done with it.
Gavin Kirkland: Then what? All three win? They play rock, paper, scissors to determine who leaves the ring?
Persephone: How the fuck should I know? I really told you that I stopped giving a shit after Rex was eliminated.
Stew-O: Minerva has retrieved that nail gun and I don’t even want to think about what is going to happen now. We have to get a referee or something in there, like now.
Gavin Kirkland: Well, I’m not even sure if that’s going to help. There are no real rules for a match like this other than you have to throw your opponent over the top rope.
(Drake gets set for another knee strike, but Minerva puts a hand on his arm. Myles looks at her with nothing but concern in his eyes, but a smile small despite the obvious agonizing pain Minerva is in is enough to reassure him that she’s okay. Drake takes a step back and motions for Minerva to do what must be done, and she makes her way over Impact. The Gypsy Moth bends down, cupping Impact’s battered face in her hands, and she mumbles a few words to him.)
Gavin Kirkland: :lupe: Do you think she just cursed him?
Persephone: MINERVA JUST SHOT IMPACT IN THE SHOULDER WITH THE NAIL GUN!
Stew-O: BUT THAT SHOT OF PAIN NO DOUBT JUST WOKE IMPACT UP! HE IS THRASHING WILDLY NOW, TRYING TO FREE HIS ARMS, AND MINERVA SHOOTS ANOTHER NAIL INTO THE OPPOSITE SHOULDER! DRAKE AND MYLES DESCEND ON IMPACT BUT HE IS KICKING WITH EVERYTHING HE HAS LEFT IN HIM! HE MANAGES TO SEND DRAKE ACROSS THE RING!
Gavin Kirkland: AND HE’S KICKED THE NAIL GUN FROM MINERVA’S HANDS!
Persephone: IMPACT RIPS HIS ARMS FROM THE ROPES AND ROLLS TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING! HE WENT THROUGH THE BOTTOM ROPE, SO HE HAS NOT BEEN ELIMINATED, BUT HE IMMEDIATELY COLLAPSES TO HIS KNEES! BLOOD IS POURING FROM BOTH OF HIS ARMS NOW AND HE JUST RIPPED THE NAIL RIGHT OUT OF HIS SKIN!!!! SLDKFJSLDKFJSDKFJS SDLKFJS LDKJ SLKFJ SLDKJ!!!
Gavin Kirkland: I think I’m going to be sick.
Persephone: IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S TISSUE HANGING FROM IT 😍😍
Stew-O: IMPACT HAS PULLED THE SECOND NAIL OUT AND HE’S BACK TO HIS FEET RIGHT AS DRAKE COMES THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPE WITH A SUICIDE DIVE!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: IMPACT SIDE-STEPS! DRAKE HAS CRASHED TO THE GROUND! MYLES AND MINERVA ARE OUT OF THE RING NOW AND WITH NO OTHER CHOICE, IMPACT HAS TO THROW HIMSELF BACK IN! IMPACT IMMEDIATELY GOES FOR THE LADDER!!!
Impact: (off mic) LET’S FUCKING GO!
Stew-O: IMPACT IS SCREAMING AT NEW EDEN TO GET BACK INTO THE RING, AND WHAT CHOICE DO THEY HAVE??? ALL THREE MEMBERS HEAD TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RING, BUT IT MEANS NOTHING TO IMPACT! HE SLAMS THE LADDER INTO MYLES, KNOCKING HIM BACK TO THE GROUND! MINERVA IS NEXT TO GET HIT WITH THE LADDER, AND SHE’S UNABLE TO GET BACK IN THE RING SUCCESSFULLY! IMPACT STARES AT DRAKE AND THROWS THE LADDER DOWN, TELLING HIM TO COME ON!!!
Persephone: DRAKE SLIDES INTO THE RING AND IS GREETED WITH SEVERAL KICKS TO THE BACK! IMPACT IS DOWN AND HAMMERING AWAY ON DRAKE! DESPITE THE ABSOLUTE BEATING IMPACT HAS SUFFERED HERE AT THE HANDS OF NEW EDEN, HE IS STILL ABLE TO BEAT THE TAR OUT OF DRAKE, WHO BEGAN THIS MATCH FROM THE NUMBER ONE POSITION!
Gavin Kirkland: YEAH BUT THERE’S MYLES AND MINERVA FROM BEHIND! THE NUMBERS GAME IS JUST TO MUCH FOR IM-
Stew-O: NO IT’S NOT! IMPACT JUST FOUGHT OFF BOTH MYLES AND MINERVA!!! IMPACT IS TELLING THEM TO BRING IT, AND HERE. THEY. GO! MYLES TRIES TO HIT IMPACT WITH A RUNNING LARIAT, BUT IMPACT DUCKS, RUNNING RIGHT INTO MINERVA! IMPACT BLOCKS A FOREARM SHOT FROM MINERVA, KNEES HER IN THE STOMACH, AND DRIVES HIS ELBOW INTO HER BURNED SHOULDER!
Persephone: DRAKE COMES AT IMPACT, LOOKING FOR ‘THE GUILLOTINE’, BUT IMPACT STEPS TO THE SIDE AND DRAKE CRASHES INTO THE CORNER! MYLES FROM BEHIND, LOOKING FOR A GERMAN, BUT IMPACT ELBOWS HIS WAY FREE, GRABS MYLES, AND DROPS HIM WITH A NASTY LITTLE JAWBREAKER! MINERVA REGROUPS WITH DRAKE AND THEY CHARGE FORWARD, LOOKING FOR A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, BUT IMPACT DUCKS, RUNS THE ROPES, AND COMES BACK AT BOTH OF THEM! DRAKE AND MINERVA AVOID THE TAKE DOWN, BUT IMPACT GRABS THEM BOTH, SLAMS THEIR HEADS TOGETHER, WRAPS THEM UP, AND SPIKES THEM BOTH WITH A DOUBLE DDT!!!!
Stew-O: IMPACT IS THE ONLY ONE PERSON STANDING IN THE RING RIGHT NOW :blessed:!
Gavin Kirkland: THIS CROWD IS GOING CRAZY SEEING THE LEGENDARY IMPACT TAKE OUT ALL THREE MEMBERS OF NEW EDEN! HE HAS SOMEHOW MANAGED TO OVERCOME THE ODDS!!!!
Persephone: IMPACT GRABS DRAKE BY THE HAIR AND HE DRAGS HIM TO THE ROPES! HE’S GOING TO ELIMINATE ‘THE MESSIAH’ NOW!!!!
Stew-O: DRAKE IS TRYING TO FIGHT BACK, BUT IMPACT WITH HAMMER-FISTED SHOTS TO THE SKULL! HE’S PUT A TEMPORARY STOP TO DRAKE’S FIGHT AND HE’S ABOUT TO DUMP HIM RIGHT OVER THE ROPES!
Persephone: LOW BLOW! MINERVA WITH THE LOW BLOW! MYLES FOLLOWS UP WITH A BACKSTABBER, AND MINERVA PULLS DRAKE BACK INTO THE RING!
Drake King: (off mic) End him. I want him gone for good.
Gavin Kirkland: :lupe: Ummm, what does that mean?
Stew-O: …
Persephone: Death, I hope.
(Myles and Minerva go for the ladder, and they set it up in the middle of the ring. Drake drags Impact up by the hair, and Minerva quickly scales the ladder, turns around, and motions for them to hand her Impact. Myles climbs up the ladder behind Minerva, and with some help from Drake, drags Impact up and places him in Minerva’s clutches. Myles carefully moves around the ladder, so that he is now standing on the opposite side to spot Minerva if needed. Drake is standing down below, so he can quickly sprint up the ladder if need be.)
Gavin Kirkland: Well…
Stew-O: …
Persephone: Minerva is perched at the very top of the ladder and it looks like New Eden are about to end Impact’s career with a TPK off the top of the ladder! She has Impact in position for that tombstone piledriver finisher of hers and an eerie silence has come across this crowd. Minerva is smiling!!!!
Stew-O: IMPACT! IMPACT! IMPACT LIFTS MINERVA UP AND THROWS HER RIGHT OFF THE LADDER!!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: BUT SHE PRACTICALLY LANDED IN DRAKE’S ARMS AND MYLES HAS ALREADY STARTED HAMMERING AWAY ON IMPACT! IMPACT IS FIRING BACK, AND THE TWO ARE FIGHTING AT THE TOP OF THE LADDER! IMPACT WITH A RIGHT! MYLES FOLLOWS UP! IMPACT AGAIN! NOW MYLES! IMPACT! MYLES! IMPACT! MYLES! IMPACT! IMPACT! IMPACT! IMPACT! IMPACT WITH A MASSIVE HEADBUTT THAT SENDS MYLES SLIDING DOWN THE LADDER, BUT MINERVA IS BACK UP! SHE SLIPS UNDER IMPACT AND TRIES TO LIFT HIM UP, BUT HER SHOULDER! SHE BUCKLES! SHE CAN’T DO IT! SHE SLIPS, BUT SO DOES IMPACT! DRAKE IS TAKEN OUT AS IMPACT FALLS FROM THE LADDER, AND MINERVA MANAGES TO HANG ON!
Stew-O: MYLES AND MINERVA BOTH MEET BACK UP AT THE TOP OF LADDER BUT LOOK! IMPACT! IMPACT HAS THE LADDER!!! HE TILTS IT OVER! MINERVA LOSES HER FOOTING! SHE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF THAT 20-FOOT LADDER AND OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!
(Seeing Minerva about to slip, Myles throws himself over the top of the ladder. He has managed to secure himself and Drake has taken Impact down from behind. Myles hand brushes Minerva’s as she falls. Myles clutches her fingers, and he desperately tries to get a grip around her wrist. Myles does grab his girlfriend’s hand, but it’s the arm attached to the badly burned, branded shoulder. Minerva dangles in the air, as Myles tries to keep his balance and pull her back up. The pain is excruciating, and neither of them can keep Minerva from slipping, even though they’re desperate too.)
Myles: (off mic) Just hold on.
Minerva: (off mic) No one *BUT* New Eden, my love.
(Minerva surrenders to the pain and with her weight gone, the ladder tilts back, and Myles hits the mat back inside the ring, while Minerva hits the ground on the outside of the ring, slamming her head into the ground and busting the back of it open.)
Bella Braxton: MINERVA HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!
Gavin Kirkland: (sniffling) Well damn…
Persephone: Are you fucking crying??
Gavin Kirkland: I LOVE LOVE OKAY???
Persephone: Pussy.
Stew-O: I… wow.
(Silence has fallen across Globe Life Field as officials and medical staff rush to Minerva. Meanwhile, back inside the ring, Impact has just hit Drake with ‘Evisceration’.)
Persephone: So anyways, since my two colleagues are stunned stupid right now, Drake King is down and out. Myles is favoring his right leg, having landed on it after tumbling from the ladder. Impact is still fat and bloody, but has somehow summoned his inner Superman, not that he could ever be as flawless as Chris Pine.
Gavin Kirkland: So you do find other men attractive not named Rex?
Persephone: You still don’t have a chance.
Stew-O: I can’t believe Impact is still alive in this match. This is a true testament to how much punishment he is willing to take to get exactly what he wants. New Eden left him for dead, and he has somehow managed to fight back. I don’t even know what else can happen in this match, to be honest.
Persephone: Well, someone not named Rex is going to win, which sucks.
Gavin Kirkland: Well with Drake down and out, Impact has now turned his attention to Myles. He’s stomping on the right leg, which Myles is clearly favoring now, and this is going to be the only way Impact has a chance at surviving this. He has to either injure or get rid of at least one more member of New Eden to get the numbers game off the table.
Stew-O: That’s easier said than done, but I believe in Impact. He’s seen it all and done it all in his storied career.
Persephone: It seems like Impact is going for the injury option because he just wrapped Myles up in the ‘Walls of Impact’. That variation of the Lion Tamer is cinched in pretty good, and he’s right in the center of the ring.
Gavin Kirkland: Ring positioning doesn’t mean a whole lot anyway, unless you’re teetering on the top rope. There’s no breaks or anything like that, so Myles just has to find a way to survive this.
Stew-O: The former National Elite Champion is clearly suffering, though. He’s trying to find his way to the ropes, but Impact has placed his knee firmly across Myles’ neck. He is going to break Myles’ leg at this rate, and quite frankly, that might be his best option.
Persephone: SUPERKICK!!!
Gavin Kirkland: DRAKE JUST SAVED MYLES WITH A SUPERKICK TO THE BACK OF THE SKULL!!!!
Stew-O: Myles drags himself out of harm’s way, and into the corner, and Drake quickly picks up Impact! He attempts to throw Impact over the top rope, but Impact hangs on! Drake immediately kicks Impact’s hand, and Impact loses his grip! He manages to keep himself on the apron of the ring, and Drake tries to use his foot to finish off Impact, but Impact refuses to go!
Persephone: IMPACT TAKES HIS HANDS OFF THE ROPES, LEAVING HIMSELF VULNERABLE ON THE APRON, BUT THAT ALLOWS HIM TO CATCH DRAKE’S FOOT! IMPACT HAS DRAKE’S FOOT! IMPACT CAREFULLY REACHES THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPE AND HE SNAPS DRAKE’S ANKLE ACROSS IT!
Gavin Kirkland: WOW! DRAKE FALLS BACK, GRIPPING AT HIS ANKLE, AND IMPACT IS ABLE TO SLIDE BACK INTO THE RING! JUST WHEN YOU THINK IMPACT IS DONE, HE CONTINUES TO FIND CLEVER WAYS TO FIGHT BACK! IMPACT STOMPS ON DRAKE’S ANKLE AND QUICKLY TIES IT UP IN THE ROPES! HE RUSHES OVER TO MYLES AND QUICKLY TIES HIM UP IN THE ROPES! BOTH MEMBERS OF NEW EDEN HAVE BEEN NEUTRALIZED!!!!
Stew-O: IMPACT DOESN’T STOP TO GLOAT! HE GOES RIGHT TO WORK, ASSAULTING MYLES! MYLES IS DEFENSELESS AND IMPACT TARGETS HIS KICKS ON THAT RIGHT LEG! MYLES BARELY HAS ANY ENERGY LEFT AT THIS POINT AND HE IS A SITTING DUCK! IMPACT SWITCHES TO STOMPS TO THE CHEST, AND FINALLY NAILS MYLES WITH A KICK TO THE FACE!
Persephone: DRAKE IS STRUGGLING TO SIT UP, AND FREE HIS ANKLE, AND IMPACT SEES THIS! HE QUICKLY RUSHES OVER TO THE REIGNING ELITIST OF THE YEAR, AND BEGINS TO STOMP AWAY ON HIM NOW! IMPACT CRUSHES BOTH OF DRAKE’S HANDS BENEATH HIS BOOT, MAKING SURE DRAKE WOULDN’T TRY AND FREE HIS ANKLE AGAIN, AND NOW IMPACT BEGINS TO SYSTEMATICALLY PICK APART THAT LIMB NOW! HE KICKS THE ANKLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, RENDERING IT USELESS, AND DRAKE CAN DO NOTHING BUT TAKE THE ABUSE LIKE THE BITCH HE REALLY IS!
Gavin Kirkland: IMPACT FINALLY TAKES A STEP BACK TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE DONE! MYLES IS BARELY MOVING, AND DRAKE HAS HIS EYES CLOSED! I THINK ‘THE MESSIAH’ IS OUT OF IT, GUYS! IMPACT TAKES A WILD LOOK AROUND THE RING AND HIS EYES SETTLE ON THAT NAIL GUN THAT MINERVA USED TO TORTURE HIM WITH EARLIER IN THE MATCH.
Stew-O: That’s a nasty looking sneer that just crossed Impact’s battered face and he wastes no time grabbing that weapon. He makes his way directly over to Drake King, and kicks him in the face, forcing Drake’s eyes to open.
(Impact takes great delight in showing Drake the nail gun, and immediately a rush of adrenaline kicks in for Drake.)
Persephone: DRAKE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE RIGHT NOW BUT I DON’T EVEN THINK IT MATTERS! THAT SICK FUCK IMPACT JUST PLANTED HIS BOOT SQUARELY IN DRAKE’S CHEST! THAT STOPS DRAKE FROM KICKING AND THRASHING, AND IMPACT LEANS DOWN, WRAPPING HIS FREE HAND AROUND DRAKE’S THROAT! HE IS CHOKING THE LIFE OUT OF DRAKE RIGHT NOW! DRAKE HAS HIS HANDS WRAPPED AROUND IMPACT’S ARM! IMPACT AIMS THE NAIL GUN AND HE SHOOTS A NAIL RIGHT THROUGH DRAKE’S UPPER EAR!
Stew-O: Drake’s eyes just went wide and his entire body stills :lupe: Impact lets go of his foe’s throat, and moves back, looking down at the man he just nailed to the mat.
Gavin Kirkland: I have no words, not a single one. I watched Reckless Wiring, and I thought that ending was bad.
Persephone: Hmmmm. I like this. I like this a lot. There is no way Drake can even move unless he rips off a part of his own ear. :drakelike:
Stew-O: Myles just watched all of that unfold, absolutely powerless. He knows that he’s next and there’s nothing he can do. Impact is basically taunting the Australian now, twirling the nail gun in his hand. Myles remains stoic. Whatever emotion he is feeling right now, he refuses to show it. All he can do is wait for Impact to make his move.
Persephone: AND THERE GOES IMPACT! IMPACT WITH A BASEMENT STYLE DROPKICK RIGHT TO MYLES’ KISSER! MYLES’ HEAD SNAPS AGAINST THE ROPES AND IMPACT IS UP, TARGETING THE RIGHT LEG AGAIN! HE KICKS MYLES OVER AND OVER AGAIN, RAISES THE NAIL GUN IN THE AIR AND SLAMS IT DOWN ACROSS MYLES’ HIP! IMPACT AIMS THE NAIL GUN AND HE SHOOTS UP MYLES! I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY NAILS HE JUST SHOT INTO MYLES’ RIGHT HIP, BUT RIGHT NOW MYLES IS CRYING LIKE A WOUNDED ANIMAL! IMPACT KICKS MYLES ONE FINAL TIME IN THE FACE AND TOSSES THE NAIL GUN DOWN!
(Exhausted, Impact falls back against the ropes, and takes a moment to collect himself. For the first time in a year, EAW is in front of a capacity crowd, but their silence is deafening. Time and time again, the men and women of EAW defy death, and somehow prove to be superhuman, but this has been on a different level. The ring is stained in blood and there’s carnage everywhere. Drake King and Myles are incapicitated, and New Eden looks to be done.)
Stew-O: Impact has got to get them both out of the ring now. He heads to Myles first and begins to untangle him from the ropes. I know Impact is spent, and I know he has been through Hell in this match, but the finish line is well within sight.
Gavin Kirkland: Impact’s got Myles out of the ropes and he drags him up. Look at all the blood that is dripping down Myles’ leg and pooling on the ground :lupe:. It wouldn’t shock me if Impact did permanent damage to Myles’ hip.
Persephone: Myles’ eyes flutter open as Impact forces him back against the ropes. How the hell Myles, a one-name freak of a fucking person, has the wherewithall to hook his leg at this moment in time is beyond me.
Stew-O: It’s that bad leg though, and Impact is hammering away at it! Myles’ leg buckles underneath the attack and Impact finally gets him up!
(All of a sudden, the crowd starts to freak the fuck out. A bloodied, limping, and clearly injured Minerva has come rushing from the back with a flaming chair in her hands!)
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: OH MY GOD! MINERVA JUST CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD AND CRACKED IMPACT ACROSS THE HEAD WITH THAT FLAMING CHAIR!
Stew-O: I THINK THAT WAS ALL THE ENERGY THE FORMER UNIVERSAL WOMEN’S CHAMPION HAD LEFT IN HER BODY! WHEN SHE FELL FROM THAT 20-FOOT LADDER, SHE CRACKED THE BACK OF HER HEAD OPEN! HER HAIR IS MATTED WITH THE BLOOD FROM THAT FALL AND SHE JUST COLLAPSED HERE AT RINGSIDE, BUT NOT BEFORE SHE SAVED HER MAN FROM GETTING THROWN OUT OF THE RING! IMPACT IS OUT COLD AND MYLES, HOLDING HIS LEG, DRAGS HIMSELF OVER TO DRAKE!
Persephone: Oh man… this is about to get real fucking interesting.
Gavin Kirkland: Drake is conscious but he has not moved a muscle since having his ear nailed to the mat. Myles fumbles with the ropes and frees Drake’s ankle, but what the fuck can they do now???
(Myles is down by Drake’s side, clearly unsure of what to do to free his stablemate.)
Drake King: (off mic) Pull it out.
Myles: (off mic) :lupe: But Dr-
Drake King: (off mic) It’s fine.
Stew-O: Myles shuts his eyes and grabs the nail, pulling at it with all his might! It doesn’t want to budge, leaving Drake trapped to the mat. Jesus Christ, maybe we should put a stop to this… :lupe: In all my years of working for this company, I have never seen a Grand Rampage go down like this one.
Persephone: I mean, I kinda think this is great. If Drake wanted to be free so bad, he would just rip his ear open. All Impact did was basically give him a really big cartilage piercing.
Gavin Kirkland: :mjlol:
Stew-O: Impact has started to stir. I have no fucking clue how. He really just took a flaming chair to the skull, on top of all the other abuse he’s been dealt tonight. Myles sees Impact and becomes more desperate to free Drake!
Myles: (off mic) Dude…
(Drake closes his eyes. With no other choice, he gathers all of his strength and pulls, splitting a portion of his ear open. Several people in the crowd have to turn away, and Gavin Kirkland himself begins to wretch.)
Persephone: Oh brother, you guys are weak. We’re not about to act like a little plastic surgery won’t fix that up and Drake won’t be perfectly fine in a couple of weeks. :pacspit:
Stew-O: HERE COMES IMPACT! DRAKE SHOVES MYLES OUT OF THE WAY AND EATS A DROPKICK TO THE FACE! IMPACT MOUNTS DRAKE AND BEGINS TO PUNCH HIM IN THE EAR! MYLES SLAMS INTO IMPACT! THEY’RE ROLLING AROUND ON THE MAT NOW! I DON’T KNOW HOW ANY OF THESE MEN HAVE ANYTHING LEFT, BUT IMPACT SOMEHOW GETS ON TOP OF MYLES, AND HE BEGINS TO PUNCH MYLES’ HIP! DRAKE, HOLDING HIS EAR, USES THE ROPES TO PULL HIMSELF UP AND HE DIVES AT IMPACT! IMPACT ROLLS OFF MYLES, AND BEGINS TO THROWING HANDS AT DRAKE! DRAKE FIGHTS BACK AS BEST HE CAN, AND THEY BEGIN TO BRAWL ALL OVER THE RING! THEY ROLL INTO THE CORNER, AND IT’S IMPACT WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO HIS FEET! HE PINS DRAKE AGAINST THE CORNER, USING HIS FOOT ON THAT DAMAGED EAR TO HOLD DRAKE IN PLACE!
Gavin Kirkland: MYLES COMES INTO THE MIX, BUT IMPACT CHECKS BEHIND HIM AND MYLES EATS AN ELBOW TO THE FACE! MYLES TRIES AGAIN, BUT HE IS MET WITH ANOTHER ELBOW! HIS HIP BUCKLES ONCE AGAIN AND IMPACT LETS GO OF DRAKE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO RUSH TOWARDS MYLES, GRAB HIM BY THE HAIR, AND PLANT HIM WITH A RUNNING BULLDOG!
Persephone: DRAKE HAS PULLED HIMSELF UP BUT IMPACT WITH A BURST OF SPEED! RUNNING CORNER CLOTHESLINE!!!! IMPACT GRABS DRAKE BY THE HAIR, SPINS THEM BOTH AROUND, AND HE TOSSES DRAKE OUT OF THE RING!!!!!
Stew-O: NO! DRAKE SOMEHOW GRABS THE ROPES! ONE FOOT BRUSHES THE FLOOR BUT DRAKE SWINGS HIS OTHER LEG UP ON THE APRON! IMPACT HAS GRABBED MYLES, BUT AS HE TURNS AROUND, HE SEES DRAKE SLIDE HIMSELF BACK INTO THE RING!!!!
(Needless to say, Impact drops Myles. Drake uses the ropes to pull himself up and Impact starts walking towards him.)
Gavin Kirkland: :lupe:
Stew-O: :lupe:
Persephone: 💅
Stew-O: It’s all on the line right now. Drake King and Myles are both injured. Impact is the freshest competitor in the ring but he’s taken so much abuse. I don’t know how this is going to end, but I’m just going to sit back and watch it all unfold.
Gavin Kirkland: WELL IT’S DRAKE WHO FIRES THE FIRST SHOT! HE KICKS IMPACT IN THE GUT AND HITS HIM WITH A CLUBBING BLOW TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! IMPACT IS DROPPED TO HIS KNEES BUT HE’S COME TO FAR TO GIVE UP NOW! DRAKE IS FORCED TO EAT SEVERAL FOREARMS TO THE MID-SECTION, AND THAT ALLOWS IMPACT TO GET BACK TO HIS FEET! HE FIRES RIGHT HAND AFTER RIGHT HAND TO DRAKE, AND DRAKE MATCHES EVERY PUNCH! IT’S A SHOT TO THE DAMAGE EAR THAT FINALLY SUBDUES DRAKE, AND GIVES IMPACT THE OPENING HE WANTS!!!!
Persephone: IMPACT GRIPS THE EAR AND HE TWISTS IT, FORCING DRAKE DOWN TO HIS KNEES! IMPACT MAINTAINS CONTROL OF DRAKE’S EAR AND BEGINS TO HEADBUTT HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN! IMPACT IS ATTEMPTING TO RENDER DRAKE UNCONSCIOUS, BUT HE STUMBLES BACK HIMSELF! DRAKE TRIES TO STAND, BUT HE IS ON SPAGHETTI LEGS RIGHT NOW, AND IMPACT GOES FOR THE THROAT! HE GRABS DRAKE BY HIS THROAT AND FORCES HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!
Stew-O: ALL THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MINERVA! SHE HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE VERY EDGE OF THE RAMP FOR SEVERAL MINUTES NOW, ATTEMPTING TO GET SOME OF HER ENERGY BACK! SHE WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF NEW EDEN ELIMINATED, BUT SHE SAVED MYLES FROM SUFFERING THE SAME FATE! THE LOOK ON HER FACE SAYS IT ALL! SHE SO BADLY WANTS TO HELP DRAKE, BUT SHE CAN’T DO IT. SHE’S BEEN BRANDED. SHE’S DEFINITELY CONCUSSED. SHE FOUGHT HARD IN THIS MATCH AND FOR NEW EDEN, BUT SHE HAS NOTHING LEFT IN HER TANK!!!!
Minerva: (off mic and barely a whisper) Get up, Myles, get up…
Gavin Kirkland: DRAKE KING IS ON THE BRINK OF ELIMINATION! IMPACT NEARLY HAS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!!!
(From his spot in the ring, Myles eyes clash with Minerva’s. The two of them are so in tune with one another, that they don’t even need to speak. She nods her head, and Myles forces himself up. He sees Impact about to deposit Drake over the top rope, and he takes a deep breath.)
Myles: (off mic) No one BUT New Eden…
Persephone: :krabs:
Gavin Kirkland: Holy shitballs…
Stew-O: TOPE CON GIRO!!! MYLES WITH THE SUICIDE DIVE, SPRINGBOARDING OFF IMPACT’S HEAD, AND FLIPPING ALL THREE MEN OVER THE TOP ROPE!!!!!! MYLES LANDS IN A HEAP RIGHT AT MINERVA’S FEET!!!!
Bella Braxton: MYLES HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!!!
Gavin Kirkland: IMPACT IS SLUMPED ON THE APRON, ONE FOOT ON THE FLOOR! DRAKE’S WRIST IS TANGLED IN THE ROPE, KEEPING HIM FROM HITTING THE FLOOR! DRAKE USES WHAT’S LEFT OF HIS STRENGTH TO GET HIS FEET ON THE APRON AND IMPACT’S GOT HIS HAND ON THE ROPE, PULLING HIMSELF IN A SITTING POSITION!!!!
Stew-O: BOOK OF DRISTIANITY!!!! THE BOOK OF DRISTIANITY! DRAKE SKULL PUNTS IMPACT AND HE FALLS TO THE GROUND!!!!!
Bella Braxton: IMPACT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
Bella Braxton: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… HERE IS YOUR 2021 GRAND RAMPAGE WINNER… DRAKE KING!!!!
(Drake free his wrist from the ropes and drops to the ground, rolling towards his New Eden teammates. Minerva, who was cradling Myles after his sacrifice, pulls Drake into her arms as well, whispering words to both of them that is not picked up by the camera. “Taking A Stand” by Henry Jackman begins to blast across the public address system and the crowd is incensed. Several have gotten up and have started to leave, and the fans at ringside start hurling their trash down at ringside.)
Stew-O: As I already said, I have never in my life witnessed a Grand Rampage quite like this. New Eden made a promise to ruin this match for the 27 other competitors who put their Pain for Pride dreams on the line for a shot at main eventing, and they did exactly that. I’m not happy. I’m downright pissed off about it. But it’s done. They did everything they said they were going to do this week, and they did it. I can’t believe it.
Persephone: Well believe it because the most annoying group of people to ever walk the face of the Earth besides Raven Roberts are never going to shut up about this shit. Gawd.
Gavin Kirkland: All I can say is that this was one hell of a match. I will never forget the things I saw in this Grand Rampage. I have to tip my hat to Drake King, Myles, and Minerva. New Eden reign supreme tonight.
(Drake has positioned himself between Myles and Minerva, and has an arm wrapped around each of them. They’re being booed, berated, and showered with soda, beer, water, and whatever else the fans can throw, but they do not care. They stuck together, stuck to their principals, and worked as a perfect tandem to destroy so many Elitists who wanted so badly to win Grand Rampage and stamp their ticket to Pain for Pride. Myles and Minerva both embrace Drake, intertwining their fingers together behind his back. They stare up at the Pain for Pride sign, knowing the statement they just made. It costs them each mentally, physically, and emotionally, but it was worth it. Drake King was going to main event Pain for Pride, leaving every hopeful Voltage main eventer out in the cold, forced to find some other way to get themselves on the card.)
(The image of New Eden looking up at the Pain for Pride sign is the final shot of the night as Grand Rampage fades to black and Sunday Night Voltage to elsewhere.)
(Commercial promoting the upcoming Spider-Man 2 video game, only on Playstation.)
(The camera pans to Persephone inside the ring, standing at the head of a black cloth covered table in the center, positioned vertically. On top of said table, there lies an open contract, which has the Grand Rampage logo printed at the top of it. On either side of said contract lies two EAW-branded microphones, one facing toward the office chair on the right, and one facing toward the office chair on the left, given that Myles and Daryl will have a lot to say ahead of their match. Persephone looks visibly uninterested as usual, but once realizing the camera is focused on her, attempts to shape up, and appear at least the slightest hint of enthusiastic, knowing that Captain Charisma is watching. She proceeds to speak into her microphone while reading off a cue card in her other hand.)
Persephone: Ladies and gentlemen, in one week at the marquee event known as Grand Rampage, streaming exclusively on Disney Plus, two men, who have cemented themselves as top competitors on Voltage this season will clash for the EAW World Championship.
(Persephone takes a slight pause, and the crowd cheers, already anticipating the match between Daryl and Myles to be a banger, especially after what has gone down between both men over the past couple of weeks.)
Persephone: First, I introduce to you the challenger… DARYL KINKADE!
(‘Kamikaze’ by RedHook plays, and the audience explodes into a mix of cheers and jeers, some on the side of Daryl, some placed firmly on the side of Myles. Daryl is wearing a black suit with navy blue dress shirt, and walks to the ring, taking time to high-five fans on the rampway briefly, but is mostly focused, knowing this is a major opportunity for himself, especially if he can walk out with the World Title in his possession.
James Peters: Last week, the show ended in a brawl between this man, and our World Champion, Myles, neither able to quite get the upper hand before security managed to break it up.
Rich Russillo: Speaking of security, I feel like Captain Charisma must have them on standby for tonight. Neither competitor has been afraid to put their hands on one another, and if that continues, their match for Grand Rampage could be put in jeopardy.
James Peters: There’s always a great risk of injury, and kudos to Captain Charisma, he doesn’t want that to happen, especially a match of this magnitude. I mean, Grand Rampage is one of our biggest marquee events of the season, and Myles versus Daryl, that is our biggest match happening there. Nothing quite measures up to the World Title here on Voltage.
(Daryl enters the ring, and rounds the table, sitting himself down on the right office chair. Persephone is rolling her eyes, getting bored of his entrance, and waiting for it to finish up. Soon, it does, as after sitting himself down, ‘Kamikaze’ by RedHook fades out, and Daryl soaks in the crowd reaction, looking around at fans. But turns his attention toward the stage area, staring daggers as Persephone begins her announcement of Myles, still reading off a cue card.)
Persephone: And his opponent! The man who ended Minerva’s reign at King of Elite, he is the EAW World Champion… MYLES!
(‘Enemy Strike’ by Yuki Hayashi plays, and Myles is met with the same mixed reaction as Daryl Kinkade was, not that he cares, and stares daggers right back at his opponent for Grand Rampage while sauntering down to the ring with the World Title slung over his shoulder. Myles is wearing a black blazer over white t-shirt, along with matching black jeans and dress shoes.)
James Peters: Earlier, I said nothing quite measures up to the World Title here on Voltage, and it’s true. When you are World Champion, you are looked at as the figurehead, the face of this brand.
Rich Russillo: Well, there are some perks, and some downsides to that. Becoming World Champion is no easy task, I mean, there’s people who have been here for years, still struggling to capture the big one. But once they do, they have to realize that winning the World Title is easier than keeping the World Title.
James Peters: You’ll have challengers left and right, lining up to face you. Myles knows that, but he welcomes that. He does not mind competition, he welcomes anyone to try, and take his title, take his position as “the peak of pro wrestling.”
Rich Russillo: Will that man be Daryl Kinkade? At Grand Rampage, we find out. Is he the man who ends Myles’ reign, or is he just another footnote in Myles’ reign?
(Myles enters the ring, and takes a seat on the left office chair, still keeping the belt slung over his shoulder, but grabs a microphone off the table with his opposite hand.)
Myles: Cut the music!
(‘Enemy Strike’ by Yuki Hayashi fades out in the background, and Myles begins speaking.)
Myles: Enough pageantries. Daryl, do you really understand what you’re getting yourself into come Grand Rampage? You are not going up against A champion, you are going up against THE champion, THE single entity who governs all of Voltage. That’s a pretty big leap from the competition you’ve had to face this season. Speaking of this season, you haven’t many World Title opportunities like others. Matter of fact, you’ve only had one, and that traces back to the beginning of this season at Rise of the Resistance. What’s Daryl Kinkade been doing since then? You’ve been wasting time, feuding with individuals like Ronan Malosi, and losing battle royals to Solomon Stane. Like I said, a pretty big leap in competition. As if it needs to be said, I’m not like anyone you’ve faced before. You’re not ready for a talent of my caliber, and at Rise of the Resistance, that was proven. You lost to the previous champion, Minerva, so what makes you think that you won’t lose to me, the current champion?
(Daryl snickers to himself, and grabs a microphone off the table.)
Daryl Kinkade: Myles, the road to mediocrity is paved in excuses, and I don’t have any. At Rise of the Resistance, I admit it. I messed up, I lost, things didn’t exactly go my way. What do you want me to do? Give up? Never challenge for a title again? Sure, I didn’t win the World Title from Minerva like I wanted to, but months have passed since then. Rise of the Resistance was back in August, now? Now, it’s April. The World Title is under new management, Minerva isn’t champ anymore, you are, and that’s quite the turn of events, isn’t it? Because back in August, back when I was contending for the World Championship, you weren’t anywhere to be seen in Elite Answers Wrestling. No, you were still out injured.
Myles: Yes, I was out injured. Your point?
Daryl Kinkade: My point is: in Elite Answers Wrestling, everything can turn around in a moment. You started the season off injured, but you’re close to ending it as World Champion. At one point, people didn’t believe that for you. Right now, you don’t believe I can beat you at Grand Rampage, and become World Champion, which is fine, nor should you. I mean, no one walks into a match thinking they’ll lose, right? Myles, that’s the exact mindset I’m in. At Grand Rampage, I’m not focused on what can’t happen, I’m focused on what can happen. Believe me, I know the stakes, I know there is a lot riding on this match past just winning the World Championship. At Grand Rampage, I have the opportunity to do more than that. If I beat you, who knows? Maybe I have the opportunity to walk into Pain for Pride as World Champion, a feat only so many can dream of. But to achieve said feat, I also know that’s easier said than done. Anyone and everyone can get a platform, and say they’re going to beat the champ, but not everyone can beat the champ. At Tempest, we saw Samael come up short, despite playing mind games, and despite overpowering you. You still managed to come up victorious. For that, I give you a round of applause.
(Daryl places the mic down on the table, and gives Myles a small round of applause, which the fans join in on. Myles is unmoved by this gesture, but Daryl picks the microphone back up, and continues speaking.
Daryl Kinkade: For that, I recognize you as a worthy champion. But Myles, you aren’t someone who’s going to influence my decision, and make me run away with my tail tucked between my legs like some sort of coward, all because you said so. If I were to, I’d prove your point exactly that I’m not a worthy contender. But at Grand Rampage, I prove the opposite. Yeah, you’re a step up in competition. On Voltage, you are THE top dog. In Elite Answers Wrestling, you are a triple crown champion. But that doesn’t make someone invincible. At the end of the day, you’re still a man, and one that can be conquered. No matter what, I’m walking into Grand Rampage, and I’m walking out of it as Champion.
(Focus is etched across the face of Kinkade, believing in every word that comes out of his mouth, but as he was before, Myles remains unmoved, and brings the microphone closer to his face.)
Myles: …fine speech, but ultimately, it’s one that changes nothing. Daryl, at Grand Rampage, you aren’t my opponent, you are my stepping stone, and everyone here knows it… everyone except for you. No, Daryl, you’ve genuinely convinced yourself that, at Grand Rampage, you stand a chance, but the truth is: you don’t. Your speech doesn’t change that. Your cheap shot from a few weeks ago doesn’t change that. You. Are. A. Stepping stone. Better to realize it now than realize it later, because after I pin your shoulders down to the mat, 1-2-3, the disappointment will set in. But going back to those two words, stepping stone. You’re probably wondering what exactly you are a stepping stone for, Daryl. Well, allow me to elaborate. Yeah, you, and the fans gave me a round of applause, but it all feels a bit hollow, it feels a bit empty. Earlier, I said that I’m not A champion, I’m THE champion, THE single entity who governs over all of Voltage. Yet, I don’t gain the sense that I’m being recognized as such. I’m not getting the respect that I deserve, people aren’t taking me seriously to the level they should. I’m better than a Drake. I’m better than a Methuselah. I’m better than O’Hara. I’m better than-
Daryl Kinkade: No, no, no, let me get this straight.
(Myles is annoyed at being cut off, almost proving his point exactly about lack of respect.)
Daryl Kinkade: You’re complaining about lack of respect, being underappreciated, but lack of respect is all you have given me.
Myles: No, Daryl, I’ve given you the proper amount of respect for what I’m up against, and what I’m up against is a stepping stone.
(Myles is starting to get underneath Daryl’s skin with the use of those words “stepping stone,” really frustrating him with the complete lack of respect on his end, and wants to be seen as an actual title challenger.)
Myles: I can see you don’t like that, being called a stepping stone, but what else am I supposed to view you as? …unfinished business? Because in that case, I agree with you, you are unfinished business. See, this isn’t our first time facing, we faced all the way back in 2019, and what happened? The same thing that’s gonna happen come Grand Rampage. I won. Except at Grand Rampage, there will be some noticeable changes, one of said changes being that Charlie Marr won’t be there in order to taint my victory over you. But while we’re on the topic of tainted victories, that’s the sole reason you’re here. A tainted victory. If it weren’t for Ronan Malosi of all people, you wouldn’t be facing me at Grand Rampage. If it weren’t for sheer luck, you wouldn’t have faced Minerva at Rise of the Resistance.
(Daryl nods at this, expecting it to be brought up.)
Daryl Kinkade: Yeah, Myles, you’re right. It can be argued that, if Drake King hadn’t prevented both TLA and Sheridan from entering the ring, I wouldn’t have faced Minerva at Rise of the Resistance. It can be argued that, if Ronan Malosi hadn’t distracted Candice Blair, I wouldn’t have earned the opportunity to face you at Grand Rampage, and you know what? That pisses me off.
(The crowd cheers at this statement from Daryl, who stands up out of his seat, keeping eye contact with a seated Myles.)
Daryl Kinkade: I wanted to earn both opportunities on my own. I didn’t ask for either of those things to happen, but they did, and all I can do is look forward to next week. Next week, it’s me versus you for the World Title, and I may not have gotten there on my own, but I will beat you on… my… own. And if you don’t believe me, stand up, and I’ll make a believer of you right now.
(Daryl gestures for Myles to stand up, and begins taking off his suit jacket, along with rolling up his sleeves. Myles looks to contemplate it for a moment, but rises to his feet as well, leaving the title on his chair, and taking off his blazer too. The crowd are roaring with anticipation, and Persephone sees the writing on the wall, so throws her hands up like “nope!” She proceeds to exit the ring, and walk back to the commentary table, refusing to get caught in the crossfire. Time passes with both men engaged in a serious stare down, but Myles breaks things up by signing the contract on the table, and picking his microphone back up, locking eyes with Daryl once again.)
Myles: At Grand Rampage, while it’s debatable if you’re ready for me, I know that I’m ready for you. “The Peak” isn’t just a fancy nickname that I can print on a shirt, it’s what I am, and it’s what I’ll remain no matter who my opponent is. If you’re dead set on being an example, on being a victim, so be it. Sign the contract.
(Daryl shows zero hesitation in signing the contract, and picks his microphone back up as well, addressing Myles.)
Daryl Kinkade: I won’t allow myself to become a victim, another feather in your cap. I’m becoming champion, and you may not realize it now, but there’s gonna be a point in the match where you do. I’m a far bigger threat than you, or anyone else could have imagined.
(Daryl stares a hole into Myles, who grabs hold of his championship, and raises it high for Daryl to see. Daryl’s attention has turned from Myles to the World Championship, as that’s what it’s all about. ‘Enemy Strike’ by Yuki Hayashi starts playing in the background, but neither competitor break eye contact from one another. Myles still has the championship raised high, and both competitors continue trash talking one another, which isn’t picked up on mic as the camera fades elsewhere.)
(Commercial promoting the final part of Attack on Titan featuring POTARA.)
(Voltage fades to ringside, but as the camera transitions to the commentary table, neither James Peters nor Rich Russillo look too happy. Persephone on the other hand doesn’t look very interested at all, and quickly puts a fake smile on her face after realizing that the camera is on her. After a few seconds, James Peters begins to speak.)
James Peters: Ladies and gentlemen, before we move forward with the rest of tonight’s Voltage, we first have to turn our attention to the backstage area. During the break we received word that an altercation has taken place, and after hearing who the people involved are, it’s definitely something worth looking into!
Rich Russillo: That’s right. We’re not just talking about anyone when we say that some sort of fight or attack happened. Whatever happened, it happened between Methuselah and Yhwach O’Hara, who will be facing each other come Grand Rampage.
Persephone: Oh. Well then, let’s take a look at what’s going on!
James Peters: That’s right, we need to see what’s happening between Yhwach and Methuselah.
(The titantron turns on, and the show fades to show the backstage area. It takes a few seconds, but eventually, the camera is able to reveal an unconscious body, as well as a pool of blood. It takes some time for the unconscious person to be revealed, but as the camera slowly pans towards the head of the person, it’s then revealed that the man laid out is none other than Methuselah. He’s unconscious and a bloody mess, blood pouring out seemingly from the back of his head. That’s not all however, as tarot cards would be seen on the ground, spread out around him. Additionally, Methuselah’s forehead would have a pentagram on it, one that seems to have been drawn with marker. It’s at this point that the camera begins to pan over, revealing someone’s shoes. The crowd begins to grow loud as they know there’s only one person that could be behind this, and as the camera finally pans up to reveal the person, their suspicions are confirmed as it turns out to be Yhwach O’Hara. Yhwach is staring at Methuselah, not even taking his eyes off of him despite the fact that the damage is already done. He has a sinister look on his face, one that doesn’t go away as Voltage fades to a commercial break.)
(Voltage fades to a commercial promoting the Super Mario Bros. Movie.)
(Voltage returns to the stage, and ‘SUN//EATER’ by Lorna Shore hits. A loud and mixed reaction comes out of this, especially after what the fans just saw before the break. After a little while, Yhwach O’Hara begins to walk out to the stage, holding a microphone in his hand. He doesn’t look too concerned about whatever it is that took place backstage between him and Methuselah, instead maintaining the cold look on his face as he begins to walk down the ramp, heading towards ringside as the loud reaction continues for O’Hara.)
James Peters: I’m honestly not too sure what to say about what we just saw before the break. It was a sight we don’t see from Methuselah often. He not only had blood pouring out, but this time around it was Yhwach that drew the pentagram on Methuselah’s head, giving him a taste of his own medicine!
Rich Russillo: Yhwach is out here to speak from the looks of it, and while I’m still stunned by what I just witnessed, I’m glad we at least may be hearing an explanation from him. I’d say things have gotten heated between these two, but to be honest things have been that way for years.
Persephone: Yeah they had a Pain for Pride match or something a while back. Definitely looking forward to them wrestling again! 👍
(Yhwach gets onto the apron before entering the ring. He remains silent for some time as the fans are still loud for him. That doesn’t appear to be the reason he’s silent however, as instead of paying any attention to them, he stares directly at the camera. Finally, he begins to speak.)
Yhwach O’Hara: If you know who I am, you won’t make the same mistake again.
(This alone is enough to gain another loud, mixed reaction from the fans.)
Yhwach O’Hara: I was always able to expect this from Drake. If anyone would take this kind of path, it’s him. He’s incapable of finding the distinction between an earned placement at the top of this industry and an unearned ego, and that lack of awareness is what’s fueled him for nearly three years now. Of course someone like that would make the mistake of setting their sights on me. That’s the kind of person he is. The kind of insignificant roach that’d willingly latch themselves to people that completely contradict their own beliefs if it means helping him take even a single step forward. For him, I understand. There’s no use holding high expectations for someone that’ll fall short every single time, but you? I can’t say the same for you. I can’t say that with our history, with everything that I know about you, everything that I’ve seen you do, that you could turn out like this. That you could make mistakes so foolish even you should be ashamed. That you could make the mistake of believing that of anyone on the EAW roster, I was the right person for you to use for the sake of making a grand statement. It’s embarrassing, honestly. Embarrassing that I could find myself in this position because someone like Methuselah, someone universally seen as one of the greatest the entire world has ever had to offer, has reduced himself to becoming some sort of mentor. He’s reduced himself to the games of an Elitist with dreams he’ll never even be capable of making the slightest bit of progress towards. That’s what I’m dealing with, and Methuselah I hope you understand that come Grand Rampage these games are over. Our match will end in a similar fashion to our encounter only minutes ago, as you’re once again forced to learn who this place really belongs to.
(Yhwach finally turns away from the camera as the mixed reaction continues, with a lot more cheers than before after what was just heard. Yhwach begins to speak once again, slowly pacing around the ring as he talks.)
Yhwach O’Hara: When Jamie O’Hara took down Mr. DEDEDE at Pain for Pride 13, I was declared the victor of “the war to end all wars”. That was nearly three years ago, and in those three years you’ve had the free will to do whatever you pleased. You didn’t allow the result of that match to impact you forever. You didn’t allow it to leave you with a scar that wouldn’t heal. You refused to stay down, and because of that refusal, Methuselah now enters the ring with O’Hara in a match that won’t end the same way, but instead will end in such a fashion that you’ll find it far more difficult to recover. That is the price you pay for what’s occurred over these past few weeks. Tempest was clearly only the beginning, but in only one week’s time we’ll be seeing the end of this, because for all Methuselah may be, for all that Methuselah may be capable of, he will be in the ring with someone who is so much more. He’ll be in the ring with someone capable of more. His opponent at Grand Rampage isn’t just anyone. His opponent at Grand Rampage is far from the likes of Theron Nikolas, Sheridan Müller, and every other name he has faced since his return at King of Elite. His opponent at Grand Rampage is someone who embodies omnipotence, someone who owned the world years ago, even before the world knew of Yhwach. Methuselah has trapped himself in a mess I will not allow him to run away from. He can’t fight out of this, and he will not be bailed out. All that’s going to happen at Grand Rampage is the fall of someone who made the wrong choice. Someone that has it all, and doesn’t seem to know what to do with it.
(Yhwach turns towards the stage as he continues.)
Yhwach O’Hara: When you walk down that ramp next weekend, think very carefully about what match you’ll truly be entering. These past few weeks have been only a fraction of what I’ll be doing at Grand Rampage, and you know that because the same could be said for yourself. At Grand Rampage we’ll be seeing a side of you that hasn’t been seen since your return. A side that hasn’t needed to be seen because you’ve spent the past month punching down on the Voltage roster. You know as well as I do that this match is different, so at Grand Rampage it’d be in your best interests to not walk down this ramp as the man who believes in the ramblings of a child. Don’t allow these past few weeks to serve as a reflection of who you are today. Don’t allow them to serve as the answer to who I’ll really be up against at Grand Rampage, because I’m expecting more. The entire world, the world that I hold in the palm of my hands, expects more. Unless you’ve lost whatever respect you previously had for yourself, you should be expecting more, too. It’s not a question of just how exactly our match at Grand Rampage will end. That is set in stone. The only thing to question is just how long it’ll take you to fall. That’s a question you’ll have the freedom to answer, as long as you understand that this match will end when, and only when, you’re no longer able to stand. I won’t be leaving Grand Rampage with anything less than the desired result, a result that was set in stone the very second you speared me back at Tempest. In one week, Methuselah learns that he interfered with a situation that was beyond him. Until then, I’ll be waiting.
(Yhwach stops speaking, and at this point, ‘SUN//EATER’ begins to play once more. The mixed reaction continues for Yhwach, who keeps a calm expression on his face despite everything that’s happened in the past few weeks with Methuselah. There is a look of focus on his face however as he is clearly prepared for the upcoming match against Methuselah at Grand Rampage.)
James Peters: Well we heard everything I believe we needed to hear from Yhwach. The match between him and Methuselah is extremely exciting, but at the same time it’s almost terrifying knowing everything that these two can, and probably will do to each other. This won’t be a pretty match, and we know that much for sure. The real question is just how much damage they plan to do to each other.
Rich Russillo: Well if tonight has been any indicator, I don’t think Disney will be a big fan of what happens between these two. Yhwach and Methuselah have years of history, but this still feels like a match that has never happened before. Yhwach and Methuselah, at this stage in their careers, in a match where neither Elitist will have a problem causing some serious harm to their opponent. There’s really no chance that this ends well.
Persephone: Well that’s fine, isn’t it? It’s gonna be a good match, anyway. Especially if they learn to follow Disney guidelines and make the match blood-free. Definitely don’t want that.
(As ‘SUN//EATER’ continues to play, Yhwach O’Hara slowly begins to walk out of the ring, walking down the steel steps before beginning to make his way up the ramp. He doesn’t pay attention to the loud crowd reaction that he’s given, and it’s clear that his mind is only on one thing, that being his upcoming Grand Rampage match. As Yhwach makes his way to the back, Voltage begins to fade out.)
(Promotional ad for Grand Rampage, where Dr. Bethany Blue defends the Universal Women’s Championship against Sheridan Müller.)
(Sunday Night Voltage fades into the arena, where for the last time tonight James Peters is seen standing by at the commentary booth. He has a smile on his face while the camera pans in and begins to speak.)
James Peters: Once again, welcome back! Last time we talked about the 2021 Grand Rampage match, with the winner being Drake King of New Eden. Walking into the new Season as World Champion, Drake would garner title defenses against all sorts of Voltage Elitists looking to put a halt to his agenda to “save” the brand, all leading into Road To Redemption, where he would defend his title in an Elimination Chamber. When New Eden took over Voltage at Wicked Games for the month of November, Drake initially had banned the Chamber from happening at the December Marquee Event. But Minerva, who would see the foresight of what would happen when Captain Charisma returned to the helm, reinstated the Chamber and promised Drake that she would be in the match to help him win. That of course happened, but Drake still held a grudge, betraying Minerva and stabbing her in the shoulder with a branding iron, leading Myles to cash in his Cash in The Vault briefcase to win the EAW World Championship. It would lead to the absolutely thrilling Pain For Pride New Eden triple threat, which concluded with Minerva winning the title, but we also can’t forget what happened in between. The Gold Rush tournament, with the winner facing Myles at Pain For Pride, came down to Drake, who looked to hijack the tournament, and Minerva at Grand Rampage in a result that absolutely nobody expected. Let’s go back to the highly anticipated matchup between two of Voltage’s best with the fate of both Elitist’s Season on the line.
(DING! DING! DING!)
[SCREENBAR: GRAND RAMPAGE 2022]
James Peters: HERE WE GO! Minerva immediately storms towards Drake King as he slides under the bottom rope and quickly avoids her. Minerva slides out of the ring after Drake and now she’s chasing him around the ring. This is what we expected from them tonight, this game of cat and mouse, but she needs to be careful playing this game. Drake slides in the ring and Minerva comes right behind him-
Rich Russillo: “JUDGMENT DAY”!!
James Peters: NO! It didn’t land as she slid her body out just in time and Drake nearly puts his foot through the canvas as Minerva now grabs his boot and pulls him under the bottom rope! She gets Drake to the outside and now lands a nasty forearm to the side of his head! Drake covers up as she lands a thudding headbutt, skull to skull! You heard that impact as Minerva now grabs him by the hair AND TRIES TO RUN DRAKE INTO THE RING POST!
Rich Russillo: He avoids it and barrels shoulder first into the barricade! His shoulder and back clatter into the barricade as Minerva storms towards him, but he ducks under an attempted clothesline and now he shoves Minerva into the barricade! Her back slams into the barricade and Drake King sets up another attack! WHAT IS HE- DRAKE JUMPS ONTO THE BARRICADE, RUNNING AND NOW HE LEAPS OFF WITH A GLIDING KNEE THAT CLIPS THE SIDE OF MINERVA’S HEAD AS THEY BOTH HIT THE GROUND!
James Peters: Wow! Some innovative offense from Drake King as the crowd still manages to boo after that. He doesn’t hear even one of them as he tries to lift Minerva up to her feet. OUCH! SHE JUST BIT HIS HAND! Minerva just bit the hand of Drake and now drives a knee into his midsection and shoves him into the side of the ring! Minerva ushers the crowd up to their feet as she lines Drake up! MINERVA IS SETTING DRAKE KING UP, HERE WE GO! SHE LUNGES FORWARD WITH A MASSIVE KICK!
(BANG!)
Rich Russillo: WAIT! Drake slipped out of the way as he rolled under the bottom rope and into the ring, Minerva’s boot blasted that ring post! My word, she would’ve taken Drake’s head off with that kick! Every shot is being thrown with match ending intentions for Minerva! Now it’s Drake who shoots his boots through the middle rope and blasts Minerva down with a dropkick! Drake manages to stay in the ring as Minerva recovers on the outside…OH BOY….DRAKE KING IS LOOKING AT THE ROPES, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!
James Peters: DRAKE BOUNCES OF THE ROPES AND-
Rich Russillo: MINERVA SCURRIES INTO THE RING AND FLOORS DRAKE WITH A CLOTHESLINE! SHE TRIES TO TAKE HIS HEAD FROM HIS SHOULDERS WITH THAT ONE AND NOW SHE’S UNLOADING WITH PUNCHES! THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTED, SHE’S UNLEASHING HER WRATH ON DRAKE KING AND THIS CROWD IS GOING BANANAS FOR IT!
James Peters: Drake makes his way to the corner and tries to get Minerva off him, but she’s relentless! She won’t let up! BAM, A STIFF KNEE TO THE CHEST, NOW A CLOTHESLINE IN THE CORNER AS SHE SNAPS HIS HEAD BACK! SHE THROWS HIM OVER HER HIP AND TRAPS HIS HEAD IN A HEADLOCK HOLD, NOW UNLEASHING THIS VICIOUS STORM OF PUNCHES ONE MORE TIME! DRAKE’S HEAD IS TRAPPED AS HE’S FORCED TO TAKE THESE POWER PUNCHES FROM MINERVA!
Rich Russillo: LOOK AT DRAKE’S LEG, HE’S GOT HIS FOOT ON THE ROPE AND THE REFEREE SPOTTED IT! Minerva’s forced to release the hold and let Drake go, she tries to drag him straight back to the center of the ring, but she rips his leg into the air and Drake springs into his feet with the middle rope! What athleticism from Drake as he now jumps at Minerva with a lightning fast enzuigiri! No! She ducks that one and takes the back of Drake, he now turns it around again and grabs her wrist, spinning her out for that jumping knee! Minerva wisely kicks out his other leg and Drake King can’t complete his offense!
James Peters: Minerva throws her leg into the air like an axe as she brings it down with force on a big scissor kick! Drake slips out of the way right in time and barrels Minerva’s jaw with an elbow- no! Not even that lands as she catches his arm and shoves him backwards! THEY BOTH STORM OFF THE ROPES AND GO FOR CLOTHESLINES AND TAKE ONE ANOTHER OUT! THEY COLLIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING AND DESTROY ONE ANOTHER WITH DOUBLE-CLOTHESLINES, THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL!
Rich Russillo: These two are so equally matched, this really will decide who the number contender for the EAW Championship is and who on this yellow brand deserves to go to Pain For Pride.
Persephone: They beat a bunch of tomato cans in a glorified King of Elite rip-off and now all the sudden one of them deserves to go to Pain For Pride? They should both be competing in the 24/7 Battle Royale if you ask me.
Rich Russillo: The stakes both personal and career wise are so much bigger than that, Persephone, as both competitors make their way up to their feet. Drake King throws a big elbow that lands on the side of Minerva’s head! Now Minerva returns with a nasty right hand of her own! That one made Mike Tyson proud! Minerva now lands another big punch, AND ANOTHER! BEATING DRAKE KING DOWN, WHO IS SOMEHOW STILL TEETERING ON HIS FEET!
James Peters: SHE STEPS BACK AND THEN CHARGES FORWARD WITH A POWERFUL SHORT-ARM CLOTHESL- BOOM! DRAKEKING CRACKS HER WITH A HELLACIOUS DISCUS ELBOW THAT ABSOLUTELY SHUTS HER LIGHTS OUT! MINERVA FALLS ONTO HER KNEES AND DRAKE NOW BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES! HE COMES RIGHT AT HER AND IS MET WITH A RUNNING STO AS MINERVA MEETS HIM IN THE MIDDLE AND SLAMS HIM TO THE CANVAS WITH FORCE!
(The crowd cheers for Minerva as she gets back to a knee.)
Rich Russillo: Clearly a pro-Minerva crowd tonight, but appreciate the technical clinic being put on by both competitors. Minerva is labordley getting to her feet as Drake uses the turnbuckles to try and crawl to his knees. Minerva stalks her prey as Drake pulls himself up to a standing base. She violently grabs Drake’s face and starts talking to him. She’s releasing all of the pent up anger she’s had for months now! She smashes Drake’s face in the corner and now smears it against the turnbuckle!
Persephone: She should go smear her lips on the dong of some random elitist backstage like the cheating whore she is.
James Peters: SHE’S TRYING TO SIT HIM ON THE TOP ROPE! SHE WANTS TO DROP DRAKE FROM THE TOP, BUT HE’S STARTING TO COME TO AND FIGHT HER OFF! MINERVA EATS SOME NASTY SHOTS FROM THE SEATED DRAKE, BUT DELIVERS A STIFF PUNCH OF HER OWN THAT ROCKS HIM! DRAKE IS REELING AND MINERVA NOW STANDS ON THE TOP TURNBUCKLE, TRYING TO PULL DRAKE UP TO HIS FEET!
Rich Russillo: NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS!
(The crowd starts to build their anticipation as the buzzing gets louder.)
Rich Russillo: MINERVA TRIES TO LIFT DRAKE UP- HE’S ABLE TO SIT BACK DOWN AND KICK HER BOOTS OUT FROM UNDER HER! SHE FELL FACE FIRST ONTO THAT TOP TURNBUCKLE, THAT WAS NASTY! SHE DROPPED FACE FIRST AND NOW IS ROLLED INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RING, JESUS CHRIST! SHE HAD TO HAVE BROKEN HER NOSE THERE, YOU CAN SEE IT POOLING BLOOD RIGHT NOW!
(The crowd looks back up as the anticipation builds up again…)
James Peters: WAIT! DRAKE KING ISN’T LETTING UP! HE’S NOW STOOD ON THE TOP AND FLIES THROUGH THE AIR WITH A FROG SPLASH THAT CRUSHES THE RIBS OF MINERVA! DRAKE KING INTO THE COVER, HE WANTS TO PUT HER AWAY-
Rich Russillo: MINERVA KICKS OUT BEFORE 1! A powerful kick out before the referee was all the way down for the count and Drake looks taken aback by Minerva’s sheer toughness!
James Peters: He does, Rich, but he can feel the tides turning in his favor as he now stands Minerva up and dogwalks her to the corner! He bounces a stiff punch off her chin and now leaves her wobbling around the corner of the ring as he bounces up to the second rope! DRAKE VAULTS WITH A BLOCKBUSTER THAT SNAPS MINERVA’S NECK DOWN!- BUT HE HELD ON! DRAKE HOLDS ON AND NOW ROLLS OVER, DEADLIFTING HER BACK UP AND HOISTING HER STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR AND DROPPING HER BACK DOWN WITH A THUNDEROUS FALCON ARROW!
Rich Russillo: WHAT A SEQUENCE FROM THE FORMER EAW CHAMPION, WHO LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT BE ON HIS WAY TO GETTING BACK TO THAT THRONE! HE COVERS MINERVA AS THE REFEREE STARTS THE COUNT!
ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Rich Russillo: Strong kickout from Minerva after 1! That was still a powerful kickout, but it was slower than her last one, Drake can tell he’s starting to wear on Minerva. This is what he does so well, he drags these matches out into wars of attrition and waits until his opponent starts to crumble. Drake is now standing above Minerva and holding his heel on her neck. Minerva claws to get him off, but Drake scowls down at her with his boot driving harder and harder into her neck. Almost a satisfaction in his face.
James Peters: Symbolic of how Drake has always felt about these relationships; under the heel of his boot. He scuffs his boot off the back of Minerva’s head and now relentlessly stomps on her body! DRAKE WITH VICIOUS STOMPS TO THE BODY AND LIMBS OF MINERVA, HE IS GOING CRAZY WITH STOMPS AND NOW HE LIFTS UP THE LEG OF MINERVA AND DROPS AN ELBOW ONTO HER KNEE! DRAKE IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO INJURE HER! RIPPING AT HER KNEE AND STOMPING ON THE OUTSIDE OF HER LEG, DRAKE IS SHOWING US SHADES OF ROAD TO REDEMPTION BETRAYAL WHERE HE BRUTALIZED MINERVA AND LEFT HER FOR DEAD IN THE CHAMBER!
Rich Russillo: Drake King drops Minerva at his own feet and stares down at her as she tries to gather herself. HE HOOKS HER ARMS AND PULLS THEM UP TO HER BACK, GOING FOR AN “ASCENSION”! MINERVA NOW THROWS HER HEAD UP BACKWARDS AND CRACKS DRAKE IN THE CHIN WITH A REVERSE HEADBUTT! WOW! THAT ONE ACTUALLY STUNNED DRAKE BACK AND NOW- WAIT, WHAT THE HELL IS MINERVA DOING!??
James Peters: SHE JUST SQUATTED DOWN AND LIFTED DRAKE KING INTO THE AIR, HE STILL HAS HER ARMS HOOKED AND SHE- BOOM! SHE JUST SLAMMED HIS HEAD AND NECK INTO THE CANVAS WITH A MODIFIED VERTEBREAKER! WHAT A COUNTER FROM MINERVA AS DRAKE CLUTCHES HIS NECK! HE GRABS HIS NECK HARD IN PAIN AND MINERVA RISES TO HER FEAT IN A FIT OF ADRENALINE! THIS CROWD IS ELECTRIC RIGHT NOW AS MINERVA RAISES THEM TO THEIR FEET AGAIN!
Persephone: At least she can raise something! It seems as if she can’t raise any of the children she be having in secret! Little whore!
Rich Russillo: MINERVA JUST SNAPPED HIS HEAD OFF THE MAT AND NOW SHE’S LINING DRAKE UP! MINERVA BOUNCES HER LEGS OFF THE TOP ROPE AND FLIPS HER SELF OVER INTO A MOONSAULT THAT CRUSHES DRAKE, “HELL’S BELLS”!!!! THAT MODIFIED ARABIAN PRESS JUST FLATTENED DRAKE AS HE CLUTCHES HIS RIBS, BUT MINERVA ISN’T DONE WITH HIM YET! SHE CLIMBS HER WAY UP TO THAT TOP ROPE, QUICKLY GETTING TO THE TOP AND LOOKING AT THE-
Rich Russillo: I WAS GONNA SAY BATTERED DRAKE KING, BUT HE JUST POPPED UP AND BOX JUMPS TO THE TOP ROPE! OH MY GOD, THAT ATHLETICISM IS JUST RIDICULOUS AND NOW HE RIPS MINERVA OFF THE TOP ROPE AND DOWN TO THE CANVAS WITH AN ABSOLUTELY THUNDEROUS SUPERPLEX! A HUGE SUPERPLEX!
(The crowd roars as Drake stands up with MInerva still in his arms.)
James Peters: HE STILL HAS HER! HE HOISTS HER UP WITH A FALCON ARROW-
(The crowd cheers even louder.)
James Peters: MINERVA ESCAPES OUT THE BACK DOOR AND LAUNCHES DRAKE WITH AN INVERTED EXPLODER SUPLEX! DUMPING HIM ON HIS FACE AND SHE SIDESTEPS- OH BOY! “DEVIL’S TOUCH”!!!! SHE SUPERKICKED DRAKE SQUARE IN THE CHIN AND HE FELL TO THE GROUND! HE’S BARELY ON HIS KNEES, HE LOOKS OUT!
Rich Russillo: OH MY GOD, MINERVA DRAGS HIM UP BY THE HAIR, SHE’S TALKING TO HIM!
Minerva: (Off-Mic) This is your penance. This is your ultimate hell.
Rich Russillo: MINERVA LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL! SHE COMES OFF THE ROPES AND GOES FOR A “JUDGEMENT DAY” CURB STOMP!!
James Peters: DRAKE SIDE STEPS IT JUST IN TIME AS HE GETS TO HIS FEET, OH MY GOD! SHE NOW GOES OFF THE ROPES AND IS MET WITH A DRAKE KING BOOT TO THE MIDSECTION! A SUPERKICK TO THE MIDSECTION THAT NEARLY DROPS MINERVA! DRAKE MANAGES TO GRAB HER AND- WAIT, WHAT IS DRAKE DOING?! HE HOOKS HER ARMS IN PUMPHANDLE POSITION!!
James Peters: “DE FACTOOOOOOOOOOO”!!!!!!
Rich Russillo: DRAKE KING THROWS MINERVA INTO THE AIR AND DELIVERS A DESTRUCTIVE “DE FACTO” !!!!! THAT’S MYLES’ MOVE!!!! THAT’S MYLES’ SIGNATURE FINISHING MOVE AND DRAKE JUST USED IT TO SLAM MINERVA’S SPINE AGAINST THE GROUND! DRAKE KING FALLS INTO THE COVER ON MINERVA!!!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Referee: TWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Referee: THRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
James Peters: KICKOUT! KICKOUT AFTER 2 FROM MINERVA AND SHE’S STILL IN THIS!
Rich Russillo: BUT FOR HOW LONG!? SHE JUST GOT WRECKED BY MYLES’ “DE FACTO” AND DRAKE KING HAS AN EVIL LOOK ON HIS FACE!
Persephone: That’s just his regular face! He isn’t even from Israel, he looks like he’s from smelly-ass New York. Look at the mean ass pinched up 9-9 faces in this crowd, he looks just like them!
Rich Russillo: Well, he certainly doesn’t look happy as Minerva struggles to get back to her knees.
(The crowd starts to boo as Drake grabs Minerva by the hair and presses her face into the canvas. He smacks the back of her head and starts quietly speaking to Minerva.)
Drake King: (Off-Mic) My penance?
(Drake King raises her head up off the canvas and gets face to face with Minerva.)
Drake King: My only sin was ever believing EAW could exist with a wickedness like you inside of it. My penance is going to be ridding this company of your name forever.
James Peters: DRAKE LIFTS HER UP! HE HOOKS THE ARMS AND GOES FOR THE “ASCENSION” AGAIN! HE HAS HER SET-UP- NO! AGAIN MINERVA TURNS OUT OF IT AND SMACKS DRAKE IN THE JAW WITH AN ELBOW! SHE COMES OFF THE ROPES NOW AND..NO WAY! DRAKE CUTS THROUGH THE AIR LIKE A KNIFE WITH A JUMPING KNEE THAT ROCKS MINERVA! HE PULLS HER IN FOR ANOTHER “ASCENSION”?!
Rich Russillo: NO! LOOK AT HIS FACE! HE THROWS MINERVA’S ARMS DOWN THIS TIME AND LIFTS HER UP INTO POWERBOMB POSITION! HE CHARGES ACROSS THE RING AND THROWS HER NECK FIRST INTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! MINERVA CRUMBLES TO THE GROUND AS DRAKE FALLS TO HIS KNEES WITH A GRIM LOOK ON HIS FACE! JESUS CHRIST!
(The crowd cheers and claps for the match, but boos as Drake King begins to stand and Minerva staggers to get to her knees.)
Rich Russillo: Is Drake..oh no, Drake, don’t do this. He’s untying that top turnbuckle and now he rips it off! He just threw that turnbuckle to ringside and now he’s staring right back at Minerva! She just took a brutal powerbomb to the turnbuckle and now Drake has plans for another one! HE LIFTS HER UP WITH NO HESITATION, PUTS HER IN POWERBOMB POSITION AND THROWS HER ONE MORE TIME INTO THAT EXPOSED RING CORNER AND HER HEAD SNAPPED AGAINST THE STEEL CONNECTOR! GOD!
James Peters: JESUS CHRIST, MINERVA JUST FELL LIFELESSLY INTO HIS ARMS, HE KNOW BRINGS HER BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RING, HOOKS HER ARMS AND THIS TIME WITH NO FIGHT HE SLAMS MINERVA ON HER FACE WITH A JUMPING “ASCENSION”!!! THAT PEDIGREE MOVE JUST DROPPED MINERVA TO THE GROUND FOR PERHAPS THE LAST TIME AS DRAKE DROPS INTO THE CORNER AND HOOKS A LEG!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Referee: TWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Referee: THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Rich Russillo: KICKOUT! A POWERFUL KICKOUT FROM MINERVA WHO SAYS SHE IS NOT DONE YET! DRAKE KING CAN’T BELIEVE IT AND THIS STADIUM JUST BLEW UP AS DRAKE KING LOOKS AT THE REFEREE WITH DISBELIEF!
James Peters: HE’S FLABBERGASTED! HE CAN’T BELIEVE IT, IT’S MALARKEY THAT SHE KICKED OUT!
Persephone: What.
Rich Russillo: Drake is eyeing that top turnbuckle again, now dragging Minerva’s carcass to the corner as he steps to the outside. Oh man, Drake King might be looking to pull out all the stops tonight! He knows the opportunity that comes with a huge win here and he knows it’s gonna take all the tricks in his hat and more to put down this woman. She won’t let Drake escape this match with a win unless she’s dead and gone, but Drake King might make that a reality if he connects with what I’m thinking he’s about to go for!
James Peters: He’s scaling the turnbuckles slowly, not as quick now, he poured so much energy into that last offensive streak. He’s so spent but he’s making his way step by step. He’s up there now and HE TURNS AND FACES THE CROWD, OH BOY! DRAKE KING IS GOING TO FLY! HE STANDS UP STRAIGHT AND FLIES WITH A”PHOENIX SPLASH” AND COMES CRASHING DOWNNNNN!!!
Rich Russillo: NO! MINERVA MOVED, BUT DRAKE ROLLED THROUGH! SHE MOVED AND HE MANAGED TO GET BACK UP TO HIS FEET! HE STORMS TOWARDS HER AND SHE THROWS HIM FACE FIRST INTO THAT EXPOSED STEEL CONNECTOR WITH A REVERSE STO! OH MY GOD, SHE JUST THREW HIM FACE FIRST INTO THE STEEL AND HIS FACE IS BUSTED OPEN! A MASSIVE GASH JUST OPENED ON HIS FOREHEAD AND IT’S ALREADY DRIPPING BLOOD ALL OVER HIS CHEST!
James Peters: SHE NOW GRABS HIM BY THE BEARD AND RAMS HIM FACE FIRST ONE MORE TIME INTO THAT EXPOSED STEEL! NO PROTECTION AS DRAKE GOES FACE FIRST AND NOW FALLS THROUGH THE ROPES ONTO THE RING APRON AND LIFESSLY DANGLES ON THE RING’S EDGE! JESUS CHRIST!
Rich Russillo: Drake King is bleeding all over his face and chest now, he’s on the apron but he’ll get no reprieve, Minerva steps through the ropes and is out there with him now. She’s stalking her prey and waiting for him to get back up. Drake barely gets to two feet and drags his head up to Minerva’s eyeline AS SHE BARRELS TOWARDS HIM WITH A BIG BOOT AND KICKS HIM STRAIGHT IN THE CHEST! HIS BODY BOUNCES OFF THAT RING POST AND HE FALLS DOWN ON THE APRON AGAIN!
James Peters: This time she drags him up and rests his body against her. In an almost poetic semblance of the moments before Drake branded Minerva, SHE REMEMBERS WHAT FOLLOWS AND SHE’LL NEVER FORGET! SHE LIFTS DRAKE KING UP FOR A VERTEBREAKER, DEAR LORD I THINK SHE WANTS TO DELIVER THIS ON THE APRON!
Rich Russillo: DRAKE FIGHTS HER OFF AND SHOVES HER BACK! SHE GOES FOR A BIG RIGHT HAND, BUT DRAKE SAW THAT ONE COMING AND HE EVADED IT! HE HAS A HALF-NELSON HOLD, OH NO! DRAKE JUMPS OFF THE APRON WITH MINERVA AND DELIVERS A HALF-NELSON BACKBREAKER OVER THE GODDAMN STAIRS!!!! YIKKESSSSSSS!!!!!
(The crowd collectively lets out a massive scream as both Drake and Minerva fall to the floor.)
James Peters: DRAKE KING SLAMMED HER SPINE OVER THE EDGE OF THOSE STEEL STAIRS AND MINERVA IS ON THE GROUND DOUBLED OVER IN SO MUCH PAIN! SHE CAN’T EVEN BREATH THAT HIT SO HARD! Drake King is laid up against the barricade and there’s blood all over his face and chest, it’s dripping from his beard now, but there’s still an entirely impassive look on that cold face. You have to wonder how he’s feeling about this.
Persephone: He’s obviously enjoying it, he’s a sadistic lunatic fuck. No sane person enjoys this.
Rich Russillo: I mean, I don’t think he’s enjoying this. He actually looks like he abhors these dragged out, brutal, cruel wars of attrition, but he’s so good at dragging his opponents to this stage man. How can he have been so close with this woman at some point, to now ruthlessly lay her career to waste. This is insane.
(The crowd stays quiet for MInerva, who still hasn’t gotten up.)
(Drake King rolls into the ring as the referee begins a 10 count.)
Referee: 1…
James Peters: Well, the referee was just checking on Minerva, but he’s forced to start counting now.
Referee: 2…
James Peters: Come on Minerva, don’t let him end it like this. This isn’t just revenge, this is Pain For Pride!
Referee: 3…
James Peters: THIS IS PAIN FOR PRIDE MINERVA! GET UP! THIS IS EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER WORKED FOR! GET BACK IN THAT RING!
Referee: 4…
Rich Russillo: She’s not gonna make this. Look at her, she’s broken. Barely moved an inch since taking that HORRENDOUS backbreaker on the steps. There’s only so much one elitist can do, even a great one.
Referee: 5…
James Peters: GET UP MINERVA! GET UP!
Persephone: Sit down, she’s done you hopeless little gazelle.
Referee: 6…
(The crowd starts to roar for Minerva and chant; “MINERVA! MINERVA! MINERVA!”)
Referee: 7…
(Minerva lifts herself up by her hands and tries to get to her knees.)
Referee: 8…
(She falls and hits the floor for one final time.)
Referee: 9….
(The chants continue loudly and the arena is shaking as every heart in the world is bleeding for Minerva.)
Referee: 10….
(….)
Referee: ….
Rich Russillo: ….
James Peters: YES!
(Minerva jumps under the bottom rope at the very final second of the count with everything she has.)
James Peters: YES! YES! YES! YES! SHE MADE IT! YES! YES! OH MY GOD, SHE MADE IT! THIS CROWD IS ROCKING RIGHT NOW! THEY’RE SHAKING THE STADIUM! OH MY GOD!
Rich Russillo: I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE-
Persephone: OH MY GOD- DRAKE KING STORMS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RING AND DRIVES HER HEAD INTO THE CANVAS WITH A “JUDGEMENT DAY” AND THAT ONE LANDS FLUSH! HE DRILLED HER HEAD INTO THE CANVAS, SO MUCH FOR A HAPPY MOMENT! WOW!
Rich Russillo: HOLY HELL, DRAKE GOES TO COVER MINERVA FOR THE EAW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT PAIN FOR PRIDE!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Referee: TWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Referee: THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
(…)
Rich Russillo:…
James Peters:…
Persephone: NO WAY, SHE GOT A FOOT ON THE ROPE!
(The referee notices Minerva’s foot on the rope at the last second and stops the count.)
James Peters: YES! OH MY GOD, MINERVA! SHE GOT HER FOOT ON THE ROPE AND SOMEHOW SURVIVES THIS MATCH YET AGAIN!
Rich Russillo: THIS IS UN-FUCKING-REAL!
(The crowd chants; “THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!” as Drake bashes his hands against the canvas.)
Rich Russillo: MAN, HOW IS SHE STAYING IN THIS! I THOUGHT DRAKE HAD THIS DONE! THE WORLD THOUGHT HE HAD IT DONE AND WE’RE STILL IN IT! HE CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S STILL IN THIS!
(Drake King sits down in the corner with a solemn look at Minerva, then drops his head in his hands.)
James Peters: Look at him. Is it possible he’s feeling remorse? For the first time ever? Drake King looks very…confused right now. I can’t tell if he can’t understand why Minerva is still in this match or if he’s actually starting to feel a heartbeat inside his chest.
(Drake looks down at his hands, they’re shaking nearly uncontrollably. He clenches them both and strongly presses them against his head as he tries to push his hair back. He wipes the blood away from his eyes and takes his lone glove off. He throws it to the side and now puts a hand over his eyes and sits in the corner of the ring. )
Rich Russillo: The crowd is taken aback right now, who in the world knows what is going through Drake’s head at this moment. Minerva is just starting to stir and she puts her fists to the canvas and tries to muster up enough force to get off the ground. Oh boy, Drake King sees her and he’s quick to get back up. He’s walking straight towards her. Now planting his heel on the back of her neck as she falls to the ground again and Drake looks the other way as once more we see his heel driven into her neck. This time though, Drake is looking the complete opposite direction.
James Peters: Drake…Drake King removes his boot and takes a deep breath as an almost emotional look quickly comes across his face, but then quickly vanishes as he feels blood dripping down his face and from his beard. He looks down at the trickle of red dots over his boots, gear, and chest. That confusion fades away in the midst of his gruesome state and he grabs Minerva by the neck! Oh no!
Rich Russillo: What is he…He just wiped his finger in his gash and now…Oh my god, he’s writing something in blood on Minerva’s face. He’s dragging his bloody finger like a pen of humiliation and cruelty across the forehead of Minerva- it says “New Eden”. Wow. He really knows no bounds. Tattooing Minerva with a bloody remembrance of what he destroyed forever.
(The crowd explodes with boos as Drake now lifts Minerva up to her feet. )
James Peters: Drake branding Minerva again tonight, but this brand was one of blood! Now he’s got her up, HE HOOKS HER BY THE WRIST AND TRIES TO PULL HER INTO AN “OVERHAUL”!!!! NO! THAT SWINGING STO DOESN’T WORK AS MINERVA SPINS ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT AND LANDS ON HER FEET! BOOM! A SUPERKICK TO DRAKE’S FACE! WOW! A “DEVIL’S TOUCH” SUPERKICK FROM MINERVA AS SHE WOBBLES DRAKE AROUND THE RING!!!
Persephone: THIS BITCH IS INSANE, THE BLOOD GAVE HER A POWERUP! AND THE FACT THAT SHE HAD THAT MUCH FOREHEAD SPACE TO WRITE TWO ENTIRE WORDS ON THERE IS CRAZY!!!
Rich Russillo: MINERVA NOW WITH VICIOUS PUNCHES TO DRAKE’S SKULL AS HE DESPERATELY COVERS UP! SHE THROWS HIM ACROSS THE RING WITH AN IRISH WHIP AND CATCHES HIM IN A SPINEBUSTER ON THE REBOUND! A RING-RATTLING SPINEBUSTER AS DRAKE COLLAPSES ON THE CANVAS! SHE GRABS DRAKE IN SUPLEX POSITION, BUT SHE’S LOOKING FOR SOMETHING EVEN MORE DEADLY NOW!
James Peters: SHE’S LOOKING FOR “ATLAS FALLS!”! SHE THROWS HIM UP IN THE AIR- HE DROPS A KNEE DOWN ONTO HER SKULL AND SHE HAS TO DROP HIM BACK DOWN, NOW DRAKE IS THE ONE WHO USES THE HOLD TO SNAP HER DOWN TO THE GROUND WITH A SUPLEX! HE ROLLS THROUGH AND USES EVERYTHING IN HIM TO DRAG HER UP WITH HIM! DRAKE IS SO STRONG, BUT HE LET OUT A HUGE CRY OF ADRENALINE TRYING TO DEADLIFT MINERVA UP!
Rich Russillo: BUT HE’S GOT HER UP AND HE’S GOING FOR A FALCON ARROW TO COMPLETE AN INCREDIBLE SEQUENCEEEEE-
Rich Russillo: NO! MINERVA NOW ABLE TO GET OUT THE BACK DOOR AND CATCHES DRAKE KING IN THE INVERTED FACELOCK! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL COUNTER! SHE BRIDGED OVER IN MIDAIR AND TRAPPED DRAKE KING IN THE INVERTED FACE LOCK, NOW SWINGING HER LEGS LIKE A GUILLOTINE AND THROWING DRAKE KING’S SKULL BACKWARD INTO THE CANVAS WITH “PARADISE LOST”!!!! SHE HIT IT! SHE LANDS THAT VIOLENT INVERTED DDT
Persephone: WHAT IS…COVER HIM YOU WHORE! THAT’S IT, YOU HAVE HIM!
(The crowd buzzes louder when Minerva wears a face of pure exhaustion, desperation, and agony, but still rises to her feet one more time.)
James Peters: SHE’S BACK UP AND NOW POWERS DRAKE UP TO HIS FEET! SHE USES ALL HER MIGHT AND LETS OUT A HUGE SCREAM TO GET HIM INTO THE AIR AND NOW WHIPS HIM AROUND AND SLAMS HIM DOWN WITH A TWISTING BRAINBUSTER, “ATLASSSSS FALLLSSSSSSSSSSSS”!!!!!!! “ATLAS FALLS!!!!” SHE HIT IT! OH MY GOD, WHAT A SEQUENCE AS MINERVA LIFELESSLY FALLS ON TOP OF DRAKE KING! BLOOD SMEARED EVERYWHERE, SHE COVERS HIM AS THEY BOTH LAY THERE NEARLY PASSED OUT! FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT PAIN FOR PRIDE AND THIS VENDETTA SETTLED!!!!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Referee: TWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Referee: THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
(…)
James Peters: HAND ON THE ROPE! HIS HAND IS RESTED ON THE BOTTOM ROPE AND THE REFEREE STOPPED THE COUNT!!!! JUST HOW??!?! JUST HOWWWWW?!?!?!?!
Rich Russillo: THIS STADIUM IS GOING CRAZY, THEY ALL JUST GASPED! EVERYONE THOUGHT MINERVA HAD THIS MATCH DEAD AND DONE WITH! DRAKE KING WON’T GIVE IT UP! HAD MINERVA HAD DRAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING SHE WOULD HAVE WON THIS MATCH! HE JUST BARELY THREW A HAND ON THAT BOTTOM ROPE! OH MY GOD!
James Peters: What will it take to put one of these competitors away, good lord. They’re both laid out on the canvas, Drake isn’t moving and Minerva is crawling towards the turnbuckles. She slides under the bottom rope and uses the floor to get her balance and stand back up…now she’s….oh no…she just grabbed the ring stairs! She slides them under the bottom rope and the referee warns her, but she doesn’t care! This is Voltage, the land where competitors use any-and-everything at their disposal to kill one another!
Persephone: Hopefully we’ll at least get a visceral and gory Drake King death out of this one then. #RIPBOZO
Rich Russillo: Man, I don’t like this….she just laid those steps out, she could barely lift them. She has them set up in the center of the ring and is staring down at Drake King. She’s looking down on him now, Minerva has the power in her hands and she’s feeling it. She feels for the first time in months that she holds the power over Drake and this is her game now.
James Peters: She certainly does and now she drags him over to the steps! She takes him up there AND NOW TRIES TO LIFT HIM UP, GOING FOR THE “PRINCESS KILLER” ON THE STEPS! THAT WOULD UNDENIABLY PUT DRAKE KING OUT FOR GOOD! SHE CAN END THIS RIGHT HERE AND NOW WITH ONE SWIFT BLOW! HERE SHE GOES! MINERVA WITH DRAKE IN HER ARMS-
Rich Russillo: HE SLIPS OUT AND DROPS HER WITH A THUDDING DDT ON THE STEPS! DEAR GOD! HER HEAD BOUNCED OFF THOSE STEPS FROM THAT DDT! SHE’S HANGING HER HEAD OVER THOSE STEPS AND DRAKE KING USES EVERYTHING IN HIS BODY TO BOUNCE OFF THE ROPES AND FLY TOWARDS MINERVA ONE MORE TIME WITH A “JUDGEMENT DAY”!!!!
James Peters: MINERVA CATCHES HIM MID STRIDE AND DROPS HIM ON THE STEEL STAIRS WITH AN STO!!!! OH MY GOD! AN STO ON THE STEPS FROM MINERVA JUST TAKES THE AIR FROM DRAKE KING’S LUNGS!
Rich Russillo: DRAKE IS LAID OUT FLAT ON THOSE STEPS AND NOW MINERVA POSITIONS HERSELF ON THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! NOW THE TOP ROPE! SHE’S STANDING ON THE TOP ROPE AND DIVES THROUGH THE AIR WITH A FLYING ELBOW STRAIGHT TOWARDS THAT STEEL-
James Peters: DRAKE ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY AND SHE COLLIDES WITH THOSE STAIRS HARDDDD!!! SHE SLAMMED INTO THOSE STAIRS AND HER BODY MUST BE BROKEN! THAT HAD TO HAVE HURT SO BAD AS MINERVA’S HEAD DANGLES OFF THE SIDE OF THE STAIRS!! JESUS CHRIST!!
Rich Russillo: NOW DRAKE KING SEES HIS CHANCE- HE SURGES FORWARD LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL!!! “JUDGEMENT DAYYYYY”!!!!! HE STOMPS HER HEAD OFF AS IT WAS DANGLING OVER THOSE STEEL STAIRS AND CRUSHED HER SKULL WITH HIS BOOT OF SWIFT DOOM! HE STOMPED HER HEAD FROM EVEN HIGHER UP AND SHE CAME DOWN TO THE CANVAS WITH DEVASTATING FORCE! HE FALLS TO HIS KNEES FOR THE COVER!
(The crowd explodes as Drake may have just written the final verse of this chapter.)
James Peters: SHE GOT HIT SO HARD SHE SLUMPED SIDEWAYS AND FELL THROUGH THE ROPES! SHE FELL OUT OF THE RING AND SPILLED ONTO THE FLOOR! DRAKE CAN’T BELIEVE IT! HE CRAWLS AND STUMBLES OUT OF THE RING AND TRIES TO REACH MINERVA! HE GRABS HER AND TRIES WITH EVERYTHING HE HAS TO LUG HER UP TO HER FEET AND GET HER BACK IN…BUT HE CAN’T!
Rich Russillo: He can’t get her up! He just fell down himself because he’s using so much energy right now! He’s trying to lift her dead weight off the ground and put her back into the center of the ring
James Peters: Drake barely is able to prop her up against the apron and carry her full body up there. He shoves her under the bottom rope and falls down to his knee on the outside. He’s so spent, he’s about to pass out, he’s been losing blood this whole match, taken so much damage, done just as much to his opponent and still hasn’t been able to put her away! Drake is finally able to drag Minerva away, but she still hasn’t moved! He gets her in the center of the ring and he drops down into a cover!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Referee: TWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Referee: THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
James Peters: KICKOUT! BARELY, BUT THIS CROWD POPS BIG FOR HER KICKOUT AS SHE MANAGES TO STAY ALIVE IN THIS MATCH! DRAKE LOOKS SO DEFEATED! HE KNOWS THAT VITAL TIME AFTER THE STOMP COST HIM!
(The crowd cheers and chants as Minerva rolls over and crawls towards the bottom rope. )
Rich Russillo: What a war this has been man. Minerva is trying to get some reprieve, but Drake won’t let her! He pulls her back to the center of the ring, full mount on Minerva now! HE STARTS POURING DOWN HARD SHOTS ON HER! PUNCHES AND ELBOWS TO THE FACE OF MINERVA! BEATING HER SKULL AND NOW HER BODY! SHE’S COVERING UP BUT DRAKE IS RELENTLESSLY BEATING HER!
James Peters: HIS BLOOD IS SPILLING ALL OVER BOTH OF THEM, DRAKE KING IS LOSING HIS MIND! HE’S LOST IN A FIT OF BLOODY RAGE! JUST UNLEASHING WHATEVER STRIKE HE CAN ON MINERVA RIGHT NOW!
Rich Russillo: BUT LOOK AT HER! MINERVA NOW WITH A PUNCH FROM THE BOTTOM! MINERVA NOW FROM OUT OF NOWHERE SHE’S TRYING TO FIGHT BACK RIGHT NOW AND SHE GRABS DRAKE AND BITES DOWN INTO HIS NECK! DEAR LORD!!!!
Persephone: SHE JUST SANK HER TEETH INTO HIS NECK AND- OH MY GOD- THAT’S DISGUSTING- SHE JUST RIPPED OFF A PIECE OF HIS NECK SKIN WITH HER FUCKING BITE!
Rich Russillo: HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT! SHE RIPPED THE SKIN OFF HIS NECK WITH HER TEETH AND NOW THROWS A MASSIVE HAYMAKER RIGHT TO THE KNEELING DRAKE KING! MINERVA STUMBLES AND TEETERS TO HER FEET, DRAKE KING GETS UP AND TURNS AROUND-
(SPIT!)
James Peters: “”THE DARK”!!! MINERVA SPITS THAT BLACK MIST ALL OVER DRAKE KING’S FACE AND WHO EVEN KNOWS WHERE THAT CAME FROM!!! MINERVA SPITS THE MIST ALL OVER DRAKE AND HE CAN’T SEE ANYTHING! SHE COMES OFF THE ROPES AND NOW RIPS HIS HEAD OFF WITH A ROARING LARIAT THAT FLOORS DRAKE KING! MINERVA TURNS THE TIDES AND NOW LEVELS DRAKE KINGGGGGG!!! THIS CROWD IS GOING CRAZY FOR HER!
Rich Russillo: MINERVA IS NOW IN MOUNT AND SHE’S RELEASING ALL OF THAT ANGER OUT ON DRAKE KING! JUST BATTERING HIM WITH STIFF PUNCHES AND SLASHING HIS BODY WITH SHARP ELBOWS! JESUS CHRIST! HE’S COVERING UP AND CRUNCHED UP IN A FETAL POSITION, BUT MINERVA IS RELENTLESS AND WON’T SHOW HIM EVEN THE SLIGHTEST ACT OF MERCY! THIS IS WHAT SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR!
(Crowd is cheering loudly for Minerva as she continues to beat down Drake King.)
James Peters: MINERVA RISES TO HER FEET AND BANGS HER HANDS AGAINST THE MAT! SHE SCREAMS WITH EVERY SHRED OF ENERGY IN HER BODY AND NOW DRAGS DRAKE KING INTO HER GRASP! SHE LIFTS HIM UP FOR “THE PRINCESS KILLER” ONE MORE TIME! MINERVA THROWS HIM INTO THE AIR AND SPINS HIM AROUND!!!
Rich Russillo: …DRAKE ABLE TO SHIFT HIS WEIGHT AND MAKE MINERVA FALL BACKWARDS! SHE BENDS BACKWARDS AND DRAKE NOW ASSUMES THE POSITION OF MINERVA AND HE’S THE ONE WHO HAS THE PILEDRIVER POSITION NOW! OH MY GOD, WHAT A CRAZY COUNTER!!! HE CAN’T DROP HER THOUGH, MINERVA HAS A HOLD OF THE MIDDLE ROPE! SHE’S HOLDING HER HEAD IN THE AIR WITH THE ROPE!
James Peters: DRAKE LETS GO AND DROPS HER TO THE CANVAS, TURNING AROUND AND THROWING HER UP INTO THE AIR WITH A LIGHTNING QUICK AND EXPLOSIVE FALCON ARROW! NOW ROLLING THROUGH AND SOMEHOW LANDING ANOTHER ONE! HE’S RUNNING OFF STRAIGHT ADRENALINE AS HE PUNISHES MINERVA WITH TWO HUGE FALCON ARROWS!
Rich Russillo: HE LIFTS HER ONE MORE TIME- BUT SHE TRAPS TO FIRE BACK WITH A FOREARM! HE DUCKS IT AND SHE GOS TUMBLING INTO THE CORNER! DRAKE CHARGES IN AFTER HER AND HE’S MET WITH A SOLID RIGHT HAND THAT TAKES A TOOTH OR TWO FROM HIM! YIKES! MIGHT NEED TO SEE EAW’S DENTIST ABOUT THAT ONE! NOW MINERVA HOISTS HERSELF UP TO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE, WAITING FOR DRAKE TO TURN AROUND…
James Peters: HOLD ON- THAT’S THAT CORNER WITH THE EXPOSED BUCKLE! MINERVA STANDS ON THE TOP AND DRAKE CATCHES HER IN ACTION-
Rich Russillo: HE TRIES TO THROW HER OFF, BUT SHE’S ABLE TO JUMP OFF THE TOP AND GO RIGHT OVER DRAKE KING! SHE ROLLS THROUGH AND NOW MEETS HIM IN THE MIDDLE AS BOTH COMPETITORS STUN THE OTHER WITH STIFF CLOTHESLINES! ANOTHER CHECKMATE FOR BOTH WRESTLERS! NO MOVES LEFT FOR EITHER AS THEY GO THE SAME WAY AND BOTH FALL FOR IT!
James Peters: They start to get back up and Drake throws one more discus elbow at the wounded Minerva! She avoids it and now Irish-whips him to the ropes- but he switches it around and sends her to the other side of the ring! HE MEETS HER THERE AS SHE’S COMING OFF THE ROPES AND DUMPS HER OVER THE TOP ROPE! DRAKE KING NOW IN A FLASH, HE VIOLENTLY CLEARS THE BLOOD FROM HIS EYES AS HE BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES AND FLIES THROUGH THEM WITH A SUICIDDDEEEEE DIVVEEEEEEEEE!!!!
(Crowd chants: “FIGHT FOREVER! FIGHT FOREVER! FIGHT FOREVER!”)
Rich Russillo: IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WILL BECAUSE NEITHER CAN FINISH THIS MATCH! BUT LOOK AT DRAKE! HE’S THE BETTER OF THE TWO AND THEY’RE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING NOW! DRAKE KING IS REMOVING PART OF THE BARRICADE AND EXPOSING THAT RAW METAL! DRAKE RIPS IT OFF AND THROWS IT INTO THE CROWD!
Persephone: He knows that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen, right?!
James Peters: He’s got a hand on Minerva’s hair now, dragging her towards the barricade- SHE THROWS HIM OFF AND SHOVES HIM INTO THAT STEEL! HE GOES BACK FIRST AND YELLS OUT IN PAIN! LOOK IN THE RING, THE REFEREE HAS STARTED HIS COUNT!
Referee: 1….
Rich Russillo: HE’S COUNTING AND MINERVA HEARS HIM! SHE GRABS DRAKE BY THE WAISTBAND, PULLS HIM BACK AND- NO! DRAKE WITH A BACK ELBOW TO THE SKULL AND HE STUNS MINERVA! SHE DROPS TO A KNEE AS DRAKE LINES UP A SUPERKICK!
Referee: 2….
James Peters: DRAKE KING FIRES THE SUPERKICK- MINERVA SIDE STEPS IT!
Referee: 3…
James Peters: SHE HEADBUTTS DRAKE AND SPLATTERS BLOOD FROM HIS OPEN WOUND ALL OVER THE BOTH OF THEM!
Referee: 4…
Rich Russillo: THEY’RE BOTH COATED IN RED! BLOODIED AND BATTERED!
Referee: 5…
Persephone: SHE HAS LITERALLY NO STRENGTH LEFT, ALL SHE CAN DO IS SHOVE DRAKE KING AS HARD AS SHE CAN INTO THAT STEEL ONE MORE TIME AND DRAKE FALLS TO THE GROUND AS BLOOD MIST SPRAYED ALL THROUGH THE AIR!
Referee: 6….
Persephone: MINERVA’S GOT LIFE! SHE’S TRYING TO CRAWL BACK! DRAKE LOOKS DONE!
Referee: 7….
James Peters: MINERVA USING ANYTHING LEFT TO CRAWL TO THE RING!!!!
Referee: 8…
Rich Russillo: MINERVA POSTS UP HER ARMS AND GETS TO HER KNEES-
Referee: 9….
James Peters: MINERVA STANDS UP ON TWO FEET AND NOW DIVES UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE!
Referee: 10….
James Peters: WAIT- NO!!!! DRAKE KING GOT UP AND GRABBED HER LEG BEFORE SHE GOT IN, HE PULLED HER BACK TO THE OUTSIDE!!!!!
(…)
(DING! DING! DING!)
James Peters: OH MY GOD- MINERVA ALMOST WON AND DRAKE JUST…THERE’S NO WAY EVEN HE DID THAT…
Bella Braxton: LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THIS MATCH HAS ENDED IN A DOUBLE COUNTOUT, THEREFORE THERE IS NO WINNER AND NO NUMBER 1 CONTENDER FOR THE EAW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT PAIN FOR PRIDE!
(The crowd starts to boo even louder than before and people start throwing drinks and food across the arena.)
Rich Russillo: HE GOT THEM BOTH COUNTED OUT AND DIDN’T LET MINERVA WIN! HE KNEW HE COULDN’T CONTINUE, SO HE ENDED THE MATCH FOR BOTH OF THEM, OH MY GOD!!!! MINERVA CAN’T BELIEVE THIS, SHE LOOKS ABSOLUTELY INFURIATED!!!!
(Drake King struggles to his feet along the barricade and then smiles at Minerva. Blood dripped through his teeth and his face swollen and cut and bruised. Still the only smile from Drake King the entire night is seen.)
Drake King: (Off-Mic) I meant what I said….I promised you wouldn’t main event Pain For Pride and I’ll never let that happen.
(Minerva is seething and can’t even utter a word.)
Rich Russillo: Oh no…HERE WE GO!!!! SHE CHARGES RIGHT FOR DRAKE AND HERE COMES THE REFEREE- BOOM! DRAKE GRABBED A CHAIR FROM BEHIND THE BARRICADE AND SMACKED MINERVA IN THE SKULL WITH IT! THE REFEREE TRIES TO RIP IT FROM HIS HANDS BUT DRAKE SHOVES HIM AWAY! NOW DRAKE CRACKS THE CHAIR OVER HER BACK ONCE AGAIN! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?
James Peters: Security is rushing down to the ring- DRAKE KING IS THREATENING THEM WITH THE CHAIR! HE’S TELLING THEM NOT TO COME ANY FURTHER- MINERVA SPEARS DRAKE OFF THE SIDE OF THE STAGE ONTO THE FLOOR! THEY’RE SPILLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE STAGE AND NOW BRAWLING! OH MY GOD, THESE TWO HATE EACH OTHER MORE THAN ANYTHING WE HAVE EVER SEEN!
Rich Russillo: MINERVA UNLOADING WITH BIG SHOTS AND NOW DRAKE MANAGES TO GET BACK UP AND HE’S LANDING SOME OF HIS OWN! SECURITY TRIES TO GRAB MINERVA- SHE THROWS A RIGHT HAND AT ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS AND CRACKS HIM! SHE MAKES HER WAY THROUGH THE MOBB AND GRABS THE CHAIR! SHE CHARGE AT DRAKE AND SWINGS IT WILDLY FOR HIS HEAD!
Persephone: GET THESE CRAZY MOTHERFUCKERS OUT OF HERE! THEY’RE LITERALLY INCITING A BRAWL, THERE’S LIKE A DOZEN OFFICIALS AND SECURITY GUARDS OUT HERE! DRAKE KING SLIPS PAST THEM AND GETS BACK AT MINERVA! THEY LAND MORE BLOWS AS MINERVA LANDS A HARD KICK TO DRAKE’S CALF AND HE LANDS AN ELBOW TO THE SIDE OF HER HEAD! THEY’RE JUST TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW!
James Peters: MORE SECURITY IS POURING OUT OF THE ENTRANCE CURTAIN AND FINALLY THESE TWO ARE GETTING SEPARATED! DRAKE KING IS BEING TAKEN OUT THROUGH THE SIDE STAGE AND THEY’RE TRYING TO CONTAIN MINERVA ON THE RAMP! God, what the hell?!?
Rich Russillo: Drake King told Minerva she wasn’t going to headline Pain For Pride and as soon as he saw that he wasn’t going to win this match, he ripped her chances away. He had nothing more to lose so he burned her dreams next to his. He’s done some heinous and borderline evil stuff in EAW, but this was insane and Minerva still can’t believe it. She’s being contained on the stage right now and Drake King is somewhere backstage, probably leaving the arena, but wow.
James Peters: I don’t even know what to say- I don’t know. Wow. I don’t know what happens at Pain For Pride or what happens to either of these two. I really am just at a loss for words.
(A shot of Minerva, bloodied, cut, bruised and limping is shown as she still angrily walks up the ramp and the EAW crowd claps for her. Clearly not the result she wanted, but they’re still appreciative of her incredible effort tonight and thrilling match-up with Drake King. She walks through the curtain and the shot fades elsewhere along with Sunday Night Voltage.)
(The final commercial of the night is an ad for Tempest. Relive the action now on Disney+.)
(Sunday Night Voltage fades back into the arena, with the ring looking completely different from the last time we’ve seen it. Set up is an EAW backdrop, and in front of it are two long tables adjacent to one another with a podium in the middle, similar to a press conference. Seated at ringside are multiple journalists with clipboards in their hands, all getting set up and ready to go for what’s about to happen. Entering the ring and making their way up the podium is Voltage commentator James Peters, as the crowd cheers loudly for him as he makes his way over. He adjusts the microphone in front of him, taking a moment before then beginning to speak.)
James Peters: What a Sunday Night Voltage it has been tonight, am I right Philadelphia?!
(The crowd cheers loudly while James smiles, taking a moment before then continuing to speak from there.)
James Peters: That’s one thing I can say for certain, and just a week before the Grand Rampage Marquee Event, with this Voltage marking the last weekly show before the event, I think it’s safe to say that the excitement is through the roof especially after everything that has happened this weekend. There’s a lot to look forward to, but I’d like to close Voltage off tonight showcasing one of the most highly anticipated matches of the card and undoubtedly one of the most personal. Dating all the way back to Reckless Wiring 2022, these two have had a whole lot of history with one another, both having a win a piece against one another in singles action along with a Unified Tag Team Championship reign under their belt as a team. Even though for a short time they did go their separate ways, they found themselves gravitating toward one another these past couple of weeks to finally settle the score with the stakes as high as ever. That’s right, I’m talking about the Universal Women’s Championship match between Champion Dr. Bethany Blue and the challenger Sheridan Muller!
(The crowd once again gives a pop for this match, James pausing for a moment to allow them to get their reaction in before continuing on from there.)
James Peters: Yeah, I’m just as excited as all of you are for this. Two of the best female Elitists that the Sunday Night Voltage brand have to offer, waging war with one another one more time in a match that will be absolutely unforgettable. As soon as it was announced it was already established that it was going to take a lot to beat the previous two matches that they had in the Fight Pit at Reckless Wiring and in the Ironwoman match at Wicked Games. But with Sheridan announcing that this match would be contested under Mixed Martial Arts rules to truly determine who is the best out of the two of them with no excuses in the way of that, this has what it takes to be one of their best matches with the one coming out victorious coming out with the ultimate bragging rights and superiority over the other as well. But you don’t want to hear me talk about it, do you? You want to get into the nitty gritty of it all, and that’s the press conference and the official weigh-in that will be happening tonight between those two Elitists!
(The crowd cheers once again.)
James Peters: Well let’s get right into it by introducing the challenger out first. Please join me in welcoming at this time… SHERIDAN MULLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(‘Amerika’ by Rammstein is heard playing up, with the crowd giving a mixed reaction dominated mostly by boos while the camera goes from the ring to the stage, with Sheridan Muller making her way out to the stage. She’s as serious as ever heading out, scanning around at the crowd in attendance for a moment before then beginning to make her way down the ramp and toward the ring from there. She then jumps up onto the apron, entering through the ropes before making her way over and taking a seat on her side of the ring. James pushes a microphone toward her while Sheridan leans forward, clasping her hands on the table while ‘Amerika’ from there begins to come to a close, James continuing to speak.)
James Peters: Sheridan thank you for joining us tonight.
Sheridan Muller: Wouldn’t miss this for the world.
James Peters: Glad to hear that, now let’s welcome out the other half of this match. The EAW UNIVERSAL WOMEN’S CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!! DR. BETHANY BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(‘Somebody Get Me A Doctor’ by Van Halen is heard following that, blasting through the speakers while the crowd gives a mixed reaction of cheers and boos, primarily positive while the camera goes over to the stage to show Universal Women’s Champion Dr. Bethany Blue. She has a small smirk on her face as she makes her way out, taking the time to unbuckle her title from her waist and raise it up into the air while pyro is seen erupting out from behind her. It’s then that she begins to make her way down the ramp from there. She heads up the steel steps and onto the apron, entering through the ropes before taking a seat at her side of the ring. The atmosphere is tense already with the two of them having not said a single word to one another, not even an acknowledging glance, while ‘Somebody Get Me A Doctor’ begins to fade out and James waits for everyone to settle before continuing.)
James Peters: Thank you Bethany as well for joining us, right now before we get to the weigh-in I’d like to let our journalists at ringside ask a few questions.
(One of the journalists stands up from their seat.)
Journalist #1: This first question is to the Champion. Bethany, though your Universal Women’s Championship reign is still in its infancy, you have managed to beat some tough competition to prove your status at the top of the women’s division. Along with Harper Lee we can’t forget that you beat Sienna Jade to win the title in the first place, now you find yourself against your former Prescription tag team partner Sheridan Muller. How does Sheridan fare compared to the other competition that you’ve faced during your reign.
(Bethany takes a moment to think about what she’s going to say, before shrugging her shoulders as she takes the microphone in her hand.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: Not very highly I can tell you that much. Even if it is in its infancy as you said, there is a lot more deserving competition out there to face me than this narcissistic egomaniac that I can say for certain. There was a time when Sheridan and I had an unbreakable bond, one that was forged out of our hardships and respect toward one another. I could even say I still respect what she’s been able to do over the years begrudgingly. But she’s shown her true colors, she showed how blind her ambitions are, and with that she found out just how quickly I can take away everything from her just as I gave it. She walks into this match with the belief that she can win, and I say far from it, she has never been able to lace my boots and when it comes down to the last second just as it did in her ever so astounding accomplishment at Wicked Games, I think it’s safe to say I won’t let any mistake that compromised me in the past affect me in the present. She’s going to end up with nothing, and she won’t be able to blame me for her misfortunes, no, the only person that she can blame is herself and I see no problem with that.
Sheridan Muller: I don’t think-
James Peters: Sheridan, you’ll have your chance to speak shortly. Thank you for the question, we can move on.
(Bethany can’t help but grin at this while Sheridan scowls, meanwhile another journalist stands up looking to ask the next question.)
Journalist #2: This question is for the challenger. Sheridan, since your return you haven’t been short on opportunities to capture the Universal Women’s Championship. Battle of Egypt you participated in a ladder match to fight the Champion at the time Andrea Valentine at Pain For Pride 15. At A Hawaiian Christmas Show Spectacle back in December you faced Champion at the time Sienna Jade as well. Both times didn’t garner the best result, and I don’t think that’s something you’ve forgotten.
(Sheridan shakes her head.)
Journalist #2: What’s going to make this opportunity at Grand Rampage different from the previous title opportunities? Is it the circumstance? The opponent?
Sheridan Muller: Let’s get this out of the way, I know what’s happened. I know what’s happened these last couple of times and I can firmly say that luck was just not on my side. But coming into this match just one week from today I’ve never felt more motivated in my life for an opportunity like this. Not just for the title, but for the caliber of opponent that I’m going to be facing as well. Bethany can hurl her comments at me all she wants, say that I’m jealous of her and I let my personal ambitions get in the way of my pride, but I’ve always been her biggest supporter. I truly think that she is the peak of the women’s division, and a competitor that anyone would want to face, but not just for no reason. The opportunity to face her once again is exciting, and I’ve trained and worked my hardest to prepare for this. I’m going to make sure that I beat her once and for all, not just to be called Champion as great as that is, but to also call myself the best by beating the best. That’s really all there is to it. Bethany can say that I have a personal vendetta toward her all she wants, but it’s clear that she’s blowing things out of proportion and I’m tired of arguing that with her. Enough said.
(Bethany represses her thoughts while the next journalist stands up from their seat, looking to continue the round of questions.)
Journalist #3: Going back to Bethany, with Pain For Pride on the horizon I could only imagine how enticing an opportunity like walking into the event as Champion would be for you, better yet headlining the entire thing. Given a hypothetical scenario where you do beat Sheridan, everything goes right at Grand Rampage, what’s in the plans for the future?
Dr. Bethany Blue: I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know myself. I do plan to indeed headline the event, and the only way I can do that is by keeping this title in my possession, which is not even a question of whether or not I can. Whoever Elitist wants to step up to the plate and challenge me for this, whether that be the winner of the Grand Rampage match or just someone who comes out to the ring and wants this enough, then I will happily face them. Just know, and this is a warning to the entire roster and anybody who’s even thought of going after this title, as long as I have a say in it, the result will be nothing different. I will walk in and out still your Universal Women’s Champion, and there’s nobody that’s going to stop me from doing so.
Sheridan Muller: I can certainly disagree with that.
James Peters: Sheridan, please-
Dr. Bethany Blue: No, no, let her speak.
(Bethany stands up from her seat and instinctively, Sheridan does the same. The two of them turn toward one another while the crowd’s anticipation begins to rise with both of them staring down one another.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: I’d certainly like to hear what this no good bitch has to say for herself after everything that she’s done.
Sheridan Muller: I’ve tried my best to reason with you Bethany, but it’s clear that you won’t even listen to that. I’ve had no intention of trying to create a rift between the two of us, and if it was up to me The Prescription would still be a tag team with you being the Universal Women’s Champion. But it’s clear you can’t admit to yourself that you were wrong, and that it was unjustified for you to start pointing fingers at me over make believe jealousy that you started to conjure up in your head. I’ve never been jealous of you Bethany, I’ve only ever wanted to see you succeed, but I think it’s far been established that you don’t want to see me succeed, it eats you alive to see that happen for me and not for you. And at Grand Rampage I’m going to push my feelings aside and become the one person that you hate, and ruin your title ambitions to fuel mine, because while you may deserve this title, I deserve it too.
Dr. Bethany Blue: Give me a break, why are you trying to victimize yourself? From the first day I met you on that fateful Dynasty all the way to our last Unified Tag Team Championship defense together I’ve been Empress of Elite. I’ve had a guaranteed pathway to the Universal Women’s Championship and I do not take that for granted at all. Just as you apparently were, I was your biggest supporter as well, I knew I was going to succeed, and I wanted you to do the same alongside me. For a while, everything was perfect, it was exactly as planned, but then you had to ruin it. You had to ruin it because *you* couldn’t handle this complacency when it came to your singles success, so you took matters into your own hands and compromised what we had going for us, all to fail. Don’t blame me at all for what happened, because just as you told me, this is all your fault and you know what they say, Sheridan, you reap what you sow.
James Peters: :lupe:!!! Guys, can we please calm down-
Sheridan Muller: Just a reminder, Bethany, what The Prescription was all about, we were a tag team that had our own respective interests in mind. That meant even if we had the Unified Tag Team Championship in our scope, that wouldn’t stop either of us from going after another title as well just as you would’ve if you saw fit during our reign with that crown above your head.
Dr. Bethany Blue: Yeah but as I said and you fail to understand, you let that get in the way of our tag team, I could point the finger and say that you were the reason that we lost to Soul Food Sunday because you were so tied up with your match that you were going to end up losing anyway the final week. Once again, I hate you trying to victimize yourself, you are in absolutely no position to do so. And now you want to act like you have some sort of moral high ground over me after everything that you’ve said, now flipping it around on its head by saying that you never hated me and you’ve always supported me. Maybe that’s because you were dependent on me. Just a reminder that you were the one that first came to me for a match at Reckless Wiring, and I initially declined it because I wasn’t looking to give out free shots to recently returning Elitists, you forced the issue and had me make it official just for you to lose straight. I promise you Sheridan, don’t expect anything to be different.
Sheridan Muller: I challenged you because I wanted a good opportunity for my first Marquee Event back, what’s this narrative about me leaching off of your success because I never truly could understand that. I’ve just wanted what I believed I deserved, and coincidentally those opportunities happened to run through you just as the situation is now. I would’ve gotten to you eventually, but I would’ve also gotten to the Universal Women’s Championship eventually as well, This is not me actively trying to bring you down, the world doesn’t revolve around you, this is me taking out two birds with one stone while I have the chance and not only settling this precious score with you, but winning a World Championship in the process.
(Bethany steps up to Sheridan and thankfully if it wasn’t for James Peters being in the middle of the two of them there was a chance it would’ve already come to blows by now. James looks between the two of them, with Bethany looking like she’s close to having enough of this already, and Sheridan simply putting her hands in her pockets, unphased by the threats that the Universal Women’s Champion is insinuating toward her. After a moment of silence between the two and the tension continuing to bubble over, James awkwardly shuffles toward his microphone and begins to speak.)
James Peters: Well, I think this is a very good time to transition from the press conference. Journalist, we thank you for taking the time out of your day to ask questions. Right now I’d like to move into the weigh-in portion if you wouldn’t mind stepping away from your tables and toward the scale.
(Sheridan and Bethany seemingly ignore that for a moment, continuing to stare down one another, but after a moment they break away and begin to make their way around the tables and to the front where a large scale is seen with the Grand Rampage logo front and center. The two of them stand across from one another while James continues.)
James Peters: Sheridan you’re up first.
(Sheridan steps up on the scale, no sort of emotion or gesture as she simply has her head up while the crowd give their reaction to her. After a moment she steps off.)
James Peters: Official weight: 135. Bethany, you’re next.
(Bethany hands her title over to James before stepping onto the weight, having much of the same reaction with the same serious and straightforward look on her face while she’s measured, before stepping off.)
James Peters: Official weight: 125.
(The two of them go around the scale, once again going face-to-face. Bethany takes the time to raise her title in the air, while Sheridan looks up at it, a stoic look on her face as she knows the mission that lies ahead of her next week.)
James Peters Well I think that went better than expected. That’s all we have for you folks, thank you for joining us on an exciting episode of Sunday Night Voltage, I’m James Peters, and on behalf of my commentary colleagues Rich Russillo and Persephone, we will see you next week at Grand Rampage-
Rich Russillo: OH! SHERIDAN WITH A HARD RIGHT! BETHANY DROPS LIKE A SACK OF BRICKS!
(Immediately officials swarm the ring, looking to break the two of them up before this can get out of hand, but the damage has already been done. Bethany has been dropped and she’s out cold, while Sheridan raises her hands in the air and takes a step back while being escorted out of the ring. She’s made her statement and given the Champion a preview of what’s going to happen at Grand Rampage while the crowd erupts into cheers over what Sheridan has done. Officials check on Bethany inside the ring who starts to recover after some time, while Sheridan continues to be escorted up the ramp. The Champion grips onto her title close to her chest, absolutely furious with what just happened as it’s the last shot seen before Sunday Night Voltage from there begins to quickly fade to black.)
(EAW logo buzzes.)
