Post by gvb on Jun 7, 2021 14:53:39 GMT -6
Riot in Texas
Live from Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, TX
Sunday May 30th, 2021
Singles Match
Siobhan Mahoney VS Pierce ManningNeither one of the competitors looked too pleased to be opening the show tonight in Fort Worth. If the chip on Pierce’s shoulder was because he was used to much higher positions on the card, Siobhan was clearly annoyed that her rematch against Tiffany Lynn Page had been, once again, postponed to favor another contender, in this case the former champion Alex Andrews. An exchange of pleasantries between the two ended with Mahoney slapping the taste out of the former Riot champion’s mouth. Manning stumbled back, caught by surprise by the sudden gesture, and he couldn’t defend himself from Siobhan’s following dropkick that sent him stumbling through the ropes. With the opponent on the outside, the Irish went for a baseball slide but Pierce stepped aside. The Man took her down with a lariat, dragging her up and connecting a couple of uppercuts before he lifted and dropped her down with a suplex. He then rolled her under the bottom rope and went for a first quick pinfall attempt, obtaining a count of two. Staying on the attack, Pierce connected with a left hand that knocked Siobhan off balance too. The Man followed up with some forearms, pushing the Human Disaster back into the ropes and then whipping her across the ring. He raised his leg for a big boot but she slid under it and caught him with a high kick to the head as he turned around. The blow sent Pierce flat on his back, Mahoney jumped on his chest with a double foot stomp and hooked the leg, obtaining a count of two. The fiery Irish unleashed a flurry of punches to the face of Pierce. His leg buckled under the violence of those strikes. He reared back and delivered a vicious headbutt right between the woman’s eyes. Siobhan almost dropped to one knee but somehow steadied herself.and braced for a second headbutt. This one sent her back into the corner, and Manning quickly charged for a running back elbow. Mahoney sidestepped and the member of the Triumvirate ended up stuck into the corner, giving the opponent the opening to deliver a series of kicks to the chest. At least half a dozen hit the target, then Siobhan grabbed him by the hair and ran back to the middle of the ring, driving his face into the mat with a bulldog. There was no wasted time on Mahoney’s part in trying to apply her Diabhal’s Clutch (ankle lock), but Pierce was just as quick in grabbing the bottom rope. She didn’t let him go though, at least not immediately, fully exploiting the five count instead and getting a warning from the referee for it. As the match continued, Siobhan kept targeting the opponent’s right leg, with swift low kicks, trying to prepare the ground for another Diabhal’s Clutch that could give her an upset win against a former Riot champion. Pierce was on the defensive, successfully staying away from the woman’s grasp and dodging as many of those kicks as possible. Eventually she caught him with one on the side of the ankle, causing him to jump on one foot. As soon as she leaned in to grab the leg and take him down, Pierce blasted her with a knee to the face. She dropped down on her back and The Man was quickly on top of her, raining down lefts and rights to her face, ground and pound style. Manning’s most aggressive side was being unleashed tonight, at the expense of Mahoney who found herself stuck in the corner unable to defend herself from the flurry of blows that Pierce was relentlessly throwing at her. The short moments of break she had between one barrage and the next, given by the referee stepping between the two contestants, weren’t long enough to recover and set up a comeback. Before she could even regain her bearings, the former Riot champion was back on the attack. To buy herself some extra time, she went for the opponent’s eyes, momentarily blinding him with a rake and forcing him to backtrack toward the middle of the ring. Exploding out of the corner, the Human Disaster capitalized on this with the Morrigan’s Curse swinging neckbreaker, immediately going for the ankle lock. Manning kicked her away and quickly popped up to his feet, turning her inside out with a lariat. The following TBTM attempt saw Mahoney slipping out of his grasp and landing behind his back. The self proclaimed Future Queen Of Wrestling went for her finishing maneuver, the spin kick she calls Shillelagh. Pierce was able to duck it and counter with a facebuster, following with a cover for another count of two. The member of the Triumvirate went for another TBTM attempt, but once again Siobhan slipped away, turning to shove the former champion against the referee. She tried to steal the win with a low blow, but Charles the referee spotted the misconduct. Shocking, I know. He called for the bell, but that didn’t seem to bother Mahoney who just laid Pierce out with the Shillelagh. Charles tried to stop her but suffered the same fate. WINNER: Pierce Manning BY: DQ, 11:07 |
Backstage we find Millie and Trinity hanging out together on some chairs watching the show so far. Millie dressed up in her ring gear with the Team Trillie navy blue hoody on over her gear, zipped up.
Trinity is standing beside her, looking slightly more concerned than the usual.
Millie Smith:
Last tag match.....our first tag match in the big leagues....it was really good.
Trinity Thompson:
Uh?
She takes a short moment before realizing that Millie was addressing her, her mind was clearly elsewhere.
Trinity Thompson:
Yeah, we did great! Debut match, straight to the main event against two multi time champions.. A lot of pressure but Team Trillie always comes out on top!
All of a sudden she seems to have found her enthusiasm again, flashing the "victory" sign to the camera.
Trinity Thompson:
Tonight is another big one though. Neil is a former tag champion, Glory and Sophie have more titles than we have a matches...
Millie Smith:
They're going to be tough. A real challenge. Do you think we'll be able to continue our winning streak?
Millie nervously fidgets with one of her drawstrings, biting her lip in tow as she seeks reassurance from her tag partner.
Trinity Thompson:
They are, but guess what? We're no slouch even. We worked hard to get here, we were the best team in the Academy and we already showed that we belong in the same ring with some of the greatest tag teams. This is what we're born for, Millie. You're a Smith , being a great wrestler is in your DNA...
....which makes Millie smile confidently a little.
Millie Smith:
You're right. I shouldn't second guess myself.
As Millie scrolls on her phone to her graduation certificate now framed in her room underneath some other certificates between her big Back To The Future Poster and the Marvel Endgame poster with six signatures.
Millie Smith:
I am a graduate of the Academy, teaming up with a spectacular graduate of the academy, and the strongest striker in the academy... Tiana could play those punching bags like instruments.
Trinity Thompson:
Something tells me that's exactly what she's going to do...
Trinity smiles, giving her partner a pat on the shoulder. As soon as Millie turns around though, the smile fades, replaced by that worried look she showed before. At this point its clear that the reason for this concern is Tiana, and her psychological status after injuring JJ Night one week ago. Will she be mentally ready for the challenge ahead? Time will tell..
Singles Match
Dez Ali VS EchoHuge opportunity for the recently graduated Dez Ali against the Junior Heavyweight champion Echo. Even though the title wasn’t on the line, a win against the dangerous Australian tonight would put him first in line for a shot at the gold, and the son of Michael Ali was looking to make the best of it. His high flying, hard hitting style took Echo by surprise and earned him an early near fall after a leg lariat. But things turned for the worse real quick for the young man, whose diving crossbody saw him lading right into her arms. Echo positioned him as if she was going to powerslam him, but rather than bringing him down into the canvas, she ran into the corner and squashed him between herself and the turnbuckle, leaving him hanging upside down in the infamous tree of woe position. She began kicking and stomping his chest, not giving a fuck about the referee’s warnings. Echo ended the sequence with a baseball slide that caught Dez right on the face, and then made a cocky cover without hooking the leg and barely putting any weight on the young man, who easily popped up his shoulder in two. Echo smirked and dragged him up, throwing him into the corner with a powerful irish whip. She walked to him and began driving her shoulder in his midsection, managing to connect with the same maneuver three times before Ali leaped over the fourth attempt and turned it into a sunset flip. Echo kicked out in two but before she could get up to her feet, he blasted her with a low dropkick. Hard to pick a fan favorite in this one, Ali’s months in the Academy didn’t win him any fans, and his association with the Bad Boyz didn’t help his relationship with the Texas crowd either but Echo’s arrogant demeanor and her dismissive attitude toward the young opponent turned the crowd behind Dez. Their cheers of encouragement helped him get out of a precarious situation where the Australian was just ragdolling him with a series of suplexes. His natural athletic skills allowed him to land on his feet after a german suplex attempt and connect with a shotgun dropkick that sent the Aussie flying out of the ring. He wasted no time to soar over the top rope with a spectacular somersault senton to the outside, taking down Echo and landing on his feet to the cheers of the crowd. The Junior Heavyweight Champion crawled away, putting some separation between her and Ali. Dez charged and stepped over the steel steps, using them as a launching pad to jump toward Echo and wrap his legs around her head connecting a headscissor. Every move that connected, every cheer of the crowd was a major boost in Dez’ confidence. He really started believing he could make it, and so did the fans who popped to their feet when the Pele kick knocked down the champ for a very long count of two. But his hopes were crushed suddenly and abruptly when Echo caught him as he bounced off the ropes with The Reverb. She didn’t pin him though, wanting to make a further statement and locking him in her Heel Hook. Dez screamed in agony and tried to resist, but the pain was too much to handle, and he tapped soon after. She kept the hold locked a little longer after the bell sounded, letting go only when the referee threatened to reverse his decision. The Texas crowd showered her in boos, she replied by raising her arm, taunting them with that cocky smile. WINNER: Echo BY: Submission (Heel Hook), 8:44 |
The Fort Worth crowd erupts to their feet in cheers as in the crowd the cameras find their hometown hero Alan Envy walking through the crowd with an assistant in a suit and tie in towe carrying a stack of books. A huge Envy chant erupts throughout the convention center as he seems to be preaching to the masses as the gentleman in the suit hands out Bibles.
Envy approaches one of the fans and begins talking about how he is a sinner and here is his opportunity to be saved. The gentleman puts his hands up and declines and turns his back. A change in expression washes over Alan as he takes his forearm and clubs the man in the back of his neck. He then starts stomping the man with a rage that you haven't seen in Envy in a while as the crowd actually cheers Envy on. Security finally separates Envy from the fan as the Fort Worth hero composes himself as again starts to preach to his congregation as the next match begins.
Battle For The Briefcase Tournament Match
Second Round: No DQ
Nine van der Hoek VS Leia LeBeauSecond Round: No DQ
A lot of history in this first quarter finals match of this year’s Battle For The Briefcase match. The New Problem was the one who cost Leia LeBeau her Junior Heavyweight championship at Hic Sunt Leones, literally closing the door of the cage on the Show’s head and offering the win and the title on a silver platter to Echo. Nine never explained her actions, not that the Jet City Woman cared to hear them, at least not now. A sentiment of revenge was what was fueling the young Leia, who took full advantage of the no DQ rules and attacked van der Hoek on the ramp during her entrance with a clothesline to the back. Leia was like a fury, laying down stomps to the back of the Dutch, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her to the ring. Nine delivered a shot to the kidneys that halted the former champion’s march. Nine followed up with a couple of quick jabs that rocked Leia, but she missed with the big swing and got planted on her face with a reverse STO by the Showgirl. For the first four minutes the two competitors didn’t even enter the ring, trading shots and throwing each other into barricades, ring apron and even the commentators table. Eventually Leia pushed the opponent under the bottom rope and pulled out a chair from under the ring skirt. When she entered the ring she found the Frisian Demon already standing on her feet and ready to fight. Nine kicked Leia in the gut causing her to drop the chair on the canvas. With one swift motion, van der Hoek dropped the Sin City Showgirl head first onto the chair with a snap ddt and quickly moved on top of her for a cover, getting a two count. Nine quickly grabbed the chair and started swinging it down on Leia’s back, landing several shots before the former champion managed to roll under the bottom rope to escape the onslaught. Leia eventually turned the tides when she used her long legs to kick the chair into Nine’s face, The Dutch crawled into the corner and used the ropes to pick herself up, laying against the turnbuckles to recover and check her nose for blood. Leia took advantage of the lack of rules to keep the handstand corner foot choke longer than she usually would have. When she let go, Nine fell on all fours, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Leia gave her a moment to gain her bearings and then began to unleash a flurry of Show Kicks to the chest. Leia then picked up the chair from the floor and used it to whack the New Problem, knocking her down. Hooking the leg, The Show made the cover, but it still wasn’t enough to keep her down. None of them seemed too keen to use weapons, and the match continued rather smoothly with some interesting and unexpected (in this situation) technical exchanges. Nine was in control for a long time, slowing down the pace and keeping The Show grounded. But eventually Leia found an opening and began turning the momentum back to her side, once again using her legs to inflict damage to the Frisian Demon. Hard to tell if it was intentional or a lucky shot, but her meteora caused the back of Nine’s head to bounce on the chair. Leia’s knees hit the steel as well and caused her to waste a few seconds before she could crawl back on top of the opponent, who barely kicked out in time. Things were looking down for Nine, but the opportunity to change the course of the match was coming down the ramp. The Junior Heavyweight champion Echo was there, either to return the courtesy from HSL or to further mess with The Show. Her presence got Leia’s attention as expected, the former champion forgetting about her opponent and starting to yell at the Aussie. Echo just stood there, staring at Leia without saying a word, simply taunting her by raising the title over her head. A smirk formed on the Australian’s lips as Nine rose to her feet behind the unaware LeBeau. Donovan Keane yelled at his girlfriend to turn around while he jumped the barricade and blasted Echo with a jumping knee to the back. Leia turned to a roundhouse kick from Nine but somehow managed to avoid it with a split, punching the Dutch in the lower abdomen and doubling her over. Wasting no time, The Show climbed to the top rope and jumped for the Seattle Slutdrop. Donnie grabbed the Junior Heavyweight championship from the floor and pushed it inside the ring, right where Nine’s face was bound to land courtesy of Leia’s diving bulldog legdrop. The Showgirl then rolled the opponent on her back and hooked her leg to advance to the semi-final of the tournament. WINNER: Leia LeBeau BY: Pinfall (Seattle Slutdrop), 13:55 |
The scene opens up backstage inside the Glorious Golden Era locker room. Sitting on a steel folding chair is Neil Newman. He has his right leg resting on his left knee. His arms are crossed. Standing to the right of him is Sophie O’Brian. Standing to the left of him is Glory Braddock.
Neil Newman:
The future of professional wrestling is important. One of the main reasons why I invested months of my career trying to whip Alex Andrews into shape. My hard work paid off, she became MENTV didn’t she? Mission accomplished. No one can accuse me of being one of those veterans who plays the role of gatekeeper.
Neil takes a deep breath.
Neil Newman:
Tonight... the only lesson I plan on teaching Trinity Thompson, Millie Smith and Tiana Hammond is when you cross three people with an ax to grind, don’t take it personal when they cut you down. The three of us haven’t been on the best of rolls as of late. Glory, she wants another shot at the World Championship. Sophie... we didn’t get the job done at Sic Hunt Leons, not only am I still feeling that loss. Last week, in my home state, I failed to advance in the Battle of the Briefcase. Life hasn’t been glorious for the era lately. The last thing we are going to allow to happen is to lose to three punk kids from The Academy.
Neil shakes his head.
Neil Newman:
You three may be the future of this company. The future isn’t here, yet. Team Trillie, Sophie and I already beat you. Tiana, boo hoo you’re sad you injured a man. Suck it up. You think I am going to feel sorry if I force you to succumb to End Game? Sophie won’t shed a tear if she locks you in Wisdom. Glory has made a career of tapping or snapping her opponents... you get the point. There is no mercy. Accidents happen. Glorious Golden Era teaching you punk kids a lesson won’t be.
Sophie O’Brian
Three young kids from the academy?
She chuckles.
Sophie O’Brian
If you believe that your lessons are over then you are sadly mistaken. There are many tough lessons to learn and among them is that it doesn’t get any easier on the main roster. As Neil pointed out, it has been rough for the Glorious Golden Era and we are going to get back on track even if it means walking over your bloody bodies. William Tecumseh Sherman said, War is Hell. There is no use trying to tame it. So, kids, prepare for war. Prepare for hell.
Glory Braddock
Lessons are indeed important. And the academy kids are out of the frying pan and into the fire that is having to face an angry and very determined GGE. All three of us are looking to get back on track for various reasons. And we are not going to let you three stop us.
Braddock sneers.
Glory Braddock
As far as Seth Iser is concerned, I’ve already said that I will become world champion and I will do anything to achieve that goal. If that means starting from the bottom up then I will do that. If I have to beat everyone else claiming their right to a title shot then I will do it. But mark my words I will earn another title shot. I will get you one on one. And then? Then I will take the title from you.
Trios Match
Team Trillie & Tiana Petrova-Hammond VS Glorious Golden Era
The three students surely made an impact in their debut last week. Team Trillie managed to beat the Riot champion Henri Black and a former multi-times champion Bryan Ford in a shocking fashion, while Tiana picked up an impressive win against fellow former student JJ Night, who got injured in the process. An episode that shocked the young Russian-America, who still didn’t seem to be over it as the match started, looking distracted and almost scared to attack. A luxury she couldn’t afford, more so when her opponent was Sophie O’Brian. The Northern Irish caught Tiana off guard with a throat strike and immediately wrapped her arms around her head applying a neck crank. Using her knowledge and expertise in submissions, Petrova-Hammond escaped the hold and delivered a quick jab. A second strike was dodged by Sophie who took Ti down with a neckbreaker, immediately going for another neck submission. Tiana managed to get to her feet and tried to break free, but Sophie switched to a cravate and raised her knee to the young woman’s face a couple of times. She then dragged her to the corner and made the tag to Neil, The former MENTV champion entered the ring and, thanks to his size and strength advantage, kept control for several minutes, tossing Tiana around with an array of suplexes. Until the first ever Gold Star caught him with a jumping knee to the face, finally getting the opening she needed to reach her partners in the corner. At this point it wasn’t a shock to anyone seeing Team Trillie taking control of the match. Trinity and Millie really completed each other, showing that natural chemistry that’s the base for every successful tag team. Combined with their fast paced and innovative style, you have the ingredients for a great tag team. The only thing they lacked, for now, was the experience. After combining their efforts to connect a double suplex on the bigger Neil, Millie left the ring to her legal partner Trinity saw Sophie making the tag, but missed Glory touching her best friend’s shoulder as soon as she entered the ring. Thompson soon found herself caught between the two women who used the five seconds (and perhaps a bit more) to double team her with stiff strikes and a Death Of Wisdom/Blaze Of Glory combination. Tiana and Millie both rushed into the ring and broke up the pin, saving their partner. Trinity’s determination and her never say die attitude (something that she inherited from her step sister Tiff Rollins) did the rest, allowing the young wrestler to resist until she found the opening to catch the former Riot champion with her own version of the Death Kick. Rather than making the pin, she slowly crawled to her corner. Braddock was much faster to reach hers and tag Sophie back in. O’Brian grabbed Trinity’s foot before the young woman could reach Trillie’s hand and dragged her back to the middle of the ring. Thompson though jumped and connected with her foot to the side of Sophie’s head, knocking her down with the enziguri. The tag was made, but to Tiana, and the BJJ purple belt didn’t waste any time. As soon as she entered the ring , she charged at Sophie and ducked the clothesline, catching her with the patented flying armbar. O’Brian tried to get out of it, but her arm was trapped in Tiana’s tight grasp. Sophie let out a cry of pain, and Tiana’s expression changed as soon as she heard it. Not only that, she immediately let go of her hold and shook her head, almost in shock. Visibly upset and scared that she could injure another opponent, Tiana turned around and walked to her corner. O’Brian seemed incredulous, but she wasn’t letting this chance go and quickly rolled Tiana on her shoulders. Neil and Glory intercepted Trinity and Millie, blocking their attempt to break up the decisive pinning predicament. WINNER: Glorious Golden Era BY: Pinfall (School Boy Pin), 16:24 |
Alex Andrews:
I don't like her. At all.
Alex is seen sitting on top of a production crate, restore.g her head against the wall. She looks up at the camera and feigns a smile. That half smile quickly makes as she continues looking towards the camera. Alex just looks a but...worn.
Alex Andrews:
Let's just say we are...diametrically opposed. It's fair to say we are never going to see eye to eye. And that's fine. Different strokes for different folks.
She shakes her head.
Alex Andrews:
I don't have to like her methods. They obviously work for her. Otherwise she wouldn't be walking around with a championship. MY championship. Yes. I feel it's still my championship she's walking around with. She'll claim I'm entitled and it obviously isn't mine as it's in her hands, yadda yadda. She'll twist the narrative so it will show her in the best light, we all know this. But that isn't how things work. Imagine how she'll act when things don't go her way.
She lets out a laugh.
Alex Andrews:
Like when I reclaim that MENTV Championship. What excuses will fly out of her mouth then? I'm confident in my abilities. And I know what I have to do in order to get the job done. And I'm absolutely done with this drivel that falls out of mouth. I can't wait to see what she calls me after I introduce my foot to her skull.
That makes Alex give a genuine laugh as she imagines just that.
Alex Andrews:
I hope you enjoyed your time keeping MY belt warm because I'm willing to go through Hell to reclaim what you stole from me, Tiffany. I very much doubt you can say the same.
Alex pushes herself off of the crate and walks off down the hall.
MENTV Championship Match
Tiffany Lynn Page VS Alex AndrewsThe referee brought both competitors to the center of the ring to remind them of the rules they both knew so well. You could see, for a brief moment, a fleeting smile on Tiffany’s lips when he mentioned the fifteen minutes time limit. Knowing the Diva, it was safe to assume that she was planning to use that to her advantage. The bell sounded and TLP slapped Alex in the face, saying something about staying away from her title. Andrews delivered a huge forearm catching Tiffany right on the jaw and flooring her. The champion immediately rolled out of the ring and tried to waste some time, but Alex was quickly on her with pounding blows to the back. As much as she was enjoying beating up the woman who stole the title from her at Dark Web III, Lady Limitless was aware that time was Page’s ally in a MENTV title match and quickly brought the fight back in the ring. Alex didn’t seem to care too much about the technical aspects, swinging at the champion with some hard blows. Tiffany ducked under the errant swing and got behind Alex with a waist Lock. Andrews popped her hips out to break the hold and then rocked her with a back elbow. Tiffany stumbled back on her heels while Andrews turned back to face her and began delivering heavy haymakers left and right, backing her into a corner. The challenger now went to Irish whip the champ across the ring, but she was able to reverse the whip and Alex went colliding into the opposite corner. Tiffany stayed close behind and darted across the ring, hitting her with a dropkick to the face. Andrews fell flat on her face, the champ climbed the turnbuckle and jumped down with a double foot stomp, rolling the challenger on her back to make the cover and obtain a long count of two. Clearly Tiffany had no intentions whatsoever to speed up the pace of the match. She used a lot of holds to keep the opponent on the defensive and let the clock run, occasionally going for one of her trademark moves to collect near falls. On one occasion she came extremely close to the three, with the Alluring brainbuster around the eight minutes mark. Alex was growing frustrated by the prolonged time spent on the receiving end of Tiffany’s attacks. That frustration and the rush coming from the time inexorably ticking down didn’t help her cause, and even in the rare occasion where she found an opening to counterattack. that hastiness caused her to miss the shots and put her back in jeopardy. Everything changed when, in an excess of confidence, Tiffany took a huge risk with the Money, Power, Respect shooting star press, landing on Alex’ knees. After the impact, the champion started rolling over in pain, complaining about injuring her ribs. A sort of deja vu from her previous defense, but this time, whether the pain was legit or not, it didn’t work well for her. Alex stomped the hell out of her, doubling it down with some fists ground and pound style. Finally the Knoxville striker had the chance to unleash all the frustrations she had built up, raining down hard blows to the current MENTV champion. Near falls kept coming one after the other, every time a little closer to the three. Page was desperately trying to dodge and block those stiff shots, but there was no stopping Alex tonight. With the fans firmly behind her, Lady Limitless hit the ropes and clocked the champ with her Elysium (running Bicycle kick), but once again Page saved herself. With only a minute to go, Alex went for her Hella Rough but the champion wriggled out of it and poked the champion in the eyes, leaving her momentarily blinded. Page quickly left the ring and demanded to be handed her title, announcing that the match was over. When Alex regained her sight, Tiffany was already halfway on the ramp, laughing at her as the clock was quickly running down to zero. There were less than thirty seconds left now, too little to bring her back in the ring. With the referee already at five, it looked clear that this match was going to end in a count out loss for the champion, who would be holding on gold for another week even though this wouldn’t count as one of the five defenses needed to cash in the MENTV championship. And then the unexpected happened. Siobhan Mahoney ran through the curtains and blasted Tiffany from behind, forcing the ref to call for the bell. WINNER: Tiffany Lynn Page (STILL MENTV CHAMPION) BY: DQ, 14:48 |
Bryan Ford is seen with a towel around his neck as he leans against a locker, shining his boots. An interviewer comes into the scene and raises a mic up to their mouth as Ford notices the cameras.
Robbie Hayden:
Bryan. Last show you and Henri seemed to end up on different pages at the end of your tag match. Was there a miscommunication of some kind?
Ford scoffs a bit at the question.
Ford:
The only miscommunication was Henri not realizing I'm a pro. Look I get this is his home company now… But I've been a tag Champion before on more than one occasion. His problem is he doesn't wanna listen to anyone and he thinks himself higher than others around him. I've picked up on that everywhere we've been. He's used to the spotlight and now someone else is here to take it and he-
Ford cuts himself off as he looks up and away from the interviewer as Henri Black comes into frame.
Henri Black:
No, please don’t let me interrupt you Bryan, I can’t wait to hear what I was thinking. Am I the jealous champion, guarding his spot at the expense of any and all challengers? Am I the arrogant man who can’t possibly believe another competitor is as capable as he is? Or maybe, just maybe, am I the guy who watched you screw up?
Henri raises his eyebrow, motioning to Ford to continue.
Ford:
You may have a lot of people fooled by this hard exterior of yours… but I see it in your eyes Henri… I see the look of a man who's concerned… your time here… it's threatened by the likes of me. See a tag team match can only be lost by TWO people. So just because I took the pin… doesn't mean I lost it for us. You'd know that if your head wasn't so far up your own ass.
Henri shakes his head and sighs.
Henri Black:
Bryan, I honestly thought we knew each other better than that, but if you actually believe that then clearly I had overestimated our friendship. If you had simply reached out and made the tag like I asked, none of this would have happened.
Henri raises his free hand and motions to their current situation.
Henri Black:
But no, you just had to show off, you had to chase the glory and as a result you got rolled up and pinned. You might want to blame me for not breaking it up, but surely can’t believe that this is anybody’s fault but your own… I mean come on, it was your showboating that caused the problem.
Bryan shakes his head as he chuckles in Henri's face.
Bryan Ford:
You could use a little flare and showboating in your life Henri. Stop dodging around the fact that as performer I'm better than you. Why do you think the crowd gravitate towards me? Why is it every company I go to they know my name and what I bring to the table… Why is it that if a title were on the line… sweat drops down a champion's face? Because I'm the best at what I do… and especially in a one on one situation… I deliver… I'm not Prayme Rosario… I'm not Joey LeClair… not Helena…. And you know that… and I think that's why it took me coming to your show to get your attention after all these years… because Henri Black knows if he sought out a challenge from Bryan Ford… he'd have to rethink his entire… Career.
Ford looks Henri up and down before walking off as the camera now focused on Henri.
Henri Black:
And people say I’m overly dramatic…
Henri shakes his head and simply walks away, chuckling.
Battle For The Briefcase Match
Second Round: No DQ
Alan Envy VS Dean SmithSecond Round: No DQ
Amy Maynard: “They say that no man is a prophet in his own land, and this seems to be the case with Alan here tonight in Fort Worth.” Sir Figgles: “These miscreants! Brother Alan is out here doing the Lord’s work and they turn against him…” Amy Maynard: “I don’t think that throwing Holy Bibles at folks is how you divulge the Good News…” Sir Figgles: “Our Lord moves in mysterious ways, Amy. But Alan Envy saw the light, and he’s showing us the way. If he says that throwing Bibles at people is how you please God, then that’s what I’ll do.” Amy was barely able to stop her colleague and prevent him from throwing a heavy book at one of the fans wearing a “Blackstar” shirt in the front row, saving the company from a potential lawsuit. Inside the ring, Alan and Dean were already trading punches. Not the first time their paths crossed, and surely there was no love lost between the two. Tonight’s stipulation allowed them to use close fists, and they surely didn’t need to be reminded of that. Dean’s boxing background came in handy in this first exchange, allowing him to push Alan back in the corner where he continued to hit him with hard uppercuts. No DQ means that the referee couldn’t step in and interrupt the beating, but it also meant that Alan was free to go low to escape from the uncomfortable position, delivering a knee strike to the crotch to the former Invictus champion to stop his momentum. Grabbing him by the back of his head, Alan drove his face into the top turnbuckle and lifted him with an inverted suplex. Envy left the ring and went to grab a few weapons. A couple of chairs, a kendo stick and a table. He slid everything back in the ring and entered under the bottom rope. Sir Figgles: “Things are about to get interesting…” Amy Maynard: “Alan set up the table, but what is he doing now?” Sir Figgles: “Looks like he’s preaching to me.” Alan was rambling about repentance and didn’t notice that Dean grabbed one of the chairs, hiding it with his body. He picked up the other one and went to hit Smith with it, but the former Invictus champion struck first, driving the edge of the chair into his mid section.of the Lonestar, doubling him over. Dean then drove the chair down Alan’s back, dropping him on his hands and knees. Getting rid of the chair, he then put his head between his legs and lifted the Texan in a powerbomb position with the clear intention of putting him through the table. Alan fought back and broke free with some punches to the top of the head. The two were dangerously close to the table, trading blows in a battle for supremacy that saw Alan coming out victorious thanks to a thumb to eye. The next step was to suplex Smith through the table and float on top of him to make a cover. Dean raised his shoulder just before the three. Amy Maynard: “I don’t think putting someone through a table or beating him up with a kendo stick is mentioned anywhere in the bible.” Sir Figgles: “And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers… See? It’s right there, it all checks out.” Amy Maynard: “If you say so…” A couple of kendo stick shots landed on Dean’s back as he tried to get up to his feet. But once he gained a vertical base, he did a great job at ducking and dodgin the dangerous strikes, even managing to kick the Lonestar in the stomach with the Down With The Door and push him back against the ropes. He then hit him with a clothesline, the momentum behind his maneuver sending both men tumbling over the top rope and landing on the hard floor outside the ring. Dean was the first up and quickly picked up the kendo stick from the floor, flogging Alan with countless hard shots to the back, stopping only when the weapon broke in half. By that time, Envy’s back was covered in bruises, some of them, some of them looking really nasty. Blood was trickling down the Texan’s back, leaving a red stain on the apron when Smith lifted and slammed him down against it. Alan rolled back inside the ring, Dean followed him and kept kicking him on the ribs, frustrating his attempts to get up to his feet. Alan crawled toward the corner, but Dean picked him up for a gutwrench powerbomb, dropping him on top of one of the chairs abandoned in the middle of the ring earlier. He followed with a cover, but Envy kicked out once again. Sir Figgles: “When you fight for the Greater Good like Alan is doing, nothing can keep you down.” Amy Maynard: “Looks like we’re testing that theory right now. Smith is climbing up to the top, and we all know what’s coming next…” Perched on the top rope, Smith was ready to jump for the Mean Dean, his diving knee strike that gave him so many wins especially back in his Invictus champion’s days, some of them even against Alan himself. Envy slowly picked himself up, using the chair as a crutch to get up to his feet. As soon as Dean jumped, Envy tossed the chair against him, catching him right in the face and striking him down. Exhausted, Alan fell back in the corner and couldn’t capitalize on this situation. Dean slowly got up, a trickle of blood running down his face from a cut on the forehead. He walked toward Alan who seemed to be holding something in his hand. By the look of it, it was a Rosary, one he put around Dean’s neck after ducking his right hook. It was a variation of his Paying Dues, using the religious symbol to choke Smith out. Dean tried to resist, but the pressure around his neck and trachea was too much, leaving him no choice but to tap out. WINNER: Alan Envy BY: Submission (Paying Dues), 17:57 |