MWE Presents: 5ive Year Anniversary (night 2)

MWE Presents: 5ive Year Anniversary (night 2) Dec 6, 2022 20:19:18 GMT -6

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Post by gvb on Dec 6, 2022 20:19:18 GMT -6

MWE Presents: 5ive Year Anniversary Pre-Show (night 2)
Live from Enterprise Arena in Chicago, IL
Thursday, December 1st, 2022

Sammy Grimes was inside the locker room, but you have to wonder if his focus is truly on the upcoming match. With everything that went down on night 1, his girlfriend Reign Reyes getting assaulted by the Band Of Nine, his friend CJ Night taking a beating by the hands of The Division and how his sister Ava reacted to it… Truly a lot to unpack for the young man, a weight he definitely didn’t need prior to his PPV debut.

There was a knock at the door, and it seemed to bring him back to reality. Perhaps hoping to see Reign, or his sister, Grimes quickly rushed to the door, swinging it open. The look on his face immediately changed as he saw his Team Leader, Helena Noir standing on the threshold, possibly the last person he expected and wanted to see. Without saying a word to her, Sammy closed the door but the former Intercontinental champion was quick to block it with her foot.

Helena Noir:
I just came to check on you, Sammy. How are you holding up?

Sammy rolled his eyes before he looked away, not wanting to make eye contact.

Sammy Grimes:
How am I holding up? I don’t know? I didn’t get the shit kicked out of me by a bunch of grown, professional wrestling veterans and well, I didn’t have a bunch of cult members attack me and try to carve their mark on me. So I guess I’m holding up just fine. I don’t see why you even care?

He placed his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

Helena Noir:
Because you’re one of my students, that’s why I care. And I know what it feels like to see the people you care about getting hurt. Hell, you may be surprised but I also know how it’s like to see them getting marked.

No, it wasn’t a ploy to break through the wall Sammy understandably had built between them, he could tell that just by looking in her eyes. Even though she never shared with anyone but her therapist a few years ago, she had to watch her step-brother going through a similar fate.

Helena Noir:
I also know that that’s the kind of shit that’s going to affect you. If you want me to pull you from the match, I’m sure one of your teammates wouldn’t mind replacing you. And I would totally understand.

Sammy whispered under his breath.

Sammy Grimes:
Pull me from the match?

Sammy then stepped forward, standing face to face with his teacher and Team Leader.

Sammy Grimes:
Are you fucking kidding me? This is supposed to be my big moment and you expect me to sit back and get in my feelings about what happened? That would make Ava and Reign feel even worse! And it would make me look like a bitch! Why would I want that? Huh? Tell me, Helena, why would I do that? Because I know you wouldn’t.

He pointed his finger in her face as he continued on.

Sammy Grimes:
Dalecarlian Horse. Don’t think I don’t know what that move means to you and why you pulled it out during your most desperate of moments. So yeah, don’t treat me like a bitch. And if there’s anyone you should be talking to right now? It’s that cult bitch on our team. How can any of you be okay with that? Huh? HUH!?

Sammy’s eyes were now glassy, it was clear that he was getting emotional, showing to Helena and the world that he’s very much a Grimes, unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Helena Noir:
Don’t worry about that, I’ll have a conversation with Saoirse on Monday.

She looked at Sammy, the usually stern and cold expression she was known to wear melting like a wax mask for a brief moment.

Helena Noir:
And this is EXACTLY why I’m asking you if you want the night off. You’re not that different from your brother Gavin, or from your sister for what I’ve seen. Showing your emotions doesn’t make you a bitch, Sammy. They’re a powerful force if you know how to handle them. But they can be an incredible burden to carry, more so in a match where there’s already a lot of pressure on you.

Sammy shook his head.

Sammy Grimes:
Then you should know by now that my family thrives under pressure and when our backs are up against a wall. So I don’t give a damn if there’s cult people watching or if Jack and the Division come after me again too. I’m going out there and I’m going to win. It doesn’t matter who’s on my side out there, even if it’s Clem. I have to stand tall for those that I care about. I have to come out of there the victor. Because it’s not just about what I want, it’s what they would want to.

Helena Noir:
Then go.

She said as she took a step to the side, clearing the way out of the locker room. But it wasn’t a sign of surrender, that half smile on her face clearly indicated that she got the answers to her doubts.

The Academy Pre-Show Match
Team Title Match

Team Jones © (The Rizz & Adrianna Garcia) VS Team Noir (Sammy Grimes & Clementine Smith)

If you were wondering how the events of Night 1 were affecting Sammy Grimes… Well, he was not ok. Seeing his girlfriend getting assaulted by Nine’s cult and almost marked with a sacrificial knife and his friend CJ getting beaten up by the same people who tried in vain to protect Reign earlier that night… It fucked him up. Nervous, cranky and understandably distracted with his mind wandering back to what happened 24 hours ago and that feeling of helplessness he must have felt. The first victim of this particular state of mind was his own tag partner, who he shouted at when she asked if he wanted to start the match. It was no secret that Sammy wasn’t happy to team with Clementine (or anyone else, for what it’s worth) and that was even more true tonight.
If anything, all that rage and frustration helped him in the match. Sure, Rizz wasn’t pleased to find himself on the receiving end of those hard kicks, Grimes’ aggression wasn’t something he was prepared for. Even the referee had some trouble keeping his aggressiveness in check. He had to step in and physically separate Sammy from Rizz to stop him from trying to choke the Youtuber on the middle rope.
Realizing that her partner needed to cool off and not wanting to have her first PPV match end with a DQ, Clementine tagged herself in. Needless to say Sammy wasn’t happy with it, but eventually accepted his fate. “Don’t fuck it up” He said to Smith showing little faith in his partner’s ability. Well, his concerns were misplaced as the youngest of the Smith clan proved that she could really hold her own. Not even one minute in the ring and Clementine scored the first near fall with a handstand springboard cutter.
Her acrobatic style and that penchant for amazing the crowd surely earned her some new fans and made her PPV debut something people would talk about, but the risk of making mistakes was pretty high. The umpteenth flip of her match put her right in Rizz’ arms. He used Clem’s own momentum to drive her on the canvas with a German suplex, following with a running senton for a count of two.
Adrianna asked and obtained the tag, and with that came her opportunity to shine in front of a real crowd. If she was nervous about it, she did a great job at hiding it, staying focused on the task at hand. Clementine found herself in great difficulty against the latina, almost surrendering to her hangman’s neckbreaker. Sammy entered the ring and broke up the pin, but he didn’t pass on the opportunity to reproach his partner for her, in his eyes, poor performance. So much for camaraderie and team spirit!
If anything, his harsh words sorted the desired effect as Clementine created the opening she needed with a springboard enziguri. Now she could reach her partner in the corner and tag him back in. Adrianna did the same, and we were back to how we started, with Sammy and Rizz in the ring. Grimes immediately went for a roundhouse kick but the social media guru dodged the blow and took him down with a spear.
This was a tag team match, but we didn’t get the chance to see much team action. If that was easy to predict about Team Noir due to Sammy’s unwillingness to be a team player, it was legitimate to expect something more from team Jones, especially seeing how the two had teamed in the past. But Adrianna and Rizz didn’t seem to be on the same page tonight. Maybe it was just some nerves for the debut, or simply lack of communication but the one time they tried together as a team, it was a disaster. Sammy moved behind Garcia and pushed her into her partner, causing the two to bump heads. As Adrianna stumbled backward, Grimes planted her on her skull with a reverse hurricanrana, scoring the win and bringing the title home for Team Noir.

WINNER: Team Noir (NEW TEAM CHAMPIONS)
BY: Pinfall (Reverse Hurricanrana), 10:33

MWE Presents: 5ive Year Anniversary Show (night 2)
Live from Enterprise Arena in Chicago, IL
Thursday, December 1st, 2022

We are taken away from the arena to a darkened place, a city landscape though it offers no discernable name or location. The night air seems to be intoxicating as a fire rages not far off in the distance, before the vignette of a young woman is made clear. She is illustrious in a white ensemble, a crowned headpiece, and flowing dress offering just the right amount of movement as she brings herself to the fore front.

Ahalya Patel:
First things first let get things straight. If you don’t know me, too damn bad, I’m not here to provide introductions or even invitations. You’ve all already had a taste of what I can do when you saw me back at Red Line 2 alllll that time ago and now we’re here. At the dawn of Millennium Wrestling Enterprises 5th Annivesary, poignantly named #5IVE, its got a catch to it really, and a company seeming to last longer than a second these days in this line of work is a rare feat, so congratulations and kudos to them for steering this ship where it needs to go.

She paused now but it wasn’t for long, only to switch her positioning.

Ahalya Patel:
Its clear to see with signings like me, the company is looking to continue its Enterprising far off into the near future, and with that, comes my next mentioning. A chance for a championship opportunity. Seems every time I make an appearance here, I’m being gifted a shot at a title and you best damn believe I’m not going to bump this one up. There are nine others who may want to have a different say about that, and let ‘em. Let ‘em talk all that talk about how they’re waltzing out to the ring and making everyone else bleed. I don’t have time for all that rift raft, I’m as dangerous a woman as they come. I don’t say it to be shocking or to amp up my ego, the facts are what they are. I’ve trained in some of the toughest styles of martial arts, I’ve dabbled in so many forms of extreme, and now you want to gift me the opportunity to make nine others learn all about those skills. Its appreciated really.

She laughed.

Ahalya Patel:
I’m coming out there with my stride and I’m going to make sure all of them bleed, because when it comes down to who will be the next to hold that Chicago Way Strap, well lets just say the comeuppance of Valykrie and Walker’s match is that you’re going to have to deal with me in the aftermath. I’ll be seeing you soon.

There was a gestured laugh that came with her finished monologue as the scene came to a close.

We open in what appears to a dark, damp boiler room area. This could easily be the setting for some horrific b-rate horror flick. And considering the individual we are about to interact with, it could very well turn into a horror flick. We hear footsteps off in the distance accompanied by the sing-song voice of none other than the oh-so familiar Kimberly Williams.

Kimberly Williams:
La, dee dah, dee dah…la, dee dah, dee dah…

A feminine hand extends into view, the unusual thing is that this hand is covered in a glove, a glove with knives for fingers akin to Freddy Krueger. Just then Kimberly Williams steps fully into view from the right side of the scene. A sinister grin is etched across her lovely face. Along with the knife glove she is also wearing torn denim jeans, black boots, and a t-shirt with the word “Queen of the Death Match” written on the front. She has her HKW Bloodlust Championship Title belt wrapped around her waist, the SCW Underground Championship Title belt draped over her right shoulder, and the unrecognized and appropriately named Unsanctioned Championship Title belt draped over her left shoulder.

Kimberly Williams
La, dee dah, dee dah…oh, hello there!

The demented ginger waves playfully at the camera.

Kimberly Williams:
I suppose this is where I ramble on and on endlessly about my opponents? That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?

The Queen of the Death Match shakes her head.

Kimberly Williams:
Well the problem is that there’s just too damn many of them. If I took time to mention all of them it would just take too long. And I wouldn’t want management getting mad at little old me for taking up too much time. I will mention my bestest hateful Sith Lord buddy Andy Raynes!

Again she waves at the camera.

Kimberly Williams:
Hi, Andy! I can’t wait to dance again! As long as one of us wins this, its all good!

She flashes a thumbs up.

Kimberly Williams:
But seriously, I don’t need to talk. I let my actions do all the talking and if you just look at me right now with not one, not two, but THREE death match championships in my possession, I think you can safely say that I know what the hell I’m doing in this environment and that I can easily beat any of the people in this match and that if anyone can beat Valkyrie to become the new Chicago Way Champion it is ME! Besides…

She unclasps the HKW Bloodlust Championship title belt and holds it up.

Kimberly Williams:
I won a Last Blood Battle Royal to win this bad boy! So I even know how to win in this SPECIFIC environment because I already have won! I have experience! So all I’m going to say is that Kimmy Three Belts is about to become Kimmy Four Belts and I am to remind everyone in this match why I am the Queen of the Death Match!

Andrew looked focused, after a disappointing result to his round 2 match for the World TItle Scramble match, he needed to shift gears back into familiar territory. He was out now to reclaim the title as King of Chicago against a few others that felt they were fit to walk into a Chicago Way title match. Andrew was no slouch here, a six month title reign that was cut short has given Andrew a chance to reclaim what was stolen from him.

Andrew Raynes:
It’s time to reclaim what was rightfully stolen from me.

While I would have much preferred to see myself in the main event for the MWE World Title, taking Chris Sanderson to his very limit was something I enjoyed personally. There was a moment in that match after I took the first fall that he had a sense of fear in his eyes. A man who was so confident that he would cakewalk me 2 straight now suddenly had to take everything he had and power his way through to gain two straight falls in order to beat me. Make no mistake about it, I am one of the hardest to beat for one fall, let alone two. Chris did something that very few in this business seem to be capable of and that's beating me twice in a row, on his own accord. That's more than I can say for about eighty-five percent of the locker room here.

It would be no surprise if he was the one who ended up winning the belt in that cage match after what he endured in order to get there.

Andrew scoffs, shifting his focus onto what really matters right now.

Andrew Raynes:
I am sure that this is exciting for many of you, a chance to unleash some repressed anger and hostility as you engage in warfare to determine who will challenge Valkyrie for the Chicago Way Championship down the road. Are you truly prepared for what's to come? Ask yourselves how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to be the last one to bleed in this match. No, not you Kimmie, I know what you’ll do.
Some of you may just appreciate having a chance, some of you may be downright terrified and afraid of bleeding and being eliminated. You’ll play it safe to avoid making any form of contact and letting others weed out the weak so that you can capitalize, a common place around here. Some of us, though, will absolutely throw ourselves into the mix and have no fear of what will happen.

Ask yourselves if you are one of them. I know I am.

I am a former Chicago Way Champion, a man who was King of Chicago for the first half of twenty-twenty two. I was asked to sacrifice my body multiple times even when the title wasn’t on the line. I could say that eighty percent of my matches as Chicago Way champion involved weapons or special circumstances. I thrive in this environment, this will be nothing new to me and I will have no issue taking punishment from any of you and not shedding blood.

Andrew cocks a smirk, his mindset is solely focused on getting another chance to become Chicago Way champion.

Andrew Raynes:
There is a reason why I was a long standing champion and someone who was able to successfully defend the Chicago Way Championship a record five times. My body has gone through more trials and tribulations than most of you can fathom and it's going to be a real tough task to break this skin and have blood come out. If you really want to have this shot, you’re going to have to invoke the darkest side of you in order to accomplish that. People like me and Kim, who are no strangers to violence and bloodshed will absolutely look to weed out the weak and have it come down to the two of us and you’ll watch a clinic of violence the likes of which most of you have never seen.

IT doesn't mean that none of you stand a chance, it just means that it's going to take a lot more than sheer skill in order to win this match. WE are free to act as we see fit, to act like we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have no fear of bleeding, I have no fear of sacrifice. I am the toughest out in wrestling even in a match as simple as drawing blood in order to lose. My skin is hardened and battle tested and I am ready to ascend back to the top of the mountain.

This is going to be fun, after coming up just short to get into the cage match, I will exercise my free will to decimate any who stand in my way. Using whatever means necessary in order to get the job done. No remorse, no mercy and no concern for your well being. I know what is at stake here and I am prepared to get the job done at any cost. I will take back the Chicago Way Championship and walk the path I walk until such time as I make my way to the MWE World Championship.

Andrew smirks and gets himself psyched up as the scene fades.

Last Blood Battle Royal Match
#1 Contendership Match for the Chicago Way Championship

Kimberly Williams VS Alan Envy VS Ahalya Patel VS Darcy Graves VS Kate Steele VS Nina VS Siobhan Mahoney VS Crystal Caldwell VS Andrew Raynes

The rules for this match were pretty simple: there were no rules. Anything goes, weapons and fighting outside the ring included. Eliminations can only occur when someone bleeds, even the smallest and most harmless cut would mean the end of the match for that person. This ought to be a crazy and unpredictable match, making it the best possible way to determine the next number one contender to the Chicago Way championship currently held by Valkyrie.
With everything potentially going south so quickly, you would expect the competitors to play it safe, at least in the early moments. Instead, all hell broke loose from the very moment the match started. With bodies flying everywhere, the ring cleaned up rather quickly, leaving only four competitors standing, perhaps the odds-on favorites to win the thing. The former LPW Anarchy champion Nina, two former Chicago Way champion in Kim Williams and Andrew Raynes and the MWE debutant Ahalya Patel, who many may remember in 2020’s edition of Red Line.
The fight continued both inside and outside the ring. Siobhan jumped with a dropkick and sent Crystal into the ring post.The Human Disaster followed with a chop to the chest but Caldwell ducked it. As her hand hit the post, Mahoney let out a groan of pain that got cut short when Kate Steele hit her from behind with a steel chair.
That wasn’t the first weapon that got introduced in this match. A few moments earlier, Alan Envy had grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring and he was now using it to blast Darcey Graves. Inside the ring instead, they seemed to prefer to use their hands and feet, at least in this first part of the match. The Toughest Out was giving his personal welcome to Patel in the corner, hitting her with stiff fists to the head. Nina, instead, had Williams in a side headlock and was hitting her with a flurry of knee strikes.
The first elimination came quite early in the match, when Alan Envy used perfectly legal brass knuckles to hit Kate Steele, busting her skull open. The former Lockdown champion struggled to accept the elimination, attacking the Lonestar with her Flashing Lights and leaving him laid out on the floor, helpless against the opponent’s attacks. (Kate Steele eliminated)
Luckily for him, nobody could take advantage of the situation. The only one who was not paired up with any other opponent was Ahalya Patel, but she was still recovering from that nast fall to the outside. Raynes, who dropped over the top rope her with a clothesline, was now defending himself from Williams and her Betty White, the Freddy Krueger glove.
After Kate, Crystal Caldwell was the second elimination, at the hands of Darcy Graves. The Northern Irish used the steel steps to make Crystal bleed, dropping her head first into it with a flapjack. The impact was brutal to watch, blood immediately flowed copiously from the wound and the Blossoming Rose was just laying there motionless, suggesting a serious injury. Luckily, that wasn’t the case and the veteran left on her own two legs. (Crystal Caldwell eliminated)
Back to back eliminations as Darcy was the third to leave the match, mere moments after Crystal and with a very similar injury, courtesy of Kimberly’s running bulldog. A lesson learned and a warning to everyone still in the match: never turn your back to the Queen Of Death Match. (Darcy Graves eliminated)
Siobhan Mahoney’s performance was truly noteworthy. She never managed to replicate the success she had elsewhere here in MWE, ending up in an unfortunate losing streak. But the determination to turn things around was definitely there and, combined with all the frustration coming from the recent losses made her a very dangerous competitor, more so in such a dangerous environment. Ask Alan Envy who had to deal with her and her trusted Shillelagh and ended up flat on his back.
You can always count on Nina to bring oddities and unconventional weapons to this type of match. This time, it was a cheese grater, who turned out to be very useful to draw blood from Alan’s forehead, cutting the number of potential contenders down to five. (Alan Envy eliminated).
Raynes may have not been thrilled when the match was announced, but he was never one to turn down a fight or the chance to prove himself as the toughest guy out there. His Code Of The Sith (running single leg high knee) had given quite a few wins throughout his career and tonight, with the help of a chair carefully placed around Siobhan’s head, allowed him to eliminate the Northern Irish. (Siobhan Mahoney)
And the award for the most awkward elimination goes to… Nina. The hometown girl was taking a breather on the outside when she got hit by a flying penguin. Obviously not a real penguin, we’re talking about Wasley, Kim’s penguin with lead weights stuffed inside. The former intern immediately brought her hand to the side of the head, feeling the trickle of blood coming from the wound. (Nina eliminated)
Down to three, and no surprises seeing who was left. Andrew Raynes, Kimberly Williams and Ahalya Patel. The Canadian wasted no time and took Kim down with the Shattered Glass, so that he could now focus on the Indian Sensation. Of course they didn’t really try to out wrestle each other, this was not the time nor the place for a technical battle. But Ahalya still managed to show glimpses of her style, a mix of several martial arts that made her extremely unpredictable. And speaking of unpredictable things, at some point she pulled out a scarf and used it to choke Raynes. Of course she knew she couldn’t eliminate the former Chicago Way champion with it, but this bought enough time for Kim to spread some tacks on the floor. All they had to do now was drop Andrew on top of them and sort the rest out between themselves. (Andrew Raynes eliminated)
Wasley wasn't the only toy in Kim’s Bag Of Tricks. The Infinity Gauntlet was there too, dressed in barbed wire for the occasion. The imperative for Patel was to stay away from Kim’s punches and avoid those sharp edges. Luckily, the Queen Of India could count on her great agility and speed to dodge Kim’s attacks, but she needed to find a solution quickly. They say that attack is the best form of defence and Ahalya must have thought that as well when all of a sudden she charged and kicked Kim right on the nose with a tornado kick. She managed to kick her right on the nose, causing her to bleed. The bell immediately rang, and Ahalya Patel was declared the winner.
Or was she? The Lioness didn’t get up after landing the kick, staying on her knee with her arm covering her midsection. When she removed it, we noticed a cut on her side. The replay cleared the air, showing how Williams swung for an Infinity Gauntlet punch while Ahalya’s foot was about to connect with her face. It was impossible to tell who bled first, and the referee had no choice but to declare them both winners.

WINNER: Ahalya Patel & Kimberly Williams
BY: Last Two Standing, 15:28

The video opened to a graphic introducing the first inductee in the MWE Hall Of Fame, Rebecca Saint. A clip followed showing images of her MWE career, from the debut with Kelsey Spencer as part of the Uncanny Socialites to her successes as a single competitor, including her defeating Selina Metzger for the Lockdown championship. The clip ends with another panel reminding the induction that will happen later tonight, before switching to another clip.

The camera picks up what seems to be the outskirts of the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota. There is a cold wind in the air blowing through but we see the former World Champion Seth Iser, dressed in one of his nicer three piece suits with a black and blue design and the word ‘Visionary’ in small stitching going down his jacket in that blue lettering. Some long time fans know that this was home for the first show of VoW back in 2014, eight years ago.

Seth Iser:
It has to start at where I knew her at the beginning. There was this company called Visionaries of Wrestling based in the state of Minnesota and Owen Gonsalves had a hand in getting talent from Australia to come on up. In late 2015, Rebecca got signed and I met her for the first time. I worked as a wrestler there obviously… but because we were always a smaller company, I also booked the arenas. Owen introduced me to Heath Williams, Tyron Bickerton, Kelsey Spencer and Rebecca Saint. I remember Tyron and Heath being respectful, Kelsey wanted to wrestle me and Rebecca said she’d kick my ass! Well, two out of four but those damn Aussies I thought…

We do cut to see some very rare footage from DUW dated from 2015 and the brief rapid fire exchange between Kelsey and Rebecca for their world championship. We then fade from that before returning to the sight we see now. There’s a pause as a mischievous smirk creeps onto his face as he is still thinking about that memory.

Seth Iser:
But I feel like a lot of the Australian scene today that now get chances in the states today do owe a little bit of thanks to those three. It’s a total culture shock going from Australia to America like that for a full time gig. Rebeccca and Kelsey from the female perspective and Owen for helping filter in the Aussies he knew that could handle the pressure at the time and the male representative of that. I still hear from females saying they look up to women like Rebecca for making that tough choice and doing it her way. Always with that plan…

He glances back at the building and then they replay when she walked out on Kelsey in VoW back in 2016 for a moment as well as a brief spot replay of their encounter at Fate of the Gods II.

Seth Iser:
Then when they had their split and feud…started having the matches with each other that they had back home it kinda hit me what they both had. It’s hard to seperate the two career wise sometimes but the thing about Rebecca that always got me was her preparation. So calculated what she did from when the bell rings. She always had a plan in the ring. Don’t I know she often has a plan in life…but I learned more about that later…

The spiritual successor in many ways to VoW, HYBRID Wrestling, then comes into focus where she won both tag gold and then a picture of her on top of the world for them.

Seth Iser:
But to pull the mask back…and I might get scolded for this later but I’ll say it anyway, I think wrestling was fulfilling for her because she kept getting those responses from those girls, whether back in Australia or in the States that were motivated to try to be better thanks to her. To try to get into the industry to be like her and not follow anybody else’s mold. It really hit home for her when she came here to Millennium…won another championship, shocker…she does that a lot, and truly brought her and Kelsey’s brand of Australian wrestling here and it’s still influenced in pairings that are coming up now. Now instead of me giving an approval from Owen’s signing it was Rebecca convincing me to come on board here. Kind of amazing how full circle that is…and how influential she is for the entire company in general thanks to that.

He then has a warm smile remembering all of that.

Seth Iser:
And now we have those warm car rides with you having the perspective of the former wrestler…all kinds of passionate discussions to cursing out the idiot in the pickup who doesn’t know how to drive on an interstate.

He finally breaks with a light chuckle but his face does beam with pride.

Seth Iser:
But this is your night Rebecca Lawrence. This is your moment, congratulations and welcome to the inaugural MWE Hall of Fame class! Those kids are proud of you, my daughter is proud, and I am as well.

Singles Match

Emma Wakefield VS Clyde Eldon Jr. VS Millie Smith

Not much history in this match, but a great opportunity to showcase their talent to three young competitors who, for one reason or another, didn’t really have a chance to shine recently. Clyde talked to Millie, reminding her of their time together as part of Planet Faizah, perhaps trying to sway her into working together. Emma instead wasted no time and hit a double dropkick that floored the two of them.
Since her debut in May Wakefield never seemed to fully live up the potential she showed during her months at the Academy where, even without winning the Gold Star, she was always kept in high consideration by her trainers. Or at least not here in MWE. Elsewhere the blonde had started making quite a name for herself as a breakout star, and tonight she was showing exactly why to the MWE fans. After launching Millie in the corner with a headscissors, Em blasted her with a shining wizard. Clyde was right behind her and went for a German suplex but the Academy year 2 graduate landed on her feet and immediately hit him with a shotgun dropkick to the chest, sending him back into poor Millie.
While Emma and Millie were trading holds, jockeying for position and trying to get the upper hand in this exciting technical exchange, Clyde was taking a breather against the ropes. At some point he just exploded out of the corner, trampling Wakefield with a massive For You, Dad spear. Clyde quickly made the cover but Millie broke it up almost immediately.
Clyde seemed shocked after Millie broke up the pin, standing up to his feet and asking her why she did what she did. He even pointed at his Planet Faizah shirt, saying that they were on the same team. Millie shook her head, apologizing and telling him that Planet Faizah was no more, that Faizah was gone and it was time to move on. CEJ shook his head and shoved her back toward Emma. Wakefield was quick to roll Smith up, holding her down for two seconds and half before Clyde broke up the pin.
A lot of close calls came in quick succession, the three competitors chasing that win that could potentially turn their careers around. Even Clyde looked more determined than ever, going for a second spear, this time dodged by Millie with a leapfrog. Eldon ended up crashing into the empty corner, taking himself out of the equation. It was down to Millie and Emma, and these two young ladies really put up a clinic for the fans.
Action so quick you had a hard time keeping track of what was going on, aerial assaults and awe-inspiring acrobatic maneuvers that kept the fans really invested. Millie knocked Wakefield down with a roundhouse kick and then left through the ropes, climbing to the top turnbuckle ready to connect with the sparkle splash and picking up the win. But Emma suddenly stood to her feet and jumped on the middle rope, using it to leap toward Smith and drive her into the mat with a spectacular variation of her Emmargency Call (springboard bulldog). The incredible feat was welcomed by loud cheers from the fans, cheers that continued while the young woman made the cover and became even louder when the referee ordered for the bell to ring, declaring her the winner despite Clyde’s desperate attempt to break up the pin.

WINNER: Emma Wakefield
BY: Pinfall (Emmargency Call), 8:44

Megan Manning is in her locker room, her hands leaning over the table she’s in front of as she stared into the mirror. This is the moment she had been waiting for.

Megan Manning:
Some of you morons like that I am the building block of MWE. I’m the one TRUE hall of famer of this company. I’ve been here since the beginning, since it was Pride. I took the world by storm. I was in the main event picture here and over in Empire Pro. I was on the cusp of greatness, I was about to be one of the young rising stars. And I was. I really was. But despite all of my success, despite my historic reign as the first ever Intercontinental Champion, a championship I basically had for a year… I still haven’t become MWE World Champion. Idiots like Chris Sanderson have and guess what? He blew it pretty quick when he had it.

Meg shook her head.

Megan Manning:
Duke Andrews had his time at the top. Glory Braddock too as Riot Champion when it actually meant something. They’ve had their chances and they are complacent! It’s my time now! MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

She was practically stomping her feet on the ground.

Megan Manning:
I won’t let Anna Daniels or Billy Danielson cut me in line either! They don’t deserve it! They haven’t given their heart, soul and tears to this place! Whether it was me going by Megan Rydell, Megan Monroe and now, Megan Manning, I was giving my blood to this company. And what thanks did I get? Chuck Matthews gave Brittany April a shot at the Cloud Gate Championship, literally a minute after I beat Grace Van Beek for it. Then I was never given my shot back. And Chuck? He’s admitted now that he was wrong about me. He sees me as a star but of course, he was forced out of the company. Of course he sees who I am after he’s gone. And constantly, for years, I have been held back. MY TALENT HAS BEEN HELD BACK!

Megan paused and took a deep breath before she exhaled slowly.

Megan Manning:
So many people who are lesser than me have been giving more and more opportunities. People who come and go like the wind have been given so much more than me!!!

Megan looked emotional but she wasn’t done.

Megan Manning:
I’ve been here since the beginning. I’ve refused to leave. Refused to take a break. But what about all of your MWE World Champions? Eliza Valentine? Jennifer Yang? Nessa Wall? Christopher Kane? OH! WHOOPS! That’s you Sanderson, but hey, I can relate to the name change but my point stands, you LEFT LIKE A FUCKING LOSERS! JUST LIKE THESE OTHER LOSERS! BUT I’M NOT DONE! Mellisa Reeves! Oh yeah, you came back too, my bad. Chris Constanine Jr, Kelsey Spencer, Devin Hearst, BROOKFORD and not but not least, Lowri Moss!

Megan started to laugh crazily.

Megan Manning:
They’ve all come and gone and some have come back, but will likely disappear again! All of them! Almost every fucking MWE World Champion has left us hanging except who? Seth Iser and Duke Andrews? That’s not saying much, they’re both big, fat, old and dumb as fuck!

She yelled out.

Megan Manning:
MWE needs a champion that is athletic, smart, beautiful and most of all? Loyal. They need me. They’ve always needed me! I’ve always been the star of MWE, despite not having this championship. Megan Rydell/Monroe/Manning!!! She’s the one who will never leave you, Millennium. I won’t.

Megan looked away for a moment and shook her head, clearly she was feeling emotional.

Megan Manning:
It’s my time. It’s finally my time to be the Millennium World Champion. Nobody deserves this more than me. Nobody wants it more than me. Nobody will stop me from achieving my dreams. Anyone who steps in my way? I won’t hesitate to destroy you.

The scene cuts away.

Singles Match

Dean Smith VS Luis Rivera

Luis’ confidence seemed unshakable, even if Dean represented, without the shade of a doubt, the biggest threat yet to his undefeated streak. On top of that, there was the grand stage they were performing on, but not even the extra pressure could cancel that confident smirk from his face.
Dean’s uppercut did, sending the former Academy student reeling back into the corner. The former Invictus champion followed with another running uppercut and began to punch the former boxer in the ribs until the referee ordered to let go, enforcing the rope break. Smith took a step back but grabbed Luis’ wrist, pulling him into a lariat.
The longer the fight went on, the more it started to look like a boxing match rather than a wrestling one. Then again, seeing the background of the two competitors, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The official tried to keep both competitors in check, avoiding this match to go off rails and warning both of them against using closed fists. But honestly, some of those were meant to land, and neither Dean nor Rivera seemed to mind.
As for the fans, they seemed to enjoy the impromptu boxing match. Luis’ technique was far more refined than Dean’s, proving that despite the scandal that overwhelmed him and ended a promising career, he was really that good. Great footwork, quick and pinpoint strikes, Rivera soon turned the tide, flooring Dean with an uppercut to the chin. Luis made the cover, scoring a near fall.
While Luis had completely switched to his boxing background, relying completely on his punches to try to take down the opponent, Dean could count on a wider arsenal of offense, and all his experience in hybrid fighting from when he fought in the Invictus division. With a knee to the gut he doubled down Rivera, folding him in two. A couple of elbows to the spine then Smith lifted the opponent in the air, driving him on his stretched out knee with a massive backbreaker. Luis kicked out, but he definitely felt it, holding his lower back as he arched it in pain.
Smith connected with his Mean Dean (flying knee strike), but Rivera wisely rolled out of the ring, escaping the possible pin attempt. Dean dragged him back in but, receiving a hard punch to the gut by the former Academy Student. Luis continued, unleashing a flurry of quick punches to the ribs and abdomen of the opponent. He hit him with great velocity, impossible to count how many shots he landed but the last one caught the former Invictus champion right on the pit of the stomach, leaving Dean short of breath and on his knee.
Luis went for the rabbit punch, but Smith reacted by grabbing him and planting him on the mat with a spinebuster. He didn’t even try to pin him, dragging him to his feet and pushing him back into the corner, where he hit him with a couple of shoulder tackles to the midsection. Luis stumbled away from the corner, but Dean wasn’t going to give him any break. He tied him up to the ropes and started to punch him. Not the first time we saw him doing something like that, but tonight he got a bit carried away, not stopping when the referee ordered him to and thus getting disqualified. A disappointing ending, for everyone.
List item 6

WINNER: Luis Rivera
BY: DQ, 8:08

We open in front of a black backdrop. Eventually we are joined by The Most Loved Man On The Planet, The Emperor of Entrepreneurship, Captain Capitalism, Master Media Mogul, Saint Levi, Your Righteous Savior, The Titan of Twitter, The Sultan of Social Media, The Nova Wonder Killer, The Maharaja of Marketing, The Franciscan Friar of Flash…yes, Leviticus. The wild haired wooly bearded man in his flashy bright purple suit steps into view from the right. He stops dead center in front of the camera.

Leviticus:
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Leviticus. I am The Most Loved Man on the Planet and the official marketing guru for the former and soon to be again MWE World Tag Team Champions…everyone wants to be them, everyone wants to be with them…yes, I am talking about Summer Collins and Jessica Lasiewicz, better known to you plebeians as Fabulous.

He chuckles.

Leviticus:
Matt Stone and Veronica Sawyer…I love the name, PCP, Phenomenal Cosmic Powers. It has great marketing potential. PCP: The Movie! PCP: The Video Game! I can get book deals for both of you! Call me!

St. Levi shakes his head.

Leviticus:
Unfortunately movie deals, video game deals, book deals, that’s the best either of you can hope for. Winning the tag team titles? Not gonna happen because Fabulous is back and better than ever.

Collins and Lasiewicz enter the scene from the right. They are dressed in their matching tri-colored royal blue, black, and white cheerleader uniforms that act as their wrestling gear. Confident looks are etched across their faces.

Summer Collins:
Thank you, Levi. And as for Matt and Veronica, I hope you were paying attention to Levi and taking notes because he is right. You’re not getting that tag title shot and the reason why is because Jess and I are here and we are going to get it. When it comes to tag team wrestling, Jess and I have been a staple of tag team wrestling for a decade. We started out as Fame & Fortune. We evolved into Fabulous. But regardless of the brand, our talent remains the same…unmatched, unlimited, and unbeatable.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
It doesn’t matter whether it is GCW or MWE. We are the very definition of tag team wrestling. We have been away from the tag team division and OUR tag team championship for far too long. We have been on a mission for months now to regain our top spot and now we are just one step away from earning the tag team title shot that should have been ours from the very beginning. If you two clowns think you will stop us then you are sadly mistaken.

Leviticus:
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your once and future MWE World Tag Team Champions…they are Summer Collins and Jessica Lasiewicz…they are absolutely Fabulous!

Tag Team Match
#1 Contendership Match For MWE Tag Team Titles

PCP VS Fabulous

Big chance for both teams, a massive opportunity to earn a shot at Bad & Boujee and possibly stop them from surpassing K2O and setting a new record for the longest tag team reign. But while Fabulous came to this match full sail, some people have questioned whether PCP will be on the same page after their one on one match in the first round of the World Title tournament. The fact that we didn’t hear from them since then may be an indication of some troubles in paradise.
Almost as if they wanted to silence those voices of tension between them, Matt and Veronica started working together from the very early moments of the match, isolating Jessica in their half of the ring and using quick tags to keep constant pressure on the Archangel. Matt hoisted the opponent up to the top rope and once again tagged Sawyer in. Together they climbed to the top rope to perform a double superplex, after which Veronica immediately hooked Jessica’s legs. Summer entered the ring and saved her partner.
Despite the rough start and the early punishment she took, Lasiewicz found a way to create some separation with a headbutt on Sawyer and tried to reach Collins in the opposite corner. The Canadian recovered just in time to grab her by the wrist and pull her back into her arms in a waistlock. Ronnie went for a belly to belly suplex, not exactly one of her most characteristic moves but something she could pull just nicely. The execution looked perfect, but Jessica corrected her trajectory and landed on her feet, immediately kicking Ronnie’s head off with her Our Lady Peace. Nobody was standing between the Archangel and her partner, and the tag was made.
Summer rushed at full speed hoping to prevent Stone from getting the tag, but she wasn’t quick enough. The former Intercontinental champion leaped over the top rope and immediately smacked her with an open hand strike to the jaw. He followed with a few chops and went for a suplex, managing to lift her only a few inches before Summer managed to switch her weight and block the attempt. She tried to pin him with an inside cradle, but Stone kicked out in one and half.
Almost nine minutes in and finally Fabulous started doing what they do best: showing why they dominated every tag division they have been part of. When they start building momentum, working together like a unit, they become almost unstoppable, and Matt learned that tonight, often finding himself double teamed by the former Tag champions. The Golden Kiss Of Death (bicycle kick by Jessica into a stunner by Summer) left the Abominable Showman flat on his back. but Veronica was there to save him in this situation.
Of course an old veteran like Stone had an ace up his sleeve. Playing possum as he sat in the corner, he lured Summer into going for a cannonball senton, moving out of the way at the very last moment as Collins crashed into the empty corner. Wasting no time, he set the opponent up for the MLG 360 No Scope, almost getting the win for his team. When Summer raised her shoulder just before the three, he wisely dragged her toward his corner and made the tag to Veronica.
And here was where the problem lied. A little miscommunication between the two as they set up their Planets Align gave Summer time to figure out what their plan was and break free of Matt’s grasp right when Veronica bounced off the ropes with her springboard kick. At that point it was too late for any of them to do anything, and rather than aligning, the planets ended up colliding. Stone went down, knocked out by his own partner who could not fathom what just happened. Summer sneaked up behind her and connected the Summer’s End (sleeper neckbreaker), earning her team the right to challenge Bad & Boujee for the titles.

WINNER: Fabulous
BY: Pinfall (Summer’s End), 11:13

Anna Daniels:
It's funny to see the other combatant's reactions to what has been formed out of own collective blood, sweat, and tears.

The Muse is currently speaking to a camera drone, but does not look at it. Instead, it seems like she is scrolling on her phone.

Anna Daniels:
One guarantees that their journey will end here not fully realizing that if that were indeed the case, they wouldn't be champion. They would be dead. That's how most journeys end. Another claims that, and we will quote, "this is my year" and that nobody has worked harder than they. As the only proper representative of time around here, allow us to respond with a simple "no, it's not, you stupid bitch. You don't own time. Time owns you. And in a situation like this, your previous work doesn't matter. The here and now does."

The vessel's eyebrows go up as if to punctuate the point before continuing.

Anna Daniels:
Another one, an alleged former champion multiple times, simply says "Time to do it." Simple, to the point, but also incredibly boring. Complete snoozeville. It could also be seen as being a foregone conclusion in their head which is quite frankly the worst way to look at the entire thing. Billy Danielson at least has the balls on his body to see the struggle in front of him. We've beat each other up in multiple promotions, so he knows better to look down at us.

There's a small smile.

Anna Daniels:
Then there's Duke Andrews who after declaring that he doesn't need to promote the card at all, does his own form of ego stroke, and pissing off Layla the intern, finally launches off with "If it doesn't come between Billy and me, it's rigged". Any smart person can tell that he's setting up an excuse to comfort his hurt wittle feelings should he not make it into the cage. Sounds pathetic to us, but whatever.

A shrug goes along with that whatever as the smart phone is thrown into the ether. It disappears midway through the descent. Yet somehow, this is not an odd occurrence to the Multitudes. Not at all.

Anna Daniels:
Now none of these tweets are reflective about how hard they fought for the chance nor do they diminish the work they had to do to get to this point. However, what they do show is the mindset of each individual and that helps us know when to…shift gears.

A flicker of a different form, glitched and angelic, appears for the briefest of moments.

Anna Daniels:
As for us, we can make no declaration of winning. Why would we? Five opponents in total with varying degrees of experience, talent, and will is always a tough road to go down. We know from our experience that this match is going to come down to two things: instinct and luck. It would be damned foolish of us to say that ours will win out…until it does.

Because it usually does.

Anna Daniels:
What we say is "you have yet to see our true form" because it's the truth. We're willing to bet that the majority of Millennium fans and most of our opponents really did their homework on what we can do. What we are capable of doing. Our potential of turning the whole thing upside down. Win or lose, feast or famine, chicken salad or chicken shit. We will transmute this experience and make it our own.

With this, the body of Anna Daniels twirls a bit.

Anna Daniels:
Either way, be happy! It's Daniels-cember! The most wonderful time of the year. For us.

MENTV Championship Match

Ash Fi © VS Devon Slayton

Fifteen minutes to get back the title he lost a couple of weeks ago. Devon Slayton wasted no time in his task to become a two time MENTV champion, snapping out of his corner as soon as the bell sounded and leveling Ash with a clothesline. The former champ grabbed the current one by her neck and lifted her in the air. His plan to chokeslam her didn’t quite work out the way he wanted as Ash managed to kick him in the stomach and break free.
If anyone was expecting Ash to just play a game of cat and mouse with and let the clock run, they had another thing coming. That wasn’t how the Irishwoman wanted to start her reign as MENTV champion. For her first, and likely the next four as well, defenses she wanted to make just as many statements, truly earning that right to challenge for the Riot or the Junior Heavyweight championship. After sending Devon sitting in the middle of the ring and kicking him between the shoulders, Ash took a run to the ropes and connected with a crossbody, but the Madra Rua only gave her a two count.
Her speed and agility served him well in their first match, but tonight Devon was prepared for it. He blocked her tilt-a-whirl ddt attempt and squashed her into the canvas with a side slam. He waited until Ash Fi tried to get up to punish her with a kick to the ribs, literally lifting her off the canvas from how much strength he put into it. And while she was holding her ribs in pain, Slayton lifted her for a Saito suplex.
Time was ticking away, but Devon didn’t seem in any rush. When he set her up for the Cromwell Invocation (Vertical Suplex Cutter) he delayed the move as much as he possibly could, keeping Ash upside down for an uncomfortable amount of time. Uncomfortable for the MENTV champion, of course, all that blood rushing to her head certainly wasn’t a pleasing sensation, and neither was getting dropped down with a cutter. Regardless, she still had the ring awareness and presence of mind to rest her foot on the bottom rope, interrupting the count at two.
With less than five minutes left, Devon began to feel the urge to end this. He attempted a Death Note, but Ash ducked the short range lariat and immediately wrapped her arms around his stretched out one, grapevining her legs around the other, forcing his shoulders down on the mat with a crucifix pin, completely catching Devon off guard. It was a close call, but Slayton managed to kick out before the three.
The close call didn’t really change the momentum, with Slayton staying firmly in control The clock had just struck the minute thirteen when Fi found the opening she needed to connect with her Gae Bulg (Essex Destroyer). The same move she used to win the title from him, connected in the very same way she did in Michigan. History repeating for Ash who successfully defended her title from the former champion’s rematch. One down, four more to go.

WINNER: Ash Fi (STILL MENTV CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Gae Bulg), 13:01

Another HoF segment, this one focusing on the Brother McMillions. Of course it starts with the first ever Tag Team Tournament, the very dawn of the MWE Tag division. CM and Javen were there, going all the way to finals and despite coming up short in that occasion, they kept fighting the best teams this company had to offer until their big moment finally came, right here in Chicago when they beat the Hooligunnz to win the titles. More footage followed, covering Christian's feud against Duke Andrews as well as Javen's last appearance this summer when he teamed up with Nina. The clip ended with the usual graphic reminding of the ceremony later tonight, before cutting to another piece of footage.

The camera picks up on what used to be the Angel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The late fall sun still barely clinging in the sky as we see our next MWE World Champion step into the screen.

Duke Andrews:
Just so everyone is clear, I had to beg to even get this done. But deep down in my heart, I knew this was needed. I want to congratulate Christian and Simon and I couldn’t think of doing it from a better place than here.

Even though the building was no longer, there was a small statue standing in what was the front lobby of the old arena. The place was home to Professional Wrestling Today.

Duke Andrews:
This place wasn’t the first place but it was the place. It’s hard to believe that it’s been damn near twenty years since my first night working a show with the two of you. And a night it was…let’s just call it “The Superkick Headd ‘Round the World 1.0” the night I met you Christian, watching how a professional conducted himself in the back, and how immediately you wanted to bring me in under your wing. Just to watch you kick Whisper square in his jaw. But the days, weeks, months, and even years that have past and I couldn’t help but be proud as fuck when I heard the news that you two would be apart of the first class.

The scene fades before settling back inside of the Greenville Colosseum. The building that was home to International Championship Wrestling Alliance. The home away from home for Duke Andrews. Where he was now sitting in one of the wooden seats on the first row.

Duke Andrews:
We have spent hours riding across this state, region, and country together. Flights overseas. Back home and gone again. You two are two of the most influential people in my career and no matter what has happened over the past couple of years, you know that I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The nights of stealing your Dr. Pepper to use as a spitter. Stopping at the CVS to grab whatever bright ass color hair dye for Simon. It’s been an honor to be apart of your career for as long as I have.

Duke was sporting a faded grey t-shirt with the face of CM and Javen with whatever slogan they used at the time during one of their tag runs from the late 2000s.

Duke Andrews:
I wanted to get this opportunity, as brash as I was on teh twittah when it was announced, you both know that was all in character and this, is pulling the curtain back. This is from the heart. You two are two of the most trustworthy two people I have ever shared a ring with. I can say this that David Van Dam, Taylor and everyone else that was with you two back then, feels the same today. You two deserve this spot and then some.

The building offered a bit of nostalgia as Duke ran his hand through his beard for a moment.

Duke Andrews:
This building was where I won my first singles title on the big stage. I remember walking through that curtain and being stopped by you two. Wanting nothing more than to celebrate what had just happened. Just like when I was dragged down to W2K by you two. The moments we have shared will always stay right here.

Duke slapped his chest twice.

Duke Andrews:
And even though you are no longer stepping in the ring, our moments together will continue to happen in your current roles behind the scenes. From riding together to when I kicked your head off in Hybrid and you dragged me here to MWE, I can’t thank you two enough for what you’ve done for my career. And I hope that when it’s done for me, it will be something close to what you two have done.

Duke reached his hand down and grabbed two cans. One burgundy colored can of Dr Pepper and one that had the Busch Mountains. He cracked both before taking a long sip of his Busch Light.

Duke Andrews:
Here’s to you two! Congratulations on your big moment!

Lockdown Championship Match
Karen's Rule: Purse On A Pole

Karen Eldon © VS Bree Smith

The MWE fans had absolutely zero love for Karen, even less after the stunt she pulled last night with her daughter’s boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend actually. So when they heard the stipulation she picked for her Lockdown championship defenses, you can guess they didn’t go easy on her with their handmade sign. One of them suggested that Karen had an advantage in the match because of an alleged experience with poles, suggesting that the Lockdown champion had worked in strip clubs in the past with a pretty explicit representation. Eldon asked that that, along with other offensive signs, would be removed from her sight, refusing to compete until they did that. The Senior Official Charles just shrugged his shoulders and ordered the time keeper to ring the damn bell.
Karen tried to protest some more, but Bree literally ran through her and saved the fans another one of Karen’s rants and her iconic “I want to speak to your manager”, as if Grace van Beek would actually listen to her. Now, the rules of the match were clear and you have to believe Karen knew them since she was the one who picked the stipulation. So seeing her leaving the ring and giving Bree a clean chance to retrieve the purse and use it against its owner left the fans and the ref quite confused.
Luckily Bree had no rush in finishing the match, wanting to get her pound of flesh before retrieving the briefcase and setting things in motion to win the match. Maybe that was what Karen was counting on as she waited for Bree to leave the ring to surprise her with a kick to the knee and throw her head first into the steel post. And speaking of poles, the Lockdown champion didn’t wait a single moment before climbing on the apron and trying to climb it to get her hands on her favorite weapon of choice.
In her defense, Karen proved tonight that the fans’ allegations had no grounding in reality. Her first attempt at climbing the pole was quite clumsy, giving Bree plenty of time to recover, climb on the apron, grab her by the legs and pull them off the pole and into a powerbomb position. Karen look terrorized as she considered her options here, each one of them seemingly more painful than the other. But the Breebarian was ruthless in her choice to powerbomb her right on the floor outside the ring, buying herself plenty of time to retrieve the purse.
The fans loved every moment of it, not as much as they loved the look of pain on Karen’s face. The match had been going for a little over three minutes and it was already at a turning point. Bree was reaching the purse she needed to hit Karen with to “unlock” pinfalls, but there was still another, not entirely unexpected, obstacle on her way. Rainer Nordhagen, the Junior Heavyweight champion and Karen’s boyfriend hopped the barricade and began to shake the pole until Bree fell on the floor down below. And the purse with her.
The German-Australian immediately grabbed the purse and ran away with it, knowing that as long as he kept it out of Bree’s reach, the match couldn’t end the way Smith wanted. As soon as Bree realized that Rainer had the purse, she started chasing the Junior Heavyweight champion. There weren’t many places Rainer could run to, not after Selena Lyre appeared on the ramp, blocking his path. He could still jump the barricade and disappear in the crowd, that would have definitely bought Karen enough time to recover. Bree realized that as well and tackled him down before he could hop over the rails.
To use another football image, Rainer channeled his inner Tom Brady to throw the purse back at Karen, who just made it back to her feet. An even more impressive feat considering he was pinned to the floor by a furious Bree. Eldon’s reception was pretty great too, catching the purse in mid flight and immediately changing the grip so that she could swing it at Bree’s face when she came charging in. The purse, or rather whatever she was hiding in it, claimed another victim.
Pinfalls were now legal, but obviously they could only occur inside the ring. Rainer helped Karen push Bree back in, earning himself a passionate kiss from his girlfriend for his service. Once Karen entered the ring, Bree was starting to stir up. Not really a problem for the controversial Lockdown champion, who slapped the challenger across her face and put her down with her running knee. The cover that followed was academic, but necessary to write Karen’s first successful defense in the books.

WINNER: Karen Eldon (STILL LOCKDOWN CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Can I Speak To Your Manager?), 7:22

Pre-recorded…

We open just outside of the arena. It is there that the camera gets a shot of “The Dragon” Angelica Jones. The fierce redhead is dressed in an elegant black bodycon v-neck long sleeve dress with a pencil hemline perched atop black patent leather open toe high heel pumps.

Angelica Jones:
This time last year I was retired. This time last year I just knew that my career as an in ring performer was over. Funny thing is that we really don’t know anything, do we? We think we have all the answers but then reality throws us a curveball. Instead of being retired I now find myself back in action not just in one company but two, in MWE and GCW. And since coming out of retirement I have only suffered one defeat…

She holds up one finger.

Angelica Jones:
…and even in that one defeat, to Duke Andrews, I still pushed him to his limit, and I still managed to pin him. And the week before I beat Alan Envy. Not a bad bit of work for a supposedly washed up has-been eh?

Jones laughs softly.

Angelica Jones:
I thought I was done but fate proved me wrong. So here I am ready to compete at MWE’s five year anniversary against someone who thinks she knows everything, who thinks that she can control her own fate. Faith Savell, The Masterclass…

The Dragon shakes her head.

Angelica Jones:
…I’ve seen so many Masterclasses, bests in the world, greatest evers that all it does now is bore me when I hear people like you praise yourself. You may be as good as you claim to be, Faith, but what you don’t understand is that there is always someone out there who is better, someone who will make you question yourself, someone who will take that soul of yours out of your body…if you even have a soul. And I am just the kind of person capable of doing that to you.

She chuckles softly.

Angelica Jones:
I’m not going to sit here and sing my own praises the way some people like you do. I used to be that person but that person died a long time ago. Years of warfare, bloodshed, violence, and career threatening injuries have made me a brand new woman now that I have come out of retirement. But make no mistake about it, I am STILL the same deadly fire breathing dragon that I have always been and tonight I will burn you to the ground.

Backstage, Faith Savell is standing in front of a camera. She already has her ring gear on and it fits her perfectly. Everything about the young Savell looks perfect, as that is what she embodies.

Faith Savell:
Angelica Jones… Really? That’s what I’ve been stuck with?

She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Faith Savell:
I don’t want to fight a fossil! I should be fighting for the MWE World Championship tonight!

Faith raised her voice for a brief moment before pausing and catching her breath.

Faith Savell:
But I digress. A win against Angelica Jones means nothing to me. Sure, she has accolades. I’m sure she’s also in several hall of fames as well but guess what? She’s closer to fifty years old than she is forty. Seriously, she’s forty-eight years old! And some of you morons have the audacity to call Karen old.

Savell rolled her eyes.

Faith Savell:
I’ll keep this short and simple. Angelica Jones? I’ll do you a favor tonight and end this early. Because if this match goes longer than it should? You might end up breaking a leg or tearing a ligament. Clearly, you’re a fragile old woman. But the fact is, you’re stepping into the ring with The Masterclass. Someone that is head and shoulders above you. In fact, I’m above everyone here and in just a few moments? You will learn why they call me by that name.

Faith walked out of the frame and the scene cut away.

Singles Match

Angelica Jones VS Faith Savell

Two generations clashed in this match. Faith Savell may have lost some edge after that brutal injury that kept her off the ring for months, but before that she was without a doubt the greatest talent to ever come out of the Academy. On the other side of the ring, a true veteran of the sport with almost 20 years of wrestling under her belt, having made her debut when Faith was one year old.
All that experience gap didn’t give Angelica a real advantage in the initial exchange. Faith’s technical prowess and speed filled that gap and Savell was the one who, at the end of a lovely back and forth, came out on top, blocking Jones in a hammerlock. The Firestar tried to break free with an elbow strike but Savell had that scouted and quickly changed her position, moving in front of the opponent and connecting a hammerlock suplex.
The Masterclass was truly living up to her moniker tonight, her class shining brighter than ever on the biggest stage. She fought with the confidence of a veteran, seemingly immune to the pressure and the jeers of her detractors. No matter how much they despised her and why, but not even they could deny that watching her matches was well worth the price of admission. No wasted motions, an out-of-the-ordinary fluidity, especially in someone as young as her, and a marked “wrestling IQ” that allowed her to predict the opponent’s move and come up with an efficient counter. The first near fall of the match was in her favor, coming after the Faith No More (inverted DDT).
If there was one thing the Academy couldn’t teach its first ever Valedictorian, that’s experience. Eventually that became a factor, allowing Angelica to block a northern lights suplex by Faith, the same move that gave her so many wins since her days as a student, and throw the Chosen on the opposite side of the ring with an overhead belly to belly suplex. The Valedictorian tried to get up quickly, determined to retake control but she got blasted by Angelica’s Stubborn Bitch. And no, that’s not an insult to her.
Almost twenty years had passed since her debut, but time surely has been a gentleman to Jones. She proved tonight that she can still perform at the highest levels, against younger opponents and keeping a fast pace throughout the whole contest. On top of that, she still had some awe-inspiring moves such as the springboard moonsault into a reverse DDT called From The Ashes. After kicking out at the very last moment, Faith decided to take a breather on the outside.
And this was when, once again, the young Savell’s intelligence once came into play. Jones knew better than taking unnecessary risks against a dangerous competitor such as the Valedictorian, but seeing her in apparent difficulty on the outside was too good a chance to pass on. She opted for a relatively safe baseball slide, but Savell surprised her by pulling the fabric skirt of the ring and trapping Angelica between it and the apron. Wasting no time, Faith took a step backward to create the right distance to blast Jones with an inside crescent kick. Unable to protect herself, the Firestar got knocked down by the Valedictorian’s kick. Faith grabbed her by the feet and pulled her out from behind the skirt, positioning herself with the back turned to the ring post and launching the opponent into it with a catapult.
Believing she did enough damage to keep the veteran down, Savell rolled the opponent inside the ring and began to climb the turnbuckle. The Masterpiece (630 senton) was truly a thing of beauty, but unfortunately for the former Academy student, it missed the mark. Angelica, in fact, was far from done. Not only she moved out of the way causing Faith to crash on the mat, but she also quickly switched on the attack, putting the Chosen into her Angel’s Arch.
Living likely the longest minute (more or less) in her young career, Faith looked on the verge of surrendering on at least two occasions, but somehow pushed through. Fighting through the pain, the Masterclass managed to wiggle out from under Angelica’s knee, easing some pressure and finally reaching the ropes. Jones had to let her go, taking a couple of steps back as she watched Faith crawling toward the corner and getting up with the help of the ropes. Savell was in pain, but Angelica made a mistake thinking her opponent was on her last leg. She pulled Faith out of the corner, setting her up for The Hot Shot (pedigree). With the last bit of energy left, Faith suddenly stood up and sent Angelica flying back with a back body drop. And when Jones was about to pick herself up, Savell was already on the move to connect the Lost Your Faith (curb stomp), picking up a hard fought win at the end of a match the fans will surely remember.

WINNER: Faith Savell
BY: Pinfall (Lost Your Faith), 14:34

CHRIS SANDERSON:

It’s funny, a little too funny, that tonight on the fifth anniversary of this company, I’m in the main event of night two of this little celebration. A celebration of all things Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. Quite a celebration for a company to reach this milestone anymore. Impressive, really.

A smirk was on his face as he was sitting in his locker room putting on his shooter sleeve. It was the night of all nights, the biggest night in his career in quite some time.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

I remember the Year One show. The big five on five match for control this company. Chuck Matthews and his group against Grace and hers. I was on Grace’s team that night and I walked out on them because of some moralistic differences. She felt it was fine to make fun of someone’s dead kid. I didn’t. That didn’t bode well for me as it put that target on my back which whatever. Grace won in the end for a long time didn’t she?

A shrug follows.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

Tonight is about me and five others getting into that cage. And you know something? I’m looking forward to it. For the first time in nearly a year I’m excited about getting to a ring again. The past few years, since I won the MWE Title, they’ve been difficult. Been hard. Been exhausting. All of it mostly my own doing. This time last year I was preparing for a title match, much like this and I asked my kids if they were ready to see me win. You know what they told me? “No, because you never come through.”

He stops for a moment and adjusts the sleeve.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

And I came through that night. Since then? Nothing. Nothing. NOTHING. I’m sick and tired of it too. I get momentum and something fucks it up. And I’m back to square one. Since I won the MWE Championship it’s been a constant cycle of it. Start and stop. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Tired of it.

There was emotion in his voice of frustration and anger at how his career has gone.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

The addiction came back. Went to rehab. Been taking care of the kids while the wife was pregnant for most of this year, baby comes along, take time off for that. I don’t regret doing what had to be done at home but the baby is six months now. They’re doing fine to where I can get back to doing what needs to be done.

Still emotion in the voice but of pride this time.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

It isn’t a secret I’m a huge fan of the John Wick movies. A lot of people are. And these past two matches got me thinking if I’m a tourist again or if I’m actually back into the fold. And you know something?

The crowd knew exactly what’s coming. As should you.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back. There’s so many of you to put back into your places. I remember beating Duke Andrews a few years ago, putting him back where he belonged. So many of you have been here for so long and yet… you couldn’t do what I did in less than six months. Sure, Duke is looking to tie me but ain’t happening tonight.

The smirk is back.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

How can I walk back into this company, knock off two people and get into this main event if this place has gotten better? People always try to claim something improves over time but if I take out two of your better wrestlers who were involved in the chase? Not a great look. Not even close. So when I tell you I’m going to be the three-time after tonight? It’s almost a promise.

The smirk grows.

CHRIS SANDERSON:

I’m no boogeyman. Not like some of you want to be. I’m not a Time Lord. I’m not a Bombshell. You know what I am? I’m the guy you send to kill the fucking boogeyman.

And with that second John Wick reference, Chris exhales and grabs his Raycon headphones. You can get 15 percent off your order using code ThreeTimeChris.

A video begins on the arena screen. The scene opens on Melissa Reeves and her young prodigy, Miki, sitting in a room somewhere. They’re wearing their regular clothes and relaxing on a couch. It appears this may have taken place earlier in the day.

Melissa Reeves:
So here we are, the fifth anniversary event for Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. Did you know I joined in year one? That’s right, I was here before Millennium turned one. I was here when it turned one. That night, I fought Jennifer Yang for the Millennium Championship.

She smiles, reminiscing.

Melissa Reeves:
She was a hell of a competitor, not like these jackasses I’m fighting tonight. More on them later, though. First I want to discuss the history that we’ve had in those years since. Faces have come and gone but nobody’s been more consistent than me. Nobody. Tonight I’m not vying for the top title. I’m not looking to grab some golden opportunity and that’s fine. I’ve had plenty of success here.

A single finger raises.

Melissa Reeves:
Despite everything I’ve done here, there are still gutter scum who want to tread on my coattails and use my name to find their little modicum of fame here. That’s fine, I never had a problem putting idiots down, and tonight really won’t be any different.

Miki nods to that.

Melissa Reeves:
See, The Division are just another in a long line of bully groups. Guys without the capability to go it alone, that lack the guts to stand on their own two feet and who need to cheat to succeed. Take away their cheating and people like these, well, people like these would fall away. So I get it, when you lack the talent then make up for it with cheating.

She scoffs.

Melissa Reeves:
The problem with that is the actual hardworking talent, like myself, like Miki here, they get stepped on and overshadowed, pushed away through no fault of their own. Who stops that? Nobody. Certainly not management. It makes me sick. That’s not the Millennium I want to build, that’s not a company I feel proud of.

Reeves looks to Miki, then back to the camera.

Melissa Reeves:
Bemoaning it won’t change that. So instead I act. I warned before, but it’s gone unheeded. That’s fine, some of you are obviously slow learners. Tonight will be all the example I need to make. The Division think they’re untouchable, they think they can weasel their way over the line and claim it as victory.

She scoffs.

Melissa Reeves:
No more. Tonight Miki and I are going to show everyone what happens to bullies when those with enough strength stand up to them. The Division, like so many groups before them, will crumble when they can’t cheat their way to wins or help each other out.

She stands.

Melissa Reeves:
It’s very easy to get caught up in the past, but tonight is about the future. Future stars like Miki, those kinds in the academy, everyone who wants to come here and enjoy a level playing field. That’s all I see. It’s simple ask, for the competition to be fair, but if an example must be made then it will. Let’s see if they have what it takes to rise to the challenge, to fight fairly. Or perhaps we’ll see just how bitchmade, fake and phony they are.

She shrugs. Miki stands beside her and the pair walk away, leaving the shot to fade.

Tag Team Match

The Division (RAZE & Wade Manson) VS Melissa Reeves & Miki

Perhaps one of the most anticipated matches of the night, this tag match had a lot of history behind it, and the potential of being an absolute banger. Wade Manson and RAZE of the Division needed no introduction, having been a dominant team across several promotions throughout the past few years. Their opponents may not be as experienced tag team as them, but to overlook Melissa Reeves and her protege Miki would be foolish to say the least. The MCS were well aware of that and determined to take any and every advantage they could, including attacking them while Rumchata Ayano was still making the introductions.
The two on two assaults continued, Mel and Miki were trying their best to defend themselves from the British duo’s assault, but they easily overpowered them, pinning them to opposite corners of the ring where they could continue their demolition work with knee strikes and punches to the abdominal section. Each one of them then grabbed the opponent by the wrist and whipped them toward each other. Impressive how, despite the early beatdown, both Mel and Miki had the presence of mind to read the situation and coordinate themselves to prevent what seemed like an unavoidable impact. Mel bent forward, trying to keep herself as low as she possibly could without losing any momentum so that Miki could leap over her and continue her run toward RAZE, hitting him with a running bicycle kick. On the opposite side corner of the ring, Mel jumped and drove her knee on Wade’s face. Miki pushed the Anomaly out of the ring and stepped on the apron, jumping on him with an diving knee strike from the apron. This left Reeves and Manson alone in the ring, and the referee took it as they were the two starting the match, finally ordering the bell to ring.
Mel and Miki knew that their best chance was to use their speed to their advantage. The opponents, especially RAZE, were in fact much slower than them, thus making that the best course of action to successfully attack the Division while, at the same time, staying away from their grasp. This didn’t mean they took unnecessary risks, even though Mel dusted off some moves she hadn’t performed in a while, such as the springboard cutter and a 450 splash, nailing them perfectly.
Their strategy seemed pretty clear, relying on their striking ability (mostly kicks) and quick tags to keep big RAZE isolated. But eventually the Anomaly figure it out, blocking Miki’s kick and throwing her halfway across the ring with an exploder suplex. He then hit Mel with an elbow strike to the face while the former World champion was minding her business on the apron and charged across the ring, leveling Miki with a clothesline and making the tag to Wade.
With the Homicide Hustla now in, the match took a turn Mel and Miki weren’t going to like. The Liverpool native had similar characteristics to them, faster than his partner and with very educated feet. His advantage on Miki came from the fact that he was way more fresh, having spent several minutes on the apron while RAZE kept the opponent busy. And now he was making the best of that, delivering stiff and quick shots to the young opponent, ending his sequence with an axe kick. Manson made the cover but Miki still had some fight left in her.
Enough to connect a jaw breaker and make the much needed tag to Melissa Reeves. The former MWE World champion entered the ring welcomed by a loud pop from the Chicago crowd. Reeves seemed to channel their energy, blasting Wade with a few kicks to the side and mid section before dropping him with the float over DDT. She barely had the time to lay on top of him to make a cover that RAZE was already there, breaking up the pin with a stomp to the shoulder.
Like wolves feasting on wounded prey, the Division targeted Mel’s shoulder for the following minutes. Manson with kicks, RAZE with shoulder breakers, tackles and other power moves, making sure the Aussie always landed on the injured shoulder. Melissa was on a bad spot, but luckily for her Miki was able to make the last minute save when RAZE connected his First Degree (black hole slam)
Miki paid a big price for her interference, getting leveled by a running big boot, courtesy of Manson. Wade was determined to make sure the New Jersey native couldn’t do that again, throwing her out of the ring and continuing to dismantle her on the outside. This left RAZE and Reeves alone in the ring, and things looked pretty grim for the Reaver. But Mel had an ace up her sleeve, and she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to play it. It’s no secret that the Australian was extremely meticulous when preparing a match, watching hours of tapes to find the opponent’s weakness and a way to exploit them. And perhaps watching some of RAZE older matches she realized that the Anomaly suffered a bad injury on his left arm that never fully healed, causing him problems even to this day. As RAZE lifted her for his Atomic Bomb, Mel managed to slip away from his grasp and immediately threw a swift kick to his left arm. She then twisted it behind his back and connected a hammerlock inverted DDT, dropping RAZE down. With a smooth transition she put him in a cross armbar, obtaining the win as RAZE quickly tapped out.

WINNER: Melissa Reeves & Miki
BY: Submission (cross armbar), 16:29

For the third time tonight, the tron lit up, showing the Hall Of Fame graphic we already saw twice tonight. A clip began to air, showing the highlights of the American Monster Jacob Hammerstein's career. Throwback to some of the most grueling and gruesome matches in MWE history, including the epic Chicago Street Fight Match against Kenzie Garrett, clips from his Lockdown championship defenses alteranted to more intimate moments backstage with his kid, with his former manager the late Reese Kennedy, from him chilling with his APE buddies to the fallout that led to the monumental Iron Man match against Duke Andrews. The ending of that match coincided with the end of the clip. After that, the graphic reminding once again that later tonight he will be introduced in the first class of the MWE Hall Of Fame.

The scene cuts inside a beuatifully furnished apartment. The skyline we can spot from the huge window is undoubtedly that of New York. Sitting on the couch in front of the camera is Olly, his girlfriend Faith Savell right next to him. Their hands are intertwined, a rare and somewhat surprise display of affection and tenderness from the young couple.

Olly:
Looks like I'm the only person they could find who was willing to say something nice about you, huh?

The young man cracked a smile shaking his head slightly.

Olly:
Which is ironic, considering how we first met. Phoenix, Arizona. March 2020. My father's funeral.

Faith lightly squeezed his hand as he continued to speak.

Olly:
I didn't think anybody had noticed me, I was deliberately standing on the sidelines, like I've been the first eighteen years of my life. Like he wanted me to be. That day I realized why he never wanted anything to do with me, not even once I left the orphanage he lefte me to grow in. He already he had found another son, a fully grown one. Why would he deal with a problematic teenager then?
I remember you coming to me, asking who I was and how I knew Reese. I remember wanting to punch you in the face, even though you were not at fault. Instead I told you my story, and you took me under your wing. You set me back on track, you helped me getting clean, you made sure I'd get in the Academy's first class.

He turned to his right, sharing a soft smile with Faith.

Olly:
And I will forever be grateful for that. Why I'm sharing all this? Because tonight is your night, Jacob. There's over 20000 people in the Enterprise Arena ready to give you the tribute you most definitely deserve, the icing on the cake of a stellar career. From Lion's Road to Seattle Pro, from a cesspool like WWH to the bright lights of MWE. And everywhere you went, you always left the mark. Some people loved you, some people hated you, but everybody remembered your name. Everybody respected you
When you say Hammerstein, when you say The American Monster... Every fan of this sport knows who you're talking about. Your contribution to this sport, all the blood, sweat and tears you left in the rings all across the Country, in Canada, UK, Japan, Mexico... Everywhere in the world... they are what earned you this induction. This may be the first and last time those fans agree with me but you earned it, big man. Even if you probably think you don't.

Olly took a short pause. The bond between him and Hammerstein was so deep that, perhaps for the first time, the former Academy was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Olly:
Thank you, Jacob. Thank you for your teachings, thank you for your advices, thank you for your silences. And on behalf of everyone, thank you for what you did in that ring, thank you for always being real. In a world where too many people love to act like something they're not, you've always been true to yourself. A badass, a vengeful bastard but also a fair, respected and respectful competitor. In a world of masks, you've always been a true man.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

Olly:
Not bad for someone who was born a dog.

That didn't sound like an insult. Perhaps it had another meaning?

Olly:
This is your moment, man. Enjoy it to the fullest, we've been lucky to have you.

Fade.

The scene opens up in a small gym, mostly empty. Tucked away in the corner hitting on a heavy bag is Lady Limitless Alex Andrews just punching at it moving about slightly to get her different angles. She glances over to see the camera and continues her jabbing a few more times before taking a break, taking a seat next to her nearby gym bag.

Alex Andrews :
The match against Glory didn't exactly go how I wanted it to, now did it?

Alex shrugs her shoulders for a second and looks just a bit sad, but she mentally picks herself back up and looks back at the camera.

Alex Andrews :
Nope, I fell short and missed out on competing for the MWE World Championship. And I have to own that. I do. No excuses, she was just better than me. But that doesn't mean I get to sit back and watch everyone else fight. Nah, because I have another tall order in front of me. I get to go one on one with Chris Constantine Jr. A former MWE World Champion in his own right. Yeah, you could say the odds aren't exactly in my favor.

She shakes her head.

Alex Andrews :
But most of the time, they aren't. I've gotten used to playing against the odds, to being the undersized underdog in any situation. It's a role I have a tendency to excel in. So I'll do what I've always done. Go out there, fight my booty off and out work his ass. We know I'm gonna be faster than him, just gotta keep on the move right?

Alex smiles confidently as she continues.

Alex Andrews :
I see this match as a good thing though. Because win, lose, or draw, it gives me big match experience against a world class athlete. The more high profile matches I can get at big events, I'll take. So no, I'm not taking this bout for granted. I know down at this match is affording me. Because eventually, you're going to see Alex Andrews, Millennium Wrestling Enterprise World Champion. Because MWE is the place that helped me cut my teeth in this business, the place that afforded me the most consistent experience and what a sweet sweet victory to be when all that hard work will pay off. But I told that point, I'll just keep grinding, like I always do.

A!ex nods at the camera and gives it a wink as she pushes herself back up to her feet and goes back to the heavy bag, the scene fading to another.

Singles Match

Alex Andrews VS Chris Constantine Junior

Chris’ disparaging words about Riot ironically put him on a collision course with someone who “bleeds orange”, the most-loved champion on the orange brand and one of the undoubted rising stars in this industry, Alex Andrews. Lady Limitless, not by accident, showed up in a Riot shirt and if her goal with that was to annoy CCJ even more.. Well, she definitely succeeded.
The match started with Andrews firing off with some kicks and Constantine immediately backing down toward the ropes, sticking his upper body out of the ring to obtain a quick break. The continuous breather the former champion kept taking had the clear goal of preventing Alex from building any momentum and frustrate her. And apparently, it was working.
Andrews complained with the ref about Constantine’s attitude after he left the ring for the umpteenth time. The match had been going for over three minutes now but none of the fans could remember a noteworthy attack. As Alex was expressing her frustration to the powerless official, CCJ grabbed her by the feet and tripped her over. The back of Andrews’ head hit the mat and The New Dawn got dragged out of the ring, right into a forearm strike by the former World champion. Constantine then followed with a suplex on the concrete and a flurry of stomps that left Andrews holding her chest and ribs in pain.
Entering the ring, Chris demanded that the official count the opponent out. Alex tried to enter the ring when the count reached eight, getting welcomed by a stomp to the head from the co-founder of APE. Chris picked her up and tried to suplex her back inside the ring but Andrews was quick to grab the top rope with her free hand and block the attempt. CCJ then switched to a ¾ facelock and dropped to a seated position, dragging Alex’ neck on the top rope with a stunner.
It was Constantine’s turn now to grow frustrated, and the reason was Andrews’ extraordinary resilience. The former World champion tried with almost every move in his arsenal and every trick in his book to beat the former Riot, but not even a gutwrench powerbomb with the extra leverage coming from both feet on the middle rope was enough to keep Alex down.
The fans knew it was coming, and they never ceased to support the Tennessee born. And finally she found it in herself, that second wind that became almost a trademark of her. When everything seemed lost, when all hope was gone, Andrews was able to dig deep down in herself and find a hidden stash of energy to turn the table. It started with her sitting on the corner and dodging Chris’ incoming big boot. Constantine leg got trapped between the ropes and Andrews was quick to move behind him and hit her Broken Wings (Backstabber).
From that moment on, Andrews was absolutely unstoppable. The Enterprise Arena enthusiasm was the wind in her sails, pushing her toward another incredible win against a former World Champion. If the Elysium put Chris down, it was the Brain Death (step-up axe kick) that finished him, or so she thought. Constantine, in fact, reached the bottom rope and saved himself this time. But Alex knew the victory was close, she only needed to connect one big move, and a better positioning, to have her arm raised. She dragged CCJ in the middle of the ring and dropped him with the Hella Rough, and that was the end for Constantine.

WINNER: Alex Andrews
BY: Pinfall (Hella Rough), 11:19

Billy Danielson:
When I first entered this company, I said I was engrained in its DNA.

We open to Billy Danielson sitting in a dimly lit room backstage. He’s got his head down, facing the ground, as he speaks with an air of stoicism in his voice.

Billy Danielson:
I called myself your franchise. I said that through friends, foes, or family, most of your MWE favorites have a long history with me. I said that I had finally come home to the company that had called for years.

You can see him smirk for a moment.

Billy Danielson:
Not an ounce of that was a lie.

Billy turns his head up towards the camera. A look of pride and familiarity is in his eyes.

Billy Danielson:
Since coming to Millenium, I’ve been home. I’ve hopped back and forth between brands to warm welcomes from the MWE faithful. I have challenged for championship after championship. I’ve faced the best this company has to offer, and nine times out of ten, I have come out on top.

He pokes his chest a few times to emphasize those last six words. Billy has done nothing but fight and fight for his spot in this company, and now he’s just inches away from bringing everything full circle.

Billy Danielson:
Tonight, I back up every little thing I’ve said. Tonight, I get to be YOUR franchise. Tonight, I win the MWE World Championship!

Danielson chuckles to himself for a second as he leans back.

Billy Danielson:
It won’t be easy. Anna Daniels is literally otherworldly in that ring. Chris Sanderson has held this belt more than everyone. Glory Braddock is possibly the most decorated and experienced wrestler in this match. Megan Manning, as annoying as she is, is cunning as hell. And then there’s Duke Andrews…

He smirks mischievously.

Billy Danielson:
Duke says it’s going to come down to him and me. Duke says that I’m THE Guy and that he clears everyone but me, mid-dif. I’m the one man that makes the Top Heel question himself, and I think that speaks volumes.

Billy pauses for a moment. This is such a big night and could be such a big moment for him. He was proud to bust his ass for this company, and tonight Billy could cap an entire rookie year in MWE with the highest prize in the company. The Franchised GOAT thinks about that potential moment for a second, takes a deep breath, and smiles again.

Billy Danielson:
For people like Chris, Glory, and Duke, this is just a night to them. This is business as usual. For Anna, this is one of infinite timelines where she may or may not win. This all is meaningless to her. Megan might understand what I feel because she’s grown up in this company and she could finally have an upgraded version of previous moments. However, for me, this is the biggest moment of my career here. This is the biggest night of my tenure as Millenium’s Franchise. Tonight, I can win it all and finally earn that top spot that has eluded me all over this company for the last year. Tonight, I’m going to walk into the freaking lion's den, and I’m going to walk out as the MWE World Champion!

MWE Intercontinental Championship Match

The tension was visible on Tiana’s face. She had been here before, on a big stage competing for the gold. And every single time, she came up short. A sort of curse for the first ever Gold Star who always seemed on the verge of getting her big break on the main roster, only to inevitably come up short. Nobody can say she didn’t earn those shots in first place, seeing how she got this one by beating clean the current champion Kenzie Garrett. But for some reason when it’s time to take that final, big step and consecrate herself as one of the best in the company, something is always missing. Could this, finally, be her night?
Kenzie certainly was looking for another outcome.This title was for her the demonstration that the label of “hardcore wrestler” she worn with pride back in the days of her bloody feud against the Hall Of Famer Hammerstein was no longer fitting her. She had grown out of it, becoming a complete wrestler by winning the second top prize in the company, and she wasn’t planning on letting it go anytime soon. And for that, she had possibly the best opponent to keep proving her point, a fine and versatile competitor like Tiana. Reality check for the champion, Ti’s hybrid style was not something she was prepared for.
When she was this focused, Tiana was nearly unstoppable. The Fight Lab training had honed the skills the Russian-American showed back in the Academy to a top-tier level, working on those strengths the BJJ background gave her. Tiana used her MMA knowledge to keep Garrett grounded, smoothly transitioning between holds to frustrate every attempt the IC champion made to escape.
The pace was slow, but one couldn’t fault Tiana for it. Her focus was on winning the match. Limiting and wearing down the opponent like she was doing seemed the safest way to achieve it. When she wasn’t tangled up with Kenzie on the mat, Tiana used her powerful kicks to lay the groundwork for the most dangerous submissions in her arsenal: the Fight Lab Calf Crusher and the ankle lock.
It took her a little over five minutes but finally Kenzie had put some distance between herself and Tiana. True,the ropes were between them since she had to leave the ring to eventually get a break from Petrova-Hammond’s infinite series of holds, but those were not going to be a problem for the Soulknife. She dodged two shots to the face by her challenger, ducking and pushing her shoulder through the ropes and right into Ti’s midsection, doubling her over. Slingshotting herself inside the ring, Kenzie rolled over Tiana’s back and charged at the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, bouncing back at full speed with a running crossbody that took TPH down for just a one count.
It was the beginning of Kenzie’s comeback. Finally able to kick into high gear, Garrett showed why Tiana was trying to keep her grounded. Once again finding herself on the apron, the Soulknife caught the opponent’s head between her legs performing a rope-assisted handstand hurricanrana. Showing off her athleticism, the Geek Gladiator hopped to her feet with a kip up and smacked Tiana with a shining wizard, from which the Academy graduate was able to kick out.
Perhaps due to an excess of confidence and the conviction that they had the match won, Garrett got caught into the Fight Lab Calf Crush, right in the middle of the ring. This was the very same move Echo broke her former trainer Yulia’s leg with, and although Tiana wasn’t applying it with the same intensity and intentions, it still hurt like hell.The Intercontinental champion came very close to abdicate her reign, raising her hand ready to tap out but at the last moment she blocked her hand, pushing through and starting to crawl to the ropes. Eventually she got there and saved herself, but you have to wonder how much damage the excruciating submission had done already.
Garrett knew she had to say goodbye to the most formidable weapon she had against Tiana. Her speed. Kudos to the Russian-American who resisted the moment of difficulty but eventually managed to complete her game plan. Kenzie was in pain, slower than before due to the injured leg but she wasn’t giving up yet. Not even when Tiana swung for the fences with her spinning backfist/spinning back kick combination. The first one connected, but Garrett was able to dodge the kick, finding herself right behind Tiana’s back. The perfect position to hit the Grim Fandango and retain her title. Narrowly, but she did.

WINNER: Kenzie Garrett (STILL MWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Grim Fandango), 13:41

A cackle can be heard as the screen is still covered in black. Suddenly, a flash happens and the feed is now in black and white. Standing there with his patented mask on his face is the creator of The Division, Julian Savell.

Julian Savell:
Tiff, Tiff, Tiff… You’ve been quiet, haven’t you?

Another cackle comes from Savell before he continues on.

Julian Savell:
The moment you saw that you were booked against me… And this…

Julian pulls up his briefcase and lets out an obnoxious laugh.

Julian Savell:
I control your fate tonight. I can end you tonight if I wanted to. Such a fun game, isn’t it? ISN’T IT YOU STUPID CUNT!?

He yelled out now, his voice cracking before he paused and gathered himself.

Julian Savell:
Your family disgusts me. You, Lucie and everyone. You’re all sick, spoiled pieces of shit and you deny any wrongdoing. But it is so obviously clear how horrible you all are and it’s time that you all be disposed of. Don’t think that I forgot how you used to come at my sister. I never forget.

He laughs lightly.

Julian Savell:
I don’t like it when someone fucks with my family, Tiff. I really, REALLY… Don’t like it. And now you have to pay. Maybe a pound of flesh will do? Or maybe more? Who knows but that’s the fun in it, isn’t it!?

Savell pulled his mask down slowly, his eyes had a crazed look in them and he had a twisted smile across his lips.

Julian Savell:
Kneel before The Division Tiff… Or DIE!

He laughed again before the scene cuts away.

Singles Match

Tiff VS Julian Savell

Julian entered the ring with the briefcase in hand, taunting Tiff and reminding her of the power the Briefcase gives him. Tiff was well aware of the dangers this match was hiding, and of the issues between her family and the Savells. At the same time she knew how much she needed this win, to prove that she had finally and definitely turned the page after the last complicated year and half. The bell rang and only then Savell put down the briefcase, resting it near the corner, right outside the ring. As he turned back toward Tiff he hate a dropkick that sent him sitting in the corner, perfectly positioned for Tiff’s cannonball senton.
A strong start by The Little Hoss, bombarding Julian with rapid fire kicks to the legs. When she raised her aim and targeted the floating ribs, Savell blocked her leg and hit the blonde girl with a couple of forearm strikes to the face before taking her down with a dragon screw leg whip. Tiff quickly rolled on her chest, trying to get to the ropes but Julian was immediately on top of her, raining down elbow strikes to the back of her head. After five of them he grabbed a handful of her blonde hair and once again expressed all his hatred for Tiff and her family, before slamming her face on the mat and crushing it under his foot.
The tides had quickly turned and Savell was now in control. He seemed to be biding his time, enjoying every second of the pain he inflicted to the 22 years old. After the inverted suplex powerslam he didn’t attempt the cover but used his foot to push Tiff out of the ring. “Is this your hero?” He yelled at the fans, pointing his finger at the Five Foot Murder Machine slowly trying to get to her feet. When she eventually did, Julian launched himself through the ropes and knocked her back on the floor with a suicide dive.
Julian ignored Tiff and started to walk in the opposite direction. Amy Maynard was the first to pick up on what he was doing, suggesting that he may be going to use the Briefcase to change the stipulation to inflict even more punishment to Tiff. Savell had now the briefcase in his hand and motioned the referee to come closer. A quick glance at the opponent who was only now starting to stir and Julian began to laugh, waving off the ref and putting the briefcase down. Apparently he didn’t need it, believing he had the match won already. And so he went, running at full speed toward Tiff to kick her head off with his Golden God Kick. Rollins moved out of the way at the last moment, leaving him to kick nothing but thin air. Before he could turn back, Tiff was already on her feet and caught him with a neckbreaker on the outside.
Since Julian hated her family so much, Tiff found it fitting to use the trademark moves she learned from them on him. The Swinging DDT from Brytain Rollins, Andreas Lasiewicz’ Peacemaker and her sister Trinity’s Knee Jerk (running knee strike), but Savell kicked out from each one of them. The attempt to submit him with Heather Lasiewicz’s triangle choke didn’t really work much better as Julian was able to lift the light opponent and powerbomb her into the canvas.
The fight went on, Savell tried desperately to put Tiff down for good with the Savior Kick but not even that was enough to keep the tenacious former Cloud Gate champion down. Slamming his fist on the canvas in frustration, Julian picked up Tiff once again and almost got caught off guard with a small package, kicking out at the very last moment. /li]
[li]After even the Savell Splash failed to put Tiff away, Julian had had enough. He headed straight to his corner, picked up the Briefcase and changed the stipulation to, and I quote “No fucking disqualifications”. The Briefcase instantly turned into a weapon in the hands of the Savior who charged toward Rollins to drive the weapon right on her skull. But then the young woman’s incredible instinct, the one that helped her rise to the top of MWE at such a young age, kicked in. She delivered her Death Kick on the Briefcase, kicking it into Julian’s face. The leader of the Division was down and an exhausted Tiffany dropped on top of him, making the cover and scoring a massive win.

WINNER: Tiff
BY: Pinfall (Death Kick), 19:46

Every single wrestler on the roster was there, on each side of the entrance stage. Management was there as well, the two General Managers Elsa McCarthy and Vincent Moretti as well as Richard Callaway and, surrounded by four bodyguards, Grace van Beek herself. Rumchata Ayaano had a microphone in her hand and invited the fans to stand up as they welcomed the first class of Hall Of Famers.

The round of applause that accompanied the appearance of Rebecca Saint, Christian Michaels, Javen and Hammerstein was the loudest and most heartfelt we heard in a long while. Chants of "Thank You Rebecca", "Thank you CM", "Thank You Javen" and "Thank you Jacob" intertwined as the four Hall Of Famers, visibly emotional, waved their hand to the crowd and walked toward the small podium where management was standing.

Elsa took the microphone, saying how big a honor and a privilege it's for them to get introduced to the Hall Of Fame, but guaranteeing that it's an even bigger honor and privilege for MWE to have had them in their roster and having them here tonight.

Next up was Moretti, who reminded the accomplishments and accolades the four competitors achieved in the company, and how they paved the way for the talents that came after them, setting a high bar not only for what they did in the ring but their positive attitude backstage as well. He spent a few extra words for Javen and Christian, thanking them for the job they're still doing for the company as road agents.

It was Richard Callawayìs turn to speak. He started by introducing himself to them, and while he never mentioned his role within the company, fueling the mistery surrounding it, he spoke on behalf of the company when he said that they'll be forever grateful to have had such stellar competitors among their ranks. He then introduced "a woman who, despite not appearing that often in public, needs no introduction". The MWE Owner, Miss van Beek.

Grace stepped forward, holding a small box in her hand. She opened it, revealing a ring she personally designed and crafted inside, the physical token symbolizing their induction in the MWE Hall Of Fame. One by one, the four former wrestler walked up to Grace to receive their ring, receiving a handshake from management and a huge applause from the roster and fans. When they all received and worn the ring, they all posed for the photo-op.

Obviously with the rings displayed prominently.

Singles Match

Nine van der Hoek VS Alessio van Duren

The match certainly had a ‘big fight’ feel as both competitors made their entrances. Alessio van Duren stepped back into the ring for his first real match in over five years to a massive amount of fanfare, usually that’d bring a tear to any man’s eye, but not to Alessio’s. His expression was steely cold as he entered the ring, knowing that mammoth task that lay ahead of him - stopping Nine van der Hoek.
Nine surprisingly enough came to the ring completely alone, slowly stalking her way down to the ring, eyes focussed on her mentor and her mentor alone. The Leader entered the ring and just as the bell rang Alessio exploded forward towards her, blasting her with forearms! The crowd too exploded in response, but that was quickly killed when Nine covered up as best she could, and leaned back through the ropes which forced the referee to intervene.
What followed after that emotional outburst was nothing short of a masterclass from Alessio van Duren. It was truly a lesson in everything catch wrestling could, and should be. Any move Nine tried to make to escape his grasp was in vain, her mentor seemed ten steps ahead of her at times, catching her in several different holds, then transitioning to new ones.
As the referee laid down to ask Nine if she wanted to submit, she used that to her advantage, raking Alessio’s eyes, which happened to be in the referee’s blind spot. He was forced to release Nine, who quickly rolled out of the ring - the fans went crazy in response to Alessio’s early domination.
Nine van der Hoek paced around on the outside, not so much for a breather, but simply to attempt to figure out how she should approach the rest of the match. The style that had served her so well for so long seemed completely nullified by Alessio’s mastery, it was the first time that Nine actually looked…well…human. When Nine hopped back up onto the apron Alessio came forward to knock her off, but Nine slingshotted herself under his legs, quickly turning to roll him up, gaining only a two count before Alessio kicked out.
It was Nine’s turn to gain an advantage, though it was with strikes, not holds. After managing to reverse a float over DDT by rolling through it, Nine mounted Alessio and began to rain down elbow strikes, several managing to sneak through van Duren’s guard, one cutting him above his eyebrow.
Blood began to flow, and Nine maintained her control over the contest, much to the chagrin of the fans in attendance. Coupled with her domination she began to speak to her trainer in their Dutch mother tongue, seemingly taunting him, goading him with each move she landed. She began to target Alessio’s surgically repaired neck now, spiking him on his head at every opportunity possible. Gaining nearfall after nearfall. The closest came after a particularly vicious looking brainbuster crumpled Alessio to the ground, though The Problem managed to kick out right before the three count.
Nine’s usual calm and nigh emotionless demeanor was gone in this matchup completely. Each kickout and sign of fight from van Duren had Nine van der Hoek incensed, so much so that she made it a point to argue with the referee after each one. As she stood arguing the closest fall of the match so far, Alessio had risen to his feet, the cut above his eyebrow leaking blood all over his face and chest, but when Nine turned around her blasted her with a European Uppercut, sending the woman flying back into the turnbuckle, the referee just managing to get out of the way in time.
Alessio followed that up with a sequence of European Uppercuts in the corner, each one more devastating than the last, lifting his former pupil off her feet until she found herself dazed and confused on the top rope. He climbed up there with her, turning her around so her back was facing him, hitting her with closed fists to keep her at bay as he did so as they both stood on the top rope. Alessio gripping around her waist, the fans seemed to hold their breath as Alessio delivered a Super German Suplex, the pair of them crashing down to the mat below! There was a collective gasp as the pair of them laid completely still in the middle of the ring, Alessio eventually stirring first, holding his neck, only managing to drape his arm over Nine’s chest. The kickout came at the last possible second, and now it was Alessio’s turn to be frustrated.
Alessio’s blood masking his face, his white ring gear now a shade of pink as he wiped his eyes clean with the back of his wrist tape, he eventually got back to his feet rather gingerly, dragging Nine up as he rose. Alessio van Duren stared down at his student for a moment, telling her that he was ending it once and for all, clutching her arm in a kimura lock, looking for his patented ‘Dead to Rights’ Kimura Slam finisher! As he lifted Nine however she managed to squirm out of the lock, Alessio’s blood making his grip a lot weaker, and van der Hoek managed to counter in mid-air with an armdrag that sent van Duren flying forward, landing hard on his back.
Nine dropped to a knee after the counter, breathing heavily, exerting herself to a massive degree in the match, not just physically, but mentally. Not many could break through the mental barriers that Nine van der Hoek had built on her way to become The Leader, the matriarch of the Band of Nine, in fact, perhaps it was only Alessio who could break those walls down - but what we could plainly see is that this was Nine’s toughest test yet.
She screamed at him from a knee as he rose to his feet before her, telling him to stay down, ordering him to stay down, that she wouldn’t have an issue snapping his neck again if she had to. Alessio stood there, leaning back into the corner, blood streaming down his face again…ushering Nine forward.
Nine responded by rising to her feet as well, pointing to the middle of the ring, motioning that they’ll end it there. Alessio loaded up, looking to blast Nine with a short arm lariat that may have taken her head off if he connected, but Nine swept Alessio’s legs from under him - and before he knew what hit him Nine came over the top of him with The Seventh Dream (Somersault Cutter)!
Perhaps foolishly, Nine van der Hoek chose not to cover him, and instead gripped him by his neck, allowing him to rise to a knee again before hitting him with The Seventh Nightmare, quickly rolling back into the crossface (Somersault Cutter into Crossface)! Alessio screamed in pain as Nine roared, torquing the hold on Alessio’s neck, the referee in constant communication with Alessio, asking if he wanted to give up several times, to which van Duren of course said no.
The hold however was still on, with no signs of breaking. The pair of them were in the middle of the ring, and as Alessio began to fade, Nine planted her feet on the canvas and drove her hips up, pulling back even harder on the crossface. Alessio raised a hand, ready to tap out, fading with every passing second, but before he could submit the blood caused Nine’s hands to slip, Alessio’s head falling hard to the canvas, clearly unconscious.
Nine screamed in frustration, and quickly moved forward to lock Alessio’s neck in her Old Honor (Reverse Figure Four Necklock) submission maneuver! The referee could see Alessio van Duren was out cold, and not wanting to risk the man’s surgically repaired neck any further he quickly called the match, knowing Alessio was about to submit to The Seventh Nightmare just a few seconds ago

WINNER: Nine van der Hoek
BY: Submission (Old Honor), 34:15

The Leader kept the hold on Alessio for a few more seconds before releasing the hold, more out of exhaustion than a desire to spare her former mentor. The crowd booed as Nine rolled out of the ring, quickly retrieving a steel chair. The referee attempted to stop her but was easily pushed aside, and rather than slam the chair down on Alessio, she instead wrapped the folding metal around his neck! The crowd instantly began to boo louder, realizing what may be about to happen, and before Nine could slam her foot down on the leg of the chair there was an uproar of support from the crowd!
Saffron van Duren, Alessio’s wife, a fierce competitor in her own right, quickly hopped the fence, made a beeline for the ring to save her husband though as soon as she rose to her feet she was taken out by a vicious big boot…courtesy of E.M.P!

The crowd booed, seeing E.M.P. stood over Saffron, watching as the Cultists flooded the ringside area, trapping Alessio and Saffron from any other would-be saviors.
Knowing that things were well in hand, Nine refused the Ceremonial Blade when it was offered to her by E.M.P., the expressionlessness having returned to The Leader as she stared down at her former mentor, her boot raised.
“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me, Alessio. Rest well.” The camera’s picked up from Nine before she slammed her heel down on the chair, holding it across Alessio’s formerly injured neck. His body twitched for a moment before lying still, and the crowd were incensed as Nine and the Band of Nine left the ring.

The final shot we’re given is of Saffron van Duren, crawling over to her husband’s still body, screaming for help as the shot fades elsewhere.

We cut backstage where we find MWE journalist Camille Bellamy.

Camille Bellamy:
Ladies and gentlemen, Camille Bellamy here, and I am about to be joined by one of the participants in the upcoming Cage Scramble to crown a new MWE World Champion. Please welcome “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock!

A few moments later and the beautiful form of Glory Braddock steps into view from the right. The British Bombshell is dressed in a royal purple top, royal purple long wrestling tights, and black and purple kick boots. Her long blonde hair hangs straight and unrestrained to past the shoulders. A confident smirk is upon her face.

Camille Bellamy:
Thank you for joining me, Glory.

Glory Braddock:
My pleasure, mate.

Camille Bellamy:
Tonight after weeks of battling, defeating Faith Savell first and then Alex Andrews, finally to qualify for the Cage Scramble, the time has come where you will challenge for the MWE World Championship. And your opponents…

The British Bombshell holds up a hand to silence Camille.

Glory Braddock:
Let me stop you right there, mate. I think everyone knows the other clowns in this match. You have one half of a couple who is way too obsessed with Seth Iser lately. You have someone who is engaged in a bitter war with a trash can. And I think everyone knows my history with the keyboard warrior Duke Andrews. Sanderson and Danielson, I think everyone where they stand and what they are capable of. So no, let’s not focus on them. Instead let’s keep the spotlight and the focus on the one individual who is rightfully deserving of it.

She pats herself on the chest.

Glory Braddock:
I have been with this damn company since 2019, Bellamy. And you know what I have done in those years I have been competing for MWE? I have been raising the standard, I have been raising the bar by putting on career performances every single time I set foot inside the ring. Me and Henri Black stole the show in our war for the Riot Championship. When Clyde Sutter was running roughshod with the Television Title no one was gutsy enough to step up and stand up to him but I did! I put on instant classics with Duke Andrews, Seth Iser, and Brookford. I have left my body, my blood, and hell, pieces of my very soul inside this ring and I did it for the company, I did it for the fans, I never once did it for myself. I did it because I wanted to improve this place. I wanted to leave it better than how I found it.

Braddock chuckles softly.

Glory Braddock:
Now people look at me and they say that I have changed. They say my personality has changed. You know what? They’re right. I have changed, Bellamy. But that tends to happen when you get screwed over again and again. Whether its Triumvirate, The Division, or whatever faction of the month rears its ugly ass head, something manages to find a way to screw me over when I try to do things the right way. Well I have been waiting patiently for too long now. I have been a good soldier for this company for too long. Now I am here to TAKE what I am owed! I am here to TAKE the MWE World Championship and I will do so by any means necessary. And it isn’t for the fans, it isn’t for the company…it is for me! I am doing this for myself because damn it, I am the very best wrestler in the world today! You get that, Camille?

The interviewer nods her head.

Camille Bellamy:
Yeah, but this isn’t just a wrestling match. It’s far from it. It’s Cage Scramble.

Glory Braddock:
You’re right and guess what? I have experience with Cage Scramble. So do you think I’m bothered or worried about this being a Cage Scramble? No. Do you think I’m concerned about having to fight multiple opponents to become World Champion? I’ve done that many times in my career. The fact is that whether the match plays to my strengths or plays to my weakness, I am still and always will be the bloody favorite to win it all because I am that damn good! But you know what really makes me perform at my very best?

Camille Bellamy:
What’s that?

Glory Braddock:
When my back is against the wall. When the pressure is at an all time high. So I’ll give you this scoop, Camille. You are looking at the next MWE World Champion. I guarantee it. And if I DO NOT walk out of here tonight as the MWE World Champion then I will walk away from this company and no one here will have to deal with me ever again. I will terminate my contract with MWE if I do not leave the Enterprise Arena here in Chicago as the MWE World Champion. How’s that for confidence?

Braddock turns and walks off.

**PRE-RECORDED**

Inside of the Enterprise Arena in Chicago, the entire screen is black and white. The camera shot was blurry as it slowly began to focus. Slowly the chain of the cage coming into the shot. A single lit appearing over the center of the ring illuminates the view.

Unknown Voice:
Six competitors will begin outside of the cage, fighting for the opportunity to climb into the cage. Once the first two…

The screen flashes to clips from the first two cage scrambles. The carnage on the outside of the ring before showing two competitors inside. Flashing to the end of the last cage scramble with Seth Iser holding the title.

The left hand of Duke Andrews is now shown reaching up and grabbing onto the side of the cage. Fingers slipping into the holes in the chain link as he pulls up slightly.

Duke Andrews:
If anyone has an advantage in this match, it is easily Glory and Megan. Being the only two of us six to have stepped into this match before. The only two of us six to tell the tale of the absolute beat down and walk away, yet dumb enough to want to do it again. The problem with you, is that we have done this before. You and I have tangled more than once and I’m the one that can stand up and say that can’t best me. I know that’s going to drive you crazy. But at the end of the night, Glory Braddock will always play second fiddle to Duke Andrews.

At this point Duke had let go of the cage. Looking down at his hand as he could see the redness in the skin from the chain. A sinister grin forming on his face. He was dressed to the nines. His body covered with a black hooded sweatshirt, the WAR Ape logo on the chest. His khaki Carhartt hat was on backwards, showing the wear and tear on the sides with the sweat and dirt. His jeans had the same fades and tears as his hat, complete with his boots. Tonight sporting the snakeskins.

Duke Andrews:
I’m not going to be completely dismissive tonight. I know that the six of us all had to run the same path to get to this point. Some more deserving than Megan Manning. But she won a couple matches. At least being put in this situation is enough to alleviate the fact that her white knight got to face Seth and she couldn’t. At least Pierce is finally growing a set. But Megan, to me, you’re one in the same. It’s nothing against you, just a dime a dozen blonde that thinks that her shit doesn’t stink. That thinks that she deserves the world to be handed to her. The problem is that there are a dozen that have used that gimmick better than you. But you’re tough, err, you think you’re tough. Let me ask you how your going to handle getting that pretty face drug across this cold chain link. That little toy of yours, while recovering isn’t going to find it as appealing as he did before you got to Chicago. I hope you understand that I’m not threatening you. I’m just warning you of how this is going to play out.

Duke moved his right hand up and pulled his hoody from the side of his neck. The eagle tattoo on the side of his neck distorted with a long scar.

Duke Andrews:
This is just the tip of the iceberg. This is just a small reminder of how unforgiving this steel is when your flesh hits it. Once you come to grip with that, then I promise you that you’re going to advance from the shadows of Seth and really become your own individual. But for now, just sit back at the kids table and let the adults do what they do best.

At this point, Duke dropped down below the base of the cage and grabbed the ring apron and flipped it upwards. Reaching under the ring before pulling out a kendo stick. Looking it over as he ran his left hand down the length.

Duke Andrews:
This isn’t being dismissive but I don’t see anyone besides Billy who understands the mindset that it’s going to take to actually make it into cage to finish this demonic match out. Sanderson wants to waltz back into my company after he’s shit the bed. You and I haven’t crossed paths yet. And I bet…

Duke pokes the kendo stick into the side of the cage slowly.

Duke Andrews:
And I bet that you’re trying to talk yourself up. Almost like you think that because you’re from the old guard that your shit don’t stink and that you’re the favorite. But the fact that things have changed around here, Christopher, is a quick reminder that this isn’t the same shithole you left. And let me give you a quick rundown of why my company is now better than it ever was before you decided to take your ball and go home…

A long exhale as Duke pulls the kendo stick from the cage.

Duke Andrews:
Besides the world tours, besides the tv deals, the absolute level of talent has gone through the roof. The fact that your toughest competition was Reeves and Junior, you should know that they can’t keep on my level. I’m the new standard bearer in this place. I’m the one that is the face of this place and it has never been in a better place than it is now.

Duke tossed the kendo stick to the side. Discarded like the piece of garbage it was. Walking around and grabbing a chair as he took a seat. Kicking his feet up onto the barricade.

Duke Andrews:
That leaves two. Took the intern twenty minutes to try and explain whatever gimmick you have Ana. And it went right back out. Don’t understand, and don’t care. From what I gather, it’s nothing of importance. If you want to step to me, then we will have beef. But I’m sure you’re smart enough to live and die by the motto fuck around and find out. And if you have any brain cells left you won’t end up finding out.

Duke Andrews:
And then Billy. I don’t need to go on the history tour. In fact, I decided against going back in time. Something the other day itched in my brain and I just couldn’t bring myself to scratching it. Something about the first time we ever interacted. Back when you were scraping up one of the Richard’s girls. Can’t remember which one, but I know that today you’re free and clean of whatever disease that was.

A slight grin forming. The days when Duke adopted the “Top Heel” gimmick from what seems like years back.

Duke Andrews:
Something about this little run over the last couple of weeks has put you and I on this collision course. I’ve heard it in the back, from the jerkers to agents like McMillion. It’s something about when I said you were the most underused talents in the locker room. I saw it then and I see it now. But I don’t see it tonight. I don’t mean that to be negative or dismissive. What I see tonight is a guy that just isn’t ready. It’s funny how as I think back on what has gotten me to this point, there was one old grizzled piece of shit that refused to acknowledge that I was on his level. It’s something that I hate that just crawls in my ear because I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to listen then, but it was needed advice.

With his feet still perched on the barricade, a simple crack of the neck. Folding his hands across his chest as he slumped back in the chair.

Duke Andrews:
You have a little more to learn yet, Duke. And when I’m the one that walks away still your World Champion with the new threat of the breifcase to worry about later…you’ll understand what that thing truly is for you to learn and work on.

Reciting word for word what Seth Iser said before Duke took the title from him. His face revealed a simple snarl. It was a look that hasn’t been seen on his face in months. His body language never changed. Staring into space for a moment as the moment washed over him.

Duke Andrews:
You will understand that you aren’t the guy yet. That day is going to come. And when it does, I’ll be the first person to celebrate with you. That night is not tonight. Tonight we enter the second reign of Michigans Favorite Son. We enter the second reign of The Epitome of Perfection, and then I’ll worry about Savell and that breifcase.

Fade.

MWE World Championship Match
Cage Scramble

Duke Andrews VS Glory Braddock VS Anna Daniels VS Billy Danielson VS Megan Manning VS Chris Sanderson

And it was finally time for the main event. It seemed weird to see the massive steel cage being lowered on an empty ring, but that was what the Cage Scramble was all about. The match started with the six competitors standing outside the ring, ready to battle for the greatest prize in the company. Only two of them will, as a matter of fact, fight for it in a cage match, the first two who will be able to enter the steel structure. Megan tried to secure a spot right away, beginning to climb the wall as soon as the match started, but Billy wasn’t letting her get away with it under his watch. He seemed actually amused as he grabbed the cage and began to shake it until Manning lost her grip and fell down on her back.
The action was insane, the six competitors were holding nothing back, knowing how much was at stake. Duke had Chris pinned against the cage and he was lighting up his chest with hard knife edge chops. Anna Daniels was taking care of Braddock and her “vision” in the most literal way, raking the British Bombshell’s eyes and throwing her head-first into the cage. Megan and Billy were reigniting the rivalry we thought was over after the Summer Beach Tour. Danielson seemed to be in full control but a low blow by Manning quickly turned the tables. Megan once again attempted to climb but this time it was Daniels who stopped her.
Megan was furious with the Time Lord, calling her stupid and saying that she could’ve just done the same instead of stopping her, seeing how there’s room for two people inside the structure. Anna shrugged her shoulders and just drove Megan’s face into the cold steel, grinding it into the cage. She looked around to assess if it was safe to attempt the climbing but Duke was already charging at her, and it was too late for The Muse to duck his lariat.
Andrews said it pretty clearly, this match had to end with him and Billy in the ring fighting for the gold. So nobody was surprised when he didn’t try to hinder the Franchise when he began his climb. He just got next to him and challenged him to who would make it to the top faster, but their race was destined to end with no winners. Chris Sanderson in fact was there to ruin their plans, pulling Duke all the way down with a powerbomb. Andrews wasn’t going down alone though, extending his hand to grab Billy’s arm and dragging him down with him.
Braddock and Sanderson began to brawl, the momentum of their fight bringing them further away from the cage and closer to where Megan Manning was finally starting to get up. The former Intercontinental champion grabbed a steel chair and smacked it on Chris’ back, dropping him down. She took another swing at Braddock, catching her on the skull and cracking it open.
It was like Megan had opened Pandora's Box. Nobody, up to that moment, had even considered using weapons in an already punishing environment, but after that shot things got real crazy. Anna Daniels pulled out a table and set it up in a random spot of the ringside area, or maybe she traveled through time and positioned it right where it was supposed to be, you ask her. She also pulled out a ladder from under the ring, which left most people puzzled but this one actually had a purpose, making a prefect battering ram to take out Duke and Billy at the same time.
Chris was out for revenge on Megan, sneaking up behind her with a kendo stick in hands and hitting her on the back. He even tried to choke her out with it, pressing it against her trachea from behind. Manning hit once again low, catching Chris between the legs with a mule kick.
Anna tried the ladder trick once again but this time it backfired spectacularly as Braddock dropkicked the ladder into the Muse’s face. Glory looked at the cage, spotting Megan already on the top. It was too late for her to do anything about it. Manning was already on the other side, carefully making her way down to the ring, securing one of the two spots. And now, the former Intercontinental champion could rest while her opponents kept fighting for that last spot.
With only one spot available, all bets were off. Duke and Billy began trading fists near the commentary table, forcing the whole team to stand up and stand back for safety reasons. Anna was doing Glory no favors as she started grinding the Best In The World’s forehead on the cage wall, worsening the cut Megan’s chair shot gave her. As for Chris? He just made it up to his feet, still feeling the effects of Manning’s low blow. But nobody was around him, and the four other competitors were too busy tearing each other apart to notice Wrestling’s Middle Child beginning to climb the cage.
You gotta be kidding me! That was the look on Anna’s face when an oh too familiar “EXTERMINATE” echoed in the Enterprise Arena. We hadn’t seen the Dalek in weeks, but tonight, on MWE’s biggest night, it was here, rolling down the ramp at full speed. Maybe it was just the inclination of the ramp, or maybe when they repaired it they boosted up his speed, but it was coming way faster than we remembered him moving, and he was pointing straight at the Time Lord. Anna jumped out of the way and the Dalek crashed into the cage with great momentum, causing the whole structure to shake. Chris lost balance and fell from the structure, going straight through the table Daniels had set up earlier. What were the odds?
Chris was out, Daniels was busy fighting with the odd creature with a strange obsession for her and Billy was about to powerbomb Duke through the commentary table. This was Glory’s opportunity to enter the final stage of the Cage Scramble for the second time, but she had to move fast.
The table broke to pieces as Danielson powerbombed Andrews through it. Glory was still on her way up, she was slow on her climbing due to the blood loss, and the fact that it was hindering her vision. Billy could definitely reach her and put an end to her ambitions of gold before claiming that last spot for himself, in front of his home crowd. But when he started moving toward her, he felt something was blocking. Or rather, someone. Duke had grabbed his ankle and was slowly climbing to his feet. Billy hit him with Chicago Blackout but it wasn’t enough to stop Michigan’s Favorite Son from rising. It looked like the two were ready to go again, but then the bell sounded. Glory Braddock was inside the ring.
The Sixteen Times World champion was so close and yet so far from her seventeenth title. True, she had a one on one chance against Megan now, but Manning had had time to recover. And that cut on Glory’s head looked pretty nasty. The former Intercontinental champion used that advantage to push Braddock into the wall, where she hit her with several knee strikes. Meg then smashed Glory’s face onto her knee with a facebreaker but all she got out of it was a two and a blood stain on her pants.
Both women wanted this win so badly and they were stopping at nothing to finally get their spot at the top of the company. Braddock poked Meg’s eyes and then turned her back on her, removing the protective pad from the top turnbuckle and hiding it with her body. When Manning regained her sight, she charged at the Best In The World, completely unaware that she was running right into her trap. Glory stepped aside and her opponent crashed into the exposed steel. It wasn’t the only encounter she had with the usually covered part of the corner as Glory grabbed her by her blonde hair and just drove her head into it repeatedly, stopping only when blood was drawn.
Braddock really thought she had Megan when she planted her in the middle of the ring with The Glorification (unprettier), but Manning for some reason still had enough energy to kick out at the very last second. The look on her face was one of shock and despair was the same Meg had a minute or so later when her Beautiful Disaster failed to give her the win.
Both competitors looked exhausted, and surely earned the respect of the crowd tonight. Barely able to stand, they were trading slow punches in one last, epic battle of will and determination. Megan tried to hit the opponent with a crescent kick but Glory dodged it, catching the Founding Stone of MWE with her Gloria In Excelsis Deo (codebreaker). Slowly crawling toward the cage wall, Glory used it to stand to her feet. And then she began to climb it? The fans started buzzing, the commentary team arguing that the match could only be won via submission or pinfall, and escape was not an option. It wasn’t Braddock’s intention either. She stood in precarious balance on the edge of the cage and jumped in the air, landing on top of the opponent with a spectacular Blaze Of Glory (shooting star press). That was it, she did it. Glory Braddock had finally achieved her goal and won her World Title number 17.

WINNER: Glory Braddock (NEW MWE WORLD CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Blaze Of Glory), 31:06

MWE Presents: 5ive Year Anniversary (night 2)

Post by gvb on Dec 6, 2022 20:19:18 GMT -6

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