MWE Presents: On Thin Ice (night 2)

MWE Presents: On Thin Ice (night 2) Feb 4, 2023 18:03:00 GMT -6

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Post by gvb on Feb 4, 2023 18:03:00 GMT -6

MWE Presents: On Thin Ice (night 2)
Live from Ball Arena in Denver, CO
Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

The Academy Pre-Show Match
Gold Star #1 Contender Four Way Match

Scott Martell VS Missy Propaganda VS Clementine Smith VS Adrianna Garcia

Even night 2 kicked off with some Academy action, a four way match with a Gold Star title shot on the line. It took her a few seconds and Clementine Smith immediately stole the show, displaying an impressive flexibility as she avoided the opponents’ attacks with cartwheel, bridges and all sorts of evasions maneuvers. Her agility proved to be quite effective as a means of offense as well, as she quickly cleaned the ring, leaving only Missy Propaganda laying on the mat after hitting her with a handspring cutter. She positioned herself a few steps away from the second generation wrestler, back turned to her. Performing another backflip, the blonde landed with both knees on Missy’s chest, obtaining the first near fall of the match.
Clem’s momentum ended abruptly when she turned around into a picture perfect standing dropkick by Scott Martell. The self-proclaimed Great One wanted to prove to the fans that the moniker was well deserved, taking the wheel and dominating this phase of the match. His mix of strength and technical ability, combined with a deep knowledge of his opponents’ strengths and weaknesses allowed him to handle all three fellow students. With an Irish whip, he whipped Smith into the corner and quickly turned around to catch the running Garcia and throw her into Clementine with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. This left him alone with Missy, who was only now getting back in the ring. He hit her with a knee to the face and lifted her in a suplex position, making her bounce on the top rope as he spun around and dropped her with a falcon arrow, obtaining a count of two.
The Academy students have always spoiled the MWE fans with great matches, and this one confirmed the trend. Although it was clearly every person for themselves, there has been a moment when the team dynamics came into play. Missy and Adrianna, both members of Team Jones, teamed up to take on Scott and possibly eliminate him from the equation. They had him on his knees in the middle of the ring, almost helpless against their combined attacks. Propaganda was kicking him on the chest while Garcia did the same to his back. An unexpected help came from his fellow Team Noir member Clementine, who spiked the latina with a reverse hurricanrana and then smashed Missy’s face with a jumping knee strike, stepping on Martell’s back to leap toward the blonde opponent.
The alliances were, as expected, short-lived. As soon as the two members of Team Jones got the best of the two opponents, they turned on each other. Well, technically it was Adrianna who turned on Missy, trying to surprise her with a schoolboy pin but Propaganda kicked out and kneed her in the face for her troubles. Counting on her cousin’s, the particularly vocal Sir Figgles, support, Missy stepped up to the plate and blasted Adrianna with a volley of hard kicks ending the sequence with a roundhouse that almost took the latina’s head off, but she couldn’t keep her down for a count of three due to Scott’s last minute save.
When it comes to “readiness” to perform on such an important stage, Garcia seemed to be one step below her competition. Perhaps it was just a matter of mental strength and ability to deal with the pressure, but she couldn’t perform on the same level. She extensively made up for that by adopting a sneaky approach, letting the others pull the weight while she stood on the sideline waiting for the chance to reap on their hard work. The fans didn’t like the attitude, but she almost got away with it when she connected a backstabber on Clementine and scored the closest of falls.
Fatigue began to creep in as the match went on. We were close to the twenty minutes mark and the students looked tired. Especially Clementine, whose unique style resulted to be pretty demanding. She still managed to slam Missy’s face on the mat with a wheelbarrow bulldog but her following handspring back elbow attempt on Scott saw her ending up right in the arms of Martell who wasted no time and slammed her on the canvas with a high-angle German Suplex. Of the four of them, Scott seemed to be the one who still had something more to give in terms of energy, and he showed that with a beautiful delayed brainbuster on Propaganda. An outstanding performance by the Great One, who showed some new moves he recently added to his arsenal. There was one move he hadn’t pulled yet, one he was saving for the finale: The Scoop. Perhaps the most recognizable and promoted move in The Academy, Scott’s scoop powerslam had given him many wins in these first months as a wrestler, including the biggest one so far, right here in Denver tonight. When he hit it on Adrianna, it was all over.

WINNER: Scott Martell
BY: Pinfall (The Scoop), 20:04

Backstage we find Emma Wakefield getting ready for her big gauntlet match while her boyfriend, Bobby Bradley, encourages her.

Bobby Bradley:
The best way to approach something like this is to focus on whoever is in the ring with you, not who still hasn’t come out. We don’t know the order so no need to fret on things we can’t control.

Emma is in the middle of doing some last minute stretches as she straightens herself back up to look at Bobby with her eyes open wide.

Emma Wakefield:
What if I’m the one going out there first?! That’s way too much pressure.

Bobby Bradley:
If you’re going out there one first that means you’re the one that sets the tempo, and even if it’s too much for you, you’ve got all those people out there cheering you on!

Emma Wakefield:
I can’t believe my sister and her boyfriend came tonight, she never watches any wrestling. I feel like you had something to do with it.

Emma teases Bobby as she gives him a playful slap on the arm. He smiles, gets up off the chair he was on, and begins to calmly massage Emma’s shoulders.

Bobby Bradley:
It wasn’t easy convincing my sister to babysit but she’s great with kids when she tries. I thought it would be a nice bit of motivation for you to guarantee a friendly face or two in the crowd tonight.

Emma Wakefield:
You’re always thinking of me.

Emma takes a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Emma Wakefield:
I’m trying to make the most of every opportunity I get, but this one might be the biggest yet, my first shot at championship gold hangs in the balance. All of the other girls involved in this match are going to be just as eager as me for their own success story.

Bobby Bradley:
That’s what you have to keep in mind, all the other girls are just as anxious about this match as you are. Having a championship is a huge goal of yours, and this is just your first of many opportunities. You just have to keep in mind that you deserve to be here.

Emma Wakefield:
I deserve to be here.

Emma repeats what he said with confidence as a smile breaks out on her face.

Emma Wakefield:
What would I do without you?!

Emma turns around and Bobby gives her a hug, followed by a peck on the cheek.

Bobby Bradley:
Whatever you want to do, you deserve to be here! Now get out there and show them what you’re made of!

Emma Wakefield:
I’m ready. Check out my grr face.

Emma gives the most adorable snarl before she breaks out into laughter, giving Bobby one last hug, and the camera cuts away from them.

Gauntlet Match
Winner gets a MENTV Championship Title Shot

Millie Smith VS Abby Blake VS Christina Caldwell VS Emma Wakefield VS Bree Smith VS Kate Steele

Luck plays a part in matches like this, a late entrance would definitely increase one’s chances to win the gauntlet. And luck definitely was not on Millie and Crystal’s side, as they were the two designated to start the contest. Smith could count on the support of the fans, firmly behind her from the get going. The Academy graduate wisely tried to end this quickly and with the least waste of energy, but Caldwell wasn’t caught off guard by her quick pin attempts.
Despite the odds being against them, both competitors were determined to make the best of this opportunity, seeing it as a chance to get back on track after a difficult 2022. Crystal looked particularly aggressive as she smashed Millie’s face against the turnbuckle before going for a reverse suplex, giving her a count of two. Crystal tried to keep the momentum going with her Flashing Lights (Chick Kick) but Millie ducked the blow and pinned her with another schoolboy pin, only worth a count of two. Finally the former Academy student kicked into high gear, showing those skills that made her one of the most promising graduates from Year One. As Crystal whipped her into the corner, Millie stepped on the ropes and jumped over her head with a backflip, landing behind Caldwell and dropping her with an Inverted DDT. After scoring another near fall with a springboard moonsault, Smith had now another opportunity to advance in the gauntlet after flooring Crystal with a superkick. And she didn’t miss, ending this in style with a sparkle splash.
The next step of the Gauntlet was a family matter. The young Millie had to go one on one against her sister Bree, and she didn’t look happy about it. The former Lockdown champion comforted her, saying that this was not much different from them sparring back at Halo. They shook hands before starting the hostility, with Bree leaning in to lock up with Millie who, instead, used her speed to sneak behind her shoulders and take her down with a backstabber. The two Smiths knew each other so well, and that gave rise to a beautiful contest where for each move either of them tried, the other had a counter. In situations like this, one has to think outside the box to get one up on the opponent, and that was what Millie did, surprising her sister with a diving tornado DDT. Eventually tho, the fatigue of the previous match against Crystal began to take its toll. As soon as Millie slowed down, Bree began to toss her around with a series of duplexes and backbreaker reps, quickly wearing down the young girl. Not long later, she slammed her into the canvas with the Bree-Show (pop-up powerbomb), ending Millie's dream to run the whole gauntlet.
Another former Academy student was going to step up next to the Breebarian. Emma Wakefield stated multiple times how she wants to take her career to the next level in 2023. A win tonight would give her a great head start going into the next year, but the first obstacle in her way was already quite a big one. The Power Of Bree was in full effect tonight as the former Lockdown champion connected her triple German Suplex, keeping the bridge on the last one for a near fall. But Wakefield was not giving up, piecing herself together and coming back with a second wind. After coming close to eliminate Bree with a rolling crucifix pin, the youngster kept coming at Smith with a volley of kicks, wearing down the former champion and setting her up for the Emmargency Call (springboard bulldog) that made her advance to the next stage.
Kate Steele was the penultimate entrant in the gauntlet, and she seemed to have it easy against the former student, already tired after going to war against Bree. Steele brought her full arsenal of kicks and unleashed it on Emma, knocking her down with a corner Yakuza kick after pushing her back against the turnbuckle. Kate then climbed to the top rope and jumped on Wakefield’s chest with a double foot stomp, but the blonde rolled out of the way and wrapped her arms around Steele’s head in a sleeper hold. Half a minute later, the veteran finally managed to escape the hold and go on the counterattack. Emma played it smart, using her speed to stay away from the opponent’s attacks, taking any chance she could get to apply a choke hold to wear her down. Until she managed to lock her into her A Real DilEmma standing guillotine choke, forcing her to tap out.
The entire Ball Arena erupted in a roar of cheers as Emma survived another stage. There was only Abby Blake left now between her and the contendership, and although she was visibly tired, Wakefield was determined to push through and reach the now so close goal.. The Academy graduate was well aware that she didn’t really have much left in the tank, but rather than pace herself, she went all out from the get going, trying to end it quickly and coming very close to the win with her For Your Emmagintaion snap DDT, but Blake kicked out in two. In hindsight, that might have been a mistake, one that could be ascribed to her lack of experience. Blake weathered the storm and once Emma inevitably slowed down, she struck with her Rosehammer Suplex and finished her with the Fore, earning the right to challenge Ash Fi, or her mystery opponent, for the MENTV Championship.

WINNER: Abby Blake
BY: Pinfall (Fore), 28:09

We cut to a camera rushing down the hall toward the sound of a loud commotion, from boxes crashing to bodies slamming to the ground. As it rounds the corner it catches the end of the fight, with Echo standing tall with a pipe in hand, and fallen members of Nine’s cult lying on the cold floor around her. All but one, who was crawling away.

Echo strolled toward the cultist, taking her sweet time and finally enjoying the moment where she stomped down on their ankle. A pained cry rang out in the hall, but Echo didn’t care. She simply knelt down next to the cultist and gripped at their hood, revealing none other than Nine’s right hand, E.M.P. The cultist calmed herself, staring at the bloodlust filled Aussie in near disbelief. A drop of blood slid down her chin as she watched Echo rise back up and pace around her.

Echo:
I told you, I told everyone, I bring war. You thought these were empty words, and yet..

Erin reached out and gripped at Echo’s leg, trying to pull herself up with anger replacing the pain hidden away in her eyes. Echo allowed this, watching with a little half grin.

Echo:
And I know, there are a few people right now yelling at me, telling me that I have my own match to worry about and Nina isn’t to be trifled with. Nina, no offense, but I didn’t come back for you. You’re just in my way, and if I have to remove you to get to who I really want, that’s fine, just don’t take what I’m going to do to you personally, because I’m sure as hell not. Not this time, anyway.

Erin had managed to pull herself up to her knees, still keeping her eyes glued to the Aussie. Echo simply smiled down at her, toying with the pipe clasped in her hand.

Echo:
And I know big, bad Trinity is assuring everyone that after she and her little Academy pup get done with Nine and the cult kitten, there won’t be anything left for poor Echo to play with. But we’ve been down this road before, Trin had to up and run outta here because of it and credit where it’s due, even I couldn’t make her run away! I’m sure removing these five from the occasion won’t disrupt your plans, Nine, but don’t you worry. After I finish with Nina, I’ll still have plenty left in the tank to crash the party again.

Echo raised the pipe above her head, ready to crash it down on E.M.P, and yet… She stopped herself before making contact. She dropped the weapon, letting it roll away without a care.

Echo:
I want you to listen closely to what career failure Erin has to tell you about what happened here. I want you to watch closely to what a bit of time off and a renewed sense of purpose has done to me when I run through Nina tonight. Get a front row seat if you want, the more the merrier. But most of all, I want you to pray to yourself that Trinity can pull off what she plans, because if it’s left to me, you’ll wish you had stayed in my shadow instead of trying to do whatever this is.

With a final smile, Echo took a few steps back from the kneeling Erin… Only to lash out with a wicked boot to the side of her face, dropping her back to the ground. Damian Carter quickly stepped up to Echo, putting a hand on her shoulder as he lead her away.

Singles Match

Echo VS Nina

Before the match, Nina confronted the returning Australian about the assault on Erin Marie Paige, stating that was not the Fight Lab way to do things. Echo shrugged and said that Damian didn’t seem to have a problem with it. As soon as Nina turned toward Carter, Echo sucker punched her with a quick jab to the throat and immediately put her in a front face lock. Echo smiled at the booing fans as she lifted Nina in the air and dropped her onto her knee with a shoulder breaker. The Aussie made a first cover attempt, quite a cocky and light one that resulted in just a count of one.
With that first cheap shot, Echo got an early lead that allowed her to control the pace of the match. She kept the opponent at a close distance and smashed her with some knee strike to the rib cage area. By doing so, Echo was successfully nullifying Nina’s chances to use her formidable counter-attacks, which represented the majority of her arsenal. Holding the Chicago born by her arm, the Australian pulled Nina into several shoulder tackles, targeting the former LPW Anarchy champion’s right shoulder.
The strategy seemed odd, considering that two of the Aussie’s deadliest submissions, the ankle lock and the calf crusher, targeted the lower extremities. But working on the arm and shoulder was a solid plan to take the Viper Sting out of the equation. Nina was not someone you can count out early, and Echo learned that when the former intern surprised her with The Fang, Sambo’s one finger takedown. Finally having the chance to build some momentum, Nina showcased her often overlooked technical skills, putting up a clinic and keeping Echo in check. Unable to get out of that series of submission holds aimed at wearing her down, the former Junior Heavyweight champion began to show signs of frustration, taking a break out of the ring regroup after finally reaching the rope break.
Nine wasn’t going to let Echo’s actions go unpunished, sicking her followers on the Aussie. Echo retreated back in the ring, not before grabbing a chair to defend herself. She told Nina to leave, but despite their differences, the Chicago native wasn’t about leaving her alone against a dozen cultists. The two women fought for their lives as the people in black robes and golden masks stormed the ring, ending their match without winners or losers. The thud of the chair smacking against the cultist’s skulls echoed in the Arena as bodies flew everywhere, the unarmed Nina holding her own and fending off the attacks. But eventually the numbers’ game caught up on the duo, and the members of the Band Of Nine got the best of them, taking them down and pounding them with kicks and stomps. Luckily for them, security was quick to intervene and dispersed the cultists, saving them from what could’ve been a much worse fate.

WINNER: //
BY: Outside Interference, 6:13

We cut backstage to Faith Savell standing in front of a camera. She looked calm, cool and collected. Exactly what we would expect from the Savell prodigy known as The Masterclass.

Faith Savell:
Tonight I go up against Seth Iser. I’ll admit, he’s had an impressive career.

She nodded.

Faith Savell:
But it’s time it’s brought to an end. Julian, my dear brother, couldn’t do it. Pierce and Megan couldn’t do it. But me? I’ll be up for the challenge. Why? Because I’m not just the future of Millennium, but I’m it’s present.

She pointed at the camera.

Faith Savell:
You, Seth? You’re it’s past. You’re an old fool, holding onto the past with desperation. You don’t know how to quit nor do you know how to shut up. You pretend that you’re this old man with all of this sage advice but the fact of the matter is? You’re simply the jester in my court. You’re here to make the Masterclass laugh. So dance monkey, dance.

She let out a laugh and shook her head.

Faith Savell:
But I digress. Needless to say, I respect the past so much that I know that eventually, it needs an end game. Someone needs to kill it. That someone? Is me. Say goodbye Seth.

Faith smiled at the camera and walked away and the scene cuts away.

For a night that had a lot of electricity in the building, we found ourselves in perhaps the most dark and sad part of it. Coming in to see Erika Eldon and Clyde Eldon Jr, in the backstage area. Not even given their own locker room the two are set up in the catering area, with all their bags. Erika is seated on a chair, looking at the floor looking like she wants nothing to do with the world right now. However Clyde stands up next to her, seemingly trying to lift the spirits.

Clyde Eldon Jr:
I know that things have been pretty bleak lately, I mean our mom is the worst human being in all of existence. And I know that led us both to looking for things in the wrong places…I was after Faizah for a long time, you were with Rainer…And we did a lot of stupid things for them.

Clyde lets out a sigh as he looks down at Erika, trying to cheer her up.

Clyde Eldon Jr:
You know, one time I actually maxed out one of my credit cards buying Faizah a necklace…I don’t think she ever even wore…

Clyde says this as Erika, not seeming to be outdone, shakes her head.

Erika Eldon:
I one time rigged a weight machine to hurt Gabriel…for Rainer.

Nodding his head remembering the situation.

Clyde Eldon Jr:
I took beating after beating to try to protect Faizah…

Erika Eldon:
I wasted a shot at a title shot to help him keep his belt, only for him to kiss my mom afterwards…

Clyde nods his head cringing knowing that was the moment that really took Erika out.

Clyde Eldon Jr:
I one time let Faizah use me as a foot stool as she was watching TV…

With that Clyde is able to get a bit of a smile and laugh from Erika, who knows that may not get worse than that.

Erika Eldon:
That is pretty bad…

Clyde Eldon Jr:
The fact is we have been the laughing stock around here for long enough, I know that the two of us haven’t been there for each other enough the past year. I messed up, but now that we are at our lowest. The only way to go is up. Let’s go out there and do our best and forget all the other stuff. Let's go show the world we aren’t jokes.

While not quite as good as the speech by Kurt Russell in Miracle, it does the trick for Erika. Who gets up and nods her head.

Erika Eldon:
Let’s do it.

The two siblings getting ready to go for their tag team match later tonight

Invictus Rules Match

Luis Rivera VS Dean Smith

Nineteen months. That’s how long it’s been since the last Invictus Rules match, dating back to Dark Web III in April 2021, when Nina and Echo fought under those rules. Dean was the standard bearer of the division from its inception to the end of his record reign, coinciding with the twilight of the Invictus division. The rules remained the same, three 5-minutes rounds to be fought under hybrid rules, submission, knockout or judge decision to determine the winner.
The first round was mostly a study phase. The two competitors were getting a feeling of each other, testing the reflexes with quick jabs, none of which landed. Both of them were relying on their boxing background, although their styles had some considerable differences. Luis was more mobile, quick on his legs and flaunting impressive footwork as he almost danced around the opponent, looking for an opening on his guard. Dean, instead, remained almost static, standing in the middle of the ring and trying to catch Rivera with direct shots to the head, but the Academy graduate managed to duck and dodge every single one of his shots. More used to fighting under these particular rules, Smith suddenly added another layer to his offense, doubling the younger opponent over with a knee to the stomach and throwing him in the corner with a gutwrench suplex. Luis picked himself up and tried to regroup in the corner, but he ate a knee to the face from Smith. Rivera went down and quickly picked himself up, finding himself on the receiving end of a series of uppercuts. Luckily for him, the first round ended.

Moretti: Smith 10-8
Sir Figgles: Smith 10-9
Maynard: Smith 10-8
Luis wasn’t happy with his first round, by no means. He began the second with a new found aggressiveness, attacking Dean with quick combinations that pierced through the man’s guard. Dean recoiled toward the corner, trying to survive the storm of blows coming its way. But Rivera was born in a boxing ring, faking a right and connecting with a vicious left to the cheek. The impact was so hard that Dean’s mouthguard flew out of his mouth, skidding out of the ring. Smith staggered, almost dropping to his knee but he was still into this match, ready to defend himself from the next volley of punches. While Luis kept going high, fully wired in his boxeur setting, Smith hit low, taking out his leg with a kick to the kneecap. Exploiting the hybrid rules, the former Invictus champion then lifted Luis over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry position and dropped him on his knees with a double knee gutbuster. Rivera got on all fours, trying to push himself up to his feet but he received a big kick to the ribs instead, followed by a rib breaker. Smith tried to submit him with an abdominal stretch, pounding at the side with some heavy fists but Rivera carried through, resisting for the time remaining until the bell sounded, ending the second round.

Moretti: Smith 10-9
Sir Figgles: Smith 10-9
Maynard: Smith 10-9
It went down to the third and final round. Five minutes were separating Dean from an important win and the honor of being the first one to beat Rivera. Five minutes for Luis to save his streak and his pride, after calling out the former Invictus champion and challenging him on his turf. Dean was in no rush, he could very well let the clock run and be declared the winner, he could even lose this round by judge decision and he’d still have enough edge to be declared as the winner. Or he could just try to knock out the young opponent, which he attempted to do with his Mean Dean diving knee strike. Luis survived that as well, but the most concerning thing was the almost resigned attitude. He wasn’t counterattacking, letting Dean come at him instead. The former Invictus champion kept attacking the Academy graduate, who tried his best to avoid getting hit and suffering an embarrassing knockout defeat. This defeatist attitude was only a ploy to lure in the opponent, and Smith took the bait. Luis suddenly struck with a quick left-right-left combination that sent Dean spinning, giving his back to the opponent. And that was when Rivera struck, punching the opponent with a right hook to the back of the head, turning off the lights for Dean and scoring a massive win.

WINNER: Luis Rivera
BY: KO (Right Hook), 3rd Round, 3:54

Following his big win over Dean Smith, Luis Rivera was joined backstage by Camille Bellamy.

Camille Bellamy:
Luis! Do you have a moment for a quick word?

The former boxer stopped on his tracks and turned around, a wide smirk appearing on his lips as he noticed the beautiful backstage interviewer.

Luis Rivera:
For you? I can always find time, 'Mille.

As the interviewer walked toward him, Luis bounced his pecs. Perhaps an attempt to impress the joournalist?

Camille Bellamy:
What you accomplished tonight... Let's just say not many people were willing to bet on you...

Luis Rivera:
Ouch..

Camille Bellamy:
Did I say...

As soon as it hit her, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red.

Camille Bellamy:
I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't do it on purpose!

The reason for her embarrassement was in her unfortunate choice of words. Those who knew Luis from before he joined the Academy will certainly remember that he was indirectly caught in a scandal- His uncle and at the time manager was accused of fixing matches to profit from illegal gambling. The extent of the scandal is still being determined, but it reaped some illustious victims, including Luis himself. While unaware of what his uncle was doing, the young Rivera hung up his gloves after that and started his career in wrestling.

Luis Rivera:
It's alright, I guess you can make up for that by being my guest at dinner after show.

He said with a cocky smile.

Camille Bellamy:
Ha, well played. Anyway, back to your match. Dean was clearly the favorite seeing that it was your first Invictus rules match but despite the od... despite everything you came out on top. How does it feel to knock out a former champion.

Luis Rivera:
It feels good, but it's not like it was the first time i left a champion at my feet.

He winked, hard to say if he did it at the camera or Camille.

Luis Rivera:
My first match in the Academy, I'm sure our mutual friend Addi remembers it as well.

Camille nodded before continuing.

Camille Bellamy:
I think nobody has forgotten that. She was on a roll as the Gold Star and you knocked her down in 42 seconds, the fastest win in the Academy history.

Luis Rivera:
Yeah. And right now, she's on a roll as Cloud Gate champion... You feel where I'm going?

It took her a moment but she quickly realized.

Camille Bellamy:
Hold up a second... Are you throwing her a challenge?

Luis shrugged his shoulders.

Luis Rivera:
Why not? I mean, I beat her once but she never beat me. Nobody has, actually. She can go around and call herself Captain Cloud Gate or the GOAT all she wants, but the truth is... I'm better than her, and I already proved it.

Turning his focus to the camera, he then spoke directly to the Cloud Gate champion.

Luis Rivera:
You know you want this, Addi. You know you need it. Let's dance, chica.

Blowing a taunting kiss to the camera, Luis walked away.

With the footage cutting from ringside, the view picked up in the MWE Interview area, large advertisements for the upcoming matches for Thin Ice being advertised for tonight’s monumental second event. Admiring one of the posters was none other than Leia LeBeau, attired in one of her specialty Showgirl themed outfits. She looked like a snow queen, her attire decked out in ice and snow motifs, with an image of herself on her attire holding what looked to be one of the MWE Tag Team Championships, a crown hovering over her with the words “Uncrowned Champion” in jagged, icy letters beneath. The poster she was admiring was the one for the upcoming Four-Way Elimination Tag Team Match that was being held under Lucha Libre Rules. While it looked like she was admiring her own image at first, something the beautiful and cocky Showgirl was known for, her finger was tracing the image of her husband to be, Donovan Keane, who she would be competing against tonight for the very first time. She snapped out of her trace though, hearing the screaming and overly loud voice of her younger sibling, the Prettiest Little Troll in Pro Wrestling, Bebe LeBeau.

Bebe LeBeau:
No rematch… no rematch… after what they did… UGH!

Cried Bebe, who was stomping around in circles around her, boots banging against the floor over and over again. Leia raised an eyebrow as she stared at her sister throwing her tantrum, looking at the woman who was wearing what only could be described as a Slutty Elsa outfit, complete with a blonde braided wig and way too much cleavage showing.

Bebe LeBeau:
How could they possibly say that we weren’t entitled to a rematch after all of that?

Leia LeBeau:
Bebe… that was months ago. You should have gotten over this by now.

Leia answered, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest, being extremely patient as she watched her sister throw a hissy fit.

Bebe LeBeau:
A Bebe never forgets!

The youngest LeBeau proclaimed, raising her index finger at Leia as her match suddenly halted, Bebe pulling a face at her.

Bebe LeBeau:
But I learn from the referee’s mistakes! Never trust a Greene Booty!

Leia LeBeau:
Look, I agree with you that what happened was ridiculous. It was a terrible plot twist that ruined the entire season, and the fact we have not automatically been given another shot is nothing short of baffling. But we are the stars of The Show, we are The Show. And we have to get right back into contention.

Leia turned from her for a second, grabbing hold of her dainty little top hat as she placed it on her head, tipping it slightly to the side as she prepared herself for what came ahead.

Leia LeBeau:
And nothing short of victory will do for Them Damn LeBeaus.

Bebe LeBeau:
Yessss! You’re right, middle Sissy! That’s what we gotta do! Take them down like the Philly Bellas took down the Elon Muskrats!

Bebe exclaimed, her voice switching from sheer adorable anger, to pure adorable elation, Bebe doing a bounce around her sister as she giggled excitedly. Leia looked her sister over, asking a question that she had seemingly been at the tip of her tongue for sometime.

Leia LeBeau:
… Why did you sign for Philadelphia anyway? You’re from Seattle, you live in Las Vegas… Why them?

Bebe looked a little embarrassed, her cheeks glowing a slight shade of red as she held up a tub of soft cheese spread, and some cheese balls in red soft wax.

Bebe LeBeau:
I thought they were offering me cheese.

Looking at the labels, reading “Philadelphia” and “Mini Babybel”, Leia face palmed, shaking her head in disbelief.

Leia LeBeau:
I honestly have no words. But now we have to focus, Bebe. You’re in the big leagues now. This isn’t the Academy anymore. And while we will be facing some of your former classmates, there is much more on the line than grades and favor from your coaches.

Bebe LeBeau:
Yesss, yesss! A Bebe knows! So even though The Pump King was nice to me, he has to walk and so does Walker Texas Stranger Danger! We can’t be dealing with Eldon Family Mommy Issues either, so we have to drop them too! Then Nightfall Rising has to fall as well! And we’ll kick Donnie down, then kick his butt, then kick his face, then kick his butt again, then kick him in the junk again and again and again an–
Bebe blurted out rapidly, beginning to shadowbox in the center of the room, before throwing a few nifty little kicks in the air. Leia was nodding her head as Bebe got herself motivated. At least until the end, when she began waving her arms in protest to the idea of attacking Donovan in such a way.

Leia LeBeau:
Wait! What? No!

She cried out in protest, Bebe suddenly halting what she was doing, her elder sister growing pale at the notion of it all.

Leia LeBeau:
That’s the man I’m going to marry.

Bebe LeBeau:
Yes, and? We wanna win, right?

The Pretty Troll exclaimed, her hands on her hips as she glared at Leia.

Leia LeBeau:
Yes, but preferably without booting the man I love downstairs.

Bebe LeBeau:
Boring!

Bebe blurted out childishly, folding her arms as she playfully stomped, pulling a face. Leia shook her head, grabbing hold of her royal purple jacket as she flung it over her shoulders, pacing off into the distance. Bebe leapt up at this point, trying to get her attention.

Bebe LeBeau:
Hey! Heyyyy! What about Girl Power?! Don’t be such a spoilsport! Just one little big punt, that’s all I ask!?

Bebe cried out, chasing after her sister down the hall. The camera zoomed back in on the poster for their upcoming match, before fading to an advertisement for the Agora Network.

Four-Way Elimination Tag Team Match
Lucha Libre Rules

Leia LeBeau & Bebe LeBeau VS Nighfall Rising VS Walker & Jasper King VS Clyde Eldon Jr. & Erika Eldon

The referee explained once again the Lucha Libre rules to the eight competitors involved in what promised to be a high-octane, highly entertaining match Donnie started things off against Clyde Eldon, easily taking control with a side headlock and dragging Karen’s son toward the corner where Jay was waiting for the tag. Keane twisted Eldon’s arm and tagged his partner, who climbed to the top rope and jumped on Clyde’s outstretched arm with a double foot stomp. Jay and Donnie isolated CEJ in their corner, targeting his arm and shoulder and keeping the pressure on him with quick tags. Eldon fought his way out of that predicament, hitting Donnie, who was now on the apron, with a back elbow and flooring Jay with a right hand, opening the way toward the corner where his sister was waiting. But the Nightfall guys took full advantage of the Lucha rules as Jay quickly rolled out of the ring leaving the stage to Donnie who stopped Clyde with a springboard bulldog.
Finally Clyde left the ring, but it wasn’t Erika who took his place. The tag came from Bebe, who entered the ring and taunted her sister’s boyfriend calling him a “bish” and inviting him to attack her. Donny chuckled and charged in, but Bebe ducked his attempt and caught him with a back kick to the abdomen as he turned around. The Academy graduate used her speed to her advantage against her future brother-in-law but soon enough Donnie’s experience became a factor, allowing the Nightfall Rising member to turn the tide. He surprised Bebe with the Donnie Cutter but it wasn’t enough to keep the former camera-girl down. He wasted no time, picking her up and sending her into the ropes as he jumped in the air for a leg lariat. But they young LeBeau hooked her arms on the ropes, stopping the momentum and laughing at Donnie as he hit the ground. Keane got up in the blink of an eye and charged at Bebe, but she left the ring and stuck out her tongue to him, taunting her sister’s boyfriend. Leia entered the ring while he was distracted and rolled him up, scoring the first elimination. Donnie was shocked when the ref counted the three, staring at his girlfriend in disbelief. That only lasted a few moments before he began to chuckle and shake his head. As he got to his feet, he wished her good luck for the rest of the match and left the ring.
Down to three teams and we finally got to see Jasper King in action. The fans absolutely loved the King Of Pumpkins, not only for his kind heart and positive personality, but they enjoyed his style as well. The powerhouse seemed immune to Leia’s kicks, taking the former Junior Heavyweight’s flurry of offense stoically, standing tall in the center of the ring barely flinching. Eventually he blocked Leia’s leg and easily lifted her in the air, driving her down to the mat with a huge powerbomb. He followed with a running senton and a cover, but Bebe entered the ring and interrupted the count, saving her sister. Jasper tagged his partner in and lifted him as if he was going for a belly-to-back suplex, dropping Walker on top of LeBeau with a legdrop.
The pace picked up now that the Bamboozler was inside the ring. His flashy and spectacular set of offense was polar opposite to Jasper’s but equally effective against an already physically strained Leia, in desperate need to tag out. The former Junior Heavyweight champion got her much needed break when Walker took an unnecessary risk, attempting a spectacular springboard 450 splash, finding nobody home. This was Leia’s opportunity to tag out, and she wasn’t going to miss it. Rather than attempting to cross the ring to reach her sister, she tagged the much closer Erika in, finally involving her in the match.
The past weeks’ issues seemed to be a distant memory for Erika. Her confidence was back, the newly found connection with her brother surely had restored her confidence and even on a merely technical aspect we could see slight yet definite improvements. She held her own against the chaotic Walker, slowing him down and keeping him grounded with a headlock takedown. As the New York native stood to his feet, she pushed him into the ropes and avoided his comeback with a leapfrog. Once again Walker bounced off the ropes, running into a standing dropkick from Erika. Tag made to bring her brother in and work together with him connecting a double suplex on Walker, worth a count of two.
The Kingspade created an opening with a Pele kick, sending Clyde into the empty corner. He stepped back toward the opposite one to get more momentum and force behind his running knee, but Leia slapped him on the back and stole the tag. Walker protested but he was quickly shut up by Bebe with a right hand to the mush. Leia charged at full speed, kicking Clyde’s head in with her Jet City Jive, scoring the second elimination of the night.
Only two teams left: the LeBeaus against the team of Walker and Jasper. The experience advantage was clearly on Leia and Bebe’s side, seeing how tonight was the first time together as a team for the pair of former Academy students. What they obviously lacked in experience and chemistry, they widely made up for with heart and determination. And a bit of craftiness, like when Walker poked Bebe’s eyes and dug his nails on her back, raking all the way down. King shook his head, reproaching his partner for doing something “totally not cool”, when Walker came to their corner and tagged him in. The powerhouse ran toward Bebe, although a more fitting description would be that he literally ran her over, sending her flying close to her sister with a massive shoulder tackle. Holding her chest in pain, the younger LeBeau decided she had had enough and rolled out of the ring.
Once again finding herself against the much bigger opponent, Leia opted for a different strategy this time, swinging low with her kicks, aiming at the big guy’s legs, trying to chop him down. This tactic paid off as, finally, Jasper dropped to one knee. She charged with a running single leg dropkick to his face, but he survived the impact. The match continued, The LeBeau sisters working well together to isolate King and keep him away from his partner. Another close call for the King Of Pumpkins with Bebe’s Snap Shot, but luckily for him his partner made the save. Walker tried to rally up the fans, inviting them to support Jasper in this moment of difficulty. And it paid off, the chants seemingly awaiting the Gentle Giant and infuse new strength in him. He blocked Bebe’s attacks, sending her spinning with an open hand chop. LeBeau tried to reach her sister in the corner but Jas blocked her and launched her across the ring with a German suplex. Great display of agility by Bebe as she landed on her feet, charging at full speed toward her opponent in a desperate attempt to strike him down. But King anticipated her attempt by moving forward and launching her in the air, catching her before she fell to the mat. Holding her on his shoulders, Jasper looked around, almost asking the fans what he should do with the opponent. With an unmistakable gesture, his partner suggested a military press, and Jasper promptly executed, launching Bebe outside the ring. Once again Leia was quick to step in, blindsiding King with a leaping knee strike to the back of the head. The impact sent the big man tumbling over the top rope and out of the ring, which gave Walker the green light to enter the ring. Leia turned around immediately, but Walker was already there and he had her in the firing line already. The savate kick knocked The Show down, the Bamboozled curb stomp finished her and allowed Walker to make the decisive cover. Just to be sure, he used the ropes for extra leverage, although that probably didn’t affect the final outcome.

WINNER: Walker & Jasper King
BY: Pinfall (Bamboozled), 19:46

Backstage at the Ball Arena, Billy Danielson is pacing back and forth in a hallway. Stagehands, Producers, and Agents walk by him as he seems to be in deep thought. He continues to pace for a few more seconds until he stops right in the middle of the frame, still facing away from the camera.

Billy Danielson:
I am the means to an end…

Billy looks at the camera now but doesn’t turn his whole body yet.

Billy Danielson:
That’s what you called me, Duke.

He starts to turn completely toward the camera now as he raises a finger.

Billy Danielson:
And to a point, maybe you’re right…

An offended smirk arises as he thinks about how a supposed friend sees him as only a stepping stone.

Billy Danielson:
It’s no secret, I’ve been bumping my head on the glass ceiling since I walked in here. I beat the champions, but I can’t win championships. I win the big matches, but I can’t seem to improve my standing in this company. I try and I try, and though I am a champion and a franchise everywhere else, I can’t seem to grab that brass ring in Millenium.

Danielson pauses as the frustration starts to get to him. You can see him fight it as he swallows down that hurt pride and takes a deep breath.

Billy Danielson:
But you’re in the same position, aren’t you Duke? Since you lost that MWE World Championship, you’ve struggled to be anyone too. This time last year, you were THE guy, but now you’re barely A guy. That’s why you think I’m the means to your end. You think you are going to just beat me and become the man you once were in this company, especially since you more than anyone sees my potential.

Determination becomes the look on Billy’s face as he continues on Billy keeps his finger raised for a moment longer and twists his wrist, signifying that he is about to flip Duke’s point upside down.

Billy Danielson:
However, I am not the means to your perceived end, Duke. I am not your rolling wheels on some highway back to the greatness you once had. No, no, no, no…

Billy trails off for a second as he smirks.

Billy Danielson:
You are mine!

Danielson stands a little straighter now. His smile gets a little bigger. His chest a little more puffed out.

Billy Danielson:
Just like how you see my potential and want to siphon it for yourself, Duke, I see you for who you are.

Danielson lets out a small laugh.

Billy Danielson:
I see what you have left in that star tank, and it’s JUST enough to get me up to that brass ring so I can finally grab it. It’s JUST enough to allow me to finally break through that glass ceiling after over a year of bumping my head on it.

Danielson slaps the top of his head to emphasize his bumping into the glass ceiling, before pointing at the camera.

Billy Danielson:
A lot of this is owed too, Duke. You attacked my family. You kept me from getting my shot at the MWE World Championship in that scramble. You actively try to take what little bit of a spot I have from me. You are every bit of an asshole as everyone says you are, and I will enjoy every single Chicago Blackout I give you tonight.

Another small laugh.

Billy Danielson:
All that being said, and what makes this so funny, I still see you as a friend. I’m going to enjoy beating your ass and taking your spot, but I still see you as the guy I can call upon at a moment’s notice. So maybe, once I’m done using you to get to the top of the mountain… I’ll help you make it back up there with me.

One last smirk as he looks into the camera.

Billy Danielson:
Either way, I’ll see you out there, Duke.

MENTV Championship Match

Ash Fi © VS Mystery Opponent

Ash Fi was already in the ring, waiting to find out who her opponent will be. Speculations had been running wild in the days leading up to On Thin Ice, the most disparate names have been brought up by the fans, from MWE alumni to people who have never even stepped foot in the company, but nobody even came close to guessing it. In the moments right before the beginning of the match, the rumor of Abby Blake immediately cashing in the opportunity she earned earlier tonight, as counterproductive as it may be. Inside the ring, Aislinn looked quite nervous. For a champion, it’s never easy to prepare for a match without knowing who the opponent will be, the possibilities are endless and so are the dangers. But nothing could have prepared her for the big surprise management had in store for the MENTV champion. “Radical Cut” by Arcturus blasted through the loudspeakers and while that theme song didn’t mean much to the twenty thousand fans filling the Ball Arena, she instantly recognized it. Everybody’s attention was on the entrance stage, but Ash immediately turned toward the commentary table. Her own father, the voice of Riot Sir Figgles, stood up from his chair and began to take off his clothes, revealing his old wrestling gear under it.
Figgins’ colleagues on commentary couldn’t believe it, Ash was livid, the fans were loving it. In that chaotic situation (nothing new when it comes to Jacob Figgins), the referee brought everyone together and started the match. The champion charged headfirst at her dad, literally. She knocked him down with a headbutt to the chest and climbed on his chest, raining down lefts and rights to his face. Figgins raised his arm to parry those blows while he tried to unsaddle his daughter and get away from that onslaught. He finally threw her down and made it to his feet, but she charged once again. This time he was ready and welcomed her with an European Uppercut, halting her on her tracks. He then dished out a few kicks to her torso, pushing her back against the ropes. He grabbed the wrist and launched her across the ring, catching Ash on the rebound with a leg lariat.
The Riot commentator had the noticeable size advantage which allowed him to pick up his daughter and slam her to the mat.. Aislinn responded right away, sending Jacob off the ropes, dropping him with a leg lariat of her own (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, right?), and had the beginning stages of the Cleddyf (double fujiwara armbar) locked in but Figgles managed to break out of it. He left the ring to recover and reorganize, but Ash wasn’t going to give him the opportunity, launching herself through the ropes and taking him down. The fight continued outside the ring, where the defending champion kept coming at her old man with hard kicks, showing a different, more aggressive side. The new attitude didn’t work too well for her, those fury driven attacks turned to be predictable for Jacob who eventually dropped her with a DDT on the floor. He pushed her back in the ring before the ref reached ten and attempted a cover, but Ash Fi kicked out in two.
Aislinn took Figgins off his feet with head scissors and started to light him up with a series of forearm strikes. There were definitely some unresolved issues between them, and this out-of-the-blue challenge only exacerbated them. The two men competitors stood in the center of the ring, Figgins invited his daughter to chop him, and she happily obliged. He took her shots and fired off a couple of his own, starting a back and forth he knew he was going to win. As Ash tried to catch her breath, he moved behind her and locked in a full nelson, setting her up for the Moonshine Delirium. The champ fought desperately, stomping his foot and throwing her head back, catching him on the nose and escaping the dangerous predicament. Figgles was checking for blood loss when his daughter hit him with the Warp Spasm, knocking him down for a count of two.
Aislinn was on fire, hitting Sir Figgles with a series of knee strikes followed by a shining wizard, but her old man was a tough cookie, refusing to stay down.They returned to trading strikes in the center of the ring with each of them getting their fair share of decent strikes in. For the first time, Ash won the exchange, ending her sequence with a push kick that sent Jacob into the ropes. She was ready to hit him as he bounced back, but he was the one getting the last word in, coming back with a rebound lariat that flattened the MENTV champion. Just like the good ole times, the fans could appreciate his knee drop with theatrics, although that move wasn’t as effective as it was fun to watch.
The match was drawing to a close, and so was Jacob’s vigor. Age and time away from the ring were taking their toll on the Other Voice Of Riot. Ash was taking full advantage of her Old Man’s poor form, scoring another near fall with the Madra Rua (running crossbody to a seated opponent). She looked at the clock, there were less than three minutes to go. She could’ve played with time, letting the clock run down and limiting to control the match, but the temptation to pin her father was too big to ignore. A choice she eventually would come to regret as Figgins dodged her superkick and caught her in a full Nelson. This time, he connected the Moonshine Delirium becoming, in a shocking fashion, the new MENTV champion.

WINNER: Sir Figgles (NEW MENTV CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Moonshine Delirium), 14:01

Jacob Figgins bursts into the backstage area, MENTV Championship clutched firmly in his left hand. Green eyes wide as he pants. Like a man who just pulled off a great heist and fled from justice. The riot color commentator snatched a microphone from a hapless staffer, probably about ready to interview someone else. Between gasps he barks into the mic.

Jacob Figgins:
I've tried, Aislin

He lowers the mic to catch his breath, at least seeming considerate enough to not breath into the device before he raised it back to his lips.

Jacob Figgins:
I've tried to make amends with your mother and she threw a freaking hatchet at me. For the last six years, ever since you first stepped between the ropes, I've tried to make amends with you. But you ignore me. You cast aside every attempt that I extend an olive branch. You don't even have the decency to slap the damn thing out of my hand. But you do take time to curse at me, and make snide remarks when I am far far away. I get it. I'm your father and I decided to disappear to do this wrestling thing instead. And it ate at you so much that you decided to follow right in my footsteps and find out what the big deal about this wrestling thing is. After one hundred and twenty seven years, the family curse continues. Getting sucked in to this wrestling thing.

Figgins raises the MENTV Championship up to the nearby camera.

Jacob Figgins:
But this wrestling thing makes things a whole lot simpler doesn't it? I have your attention now. One way or another, we are going to settle things. I took your toy away. It's about time I start being a parent. We'll talk. If you behave yourself you MIGHT get this back.

Figgins let's the title sway from his hand like a pendulum. Letting it glimmer untile we glance into the blackness…

Singles Match

Billy Danielson VS Duke Andrews

Things took quite a twist in the relationship between Duke and Billy. From the kind words and the mutual respect between them before the Five Year Anniversary show we quickly escalated through the past few weeks with attacks to family members and mind games of all sorts, all leading up between the inevitable Clash Of Titans many fans believe would belong to a higher position on the card. Despite that, or maybe in spite of that, Andrews and Danielson were about to give the fans a battle of epic proportions, something they would talk about for a long time. It all started with a fierce exchange in the middle of the ring, hard strikes flying back and forth as they kept each other at close distance, totally uncaring about protecting themselves. The referee, the same who officiated the match between Seth and Pierce at the last PPV, adopted a lax yardstick, closing an eye to some forbidden closed fists coming from both sides.
The former World champion came out on top from this first exchange, sending the opponent in the corner and squashing him with a stinger splash. The Epitome Of Perfection imposed his own rhythm to the contest, snapping The Franchise over with a series of German Suplexes but Billy continued to kick out. Duke stayed on the attack with another deadlift German Suplex but Danielson was once again able to kick out. And he looked pissed. Big right hand by Duke, blocked by Billy. Michigan’s Favorite Son tried with a left, but that too was blocked by Danielson who now had the opponent trapped at a very close distance. He grunted something the microphone couldn’t pick up (probably better this way since I doubt they were nice words) and stunned him with a big headbutt. He felt the impact between the skulls as well, but his opponent definitely had the worst of it, as he stumbled back visibly dazed. Billy then connected the first Chicago Blackout of the night, driving his knee on Andrews’ face and knocking him down.
Three Chicago Blackouts later, Billy found himself on the driver’s seat. Duke was in great difficulty, perhaps more than we have ever seen him before, especially after such a short time. Danielson scooped up the opponent and slammed him on the mat, jumping in the air and landing an elbow drop to the chest, only worth another near fall. Andrews was now in the corner, trying to protect himself from the opponent’s fierce strikes. But when Billy came charging in, the veteran took a step back and planted his elbow on the Chicago native’s face, interrupting the momentum. Duke’s comeback started with a series of uppercuts, pushing The Franchise all the way back to the opposite corner. Then the former World champion went for an Irish whip, launching the opponent in the corner with such force that Billy hit the turnbuckle chest-first and collapsed to the mat.
The Top Heel had regained control and almost put Danielson down with his patented Red White & Blue combo. He even attempted the Andrews Effect but it was way too early for that, and Billy escaped with a series of punches to the top of the skull. Jumping off the opponent’s shoulder, Danielson now found himself behind Duke’s back, perfectly positioned to put the man down with a backbreaker. Billy went for a stomp but The American Rebel blocked his foot and took the opponent down, putting him right into an ankle lock. He twisted the foot, holding the painful submission for five more seconds when Billy reached for the bottom rope, taking every moment he could to inflict more damage.
The fans were blessed with a very evenly matched contest where the two men seemingly took turns to dominate the opponent, until the other completely turned the tide with one single big move. In this case, it was Billy’s Imperium that ended Duke’s momentum and allowed Billy to retake control. But neither a buckle bomb nor the Thinning the Herd RKO got him the three count. Danielson started to wonder what he’d need to do to keep Duke down. He set him up for his patented inverted crucifix powerbomb called The Franchise, but Duke slipped away from his grasp. As Billy turned around, he was met by the former champion’s Crossroads (leghook reverse STO),
Two very similar moves, Duke’s Killshot and Billy’s Chicago Blackout found an extraordinary showcase in the final moments of the match, as the two competitors began to literally spam them in an attempt to finally overcome the opponent. Every knee strike that connected resulted in a near fall and an attempt by the opponent. Both Duke and Billy refused to be outdone by the other, turning the match into a battle of pride and will. Andrews’ nose was bleeding after the last explosive knee strike by The Franchise, but this didn’t stop the former World champion from going one more time, hitting Danielson with his trademark Killshot. Billy stumbled back, visibly dazed and seemingly out on his feet. The only reason why he didn’t fall to the mat was because he was too close to the ropes and bounced back toward his opponent. Instinct kicked in and Billy managed to deliver one last Chicago Blackout, knocking the opponent down before collapsing flat on his back. With the last bit of energy, he placed his hand on Duke’s chest just as Michigan’s Favorite Son did the same to him. Neither of them had enough left in their tank to kick out. This battle ended in a draw, but the war was far from over.

WINNER: Draw
BY: Double Pinfall (Chicago Blackout/Killshot), 26:47

We then head to the locker room real quick where you see a pensive, agitated Seth Iser with his arms crossed. There isn’t a poker face that’s often the mask that comes over it, he’s got an obvious scowl and leaning forward indicating some sort of aggression.

Seth Iser:
You do this now?

There’s bitterness etched in his voice. He does lean forward as if he’s hearing a question off the camera like he’s being asked something by someone else who doesn’t want to be near Iser considering the mood he could be in. This…only sets off the veteran a little more.

Seth Iser:
That’s rich…my brother, Vincent Moretti, is in the hospital after that main event last night and you want to ask me about my match first? Priorities much?

He sneers coldly at the camera man and even paces in place for just a moment. After a second, his annoyance comes through even more with a roll of the eye.

Seth Iser:
Let me just point blank it right now…I’ll be under control for the match. Old man like me has seen far too much. But Faith…you really think you’re the best at your young age? Have a little chip on your shoulder when you consider how your championship reign ended and an ability to mimic…that’s like your sister. The entitled attitude that’s…like your brother. And you aren’t a fool…you’ve won gold in a short amount of time obviously but…you’re nowhere near the best right now. No…

Seth just calmly shakes his head as he muses on that thought, it seems dissecting his opponent has actually…calmed his mood.

Seth Iser:
Other people get too frustrated when you pull that card but in your youth? Your footwork gets too sloppy when you do it for even the slightest little bit and you end up losing your base, your fundamentals…the thing that actually makes you a little more different then your sibling. Your grasp on the dirty basics is well beyond what it should be…when you fight YOUR fight…not trying to mimic for the sake of a cheap rise.

And then there’s almost a semblance of a smirk creeping onto his face.

Seth Iser:
You also lose your fundamentals when you go too into trying to hurt someone. Your base gets too wide and it’s even easier to throw you around than normal. But every match is a learning opportunity…the School of Tradition is a never ending course. It only ends when you retire. And since you aren’t your sibling…I’ll welcome the opportunity to teach you in the ring. Show you that you might think you’re good but…there’s always someone better.

And then there’s a little bit of that fire of old that also briefly showed itself early on but it’s a little more restrained then it was in Charleston…more under control.

Seth Iser:
Hell you might even have something I can learn…it applies a little both ways but if you really think you’re the best…and want to try your recent brand of tricks lately? You’ve already lost this match. I’m going to channel this feeling into raw energy…and use it to teach you the ultimate wrestling lesson, kid. Nothing personal.

And with that, Iser then walks off with a sneer etched on his face.

Singles Match

Faith Savell VS Seth Iser

The bell sounds as Faith and Seth circle up in the middle of the ring. They go to lock up with Seth using his size advantage to muscle Faith into the corner. Iser backs off with the officials count and then winks at Faith the two go to lock up again but Seth kicks at Faith’s knee, buckling her. Seth then grabs Faith, pulls her in and snap DDT’s her head to the canvas. He then locks her in a side headlock, working on her neck. After pulling back on her neck, Faith works back to her feet but before she can get back up again, Seth kicks her leg out from under her and then snapmares her. He then applies the headlock again, this time Faith kicks up, just grazing Seth's head, but enough to let go of the hold. Faith takes off, hitting the fall ropes, coming back and hitting a basement dropkick to Seth, taking him down. She then pulls him up and snap DDT’s the vet back to the canvas before locking in a head scissors.
Seth fights the hold, trying to get some breathing room as Faith works on his neck. Seth rolls her onto her back for a pin but Faith moves to break it at two but is quick enough to lock in an armbar on Seth. She pulls back on his arm, looking for a submission but Seth proves too strong as he lifts Faith in the air and powerbombs her back to the canvas. Savell is able to roll back to her feet and looks for a superkick but Seth is just able to smack her foot away. Iser grabs onto Faith and takes her over for a release German suplex but Savell lands on her feet and levels Seth with a shining wizard to the back of the head. She makes the quick cover but only gets a two count. Seth gets to his feet but Faith takes him down with a slingblade followed by a running shooting star press. She covers Seth again but he kicks out at two.
Faith grabs onto Seth and looks to go for the Lost Your Faith (Curb Stomp) but Seth rolls through and ends up hooking Faith in an ankle lock! What a move the savvy vet! It seems that these two have a counter for each other at every step! He torques and twists Faith’s ankle, trying to get her to submit. She pulls at her hair and fights to get free, kicking at Seth but he holds on tight. Faith finally reaches the ropes but more damage was done to her leg now. She uses the ropes to get to her feet but as soon as she does, Seth clothesline her up and over the top. Faith lands in a pile outside the ring, using the guardrail to help stand up while Seth hits the far ropes, comes back and suicide dives through the middle ropes and takes her and himself into the guardrail! Both are slowly moving as the official makes his count.
Seth is the first to his feet and he pulls up Faith, only to drive her back and ribs first into the side of the ring. He follows up with a vertical suplex on the outside before going into the ring to break the count. He heads back out, picks up Faith and drops her ribs first onto the guardrail. He backs off a few steps then charges in with a running knee to the side of Faith’s head, leaving her hanging on the rail almost lifeless. Seth drags her back to the ring and rolls her inside. He makes the cover but Faith kicks out at two, causing Seth to chuckle and shake his head. Seth pulls Faith to her feet and sends her into the far ropes, she bounds back and Seth lifts her up for a spinebuster but Faith holds on and reverses it into a guillotine! She locks her legs around Seth and pulls back on his head and neck. What a move from The Masterclass! Seth fights the hold but Faith has it locked in deep, yelling out with each pull on his neck! Seth starts to punch and hammer on Faith’s ribs as best as he can to break the submission but she hangs on tight. Finally Seth hits her just right and her grip starts to slip, he keeps hammering away until she lets go of the hold and both are down on the canvas in pain.
Both start to stir and slowly get to their feet when Faith makes a move, trying for The Chosen Kick (Buzzsaw Kick) but Seth is quick enough to reverse into a back body drop into a double knee backbreaker! Seth takes a moment to get to his feet, still feeling the effects of the guillotine choke, Faith staggers to her feet and Seth clips her with a big boot that rocks her to her knees, Faith goes down hard obviously exhausted and feeling the effects of the grueling match, but as the official goes for the count, she somehow kicks out just before three.. Seth pulls back and gets to his feet, shaking his head. He looks over at Savell who is rolling over onto her stomach and he calls for her to stay down, but Faith grabs the ropes and pulls herself to her feet. This time, Seth throws all mercy out the window determined to end the match, hitting Faith with Deprivation DDT(Jake Roberts styled DDT), the official makes the count but at the last second, Faith gets her foot on the ropes. Seth sits back on his knees and looks down at Faith, he starts whispering something to her, leaning in close he repeats whatever it was and Faith stares blankly at him, grabbing the ropes, she again pulls herself to her feet.
Whatever advice Seth just tried to give her, Faith wasn’t listening. Swaying and staggering, Faith turns to face the now standing Seth who again shakes his head, almost in disbelief that she won’t quit. Faith leans back and spits at the feet of Seth, screaming at him that he’s going to have to put her down to keep her down. Seth looks down at the spit and then back at Faith; something igniting in his eyes. Going first for a baseball slide to her injured knee, he easily topples Savell. He then locks her into his patented Sharpshooter, hooking her injured knee around his leg, he torques the hold and Faith screams in agony.
The official checks for her to tap, but she refuses and this brings another pull from Seth, her injured ribs being pulled and stretched as he applies pressure to the injured knee; she tries to fight and she does! Faith manages to grab the ropes! Seth was besides himself. He knew he had to do something big to take The Masterclass out, so he picks her up and tosses her out of the ring. The referee tells Seth to stop but he waves him off. He goes out of the ring and Seth starts to dismantle the Spanish announce table! What’s he planning on doing? The referees count gets to high so Seth rolls in and back out but what he doesn’t notice is Faith starting to stir. But the time he rolls back out? He’s met with The Chosen Kick (Buzzsaw Kick), which sends him straight into the ring post! He drops down to his hands and knees and BANG! Lost Your Faith (Curb Stomp!)
The young Savell is back in it. She catches her breath before she picks Iser up, barely able to, and she rolls him onto the table. Faith then slides into the ring. The referee is begging her to stop but she refuses. Faith leaps off and nails Savell Splash 2.0 (Inverted Phoenix Splash)!!! That move is her sister, Samara's move! Faith and Iser go crashing through the Spanish announce table with rubble flying everywhere. Both competitors look unconscious; with Seth taking three brutal moves in a row from Faith and with Faith taking a beating for the last half of the match from Seth? This one was over. The referee counted and it hit ten, effectively making this match a draw between the old sage that is Seth Iser and the one known as The Masterclass, Faith Savell. What a showing between the two.

WINNER: Draw
BY: Double Count Out, 20:14

We cut backstage to Julian Savell standing in front of the camera, his patented mask on over his face.

Julian Savell:
Tonight, I’ve order The Division to stand back as I fight Melissa Reeves. I don’t need any help to beat a sorry sack of shit like her.

He cackled.

Julian Savell:
Let’s be honest, she’s washed. What has she done lately? The only good thing she ever did in her career was shutting up Balfour but besides that? What? Just bitch and moan about how things are unfair.

He shook his head.

Julian Savell:
That’s life, baby. A lot of shit is unfair. You need to learn how to take it on the chin. Well, I guess you stopped enjoying taking things on the chin, considering you turned into a full blown lesbian, let’s be honest.

He let out a laugh.

Julian Savell:
Listen here, Melissa. I could end you whenever I feel like it. I have that power. Power that you’ve ever been able to dream up. But even with that power? I’ll handicap myself tonight and I’ll give you a quote unquote fair fight. And yet, you’ll still fail. Because you’re a failure. You can’t win this war. Nobody can.

He took off his mask and laughed before the scene cut away.

Singles Match

Julian Savell VS Melissa Reeves

The match starts slow when both competitors engage in a drawn out staredown in the middle of the ring, neither competitor being willing to flinch or break eye contact first. It’s clear that these two outright hate each other. After several tense moments pass with the crowd cheering Melissa on, they continue to circle one another slowly then, each taking chances with quick feints and attempts at drop downs and single legs, neither one connecting or catching the other in anything.
Eventually the two former world champions recognize the stalemate and stand with their hands on their hips until Savell extends one arm up in the air, wriggling his fingers and requesting a test of strength from Melissa Reeves. Reeves is hesitant at first, but she takes the challenge anyway, as she’s one who has never been known to back down. She nods in agreement and laces her fingers between Julian’s, then repeats the process with her opposite arm. The two then lunge toward each other, gritting their teeth and straining against each other’s efforts. Julian gains a slight upper hand due to his weight advantage, pressing Reeves down nearly to one knee before the former MWE Champion finds a second effort within her and raises back up. Reeves then manages to bend the knee of Savell momentarily before the creator of THe Division finds a burst of his own to stand and break the two of them apart. The two circle again as they jaw back and forth. Reeves then charges in but Savell rolls out of the ring, much to the dismay of the crowd. Melissa yells some expletives at him and Julian shrugs.
Melissa then gets out of the ring and Julian, of course, slides back in. When Melissa gets back in? She is taken down with a superkick! Julian then drops and starts to beat her down. He then picks her up and goes for a suplex but Reeves counters and lands behind Savell. When Julian turns, he’s met by a forearm straight to the face! He’s in a daze as Mel hits the ropes. She comes back but Julian dodges what she’s trying to do and he hits the ropes himself.They criss cross one another once, then twice, before meeting in the middle of the ring with a huge clothesline connection that rocks both competitors that knocks them both down. But it doesn’t take long for either to get up quickly! Neither of these two want to get the other an inch. Without hesitation, the two veterans repeat the process with each one taking a turn dropping down to the mat and allowing the other to step over them as they rush across the ring. They finally meet in the middle once more and this time they both have the same idea and catch each other with a double clothesline! Both are sent to the canvas hard once more and the official starts a ten count as they try to regain their composure.
Melissa and Julian both get back to their feet simultaneously and once again begin to jockey for better positioning in a series of grips and reversals. Julian slides a collar and elbow into a side headlock, which Reeves easily slides into a hammerlock. Juliane throws a back elbow which Melissa ducks, but when Reeves attempts to take advantage with a belly to belly Julian blocks with her leg and executes a standing switch, grabbing Reeves in a waist lock and lifting her from the mat, dropping her onto her front and floating over into a front face lock. Melissa Reeves powers up, getting both of them back to their feet, and frees herself with an arm wringer on Julian, who slaps his shoulder to keep the blood flowing as Reeves applies a wrist lock and puts on the pressure. Reeves buries her elbow into the triceps of Julian, forcing him down to a knee, but Julian takes advantage with a sneaky ankle pick, tripping Reeves onto her back. Julian grabs Reeves by both ankles and flips forward, executing a jackknife pin that only gets a one count before Reeves bridges up. With the two back to back, Reeves hooks her arms around Julian’s and kneels, dragging Julian forward onto his shoulders. Another one count and Julian kicks out, rolling backwards and then diving over Reeves and cradling her into a pin of his own, which again is kicked out of right after the one.
This is going wild as a technical affair as the two are showing off the skill that they both have gathered over their years of competition and training. The two veterans get back to their feet after the technical display and Julian Savell attempts a hip toss but Melissa Reeves blocks it and reverses into a deep arm drag that sends Julian skidding into a corner. Savell gets to his feet just as Reeves charges in with a running Stinger splash, which Julian avoids at the last second. Reeves sags against the buckles as her wind is knocked out of her and Julian takes full advantage by snapping a knife edge chop across her chest. Reeves clutches her reddening sternum as the crowd WOOs in appreciation, before Julian takes a step back and starts sending a series of hard left and right kicks into the torso of Melissa Reeves! Reeves slumps down, but when Julian backs up for a final kick Melissa explodes from the corner with a lariat that nearly decapitates Savell! Both fighters are down again and it takes them until the count of nine to fully get back to a vertical base. Savell sends a hard right across the jaw of Reeves who answers in kind. They exchange stiff punches in the middle of the ring as the crowd roars them on, and finally Julian catches Reeves off guard with a kick to the midsection. Julian hooks Reeves up and sends her flying over head with a Northern Lights suplex. Reeves bounces up but is immediately caught in a T-Bone suplex for her trouble, and Savell has full control. Savell lifts Reeves in a reverse atomic drop but instead of slamming her down she sets Melissa up on the top turnbuckle, following her up the ropes and preparing for his Savell Splash possibly?
Reeves has it scouted and starts throwing strong back elbows, catching Savell off balance with one that catches him right on the point of the chin. Reeves turns herself around and grabs Savell by the back of the head... then leaps off the top and nails a brutal super hurricanrana! Keeping up with the technical masterpiece that this match has been, Melissa locks in Iron Lock (heel hook)!!! And Julian immediately taps out to the delight of the crowd! Melissa Reeves has done it! She beat Julian Savell, the mastermind behind The Division!!! Julian quickly slides out of the ring and he’s… grinning? What’s that about? Meanwhile, Melissa has her hand raised in the air by the referee as the fans cheer on the fan favorite!

WINNER: Melissa Reeves
BY: Submission (Iron Lock), 17:08

The scene cuts to the locker rooms where Academy student Reign Reyes is getting ready for her historic main card debut. Reign is surrounded by the usual suspects; her boyfriend Sammy, her best friend Ava, and that guy CJ who’s always just sort of around. The group is upbeat, laughing and trying to keep it light as Reign prepares for the biggest match of her career. There’s a knock at the door and the temperature of the room changes as soon as Reign’s mother Joey walks in.

Even though she’s smiling Joey brings a more serious air to the room. Her dyed blonde hair cuts a stark contrast to her honey colored complexion but it’s her dark eyes that tell the real story. Even as she’s greeting the rest of the students with hugs and pleasantries, those eyes are trained on her daughter the entire time.

Joey Reyes:
It’s great seeing you all but would you mind giving Reign and I the room?

They do as requested, wishing Reign luck as Sammy leans in and gives her an awkward kiss on the cheek since her mother is standing right there. Even Joey cracks a smile at that but it’s short-lived, as soon as the door closes behind them her business-like demeanor returns.

Reign Reyes:
I know what you’re gonna say.

Joey smirks a bit, seemingly amused.

Joey Reyes:
Do you?

Reign Reyes:
Yup, and I promise not to make the same mistakes as last time. This time I’ll do things your way and not grandpa’s.

Joey exhales.

Joey Reyes:
First thing’s first…

She reaches down to hold her daughter’s chin in her hand.

Joey Reyes:
I’m proud of you, Mija. You're growing as a wrestler by leaps and bounds. Better than I ever could’ve imagined you would here. All our training back home, it gave you what you needed to survive in this business but the Academy? The Academy is allowing you to find your identity. So don’t do things my way and don’t do things your grandfather’s way. Do them your way, Reign.

Joey releases her daughter’s chin and Reign’s jaw drops, remaining open.

Joey Reyes:
You’re in a difficult spot. You could easily become lost in the moment. But as much as you want to believe it is, you need to realize this match isn’t about you. This is not your moment. For you and the Tyrell girl, you’re just running it back on a bigger stage. For Trinity and Nine, it’s personal.

Reign goes to respond but Joey continues.

Joey Reyes:
I’m not minimizing the opportunity you have here. Make no mistake, you have a VERY important role to play. In fact, you could be the wildcard that changes the outcome of this match if you allow yourself to be. You and Trinity, you had a fun week together at the Academy but you don’t know each other well. You’re not going to function as a cohesive unit. Your opponents? They’re of one mind, in lock step with each other. If you think about it, a cult is like the military. There are ranks and orders to be followed, everything needs to function like a well oiled machine. They have plans and end games and more often than not, it’s all meticulously thought out. Do you know how to thwart a well oiled machine?

Reign shakes her head.

Joey Reyes:
Chaos, Reign. Be the chaos. Don’t do what they expect you to do. Don’t even think. Just trust yourself and let go. You see a risk, you take it. You glimpse an opportunity, grab it. Don’t stop, don’t stand still and don’t give them a second to catch their breath. You want to do right by Trinity? Take Tyrell out. I don’t care how you have to do it; put her through a table, tie her to the guardrail with an audio cable… whatever. Take her out of the match even if you have to take yourself out in the process. Because neither of you are supposed to be here. Trinity wants Nine, it’s your job to make sure she gets the chance.

Joey raises an admonishing finger.

Joey Reyes:
But your job doesn’t end there. Once you take Tyrell out the odds will be stacked in your favor… and those cultists won't stand for that. So you, my beautiful girl, are going to stand back up, you’re going to grab yourself a chair and you’re going to buy Trinity time. You swing as hard as you can. You crack those golden masks open and show the world the faces that hide beneath. They don’t fear you Reign, but they will after tonight. Eventually they’ll overwhelm you, it’s not about winning, it’s about taking out as many of them as you can along the way. It’s about going out on your shield. You fight as hard as you can for as long as you can and when you can’t fight any longer, the lights will go out and you can finally rest. Getting your clock cleaned isn’t the best way to end a night but it comes with the job. Hopefully you’ll have bought Trinity enough time to do what she needs to do and you’ll have shown the world that Reign Reyes is not to be trifled with.

Reign just stares into her mother’s eyes, not blinking. Joey smiles in return and leans down, kissing Reign on the forehead.

Joey Reyes:
That’s my girl. I knew you’d understand. Now you go be the chaos… and I’ll see you at the hospital when it’s over.

Joey heads for the door but Reign calls out after her.

Reign Reyes:
Mom?

Joey Reyes:
Yes, Reign?

Reign Reyes:
Make sure they have the good Jello.

Tag Team Match

Nine van der Hoek & Saoirse Tyrell VS Trinity Thompson & Reign Reyes

Trinity Thompson’s return to MWE was met with a huge pop. “Welcome Home!” chants accompanied the XIX World champion as she walked out of the curtain, rejoining with her tag partner who wisely decided to wait for Trinity there rather than heading to the ring, not wanting to give the opponents the chance to take an early advantage in this historic match. For the first time two Academy students were competing on the main card of a Pay-per-View. A reason of pride for both Saoirse and Reign, a testimony of the esteem and faith Gianluigi Vaccaro and the Academy staff have in their talent but, at the same time, a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Both seemed to handle it quite well, looking focused and determined as they stared at each other across the ring. While the two students were doing a good job hiding their emotions, the same could not be said for Trinity. Nine must have been glad that look couldn’t kill, or she would be lying flat on her back already. She still found herself in that position as Trinity grabbed her by the hair and yanked her on the floor while the Frisian Demon was heading toward her corner, before the bell even rang. Saoirse immediately went to rescue her leader but Reyes acted quickly and intercepted her with a running single leg dropkick to the side of the head. Remembering her mother’s words, Reyes headed out of the ring dragging Tyrell with her, leaving the stage to her partner and her rival.
Trinity had shown, from time to time, a very aggressive side during her tenure in the Academy, especially when things got personal. And it couldn’t get any more personal than this. Nine had been a thorn on her side for months, from the injury to harassing her friends, from abducting her and holding her captive for weeks to give away her sister’s contract to Faizah Marshall, from severely injuring Alessio van Duren at 5ive to target once again Trinity’s girlfriend, Tiana Petrova-Hammond. Thompson had a lot of recipes to present and make Nine pay for, but she needed to be careful not to cross the line and get herself disqualified, as the referee reminded her when she tried to choke the New Problem by pressing her boot against her neck in the corner.
Nine wasn’t expecting this ruthless aggression from the XIX World champion. For a few long minutes, the Dutchwoman was at the complete mercy of her opponent, who was showing none. Forget the flips and the aerial strikes, Trinity tonight was taking no chances and no prisoners tonight, relying on simple, but so far very effective, kicks and stomps to punish the Leader. Nine eventually blocked her leg and took her down with a dragon screw leg whip, immediately trying to reach the corner to tag Saoirse in but getting blocked mere inches away by the returning Thompson who tackled her to the mat and began to drop elbow strikes to the back of her head. Saoirse decided to take the matters in her hands and entered the ring, kicking Thompson in the face to rescue her Leader. Reign jumped inside the ring as well but found the referee standing in her way. The official’s intentions were noble, all he tried to do was to prevent things from getting out of hand but, by stopping reyes, he allowed Tyrell and van der Hoek to double team Trinity with vicious stomps to the chest and head.
While Nine was recovering in her corner, Tyrell officially made her debut on the big stage. The heavily inked young woman showed an exceptional technique, keeping Thompson grounded with a long series of holds. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who followed The Academy where Saoirse quickly imposed herself as the top talent, winning the Gold Star on the third shows and defeating any challenge that was put on her way. The Irish born always seemed more “ready” than her fellow students, and the way she had been limiting Trinity tonight seemed to confirm that. The long chain of submissions she put Thompson in may have given rise to some grumbles of frustration and tedium from a portion of the fans who favored a quicker pace, but it was undoubtedly effective. But the Nap Town Girl fought through it, withstanding the pain and forcing herself to stand up, breaking out of the hold with a couple of elbows to the stomach and a foot stomp. She found herself on the wrong side of town, closer to Nine’s corner than she was to Reyes’. Trinity decided to sprint toward the ropes and run through the opponent to reach her partner, but as soon as she bounced off the ropes she fell on the mat, courtesy of a kick to the lower back from Nine.
Reign was dying to get in the ring, pacing restlessly the apron while encouraging her partner, still stuck in the opponents’ corner. Nine and Saoirse worked well together, the Gold Star followed the orders of her leader as they painstakingly picked the XIX World champion apart. A desperate dive from Reyes avoided defeat for her team when Nine dropped her down with the Seventh Dream somersault cutter, but it didn’t change much for Trinity, still in desperate need to catch a break. Saoirse was now holding the XIX World champion up as Nine whispered something in Trinity’s ear. With a sadistic grin on her face, the Frisian Demon removed the colored sleeve covering Thompson’s right arm, exposing the Mark Of Nine she carved into her skin back in March last year, showing it to the camera to add insult to injury. This triggered a fierce reaction from the Academy graduate who kicked Nine in the stomach, freeing her arm and swinging it backward, connecting with an elbow to Saoirse’s neck. The tattooed Irish lost her grasp on the Annapolis native, who now unleashed hell on van der Hoek, hitting her with an impressive flurry of furious strikes. Nine was down, the path toward Reign was clear but Trinity wasn’t taking any chance, blasting Saoirse with a Pele Kick before finally making the tag to Reyes.
The crowd erupted in cheers as the third generation wrestler finally entered the match. Spending so much time on the outside was not how she imagined her debut, and you can bet it had to be frustrating to watch her partner and friend getting beaten up without being able to help her. But on the bright side, now she was by far the freshest person in the match, with plenty of energy to burn. Nine was the first to feel her wrath, getting pounded by a swift kicking combination that forced her down to one knee. Reign then delivered a brutal kick to the top of the skull, knocking down the Leader for a long count of two.
If Saoirse was the most talented and prepared among the students, Reign had to be a close second. She held her own against an established wrestler like Nine, showing impressive speed and skills as well as a cheeky side that allowed her to keep control with illegal moves whenever the referee was distracted. But eventually the experience factor tipped the scale in Nine’s favor, as The Leader surprised her with a leaping knee that connected right under the chin, stunning Reign long enough to allow her to tag out.
The rivalry that heated this first part of The Academy season continued on the big stage and, contrary to what Reign’s mother Joey predicted, it seemed destined to become the deciding battle in this match. Both students were strongly motivated: Saoirse didn’t want to disappoint her Leader and cost her the match while Reyes saw in this the opportunity to prove everybody, herself included, that she was better than Tyrell. With so many eyes on this match, should Reign be able to get the pin on Saoirse, nobody would be able to deny her another shot at the Gold Star, and while that may not be her priority tonight, it definitely helped give her some extra motivation. A backbreaker/neckbreaker combination got her pretty close to success, but Saoirse raised her shoulder in time.
Just like what happened in their previous encounters, Saoirse eventually found a way to ground Reyes, locking her in a triangle choke. Reign was gasping for air, looking to find an opening in the opponent’s tight submission but the Irish born applied it perfectly, leaving no room for her to maneuver. Her best chance was to try to shift her position and force Saoirse’s shoulders on the mat, turning this into a pinning predicament. Tyrell had to let her go in order to kick out from it, but she was quick to wrap her arms around Reyes’ arm, transitioning into an armbar, right in the middle of the ring. She began to drag herself toward the ropes, but before she could reach them with her foot, Tyrell rolled through and pulled her away from them, back in the middle of the ring. At that point Trinity entered the ring, kicking Saoirse’s head and forcing her to release the hold. The referee tried to push her back into her corner but she wiggled out of his guard and dove through the ropes, spearing Nine down on the floor below.
Thompson glanced at Reign back in the ring, nodding and telling her friend to “Get her ass” before starting to rain down punches on Nine’s face. A couple of cultists popped up in the crowd, distracting Trinity and allowing the Frisian Demon to take back control. The two rivals fought on the outside, leaving the spotlights to the two Academy students. Reign’s arm seemed to be in a bad shape and Saoirse kept targeting it with kicks, trying to find another opening for the armbreaker. Nine slammed Trinity’s head against the steel post, but some commotion coming from behind her back caused her to turn and take her eyes off the prize. Echo was single-handedly taking on the two cultists, brawling through the crowd. Thompson took the chance to hit Nine on the kneecap and connect the Nap Kick right to the Leader’s face. Her eyes met Echo’s for a brief moment, then she looked back in the ring where Reign was defending herself from Saoirse’s attacks. Finally, she looked behind her back, noticing the steel steps that lead to the ring. Something clicked in her mind, her glance turned icy cold as she moved the steps away from their original position, setting them up right in front of the commentary table. She then went to pick up her opponent and put her head between her legs, climbing the two steps and piledriving Nine on top of them. A moment of silence followed the deaf thud, all eyes moved on the motionless body of the Cult Leader, lying on the floor. Trinity remained seated on the steps, the same blank expression in her eyes, like if she was in a trance. Echo looked back at Thompson, smirked and disappeared through the fans. Saoirse showed the first sign of humanity, looking concerned for the well being of her mentor and instinctively trying to reach her. But Reyes grabbed her arm and spun her around before planting her with a cradle DDT for the three count. The bell rang, finally bringing Trinity back to earth. She entered the ring and pulled an appalled and slightly shocked Reign in a tight hug, “It’s over.” Trinity whispered, reassuring her partner and, perhaps, herself as well. Paramedics rushed to the ring to help Nine who hadn’t moved since that brutal piledriver. But before they could reach the Leader of the Band Of Nine, the lights went off. And by the time they came back, Nine, Saoirse and all the cultists had disappeared.

WINNER: Reign Reyes & Trinity Thompson
BY: Pinfall (Cradle DDT), 19:59

Andrew's in the back as he prepares for his Riot championship match against the longest reigning Riot champion in history. It was a big match for Andrew as he made waves by shockingly destroying the riot champion on his first night on Riot. It was a message that saw him walk right into the #1 contenders spot and poised to dethrone the man currently holding the belt. Now he was looking to take it from him.

Andrew Raynes:
Fate is not on your side, Mr Sutter.

You've so boldly claimed that I was never in control, yet it was me that antagonized you to the point where you felt forced to step in and do something about it. Except that had you in the same place as Luna, on the ground. You claim I was never in control and yet I seemed to simply lay you out and hold the belt overy head and there I was set to face you for the title tonight.

I don't need to be in control, Mr Sutter, nor do I rely on "fate". Everything happens for a reason and the path I walk has brought me to the road that will see me continue walking as the new Riot Champion.

Andrew seemed poised to deliver, his confidence was high and the fact that he was allowed to rest until On Thin Ice so cemented that he was well positioned to win tonight. Maybe it was something that Mr Sutter didn't understand, someone who was a slave to fate and the belief that he was the one in control gave Andrew a nice advantage.

Andrew Raynes:
When I was brought onto the Riot brand, it was my mission to come after the biggest snake on the brand and cut its head off clean, it wasn't a coincidence that you were assigned to keep watch over Luna knowing full well who she would be dealing with. It was easy enough to garner your attention simply by attacking her before things even began. You couldn't help yourself by trying to get involved but you realized how quickly that changed for you. In mere minutes I had sent a message not only to you but to the entire locker room that I was going to come after the biggest fish and put them down. It's why I focused on you and the Riot championship and left the kids to their trinkets because it would have been too easy for me.

I wanted the challenge, Mr Sutter, I wanted the man who carried that belt the longest and simply came in and chopped them down. I'm one of few people that is capable of walking to the beat of my own drum and doing as I see fit. I have the pedigree and accolades that allow that to happen. It's never been fate or control. I've never concerned myself with destiny or anything else. I've become comfortable in simply taking the next step and allowing everything to fall as they do. Win or lose hasn't meant anything to me in a long time because I have seen time and time again how people will do what they must to take it away from me and rather than throwing fits and tantrums, I move on, realizing that little children who can't accept the truth need to take from others to satisfy their own insecurities.

I have the ability to ruffle feathers and cause distress in a way that no one else can. My mere presence alone causes distress and forces people on their heels because of the aura I possess. It was an aura I built on hate and anger and now I have channeled into he will of doing whatever the fuck I want and not caring about the consequences or the moments where someone gets the better of me. I am someone who has accepted that my actions will always cause people to react and there will be moments where I end up getting someone done to me.

I have had titles, matches and others stolen from me because my actions caused them to act in a way that undercut me.

Like when I become Riot Champion.

Andrew smirks, he knows that after he becomes Riot champion, it will set off a chain of events that will infuriate others while he doesn't give a damn about the concerns of others. He's never cared and jumping the line or waiting his turn because Andrew goes for what he wants.

Andrew Raynes:
You may believe that fate wills you to successfully defend your championship but even you should be smart enough to understand that fate also works against you.

What will fate tell you when you get upended in a way you never saw coming? What happens to fate when you get punched in the mouth and shock hits you like a tsunami? Are you prepared to deal with that, Mr Sutter? Are you prepared for the former king of Chicago to walk back into his element and unleash a wave of pain you weren't prepared for?

What will happen when you no longer have true meaning as riot champion? Are you content with simply simping as a hired gun? Taking money to protect others simply because you're truly no matter than an adept bodyguard? That's something that truly separates us, Mr Sutter, you're motivated by money to Inflict pain and destruction. I simply do it because I can and I will. I don't need any external motivation factors to be a symphony of destruction. I simply get to enjoy the fact that I can unleash pain and punishment and not worry about winning or losing.

Will you say the same when you get backed into a corner? Will you say the same when your title reign is in jeopardy? I've broken many individuals who believed they were in control until they no longer were. If you don't, then the shock will overwhelm you and I will finish the job and become champion. Maybe you have a plan in mind and hope it will be enough, I am the toughest out in wrestling because it takes a village to destroy me. I've been put through a flaming table, I've been dropped on thousands of tacks because of how dangerous I am. You need more than just your talent to beat me, Mr Sutter, your talent alone won't be enough to stop me in my tracks.

You better be prepared, or you will fail.

We cut back to the dark, dank, boiler room area of the Ball Center. In the darkness we spot the silhouette of an imposing, monstrous figure. As the camera gets closer it becomes clear that this is the reigning MWE Riot Champion Clyde Sutter. The Assassin is dressed in his all black ring attire and a black trenchcoat. He has his MWE Riot Championship title belt wrapped around his waist.

Clyde Sutter:
Fate has a funny sense of humor, Mr. Raynes. I find it quite appropriate that your opportunity at my Riot Championship happens to fall on a night known as…On Thin Ice…because after all, whenever you choose to fight fate, you are always treading on thin ice. And that is what you have made a career of, isn’t it Mr. Raynes? You have made a career out of fighting fate. To your credit you have never utilized the cowardly delay tactics that most I have run across in the past choose to utilize. You face fate head on, consequences be damned. I respect that about you, Mr. Raynes, and that is why I approve of this match tonight against you.

The Assassin shakes his head.

Clyde Sutter:
The problem for you is that you have been lucky. You have been lucky to walk away from your previous battles with fate. Each and every time you have battled with fate you were defeated but at least you were able to walk away under your own power. You were lucky. But your luck is running out, Mr. Raynes. Tonight fate has deemed that our encounter over MY Riot Championship will be no disqualifications…

Sutter chuckles softly.

Clyde Sutter:
…I find that to be another touch of humor from fate. There are no rules when fate is involved. So it is appropriate that our encounter should have no rules. No rules, no excuses, just the way I like it. Just the way FATE has deemed it.

The Riot Champion points at the camera.

Clyde Sutter:
FATE has deemed that your time is up, Mr. Raynes! You must dance with The Assassin, the longest reigning and most dominant Riot Champion in this company’s history!

He pats the title belt that is wrapped around his waist.

Clyde Sutter:
I have held this for 203 days. Yet you believe that you are the one capable of taking it from me? Look deep into your soul, Mr. Raynes, and ask yourself if you are prepared to walk through hell itself and do battle with fate in order to wrestle this from me! Because that is what you must do tonight in order to survive. Time is up. Your luck has run out. Fate…is waiting.

Riot Championship Match
No DQ

Clyde Sutter has been ruling over the Orange brand since June taking out anyone who dared stepping up to him, often in an impressive and dominant way. The former Chicago Way champion Andrew Raynes proved in the past few weeks to have what it takes to take on the Assassin, matching him in strength and ruthlessness. The two stared in each other’s eyes, waiting for the bell to ring to kick off the match with a test of strength, quickly leading to a stalemate broken by Raynes with a knee to the stomach. The Canadian went for an Irish Whip, reversed by Sutter who then caught him with a big spinebuster as he bounced back from the ropes. Clyde immediately applied a front facelock on the mat, driving a couple of knees to the opponent’s head to keep him down as he tried to stand up. After wearing him out for a few long seconds, the Riot champion went for a snap suplex, scoring the first near fall with a light cover that had more of psychological value, giving Clyde an early advantage.
As the two stood up, in fact, Clyde taunted the opponent, showing him with his index and thumb how close he was to lose. In response, Andrew slapped him across the face twice before hitting him with a volley of strikes, forcing him back against the ropes. You have to believe Sutter didn’t take too kindly the bitch-slap, already planning a swift revenge. When Raynes charged in to knock him over with a clothesline, he raised his boot and kicked him on the face, momentarily stopping his attack. A second later Raynes did the same thing, but this time The Assassin sent him flying over the top rope and crashing on the floor outside.
Of all the crazy things stored under a wrestling ring, Sutter opted for a table he pushed in the ring. Ignoring the opponent, a risky move that allowed Raynes to regroup and recover, Clyde then entered the ring and set up his next move, laying the table diagonally against the corner. Unseen by the champ, Raynes grabbed a chain he found under the ring and wrapped it around his fist, hiding it with his other arm as he kept it pressed against his ribs, faking an injury. The unaware Riot champion “helped” him back in the ring, dragging him up to his feet by his long hair. That was when the Toughest Out struck, connecting the loaded fist to the side of Clyde’s head. The North Bay native dropped the chain and pushed the opponent on the table, putting him through it with his Code Of The Sith. Raynes made the cover over the debris of the table, but Sutter kicked out in two and half.
The match once again spilled on the outside. Clyde still hadn’t fully recovered from the running single leg high knee through the table, but Andrew wasn’t giving him time to recover, following him out of the ring and pushing him head first into the post. Raynes wanted to follow with some chops but the champ crouched down and caused his hand to smash against the cold steel. Wasting no time, Sutter applied a sleeper hold to the former Chicago Way champion who, in order to escape the submission, ran back into the barricade. Quickly turning around, the challenger sent the champion into the front row with a clothesline.
Determined to up the ante, Raynes began to gather as many chairs as he could find and tossed them in the ring. Ignoring the opponent, and giving him time to recover, the former Chicago Way champion walked back inside the ring. He grabbed one of the chairs and wielded it, waiting for the opponent to come join him in. The Assassin had barely made it back inside the ring when Raynes came at him, swinging the chair to his head. Clyde blocked the blow and ripped the chair away from his hands, driving it into Andrew’s stomach and doubling him over. A wicked slam across the back flattened the challenger, leaving him lying on the mat helpless against the oncoming series of shots pouring down onto him. Not even a dozen chair shots to the back were enough to keep Raynes down.
Sutter looked at the pile of chairs his opponent had stacked up and shook his head. He then left the ting and retrieved another table, unfolding it right over the chairs. He then pulled his opponent up to his feet and shoved him into the corner where he delivered some knife edge chops to his head before sitting him on the turnbuckle. Sutter climbed and prepared himself to drive Andrew though the table with a superplex but the Toughest Out fought back, blocking the attempt. They battled for supremacy, trading headbutts on the top rope in a very precarious equilibrium.The challenger came out on top from this exchange and immediately sacrificed his own body in an attempt to put the opponent down with a rock bottom from the top, through the table and onto the pile of chairs. A “Holy shit” chant burst out from the capacity crowd as they looked at the two competitors, neither of whom was moving. Finally Raynes managed to stretch out his arm and rest it on Sutter’s chest. The referee began to count, and neither he could believe it when the champion kicked out at the very last moment.
Speaking of very close calls, Raynes got one as well when Clyde grabbed an empty trash can and put it on his head, trapping him inside and delivering his patented Unforgiven (claymore kick). Both men looked exhausted, having thrown everything at each other in a battle the fans will remember for a long time. The ring looked like a warzone, broken tables, wrecked chairs and all sort of foreign objects scattered on the mat, including the Riot championship Raynes grabbed and unsuccessfully tried to bash the champion with. The most coveted prize on the Orange brand was now lying in the middle of the ring. Andrew looked at it and saw a bullseye for him to drop Sutter onto with the Shattered Glass (leaping reverse STO), ending the reign of the Assassin after six months.

WINNER: Andrew Raynes (NEW RIOT CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Shattered Glass), 17:44

Back near the ready area we find The Man of a Thousand Nicknames, the Rasputin looking Leviticus standing by in his flashy purple and orange suit. Even through that thick ass beard you can tell he is smirking confidently. The Maharajah of Marketing is confident in his client’s chances of leaving the Ball Arena as the new MWE World Tag Team Champions.

Leviticus:
Ladies and gentlemen, it is I…The Emperor of Entrepreneurship…Levi Timothy Craig, better known to you as Leviticus! I know my introduction was a little shorter than usual, I didn’t get all of my nicknames in, but I was threatened with a fine if this piece ran long because of my nicknames…EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT, DAMN YOU!

He runs his hands through his thick black hair.

Leviticus:
Now then, down to business. I represent Summer Collins and Jessica Lasiewicz, the duo known to you as Fabulous. I do it because Summer pays me a ton of money and because Jessica and her family scare the ever living shit outta me. They are my clients and I always look out for their best interest. I helped them get back into the tag team championship contention. I helped negotiate their way back into their rightful spot as number one contenders to the MWE World Tag Team Championship. Sure, there were a couple of teams who got to fight the twinsies first, but that’s fine. Captain Capitalism had already got them a guaranteed shot and they could afford to wait until the right time. And that right time is now.

He shakes his head.

Leviticus:
But the circumstances still did not set well with me. After all, if you look at the past of Bad & Boujee you will see a past littered with cowardly cheating. Now I read what the little idiots had to say on social media. The Titan of Twitter, The Sultan of Social Media, I always keep tabs on that shit. So I saw how they said their whole “twin magic” switcharoo pulling was just because they enjoy it, its fun. It may be fun, it may be enjoyable, but it is also ILLEGAL which makes it cheating therefore I am RIGHT and you two are a pair of CHEATERS who are undeserving of the rank and title of champion! But have no fear MWE, my clients are here to save your asses from a pair of unworthy, undeserving wastes of space.

The Francsican Friar of Flash steps back. Then Summer Collins and “The Archangel” Jessica Lasiewicz enters into the scene. They are dressed in their ring gear and stand just in front of The Master Media Mogul.

Summer Collins:
Thank you, Levi. Now then, champs…and I use that term loosely since you do not carry yourselves as champions…lets look at the facts. You hold ONE tag team victory over us, and you had to use the ILLEGAL switcheroo to do it. You hold ONE singles victory over me, and again you had to use the ILLEGAL switcheroo to do it.

Collins motions to her tag team partner.

Summer Collins:
But when one of you dimwits fought Jess here, and everything was on the up and up, guess what happened? She kicked your ass and beat your ass just like I knew that she would. The logical conclusion is simple; in a fair fight Bad & Boujee CANNOT defeat Fabulous.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
That’s why we signed off on Levi’s plan to pitch a Tornado Rules to Elsa and Moretti. If you’re not gonna follow the rules then why bother having any rules to start with? It’s what my half-sister Kimberly likes to say and you know what? It makes perfect sense. In order to keep things on the up and up let’s just throw all the rules out the window; make it Tornado Rules. It will be fair. And like Summer said, in a fair fight you cannot beat us.

Summer Collins:
Cheating would then be legal and trust us, ladies, you cannot OUTCHEAT us. Between Jess and I, we are the dirtiest wrestlers in this business. We know every dirty trick in the book; hell, my family wrote most of the chapters of that damn book. So tonight we are throwing the rulebook out the window. We will stoop to whatever lows necessary in order to take those tag titles away from you.

The Archangel then shuts her eyes. She begins speaking again but in Polish, which indicates her rage and just how violent she is willing to go. She only speaks Polish when she goes to her dark side.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
To, co się dziś stanie, to twoja wina. Kiedy przelewamy twoją krew, łamiemy ci kości i łamiemy cię jak gałązki, to twoja wina. Sprawiłeś, że to się stało. Dobranoc.

MWE Tag Team Championship Match
Tornado Rules

Alyiah and Annica already made history by becoming the longest reigning tag team in the company history, surpassing K2O and APE. Fabulous were looking to MAKE history and become MWE Tag Team champions for a second time. The stakes were high and so was the tension between the two teams, as emerged from the interactions on Social Media. Tension that stemmed from their previous encounters and led Fabulous’ Extraordinary Manager Leviticus to make some demands to the General Managers who granted his request to contest this match under Tornado rules. At the same time, Elsa and Vincent allowed the twins to bring a “plus one” to the ring to make sure the Man Of A Thousand Nicknames didn’t try anything fancy, even though Leviticus never really got involved in Fabulousì matches before.
With Tornado rules in place, this match got out of hand pretty quickly, making it hard for the referee to keep track of everything that was going on. Alyiah and Summer were fighting on the outside after the champ sent Collins tumbling over the top rope with a crossbody. This, in theory, would make the ref’s job easier as he could focus on the two competitors who were actually inside the ring, where pinfall and submission actually counted. But the presence of Leviticus and Devlin on the outside forced him to keep an eye on By doing so and splitting his focus, he missed the blatant eye poke Annica used to stop Lasiewicz’ momentum and knock her down with a spinning heel kick.
The fans definitely benefited from the Tornado rules, witnessing one of the best tag team matches to memory. The fast pace and the chance to work together really brought out the best of both teams, allowing them to play on their strengths. For a while the twins seemed to have this, keeping Jessica out of the ring and focusing on Summer. Not being able to help her partner was frustrating Jessica, but every time she tried to get back in the ring, either Annica or Aliyah kicked her out before going back to work on Summer along with their sister. An effective strategy that was definitely working greatly for the champions as they were able to connect their Electric Dreams (electric chair drop followed by a double warrior stomp) on poor Summer. Even Devlin cheered as Annica made the cover to retain the titles, but out of nowhere came Lasiewicz to make the last minute save.
Little changed as Fabulous was still outnumbered. With Summer recovering on the outside, Jessica found herself alone against the twins. They grabbed one of her arms each and fired her into the ropes, lifting her in the air and driving her on the canvas with a double flapjack. In full control, the twins attempted their alternate finishing maneuver on Lasiewicz as Aliyah catapulted the Archangel into her sister’s diving hurricanrana. But Jessica somehow was able to counter Bad & Boujee’s almost homonymous move, powerbombing Annica on the mat, creating herself an opening. One on one, Jessica seemed to have that something extra to take the lead and turn the tide. With fire in her eyes, Jessica blasted the champ with a volley of strikes, leaving Aliyah groggy in the middle of the ring. Perfect position for the Our Lady Peace, the bicycle kick tribute to her aunt Lady Magdalena. But before she could make the pin, Devlin dragged the tag team champion out of the ring, asking for a time-out.
The interference didn’t sit well with Leviticus who confronted the twins’ enforcer about his actions. The size difference didn’t seem to intimidate the loudmouth, as he got very vocal in Devlin’s face. He chuckled, amused by the Maharajah Of Marketing’s reaction. Summer slowly climbed on the apron and saw the situation unfolding. Without thinking twice, Collins ran along the edge of the ring and launched herself on the small group of people with a senton. Leviticus jumped out of the trajectory at the last moment but both Devlin and Aliyah got knocked down by Summer’’s reckless move. And the former Tag Team champion didn’t leave unscathed either. writhing on the floor in pain right next to the two victims of her senton.
It was down to Annica and Jessica to bring this home for the respective teams. The two fought back and forth, a fast paced contest despite the fatigue beginning to creep in. The toll of the over fifteen minutes of this match started to show, their attacks becoming less precise and slower than they used to be. Annica tried to surprise the challenger with her arm-wrench inside cradle, but Jessica kicked out in two. The Archangel’s answer to that came in the form of a Pure Deformation (skull crushing finale), but she performed it too close to the ropes giving Annica the chance to save herself by grabbing the bottom rope.
The end of the match was controversial to say the least. Devlin grabbed one of the twins’ title belts and decided to take out Summer with it, seeing how the ref’s full focus was now on what was happening inside the ring. Leviticus bravely stepped up and tried to take the title away from his grasp. The two engaged in a sort of tug-of-war that, on paper, should’ve been pretty one-sided. But shockingly Fabulous’ manager was the one who successfully kept hold of the title in the end, even though he did it only because Devlin clearly let go. The blonde man suddenly dropped on the floor, imitated by Aliyah who made sure she called the ref’s attention with a loud scream before collapsing as if an invisible force knocked her down. When the official turned around, he saw Leviticus with the belt in his hand and two trained wrestlers knocked out cold. As unlikely as this scenario looked like, he had no choice but to call the bell and disqualify Fabulous. No doubt tho, this won’t be the last time these two teams will meet.

WINNER: Bad & Boujee (STILL MWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS)
BY: DQ, 16:33

JJ Night is backstage and it looks like he’s meditating, preparing for his epic battle with Olly later tonight. After a tough four match battle, the end of their fight is here. Match five. Olly vs JJ Night. JJ noticed the camera and flashes a smile as he gets to his feet and begins to speak.

JJ Night:
This is it, Olly. After all of this time… it ends here.

He walked closer to the camera.

JJ Night:
This goes all the way back to the Academy. As silly as it sounds, it goes back to fighting over that last jello or pudding or whatever the hell it was in the cafeteria.

He shook his head.

JJ Night:
You and I? We’ll never be friends. We’ll never get along. As much as Julian Savell and Chris Night are meant to be sworn enemies? It’s even more so between you and me.

JJ shrugged.

JJ Night:
I never wanted that. I never wanted things to get this petty with anybody. But you took things too far. I could look past a ton of things you’ve done but my family? You Julian and your goons going after CJ? And then Chris?

JJ shook his head.

JJ Night:
You can play dumb all you want but I know it was you. You’re scum and you’re selfish. But I won’t stoop down to your level. I’m a good guy. I’m not “The Kid.” That was the most regretful thing I had ever done in my life, trying to be somebody that I’m not. I know who I am. I’m JJ Night. The guy who does things the right way. And tonight? I’m ending this doing just that. Bet.

He nodded and walked off and the scene cut away

Best Of Five Series
Match 5: No Ropes Match

Olly VS JJ Night

The final chapter of a rivalry that began two years ago, back in the Academy. The history between them is well documented and known, although a new chapter may have been written in House Of Wrestling where Olly has recently made his debut, immediately becoming the number one suspect on the attack on JJ’s uncle, Chris Night who got assaulted and forced on the sidelines with an ankle injury at the end of the year’s show. The stipulation chosen for this final match of the series favored Olly, taking away the aerial moves that make up a big part of Night’s arsenal. But the former Junior Heavyweight champion showed great adaptability, jumping onto his opponent before he could even enter the ring. Pushed against the barricade by the flying forearm strike, Olly arched his back in pain, falling to a seated position. JJ took a moment to soak in the fans’ reaction before dragging his rival up and lighting up his chest with some hard chops.
Olly tried to walk away from the furious opponent, needing a moment to regroup. But JJ wasn’t giving him the chance, stalking him and hitting him with strikes to the back and chest whenever the two time Tag Team champion leaned back against the barricade. JJ grabbed his arm and went for an Irish whip, but Olly countered and sent him running toward the barricade. Showing great control and agility, Night jumped and landed with both feet on the rail, struggling a bit to keep balance. The member of the Division charged in to push him into the crowd but Night jumped back, landing on Olly’s shoulders and drilling him with a reverse hurricanrana on the concrete floor.
The pace was slow, at least in the first minutes. Pretty unusual to see Night accepting a slow rhythm that was undoubtedly more up his opponent’s alley, but the nephew of the legendary founder of Nightfall Fights likely didn’t want to burn out too soon. The intensity, instead, was at an all time high, on both ends. JJ’s kicks left red marks on Olly’s chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs and dropping him to his knees, coughing heavily. And speaking of air, the son of the late Reese Kennedy left Night gasping for it when he wrapped his hand around his throat for a perfectly legal, under these circumstances, choke. JJ broke free with a kick to the stomach but Olly immediately fired back with an uppercut, grabbing a handful of Night’s hair and slamming him head first against the apron.
Surprisingly, Olly didn’t insist, climbing up in the ring instead. He waited there, exploiting these moments to regroup and come up with a different plan. JJ taunted him, yelling to come down and fight but he didn’t move, forcing Night to reach him in the ring. JJ had barely got up when Olly charged, trying to knock him down with his Random Act Of Violence. The former Kid saw that coming and quickly rolled to the side, watching his opponent stop on the edge of the ring. A quick kick to the mid section doubled Olly over and gave JJ the chance to position himself next to his rival, both of them standing on the verge of the ring. What came next could only be defined as crazy, reckless and absolutely beautiful. A spanish fly to the outside, leaving both of them groaning in pain on the floor.
Obviously JJ was the first to stand up, but the dangerous spot didn’t leave him unscathed. He showed a slight limp on his right leg, perhaps due to the hard landing on the floor. Olly noticed it and as soon as Night picked him up kicked him on the injured knee.. Wasting no time, the Division member blasted him with a bicycle knee strike, leaving him on the floor as he thought about new ways to punish the fellow former student. Fishing under the ring, Olly pulled out a ladder and set it up between the apron and the barricade, forming a sort of bridge. He grabbed a handful of JJ’s hair and dragged the young man to his feet, delivering a couple of stiff uppercuts before whipping him toward the ladder. Once again Night showed impressive agility as he slid under the ladder, avoiding what appeared to be an inevitable impact. He stood back up right away and placed both hands on the ladder, pushing it onto Olly’s chest. Great explosiveness on display by Night once again as he jumped on the ladder, quickly finding his balance so that he could jump toward his opponent. Olly caught him in mid-air and powerbombed him onto the ladder with such violence that it broke in half.
After unsuccessfully trying to pin JJ, Olly left the ring once again, grabbing a table and setting it up diagonally against the barricade. Whatever he had in mind, things didn’t bode well for JJ . The two time Tag Team champion kept wearing down his opponent with a series of chops to the chest, leaving him once again on the edge of the ring. Driven by rage and perhaps not really thinking this through, Olly charged toward JJ to spear him off the ledge and into the table. But just like earlier in the match, Night managed to read his intention and avoid impact, leap-frogging over his rival who crashed and burned through the table.
Night wasn’t turning down this incredible opportunity and quickly picked up Olly from the wreckage on the outside and pushed him back on the ring. Without ropes to climb on for his aerial assaults, JJ settled for a beautiful standing shooting star press, but Olly kicked out in two. The member of the Division rolled out of the ring to buy himself some more time and avoid getting pinned. He crawled to the barricade, hanging onto them to slowly pick himself up. JJ was right behind him and blasted him with a forearm strike to the back of the neck, dragging him back toward the ring. The resourceful former tag team champion caught his opponent with an elbow to the stomach and drove his face onto the edge of the ring, leaving him stunned. Olly then followed with a Random Act Of Violence (running knee strike to the back of the head), knocking Night down next to the steel steps.
The wicked grin on the young man’s face was ominous, but what we witnessed next was truly hard to watch. Olly tore up the top part of the steel steps and drove them down on JJ’s leg. How Night’s leg didn’t break right there and then can only be labeled as a miracle, but the cry of pain coming from the young man gave a measure of the damage he had done, and how much it hurt. And olly wasn’t done just yet. He switched the steel steps with a more manageable chair, driving it with full force on JJ’s ankle, eliciting another groan of pain. The boos were deafening, covering the groans of the agonizing former Junior Heavyweight champion. Olly was going all the way, not stopping until he injured the long-time rival. He trapped his foot into the chair and jumped onto it to further damage the ankle. Finally satisfied, he pushed JJ back on the ring and put him in an ankle lock, getting him to instantly tap out.

WINNER: Olly
BY: Submission (Ankle Lock), 26:31

We open backstage where we find MWE roving reporter and interviewer Camille Bellamy. Standing to her right is none other than the MWE World Champion Glory Braddock. The British Bombshell looks as confident as ever with a condescending ear to ear grin on her face. She is wearing her royal purple ring gear and has the MWE World Championship title belt draped over her right shoulder.

Camille Bellamy:
Ladies and gentlemen, Camille here and my guest at this time is about to defend her MWE World Championship in just a few moments in tonight’s main event. Please welcome “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock.

Glory Braddock:
Thank you, Camille.

Camille Bellamy:
You won the championship at the 5ive Year Anniversary in a Cage Scramble. It was your seventeenth career world championship, a very emotional moment for you, but now you risk losing it all here tonight as you face the threat of Tiff who is cashing in her guaranteed title match against you.

Braddock chuckles softly.

Glory Braddock:
Threat? From Tiff? I suppose so. I mean, that is the brilliant thing about this sport. On any given day anyone can beat anybody. That’s why we have these championship matches. We have them to see who is the best.

She pats the title belt that rests over her right shoulder.

Glory Braddock:
And on seventeen separate occasions I have proven myself to be the best in the world. In a career that has lasted fifteen years now, I have beaten the very best this business has to offer. I have fought them all from rookies to legends, in cage matches, to standard matches, hardcore matches, submission matches, everything under the sun. You name it, Camille, and I’ve done it. So yes, I fully understand from a fifteen year career experience that anyone can beat anyone else on any given night. But this isn’t just any given night…this is Tiff’s one shot. She earned that shot at Red Line and has picked now to call her shot. And that was her mistake. Because I am at the very top of my game right now! Do you know what kind of year I have had, Camille?

The reporter shakes her head.

Glory Braddock:
I began this year as MWE Television Champion. I went on to become SCW United States Champion. I capped my year off as MWE World Champion. I am better than I have ever been. I am the best submission wrestler in this company. I am the most technically sound wrestler in this company. Do you really think, Tiff is ready for that?

Braddock turns and looks into the camera.

Glory Braddock:
Do not get me wrong. I am not underestimating you, Tiff. I remember watching Red Line and I was impressed with how you pulled that off. I remember watching the hell you’ve gone through this year, and I was impressed with how you carried yourself and survived it. You have the heart and soul of a champion. You will be world champion someday. It just won’t be tonight because you picked the wrong night and the wrong champion to cash in against. Tonight ends one of two ways, Tiff…either you will tap out to Shekhinah Glory or I will choke you out and force the referee to end the match for your own good. Either way this match ends with your dreams going up in smoke and me leaving Denver tonight STILL the MWE World Champion.

MWE World Championship Match

The moment everyone was waiting for was finally here. The MWE World Championship on the line, Glory’s first defense against the 2021 Red Line winner, one of the most beloved wrestlers in MWE, Tiff. Judging by the reaction the two competitors received during the entrance, it was clear that the majority of them were hoping to see the title change hands tonight, although the number of Braddock’s fans was probably higher than one would have thought. Both parties were very vocal, making the atmosphere for this match all the more electric. The two wrestlers were staring at each other, both of them looking tense and focused but, unlike many matches in these two nights of wrestling, there was no personal hatred between them. Actually one could say they respected each other, and Glory extending her hand toward the younger opponent seemed to confirm that. Tiff looked hesitant about accepting the handshake, fearing a cheap shot from the champion but eventually reached out and shook hands. Nothing happened, except Braddock whispering something the camera couldn’t pick up to her opponent. Judging by Tiff’s reaction, it was some sort of taunt or mind game played by the Best In The World.
Finally the match started with the two women meeting in the center of the ring with a classic collar and elbow tie up. The British Bombshell had the leverage and knowledge to easily take control and school the Five Foot Death Machine, giving her a lesson in technical wrestling. Tiff tried to break out of those holds but she was unsuccessful in her task, soon finding herself lying on the mat while Glory was squeezing the Koji clutch. The longest reigning champion in MWE history struggled a bit, but eventually reached the ropes and saved herself. The locked horns once again, only this time Rollins was quick to raise her knee into the opponent’s mid section and double her over. She went for an Irish whip but Glory reversed it, sending the Little Hoss into the ropes. Tiff ducked Braddock’s clothesline attempt and continued her run, bouncing off the ropes and taking down the champion with a basement dropkick to the knee. Wasting no time, Tiff went for the Five Foot Death Kick but the champion was able to dodge it.
Glory Braddock had control of the match, repeatedly taking Tiff down with kicks and suplexes. The Best In The World seemed to gain more confidence with every passing minute and every move she successfully connected. She only attempted to make a cover twice, one after the Beautiful Insanity and the second off a bridging fisherman suplex, but in both circumstances Rollins raised her shoulder in two and half. The champion seemed comfortable in keeping a slow pace and prevent Tiff from building any momentum but eventually the challenger created some space with a flurry of kicks to the legs leading up to a single leg dropkick that hit the British Bombshell right on her face and floored her, giving the challenger her first real break.
The pint-sized blonde kept pushing, relying on her striking ability to break through the opponent’s guard. She had the champion in the corner now, but she wasn’t going to slow down. Switching to chops and forearm strikes, the RISE graduate kept pressure on the British Bombshell and followed with an Irish whip that sent the MWE World champion crashing into the opposite turnbuckle. Exploding out of the corner, Tiff jumped and connected with a knee strike to her face, followed by a running bulldog with which she brought the opponent back to the center of the ring where she could attempt a pinning predicament, worthy her first near fall.
More followed as Tiff kept attacking the champion, legitimizing her performance and showing everybody that she was still one of the best performers in the company, and that she definitely belonged fighting for the company’s top prize. Rarely we had seen Glory in such difficulty, unable to find a counter to her relentless offense. After coming extremely close to win the World championship with the Peacemaker, the obligatory tribute to her uncle and trainer Andreas Lasiewicz, the Death Kicker did something she doesn’t do often, climbing on the middle rope for the Thrillkiller, the swanton bomb made famous by her adoptive mother Brytain Rollins. Unfortunately for her, the Best In The World moved out of the way, causing her to land hard on the canvas. Arching her back, an expression of pure pain painted on her face, Tiff immediately tried to stand up, but a sharp kick to the lower back put her back down. Braddock then proceeded to stretch her back with a Boston crab. The challenger began to claw at the canvas, crawling toward the ropes. She eventually reached them, obtaining the rope break, even though Glory didn’t let her go right away. She didn’t use the full count but still took a couple of extra seconds to inflict more damage, claiming that she didn’t hear the ref’s request to let go, which earned her a round of boos.
The fans were really pushing Tiff, following every single one of her trademark kicks to the chest with roars of approval. Glory was on her knees, finding herself in the exact situation she wanted to avoid. Once again the Death Kicker sprinted toward the ropes to get more force behind her running knee strike, but it still wasn’t enough to keep the champion down. It did some serious damage tho, forcing the champion to retreat on the outside to buy herself some time. Rollins rolled out of the ring and went to grab the opponent, chasing her around the ring. Which was exactly what the veteran wanted. Glory quickly slipped inside the ring, turning around to kick Tiff in the head as soon as she slid under the bottom rope, regaining control and putting the young challenger back into the grinder with another series of holds.
Switching from one submission to the next with smooth transitions, Braddock managed to trap the former Cloud Gate champion in her Shekinah Glory (triangle choke). It was the turning point of the match, Tiff desperately tried to escape the submission but the expert champion didn’t leave any opening. The ropes were too far away, the challenger would never make it to them in time, seeing how quickly she was fading out. Glory seemed to have this in her pocket, just for Tiff to dig down deep and shock the world, lifting the seventeen time world champ and powerbombing her into the canvas. Both women were now down, laying flat on their backs and breathing heavily,, trying to gather the last energy to go through the final stretch of the match.
Almost thirty minutes into the match and we still didn’t have a clear winner. It’s not like they didn’t try, but not even the best moves in their arsenal were enough to keep the opponent down. After finding a way out of the Shekinah Glory earlier in the match, Tiff survived The Glorification as well, leaving Braddock shocked and speechless. The fans instead loved to see that there was still some life in their Five Foot hero, turning up the volume of their cheers. This seemed to positively affect the former Cloud Gate champion’s performance, breathing some new life in her and pushing her to, once again, turn the table. With Braddock perching on the top rope, ready to put the opponent away in a Blaze Of Glory, Tiff suddenly popped to her feet and sprinted to the corner, jumping to hit the opponent with a right hand. This almost caused Braddock to fall off, but the champion managed to hang on for dear life. Rollins then climbed to the second rope and connected a couple more strikes to wear the champ down so that she couldn’t make a stand when she dropped her on the mat with the Bonegrinder (rope hung flatliner). Not wanting to take any chance, Tiff didn’t make the pin right away. Instead, she waited until Glory started to stir up to blast her with the Death Kick. The fans erupted in cheers as Tiffany made the cover, but their scream of joy died in their throats as the Best In The World rested her foot on the bottom rope, frustrating the attempt.
They fought for over thirty minutes, they pushed each other to the limit and beyond, they threw everything they had at each other, and still we didn’t have a winner. Of course the fans weren’t complaining, as they got to see an instant classic between two of the best the industry had to offer. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and that was true for this match as well. It was an ending that nobody liked, not the many Tiff fans that filled the Ball Arena, nor those who supported Glory Braddock and wanted to see her retain. “Black Honey” by Thrice blasted out of the loudspeakers and everybody’s worst nightmare came to life.
Julian Savell, flanked by the full lineup of his band of thugs. RAZE, Wade Manson, Olly as well as the Liberty crew, Tyson Gregory, Thatcher Ray Nash and Jack Graves. The Golden God went straight to the timekeeper table and used his briefcase to turn this into a No Disqualification match. That was the green light for the whole division to storm the ring and attack both Tiff and Glory with kicks and stomps. Luckily the same rule applied for everyone, and cavalry came rushing to the ring, led by Melissa Reeves. Right behind her was her protegé Miki, both coming to Tiff’s rescue. The new Intercontinental champion Sophie O’Brian was, obviously, answering the call in an attempt to rescue his best friend Glory, but it was a little more surprising seeing the former Riot champion Clyde Sutter joining her. But the numbers game was still favoring the Division, as they had the manpower to handle everyone else and still allow Julian to comfortably seat on the commentary table and laugh as his masterplan was unfolding.
Wade Manson was dealing with Miki, RAZE had intercepted Reeves and even though the former World champion seemed to be getting the upper hand, the Anomaly was at least slowing her down. Tyson Gregory had his hands full with Clyde Sutter, while Thatcher was trying to stop Sophie from helping Glory but he got a fireball to his face for his troubles. By the time Sophie and Reeves managed to get through their opposition and reach the ring, Olly and Jack Graves had already dealt respectively with Tiff and Braddock, leaving them laying on the canvas after hitting them with the Born To Lose (Go 2 Sleep) and the Hangman’s Call (chokeslam backbreaker). The two exchanged a quick look and glanced back at Julian before charging at Mel and the new Intercontinental Champion. As they kept the two women busy, Julian finally stood up and delivered the briefcase to the timekeeper. He was cashing in!
Slowly, Savell entered the ring and looked at the champion and her challenger laid to waste while all around him his associates were tearing the opposition apart. Just to make a statement, he delivered a Golden God Kick each and even took a moment, pondering who he should pin. Finally his decision fell on Tiff, perhaps the loss suffered against her at 5ive held some weight in his final choice. With a wide smile on his face, the Savior Of Wrestling laid on top of the Death Kicker, holding her leg as the referee counted to three. That was it, we had a new MWE World Champion and it wasn’t the change the fans were hoping to see. The rest of the Division soon joined him to celebrate, leaving bodies scattered all around. One doubt remained as On Thin Ice came to a closure. Would have things gone differently if JJ didn’t get injured in his match with Olly? And did Olly actually injured him on purpose so that the Division could easily outnumber the people who came to rescue Tiff and Glory?

WINNER: Julian Savell (NEW MWE WORLD CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Golden God Kick), 39:22

Confetti rains down from the ceiling as “Black Honey” by Thrice blares over the PA system! He has done it! Julian Savell has cashed in the briefcase and he is now the MWE World Heavyweight Champion! Tyson grabbed the MWE World Heavyweight Championship and he handed it over to Julian Savell. A grin ran over Julian’s face as he threw it up over his shoulder. He then grabbed a mic and began to speak.

Julian Savell:

I warned all of you that this day was coming. That The Division would conquer all of wrestling. Look at all of us. Jack Graves? He is the GEW Grand Champion. Tyson Gregory? He is the Empire in the Bank Briefcase holder. Wade Manson is the Empire Extreme Champion and now me? I am the MWE World Heavyweight Champion. I’ve stolen the dreams of Glory Braddock, Tiff and the rest of you fucks! Now the dream of the Division is your WORST nightmare. This company and the rest of the wrestling world?

Julian points at himself and then the rest of The Division.

Julian Savell:

It will be made in our image. All of this? It’s just the beginning. We can’t and won’t be stopped. After tonight? We divide and conquer. And it’ll only be a matter of time until RAZE, Thatch and Olly have gold in their hands as well. We are inevitable!

Julian slammed the mic down and the rest of The Division celebrated with him in the ring as he let out a crazed laugh. The fans booed as the dawn of a new era began. Who can stop The Division?

MWE Presents: On Thin Ice (night 2)

Post by gvb on Feb 4, 2023 18:03:00 GMT -6

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