(EAW intro plays.)
(The camera opens up to a recap of Pain for Pride XV: Starting off with the preshow, Candice Blair defeated Danny Tanner after a hard fought match. The 24/7 Battle Royale would take place where Samael came out victorious with the 24/7 Contract. The preshow would end with Holly Arrow picking up a victory over Cleopatra. The recap would transition to the main show, where Mr. DEDEDE starts off Night 1 with an introduction announcing Disney and EAW signing a one Season contract with each other. That is before he is interrupted by The Woogieman, who challenges him and an impromptu match is made between the two where Mr. DEDEDE wins the match fairly quickly. He celebrates with Mickey Mouse to end it. The Off-Brand Amphetamines would then successfully defend their Unified Tag Team Championships against the Ice Aces. Madison Kaline and Amber Keys would face off with Madison coming out victorious. Night One would end with Minerva defeating Myles and Drake King in a very emotional Barbed Wire Massacre match to become the new EAW Champion. Night Two would be kicked off with Chris Elite defeating Ms. Extreme in a rather chaotic match. Hikari Kanno would then take on Harper Lee in a losing effort with Harper winning the Iconic Cup Finals. Captain Charisma meets up with HRDO and Bob Chapek where they let him know he wouldn’t be replaced, but Voltage would undergo changes. And they assign him a Disney representative to help him with those changes, a woman fittingly named Eden Sinclair. On Night Three, Ruler would face off against Alex Myers and Aurora Monroe for the New Breed Championship, but Alex would be successful in retaining. In the Cash in the Vault Ladder Match which featured Jake Smith and Jay Jerry Johnson from Voltage, Jake would pick up the victory and become the new Mr. Cash in the Vault. And then Donovan Duke would retain his National Elite Championship against Ryan Wilson in a brutal and personal No Holds Barred match which would end the PFP recap for the Voltage side from there.)
(The recap then transitions to the Draft Show: Which was opened up by Tyrone Montgomery and Bob Chapek, talking about the new route EAW would be taking. They are interrupted by Drake King, as he sings their praises for their new leadership before the two of them understandably leave the ring with Drake talking to himself. In the first match of the night, Chris Elite would represent Voltage in a triple threat to secure the first draft pick, but Jack Ripley would achieve the victory for Showdown. Captain Charisma then formally meets Eden Sinclair, but meeting her definitely didn’t calm his frustrations at all for the new change. Minerva then comes out to the ring, talking about her victory at Pain for Pride XV before setting out an open challenge for anybody, which is surprisingly answered by Ronan Malosi of all people. Jake Smith and Holly Arrow would then fight the team of SOSA Henderson and Aurora Monroe, but they would sadly lose the match. And then finally, Donovan Duke would represent Voltage in a triple threat against Serenity Valdez and Alex Myers, although Serenity would go on to win the match which ends the Voltage side of the Draft recap.)
(Sunday Night Voltage then fades away from the recaps to show a shot of the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An edited version of ’33rd Blakk Glass’ by ZilaKami & SosMula is played through the speakers as spotlights are panning around and golden pyro is shooting out from the stage. The incredibly excited Argentinian crowd is cheering incredibly loud. The camera then goes over to show the broadcasting team of Rich Russillo, James Peters, and Persephone. Persephone in particular has a very fake smile on her face.)
Rich Russillo: Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to welcome you here in the Movistar Arena to the season premiere of Sunday Night Voltage, Season 16!
James Peters: Everyone is very excited right now for the new start of the new season, you could say in a good and bad way considering the new changes Voltage is going through. But even then, what will always be there is the unrelenting action of Voltage, as with a new season comes new battles, new hardships and new obstacles to get through to the top!
Persephone: 😀
Rich Russillo: That’s right James, and tonight’s Voltage will be action packed with new and old faces. We will see Haruka Kashimashi going up against Oliver Taylor, and Hikari Kanno going up against Halsey Neel. Alongside that, the Ice Aces debut on Voltage in singles action with Usagi Senshi going up against a newcomer in Kylie Grace, and Ayu Megumi faces off against a former National Elite Champion in Daryl Kinkade!
James Peters: And in our main event-
Persephone: 😀😀😀😀😀😀
Rich Russillo: Alright, seeing Persephone like this is starting to worry me and creep me out. This is not the woman that I fell in love with.
James Peters: Everything alright Persephone?
Persephone: 😁 Oh, but of course James! I am just so dang-happy to be here in the first Voltage of Season 16! In fact, I am so happy I am simply smiling and staying quiet so these beautiful words don’t have to come out of my mouth, or otherwise I would interrupt these definitely interesting comments you two are saying. In fact, I think I will stay quiet the whole show-
Rich Russillo: But you have to say something eventually, the job of a commentator is having to talk after all.
James Peters: Yeah, actually, why don’t you tell us about the main event of tonight? :mjgrin:
Persephone: How about no? I think our wonderful audience already knows what kind of match they’re going to get when two bitter rivals and newly minted Hall of Famers face off! It will surely be a battle for the ages even if we have already seen it plenty of times before :wow:!
(As Voltage fades away from the commentators, to ringside, the setup is pretty different than usual. An entire party’s setting has been set up at ringside and inside of the ring. There’s tons of beautiful women dancing, throwing around money, popping champagne, and more, all while *clean* club music blasts through the PA system. Everyone there seems to be having tons of fun, and all of the fans in the arena seem eager to see what’s going on.)
Rich Russillo: Wow, isn’t this great? The first Voltage of the season is kicking off with a celebration!
Persephone: Yes, this season is definitely worth celebrating, and it definitely doesn’t make me completely sick to my stomach knowing that nothing interesting can happen anymore 🙂.
(As the celebration continues, ‘Mo Money’ by Ben McLusky hits…)
James Peters: Well if there was ever going to be something to sour the mood, it’s Ronan Malosi showing his face!
Rich Russillo: :mjlol: Ronan Malosi is the one responsible for this after all, but what is he celebrating right now? Is this all really about him getting an opportunity at the EAW World Championship?
(As ‘Mo Money’ continues to play, the crowd boos loudly as Ronan Malosi is slowly carried out to the stage. He’s on a chariot that’s being held up by even more women, and Ronan is seen with a huge grin on his face, before chugging a bottle of Cristal, a very expensive champagne. As he’s carried down to the ring Ronan begins to throw money to the crowd, making things even more exciting. Money is not all he throws though, as he throws to the crowd some copies of a magazine with him on the cover of it.)
( https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/686379414522822718/993903189734740008/B6BAEBCF-C8E8-4EBA-B1AB-6A9C60078861.jpg )
(Ronan holds up one of the magazine copies as the chariot continues down the ramp, and it’s clear by the look on his face that he truly believes in his ability to defeat Minerva and rise to a new level of his career in EAW.)
Persephone: 😄 I’m so glad Ronan Malosi is here again! I definitely haven’t gotten tired of him already!
James Peters: So you’re not tired of pretending to be interested either?
Persephone: Pretending? I don’t know what you mean! 😄
(Ronan Malosi’s chariot makes it to the bottom of the ramp, and a redheaded woman is seen standing inside of the ring with a microphone in her hand.)
James Peters: From what I have been told that woman right there is… Ronan’s personal announcer, Amaya.
(With a big smile on her face, Amaya begins to speak.)
Amaya: Ladies and gentlemen… Please welcome the greatest wrestler to ever step in a Voltage ring… The biggest, tallest, and strongest man in the entire company… Former Interwire Champion, future EAW World Champion, and the man that has more money than you!… RRROOOOONNAAAANNNNNN MAAAALLLLLOOOOSSSIIIIII!!!!!!
(The crowd boos, and Amaya sits down on the middle rope for Ronan. As Ronan steps off of the chariot he is clearly oozing confidence, and as he steps through the ropes he points his fist out, and Amaya kisses the ring on his finger before handing him her microphone. Ronan walks into the middle of the ring surrounded by more of the partying women, but as ‘Mo Money’ fades out, they finally begin to quiet down, watching on patiently as Ronan begins to speak.)
Ronan Malosi: Enjoying this, aren’t you?
(The crowd explodes with boos, but Ronan still has a grin on his face throughout all of this.)
Ronan Malosi: Don’t worry, I get it. It’s not every day a Voltage crowd gets to see an actual star instead of having to put up with the likes of Myles and Minerva for an entire season so I understand that you’re all intimidated, but don’t worry! This is such a glorious day for Voltage, which is exactly why the people that actually matter are here celebrating instead of sitting around booing all while feeding me even more money! Tonight is about to go down in history, because this is the beginning of my rise to the top of EAW! This is the start of my ascension to the very top of the mountain, the spot I should have been at all along! For way too long I’ve been seen as nothing more than a.. A “comedy act”. Time and time again people have tried to make a mockery of me. They’ve tried to make joke after joke at my expense, and yet here I am now fighting for the EAW World Championship! I always knew that I was FAR beyond being made to look like a joke, and this season my goal is so simple that even all of you should be able to understand it! I’m going to change the perception you all have of me, and I’m going to make all of you realize that I have the ability to be a real top talent in EAW!
(Ronan begins to pace around the ring a bit as he continues, keeping the confident look he had on his face.)
Ronan Malosi: A lot of people had the nerve to question why I would step up to challenge Minerva for the EAW Championship. Some of them even said that I had a deathwish, but come on! Have you seen me? I’m a star! I’m the guy whose face goes on magazines! I’m the guy you advertise on graphics and videos! I’m the type of wrestler that deserves to be at the forefront of whatever brand I’m on, and as far as I’m concerned, all I did at the Draft was take an opportunity that was presented to me. An opportunity to reach the spot I belong in! Last season, that corrupt joke of a general manager Hurricane Hawk told me that my problem was that I never stepped up for a shot at the Answers World Championship, even though a title like that really should have been in my hands to begin with. I stepped up and challenged Minerva because of that. I did it to show the world that things are going to be different this season. Everyone in the back or on social media can talk all of the trash they want, but the past is in the past and I’m not going to keep letting that haunt me when my future is becoming World Champion! Everyone that doubts me can go jump off a cliff, because very soon I will be the EAW World Champion whether you all like it or not, and for as long as I reign Voltage will be one big party. Every single week.
(The crowd boos as loud as they can, possibly even louder than before, but still, Ronan doesn’t care. This all changes soon though, as ‘Blood, Milk & Sky’ by White Zombie hits. The crowd immediately explodes into cheers, and Ronan Malosi doesn’t look too pleased at all as the EAW World Champion makes her first Voltage appearance of the season.)
James Peters: Here we go! Minerva is out here and Ronan doesn’t look happy at all! Ronan might have talked a bit too much for his own sake!
Rich Russillo: It’s not like that’d be a surprise. Ronan’s made a name for himself by being too overconfident, but then again, his exact promise tonight was that things would be different around here.
Persephone: I just hope both competitors have fun. 😁
(Minerva walks down to the stage, wearing her EAW World Championship around her waist and holding a microphone in her hand. She doesn’t bother walking down to the ring, instead looking down at all of the partying women, the chariot full of magazines, and Ronan Malosi standing in the ring. Needless to say, the World Champion doesn’t look too impressed.)
Minerva: You know what? I don’t really like parties.
(With that said, everyone’s mood at ringside has shifted, and Ronan’s celebration has been brought to a halt. Despite Ronan being frustrated, Minerva continues.)
Minerva: I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time you’ve made a promise like that. That things will be different this time, that this will be where you finally advance in your career, and that you’re no longer going to be the comedic figure the entire world has seen you as for the past few years of your career. This isn’t anything new. You’ve been doing this your entire career and the result has always been the same, and it’ll continue to be the same because you’re not taking this Championship away from me. You don’t change, Ronan. You never have and you never will. Deep down you are a coward. You’ve been one from the start, and I don’t think someone like that has what it takes to even give me a real challenge let alone actually defeat me and become the EAW World Champion. Your failures haven’t just stemmed from you choosing not to challenge for the World Championship, they’ve stemmed from your own inability to get the job done. They’ve stemmed from you spending your entire career scared of actually facing the best of the best, and suddenly attempting to turn over a new leaf after years of having to endure your nonsense isn’t going to result in a World Championship reign, not at my expense.
Minerva: It took years for me to get where I am now and after all that I have gone through I’m not about to let myself lose this Championship to someone like you, someone that has no idea what it’s like to have to scratch and claw their way to the top because you’ve always been too afraid to. My journey to the EAW Championship wasn’t as easy as just stepping up to the Champion and being awarded the title. I fought for years to get to this point and for an entire year I had my career derailed because I foolishly believed in someone that was only ever looking for himself. For an entire year I had my path to the World title put on hold because I believed in someone that’d betray me because he knew exactly what I was capable of. I didn’t just earn this title. I fought my way to the top, endured all of the heartbreak and pain that was thrown my way, and I took what I knew I deserved. You’re not the type to do that. We’ve all seen what you’re capable of, already. We know what you can do even at your best, and you’re not a World Championship level competitor. You’re not the type to fight through challenge after challenge to get what’s yours. You’re the type to cower away and back off whenever you’re presented with a real challenge, and that’s because you lack the killer instinct that’s needed to become a major player around here. The killer instinct you’d need if you even want to stand a chance against someone like me.
(Minerva’s comments have clearly pissed off Ronan Malosi, who remains silent as he stares at Minerva.)
Minerva: In a lot of ways, I really do feel sorry for you. No matter the situation you stood no chance, but to make matters even worse you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into come Midsummer Massacre. You’re entering a match against the most dangerous competitor on the entire Voltage roster without even realizing it. That’s why I’m going to give you one chance and once chance only to actually make a smart decision for once. Cut all of this out, step back, and save yourself further embarrassment, because I promise that if you step into the ring with me at Midsummer Massacre, you will suffer the worst loss of your entire career.
(The crowd grows silent, waiting to see how Ronan Malosi will respond. Ronan is silent as well for a few seconds, but that soon changes as he can’t help but laugh.)
Ronan Malosi: :mjlol:
Minerva: :francis:
Ronan Malosi: :mjlol2: I knew your title reign was in danger ever since I stepped up last week, but I didn’t know you were THAT scared of facing me!
Minerva: Scared?
Ronan Malosi: Yeah, scared! Scared of losing your EAW World Championship to the biggest star Voltage has ever seen! Why else would you want the match cancelled? If I was really as easy of a victory as you say then you should have no problem with this match, but instead you’ve questioned me again and again and now you’re even trying to call off the match entirely! You’re afraid, and you know what? I don’t blame you! Maybe I’d be scared too if I knew that only a week after winning a World Championship, my spot was already being threatened by someone more worthy for that title in every single way! It must be tough knowing that as soon as I was drafted to Voltage you were no longer the biggest name on the show, so you know what? I’ll just ignore all of those empty threats, because at Midsummer Massacre I’ll be taking that EAW World Championship, and not only will we be seeing parties like this every single week, but going forward we might as well spend the entirety of Voltage celebrating me and my Championship reign! After all, who else on this show really matters? Not Charlie Marr, not Daryl Kinkade, not Drake King, not your injured fiancé, and definitely not you! The only person Voltage needs is the next EAW World Champion, Ronan Malosi!
(The crowd boos extremely loudly, and Minerva just looks at Ronan, not impressed whatsoever with his decision. Seeing that Ronan is finished speaking, Minerva just shakes her head.)
Minerva: That’s a shame, but I suppose I should’ve known better than to expect you to make a smart decision. If this is what you want, then whatever happens now is completely on you. I warned you, multiple times now. I gave you an out, I allowed you to walk away from all of this unscathed and you refused, so I’m not going to be held responsible for doing what I have to do in order to defend the Championship I fought so hard for.
(After saying this, Minerva snaps her fingers. Ronan Malosi looks confused, but before he even gets the chance to react, black tar pours from the ceiling, covering the ring, Ronan Malosi, and all of the partiers that were in the ring.)
James Peters: WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?? MINERVA JUST SNAPPED HER FINGERS AND BLACK TAR JUST DROPPED DOWN ONTO EVERYONE IN THE RING!!
Rich Russillo: Ronan Malosi can’t believe it! He was just covered in black tar, I don’t think he expected anything like that!
(Ronan Malosi begins yelling at Minerva, but soon after, feathers begin falling from the ceiling, which also covers everyone.)
James Peters: :mjlol: We all know Ronan loves to show off his expensive outfits, I don’t think he’s taking all of this too well at all!
Rich Russillo: Of course he isn’t! He’s covered in black tar AND feathers now!
Persephone: So the match isn’t being cancelled! I sure am glad I sat through all of that. Totally not disappointed! 😁
(‘Blood, Milk & Sky’ hits once again as the crowd cheers, and as the camera pans towards Minerva, the EAW World Champion just winks towards it before beginning to make her way to the back.)
James Peters: Ronan Malosi is screaming at Minerva, but seeing that smirk that was on her face as she left, I think she has a lot more planned for him come Midsummer Massacre! Whatever the case, I think Ronan may have made a mistake!
Rich Russillo: Maybe, but who knows? After tonight, I think Ronan might be more motivated than ever to try and take her down! Either way, I think we can say one thing for sure, and that’s that this might very well be the biggest singles match in Ronan’s entire career!
(As the camera fades in the ring, the women that were formerly partying are now upset, starting to all scramble out of the ring in embarrassment. Ronan Malosi is still in the ring, yelling about what just happened to him. From there, Voltage begins to fade away from ringside.)
(The camera cuts backstage towards Sofia Clarke standing by. She has a bright smile on her face as she begins talking to the camera.)
Sofia Clarke: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome one of Voltage’s bright and talented newcomers, Haruka Kashimashi!
(The crowd cheers when hearing Haruka’s name as she walks in front of the camera and stands beside Sofia with a small smile on her face. She already has her ring gear on for her match against Oliver Taylor up next.)
Sofia Clarke: Thank you for accepting the interview Haruka!
Haruka Kashimashi: No problem Sofia, it is a great pleasure to be here.
Sofia Clarke: Now, you know we are in a new era of EAW, a new season with various twists and turns along the way. After the experience that you had in Season 15, what do you say is going to be different for you this season as opposed to last season?
Haruka Kashimashi: That is a good question Sofia, and to answer that I need to talk about what I went through in Season 15. I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows when I first arrived, I suffered more downs than ups you could say. In most matches I suffered devastating losses, and on top of that I was trying my best to learn the ropes around here. So with that kind of combination, I ended up getting bad results. It was indeed an honor that I was chosen to compete in the Iconic Cup, it was basically the opportunity of a lifetime. A tournament for the prize of a cup that gave you the chance to cash in anytime a match for the Universal Women’s Championship? Of course I had stars in my eyes when I saw I was in that kind of tournament, even though there were other more established wrestlers with far more experience than I had fighting there, I didn’t lose hope. Imagine if someone like me won that, a newcomer arriving out of nowhere and taking the Iconic Cup for herself, it would have been the upset of the century! But of course…I didn’t win. You could say my performance there wasn’t the best anyone has seen.
Haruka Kashimashi: But even though I tripped and fell on my face, I got up again because I knew there was something more to fight for… Pain for Pride 15. It was the end of the road for everybody and their chance to prove what they were capable of, especially me. I was fighting in the 24/7 Battle Royale and even though I encountered…less than pleasant people in that match that didn’t even deserve me giving them the light of day, I still believe it was one of my toughest matches yet. Having to fight so many people that were willing to do anything to win the 24/7 Contract, a contract that also lets you cash in a match for whatever championship you wanted, my drive to win was through the roof! I didn’t want to fail like I did in the Iconic Cup, all the work that I did was to achieve my Pain for Pride moment, and I fought for that moment. I gave it my all to try and win…but I didn’t. And rather than feel bad for myself or whine all day about it, I have to move on.
Haruka Kashimashi: It is a new season and a new way to start again because now I am more self-aware than I was when I debuted late last season. I know more about EAW now and I feel like I know what I can expect and what I can do to succeed. The main problem that I suffered was having to experience failure every step of the way that I took. I am not an ignorant person, I can admit that it wasn’t easy for me to win matches and I struggled heavily to even get a win. But in Season 16, all I want to do is put that behind me and work my way up the ladder. Will it be easy? It won’t be at all, so I’ll have to put in 1000% more effort than what I did last season so I am able to succeed. Do I have any specific short-term goals that I want to achieve? Not really. But I do want to prove that I am worth my EAW contract, that all my fighting won’t be for nothing and that I have the potential to become one of the best wrestlers in the world.
Sofia Clarke: It is great to hear that you still have that fire to continue Haruka! But we can’t forget that you have a match today and a chance to turn your luck around, so do you have any last thoughts before going into your match today?
Haruka Kashimashi: In my opinion, there isn’t much to say from my part. I have already said what I thought of my opponent days before, it is fair to say that I can feel a bit disappointed and all of you know why, but I’ll take any chance to turn that luck around and make what I promised come true. Even if it has to be against someone who will never find the light of success ever again.
Sofia Clarke: Thanks for being here Haruka, I wish you good luck on your match! Any last words that you want to say to the people?
Haruka Kashimashi: Thank you Sofia, and yes, even though Season 15 wasn’t a good start for my career, I won’t let it continue to plague me in my path. I will make sure Season 16 will be my season, the season where the Prodigious Valkyrie will rise. I hope you have a good day.
(Haruka then walked away with a determined expression on her face making her way towards the ring as Sofia turned towards the camera with a smile.)
Sofia Clarke: You heard it from Haruka herself, a statement has been made! Haruka Kashimashi versus Oliver Taylor is up next as soon as we come back from commercial break!
( Commercial break for Midsummer Massacre! See Minerva defend the EAW Championship against Ronan Malosi! )
(Voltage returns from break and we see Oliver Taylor bouncing around in the ring with ‘England Belongs To Me’ by Cock Sparrer heard in the background, along with Bella Braxton’s voice as the camera stays on Taylor.)
Bella Braxton: The following contest is scheduled for…ONE FALL!!
Crowd: ONE FALL!!
Bella Braxton: Introducing first! From London, England, weighing in at 265 pounds…HE IS THE ENGLISH MASKED HEAVYWEIGHT WRESTLER…OLIVER TAYLOR!!
(The crowd gives a lukewarm reaction as Taylor taunts in the ring before being cut off with “CALLING” by Siam☆Dream, which garners a loud reaction from fans, everyone going crazy for Haruka, who enters through the curtain, waving to fans on her way down to the ring.)
Bella Braxton: And his opponent! Hailing out of Sapporo, Hokkaido, weighing in at 128 pounds…SHE IS THE PRODIGIOUS VALKYRIE…HARUKA KASHIMASHI!
James Peters: There she is! Haruka Kashimashi, and tonight, she goes in there with Oliver Taylor, who’ll have the weight advantage and the strength advantage.
Rich Russillo: Bottom line is: they’re both going into this with something to gain, and that’s momentum. This is an opportunity to start your season off right.
James Peters: I’m not sure how serious Oliver is taking it though, seeing as he had nothing to say going into this match.
Persephone: Darn! I would’ve really loved to hear Oliver’s take on the whole situation! 🙂
James Peters: Riiight.
(Haruka takes off her entrance gear as “CALLING” by Siam☆Dream fades out in the background, and she looks at Oliver in the opposite corner with determination in her eyes as the referee signals for the bell.)
(DING! DING! DING!)
James Peters: There’s the bell, and we saw the look of determination in Haruka’s eyes, how do you think that’ll play out her-
Rich Russillo: OOH! WE JUST FOUND OUT AS HARUKA CHARGES INTO OLIVER WITH A CORNER EUROPEAN UPPERCUT!
James Peters: Dropping the heavyweight to all fours! And Haruka stands him up now, sending Oliver out through the middle rope, right in front of our announcers table. KASHIMASHI RUNS OFF THE ROPES! BUILDING A FULL HEAD OF STEAM, AND SOARING THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPE WITH A SUICIDE DIVE!
(Oliver goes right over the announcers table, causing the trio to clear out.)
Persephone: Hey! Watch it, you- …you two gifted performers! Don’t wanna hurt each other too much now.
Rich Russillo: Haruka retrieves Taylor from behind our desk, and rolls her dazed opponent back into the ring. Oliver is still yet to get out the gate as Kashimashi climbs on the apron, lining him up for a SPRINGBOARD DROPKICK!
James Peters: Haruka gets to her feet, but Oliver gets to his as well, almost out of instinct, taking wild swings at nothing, just going to show how out of it he is.
Rich Russillo: BICYCLE KNEE STRIKE FROM HARUKA SPINS HIM AROUND, LEAVING OLIVER OPEN FOR A SUPERKICK TO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD!
James Peters: If he wasn’t before, he certainly is on wobbly legs now. ESPECIALLY AS HARUKA RUNS BY HIM, SPRINGING OFF THE MIDDLE ROPES IN FRONT FOR A CUTTER!
Rich Russillo: Haruka regains a vertical base, meanwhile, Taylor struggles to do the same, groggily sitting himself up on the canvas after that cutter. BUT HARUKA RUNS OFF THE ROPES FOR A VICIOUS PENALTY KICK, WHICH SHE DUBS SUNKISSED RHODONITE!
Persephone: What a maneuver! :tyson:
James Peters: Oliver is out of it now, and I think Haruka knows it, climbing to the top rope, and preparing to put an end to this contest all together with the PRODIGIOUS LANDING! Aka Phoenix Splash, which is a beauty to witness live as Haruka goes for the cover, hooking the leg!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!
THHHHHHHHHRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Bella Braxton: HERE’S YOUR WINNER…HARUKA KASHIMASHI!!
(“CALLING” by Siam☆Dream echoes throughout the arena, causing the fans to react positively as Haruka rises off of Taylor, who rolls to the outside after suffering such a defeat, and has her hand raised in victory.)
James Peters: What a showing here by Haruka Kashimashi, silencing any doubts we may have had before the bell.
Persephone: Despite the fact he’s practically lost almost every match he’s competed in, I truly expected Oliver to put up much more of a fight! :aww:
Rich Russillo: To be fair, how could he with how much Haruka overwhelmed him in this contest.
James Peters: From the get-go, she was focused, and that showed with her performance tonight. I see big things in store for this competitor.
(Haruka finishes up celebrating in the ring, and goes to exit, but turns right into a-)
Rich Russillo: WHAT THE?! RUNNING STEP-UP ENZIGURI BY IM ASSUMING A FAN WHO JUST JUMPED THE CROWD AREA!
James Peters: That’s no fans, Rich, that’s…that’s Sierra Everett! We’ve seen her take shots at various elitists on social media, and now she makes her official debut here on Voltage, laying waste to Kashimashi with that enziguri.
(Sierra looks down at Haruka, receiving a chorus of boos from fans, but could care less as she notices Haruka begin to stir on the canvas.)
James Peters: Uh-oh, Sierra’s pulling Haruka back to her feet here, having a handful of hair, and lifting her up to an electric chair position.
Rich Russillo: DOWN SHE GOES WITH WHAT I’M TOLD SHE CALLS MOUNT EVERETT! ONE-HANDED ELECTRIC CHAIR DRIVER!
James Peters: That’s one way to make a statement as Haruka is out. Not quite looking victorious anymore, and now Sierra is calling for a mic.
Persephone: From Haruka Kashimashi versus Oliver Tyler to the debut of this newcomer! Will the excitement ever end?! 😅
(Sierra ducks out through the middle rope, yelling for someone to hand her a mic. Soon a stagehand comes over, and she snatches a microphone out of their grasp, and stands over the unconscious body of Haruka to address the booing crowd.)
Sierra Everett: For those that don’t know who I am, or shall I say living under a rock. I mean, do you pay attention to social media? I KNOW you pay attention to the indie scene, because while not being an extremely long one, my resume there speaks for itself. Where your faves have had to break their bodies down, night in, night out, sometimes for two years, sometimes for five years, sometimes for ten years. Me? My story is different. I haven’t had to work on the indies for years on end, breaking down my body before I even got in the door. To be honest, I haven’t had to deal with plenty of hardships from the indies either. I wasn’t struggling to pay for travel, I wasn’t sleeping at crappy motels. I haven’t had to put half the work in, because things just kind of come to me, especially the talent. I’ve always been sought after, I’ve always been high in demand. So much so, I’ve been able to compete in what? Seven matches in three-hundred sixty-five days of a year. All on highly renowned pay-per-views, which many can only dream of being part of. Seven matches. Seven matches in a year, and look at me now! I’m competing in Elite Answers Wrestling, the top promotion in the world today. So, obviously, that tells you a lot about me. Unlike some, I’m not just all hype. In fact, don’t mistake me for anything other than the real deal. But where was I? …oh yeah, introductions. My name is Sierra Everett, your latest, your greatest talent to hit Elite Answers Wrestling in a long, long time.
(Sierra arrogantly smirks, believing every word she’s saying, even if the crowd don’t like her attitude.)
Sierra Everett: Still don’t believe me, even after my articulate rundown? …too bad! Because soon, you’ll see, you’ll all see. Take poor Haruka for example. I’m sure she saw herself.
(Everett points down to the still motionless Haruka at her feet.)
Sierra Everett: Ya see, this wasn’t personal, but it does serve as the beginning. The beginning of what’s to come for everyone here on the Voltage roster, mainly those who get in my way, and are foolish enough to cross my path. Because when I look into this crowd, I don’t see fans, I don’t see people. I see dollar signs. When I step into this ring, I don’t see an opportunity to show off my fighting spirit, or love for the sport of professional wrestling. Once again, I see dollar signs, things that can help me pad MY bank account. But to do that, I’m gonna need to do far more than waste my time facing inferior opponents like this one.
(After somewhat simmering down to hear what she has to say, the boos ramp up again, the crowd not believing that Haruka is inferior in the slightest, especially after the performance she put on tonight. But Sierra simply shrugs them off.)
Sierra Everett: Boo all you want, it’s true. Haruka is inferior, Haruka is irrelevant, and quite frankly, a waste of my time past serving as an example, a formality for the rest of this roster. After all, I haven’t competed in months, and look how easy I laid her out in this ring. No need for the excuses either about how it was after a grueling match, she barely got touched! You all should be impressed. I know it doesn’t take much to dazzle you, you were just wowed a few minutes ago, all because she??? Because she toppled Oliver Taylor? Some guy whose identity is all over the place. I mean, the “masked English heavyweight wrestler?” Seriously? And while I’ve made a name for myself off being a hot commodity, isn’t he only famous due to the fact he had an infamous losing streak over on Showdown? It was treated like a parade after he finally won a match, and it wasn’t even over someone good. If this is the competition on Voltage, if this is all it takes to impress on Voltage, then this is gonna be a cakewalk for me. And yes, I say that knowing this place is littered with elitists like Theron Nikolas, like Charlie Marr, like Myles, like Drake King, etcetera. Because my talent will rise above each one of those names. I promise to be their Achilles heel. At the end of the day, even if I must start at the bottom, I WILL work my way to the top, and you know what’s there, idiots? Even more money, and even more zeroes added to my bank account, which as we’ve tackled, is all that matters to me. …anyways, thanks for the time. I’m sure Haruka is thankful she even got some of mine. As she should be. Because this right here is Haruka’s crowning achievement, this is what she’ll ultimately be known for in the grand scheme of things. A few years from now, she won’t be remembered as some legendary competitor, but rather the stepping stone for one, that being me. I repeat, Sierra Everett. Know that name, because you’re gonna get used to hearing it a lot around here, especially by the elitists which I just struck fear into like that.
(Sierra snaps her fingers, dropping the mic on Haruka’s gut, causing her to roll to her side, coughing as that took some slight wind out of her sails. Meanwhile, Everett exits the ring, backpedaling up the ramp, admiring her handiwork as the camera fades elsewhere, the crowd boos intensifying in the background.)
( Voltage fades to commercial break. )
( Commercial break for PNC Bank where the newly signed Elitist, Sierra Everett, has not one… but TWO bank accounts! )
( The scene opens up inside the office of Eden Sinclair. She’s wasted no time making herself at home, and looks pretty comfortable behind her own desk. The angel-faced brunette is looking at her iPad, scrolling through social media, and gathering the fans’ reaction to Voltage so far. The first Voltage of Season 16 is very important, as it will be setting the tone for all the shows to follow. At least that is how Eden views it. Some of the reactions she is reading aren’t what she wanted, but it was to be expected considering Voltage was being taken in a completely different direction. The show she was tasked with helping change was known for being crude and violent, and showcasing the absolute barbaric nature of the sport. A lot of work needed to be done in order to get the show where it needed to be to become Disney’s premiere Sunday night program. Eden was excited for that challenge and more than up for it. The only thing that pulled her away from social media was a knock at the door and noticing the time, she grinned. She enjoyed it when people arrived early for meetings. )
Eden Sinclair: It’s open!
( The door is pushed open and one-third of the Ice Aces, Ayu Megumi, walks in. She is set to face off against Daryl Kinkade later on tonight, but Eden had requested to see her, as well as Usagi Senshi and ARIA. )
Ayu Megumi: I thought this was a meeting for all of the Ice Aces.
( Ayu’s voice sounded a little suspicious, but Eden paid it no attention. She had reasons for asking Ayu to show up a little bit before the others and she motioned for Ayu to have a seat. Ayu hesitated, but Eden flashed her a warm smile. )
Eden Sinclair: I can assure you that Usagi and ARIA will be here momentarily but I wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes. Please sit down, Ayu.
( Against her better judgment and only because Eden is an authority figure, Ayu sits down. She says nothing and decides it is better to let Eden do all the talking. )
Eden Sinclair: I’m not sure if you are aware, but weekly meetings among the Disney representatives and the brand figureheads are now taking place on Thursday evenings. Tyrone Montgomery, Hurricane Hawk, Heidi Huxley, Captain Charisma, and I all sat down with one another to talk about how the week has progressed and how we see the changes taking effect. One thing that was brought up is the content of your promotional videos, as well as the content of Usagi’s.
( Ayu tenses up because she’s far from stupid. She knows exactly where this is going and she can’t help but roll her eyes. Eden doesn’t pay this any attention. )
Eden Sinclair: I have to ask you a few questions about it, and if it would make you feel more comfortable, I am happy to bring in a Human Resources representative.
Ayu Megumi: You don’t really need to ask me any questions at all, because I’m not interested in talking about my personal life. Daryl Kinkade spent the entire week making something out of nothing, and I shouldn’t have to continue explaining that or defending Usagi.
Eden Sinclair: I understand that this is something you feel very passionately about, but I hope you can understand why some people are concerned for you and your well-being. Domestic abuse is a very serious problem not just in the United States, but throughout the world, and more often than not, the abuse isn’t just physical. Mental and emotional abuse is just as devastating, if not more so, and no one should ever feel like they’re in a situation that they can not get out of. You are more than enough, and you should never feel pressured to change yourself to meet someone else’s approval. You shouldn’t be bullied into feeling like you have to change either. I have some pamphlets for you to read and some more resources about this subject if you have any questions or feel like you are trapped in your relationship. There are ways out.
( All Ayu can do is blink as Eden reaches into her desk and pulls out a handful of pamphlets on domestic abuse, LGTBQIA abuse, and the ramifications of being with a partner who doesn’t see your value or have your best interests at heart. Eden pushes them towards Ayu, who just stares at her with a look of disgust. )
Ayu Megumi: There is NOTHING wrong with my relationship and Usagi certainly isn’t abusive. She loves me, which is why she wants what is best for me as a person and as a professional wrestler. I’m not about to let you make our relationship out to be something horrible and one-sided, and I can promise you that whoever else tries to go down that road with me this season is going to regret it. So you can take your pamphlets and shove them. They have nothing to do with me.
( Eden maintains her pretty smile and simply nods her head. She leaves the pamphlets on her desk and when it’s clear she’s not going to put them away, Ayu grabs them and rips them all up, then throws them into the wastebasket. She folds her arms across her chest and glares down at Eden. )
Eden Sinclair: I will not push you on this, but if you do decide that you need help, please know that I am here for you. Captain Charisma is here for you. We want what is best for every single member of our roster, and that includes yourself and Usagi. If she needs counseling or anger management, we have that available. You do not have to be someone that you’re not to please another person. Going forward, if you don’t want this to be an issue, I would advise you not to air what goes on behind closed doors in an open, public forum, and if Usagi had any respect for you, she would keep her opinions on you out of her videos. Whether you want to hear it or not, there was some truth to what Daryl Kinkade had to say to you this week, and there is an air of toxicity around the Ice Aces now.
( At that time, there is another knock on the door, and Eden invites whoever is on the other side to come in. Usagi Senshi and ARIA walk in, and immediately the two women can tell something is wrong. Ayu looks visibly upset, though she tries to hide it as soon as Usagi and ARIA walk in, and Eden seems to be very serious. Usagi goes right to her girlfriend and stands protectively by her side, wrapping an arm around her waist, and ARIA kind of hangs around by the door. )
Usagi Senshi: What’s going on?
Eden Sinclair: Just waiting on the two of you! Ayu stopped by a few minutes early, so we got to talking about the direction the Ice Aces seem to be going. I won’t lie to you three. I was extremely excited when Captain Charisma drafted the Ice Aces to Voltage. As you know, Disney provides entertainment to people from all walks of life and background, and does not discriminate when it comes to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender preference, ectera. The three of you have so much going for you and in my professional opinion, are Disney stars in the making. Usagi and Ayu, when I saw the two of you on the red carpet at the Hall of Fame ceremony, I gained a tremendous amount of respect for you both as people and representatives of the LGBTQIA community. It’s so important that young adults, teenagers, and children, especially those who aren’t sure of their true identity at the moment, have role models they can look up to. You two have beautiful voices that deserve to be heard, and now your platform is bigger than ever before. There is so much value in two proud Asian women who have an open relationship with one another. I truly hope you both understand how meaningful that can be for anyone who is struggling to come, or find who they truly are.
Eden Sinclair: As far as you go, ARIA, you are the embodiment of a Disney princess come to life. Your positive attitude and passion for life is so refreshing especially in a place like this where most people are a carbon copy of one another. I appreciate the approach you take when it comes to addressing your opponents because it’s clear that you want to see the good in everyone and help them become the best possible versions of themselves. I have done my homework. I know that you are good friends with Alex Myers, someone I find to be extremely inspirational and marketable. This sport is full of toxic masculinity and overcompensating females, and someone like Alex, who is so open about being non-binary gives me hope that we can truly push this sport forward as long as the right people are in place doing the right things. You are clearly open-minded and loving towards everyone, and I see BIG things ahead for you. And that goes for Usagi and Ayu too.
( Eden looks at the group as a collective unit. )
Eden Sinclair: So knowing that Disney sees nothing but star quality in the three of you and wants to market the heck out of you as individuals and as a group, I am going to be completely transparent with you all. Cutting corners to win matches and this whole ‘by any means necessary’ attitude isn’t going to be tolerated. This is not last season’s Voltage, where stuff like that was common and even welcome. This is a new era, the Disney era, and what we want is friendly competition and to showcase our athletes as real people with real, feel good stories. This company has enough villains without the three of you trying to change everything that made you stand out in the first place. So please be aware that your matches will be monitored and if I see anything shady going on, there will be consequences. There is no need to have a bad reaction for a few silly losses. This is wrestling. Things happen and it’s so much more rewarding to win or lose based on your own merit. Do I make myself clear?
( The Ice Aces are a bit shocked at the turn this conversation has taken, and none of them really know how to react. It’s not like Eden is someone who is older and wiser than the three of them. She’s their age, or around it, and doesn’t have the experience they do in this sport. But it’s clear to ARIA, Ayu, and Usagi that Eden is completely serious, and Usagi especially has to swallow all the nasty things she wants to say right now. Finally, ARIA regains her composure and looks at her two best friends. )
ARIA: Uhhh… y-yes. C-crystal clear.
( Eden’s beautiful smile returns to her face and she claps her hands. )
Eden Sinclair: Perfect! Now Usagi, I suggest you get ready for your match because it’s next and I do have another piece of business to handle in a few minutes. ARIA, hang on, though.
( ARIA does not want to stick around, and it’s obvious that Ayu and Usagi aren’t all that keen on the idea of leaving her. )
Eden Sinclair: Ayu, shut the door on your way out, please.
( Her tone is dismissive, and Usagi just shakes her head. She doesn’t like this at all but she says nothing. She heads out first, followed by Ayu, and when the door shuts, ARIA gives Eden a nervous look. )
ARIA: Is something wrong?
Eden Sinclair: You’re a detective, right?
ARIA: … yes.
Eden Sinclair: I have a job for you, and it would be in your best interest to say yes.
( ARIA doesn’t really like where this is going. )
Eden Sinclair: Mr. Chapek has given me a huge opportunity here to prove myself as a leader and as a visionary. I am taking this job and working with Captain Charisma very seriously and I plan to make sure that NOTHING happens to jeopardize Disney’s vision for Voltage. This program deserves the absolute best, and my hard work will not be in vain, so in order to make sure everyone stays on track, I need eyes and ears EVERYWHERE. You are going to be that person for me, and you are going to make sure that you give me any and all information you can gather about the people on this roster.
( ARIA gasps. )
ARIA: Are you asking me to spy on everyone?
Eden Sinclair: I’m merely asking you to step up and help keep the peace around here. I know you want what is best for Voltage, and the Ice Aces. Your friends haven’t been saying the right things since Pain for Pride ended and they fell short in their bid to become the Unified Tag Team Champions. I’m not going to let the Ice Aces destroy themselves, especially when they’re valuable assets to this company and more importantly, to Disney. Believe me, I’m going to make sure you’re rewarded for your services and that is something we can discuss a little later. I need to go find Kylie Grace before she heads to the ring.
( And just like that, Eden has put a cork in the conversation and left ARIA without a chance to refuse. The blonde looks completely stressed out over the turn this conversation has taken and Eden barely looks at her as she heads out the door in search of Kylie. ARIA bites down on her bottom lip and shakes her head. )
ARIA: Well crap.
( The scene fades elsewhere. )
(Commercial promoting Disney+, with Ms. Marvel, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Obi Wan Kenobi and more.)
(Voltage reopens up backstage where we see interviewer, Sofia Clarke, with an EAW microphone in hand.)
Sofia Clarke: Hello everyone, it’s me again! Tonight continues to impress as various Elitists make their Season 16 debuts. It’s certainly shaping up to be a great season after the draft last week. Familiar Voltage names such as Myles, Minerva, and Drake have returned to the gold brand.. Familiar faces such as TLA and Charlie Marr return back this season.. But not only that, but young talent that have yet to start their EAW careers have also been drafted and added to the roster. One of those young talents is none other than the rookie from San Diego, California, Kylie Grace!!
(The camera pans off to the side, as we see Kylie Grace riding a mini-board towards Sofia Clarke. She stops and pops the mini-board up before catching it in her right hand. She rests the board off to the side of her body, as Sofia Clarke brings the microphone towards Kylie’s face. Kylie tilts her head off to the side in confusion, then taps the top of the microphone before beginning to speak.)
Kylie Grace: Hello!! Hello! Is this thing on? Can you hear me? Hello! Hello!
Sofia Clarke: Yeah.. Kylie, we’re currently live right now and everyone can hear you.
(Kylie freezes and her eyes go wide. Freaking out on the inside, she turns her head towards Sofia Clarke, and whispers to her loud enough for everyone to hear.)
Kylie Grace: Live? Like right now? Like everyone can hear what I’m saying at this very moment? :mjcry:
Sofia Clarke: Yes, that is correct.
(Kylie Grace instantly covers her face with her hands and begins crying out in embarrassment)
Kylie Grace: OH NO!!! I did this on my livestream earlier this week too!!! People must think I’m so stupid!!! :mjcry: :mjcry2: Stupid Kylie!!! Stupid!! Stupid!! Stupid!!
Sofia Clarke: Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s an honest mistake. You are new after all. We’ll just learn from this experience.
Kylie Grace: Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Sofia!
Sofia Clarke: Well, now that we have you here and everything is all set, tell us a little bit about yourself Kylie. As a new talent here in EAW, what are some goals that you have as an Elitist?
Kylie Grace: Goals? There’s no right or wrong answer, is there? I just don’t want to screw this up and look dumb.
Sofia Clarke: It’s whatever you want to say, Kylie. Anything you wish to achieve?
Kylie Grace: Oh! okay! Well.. You see, I’m not the most confident person there is. Honestly, confidence is something that I lack tremendously. However, in a sport like this, I feel like I can gain a little more confidence in myself as time goes on. With each match that I have, I want to grow as an individual and learn more about myself. I want to find out what my limits are no matter how scary that sounds to me. And once I found out those limits, I want to push those limits and become stronger. I’ve seen Elitists like Andrea Valentine, Serena Bennett, and Cameron Ella Ava do incredible things. They have become a blueprint on what it’s like to be a strong woman always chasing and conquering their goals no matter what stands in their way. I look to them as motivation to one day be a woman that young Elitists like myself can look up to. Obviously, that’s a goal that will take a long time to achieve, but I’m here now and I can’t look back. I’m scared.. I’m nervous.. But I will not run away from this goal.
Sofia Clarke: That’s great to hear! Being influenced by some of the best talent to appear in EAW is amazing. They have definitely gone through many battles and wars in that ring, and tonight, you start your journey against Usagi Sen-
(Kylie Grace stops Sofia Clarke before she can finish her sentence.)
Kylie Grace: It’s Senshi.
(Confused as ever, Sofia raises an eyebrow)
Sofia Clarke: I knew that already.
Kylie Grace: Okay.. Good.. Good.. I’m just making sure, because I was saying Usagi Sengi earlier this week and I think it made her a little mad.
Sofia Clarke: Is that so? Haha. Well, tonight you and her have a match against one another. It’s the first match of your professional wrestling career. Is there anything going on in your mind as we are moments away from that match?
Kylie Grace: (gulps) I’m a little nervous.. Aha yeah.. Maybe a lot nervous.. (gulps) Yeah.. i’m a lot nervous!!
(Kylie’s head sinks down, as she is clearly a little worried about her upcoming match. She’s never fought a professional match before, so this is a huge moment for her. However, she looks back at the camera, grabs the microphone out of Sofia Clarke’s hands, and begins to speak.)
Kylie Grace: But it’s alright to have some nerves right?! If I wasn’t nervous at all, then that would mean that I don’t care.. But I do care, and that’s why I feel like this. Like I said, I want to become stronger. Not just physically, but mentally as well. Facing someone like Usagi Senshi in my first match is going to be a tough task. She’s established herself as a title contender, so there is no doubt that she will put up a great challenge for me tonight, but these are the situations that I can’t run away from. These are the challenges that I need to take head on, because I can’t be scared forever. It may be a long shot, but my goal is to win tonight no matter how outmatched I am against her on paper. I may be scared and I may be nervous, but my fighting spirit will never burn out. Not against her. Not against anyone. That’s something that you and everyone else will soon find out. I am going to give this match everything I’ve got in order to show that I belong here in EAW, and that getting drafted to this brand wasn’t a mistake. I’m nervous, but I’m ready, Sofia. As ready as I could ever be.
Sofia Clarke: That’s exciting to hear, because I’m sure Usagi is going to give it everything she’s got against you tonight.
Kylie Grace: (gulps) She said that to you?? Or are you just guessing??
Sofia Clarke: I think it’s moreso a given.
Kylie Grace: (gulps) Yeah.. You’re right.
Sofia Clarke: But that shouldn’t worry you. You should be fine out there, Kylie. I wish you the best of luck.
Kylie Grace: You’re right! I’m ready for this match and ready to start my EAW career! The journey begins tonight, and I’ll be sure to put on a show! Anyways, I have to get going, Sofia! It looks like my match is up next!! See ya!!
(Kylie Grace drops her mini board back down onto the ground, then rides it down the backstage hallway towards the entrance. The scene looks like it’s about to fade out until…)
???: Kylie Grace?
(Kylie comes to a screeching halt and stumbles forward before scooping up her board and looking up. She’s suddenly met with a huge security guard who stands in front of her with his arms crossed to his chest.)
Kylie Grace: Um… hi! 😅
Security Guard: May you please follow me?
Kylie Grace: :lupe: I mean, I have a match… but okay!
(The camera then goes over to the door of an office opening and Kylie enters while the security guard follows behind her. The guard closes the door and stands in front of it while Kylie looks in confusion before seeing… Eden Sinclair sitting behind a desk with an unhappy expression on her face. Instead of going to find Kylie herself, Eden had recruited a security guard to do it for her and bring her back to the office.)
Kylie Grace: Oh hi, you’re Eden right? I’m so glad I got the chance to meet you, since y’know, I’m on your brand and all! Thank you for this opportunity-
Eden Sinclair: Save it, explain this.
(Eden takes a remote and presses a button on it, while the camera pans over to a television screen that is paused midway through Kylie’s recent promo for this week. As soon as she does, the video begins to play.)
Kylie Grace: (On-Screen) Wait if I remind her of Ayu Megumi.. Does that mean she’s attracted to me too!?! :comeagain: Ewwwww icky!!!! :picard: No!! No!! No!! Don’t toot your own horn, Kylie. She means that I remind her of all of the bad qualities that Ayu has-
(Eden pauses the video and puts the remote back down onto her desk, crossing her arms and looking towards Kylie who’s somewhat confused about what’s going on right now. After some awkward silence, Kylie peps up.)
Kylie Grace: I don’t get it…? 😓 Did I do something wrong-
Eden Sinclair: THE Walt Disney Company… has zero tolerance for any form of bigotry towards the LGBTQIA+ community. We have many people, not just in this company, but active viewers as well, who represent them. And tell me, what kind of look would that be on not just the Voltage brand but Elite Answers Wrestling as a whole if one of our contracted Elitists looked down on the idea of an identified lesbian hitting on her?
Kylie Grace: I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m getting this right now. What… are you talking about?
Eden Sinclair: Oh you know exactly what I’m talking about. Who’s to say your ‘blind ignorance’ won’t get us into another situation like this again? Sure there wasn’t an uproar in this instance, but I could only imagine the wildfire if you let your… blatant homophobia…. slip again in another one of those videos.
Kylie Grace: :whoa: I am not homophobic. Oh my god, no. I didn’t mean what I said like that! I assure you that won’t happen again…
Eden Sinclair: Oh how easy it would be to take such promises at face value. But unfortunately, especially with you being new and all, I can’t really trust you to uphold your end of the bargain. Which is why I’m going to have to suspend you-
Kylie Grace: NO! I DIDN’T MEAN WHAT I SAID IN A DEROGATORY WAY! I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT ABOUT ANYONE IN SUCH A HORRIBLE MANNER!
Eden Sinclair: IF… you don’t undergo sensitivity training, and issue an open apology to not just Usagi Senshi, but the entirety of The Ice Aces, and anyone else you’ve harmed through what you said. Do I make myself clear?
(Kylie bows her head down. Even though she’s 100% in the right, there’s no way she can get out of this position especially with the power that Eden holds. Meanwhile everyone else would be horrified at what Eden is saying right now, especially to an innocent 19 year old who hasn’t even had her first match yet. Kylie nods her head quickly, before Eden sighs.)
Eden Sinclair: Good, now go. You have a match and pursuing this conversation any further would take up valuable broadcasting time.
(Kylie turns around and walks through the door which the security guard steps aside to open for her. Eden goes back to what she’s doing at her desk and it’s the last shot seen before Sunday Night Voltage fades to commercial break.)
(Commercial for Thor: Love and Thunder, in theaters now.)
(The camera cuts to Bella Braxton in the ring.)
Bella Braxton: THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS SCHEDULED FOR…ONE FALL!!
Crowd: ONE FALL!!
(‘Catch Me If You Can’ by BABYMETAL plays, and out first is Usagi Senshi, who doesn’t take time to acknowledge the cheering fans, simply in a state of determination right now as she marches down to the ring.)
Bella Braxton: Introducing first! Residing out of Okinawa, Japan, weighing in at 115 pounds…SHE IS THE MASTER OF EXCELLENCE…USAGI SENSHI!!
James Peters: With season 16 in effect, you can already feel a change has taken place with Usagi Senshi, who isn’t returning that same love to the fans as she previously did.
Rich Russillo: After coming up short in a big title match like she did, that can take tolls on performers. Sometimes, you gotta change, and this might be for the better.
Persephone: Yeah! Just like at this new Disney deal for example… “totally” for the better.
James Peters: That’s the spirit! :mackie:
Rich Russillo: I’ll say this though. After that conversation with Eden, Usagi might need to be more careful.
(‘Unbreakable’ by Fireflight plays to a slightly lower, but positive reaction from fans, who aren’t sure what to make of the newcomer in Kylie Grace just yet. Kylie rides down to the ring on her mini-board, and high fives fans en route to the ring, winning most over already as the reaction grows louder.)
Bella Braxton: And her opponent! Hailing out of San Diego, California, weighing in at 125 pounds…KYLIE GRACE!!
James Peters: Kylie Grace is just bursting onto the scene here in EAW, but is already looking to endure herself to fans.
Rich Russillo: That’s nice and all, but what happens once the bell rings is what I’m concerned about.
James Peters: Guess we’re gonna find out what this woman is made of against someone with the talent of Usagi Senshi.
(‘Unbreakable’ fades out as Kylie removes her entrance gear, and turns attention to Usagi in the opposite corner.)
(DING! DING! DING!)
James Peters: The bell has rung, and this match is officially underway! Both competitors simply opt to circle each other instead of getting physical right away, sort of in the feeling out process. A collar and elbow takes place in the center of the ring with Kylie Grace scoring a go behind, trapping Usagi in a rear waistlock.
Rich Russillo: Senshi begins prying those hands of Kylie apart, wringing her arm after doing so. But Grace counters with an arm wringer of her own, regaining the upper hand.
Persephone: Technical wrestling! Just what I like to see on Voltage…
James Peters: Usagi rolls forward, then rolls back to a vertical base, re-wringing that arm of Kylie, simultaneously freeing herself from the previous predicament. The newcomer drops to a knee as Usagi continues to twist on her arm, but soon finds her footing once more, and takes a page out of her opponent’s playbook. Rolling forward, ducking underneath the arm of Senshi, and spinning her around for a side headlock takedown!
Rich Russillo: Usagi powers back to her feet, and tries bouncing Kylie off the ropes, but Graces halts her momentum, dropping down to a knee, and further wrenching on that side headlock! Usagi lifts her opposition up for a back suplex, but Kylie counters with another side headlock takedown.
Persephone: Usagi rolls Kylie onto both shoulders, perhaps this one is already over!! :gladbron:
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEE!!
James Peters: Kickout at one! The pinfall attempt doesn’t quite get the job done for Usagi, who powers back to vertical positioning once more, and backs Kylie up against the ropes. The referee intervenes, telling Grace to break the hold here before the five count, which she does. Usagi tells Kylie to meet her in the center of the ring, raising her hand high for a test of strength almost. Looks like Kylie is gonna give in to it-
Rich Russillo: Big mistake! Usagi lured her in for a knee to the gut, and snapmares her down to the canvas for a stomp to the face it seemed! But Kylie narrowly got out of the way, getting to a knee, and ducks underneath a roundhouse kick from Senshi! Usagi spins around into a forearm smash by Kylie, stunning her momentarily for a kick to the midsection, and penalty kick to the face, jolting “The Cryptic Ace” up!
James Peters: Kylie runs off the ropes, and takes Usagi down with a HURRICANRANA! Kylie drags her to the center of the ring, showcasing excellent ring smarts there, and goes for a deep cover, hooking the leg!
ONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TW-
James Peters: Kickout at one, and Kylie immediately transitions into a rear chinlock, staying on her opponent, refusing to let Senshi get a breather, which might be the wise decision if she wants to walk out of this with her hand raised in victory. Again, Usagi makes it to both feet, having to exert energy to do so, playing right into Kylie’s game. But she goes to rebound Grace off the ropes, only for Kylie to drop down to a knee for a second time in this matchup!
Rich Russillo: Usagi stands herself up, and so does Kylie. Senshi tags her with forearm shots to the ribs, and shoves Kylie right into the corner. HERE COMES USAGI- NO! Kylie gets her boot up, and kicks off Usagi to go up and over the top rope to the apron.
James Peters: Kylie wanted a rope-assisted enziguri as Usagi went for a strike, but Senshi blocked the kicks with her forearms, catching Kylie with a STEP-UP ENZIGURI! Kylie lies flat on the apron now, and gets pulled back into the ring by Usagi, getting whipped into the second turnbuckle, sinking down in the corner to a seated position. Like a shark that smells blood in the water, Usagi heads over there now, delivering stomp after stomp after stomp.
Rich Russillo: Finishing it off by pressing her foot into the jaw of Grace. The referee intervenes with the five count.
Referee: ONE! TWO! THREE!
James Peters: Usagi finally relents.
Rich Russillo: A newfound attitude on display here by Usagi, who slides out of the ring, grabbing hold of Kylie, and draping her out on the apron for a DDT! The padding is thin out there.
Persephone: I’d hate to see a career end before it starts! 😱
James Peters: Kylie favors her head area, and Usagi winces in pain before rolling her back in the ring, looking to score a pinfall victory here!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!
THHH-
James Peters: There’s a kickout, cutting it close to a three count, but Senshi took some time on the outside, clutching at her back, which hit hard on the outside as well, and having very thin padding, it slowed her down a bit. But she’s back up, watching as Kylie gets to all fours, attempting to knock those cobwebs out of her head. But Usagi delivers an axe kick to the upper back area, flattening Kylie on the canvas, and shoots the half for another cover!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Rich Russillo: KICKOUT!
James Peters: Kylie still has fight left in her as she gets to a knee, but is pinned back into the corner with repeated forearm strikes by Usagi! Irish whip to the opposite corner now! USAGI BUILDS A FULL HEAD OF STEAM, BUT SO DOES KYLIE, WHO COMES OUT OF THAT CORNER WITH A BASEMENT DROPKICK TO THE LEFT KNEE! Senshi clutches at said knee, writhing in pain.
Rich Russillo: Usagi flipped forward onto her back after that dropkick, possibly getting her knee hyperextended. The referee checks on Senshi, ensuring her condition is okay, but Kylie drags her away from the ropes to tack on a single leg Boston crab!
James Peters: Pain is etched across the face of Usagi, who rolls on her back, but Kylie rolls over as well, turning Senshi back prone on the canvas in that single leg! Usagi starts crawling to the ropes now, but Kylie quickly moves into a grounded front facelock. Some further damage was done to that knee, but right now, she’s leaving her opponent guessing.
Rich Russillo: I wonder what the condition of that knee is, knowing Usagi uses it to finish her opponent’s off.
Persephone: Who knows, who ca- who can’t wait to see how this match plays out??
James Peters: Usagi powers back to a vertical base, and loosens the grip of Kylie with shots to the body! Senshi leans her opposition up against the ropes, and whips her off! Kylie reverses at the last minute, and ducks down, maybe signaling for a back body drop. But who knows as Usagi counters with a sunset flip. Kylie rolls through, landing a basement dropkick to the face! Into the cover goes Kylie!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Rich Russillo: Usagi gets the shoulder up, and Kylie ponders her next decision for a moment before picking Usagi back up, and slamming her face first off the top turnbuckle in the corner! Back to the left knee, scoring constant kicks there, and a knife edge chop echoes throughout the arena! Covering up, and hoping to create seperation, Usagi staggers to the corner at the opposite end of the ropes, but not far behind is Kylie, who tags her with ANOTHER knife edge chop!
James Peters: The same routine happens for Usagi, retreating to a different corner, but there’s a third knife edge chop! Irish whip to the opposite corner now by Kylie Grace, WHO CHARGES IN WITH A STEP-UP KNEE STRIKE! That knee looks to have put Usagi on spaghetti legs, but Kylie is far from done, whipping Senshi to the opposite corner, and charging in for another offensive move! BUT USAGI GETS THE BOOT UP!
Rich Russillo: You mighta spoke too soon there, partner, as Kylie caught the leg, and took her opponent down with a dragon screw leg whip! Usagi holds that knee in pain, and Kylie allows for the referee to check on her. But once given the go ahead, Kylie delivers two stomps to the knee, followed up by a third one, landing with a little extra umph as Kylie leapt in the air for it.
James Peters: Kylie rushes into the cover, hooking that injured leg!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!
James Peters: Usagi manages to stay in this, but you gotta commend the excellent strategy done here by Kylie, targeting a body part of her opponent, and sticking to it. A foot DDT is done by Grace, followed by another, then cinches in a heel hook on Usagi!
Rich Russillo: Senshi’s looking for a way out of this, but looks panicked, being in immense pain, and I don’t know how much her knee is gonna hold up in this submission hold.
Persephone: Why take the risk? Just tap out!!!
James Peters: No, Usagi refuses, and starts scooting herself back towards the ropes, eventually making it, and managing to get both hands on the bottom rope! Kylie quickly releases the hold, and tries standing Usagi up in the center. But Senshi gets to a knee before battling back with shots to the abdominal area. Usagi stands herself upright, looking to keep up with the barrage of strikes. But a kick to the knee by Kylie stops that from happening, and she runs off the ropes in front of Usagi!
Rich Russillo: DROPKICK! KYLIE RAN RIGHT INTO A DROPKICK! But neither competitor can capitalize as each lies flat on the mat. Usagi rolls away from Kylie, clutching at that injured knee, and trying to smack some life back into it. Each competitor start to stir, and Kylie is back to her feet just a bit quicker than Usagi, who’s obviously weighed down by the injury.
James Peters: Kylie goes for a right hand, but it’s blocked with a forearm smash! USAGI ISNT DONE AS SHE TAGS KYLIE WITH A EUROPEAN UPPERCUT, SPINNING BACKFIST, AND ROUNDHOUSE KICK! Kylie went down to all fours, but almost out of instinct, staggered back to her feet. Usagi grabs ahold of her head, and begins delivering repeated headbutts, the final one being enough to knock Kylie back into the corner.
Rich Russillo: Usagi hobbles over to the corner where Kylie is, and starts landing shoot kicks to the chest, pauses taking place in between as Senshi uses that injured leg to strike. Not sure if that’s a wise decision.
Persephone: Did you magically become a doctor as of late, Rich?
Rich Russillo: Well…
James Peters: Usagi switches sides to Kylie, and begins using the opposite leg to strike with shoot kicks to the chest instead! Grace looks stunned, and gets spiked with a tornado DDT out of the corner! Cover is made, hooking the leg!
ONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
THHHHRRRRR-
Rich Russillo: Kylie gets her shoulder off the mat, keeping this match alive.
Persephone: Oh, joy…
Rich Russillo: Usagi pulls Kylie up from all fours, having her in a rear waistlock. We might be seeing the setup for ACE-PLEX! But Kylie fends it off with elbows to the back of the neck! European uppercut causes Usagi to stumble back into the corner! KYLIE CHARGES IN! But runs right into a boot by Usagi, dropping her to a knee as Usagi leaps to the middle rope. But soon as Senshi perched herself on there, KYLIE RECOVERS, AND SHOVES HER TO THE OUTSIDE!
James Peters: Usagi took a tumble to ringside, but uses the ring apron to stand herself up. BASEBALL SLIDE KNOCKS USAGI BACK INTO THE BARRICADE, AND A SUICIDE DIVE FORCES HER TO COLLIDE ONCE MORE! A dazed Usagi gets rolled back into the ring, and Kylie scales to the top rope, lining her opponent up as she slowly moves back to her feet, having no idea what’s behind her.
Rich Russillo: DIVING CROSSBODY, AND BOTH LEGS ARE HOOKED!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!
THHHHHHHRRRRREEEEEEEEE-
Rich Russillo: USAGI KICKS OUT!
James Peters: Kylie was close to pulling off an upset in her debut here, but isn’t gonna take her foot off the gas just yet, lifting Usagi back to her feet. SENSHI BREAKS FREE FROM WHATEVER KYLIE HAD PLANNED THERE, AND WENT FOR A SUPERKICK! BUT GRACE HAS IT SCOUTED, CATCHING THE BOOT, AND TRIPS USAGI DOWN TO THE CANVAS FOR ANOTHER SINGLE LEG BOSTON CRAB!
Rich Russillo: KYLIE IS MAKING SURE TO REALLY WRENCH ON IT!
James Peters: But Usagi keeps scratching, clawing her way to the ropes, and grabs hold of the bottom one. Usagi gets to one knee, but Kylie grabs the injured leg, holding it parallel to the mat, and bringing Usagi to the center, having her hop up and down on one foot to remain balanced. BUT KYLIE IS CAUGHT WITH AN ENZIGURI!
Rich Russillo: Kylie is barely able to stand, but after seeing Usagi get back to her feet, goes for a right, WHICH IS COUNTERED INTO A CROSSFACE! CROSSFACE!
James Peters: KYLIE IS SQUIRMING IN THE HOLD! BUT MAKES IT PARALLEL TO THE ROPES! ALL SHE HAS TO DO IS REACH OUT!
Rich Russillo: BUT USAGI WRENCHES FURTHER AND FURTHER ON THAT SUBMISSION HOLD, AND YOU CAN SEE KYLIE STARTING TO FADE, HER HAND SLIPPING OFF THE BOTTOM ROPE AS SHE FEINTLY REACHES! …THATS IT! KYLIE IS OU-
James Peters: ROPE BREAK! KYLIE USED HER FOOT INSTEAD, AND POSITIONED IT ON THE BOTTOM ROPE AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT! Usagi rear mounts Kylie, landing forearm after forearm to the back of the head. Usagi lifts her opponent up in a half Nelson, DUMPING HER ON THE HEAD AND NECK WITH A HALF AND HALF SUPLEX!
Persephone: Did she break it?? 🫣
Rich Russillo: No, as Kylie rolls through to a knee. Watching while Usagi creates seperation between the two before charging in with FATALITY! …BUT THE BICYCLE KNEE STRIKE IS AVOIDED BY GRACE, CAUSING USAGI TO GO KNEE FIRST INTO THE MIDDLE TURNBUCKLE!
James Peters: RUNNING BICYCLE KICK BY KYLIE SPINS HER AROUND LONG ENOUGH FOR A BACKSTABBER! COVER IS MADE!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
THHHHHHHHHRRRRRRR-
James Peters: SHOULDER UP! Kylie pounds the mat in slight frustration, but starts to eye her opponent from the corner. AND USAGI TURNS RIGHT INTO A POWER PUNCH! THE SUPERMAN PUNCH CONNECTS, AND SENSHI IS SPRAWLED ON THE MAT RIGHT NOW!
Persephone: Finally, she goes to put an end to this thing, and scales the top turnbuckle!
Rich Russillo: FALL FROM GRAC- SHOOTING STAR PRESS HAS NO WATER IN THE POOL FOR KYLIE AS USAGI GETS OUT OF THE WAY! BUT GRACES ROLLS THROUGH TO HER FEET, TURNING AROUND, AND RUNNING INTO USAGI WITH A JUMPING BACK ELBOW! BUT GETS CAUGHT IN POSITION FOR THE ACE-PLEX!
James Peters: HIGH ANGLE GERMAN SUPLEX! Usagi starts hitting her injured knee, pumping life into it, and slowly starts standing herself back up, watching as Kylie does the same thing, despite being groggy. The lightbulb goes off in the head of Usagi, WHO SPRINGS OFF THE MIDDLE TURNBUCKLE FOR A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! Kylie is laid out, and Usagi scoots herself over there for the cover, shooting the half on her limp opponent!
ONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
TWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!
THHHHHHHHRRRRRREEEEEEEEE!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Bella Braxton: HERES YOUR WINNER…USAGI SENSHI!!
(‘Catch Me If You Can’ by BABYMETAL blares throughout the arena, receiving a positive reaction from fans, who admire her fighting spirit as Usagi backs into the corner, and has her hand raised in victory by the referee, still favoring that knee.)
Persephone: It’s over!
James Peters: You’re right, it is. Usagi scores a win over Kylie Grace, who had an impressive showing on this night, almost scoring a victory over an established elitist here in EAW.
Rich Russillo: Close, but no cigar. Usagi was simply the better woman upon this night, gutting through an injured knee.
(Usagi slides out underneath the bottom rope, and stretches her leg out whilst leant up against the apron before limping up the ramp as the camera fades elsewhere.)
(Commercial promoting Fortnite: Battle Royale, where Jake Smith struggles to win a game for the entirety of the advertisement.)
(Voltage fades back to ringside, and ‘Cold War’ by Hans Zimmer begins blasting through the PA system. The music isn’t heard for very long though, as immediately after the crowd begins booing as loud as they can, giving the reaction they normally do towards Drake King. Despite the loud boos from the crowd, as Drake makes his way out to the stage he has a huge smile on his face, as well as a microphone in his hand.)
James Peters: Here we go.. We heard all that Drake King had to say at the Draft show and one thing is for sure. Out of the entire EAW roster, I’m not sure anybody is as big of a fan of the new Disney deal as Drake King.
Rich Russillo: That’s right, he even went out of his way to interrupt Bob Chapek and new Dynasty general manager Tyrone Montgomery just so he can explain how happy he is about the deal, and how this is all apparently his doing.
Persephone: Well I can definitely see why he’d be excited! This has been such a great change of pace and I couldn’t be any happier 😃!
(Drake makes his way into the ring, and he waits patiently for the crowd to quiet down so he can speak. It takes them a few more seconds to stop the loud boos, but Drake doesn’t seem bothered by it at all.)
Drake King: I can see that you all aren’t used to these changes yet, but that’s okay! By the end of the season you’ll all understand that this is just the way things needed to be around here. EAW had to change and I’m glad that there were people out there all this time that believed in that change the same way that I did. I couldn’t be any more grateful to Bob Chapek, Tyrone Montgomery, Eden Sinclair, Heidi Huxley, and most importantly myself for making all of this possible, because if it wasn’t for us we’d probably be preparing for another horrible Bloodsport event right now. This place wouldn’t have changed at all, and instead of being given the opportunity to actually move forward and show the world that we’re actually capable of putting on a good wrestling show without the need for weapons and hardcore matches, we would have spent yet another year giving everyone the same horrible product you’ve all had to sit through basically ever since EAW started. You all deserve better and for nearly two whole years I have fought to give you the EAW that you deserve, and now that we finally have that EAW, going forward I’ll be happy to take the responsibility of being the father and the leader of this new era.
(The crowd once again begins booing loudly after hearing Drake take credit for EAW’s deal with Disney. Drake still looks positive about the whole situation though, and continues to speak once he finally gets the chance.)
Drake King: As the leader of this era and the new father of EAW, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that this season is going to be the best one yet. I think it’s very clear that even the Disney executives believe in my vision for this company, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. But this is exactly what I signed up for when I returned two years ago. Fighting for an EAW like this was my sole purpose as soon as I returned to this company, and for years you all refused to believe me, but that’s okay. I’ve realized that there’s a few things I still haven’t shared with you all yet, even after all this time. I think it’s only right that I make up for that, and tell you all a story.
(The boos once again ramp up, as the fans don’t seem to want to hear anything Drake has to say.)
James Peters: A story?
Rich Russillo: What is he going to say?
(Ignoring the boos completely at this point, Drake continues speaking.)
Drake King: After Prophetic Visions two years ago, I was away for the entire first month of the season, and didn’t return until Bloodsport. It’s not really like me to take such a long period of time away from the company, but that turned out to be a much needed sabbatical. After Prophetic Visions I realized that I didn’t deserve to be in the company and for a while I even contemplated retirement, and it wasn’t until I was floating in the waters of Kalia Beach, hoping to clear my mind and finally find an answer, that I saw it. I saw a different EAW. A family friendly show that focused on actual wrestling and nothing else. This place wasn’t full of tons of needless hardcore matches and stipulations. It wasn’t full of people obsessing over Championships and awards. Instead it was full of pure competition, and you know what else I saw in my vision? Happiness. From everyone in attendance, everyone in the back, everyone putting these matches together in the first place, they were all so much happier. That’s when I finally understood what I needed to do. That’s when I finally realized that I had to return to this company and give you all the best wrestling shows possible instead of forcing you to accept the bare minimum on a weekly basis. Unfortunately I couldn’t bring Minerva and Myles around, but that’s okay because I brought EAW around. I *will* help this place change for the better, and at this point it won’t take very long before…
(Mumbling is heard in the crowd for a few seconds, and it only grows even louder, becoming a louder reaction that causes Drake to stop speaking, at this point confused by the loud noise from the crowd. Drake begins to look around, before finally stopping once he sees the stage.)
James Peters: Wait a second.. Look at the stage.. Is that?
Rich Russillo: SAMAEL?? THE 24/7 CONTRACT HOLDER?? What’s he doing here???
James Peters: Better question, why is he dressed like that?
(The man standing at the stage appeared to be Samael, but that’s not all there was to it. He has a big, innocent smile on his face that could really only be attributed to one of his alters: Michael. Drake just stares in confusion, having stopped his story entirely. Michael is holding a microphone, but on top of this he appears to be dressed for bed, even carrying a stuffed animal.)
Drake King: ….
Michael: Don’t worry, you can keep going! I won’t interrupt, I love storytime! 😁
Drake King: …..
(Michael makes his way down the ramp and towards the ring as Drake just stands there and watches, seemingly unsure of what to say.)
Rich Russillo: Well based on what we know about him, it looks like this is Michael.. And right now the 24/7 Contract holder is holding a stuffed animal…
Persephone: Fitting with the whole Disney deal and all… Since EAW is now catering to all kinds of audiences and should definitely be enjoyed by everyone! 😄
James Peters: Starting to think you were less annoying before.
(Michael finally enters the ring, and even though Drake doesn’t seem to be impressed by his appearance at all, the 24/7 Contract holder doesn’t even notice, instead sitting down inside of the ring.)
Michael: Come on, you can tell me a story, I’ll be quiet for it! I really like stories! I wanna hear a story!
Drake King: … Why are you here?
Michael: Because you were telling a story and I like stories. The one you were telling just now was really cool so I wanted to come out here and get to hear it up close. You can keep going if you want, I’ll just sit right here until you’re finished. 🙂
Drake King: No, I mean.. Why are *you* here?
Michael: I don’t know what you mean. I said that I liked your story and wanted to hear more. I don’t mean to bother you, I just really like stories. Can you tell me one now? I’m getting sleepy, I think I want a bedtime story.
Drake King: :skip: What? No. Why would I do that? This is so weird, you’re literally a grown man pretending to be a child. I don’t really know why you don’t see an issue with coming out here and asking me for a “bedtime story”, but I’m not going to do that. As you can see I have far more important matters to deal with than entertaining you, so I’d really appreciate it if you’d get out of the ring.
(This confuses Michael, and he looks a bit sad as he continues speaking.)
Michael: But I don’t understand 😕. You said you were the father of EAW, and it’s a father’s job to tell stories. You’re not being very nice! Did I do something wrong? I didn’t do anything bad, did I? I only walked out because I thought your story was nice and I really like nice stories! I hope I didn’t do anything bad. All I wanted was a bedtime story.
Drake King: I.. What?
Michael: :mjcry: Why are you being so mean? Father’s aren’t supposed to be mean! They’re supposed to be kind, and respectful, and they’re supposed to tell stories, but you didn’t tell me a story! Instead you’re being mean to me!
(Michael looks extremely sad, and at this point Drake can’t seem to take any more of the confusion.)
Drake King: You know what? This is weird. I don’t want any part of this. I’m leaving because you’re being weird and it’s making me really uncomfortable. I’ll just save the rest for another time.
(Drake begins to make his way out of the ring as Michael just watches on.)
Michael: :mjcry: Oka-
(Suddenly, Michael stops speaking, which confuses Drake once again as he stops at the bottom of the ramp, looking back at the 24/7 Contract Holder inside of the ring.)
Michael: …..
(After a few seconds, the look on Michael’s face changes, and as soon as he begins to speak it becomes clear exactly why it changed.)
Caine: You shouldn’t be so rude, Drake.
Drake King: :comeagain:
(The crowd remains completely quiet, and even Drake is a bit taken aback by how different Caine’s demeanor is to Michael’s, unable to even say anything as Caine just continues to speak.)
Caine: Now, we’re all watching you.
Drake King: …
(With Drake unable to even come up with the right words to say, Caine just begins laughing, completely unlike the tone Michael had earlier. Caine’s laugh is far more sinister, which causes Drake to slowly begin backing up the ramp.)
Michael: Okay, bai! 👋😃
(Michael waves at Drake with that same innocent smile he had on his face, and while Drake is clearly still shaken by all of this, he shakes his head and begins to make his way up the ramp, doing his best to try and forget any of this even happened.)
James Peters: … What just happened?
Rich Russillo: I wish I could tell you. Michael didn’t seem like himself at all near the end there, but I think that’s because Michael wasn’t the one talking.
James Peters: Yeah, that sounded a lot more like Caine, and I don’t think that’s the type of person Drake would really want to be around, let alone get on the bad side of. :lupe:
Persephone: 😴😴😴- uh what? I mean- yeah! Caine’s very scary, be careful! 😄
Rich Russillo: I still don’t know if he really only came out for a story, but after what we just saw, I think things might have become much worse for Drake. :lupe:
(Drake continues making his way up the ramp, moving with a bit of a faster pace just to get away from all of this. Michael is still sitting in the ring waving at Drake, and has such a normal smile, as if nothing just happened, that it’s almost creepy. From there, Voltage fades away from ringside.)
(The scene opens backstage with a lot of staff and wrestlers walking around. Things were a lot more tense than usual with everyone trying to get used to the new rules Disney placed on not just Voltage, but Elite Answers Wrestling as a whole. It was obvious the ones who were hit the hardest were Voltage though. The wrestlers were mostly fine, they were simply preparing for their matches like usual, even though a few of them weren’t able to swear as much. But the staff had to deal with the chaos of getting rid of the weapons and objects that were considered “too extreme”.)
(One of the cameramen were trying to navigate through the chaos backstage as he was requested to film something for one of the wrestlers. He finally encountered the wrestler, that person being Halsey Neel. She was already in her ring gear as she was warming up and doing some last minute training before her match against Hikari Kanno. She turned towards the camera as she finished training and began to speak.)
Halsey Neel: Kept you waiting, huh? I know you all missed me here- Actually, in fact, you didn’t. I wasn’t gone for that long to be missed, I was last here 3 weeks ago. It really is crazy that I first arrived here in EAW on the Voltage brand, then I was moved to Dynasty, and now here I am back on Voltage. Either the General Manager’s of the brands I mentioned really want me to be on their roster, or I am simply involved in a real life game of “Where’s Waldo?”. Either way, no matter what brand I am on, Halsey Neel is there to stay and reach the top, even if I have to drag every other person in my way down to hell to reach it. That’s exactly what I tried to do at Pain for Pride 15, but I guess I wasn’t able to climb out of Hell in time. Now, the stakes were incredibly high at the 24/7 Battle Royale, even though I lost a few brain cells with a specific group of annoying children in that match, I needed to deal with them to achieve the 24/7 Contract and put my name in history. It was going to be the start of my legacy here in EAW, the starting point of everything for one of the future stars in EAW, Halsey Neel.
Halsey Neel: But in the end, it wasn’t meant to be, I wasn’t able to win the match and acquire the contract. Does it suck that I lost? Definitely. It does annoy me a bit that I had to take time out of my day talking to people who didn’t even see any worth in the match in the first place. But aside from that, I won’t let this loss define my career going forward. I am not that kind of person, Halsey Neel ain’t boring, the people who plague this sport are. Because they would rather go on Social Media acting like a crybaby and expecting the whole world to be handed to them, but me? I don’t need anybody’s pity, I will continue to go and kick people’s asses along the way. Because if you expected me to be someone to cry about a loss, then you are wrong. I am not a pitiful sack of sh- Oh, yeah, almost slipped up there. Oh well, you know how the word ends.
Halsey Neel: The point is that even though Pain for Pride didn’t go my way, even though I failed to capture the 24/7 Contract, I am not going to sit around and whine about it. The world isn’t going to stop for me because I broke one of my nails, I need to continue going and fighting because I am not going to get anywhere if I go through that kind of approach. And as various people have already said, it is a new season after all! The poor spin off of saying the sentence “New year, new me”, and yes, a new chapter for everyone to write their stories. I do have new goals and objectives, but my legacy will stay the same no matter what. A legacy built and written in the blood of every other Elitist that dares to step in my way. Because even though I am starting a supposedly new chapter in my career, I am back at the same starting point. I was drafted back to the same show I started my EAW career on, only this time things will be done differently.
Halsey Neel: I know how to pick myself back up when dealing with losses and setbacks, but it doesn’t mean I am going to ignore them either. I have learned a lot in the past few months of my career as well and I am a bigger threat than ever. Honestly, as far as I am concerned, everyone on Voltage has a target on their back, including Hikari Kanno, the person I will wrestle against in just a few minutes. She might have been here far longer than me, I won’t deny that she is far more established than me either… but that won’t stop me from getting in the ring with her and putting her down on the ground. By the time this season ends, everyone on this brand will know who Halsey Neel is and just how dangerous she can really be.
(Halsey was going to leave at that moment but then stopped herself as she looked at the camera man again and a small grin appeared on her face.)
Halsey Neel: Oh, hey! You are the camera man I encountered after that backstage brawl I was in… I think, whatever. Either way, I heard that last thing you said before I left, and don’t worry, I won’t kick your butt, you aren’t worth that. Just make sure to always watch your back… even when you least expect it.
(Halsey gave a few more firmer pats on the shoulder of the camera man as she finally took her leave. The camera man could only stand there terrified.. The last shot was of Halsey walking off with confidence towards the ring for her match as Voltage faded away to ringside.)
(Voltage fades back to ringside, where Bella Braxton is seen standing in the center of the ring.)
Bella Braxton: Ladies and gentlemen… The following contest is scheduled for ONE FALL!!!
Crowd: ONE FALL!!!
(‘Seek and Destroy’ by Metallica plays as the crowd gives a mixed reaction for Halsey Neel. Halsey steps out from behind the curtain and pays no attention to the reaction, taking a breath before making her way to the ring.)
Bella Braxton: INTRODUCING FIRST…FROM BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND…WEIGHING IN AT 140 POUNDS….SHE IS “THE RIPPER”….HAALLSEEYYYY NEEEELLLLL!!!
Rich Russillo: Someone I was excited to see landed on our brand. We all have heard nothing but great things about Halsey with her sky being the limit, and she has a huge opportunity to make a great first impression tonight.
Persephone: Oh that’s right, she was on Voltage last season for like a cup of coffee last season, right? Let’s see if the second run is any better. 😃
(Halsey waits in her corner as ‘As Long As I Love’ by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure plays, and the boos come raining down on Hikari Kanno, who doesn’t look in the best of moods. She begins walking to the ring with her eyes lasered on Halsey Neel.)
Bella Braxton: AND HER OPPONENT…FROM OKINAWA, JAPAN…WEIGHING IN AT 121 POUNDS….SHE IS “THE PENITENT IDOL”…..HIKKKARRIIII KAANNOOOOO!!!!!!
James Peters: She’s back on the yellow brand, and as you can tell, still a little taken back from falling short in the Iconic Cup at Pain for Pride.
Rich Russillo: She dominated her block and she wanted that win more than anything, but failed in her mission, and now she enters Season 16 with a world of possibilities in front of her. By the look on her face, it’s hard to see anybody stopping her from achieving those goals she set out for herself since she took out her partner Miku.
(Hikari slides in the ring, with both Halsey and Hikari not taking their eyes off one another as the referee calls for the bell.)
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
Rich Russillo: And here we go! Hikari and Halsey circle the ring and then hold up their arms for a test of strength…before both lock up in a collar and elbow tie-up! And Hikari looks to have the advantage….but then Halsey takes control, and then she pushes her back into the corner, and Halsey with a knife edge chop! Another one! And then a third, those sounded absolutely vicious almost like gunshots as Halsey grabs ahold of her by the arm.
James Peters: Halsey goes for the irish whip, but Hikari leaps above the top rope, and drops below looking to roll up Halsey…but Halsey rolls through it back up to her feet…and she goes for the kick to the side of the head…and Hikari this time ducks and quickly stands facing Halsey’s back….and delivers a snap german suplex! Halsey pulls herself up in the corner – AND HERE COMES HIKARI WITH A FULL HEAD OF STEAM…AND HIKARI RUNS AND DRIVES BOTH OF HER KNEES INTO THE CHEST OF HALSEY!
Persephone: And Hikari looks to follow it up with a monkey flip from the corner….BUT HALSEY HOLDS HER WEIGHT UPWARDS…AND THEN DUMPS HIKARI OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE OUTSIDE FLOOR BESIDE HER! Hikari holds her neck in some discomfort as she may have landed a bit awkwardly.
James Peters: Halsey sees that, and lets out a little smile at seeing Hikari in pain. Halsey sees Hikari getting up to her feet…and she runs and takes her out with a suicide Hikari gets drove back first into the barricade. Halsey can feel the momentum building up for her as she goes to grab Hikari and get back in the ring…BUT HIKARI DRIVES HER BACK FIRST INTO THE STEEL STEPS! AND HIKARI FOLLOWS IT UP BY THROWING HER FULL SPEED SHOULDER FIRST INTO THE BARRICADE!
Rich Russillo: Hikari wastes no time getting Halsey back in the ring before climbing up to the apron waiting for Halsey to turn around, and Hikari slingshots from the second rope and delivers the slingshot spear! And Hikari goes for the first cover in this match!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Persephone: The match continues! :blessed: couldn’t be happier! And Hikari immediately goes right back on the attack, Hikari picks her up by the head and looks to be going for a suplex… but Halsey blocks it with her foot, and then she picks up Hikari in a suplex position, BUT HIKARI DRIVES HER KNEE INTO HER SKULL CAUSING HALSEY TO DROP HER DOWN! And then Hikari grabs ahold of her head and repeatedly drives her knee into the face!
Rich Russillo: That causes Halsey to stumble back into the corner, and Hikari charges..but nobody home as Halsey sidestepped at the last second! Hikari turns around and Halsey picks her up in a fireman’s carry…and hits a samoan drop! Halsey doesn’t stop there as she mounts over Hikari and throws several haymakers to the face. Hikari is trying her best to cover up but is having little success. Halsey stands and stalks Hikari before she turns around…and she picks her up on the shoulders again, but Hikari slips from behind and delivers a chop block to the back of the knee taking Halsey down!
James Peters: Hikari runs off the ropes- AND SHE DELIVERS A RUNNING KNEE TO THE KNEELED HALSEY! SHE DOESN’T GO FOR THE COVER THOUGH, INSTEAD LOCKING IN THE PRISON LOCK! HALSEY SCREAMS IN PURE AGONY AS HIKARI APPLIES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE SUBMISSION HOLD!! Halsey though is refusing to tap out, and she sees the rope a few feet away, but can she reach it?
Persephone: SHE’S ABOUT TO REACH THE ROPE…BUT HIKARI LETS GO OF THE SUBMISSION AND DRAGS HER BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RING AND LOOKS TO LOCK IT IN AGAIN! HIKARI REFUSED TO LET HER GRAB THE ROPE! But this time…Halsey uses her feet and pushes Hikari back buying herself a few seconds to get to a vertical base….ONLY TO RUN RIGHT INTO A BIG BOOT! I THINK I SAW A TOOTH GO FLYING AS THIS TIME HIKARI GOES FOR THE COVER!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
James Peters: And a kickout from Halsey! Hikari stands above Halsey, looking to pick her spot…and delivers a soccer style to the stomach! Halsey pulls herself up in the corner…AND HIKARI CHARGES ONCE AGAIN, AND SHE CONNECTS WITH THE HIGH KNEE AND LOOKS TO FOLLOW IT UP WITH THE BULLDOG…BUT HALSEY THROWS HER OFF AS SHE HOLDS THE ROPE BESIDE HER TO KEEP BALANCED!
Rich Russillo: Hikari rolls under the bottom rope and stands on the apron. AND LOOK OUT – HALSEY COMES AND TAKES HER OUT WITH A SPEAR THROUGH THE SECOND ROPE AND BOTH COMPETITORS CRASH AT RINGSIDE! Momentum looks to just be going back and forth between one another.
Persephone: The matches we all love. :drakelike:
Rich Russillo: Both competitors crawl away from one another and both begin climbing the apron in front of them. They both stand and face one another…AND A RIGHT HAND FROM HALSEY! AND NOW ONE FROM HIKARI! HALSEY NOW TRIES TO GRABS HIKARI’S HEAD AND GO FOR A DDT ON THE APRON…BUT HIKARI FIGHTS OUT OF IT…AND OH MY – HIKARI DELIVERS A HIGH KNEE TO THE BRIDGE OF THE NOSE, AND HALSEY IS BARELY HOLDING ON TO THE ROPE KEEPING HER FROM FALLING…AND OH NO!
James Peters: HIKARI HOOKS BOTH OF THE ARMS – AND A DRAGON SUPLEX ON THE EDGE OF THE APRON!! HIKARI WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY ROLLS HALSEY BACK IN THE RING AND GOES FOR THE WIN!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!
Persephone: A KICKOUT FROM HALSEY!!! This wonderful match rolls on. 😀
(Instant replay of the snap dragon suplex on the edge of the apron.)
James Peters: Hikari stands and leans against the ropes, strategizing her next move in this one. Hikari looks down at Halsey before approaching to grab Halsey off the mat, but Halsey is trying to fight out of it, AND HALSEY SLAPS THE HANDS AWAY AND DELIVERS AN ENZIGURI KICK TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD STUNNING HIKARI! AND THEN SHE FOLLOWS IT WITH A ROUNDHOUSE KICK! HALSEY HAS ALL THE MOMENTUM IN THIS MATCH ON HER SIDE RIGHT NOW!
Rich Russillo: Hikari looks to be in a vulnerable spot, AND HALSEY LEAPS AND GRABS AHOLD OF THE ARM AND DROPS DOWN! THE TRIANGLE ARMBAR IS APPLIED, AND HIKARI AS OF THIS SECOND HAS NOWHERE TO GO!!
Persephone: Hikari is refusing to die as the pressure gets worse. Hikari is trying to reach for the ropes with her leg, but is still several feet away….AND WITH ONE BIG LUNGE, SHE STRETCHES HER LOWER BODY GETTING FOOT ON THE BOTTOM ROPE AS HALSEY IS FORCED TO BREAK THE HOLD! Halsey after several seconds stands and goes to pick Hikari up – BUT HIKARI DELIVERS A ROUNDHOUSE KICK OF HER OWN FROM OUT OF NOWHERE AS BOTH WOMEN ARE DOWN NOW!
Rich Russillo: Both begin to stir on opposite sides of the ring from each other, and they both run at the same time – and Hikari sidesteps sending Halsey into the ropes and…Halsey takes down Hikari with a flying forearm shot! Hikari stands back up and Hamsey is waiting for her – AND SHE PICKS HER UP IN A FIREMAN’S CARRY…SHE’S GOING FOR “BLOOD ON THE LEAVES” – BUT HIKARI THROWS REPETITIVE ELBOW SHOTS TO THE FACE, AND SHE MANAGES TO SLIP OUT FROM BEHIND…AND THEN SHE HITS ANOTHER GERMAN SUPLEX BUT THIS TIME THE BACK OF HALSEY’S HEAD HITS THE SECOND TURNBUCKLE!!
Persephone: That must hurt, and she’s a sitting duck sitting in the corner now and Hikari knows this – AND HIKARI COMES FULL SPEED AND HITS A RUNNING BOOT TO THE FACE OF THE SEATED HALSEY! Halsey could be in a world of trouble now as she turns around and Hikari throws her arm around the shoulder….”BRIGHTSTAR!!!!” THE URANAGE SLAM CONNECTS! WHAT ELEVATION THERE AS HIKARI HOOKS THE LEG FOR THE COVER!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!
James Peters: AND HALSEY GETS THE SHOULDER UP AT THE LAST SECOND! Hikari gives a little sigh but doesn’t let it phase her in the slightest as she gets to a vertical base. And now look…Hikari begins to stomp away at the head of Halsey! She already might have a concussion from her head hitting the turnbuckle a few moments ago.
Rich Russillo: Hikari is relentless in the attack on the head, and I think Hikari was softening up her potential final blow to put this match away as Halsey turns around and walks right into the arms of Hikari – “ALLELUIA!!!” NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB…BUT HALSEY SLIPS OUT FROM THE BACK AND PUSHES HIKARI FORWARD OFF THE ROPES AND HAS THE ROLL-UP!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!
James Peters: HIKARI REVERSES IT INTO HER OWN PIN!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEE!!!!!
Persephone: BUT HALSEY ESCAPES OUT OF IT AND BOTH WOMEN RACE TO THEIR FEET! AND HIKARI GOES FOR A BOOT TO THE FACE, BUT HALSEY DUCKED UNDER…AND SHE TAKES OUT HIKARI WITH A SPINNING LARIAT ALMOST TAKING HER HEAD CLEAN OFF!
James Peters: HIKARI STUMBLES BACK UP TO HER FEET NOT HAVING A CLUE OF WHERE SHE IS, AND SHE WALKS RIGHT ONTO THE SHOULDERS OF HALSEY – “BLOOD ON THE LEAVES!!!!” THE FIREMAN’S CARRY ROUNDHOUSE KICK AND HALSEY DROPS DOWN ON TOP OF HIKARI FOR THE UPSET WIN!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEE!!!!!
James Peters: HIKARI KANNO KICKS OUT!! And Halsey runs her fingers through her hair wondering what to do next. The big question is if Hikari just took Halsey’s best shot.
Persephone: I hope not because I want this match to go on forevvver.
Rich Russillo: :usure:
James Peters: Halsey looks for her next move to perhaps put this match away for her. OH NO! SHE GRABS THE RIGHT LEG OF HIKARI AND IS TRYING TO LOCK IN “THE DECONSTRUCTION OF EVERYTHING!!” THE TEQUILA SUNRISE SUBMISSION, BUT HIKARI IS REFUSING TO LET IT HAPPEN, BUT HALSEY LOOKS LIKE SHE MIGHT OVERPOWER HER!
Rich Russillo: BUT HIKARI OUT OF DESPERATION CRAWLS AND GRABS THE ROPE BEFORE THE SUBMISSION IS LOCKED IN! Halsey is trying to drag her back to the center of the ring, but Hikari won’t let go. And Hikari hits Halsey in the kneecap taking her down to a knee as Hikari slowly pulls herself up with the ropes. Hikari sees Halsey in a vulnerable position…AND SHE CHARGES GOING FOR ANOTHER RUNNING KNEE STRIKE TO THE FACE…
Persephone: BUT HALSEY SIDE STEPS AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND! AND THEN SHE HAS A BACKSLIDE PIN…BUT HIKARI ROLLS THROUGH IT BACK UP TO HER FEET…AND A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE HEAD OF HALSEY! ANOTHER BLOW TO THE HEAD OF HALSEY AND YOU HAVE TO WONDER JUST HOW MUCH MORE SHE CAN TAKE. Hikari looks to finally put this match away as she picks up Halsey and has her in position for – BUT HALSEY ISN’T DONE YET!
James Peters: HALSEY WITH A SHOT TO THE MIDSECTION! AND THEN ANOTHER ONE…AND THEN SHE MANAGES TO CREATE SOME SEPARATION WITH A EUROPEAN UPPERCUT TO THE JAW THAT STUMBLES HIKARI BACK A FEW FEET! HIKARI RUNS AT HER AGAIN, AND HALSEY GOES FOR A SPEAR, BUT HIKARI SIDEATEPS IT AS HALSEY RUNS OFF THE OPPOSITE ROPES…AND THE SPEAR CONNECTS THIS TIME ALMOST SLICING HIKARI IN HALF AS HALSEY GOES FOR THE COVER ONCE MORE!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEE!!!!
Rich Russillo: HIKARI GETS THE SHOULDER UP AGAIN! And now Halsey might be a little frustrated as she holds her head in some pain as she gets back to her feet. Halsey is stalking Hikari from behind like a shark that smells blood in the water…
James Peters: HALSEY PLACES HER BETWEEN THE LEGS AND IS GOING FOR WHAT SHE CALLS “THE FALL”!!! SHE TRIES PICKING HER UP, BUT LOOK!! HIKARI IS STRUGGLING TRYING TO FIGHT OUT AS HIKARI WON’T LET HER GET HER FULL WEIGHT UPWARDS, .AND SHE COUNTERS WITH A BACK BODY DROP, AND BOTH ARE DOWN AGAIN AS THEY GINGERLY BOTH MAKE THEIR WAY TO THEIR FEET STARING AT ONE ANOTHER! SHOT FROM HALSEY! A SHOT FROM HIKARI! HALSEY! HIKARI! HIKARI! HIKARI LOOKS LIKE HIKARI IS THE ONE IN CONTROL HERE, AND ONCE AGAIN DRIVES HER KNEE INTO THE FACE OF HALSEY!
Persephone: HIKARI BACKS UP A FEW STEPS…AND GOES FOR A THRUST KICK – BUT HALSEY PICKS HIKARI UP IN A POWERBOMB POSITION…AND THROWS HER INTO THE TURNBUCKLE CONNECTING WITH THE BUCKLE BOMB! HIKARI IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE HERE…”OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!!!” THE BICYCLE AND YAZUKA KICK COMBO AS HALSEY GOES FOR THE COVER!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!
James Peters: NO!!! HIKARI AGAIN GETS THE SHOULDER UP AND HALSEY LAYS ON THE MAT IN EXHAUSTION! Halsey slowly pulls herself up in the corner and she approaches Hikari who is stirring on a knee – AND HIKARI TAKES OUT HALSEY WITH A BELLY TO BELLY!
Rich Russillo: But before Hikari can do anything, Halsey uses her ring awareness and rolls to the apron and slowly pulls herself up on the outside apron. Hikari grabs her by the head…BUT HALSEY I THINK WAS EXPECTING IT AS SHE DROPS TO THE OUTSIDE FLOOR HOTSHOTTING HIKARI THROAT FIRST OFF THE ROPE, AND SHE’S STUNNED ON A KNEE AS HALSEY LOOKS TO FINALLY PUT THIS MATCH AWAY! SHE GOES FOR “THE FALL” AGAIN – BUT HIKARI IS STILL FIGHTING AS SHE DRIVES HER BACK FIRST INTO THE CORNER! HIKARI DELIVERS SEVERAL BODY SHOTS AND A FINAL FOREARM BEFORE LIFTING HER UP ON THE TOP ROPE!
Persephone: Oh no, this is a dangerous spot to be as Hikari climbs up top with her…SHE’S GOING FOR “IDOL STAR DROP!!” BUT HALSEY IS THE ONE FIGHTING WITH EVERYTHING SHE’S GOT THROWING SEVERAL BACK HANDED ELBOW STRIKES, AND HIKARI RELEASES THE GRIP! AND BOTH ARE BATTLING FOR POSITION ON THE TOP ROPE – HEADBUTT FROM HALSEY NEEL!!! HIKARI IS HANGING ON BY A THREAD ON THE TOP, AND WHAT IS HALSEY GOING FOR?!
James Peters: HALSEY PICKS HER UP ON THE BACK…AND SHE’S GOING FOR “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS” FROM THE TOP ROPE…BUT HIKARI AGAIN IS FIGHTING BACK DRIVING ELBOWS INTO THE HEAD, AND SHE SLIPS OFF HER BACK, AND AGAIN BOTH ARE FIGHTING FOR CONTROL ON THE TOP ROPE.. AND OUT OF NOWHERE HIKARI DELIVERS A HIGH ROUNDHOUSE KICK! HALSEY LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF IT JUST BARELY HOLDING ON…AND UH OH! “BRIGHTSTAR!!!” THE URANAGE FROM THE TOP ROPE!
Rich Russillo: BUT HALSEY THROWS ELBOWS TO THE SIDE OF HER FACE! BOTH HAVE GONE FOR THE FINAL BLOW AND BOTH HAVE REFUSED TO LET IT HAPPEN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE BACK AT SQUARE ONE! AND NOW BOTH OF THEM ARE EXCHANGING SHOTS WITH ONE ANOTHER BEFORE – HALSEY GOES FOR THE SUNSET FLIP OFF THE TOP ROPE AND IT CONNECTS!! HIKARI IS UP AND HALSEY CHARGES LOOKING FOR A SPEAR –
Persephone: BUT HIKARI MOVES OUT OF THE WAY AND SENDS HALSEY SHOULDER FIRST INTO THE RING POST THROUGH THE SECOND TURNBUCKLE! HIKARI IS IN PRIME POSITION NOW AS HALSEY BACKS AWAY FROM THE CORNER AND HIKARI IS WAITING FOR HER AS HIKARI – “ALLELUIA”!!!! THE NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB CONNECTS THIS TIME AS HIKARI KANNO HOOKS THE LEG FOR THE VICTORY!!
OOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
TTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!!
(Ding Ding! Ding!)
Bella Braxton: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… HERE IS YOUR WINNER… HIKARI KANNO!!!!
( The former tag champ rolls off of Halsey with a smile on her face. ‘As Long As I Love’ has started to play as the referee helps Hikari stand and raises her hand. Halsey had done a great job and put up an incredible fight, but in the end, Hikari was able to get the job done and start her season off with a win. )
James Peters: Incredible match to get the Season 16 campaigns started for both of these amazing women! Halsey Neel has proven on several occasions that she has a bright future ahead of her and tonight was no exception. She has everything needed to become a major player here, and I’m glad that she’s back on Voltage.
Persephone: Me too, Jim! I’m super glad that Halsey has managed to last two months longer than most people who come through these doors and don’t pick up several wins in a row right away! That’s totally a valid reason to assume she has a wonderful future here in the land of Elite 😀!
Rich Russillo: And of course, hats off to Hikari Kanno. I have no doubt that losing the Iconic Cup in the fashion she did to someone as insufferable as Harper Lee hurt, but she’s come out fighting to begin the season. We have seen Hikari go through some absolute wars here and I still believe that championship gold is well within her reach.
( Hikari has rolled out of the ring and is starting to make her way up the ramp. As she does this, her music comes to an abrupt halt and that stops Hikari before she can even get half-way up the ramp. The crowd begins to murmur because someone has stepped on stage and that person is none other than the former Soothsayer Hamasa, Natasha Agnello! )
Persephone: Ohhh goody! I love when people come out and keep us from going to a commercial break! Totally makes my night and gives us an even longer show!
James Peters: Now what kind of business could someone like Natasha have with Hikari?
Rich Russillo: Well, Natasha has a microphone so something tells me we’re about to find out.
Persephone: I absolutely LOVE it when you are so completely obvious, Rich!
James Peters: :mjlol:
Rich Russillo: :mjcry:
( Rich is right, of course. Natasha does have a microphone and she holds up a delicate hand to let Hikari know that she comes in peace. The crowd is quieting down because this isn’t necessarily something they thought they would see, and if Natasha is around, that means there’s a good chance Theron Nikolas is around. )
Natasha Agnello: Congratulations on your victory, Hikari.
( Hikari doesn’t reply. )
Natasha Agnello: It’s obvious that Season 15 brought an influx of talent into this company, both young and old, and Halsey Neel most certainly gave you a run for your money. Whether you choose to admit it or not, she has what is needed to make it as far as she wants here EAW, as long as she stays the course and trusts herself and her abilities. I remember similar things being said about you upon your arrival. There was a certain buzz around the wrestling industry that the duo affectionately known as IDOL-GUN would shake EAW to its very core and give people something to be excited about! Miku Sakai and yourself burst onto the scene and defeated nearly everyone that was placed in your path. Your win/loss record is impressive when you look at the names on it, and it goes without saying that winning the Unified Tag Team Championships so early into your career backed up the hype. I have to give you credit where it is due. IDOL-GUN was a seamless unit; respected and revered. You two could very well have gone down in history as one of the greatest tag teams to ever compete in this company, and I have seen my fair share of great tag teams. Even during my absence from this company, I always watched and kept my eyes on things, because I knew one day I would be back, and IDOL-GUN was exciting. You two were interesting. The expectations I had for the two of you were extremely high, and I’m likely speaking for the rest of the world as well when I say that.
( Natasha pauses, her mesmerizing eyes never leaving Hikari, who has been standing in the same spot on the stage. She has not moved towards Natasha, nor has she said anything. Like everyone else, Hikari seems to be curious about where this could possibly be going. )
Natasha Agnello: Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out as expected. IDOL-GUN lost the championships at Pain for Pride to two people who are no longer in this company. You made the decision to go after Ms. Extreme and her newly won Universal Women’s Championship, which ended in a way I am sure you would love to forget. While an injury hampered your progress for a while, Miku went on to claim her first singles championship and nearly won herself the Empress of Elite crown. There is no doubt in my mind that when you returned, you expected things to fall into place for you. You have always been very high on yourself, and naturally assumed that championship gold and big time wins would come your way. The match with he who shall not be named should have been your crowning moment, but believe me, Hikari. As much as it pains me to admit this, he ages like a fine wine. With a young wife and brand new family, he will forever maintain his youth and his thirst for blood on his hands to defend what he has built, and you bit off more than you could chew when you decided that you would make your name as a solo act at his expense. You may have walked away from that match. You may have pushed him to his limit. But that elusive, career-defining victory still eludes you, and for the second year in a row, you failed at Pain for Pride. You could be standing here as the Universal Women’s Champion. I could be addressing you as such. Instead, you have nothing to your name; no title, no big victory, and no friends. Professional wrestling is a cruel and rather unforgiving business. Take it from me. I would know.
Natasha Agnello: I spent several years shackled to a man that I was expected to serve without question. I did my due diligence and more often than not at the cost of my own well-being. When I took back my freedom, I wasn’t left with a lot of pride. I had to slowly rebuild it and find myself, and that is what drew me to Theron. It is what draws me to you.
( Hikari raises an eyebrow. )
Hikari Kanno: ( off-mic ) To me?
Natasha Agnello: Yes. Theron is in the process of regaining control of himself and finding his pride again. You must do the same thing after your setbacks, Hikari, or you risk becoming lost forever. I don’t think it’s any secret that your biggest fear when it comes to this business is failure and becoming stagnant, and the very thought of the Unified Tag Team Championship reign you had with Miku being your only accolade terrifies you. You haven’t done nearly enough to prove yourself and you risk being lost in the shuffle especially when this place seems to be more competitive than it’s ever been. There are so many Elitists who are on the same level, or right on the cusp of cementing themselves as all-time greats. There’s a plethora of Hall of Famers still active and frothing at the mouth to add to their already impressive legacies. You have hungry newcomers who look to make impacts, especially as this new season gets underway and everyone is given a fresh start, and of course, there are those who are stuck somewhere in the middle.
Natasha Angello: Those just like you.
( Hikari is starting to become annoyed with Natasha, and Natasha notices this. )
Natasha Agnello: I don’t say this to frustrate you, Hikari, or even hurt you, although the truth more often than not hurts. I say this to motivate you and light a fire under you, because I truly believe you are more than just a failed idol. In fact, Theron himself believes you are more than what you are presenting to the world and when we discussed potential opponents for this upcoming season, your name is one that kept coming up. Voltage is full of brand new opponents and big names for Theron to test himself against, but like I said, I am drawn to you. You need a match against someone like Theron just as much as he needs a match against you. He disposed of Cameron Ella Ava at Pain for Pride, an enemy of his past who needed a refresher course of who she used to be. Theron needs a match against you, someone who should very well be one of the stars of the future, to show that it doesn’t matter the era or the opponent, he will stand against anyone and fight to reclaim what is his.
( A little smile crosses Natasha’s striking face. )
Natasha Agnello: And you need this match because you are desperate for that big win. You said yourself this week. Since January, you have faced a who’s who of no one, picking up hollow victories that won’t really mean anything in the long run, and when you finally get yourself into a match that does matter, it never seems to work out in your favor. Theron Nikolas is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of EAW and regardless of where he’s been, his name is forever stamped in history and it can not be erased. What better way to elevate yourself than giving Theron a true fight. You’re nothing if not determined, and I believe you two can bring out the best in each other. Of course, if you do decide to accept this offer, be aware that Theron will challenge you. He will make you think on your feet and expose the holes in your game. Right now, you may not be at your most confident, but you are ruled by ego and I have no doubt that you will accept this match and go in blind, putting yourself above someone who has seen it all and done it all. After all, that is what cost you against he who shall not be named, and again, it was that ego that cost you the Iconic Cup and a chance to become the Universal Women’s Champion. Consider this offer a chance to rectify the mistakes you made against them and put yourself in a better position to perhaps win this time around.
( Natasha pauses for a moment, and there’s a hint of mischief in her eyes. )
Natasha Agnello: But be very aware of the man who will stand opposite of you and what his purpose for fighting will be. Midsummer Massacre seems like the perfect setting for this battle, but I don’t want your answer now, Hikari. I want you to think about this and come next week, the two of us can revisit this conversation.
( Natasha lowers the microphone and stares Hikari down. It is obvious to her that Hikari is ready to accept, so she turns her back before Hikari can even open her mouth. Natasha disappears behind the curtain, and Hikari’s expression is hard to read. )
James Peters: Now what kind of game is Natasha Agnello trying to play with Hikari Kanno? She just came out here and challenged her on behalf of Theron Nikolas, but disappeared before Hikari could reply. I’m not really sure what to make of that.
Rich Russillo: I don’t think anyone in this building knows what to make of it either. Hikari is heading backstage now, but I wish Natasha would have given her a chance to speak.
Persephone: Oh me too! Hikari Kanno saying the same things she has said over and over again is absolutely everything we all need and immediately. I just love when Elitists talk themselves up! And wow! A match against two people who haven’t won a meaningful match in a whole year! That is truly going to be a thing of beauty to see at Midsummer Massacre should Hikari accept the challenge!
( The camera takes a final shot of Hikari as she disappears behind the guerilla curtain, and then fades away from ringside. )
(Voltage fades to the backstage area, where a bunch of screaming and confusion is heard from various people. As the camera pans towards the commotion, it appears to be caused by Dynasty Elitist and Specialists Champion Serenity Valdez, who’s surrounded by a few officials.)
Serenity Valdez: WHERE IS SHE?? WHERE’S DIAMOND???
Referee #1: :whoa: Like we said, we have no idea!
Referee #2: We can let you know if we run into her but that’s really the best we can do when you shouldn’t even be here right now!
Referee #3: I don’t even know if she showed up tonight. We’ll keep a lookout-
Serenity Valdez: FORGET IT! You’re all so useless, I’ll find her myself!
(Serenity Valdez is clearly pissed off after what happened on Dynasty just days ago, where Diamond Dixon would attack her in the parking lot. Serenity storms past the officials, beginning to go door to door to try and find where Diamond Dixon is hiding.)
Serenity Valdez: I know you’re here Diamond, you’re not gonna fool me again! You got lucky on Dynasty, that’s not gonna happen this time!
(Serenity runs into staff members, Elitists, all kinds of people as she searches all around the backstage area, but she just grows more annoyed as she can’t seem to find Diamond anywhere. Serenity clearly believes that Diamond is somewhere in the arena after Diamond got the better of her on Dynasty with a sneak attack, and now the Specialists Champion wants revenge. After a while, Serenity just stops in her tracks, shaking her head before mumbling a few words to herself.)
Serenity Valdez: … Fine. I’m gonna get payback one way or another.
(With that said, Serenity turns around, beginning to walk in the opposite direction. The camera begins to fade back to ringside, panning towards the commentary table.)
James Peters: :lupe: It looks like Serenity Valdez is trying to get revenge on Diamond Dixon, but Diamond is nowhere to be found! If anything that probably made Serenity even more frustrated after being attacked by Diamond two weeks in a row, but that might have been part of Diamond’s plan!
Rich Russillo: I don’t think Serenity Valdez was leaving the arena though… It actually looked like she’s making her way out here!
Persephone: Well I have literally no idea what she could possibly be doing out here right now, but I’m sure it’ll be very fun to watch! 😄
(‘Demeanor’ by Pop Smoke and Dua Lipa hits, and as the crowd boos, Serenity Valdez makes her way out, wasting no time whatsoever as she makes her way down the ramp. Serenity doesn’t react to the boos at all, clearly only having one thing on her mind right now, that being Diamond Dixon.)
James Peters: And there’s the Specialists Champion now!
Rich Russillo: Yeah, and it looks like she might be looking to share a few words tonight!
(Serenity quickly heads over to the timekeepers area and snatches a microphone, before finally entering the ring and beginning to speak.)
Serenity Valdez: You think you’re funny, don’t you Diamond? I KNOW YOU’RE HERE! For the past two weeks all you’ve done is try and sneak attack me, who do you think you are? Did you really think that I was just gonna sit back and let you get away with trying to embarrass me two weeks in a row!? No, I’m the Specialists Champion! I’m already one of the greatest Champions in the company and I JUST proved that at the Draft, and I’m not going to let some nobody like you try and ruin my title reign. I don’t know where you’re hiding, but you’re better off just coming out here and facing me instead of running away like a coward! At this point you’re the one embarrassing yourself, because one way or another as soon as I get my hands on you I’m going to give you exactly what you deserve. You don’t deserve this Championship. You don’t even deserve to share the ring with me! The fact that I’m even out here addressing you again is more than you deserve! Trust me I get why you’re scared. You know exactly what I’m capable of, and you know that once I finally DO find you that things won’t be ending well for you at all, but Diamond you’re better off getting this over with now instead of keeping me waiting.
(Serenity Valdez waits a few seconds, and begins to pace around the ring as she continues speaking as Diamond still hasn’t made an appearance.)
Serenity Valdez: If you think these mind games will be enough to get the better of me, you’re wrong, SO wrong! I gave you a chance to explain yourself last week on Dynasty, and instead you wanted to try and mess with me before attacking me from behind when I was on my way out of the arena. I gave you an opportunity to fix your mistakes since you clearly had no idea what you were getting yourself into back at the Draft, and instead of actually taking that opportunity and doing the right thing, you made things even worse for yourself! You’re digging your own grave Diamond, but you could fix all of it right now! Just stop wasting everyone’s time and get out here! If you wanted an opportunity all you needed to do was ask! I get it, you want a chance to face Serenity Valdez, the Specialists Champion and one of the best wrestlers in EAW today! You’re definitely not the only one that wants a shot, but instead of getting in line you went and you tried to make a fool out of me, so I’ll wait. I’m gonna stand right here and wait until you finally show yourself.
(As promised, Serenity Valdez waits in the ring for Diamond Dixon to appear, and the crowd even quiets down in anticipation, expecting her to show up, but…)
James Peters: There’s still no sign of Diamond Dixon. Are we even sure she’s at the arena tonight? She couldn’t be found backstage and she’s not coming out now.
Rich Russillo: After Serenity’s past two weeks I don’t blame her for being skeptical. She’s been surprise attacked TWICE now. It’s fair for her to assume that Diamond is somewhere here.. But where?
Persephone: I have no idea, but Serenity should definitely keep wasting everyone’s time and dragging this show on longer than it needs to be. 😃
James Peters: I think even the fans are getting impatient, some of them beginning to boo. I don’t really know what’s going on here. :lupe:
(Serenity Valdez continues to wait as the booing grows louder, making sure to even look around her to make sure that she’s not about to be attacked from behind, but after a little while it becomes clear that Diamond just isn’t going to show up.)
Serenity Valdez: You know what? I don’t care if you’re too scared to come out here, I AM going to find you, and I think I know just the place.
(Serenity Valdez storms out of the ring, beginning to make her way up the ramp.)
James Peters: It looks like Serenity Valdez has come up with another idea. Either way she’s trying to find Diamond Dixon, and at this point I’m starting to wonder if all of this is even worth it!
Rich Russillo: The way I see it, it’s either Serenity finds Diamond, or Diamond attacks Serenity for a third time. Serenity obviously doesn’t want the latter to happen, so wouldn’t she be better off at least making sure Diamond actually isn’t here?
James Peters: I guess you have a point, but at this point I think it should already be clear whether or not Diamond is in the arena. If she was, I don’t see why she wouldn’t have shown up!
(The camera follows as Serenity makes her way to the back, but this time she isn’t looking around door to door, seemingly having an idea of where to go. Serenity walks down the hallway, looking around for the right area. After a little while it looks like she’s found it, as a grin creeps up on her face. As Serenity Valdez approaches the area it becomes clear what it is: The area where the Diamond District is filmed.)
Serenity Valdez: ALRIGHT DIAMOND I KNOW YOU’RE HERE, NOW JUST HURRY UP AND…. And…
(Unfortunately for Serenity, the smile she had on her face doesn’t take too long to disappear, as Diamond Dixon isn’t there, either.)
Serenity Valdez: What? Why isn’t she here? Where is she???
(Serenity looks around, and the first person she finds isn’t Diamond Dixon, but instead Diamond’s producer. Serenity rushes towards her before yelling at her, stopping the producer in her tracks.)
Serenity Valdez: WHERE’S DIAMOND!! You of all people should know where she is so don’t waste my time, just hurry up and spit it out!
Producer: :whoa: She’s not here!
Serenity Valdez: Not here?? THIS IS HER BRAND, WHY ISN’T SHE HERE???
Producer: :lupe: Diamond is a busy woman. She’s had meetings all day so there was just no way she’d be able to show up tonight. She isn’t at the arena.
(Serenity can’t believe what she’s hearing.)
Serenity Valdez: You’re being serious?
Producer: Yes. Diamond is a hot commodity, after all. That’s why she doesn’t compete almost every single week like many others on Voltage, she has so many other things to take care of-
(Suddenly, Serenity Valdez attacks the producer! Serenity lays her out with a clothesline before grabbing her and throwing her into the wall, and as the camera pans towards Serenity’s face it’s clear that she is furious, having wasted so much time just to learn from someone in contact with Diamond that she really isn’t at the arena after all. Serenity begins to back up as the producer slowly tries to pull herself up, before running in and hitting her with “Hit the Lights”, the knee strike to the back of the head! By this time other staff members have heard the commotion coming from the area, but the damage has already been done. As they rush in the area to separate Serenity from the producer, but Serenity doesn’t try to fight through them, instead making her way out from the area with her Championship as Voltage fades out.)
( Commercial break for Twitter, featuring all the Marvel stans who now see why Thor: Ragnarok sucks, and why all is right with the world again. )
(Voltage’s broadcast transitions to the backstage area where we find Sofia Clarke standing against the familiar “Voltage” backdrop and laughing, smiling wide into the camera with a microphone held in her hand.)
Sofia Clarke: Ladies and gentlemen of the EAW Universe, please welcome my guest…the 2022 Empress of Elite…DOCTOR BETHANY BLUE!
(Dr. Bethany Blue steps into the frame with a brilliant smile written on her face. Her presence is met with an abundant mixed reaction from the crowd who watches from the Moviestar Arena on the tron. Bethany places both hands on her hips as she basks in the muted reception she hears from backstage, almost completely unaware that Sofia Clarke is standing right there.)
Sofia Clarke: Hi, Dr. Blue. Welcome back to Voltage–
Dr. Bethany Blue: Shhh…shh, shh. Not now, Sofia, don’t you hear that? Listen…
(The crowd’s volume increases upon Bethany’s acknowledgement. Just as the “E. O. E.!” chants start up, Bethany shakes her head and laughs as she turns her attention back to Sofia.)
Sofia Clarke: Well, it sounds like the EAW Universe is excited to see you back on Voltage, Bethany. I’m sure they’re itching to know how it feels for you to be on the Gold Brand, and what your upcoming plans may be!
Dr. Bethany Blue: Right. “Excited.” If that’s what you want to call it, then sure. But to me, that’s not genuine excitement, or praise. To be quite honest with you, I can’t find it in myself to take any of those “smarks” seriously! They can’t even make up their mind about how they feel about me half the time, but I’m expected to be appreciative of their empty cheers? Those deafening, polarizing crowd receptions? Please. They’ve wrongly convinced themselves that I seek their validation and appraisal, that I step between those ropes for THEM and for THEIR entertainment while they sit back and waste their lives away gorging themselves on alcohol and saturated, processed fats and carbohydrates, delusional enough to think that their opinion actually matters to someone as accomplished as I am, in and outside of the ring. It’s absolutely pathetic, and I feel SORRY for that audience. As for how it feels to be back on Voltage?
(Bethany huffs out a reflective sigh, taking a second to think back on her last twelve months in EAW.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: It feels like I’ve come full circle. The last time I was on Voltage, in 2021, I promised those watching that there was always going to be more in store for me. I told the whole world that the Interwire Championship was NOT my ceiling, and I was determined to go further. I told everyone that I was set out to become one of the greatest to ever do it in this industry, that my name would be one that holds prestige, that I would make history! And I like to think that I got off on the right foot when I did exactly that and went on to win the Specialists Championship. In Season 14, it felt like I had taken this company by storm, that the stars had all aligned and I had cleared a path straight to the top…but heading into Season 15, after losing the Specialists Title, it took me a little more time to regain my footing. The past year has certainly come with its ups and downs. But I’ve learned a lot in the past few months. I have a whole new perspective moving forward, and I’m a strong believer that it’ll take me further than I’ve ever been before! Now that I’m back on Voltage, I plan to make sure to continue this upward slope and make sure that my name becomes a permanent fixture in history as the pillar of this women’s division.
Sofia Clarke: And how will you set out to accomplish that next step?
Dr. Bethany Blue: It is not obvious, Sofia? The next step is already in motion. I’m going to become your next Universal Women’s Champion.
(The crowd in attendance buzzes in response to Bethany’s proclamation.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: C’mon, Sofia. I’m the E…O…E.! And as long as I’m Empress of Elite, I know I’ll be getting my shot at the World Championship somewhere down the line. But…in some ways, that’s not exciting enough for me! I have my next World Championship dreams already laid out before me. But why should I stop there? While I do know what’s coming up next, I’ve been cooking up some ideas about what’s coming right now. And before I become the Universal Women’s Champion, I want to accomplish something ELSE that I’ve never done before.
Sofia Clarke: Oooh, and what might that be, Doctor?!
Dr. Bethany Blue: I’ve had a shot at the Unified Tag Team Championships in the past. Obviously, I didn’t quite win them, but with the new mindset I’ve uncovered this past season, I have a feeling that could absolutely change if I took my shot this time around. The only thing I need is the right par–
(Bethany cuts herself off, as something outside of the frame has caught her attention. A puzzled look comes across her face just as the camera pulls out to reveal that Sheridan Müller now stands beside Sofia Clarke.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: …part…ner…
(The crowd in the arena is unable to contain their excitement as Sheridan and Bethany take a moment to eye each other up, no doubt reminiscing on their heated feud which transpired on Dynasty just this past season. These two women had put themselves through absolutely heck at Reckless Wiring 2022 in a Fight Pit Match, and it was apparently enough for both women to develop a tremendous level of respect for one another as time has passed, considering they aren’t already at each other’s throats.)
(Bethany crosses her arms over her chest with a curious, raised eyebrow just as Sheridan steps closer into the frame, forcing Sofia Clarke to back away slightly while the interviewer tries her best to keep her microphone in a good position.)
Sheridan Müller: Forgive me for eavesdropping. I couldn’t help but overhear, Bethany, all about your goals for the upcoming season. It might interest you to know that I myself am also chasing a dream of my own. A dream of one day, living up to the great athletes of my home nation, of being the very best that this company has to offer, in every and any capacity. And in order to do that…it’s become apparent that there are just a few things I’m also missing from my resume to get me there.
Sheridan Müller: I’m done harboring negative feelings and questioning myself. I’m ready to take action. And in this case, an official tag team partnership really might be the best course of action. You yourself know exactly what I’ve laid out on the table ever since I made my return earlier this year. So, if you’re interested, I have a proposition for you.
Dr. Bethany Blue: …I’m listening.
Sheridan Müller: If anyone is going to be chasing after those Unified Tag Team titles, it should be the best of the best. And if you really do see yourself as one of the best, you need the best in your corner. Since you’re looking for a partner, Doc, there’s no better person for you to count on than the very woman who took you to your limit back at Reckless Wiring. I know what you’re capable of inside of that ring, Bethany. You don’t need me to tell you that you’re a world class athlete, on a different level than most of this Voltage roster. I can see plainly that there’s no doubt you’ll eventually get what you want, and then some. And in having German Efficiency alongside you, I can do my part to ensure that the next team to hold those Unified Tag Team Championships is a team that’s worthy of the accolade. Together, we can make sure that there is a team of far more capable Elitists resting at the top of the division than those who currently hold that position now.
(With pursed lips, Bethany considers Sheridan’s words. The crowd is heavily anticipating Bethany’s response. From the look in her eyes, we can see realization falling over the Good Doctor. There isn’t a good enough reason for Bethany to say “no” in this case. Bethany has gained a tremendous level of respect for Sheridan after Reckless Wiring, and Sheridan has made a great case for herself, and for a partnership at this time. In agreeing, there is nothing for her to lose, and plenty for her to gain.)
(After leaving her with a few moments of internal contemplation, Sheridan extends a hand. Bethany almost instantly accepts the gesture and shakes Sheridan’s hand to mark the beginning of their partnership. At this point, the crowd in the arena doesn’t hold back their surprise and enthusiasm for what looks to be the newest tag team in Elite Answers Wrestling. Both women smirk, releasing their handshake as they turn back to Sofia Clarke in unison.)
Dr. Bethany Blue: Looks like I found my partner, Sofia. I thank you for your time.
(Bethany and Sheridan walk off together, leaving Sofia to stand alone with her microphone. Sofia watches onward, still surprised at the transaction that just unfolded in front of her as Voltage’s broadcast fades back to ringside.)
(The camera cuts to Bella Braxton in the ring.)
Bella Braxton: The following contest is scheduled for…
Crowd: ONE FALL!!!
(‘Primrose’ by Dream State hits! The crowd cheers as Daryl Kinkade comes out to the ring looking confident as he rolls ring tape around his fist biting it off aggressively as he is seemingly ready for a fight.)
Bella Braxton: Introducing first from Norwich, England weighing in at 225 pounds he is “The Kink of Elite” DARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYL KINKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDEEEEEEE!!!!!!
James Peters: Well Daryl Kinkade came up short at Pain for Pride but he is back on Voltage and the fans of this brand know more than anyone what he is capable of.
Rich Russillo: Facts. He came back at the Grand Rampage for a reason and it is clear that he intends to make that reason a reality and won’t be letting any setbacks stand in his way.
Persephone: In the past I may have suggested that nothing would stand in my way of being with Rex McAllister. However, after recent meetings with Disney’s great Human Resources staff I now acknowledge that he is a married man and I will respect that completely! 😃
Rich Russillo: Wow that is very mature of you and I for one am glad to finally see some positive change.
Persephone: 🌚
(‘LIKE IT! LOVE IT!’ by Setsuna Yuki hits as the crowd cheers loudly.)
Bella Braxton: And his opponent from Okinawa, Japan weighing in at 115 pounds she is one half of the Ice Aces and she is “The White Kitsune” AYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MEGUMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Ayu Megumi comes out to the ring by herself with a big smile on her face as she acknowledges all of her fans at ringside while making her entrance. She is clearly thrilled to be here on Voltage and in action tonight in Buenos Aires.)
James Peters: Just like Daryl, the Ice Aces came up short at Pain for Pride so this match could be seen as an effort on both of their parts to start the new season off on a good note.
Rich Russillo: Unfortunately that can only be the case for one of them tonight and I am excited to find out which one that may be.
Persephone: It looks like her girlfriend Usagi is not out here. It would be a shame if she came out to interfere in the match causing it to end extremely quickly.
Rich Russillo: Indeed it would. Luckily it looks like Ayu intends on fighting fairly not that we would expect anything less.
Persephone: :mjgrin:
(DING! DING! DING!)
Persephone: We are underway and I am thrilled to be saying that. The start of the match is the best part because it’s always the part that is the furthest away from the ending! 😃
Rich Russillo: So true. Could not have said it better myself. This match is now underway as Daryl Kinkade is confronting on Ayu Megumi here in this ring. The staredown before the match as the crowd is on they toes in anticipation. The referee even looks hyped what could even happen here tonight. Ayu backs up, is she scuared? No she is just strategizing as she jogs around the ring to hype herself up for taking Daryl on. Daryl just standing there glaring at her he is clearly ready for this match to begin as the lockup commences!!! But the lockup is immediately broken up as Daryl shoves her away. Daryl posturing as he tries to get into the head of Megumi. Kinkade with a smirk on his face as he knows he has the power advantage here and will probably intend to take full advantage of that.
James Peters: But don’t count out the quickness of Ayu Megumi who runs around the opponent kicking Daryl Kinkade hard in the legs! Megumi ducks out as Kinkade tries to grapple her but she is too fast! No wait! Kinkade caught her that time shoving Megumi back with force causing her to do a reverse somersault as she flips backwards flying across the ring. Megumi back up circling around Kinkade getting in kicks where she can… but Kinkade grabs the leg! Kinkade twists the leg dragging Megumi to the mat as she rolls back up to her feet. But Kinkade is back up first and gets around behind Megumi delivering hard forearm shots to the back of the head as she falls to the mat from the blunt force trauma.
Persephone: Wow she seems like she is in pain but I do wish that she isn’t severely injured or anything that would be awful.
Rich Russillo: Well we are all about healthy and friendly competition here on Voltage and don’t want to see anyone get hurt. But Daryl Kinkade is really going in on Ayu Megumi here stomping away at the back of his neck as he seems to have found a target he has taken a liking too. Kinkade not letting Megumi get away as he targets that neck with his boot. Megumi’s fans in the audience are not pleased as they are on their feet willing their favorite wrestling hero on. Megumi manages to make it to the ropes to force Kinkade away from her but he grabs her by the leg and drags her back to the middle of the ring! Kinkade now lifting Megumi up before charging forward with a Running Front Slam!!! Megumi driven down in the mat with force as Kinkade goes for the first cover of this match!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-
James Peters: Kickout by Ayu Megumi who manages to stay alive after that thunderous Power Slam! Daryl Kinkade now looking very confident as he has control of this match and Megumi is in severe pain. Kinkade lifts his arms up in celebration as if he has already won the match but… what the…
Persephone: Wow! Ayu Megumi just got right back up like she’s not hurt at all! That’s fantastic! I was worried she was just going to stay down and lose the match and it would be over! But luckily that just won’t be happening anytime soon!!! :blessed: !
Rich Russillo: The crowd is hyped and can’t believe it as Ayu Megumi is acting like she didn’t just get the magical sparkling Disney doodoo kicked out of her by Daryl Kinkade! Kinkade turns around and now Megumi is lighting him up with repeated punches to the face! Megumi really going in and the crowd is on their feet for one half of the Ice Aces as she is going to defeat Kinkade all by herself! Punch punch punch!!! Kinkade knocked back into the ropes!!! Now the hard knife edge chops to the chest really have Kinkade reeling! Megumi whips Kinkade across the ring! But he reverses it sending Megumi into the opposite corner. Kinkade comes charging in completely wild and unhinged! But Megumi leaps out of the way! Kinkade goes chest first right into the corner at high speed crashing and burning!
James Peters: Daryl Kinkade turns around as Ayu Megumi charges in!!! LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Down goes Kinkade! What a lightning fast Lariat that was! Megumi for the cover!!!
Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!-
Persephone: Yes! Daryl Kinkade kicks out! I am just so happy omg! I was so worried the match would be over there! :mjcry: !
Rich Russillo: Ayu Megumi staying on the attack! Elbow drop right down on the chest of Daryl Kinkade. Megumi stomping away at Kinkade to keep him grounded not willing to give up this sudden dominance of the match. Another elbow drop as Megumi is shoved away from Kinkade as she collides with his chest on the ground. Kinkade pulls himself up on the ropes but Megumi is relentless. She charges in!!! Running Clothesline connects sending Kinkade flipping and flailing over the top rope to the outside as she just annihilated him, throwing him up and over the top rope to the outside as he crashes and burns!!! Kinkade with a salt fueled look of rage on his face as he crawls back to his feet on the ramp clearly pissed about this turn of events. Can Kinkade get back in it? Find out after we return from this commercial break here tonight live on Voltage!!! Gosh diddly darn it Kinkade is raging! He is big mad and hitting himself o lawd he needs to keep it together!
(The camera cuts to a commercial for The Boys on Amazon Prime.)
James Peters: We are back live here tonight on Voltage and Daryl Kinkade has managed to regain control with a Figure 4 Leglock to Ayu Megumi around the turnbuckle pole to the referee’s disapproval. As we saw during the break Daryl used a tricky move to take control back of the match.
(Daryl Kinkade is shown slowly getting back into the ring during the commercial. As Ayu Megumi came after him he grabbed her by the neck and dropped her over the top rope and since that time has been battering her on the floor including targeting her legs with a Figure 4 Leglock.)
Persephone: Imagine if the entire match happened during the commercial break. That would be very sad because nobody would be able to watch it. I sure hope that never happens. 😃
Rich Russillo: The referee demands Daryl Kinkade break the hold which he does so but then slams the leg of Ayu Megumi hard into the metal pole. Kinkade then slides back into the ring to deliver high speed stomps to the leg of Megumi who cries out in pain. She may not even be able to walk after all of this! Kinkade grabs the legs of Megumi dragging her across the ring. But Megumi uses her legs to push Kinkade away screaming in pain as she had to use her injured body part to do so! Kinkade goes flying back first into the turnbuckle padding before coming flying back out. Elbow drop to the leg! No! Megumi moves out of the way! She grabs onto the arm of Kinkade and locks in a Triangle Choke! Megumi is going to make Kinkade tap out!
James Peters: But Daryl Kinkade flails rapidly getting quickly to the bottom rope and forcing the referee to break the hold as Ayu Megumi tries to keep it locked on as long as possible!
Referee: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! Come on break the hold!
Persephone: It’s a good thing the referee gave her an extra chance after reaching five. It would have been a shame if he just counted to five and then disqualified her immediately ending the match in a DQ.
Rich Russillo: True this way we will get a definitive winner. Ayu Megumi breaks things up as Daryl Kinkade immediately smashes his elbow down hard into her face catching her off guard. Kinkade rolls away from Megumi to freedom, enjoying no longer being trapped in that Triangle Choke. Megumi grabs onto the leg of Kinkade trying to keep him from getting away as she tries to drag him down once again into her clutches. But Kinkade is rolling away and yanks on the hair forcing her to release. Kinkade yanks Megumi back up to her feet by the hair before throwing herr into the corner. Kinkade charges in with repeated shoulder thrusts just barraging Megumi into the corner before shoving her face down to the mat and enjoying taking in the anger from the crowd as he stomps away at the beloved member of the Ice Aces. You have to imagine that Usagi is concerned at the moment!
James Peters: Daryl Kinkade seems to be getting really into it as he begins to choke out Ayu Megumi with his bare hands and then tosses her out of the ring. Come on Daryl keep it in the ring! But Kinkade slides out from the ring beneath the bottom rope and begins to hammer on the back of Megumi with a fist to the spine. Megumi is lying across the Spanish announce table we have set up for our great fans in Argentina. The table has been specially reinforced to ensure it cannot be destroyed while ours has been left unenforced to encourage the wrestlers to destroy the English table instead. These are truly just and equal times we are living in.
Persephone: So true James! 😃 I really love how just and great everything has been around here since we were taken over by Disney. No problems at all! 😃 !!!
Rich Russillo: However there are many problems indeed for Ayu Megumi as Daryl Kinkade tosses her like a ragdoll around ringside throwing her into the timekeeper’s chair as she goes flying across our direct line of sight here at the announce desk. I am wondering if we should get out of our seats and move to safety? No probably not we will be just fine. There is like an invisible barrier around our desk and no wrestlers may approach it without feeling immense pain from the chips we installed in them.
James Peters: I see that makes a lot of sense and I feel much safer now. However, Ayu Megumi should not feel safe at all as Daryl Kinkade grabs the steel ring steps and hurls them across the floor towards her! But Megumi manages to roll away to avoid being crushed by those hundred pound steps!
Persephone: Wow they sure are just as heavy as this match is long! Not that I’m complaining! 😃
Rich Russillo: Daryl Kinkade charges in with a Running Clothesline but Ayu Megumi rolls out of the way! Kinkade’s arm slams into the turnbuckle pole outside the ring as he yells out in pain! Now Megumi throwing all of the force she can muster behind each punch as she fights Kinkade backwards. Kinkade is reeling! Karate chops to the face from Megumi as Kinkade is shook! He is wobbling and may just fall over! Megumi manages to lift Kinkade up and slams him back first onto the ring steps! Megumi slides back into the ring as she holds her own back in pain from the effort it took to pull that move off! Megumi lying down in the ring as Kinkade is motionless outside of it! The referee begins the count as Megumi may have this match in the bag!!!
Referee: ONE!
Referee: TWO!
Referee: THREE!
Referee: FOUR!
Referee: FIVE!
James Peters: Daryl Kinkade rolls off the steel steps at ringside! He’s moving! But now he’s just lying face first on the floor motionless! Kinkade’s back has been too damaged for him to move any further!
Referee: SIX!
Referee: SEVEN!
Referee: EIGHT!
Referee: NINE!
Referee: TE-
Persephone: I was concerned that the match might end. But somehow Daryl Kinkade popped up to his feet and slid back into the ring out of nowhere. So luckily there was no count out and the referee counted at an appropriate and lenient speed so that the match could continue for all of our enjoyment. 😃
Rich Russillo: Ayu Megumi comes off the top rope as soon as Daryl Kinkade leaps back into th ring! LEAP DIVING MOONSAULT!!!! IT CONNECTS!!!! NO! KINKADE MANAGED TO AVOID IT AND MEGUMI CRASHED AND BURNED!!! NO! MEGUMI MANAGED TO SCOUT THE DODGE AND LANDED ON HER FEET!!! KINKADE TURNS AROUND RIGHT INTO THE RYO NO IKARI!!! THE SUPERKICK CONNECTS AND KINKADE COLLAPSES TO THE MAT!!! MEGUMI TO THE COVER!!!
Referee: ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!-
James Peters: Daryl Kinkade with the kickout! Ayu Megumi frustrated she thought she had plotted the end of the match right there with that impressive sequence!
Persephone: Luckily it wasn’t! Praise the lord! :blessed:
Rich Russillo: Daryl Kinkade pulls himself up in the corner as Ayu Megumi stalks him over and climbs up to the middle rope to trap him. Megumi now battering in on Kinkade repeatedly throwing them fists right into her face. Bam bam bam! The crowd now counting along with her shots!
Crowd: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN!
James Peters: Ten punches! I’m glad our great Voltage fans are able to count to ten! WAIT NO WHAT THE HELL!!!
Persephone: Wow that looked painful!
Rich Russillo: Daryl Kinkade suddenly grabs Ayu Megumi and charges forward with her driving her into the mat with a Sit-Down Powerbomb!!! Damn the force of that shook the entire ring as Megumi just landed directly on the back of her neck! Megumi is unconscious but can Kinkade capitalize???
James Peters: Daryl Kinkade slowly gets back up onto his feet but staggers towards the ropes holding his head. He is clearly disoriented from the beating that Megumi has delivered to him. Kinkade tries to shake it off as he moves towards Megumi who is unconscious but he isn’t able to get the pin!
Persephone: That’s too bad. I really hope everyone is alright and nobody is hurt in this friendly wrestling contest. 😄
Rich Russillo: Daryl Kinkade slaps himself across the face as if to wake himself up from his stupor as he stalks towards Ayu Megumi possibly going for the pin finally. No wait he is helping her up to her feet! Kinkade drags Megumi in and begins to batter her across the face with repeated forearms and Megumi can barely stand up! But Kinkade holds her up by the arm before pulling her in at high speed towards him as he catches her-
James Peters: A BEAUTIFUL LIE CONNECTS!!!! THE CROSS LEGGED FISHERMAN’S BUSTER!!! MEGUMI IS DOWN AND KINKADE NOW GOING FOR THE COVER!!!
Referee: ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
Referee: TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Referee: THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Bella Braxton: Here is your winner… DARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYL KINKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
(‘Primrose’ by Dream State blasts across the speakers as Daryl Kinkade has his arm raised by the referee.)
Rich Russillo: Daryl Kinkade did it! Despite coming away empty at Pain for Pride Daryl Kinkade showing that he can make that comeback here tonight on Voltage with an impressive win against Ayu Megumi.
James Peters: Let’s not count Ayu Megumi’s efforts out either. For a tag team specialist especially this was an impressive showing and maybe she has a strong future as a singles champion one day on her own!!! After tonight I wouldn’t count it out!
Persephone: I wouldn’t count either of them out either especially in the early goings of the match. It would really be sad if the referee had done that and we didn’t have to watch most of this. 😃
Rich Russillo: Are you sure you really mean that?
Persephone: Hahahaha!!! You’re so funny Rich!
Rich Russillo: :comeagain:
(Ayu Megumi rolls out of the ring in pain, and Daryl Kinkade continues to celebrate his victory as Voltage fades from ringside.)
(Commercial for Star Wars Battlefront 2.)
( Voltage fades back in from commercial and cuts backstage where Sofia Clarke is standing by. The first Voltage of Season 16 has certainly had its fair share of action, surprises, and the introduction of fresh new talent. Under any other circumstances, the person standing with Sofia would be beyond proud and looking to put over the roster and their hard work. However, things were far from normal. Even Sofia’s smile is relatively somber. )
Sofia Clarke: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time… the one and only, Captain Charisma!
( The camera shot zooms out and shows the Hall of Famer commissioner standing next to Sofia. Captain Charisma isn’t smiling for once. He has a serious look across his face. )
Sofia Clarke: Captain Charisma, thank you for joining me tonight. With Season 16 fully underway, how do you feel about your roster? There are new faces, fresh faces, and Elitists who have been staples of the brand for the last couple of years.
Captain Charisma: Absolutely, and as per usual, Voltage’s roster is full of the very best talent in the world. I look forward to seeing the men and women of Voltage do what they’ve done for years, and that is put on a show for everyone in attendance. I know some of my draft decisions could be considered controversial, but you know what they say Sofia. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Sofia Clarke: Is it safe to assume you are referring to Drake King?
Captain Charisma: You can make whatever assumptions you like, Sofia. But Drake King is far from the only person on this brand that I have a history with.
Sofia Clarke: This is true. Charlie Marr has been a thorn in your side on more than one occasion.
Captain Charisma: He has, but that doesn’t take away from the talent that he possesses or the fact he is now a Hall of Famer. Charlie Marr experienced a lot of success on Voltage the first time around and was one of the most motivated athletes I have ever come across. He was determined to make a name for himself by any means necessary, and even though I didn’t agree with those means, in a way, I still admired it. It was a no-brainer to draft Charlie, as well as the Hardcore Championship, because that belt holds a special place in my heart. In a way, that championship made me and helped secure my legacy as one of the best of all-time, and it’s only served to further Charlie’s.
Sofia Clarke: It’s difficult to talk about Charlie Marr without mentioning his better half, Veena Adams. Is there a reason that Ad Infinitum wasn’t drafted together?
( Captain Charisma can’t help but sigh. )
Captain Charisma: Charlie Marr and Veena Adams are a match made in Hell and I know that firsthand. I’m done dealing with super groups and tag teams who want to bring Voltage down and make my life miserable. As commissioner, I have a little more leeway than my counterparts on Dynasty and Showdown, so I made the decision that Ad Infinitum would not be drafted as a tag team, and instead, they would enter the draft as individuals, and that decision was not met with any blowback. I think everyone can collectively agree that Charlie Marr and Veena Adams are better off apart, and not working in tandem to create chaos.
Sofia Clarke: That being said, Charlie is the Hardcore Champion and that alone brings a certain amount of chaos to Voltage. How do you plan to uphold the family friendly vibe Disney wants for EAW while such a ruthless athlete is holding on to a championship that some would argue was created just for him.
( A flash of annoyance flickers across Captain Charisma’s face. )
Captain Charisma: Sadly, there will be some changes to the Hardcore division and since I wouldn’t entertain the thought of the title itself being rebranded into something it isn’t, Eden and I came up with some compromises. The Hardcore Championship will be fought under a ‘First Blood’ stipulation, meaning that the match is stopped as soon as someone is busted open, and the winner will be the man or woman who drew that blood. Secondly, the Hardcore Championship matches will now have a ten-minute time limit. Should time expire and the match end in a draw, the champion will retain the title. And the third compromise is that the Hardcore Championship will be defended exclusively on Voltage going forward. Disney does not view the Hardcore Championship as a prominant title and would prefer for it to be kept strictly on the weekly show.
( Sofia appears to be a bit confused. )
Sofia Clarke: Those are compromises?
Captain Charisma: 😀 They sure are!
???: And while the Hardcore Championship still isn’t ideal when it comes to promoting fun for the whole family, Disney doesn’t want to alienate the die-hard EAW fans who have been with the company since the very beginning.
( A smiling Eden Sinclair walks into the frame, and she stands on the opposite side of Sofia. Captain Charisma does his best not to react, but it is clear that he doesn’t particularly care for Eden. )
Eden Sinclair: Disney services a wide range of audiences and in addition to reaching them, we want EAW to keep the audience it has as well. I have done my research on this brand and I know what it’s about, and allowing the Hardcore Championship to remain as a fixture for a brand that has a reputation of being a little unruly is best for all parties involved.
( Sofia steals a glance at Captain Charisma, who is stone-faced and silent. )
Sofia Clarke: Uhh Captain Charisma? Do you have anything to add to that?
( Eden’s angelic smile never slips from her face as she looks up at Captain Charisma. )
Captain Charisma: Since the Hardcore Championship will not be defended at Midsummer Massacre, Charlie will be defending it in the main event of the Voltage on August 7th.
Eden Sinclair: And I have taken the liberty to hand-pick his opponent!
( Sofia looks a little startled by this. )
Sofia Clarke: Did you have any say in this, Captain Charisma??
Captain Charisma: 🙂 Eden came up with this match all on her own.
( Eden steps out of the frame for a second and then returns with ARIA, who looks even more stressed out than she did earlier in the night. )
Eden Sinclair: On August 7th, ARIA will step up and face Charlie Marr with the Hardcore Championship on the line! ARIA has shown a lot of potential since inking her name on an EAW contract. Furthermore, she has proven herself in championship matches and against main eventers, and it is only a matter of time before she is able to capitalize on an opportunity. Could it be on August 7th? Only time will tell, but Charlie Marr versus ARIA is going to be must-see TV!
???: You’ve got to be kidding me.
( ARIA visibly pales as Charlie Marr walks up to him and his face is twisted into one of absolute annoyance. If the detective could make herself disappear right now, she absolutely would, because the last thing she wants is to be involved with someone like Charlie Marr, even if there is a title on the line. )
Charlie Marr: There is so much I wish I could say right now but this Disney garbage has pretty much tied my hands and is forcing me to bite my tongue. But trust me, I’m not happy right now at all. The changes you have put in place for MY championship are bollocks, and the fact I wasn’t even given a heads up about any of this is outrageous. Actually, it’s beyond outrageous but there’s no use in complaining about it. I’ll just slap Andrea Valentine around later on tonight and you, ( Charlie points to ARIA, who averts her eyes ) should probably think long and hard about whether or not you truly want to step inside the ring with me. These idiots have forced my back against the wall by handicapping my ability to defend my championship, but when the odds are stacked against me, I find a way to overcome. If you think the stuff Veena has said and done is bad, you haven’t seen anything yet.
( Charlie reaches out and snatches ARIA by the chin, which elicits a gasp from Eden. Captain Charisma grabs her by the arm and pulls her out of the way, while Sofia rushes off. Charlie forces ARIA to look up at him and he sneers at her. )
Charlie Marr: You don’t have any business being inside the ring with me and why that woman and Captain Charisma would put you in this position is beyond me. You are obviously scared to death, not even able to look at me, and absolutely shaking right now. I enjoy that kind of reaction, ARIA, and I want you to remember how you feel in this moment should you decide to go through with this match. Believe me, it’s in your best interest to say no, and head for the hills. There is clearly some ulterior motive to all of this and some kind of plan to get this title away from me and completely destroy it, but I’m not about to let that happen. I’m not going to let anyone take the Hardcore Championship from me. Do you understand?
( When ARIA doesn’t reply, Charlie squeezes her chin harder, enough to leave bruises, and forces her to nod her head. )
ARIA: Y-yes…
( Charlie shoves ARIA to the ground once he has her answer and stalks off, clearly enraged over the turn of events. Meanwhile, the camera focuses in on ARIA, who is holding her jaw and looking extremely upset. This is not how her season was supposed to start. She was going to a new show with her best friends, and everything was supposed to be perfect. Now she finds herself trapped inside of a no win situation with Eden and the Hardcore Champion is breathing down her neck. )
( Voltage fades away from backstage. )
(The camera fades in to Bella Braxton in the ring.)
Bella Braxton: Ladies and gentlemen at this time please welcome… TLA!!!
(“Ambitionz az a Ridah” by Tupac hits as the crowd begins wildin’. TLA appears in the crowd as he begins to make his entrance through the fans walking down the arena stairs towards the ring. TLA is shown taking a sip of a fan’s Baja Blast as he hops the barricade into the ringside area and requests a microphone from an official at ringside.)
James Peters: As everyone already knows TLA has been drafted back to Voltage yet again after last week’s draft show. This marks TLA’s third run on Voltage with his last run ending when he was drafted to Showdown at last year’s draft show. But now TLA is back and better than ever.
Rich Russillo: That is not an understatement. TLA comes to Voltage just a couple weeks after representing Showdown as the Answers World Champion and despite losing that title at Pain for Pride I think that everyone knows exactly what he is capable of in the ring and what he is bringing to Voltage.
Persephone: I think it is great that we drafted TLA to Voltage. He is just as good as if we had drafted Rex McAllister.
(TLA is shown holding the ring ropes open for Bella Braxton like a true gentlemen as he takes center stage in the ring and waits for the fans chants to quiet down before speaking. TLA takes a moment to pop his Voltage jersey out for the fans to see which only makes them cheer louder. TLA is covered in that yellow showing that he is down to represent.)
TLA: Orale Buenos Aires!!! Que pasa mi raza? Tenemos muchos vatos locos en la casa esta noche!!!
(The crowd cheers loudly indicating that there are indeed muchos vatos locos en la casa esta noche.)
TLA: Yoyoyoyo it’s yo boi TLA comin’ at you live with all that electricity and all of that intensity… STRAIGHT OUTTA ARGENTINA!!!
Crowd: https://64.media.tumblr.com/49c7c5d268b55d8c16a12f6ec3be3f9d/tumblr_n3kbkcPuHw1tnw0hko1_500.gif
TLA: Facts only. You know that yo boi out here finna represent. We all up in that Latin America doin’ big vato thangs only. We stay grindin’ and you know that I be thinkin’ imma be feelin’ all in my birthday suit coming out here without that Answers World Championship. But luckily I be gettin’ handed something even better to wear out here!
(TLA shows off his Voltage jersey once more as he does a backflip off the top rope to celebrate.)
TLA: Yo we gotta do some of that lucha if they ain’t finna let a luchador get he lucha on this week. Nah you know that if TLA in the ring then that fight be on demand. Anyone. Anytime. Anywhere. Who out this new Voltage roster wants some? They gots to come get some but you know that if they too scurred then they best go back to catering and hope Hoodlum ain’t murder they asses. Homie doin’ that service keepin’ the federales off yo boi. Ain’t never catch me yet tho I be too fast for all y’all. Who imma be too fast for now tho? Get that culo out here now.
(TLA slams the microphone down in the ring and takes the jersey off yelling for an opponent to come to the ring to fight him but after awhile nobody comes out.)
James Peters: Well the family friendly censors are going to have to be on watch while TLA is in the ring but luckily he dropped the microphone so I don’t think it picked up most of what he had to say as he launches an open challenge to the Season 16 Voltage roster to come out.
Rich Russillo: I’m surprised that nobody is coming out you think that there would be a rush of competition to face TLA.
Persephone: I sure enjoy waiting around to find out though. That’s really the best part. We should just sit here all night even if nobody comes out!
(TLA picks the microphone back up after nobody comes out.)
TLA: Iight iight I get it. TLA done took that L at Pain for Pride and now nobody wanna face him. Ain’t got no gold to lure y’all gringos up out here. Apparently my sexy as- self :toll: ain’t enough for y’all. Well let me say some real sh- stuff :mjlol: out here. I may not have that oro around my waist… but I am still el hombre. I’m still el hombre who defeated the longest Answers World Champion in history Kassidy Heart. I’m still el hombre who defeated all of the competition that Showdown had to offer over the past half year. And despite what anyone says I ain’t going nowhere and if y’all thought what we done did on Showdown was beastin’ then you ain’t seen nothing yet compared to what we about to accomplish on Voltage! That Answers World Championship reign was my second but it is far from the last one. You know though? I really ain’t give a da- darn :mjlol: about no titles right now I am here on Voltage looking to kick some as- butt :francis: for the TLArmy out here in Argentina and if nobody coming out? Then maybe imma have to go lookin’. I give no doin’ this shi- stuff :mjlol:. Y’all motherf- mother lovers :wow: ain’t ready for what this hombre finna do to y’all.
(TLA rolls out of the ring and begins to make his way up the ramp when he is confronted by a few producers wearing Mickey Mouse pins as they are heard trying to explain to him that he isn’t allowed to be this controversial anymore and he needs to do to a better job of censoring himself. But TLA just ignores them and pushes past them as he makes his way up to the stage.)
(“Primrose” by Dream State hits as Daryl Kinkade steps out onto the stage with a microphone as he comes face to face with TLA on the ramp.)
Daryl Kinkade: You know… maybe all of the others in the back don’t want a fight because you lost at Pain for Pride. But just like you I too came up short at Pain for Pride… but as I have already made clear earlier this week… Daryl Kinkade is here to stay. Some people may have thought when I returned at the Grand Rampage that this was just some kind of temporary novelty return. That I was only back for some #EAW15 publicity stunt to have one last run to satiate my ego before I sail off into retirement and hang up my boots for good. And that belief was only furthered by the result of my match at Pain for Pride. But then something happened.
(Daryl Kinkade pauses for a moment as he walks a few steps into the arena and points towards the Voltage logo shining on the screen setup along the stage.)
Daryl Kinkade: You come out here wearing that yellow jersey and saying you are here to represent Voltage… Well I am back on the brand that has always been where I find my success, and what I want to do more than anything is to re-establish myself here on my turf that I am a household name. As far as I see it… what better way to do that than to face a Hall of Famer at the first Free Per View of the Season? How about it? You and me at Midsummer Massacre!
(The crowd erupts into cheers as Daryl Kinkade defiantly stares TLA down on the stage. TLA is shown smiling as he raises his microphone yet again.)
TLA: Dang holmes you know I was really looking forward to a fight tonight… Pero y’all already know how it be. No ain’t even a word in my vocabulary. I ain’t backing down from no challenges and have made a household name for myself across all three brands… by taking on all comers. Anybody who want that lucha gonn’ get that lucha. Veo que ahora… queremos lo mismo. It seems that you and I are the same. We both want to climb all on up back up that ladder up them rankings and get all up in that gold. Get in that championship contention real quick. I be looking at who the champions are right now and you know that I gots that unfinished business with one and business that ain’t never gonna be finished with the other. So Daryl if you want that match? Then you’re on foo.
(TLA drops the microphone yet again on the stage as Daryl Kinkade smiles having received what he is looking for. Both men shake hands with the match having been made official pending word from the proper officials.)
James Peters: I can’t believe what we just saw! Daryl Kinkade answering TLA’s open challenge and one upping the stakes with an even bigger challenge of his own! Is this what we can expect from Voltage this season?!?
Rich Russillo: This match is interesting because TLA and Daryl Kinkade actually have faced each other before but it was many many years ago and a lot has changed for both men since then.
Persephone: Zzzzz *snores loudly* omg such an exciting match!!! Woo!!! Zzzzz *snores* I hope TLA wins! Ring the bell it’s over!!! So good! Disney is doing good!!! Zzz
Rich Russillo: :lupe: Is she okay?
James Peters: Of course. This is just how happy and excited we all are to be here every week on Voltage for the best wrestling in the world!
Rich Russillo: But there isn’t even a match… Nevermind. We will be back with more Voltage action after the break!
(The camera cuts to a commercial for Thor: Ragnarok, the top film in everyone’s list of favorite Marvel movies.)
(The camera fades backstage where TLA is shown confronting the catering staff to ensure the food that they offered at Pain for Pride never shows up again on Voltage.)
TLA: Nah it’s a new season a new era ese. Y’all gots to get with the times. These changes they be coming regardless. We gotta get this stuff outta here ya feel me.
???: I could not have said that better myself!!!
(TLA turns around as he is suddenly confronted by Disney ambassador to Voltage Eden Sinclair who glides into frame as she smirks towards everyone in the room.)
Eden Sinclair: Don’t get up on my account, please. TLA, a word with you please!
(Eden Sinclair pauses for dramatic effect as the camera pans around catering showing the depressed failed wrestlers eating their food as they sit out their contracts. One of them belches extremely loudly near Eden who backs away ushering TLA away from the area into a nearby hallway.)
Eden Sinclair: Umm we need a bit more proper surroundings but of course this Voltage thing is a work in progress.
TLA: Yo we all about that hustle here on Voltage. Changing all that stuff for the better you know how it be just like at the Poon Palace. You know that if mami have a bad night she just gotta get them tricks right learning them new tricks you know with experience she gonna end up bein’ a straight up bad bi-
Eden Sinclair: Umm excuse me? Were you really about to say all of that to me? What is wrong with you? They really allow you to work here? Look TLA. I heard what you said in the ring. You nearly caused trouble for our censors on literally the first night of the Disney acquisition. That is just not acceptable. I thought you got the message after the chat with Mr. Chapek during Pain for Pride but it is clear that someone needs to take a more direct approach with you.
TLA: I ain’t always be picking up on them big ass ingles words chica. You gots to keep em muy pequeño for a vato.
Eden Sinclair: I saw what went down out there. You accepted a challenge for Midsummer Massacre with Daryl Kinkade without approval. Without even coming to me to ask permission. You two just strode on out there and acted like you could just announce a match for the first marquee event of the season like you are the bookers yourselves. Maybe that’s how things used to work around here. With the wrestlers ruling the roost. But not anymore! Going forward you need to understand that EAW isn’t just for the audience that you’ve catered to for the past few years. Quite frankly the type of things you have subjected the EAW universe to have been harmful.
TLA: Yo mami I think you be gettin’ it all wrong imma good hombre. I be beastin’ and feas-
Eden Sinclair: If you want to get anywhere this season. You’ll need to clean up your act. That is all.
(Eden Sinclair suddenly storms out as TLA is left looking confused as to what even just happened. TLA shrugs as he opens up his hand to reveal a Disney Plus subscription gift card that he lifted from Eden while she was talking. TLA smiles as he leaves to go watch Ms. Marvel or Obi-Wan or something.)
(Voltage opens up inside of the arena, where we see Bella Braxton standing in the center of the ring.)
Bella Braxton: The following contest is set for..
Crowd: ONE FALL!!
Bella Braxton: And it is your main event of the evening!!
(After a moment, ‘Roll With Me’ by Charli XCX hits, and the crowd erupts into cheers. Marr is seen glaring out at the stage, as Andrea Valentine skips out, and smiles towards the crowd. She begins high fiving the fans on her way down the entrance ramp before focusing on her upcoming match. Andrea looks ready and prepared for this match as she makes her way into the ring.)
Bella Braxton: Introducing first… From Orlando, Florida.. Weighing in at 110 pounds!!! ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
James Peters: Valentine is coming off of a great Universal Women’s Championship reign that just ended due to a cash in by Harper Lee. Valentine hasn’t let that loss affect her too much, as she’s stated that she knows she can find her way back to a world title eventually. In fact, that eventually might just come at Midsummer Massacre!
Rich Russillo: When you’re as talented as Andrea, and you’ve won multiple world titles on top of just being inducted into the hall of fame.. There’s no reason to believe that she can’t win another world title. Being here on Voltage for Season 16, I believe Andrea Valentine will do great things as a part of this roster. Facing her is Charlie Marr who yet to let go of this grudge from years back. He’s kept the receipts from that time. Will he get his pay back? Or will Andrea prove that her victory over him before was legitimate? We’ll find out!!
(‘Praise the Lord’ by Bandokay hits, as the crowd boos heavily. After a moment, Charlie Marr steps out onto the stage. He looks out towards the crowd with a disgusted look on his face, then proceeds to make his way down to the ring.)
Bella Braxton: And her opponent.. From Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom.. Weighing in at 240 pounds.. He is THE MAN OF ALWAYS!! THE HARDCORE CHAMPION, CHARLIE MARR!!!!!!
James Peters: Here he is!! Charlie Marr is back on Voltage after spending the last two seasons elsewhere, although he can’t be too happy about everything going on with the Hardcore Championship lately.
Rich Russillo: His last run here on Voltage was dominant, and I believe that’s what made him break out here as an EAW Elitist. He really flourished and made a name for himself here on Sunday nights, and now look at him. He’s returned as a Hall of Famer!
Persephone: And not only that, but his first match back is against a person that he has a bad history with! They’ve brought it up all week, but Valentine defeated Marr with the assistance of Malcolm Jones as the referee.. The world title was on the line, and Marr believes that if no one was there to skew the match, then he would have won. Tonight, he has the opportunity to prove that point!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Rich Russillo: There’s the bell and this main event between two of EAW’s biggest stars is underway. Marr vs Valentine! This is going to be good!
James Peters: With the history these two have and the grudge that Charlie holds from the events of 2019, I expect that this will be a very intense match. This is a great way to kick off the season.
Persephone: I’ve never been so excited before. No, really.
Rich Russillo: And there’s Charlie Marr!! He rushes towards Andrea Valentine at full speed and goes for a big boot to the face!!! But No!! it’s Andrea Valentine who side steps and gets out of the way! Meanwhile, Charlie stumbles on his feet! He quickly turns around..
James Peterson: CHOP TO THE CHEST BY ANDREA VALENTINE!! That one has to sting, as Charlie staggers back against the ropes. He clutches at his chest, but Andrea uses the opening to deliver a swift forearm strike that catches Marr right across the face! That one has to hurt!
Persephone: Indeed it did! Charlie changes his position and covers his face, but that leaves Andrea open for another chop across the chest!! Charlie’s chest is beat red with Andrea’s handprint as vibrant as ever! Charlie clutches at his chest.. SPINNING BACKFIST BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Rich Russillo: NO!! Charlie ducks underneath the arm as Andrea does a complete 360 degree spin! She loses her balance for a second, but Charlie grabs a hold of her!!! HEADBUTT BY CHARLIE MARR!! He just gripped Andrea by the face and smashed his forehead directly into hers with tremendous force!! Valentine falls to one knee as a result, but Charlie grabs her by the head. He locks in a front facelock, then puts her arm around the back of his neck! What’s this!?! They’re by the side ropes?!? Charlie what is this?!? SNAP SUPLEX FROM INSIDE THE RING THAT SENDS ANDREA DOWN TO THE RINGSIDE FLOOR!!!
James Peters: NO!!!! ANDREA USES HER INCREDIBLE ATHLETICISM AND FLEXIBILITY TO LAND HERSELF FEET FIRST ONTO THE RING APRON!!! CHARLIE HAS NO IDEA THAT SHE’S STANDING RIGHT BEHIND HIM!! He makes his way over to the center of the ring and turns around…
Rich Russillo: AND HIS EYES LIGHT UP AS HE SEES ANDREA VALENTINE GOING FOR A SPRINGBOARD METEORA TO THE FACE!!!
Persephone: NO!!! CHARLIE MARR CATCHES HER IN MID-AIR!!! AND SLAMS HER DOWN TO THE MAT WITH A POWERBOMB THAT RATTLES THE RING!!! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!! I LOVE THIS MATCH!!! SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!!!
James Peters: You love this match, but these two definitely don’t love each other. Isn’t it crazy how far these two are willing to go this early on? An attempt to snap suplex Andrea to ringside? And those chops earlier definitely had some built up emotion behind them. Although these two haven’t fought each other in two years, the memory remains, and they both know what the other can bring to the table. They haven’t held back since the bell rang, and this is exactly what we were hoping for here tonight.
Rich Russillo: Charlie Marr has Andrea right where he wants her. He’s gotten back to his feet after executing that powerbomb, and is now walking around the body of Andrea Valentine! Valentine turns onto her stomach and slowly works up to her hands and knees… BUT IT’S CHARLIE WITH A STOMP DOWN ONTO ANDREA’S RIGHT HAND!! ANOTHER STOMP!! THIS ONE HAS ANDREA DROPPING DOWN TO HER FOREARMS!! Charlie isn’t done yet however, as he reaches down and grabs Andrea by the head!! He raises her up to an upright position!! HEADBUTT BY CHARLIE MARR!!
James Peters: That one nearly knocks Andrea unconscious, but Marr doesn’t release his grip on Andrea!! No, instead he pulls her up and wrenches on her head and neck with a front facelock!! He switches his grip, then lifts Andrea up onto his shoulders!! Marr walks around the center of the ring.. AND SLAMS ANDREA VALENTINE WITH A THUNDEROUS FRONT POWERSLAM!!
Persephone: Wow what a move by Marr!!!
Rich Russillo: Charlie Marr is having his way right now, and that’s exactly what he wants. He wants to show the world that his loss to Andrea Valentine a few seasons ago would have been a victory if no one else was involved. Well at this moment, Marr is looking like that could be the case. He’s bringing this fight to Andrea and is showing no signs of holding back!
Persephone: Andrea is down on the ring mat, as Marr stomps down onto her midsection! Andrea gasps out as that stomp knocked the wind right out of her. Meanwhile, a smile emerges on Charlie’s face!! He’s getting his revenge here tonight, and he’s loving it!
James Peters: Marr begins to make his way over to the corner. This does not look good for Andrea. Marr is setting himself up, as Valentine slowly works to her hands and knees! She’s now up to her feet!! Valentine looks up.. AND IT’S MARR WITH THE DEATH OR GLORY!!!! DIVING EUROPEAN UPPERCUT!!!!
Rich Russillo: NO!!! ANDREA VALENTINE SPINS OUT OF THE WAY, AS CHARLIE CRASHES DOWN ONTO THE MAT FROM THE TOP ROPE!!! He landed back first and instantly got into an arched position!! He’s trying to alleviate the pain, but.. MAGIC HOUR!!! ROUNDING STANDING MOONSAULT BY ANDREA VALENTINE ONTO THE BODY OF CHARLIE MARR!!! He clutches at his stomach in pain!!!
Persephone: Valentine rises up.. DOUBLE FOOT STOMP ONTO THE HANDS OF MARR!!! NOW ONTO HIS RIGHT LEG!!! Valentine walks around Marr, then looks up at the top turnbuckle. She makes her way over to the corner, then begins scaling her way up!!
James Peters: But look!!! It’s Charlie! He’s gotten up to his hands and knees rather quickly, and takes it even further by getting to his feet! Andrea is set on the top rope.. BUT MARR CHARGES TOWARDS THE CORNER AND LEAPS ONTO THE MIDDLE ROPE BEFORE SHE COULD EXECUTE A MOVE!!!
Rich Russillo: Marr grabs a hold of Andrea’s head… AND DELIVERS A NASTY FOREARM STRIKE ACROSS HER FACE!!! Andrea nearly loses her balance on the top rope!!!
Persephone: BUT SHE DOESN’T AND FIRES AWAY AT CHARLIE WITH A HARD RIGHT HAND!! Marr nearly falls off of the middle rope, but he keeps a strong grip on the top rope with his left hand!!! THEN DELIVERS AN ELBOW STRIKE WITH HIS RIGHT ELBOW!!! THAT CATCHES ANDREA RIGHT ACROSS THE FACE AND SHE LOSES HER BALANCE ON THE TOP ROPE!!!
James Peters: Andrea lands in a seated position on the top rope!! AND MARR WITH ANOTHER VICIOUS HEADBUTT!!! Andrea’s head snaps back after that shot from Marr, and now Marr makes his way up onto the top rope!!! He hooks Andrea’s head, and lifts her back to her feet on the top rope!!! Is he going for it!! SNAP SUPLEX OFF THE TOP ROPE BY CHARLIE MARR!!!!
Rich Russillo: NO!!! Andrea catches him off guard with a forearm to the midsection!!! Marr loses his breath, as Valentine delivers a strong right hand to the midsection!! Marr releases his grip on Andrea Valentine as she’s fighting for her life right here on the top rope!! Andrea reaches up.. AND SHE FIRES BACK WITH A HEADBUTT OF HER OWN!!! GIVING CHARLIE A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE, AND SENDING HIM CRASHING DOWN TO THE CENTER OF THE RING!!!
James Peters: Marr is down on the ring mat. Meanwhile, it looks like that last headbutt rocked Andrea a little. She’s shaking her head though.. She’s feeling it, as she sets herself up on the top!!
Persephone: Listen to this crowd. They’re almost as excited as I am! Marr slowly rises to his feet, as the crowd gets even louder!!
Rich Russillo: DIVING CROSSBODY BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!!
James Peters: IT CONNECTS AND ANDREA STAYS ON TOP FOR THE PIN!!
ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
TWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!
THRRRRR-
Persephone: Yes!! This match continues!!! 🙃
James Peters: You can see the frustration on Andrea Valentine’s face. She wanted to finish this right here and put Marr in his place, but it wasn’t enough right then and there. Valentine gets up to her feet, and grabs Marr by the head. She lifts him up, as he gets to his feet. She wraps her arms around his head!!
Rich Russillo: I think I know what is coming here! She’s running with Marr’s head in her arms!!! RUNNING BULLDOG BY ANDREA!!
Persephone: NO!! Charlie with incredible instincts!! He shoves Andrea off, as she lands flat on her behind!!! Andrea screams out in pain from that landing, and slowly works up to her feet. She turns around..
Rich Russillo: CHARING CROSS!!!! DISCUS LARIAT BY CHARLIE MARR!!!!
James Peters: MISSES!!! ANDREA VALENTINE DUCKED UNDERNEATH THE ARM, AS MARR RUNS RIGHT PAST HER!!! He stops in his tracks, and turns around..
Persephone: SPINNING BACKFIST BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!! IT CONNECTS!!! ANDREA JUST SMACKED CHARLIE MARR IN THE FACE, FORCING HIS HEAD TO TURN ALL THE WAY OFF TO THE SIDE!!! Marr drops down to one knee after that powerful blow from Andrea Valentine!
Rich Russillo: And look at this! It’s Andrea running to the far ropes!! She rebounds back towards Charlie Marr.. VALENTINE’S MASSACRE!!!!
James Peters: THE HANDSTAND HEADSCISSORS DRIVER CONNECTS AND ANDREA SNAPS CHARLIE MARR’S FACE UP AGAINST THE MAT!!! Valentine for the pin!!!!
ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
TWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRR-
Persephone: YES!!! MORE WRESTLING!!! CHARLIE MARR GETS HIS SHOULDER UP!!!!
Rich Russillo: Oh that was a close one, and this Argentina Crowd knows it! Their reaction right now indicates that they thought it would be over, but Charlie Marr had different plans. He isn’t allowing Andrea to have this one over him. After years of holding in this frustration, he can’t allow this opportunity to slip! He wants to beat Andrea Valentine tonight! He wants to right the wrongs that were done against him in the past! He may be dazed and confused, but he knows he needs to keep fighting!
James Peters: You have got that right, Rich. And although these two haven’t seen each other in years, the energy between them is still at an all time high!! Valentine gets back to her feet. She reaches down and grabs Marr by the arms. After pulling The Man of Always to his feet, Andrea Valentine goes for a strong irish whip!!
Rich Russillo: NO!! Charlie Marr plants his feet to the ground and leans back in order to stop the irish whip from Andrea!! And instead of Andrea working the irish whip, it’s Marr who pulls Andrea’s arm, sending her to the far ropes!! Andrea rebounds back towards Charlie..
Persephone: BACK BODY DROP BY MARR!!!
James Peters: NO!! ANDREA VALENTINE FLIPS IN MID AIR, AND LANDS ON HER FEET!! Incredible athleticism by Valentine!!!
Persephone: Valentine spins around… DOUBLE KNEE BACKBREAKER ONTO CHARLIE MARR!!! CHARLIE JUST SNAPPED HIS BACK UP AGAINST THE KNEES OF ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Rich Russillo: Marr yells out in pain and clutches at his lower back. He slowly works up to his knees, then up to his feet!! BUT CHARGING AT HIM IS ANDREA VALENTINE WITH A HANDSPRING BACK ELBOW TO THE FACE!!!
James Peters: NO!!! MARR DUCKS UNDERNEATH THE ARM, AND ANDREA CONTINUES RUNNING TO THE ROPES!! She rebounds back…
Persephone: AND SHE GETS NAILED IN THE STOMACH BY A STRONG RUNNING KNEE LIFT FROM CHARLIS MARR!!! Valentine slams down to the mat hard after connecting with Marr’s knee! That shot looks like it might have gotten Valentine really bad! She’s clutching at her abdomen in pain! She’s trying to work her way up to her feet!! Valentine to her knees!! Now to her feet!!
Rich Russillo: BUT IT’S CHARLIE MARR WHO BLASTS HER IN THE STOMACH WITH HIS KNEE!! Valentine nearly drops to one knee, but Marr keeps a hold of her!! And he sends her towards the ropes!!! Valentine rebounds back.. THE HEADMASTER RITUAL!!!!
James Peters: IS COUNTERED!!! THE SPINEBUSTER BY CHARLIE MARR IS COUNTERED, AS VALENTINE LOCKED IN A GUILLOTINE CHOKE HOLD!!!
Persephone: Charlie Marr is struggling, as Andrea tugs on the head hard. She’s applying a tremendous amount of pressure, as she wrenches on the head and neck of Charlie Marr!! Charlie needs to find a way out if he wants to have any chance of winning! If he stays in this hold any longer, he may just pass out!!
Rich Russillo: Valentine surely has this guillotine locked in tight! She’s trying to suffocate Charlie and have the referee call this match, because she knows Charlie wouldn’t verbally call this match. Not against her!! Not tonight!! These two have so much bad blood between each other, and it’s going to take knocking the other person out in order to win!! TWO HALL OF FAMERS!! TWO LONGTIME ENEMIES!! BUT ONLY ONE CAN WIN!!!
James Peters: AND MARR DROPS DOWN TO A KNEE!!! MARR IS DOWN ON ONE KNEE, AS ANDREA CAN SEE THE END OF THE TUNNEL!! SHE KNOWS THAT THE VICTORY IS NEAR!!! SHE KEEPS WRENCHING ON THAT NECK!!! SHE’S PULLING AND TUGGING DOWN ON MARR’S HEAD WITH EVERYTHING SHE’S GOT!!
Persephone: NO WAY!!! :damn:
Rich Russillo: :damn:
James Peters: CHARLIE MARR RISES BACK UP TO HIS FEET!!! HE’S FIGHTING WITH EVERYTHING HE’S GOT!! HE ISN’T ALLOWING HIS BODY TO FAIL!!! Marr wraps his arms around Valentine’s waist.. THE HEADMASTER RITUAL!!! SPINEBUSTER BY CHARLIE MARR!!!
Rich Russillo: IT CONNECTS AND ANDREA SLAMS AGAINST THE MAT HARD!! WOW WHAT A DESPERATION COUNTER BY CHARLIE!!! But from the looks of it, his head was still trapped, so his neck was pulled hard on the landing!! He’s grabbing at his neck in pain, as Andrea is clutching at her lower back! These two Elitists are putting it all on the like here, and the crowd is loving it!!
Crowd: THIS IS AWESOME!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!!!
James Peters: Marr slowly rolls off to the side and near the ring ropes. He uses them to pull himself up to his knees! Meanwhile, it’s Andrea Valentine who is rolling onto her stomach, then up onto her hands and knees. Both Marr and Andrea continue to slowly work their way up.. They both get to their feet..
Persephone: RUNNING LARIAT BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Rich Russillo: NO CHARLIE SIDE STEPS AND TOSSES ANDREA THROUGH THE ROPES!!! Andrea manages to catch herself, as she grabs onto the middle ropes on her way out. She manages to work herself up to her feet on the ring apron..
James Peters: HIGH RISE DROPKICK TO THE FACE BY CHARLIE MARR!! HE JUST DRILLED HIS BOOT INTO THE JAW OF ANDREA VALENTINE!!! THAT SENDS HER DOWN, AS SHE HITS THE RING APRON HARD, THEN ROLLS, AND DROPS DOWN TO THE RINGSIDE FLOOR!!! WHAT A MOVE BY CHARLIE!!!
Persephone: And look at Charlie! He’s chuckling to himself right now as he watches Andrea Valentine struggle on the outside. I could almost say he’s happier than me, but I can’t. Literally I can’t, because I love this too much!
Rich Russillo: Andrea is down on the outside. She has yet to move since falling from the ring apron moments ago. Meanwhile, Charlie Marr is holding onto the top rope! He’s pulling back on it!! HE LAUNCHES HIMSELF INTO THE AIR TOWARDS RINGSIDE!!! SLINGSHOT ELBOW DROP FROM INSIDE OF THE RING AND DOWN ONTO ANDREA VALENTINE ON THE OUTSIDE!!!
James Peters: NO!!! NOBODY HOME!! ANDREA ROLLED OUT OF THE WAY AT THE LAST SECOND, AND CHARLIE’S ELBOW WENT RIGHT INTO THE THINLY PADDED RINGSIDE FLOOR!! HE’S CLUTCHING AT HIS ELBOW AND SCREAMING OUT IN PAIN!! TO BE THAT HIGH IN THE AIR AND TO LAND RIGHT INTO THE GROUND!! AHH HE’S GOING TO FEEL THAT IN THE MORNING!!!
Persephone: Both Charlie and Andrea are down at ringside. Valentine is laying with her stomach down. Her head is turned towards Charlie, as she watches him yelp out in pain while holding onto his elbow. Andrea tries to work her way up to her feet. She slips once she gets to a knee, but continues to work her way up!! Valentine is now up to her feet. She stumbles her way over to Charlie Marr and.. DOUBLE FOOT STOMP RIGHT ONTO THE HURT ELBOW OF CHARLIE MARR!!!
Referee: One.. Two.. Three.. Four.. Five.. Six..
James Peters: Charlie Marr is yelling out in pain, but that doesn’t stop Andrea Valentine FROM DELIVERING ANOTHER DOUBLE FOOTSTOMP!! Look at the 2 time world champion and now hall of famer literally dissecting whatever is left of her opponent right here!
Referee: Seven.. Eight..
Rich Russillo: And here goes Valentine. She slides herself back into the ring, and then slides herself back out to restart the count. She easily could have won this match right here, but remember.. She doesn’t want to win the match that way. She wants to beat Marr again here tonight. Just like she did years ago, but she wants to make sure he knows that she still has the upper hand over him!
Persephone: Andrea Valentine reaches down and grabs Charlie from the ground. She raises him up to his feet.. AND BLASTS HIM WITH A KICK TO SHIN!! Valentine now delivers a forearm strike that has him staggering back!!! Andrea takes a few steps back!! Whats this!!!
James Peters: HANDSPRING BACK ELBOW BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Rich Russillo: NO!! CHARLIE DUCKED UNDERNEATH THE ARM, AND ANDREA GOES ELBOW FIRST INTO THE STEEL POST!! She screams out in pain, as she leans up against the ring post!!
Persephone: Now both of these talented Elitists that I enjoy watching have hurt elbows!! Andrea is bent over and leaning against that post. She’s clutching that elbow.. BUT SHE HAS NO IDEA THAT CHARLIE MARR IS CHARGING AT HER WITH THE CHARING CROSS ONCE AGAIN!!! DISCUS LARIAT INTO ANDREA AGAINST THE RING POST!!!
James Peters: NO!!! OH MY GOSH THAT HAS TO HURT!! ANDREA DUCKED THE ARM AND CHARLIE’S ARM COLLIDED AT FULL SPEED AGAINST THAT TURNBUCKLE!!!
Referee: One.. Two.. Three.. Four..
Rich Russillo: And if I’m not mistaken, that’s the same elbow that was giving Marr problems moments ago! Charlie drops down to a knee, as he has his left arm extended out against the ring post. He’s got his hurt right arm and elbow tucked in, as he is fighting through this pain!!
Persephone: Andrea makes her way back over to Charlie.. AND KICKS HIM RIGHT AT THE RIBS!! Charlie falls off to the side after that blow by Andrea!!
Referee: Five.. Six..
James Peters: And now Charlie sits up.. BUT COMING RIGHT AT HIM IS ANDREA VALENTINE WITH A RUNNING BLOCKBUSTER THAT SNAPS HIS HEAD RIGHT UP AGAINST THE RINGSIDE FLOOR!!! Valentine raises her hands in the air as this crowd erupts into cheers for her! She’s vibing off of their energy, and using it to help her win this match!!
Referee: Seven..
Persephone: Andrea now grabs Charlie, and drags him over to the ring. She scoops under his arms and lifts him up onto the ring apron!! Valentine slides Marr back into the ring, as she works her way up onto the ring apron herself!!
James Peters: Andrea is thinking of hitting something huge right now. You can see it in her eyes!! The crowd is rooting for her, and the closer she gets to that corner turnbuckle, the louder they get!!!
Rich Russillo: Valentine works her way up to the top rope! She finally gets set, as she looks down at Charlie Marr!! He’s laying flat on the ring mat and looks like nothing but a target for Andrea Valentine!!! She leaps!!! DIVING METEORA BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Persephone: AND CHARLIE MARR MOVES OUT OF THE WAY!!! VALENTINE CRASHES AND BURNS RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE RING!! HER KNEES TOOK MOST OF THE DAMAGE THERE, AND SHE STUMBLES DOWN ONTO ALL FOURS!!
James Peters: Charlie is lucky that he was able to dodge that meteora. If Valentine was able to connect a diving meteora to the face, then this one may have been all over! Marr had other plans however, and he’s still in this!!!
Rich Russillo: You may want to take those words back, James! Look inside the ring!! Valentine is slowly working her way back up to her feet, as Marr has only gotten up to his knees!! Valentine is groggy, but she’s made it to her feet first! She runs towards the far ropes, as Marr has finally made it to his feet!! Andrea hits the ropes and rebounds back towards Marr!! LOVE HAZE!!!! RUNNING CORKSCREW NECKBREAKER BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!!
Persephone: NO!!! MARR SPINS OUT OF THE WAY, AS VALENTINE FLIPS AND LANDS FLAT ON HER BUTT WITH INCREDIBLE FORCE!! SHE YELLS OUT IN PAIN UPON IMPACT, AND SLOWLY STANDS BACK-
James Peters: FROM BEHIND IT’S CHARLIE MARR LOCKING IN THE TRANQUILITY!!! THE REAR NAKED CHOKE IS LOCKED IN ON ANDREA VALENTINE!!! SHE’S STRUGGLING AND GASPING FOR AIR!! MARR CONTINUES TO CLAMP DOWN ON THAT HEAD AND NECK!! FORCING HIS FOREARM AGAINST HER JUGULAR, MARR IS TRYING TO MAKE ANDREA PASS OUT RIGHT HERE!!!
Rich Russillo: Like we said before about Marr, the only way to beat Andrea may be to knock her unconscious with a move like this!! Because Similar to Marr, Valentine isn’t going out with a fight!!
Persephone: Charlie keeps his grip around Valentine’s neck tight!! He keeps the pressure on Valentine as both of these Elitists are near the center of the ring!! Valentine is down on one knee, as Marr is right behind her and choking her out!! Valentine tries to get up to both feet, but the second she gets up, Marr wrenches harder on that rear naked choke and forces her back down to her knees!!!
James Peters: AND LOOK!! SLOWLY, BUT SURELY, ANDREA VALENTINE IS FADING!! SHE’S FLAILING HER ARMS, BUT EVEN THEY START TO SLOW DOWN!! SHE MIGHT BE GOING LIGHTS RIGHT ABOUT NOW!! HER ARMS LOWER.. AND THEY FALL DOWN TO HER SIDES!!! SHE MAY BE OUT OF IT!!! THE REFEREE GOES ON TO CHECK ON HER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S SEEN ENOUGH, AS HE STARTS CALLING FOR THE-
Persephone: BACK ELBOW TO THE ABDOMEN BY ANDREA VALENTINE!!! THERE’S STILL LIFE IN HER IN THIS MATCH!! ANDREA CLENCHES HER FISTS, AND DELIVERS ANOTHER BACK ELBOW TO THE BODY OF MARR!! SHE BEGINS TO BREAK HERSELF FREE!! ONE MORE BACK ELBOW, AND MARR LOSES HIS GRIP ON VALENTINE!!! VALENTINE RUSHES TO THE SIDE ROPES! SHE REBOUNDS BACK…
James Peters: BIG BOOT TO THE FACE BY MARR!!
Rich Russillo: NO!!! ANDREA VALENTINE WITH A CARTWHEEL EVASION TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! THAT MISSED BIG BOOT HAS MARR STUMBLING ON HIS FEET INSIDE OF THE RING, AND HE ENDS UP LEANING CHEST FIRST AGAINST THOSE SIDE ROPES!! Marr turns around..
James Peters: KICK TO THE SIDE OF THE LEG BY ANDREA VALENTINE!! THAT FORCES MARR INTO A BENT OVER POSITION, AS HE LOSES HIS BALANCE!! Andrea takes advantage of this, as she grabs a hold of his arm, then places her boot up against his jaw!! THIS CAN’T BE!! SHE’S GOING FOR IT!!
Persephone: XOXO!!! INVERTED STOMP FACEBREAKER BY ANDREA VALENTINE CONNECTS!!! CHARLIE’S HEAD SNAPS BACK, AND HE INSTANTLY DROPS DOWN TO THE CANVAS OF THE RING!!!
Rich Russillo: BOTH OF THESE ELITISTS ARE DOWN HERE IN THE CENTER OF THE RING!!! BOTH OF THEM HAVE GONE THROUGH AN ABSOLUTE WAR AGAINST THE OTHER, AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO WIN THE FIRST MAIN EVENT OF THE SEASON!! MARR CLUTCHES AT HIS HEAD IN PAIN, WHILE ANDREA IS STILL TRYING TO CATCH HER BREATH. SHE LOOKS UP TO THE CEILING, AS SHE’S BREATHING HEAVILY!!!
Persephone: Marr raises his head and sees Andrea staring right back at him!! These two are giving it their all against one another tonight, and neither one wants to allow the other to pull out the victory!! There’s a lot of history between these two, and tonight adds yet another chapter to their rivalry!! Valentine to her hands and knees!! Marr is now up to his!! They keep their eyes locked on one another… VALENTINE TO HER FEET!! AND NOW MARR IS UP TO HIS AS WELL!! BOTH ELITIST ARE BREATHING HARD AND KEEPING THEIR EYES LOCKED ON THE OTHER!!! WHO IS GOING TO PULL THIS ONE OUT!! ONLY ONE CAN WIN!! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE SURVIVOR AND I TOTALLY AM INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHO IT IS AND DON’T WANT THE MATCH TO END AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
James Peters: BOTH ELITISTS CHARGE AT EACH OTHER, AND- :comeagain:
Rich Russillo: WAIT, WHAT???
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Persephone: :blessed:- I mean, OH NO!!! HARPER LEE JUST INTERRUPTED THE MATCH WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!!!! HARPER JUST GOT THE MATCH THROWN OUT!!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
(The crowd boos extremely loudly as the Universal Women’s Champion Harper Lee stands over both of the Elitists competing in the main event. Harper has a huge smirk on her face as she goes and grabs Andrea Valentine.)
Harper Lee: (off-mic) You have no idea what you’re-
James Peters: WOAH, ANDREA VALENTINE WITH A PUNCH TO THE FACE!!! NOW HARPER LEE SWINGS AT ANDREA BUT ANDREA DUCKS AND TAKES HER DOWN WITH A DOUBLE LEG TAKEDOWN!!! HARPER JUST THREW THAT MATCH OUT OUT OF SPITE, AND ANDREA CLEARLY ISN’T TAKING THAT TOO KINDLY!!!
Rich Russillo: HARPER ROLLS ANDREA OVER AND LANDS A FEW PUNCHES, BUT ANDREA IS ABLE TO TURN HARPER OVER BEFORE DOING THE SAME!!! THESE TWO WOMEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE UPPER HAND, BUT AS SOON AS HARPER WAS IN CONTROL ANDREA WAS ABLE TO PUSH HARPER OFF OF HER AS BOTH WOMEN RUSH TO THEIR FEET AND-
James Peters: ANDREA JUST SENT BOTH HERSELF AND HARPER TUMBLING OUT OF THE RING WITH A JUMPING CLOTHESLINE!!!! Andrea Valentine may have been able to get over her Universal Women’s Championship loss and focus on just getting back to the top of the mountain, but Harper Lee has pressed all the wrong buttons and now I think she might be paying for it!
Rich Russillo: Andrea Valentine now lifting Harper up, and- NO! HEADBUTT BY HARPER!!! HARPER LEE JUST HEADBUTTED ANDREA TO ESCAPE WHATEVER THE FORMER CHAMPION HAD PLANNED, AND NOW HARPER SHOVES ANDREA RIGHT INTO THE STEEL STEPS!!!!
(The crowd begins booing loudly, but as Harper stands back up and regains her composure, a huge grin appears on her face, almost mocking the crowd as she begins to back away from Andrea Valentine.)
James Peters: Harper Lee managed to get the better of Andrea right there, but that was an attack out of nowhere, I don’t think that’s anything to be proud of-
Rich Russillo: CHARING CROSS!!!!!!!
James Peters: HARPER LEE JUST TURNED AROUND AND CHARLIE MARR JUST ABOUT TOOK HER HEAD OFF WITH THE CHARING CROSS!!!!! Charlie Marr was already unhappy about the new Hardcore Championship rules, but Harper’s actions tonight might have just crossed the line!
Rich Russillo: Now it’s both the Universal Women’s Champion and the challenger that’s laid out, and Charlie Marr himself isn’t even in a good mood!
(Charlie doesn’t stand around the two fallen Elitists very long, instead shaking his head and beginning to walk up the ramp, furious about everything that happened tonight, from the Hardcore Championship situation to his match ending so abruptly. As Charlie makes his way up the ramp, the camera pans to Andrea Valentine and Harper Lee both laid out at ringside, before finally fading to black.)
(EAW logo buzzes.)
