MWE Presents: Zeitgeist (night 2)

MWE Presents: Zeitgeist (night 2) Aug 31, 2023 11:26:14 GMT -6

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Post by gvb on Aug 31, 2023 11:26:14 GMT -6

MWE Presents: Zeitgeist (night 2)
Live from Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany
Tuesday, May 30th, 2023

Clementine is wearing her purple gymnast inspired ring gear which leaves her legs on show minus some knee pads in a complimentary gold colour to her gear. She's also donned with a sash that reads the FlexiBelle. She finds herself at her tag partners shared locker room and does get that whiff of several deodorants and aftershave hit her as she opens the door. Inside she sees Leon and some other guys in the background.

Clementine Smith:
Shirtless Alexander.

Leon turns slightly as he sees Clementine appear beside him, slightly ogling, but nonetheless enjoying herself. Leon smirks.

Leon Alexander:
Clem, we all set?

Clementine Smith:
I'm all dressed ready to make a splash. It's still weird to be here, I'm gonna miss the academy though.

Leon Alexander:
Yeah, even though it's been a short stint for me, since I arrived later on. Having the chance to represent our team and keep these team titles will be a great start!

Clementine Smith:
The Gold star would have been nice though.

Leon Alexander:
Yeah, although with all the drama that surrounded it. I'm almost glad I didn't go anywhere near that. The lengths they were willing to go for it, to get noticed and all the twitter beef made me just want no part of it.

Clementine Smith:
I suppose instead we can focus on how amazing of a team we'll be. Given that I'll be the one who will do most of the work while you stand in the corner and look pretty for me.

Clem chuckled as Leon just smirks.

Leon Alexander:
Maybe, though Brighton and I worked very well together and had solid chemistry when we won these titles.

Clementine Smith:
We'll have even better 'Clemistry', you and I. Mr. Shirtless and the FlexiBelle.

Leon smirks as Clem seems pretty proud of herself.

Leon Alexander:
Well then, Flexibelle, let's go show them what true "Clemistry" is all about then.

Clementine Smith:
That's the spirit, lead the way shirtless!

Clem smiles as she makes the chop chop motion and Leon just looks at her before walking out of the shot. Clem follows sightly behind, but not before admiring the view first as the scene fades.

Academy Team Title Match

Team Noir © (Leon Alexander & Clementine Smith) VS Team Jones (Missy Propaganda & Alice Wagner) VS Team Strike (Marina Marston & Ava Grimes)

Even though the Academy year is over, six students have been called to represent the blue show one last time in the final showcase with the Team Title on the line. The title itself won’t bring any advantage to the winning team, unlike the Gold Star that grants the holder a title shot, just bragging rights. Ava Grimes was eager to get back in the ring for the first time in four months and be the one to kick off the night.. Her partner Marina didn’t have any issue with it, and there was little to none arguments between the other two teams either. Once Clementine asked if she could start, everyone else agreed and left the ring. Side note, Alice Wagner was wrestling with an eye patch on her right eye, still irritated after her match against Karen.on night one.[li]
[li]Rumors from the Academy has it that there’s no love lost between Ava and Clem. Mostly on Grimes’ side, some say out of jealousy, some say out of sheer competitive spirit, due to the similar background and style the two have in the ring. Both girls, in fact, came from gymnastics, both of them had learned to use their agility to make their attacks as spectacular as they were unpredictable.In the first three minutes the fans witnessed action so fast that it was hard to keep track of what was going on in the ring, Ava and Clementine were trying to outdo each other with moves that seemed to challenge the law of physics. Cartwheels, backflips, Matrix-style evasions and springboard attacks ro try to take the opponent off guard. There was a moment of general concern as Clem’s springboard kick caught Grimes right on the head and left her dazed. Given her history with concussions, the referee asked Smith to hold back a moment, which she obviously did, so that he could check on Grimes. Ava confirmed that she was feeling well and asked to continue the match, receiving a round of applause as an encouragement.
She didn’t stay in for long though, soon giving the tag to Marina after spiking Clem on her head with a springboard reverse rana. Smith took the opportunity to make a tag of her own, involving Alice Wagner in the match. The second generation wrestler didn’t seem to feel any fatigue from yesterday’s match. Her movements were just as smooth as always, not even only having one eye seemed to be affecting her.performance. She blocked Rina’s punch and twisted her arm behind her back before dropping her down with a smooth hammerlock DDT for a two count.
Despite Alice doing a great job at hiding it, her condition left a weak spot in her usually tight guard. The patch in fact inevitably left a blind spot on her right, and Marston speed allowed the Team Strike member to quickly move where Alice couldn’t see and hit her with a superkick. Wagner kicked out in time and got back to her feet, finding herself on the receiving end of Marina’s flurry of strikes. This time Alice saw the attack incoming and blocked or dodged most of the blows while cowering back toward her corner where Missy could finally tag in and make her presence felt. No longer “Kicking For Kayla” and currently not on speaking terms (no puns intended) with that side of her family employed in the company, the Second Propagandist was out for herself. Her striking ability was on full display tonight, those kicks and knee strikes always hitting the target and forcing Marston back against the corner, where she got hit by a running double knee strike to the face. A cover was made, and Leon was the fastest to get in the ring and break it up.
The only male in this match finally made his debut after receiving a tag from Marina. He immediately imposed himself thanks to his physical prowess, connecting a gutbuster on Missy and turning her inside out with a wicked clothesline. He then attempted a cover but Propaganda raised her shoulder in two. He wasted no time to pick her up and throw her in the corner where he followed with a body splash. Alice tagged herself in while Leon wasn’t looking and waited on the apron for the right moment to strike. The opportunity came when, after throwing his opponent halfway across the ring with a belly to belly suplex, he prepared himself to hit a spear. Alice hit him with a kick to the back of the head and quickly jumped in the ring with a slingshot DDT that gave her a count of two. Alexander tried to stand up and ate a kick to the chest followed by Wagner’s trademark downward roundhouse kick. Alice was quick to make another cover attempt, but Clementine jumped in to make the save, allowing the match to continue.
In their previous encounters, Alice always seemed to have Leon’s number and tonight was seemingly going to be more of the same, even though the SoCal kid got a couple of big moves in, obtaining a near fall with a brainbuster. But eventually Wagner managed to catch him with her Severed Wings (backstabber into dragon sleeper), trying to submit the Team Noir member. She may even have succeeded if Ava didn’t kick her back and forced her to release the hold. Alexander stumbled toward the ropes where he got tagged out by Marina who was ready to take on Alice once again. Hoping that the fatigue from her match on night one would eventually catch up, Marina isolated the second generation wrestler and tagged in and out with Ava to keep the pressure on Wagner. Alice defended herself the best she could, trying to counter Team Strike’s attacks and find an opening. She was able to dodge Marina’s punch and was quick to hit her with a back kick to the face, clearing the path to the opposite corner.
Exploiting Alice’s eye patch blocking her peripheral vision, Ava quickly tagged in and stopped Wagner’s march toward her partner’s extended hand with a diving meteora. Grimes then urged her partner into charging toward their Team Noir’s opponents and taking them down with a dropkick while she did the same to Propaganda. This left her alone with Alice, with no one there to break up the pin and Marston watching her back. It made all the sense in the world that the finish would come with a tribute to the woman who took Ava under her wing when the Academy started and who became much more than just a Team Leader to the young Grimes. Lady Magdalena’s Our Lady Peace sealed the deal, knocking down the already dazed Alice for the three count.

WINNER: Team Strike (NEW TEAM CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Our Lady Peace), 11:28

Doctor:
I strongly advise you take some time off and let that shoulder heal, Olly. It's not going to get any better if you keep putting stress on it.

Inside the medical bay, the MWE resident doctor is taking a look at Olly's shoulder, the same one that's been nagging him for months now. The former Academy student chuckles at the doctor's advice, but that smile on his face quickly turns into a grimace of pain as the doctor begins to wrap that shoulder up.

Olly:
I appreciate your unsolicited advice, but maybe you should just stick to your job and finish with that bandage so that I can get out of here?

Doctor:
Well, MY job is also to possibly avoid you getting hurt and miss weeks of acrion. Which is a likely scenario if you keep wrestling with an injured shoulder.

The doctor calmly says, trying to convince the young man to take some time off to heal up.

Olly:
How long are we talking about?

There's a hint of concern in his voice, an extremely rare circumstance when it comes to the Division member.

Doctor:
I would say six to ten weeks... Unless you'll need surgery, in that case we're looking at four to six months. That's a long time on the shelf for a young man on the verge of taking his career to the next level.

His attempt at sweetening the pill seems to catch Olly's attention.

Doctor:
Are you really willing to play Russian Roulette with your career like that?

Olly:
It wouldn't be the first time...

He replies with a grin.

Olly:
But sometimes the risk is not worth it. I can take a few weeks off, I'm sure Bash wouldn't mind giving me a few weeks off. can still make his show entertaining even without stepping in the ring.

Doctor:
Asking you to take a period of full rest is too much, I assume.

Hopping off the exam table the young man grabs his shirt from a nearby chair.

Olly:
C'mon man, let me have some fun.

And with that said, he left the room.

Singles Match

Cloudy VS Kate Steele

It was finally time for the highly anticipated MWE debut of “Cloudy” Lauren Maldano. One of the most famous and recognizable wrestling personalities, whether it is for her work as backstage interviewer in Underground and several other companies or for her strong social media presence and the “Elevated Creation” brand she built two years ago, Lauren was a star even before setting foot in the ring, and she could count on the strong support of the fans in attendance. This seemed to piss off Kate, who demanded to be respected for what she did to this company and the business, unlike the “grasshopper” she was facing tonight. Insulting the fan favorite wasn’t going to do her any good, earning her a loud round of jeers from the Berlin folks. But Kate wasn’t backing down, in fact she doubled down by promising that she would put Cloudy down and crash her dreams.
Perhaps it was the nerves playing tricks on Lau, perhaps the desire to ruin the former interviewer’s debut was so strong that it gave Kate that motivation and focus she seemed to have lost in recent times, but the first four minutes of the match weren’t exactly how the Elevated One had pictured them. She seemed unable to connect even the most basic kicks, too slow and telegraphed to trouble the former Lockdown champion. Steele had it easy exploiting her mistakes and counter attacking her with stiff strikes, like when Lauren missed wide with the diving crossbody attempt and got punished with a spinning heel kick. Kate then followed with a springboard moonsault, scoring the first near fall of the match.
The early close call worked as a wake up call for Cloudy. She pushed herself back to her feet and started moving around the opponent, resisting the urge to punch her in the face to answer her constant taunts. Lauren kept her cool and waited for the right chance to strike, catching Kate off guard with a windmill kick, met with a loud roar from the vocal fans. A “Cloudy! Cloudy!” chants arose loud and proud from the sold out Mercedes-Benz Arena, giving the necessary boost to The Elevated One. Lauren kicked into the high gear, showing her lucha-influenced style and connecting some spectacular moves like the High Hopes (rolling Yoshi tonic) that got her really close to her first win in MWE.
Maldano was growing more and more confident with every passing moment, delighting the fans with her fast paced and spectacular style. She learned the hard way that, when you are in the ring against a crafty veteran like Kate you can never rule her out. The Siren regained control with a couple of German suplexes, sending Cloudy flying near the corner. Lauren laid back against it to recover, leaving herself open to Kate’s running Yakuza Kick. Steele then climbed to the top rope where she waited for Maldano to get up to go for the Silence Is Golden (Top Rope Blockbuster). Wisely, the rookie rolled out of the ring taking away the possibility to connect her finishing maneuver from Kate, who obviously wasn’t happy about it. The Siren finally jumped, taking out Lauren with a crossbody to the outside.
The former Lockdown champion used the area outside the ring to do some damage to her opponent and get that advantage to eventually put her down for the three. She shoved Maldano against the barricade and hit her with several chops, taunting her in between each strike. Kate entered the ring to interrupt the count and quickly left again, charging toward Lauren with a big boot that knocked the Elevated One over the barricade and into the crowd. It took Cloudy a few moments before she managed to get back to her feet and re-emerge from the German fans. Steele welcomed her back with a right hand and attempted to suplex her on the right side of the fence but Maldano blocked the attempt and slammed Steele’s face on the steel rail. Cloudy then climbed on the barricade and jumped toward the opponent with her legs apart, sending the veteran flying into the steps with a reckless hurricanrana.
The fans came alive once again, showing their support to the former interviewer who quickly picked up the opponent and rolled her under the bottom rope and back in the ring, trying to capitalize with a slingshot senton that only gave her a two count. Cloudy showed off some technical skills as well with a beautiful Northern Lights suplex but neither that was enough to keep Steele down. Lauren insisted, whipping the opponent in the corner and hitting her with her trademark Puff Puff Pass It (corner Yakuza kick), knocking Kate down. Lauren looked down at the opponent, then at the cheering fans. A smile dawned on her face as she bounced off the top rope with the Stay Elevated (split-legged corkscrew moonsault), scoring her first win in MWE.

WINNER: Cloudy
BY: Pinfall (Stay Elevated), 8:29

The scene opens backstage out in the parking lot. We get the glimpse of a very unusual scene, a ladder placed in the open area. Sitting on top of that very ladder is Gabriel Landery. He’s in street clothes. The MWE Lockdown Championship is wrapped around his waist. He runs his hands through his hair.

Gabriel Landry:
A fan asked me at the meet and greet the other day, Gabe, do you regret choosing a Ladder Match for your Lockdown Championship defenses. I asked the fan, why would you ask that?

He pointed out Tank Steiner is a mountain of a man who is tough on a normal day. Giving that man a ladder to use as a weapon. Pretty scary.

Thatcher Nash has The Division in his back pocket he also pointed out. There is nothing stopping them from getting involved in a No DQ match.

He also made an astute point about my friend Selena who has come up short numerous times in championship matches. I pointed out she hasn’t gotten a fair shot. The kid, ha, feels weird to me of all people calling someone else a kid--

Gabriel chuckles.

Gabriel Landry:
-- Pointed out she is a desperate woman. Desperate people can do desperate things.

“And of course there is JJ. Good guy. Tired of The Division nonsense. He is a former champion, and he is a Night. Winning is embedded in their DNA.

Every point the young fan made was valid. Pretty wise for his age. Despite all the solid points he made, the question remains: do I regret instituting the Ladder Match stipulation? Without hesitation I told him... no sir-ree.

Gabe shakes his head.

Gabriel Landry:
When I beat Karen for the Lockdown Championship, regardless of the factors that came into play, the one promise I have made sure to adhere to was ensuring the prestige of the Lockdown Championship would be restored. Bree made this championship worth fighting for. We can all agree Karen dragged the legacy into the ground, I took the responsibility upon myself to raise the Lockdown Championship from the ashes, the only way to accomplish that goal wasn’t to give you fans silly handbags on a pole matches. I want all you fans to look back on the matches I have and know that someone would uplift the legacy of the Lockdown Championship back where it should be.
Now unfortunately, I wasn’t expecting Nash to interfere in me and Selena’s Lockdown Championship match. Now I have to contend with not only Nash, but the likelihood his hooligans will make an appearance to ensure The Division has another championship in their ranks. That I am gonna try my best not to happen.

Gabriel lightly thumbs his chest.

Gabriel Landry:
Look, I could lose tonight. Could I have put my thought into my stipulation to avoid having to defend the Lockdown Championship against what appears to be an unwinnable situation? Possibly. Del Boy famously said, ‘He Who Dares Wins.’ Safe to say I have been daring in my short life. From trying my luck in The Academy. Dating Karen. Breaking up with Karen knowing it was going to end badly. Using my Academy title shot then promising if I didn’t win I was going home. Every step of the way I stared the odds in the face, every single time I knocked the door down, now, the law of averages will ultimately catch up to me. I am gonna try my hardest to avoid the snake eyes landing tonight.
I am not finished with my goal to elevate the Lockdown Championship, I won’t let two people I consider friends. A Tank. And The Division stand in my way.

Gabriel nods his head. He continues to sit quietly on the ladder as the scene fades ot black.

Lockdown Championship Match
Gabriel's Rule: Ladder Match

Gabriel Landry © VS JJ Night VS Tank Steiner VS Thatcher Ray Nash VS Selena Lyre

the look on Gabriel’s face was that of someone asking themselves “How the hell did we got here?” His title was hanging 20 feet above the ring, and that checked out. After all, this was the stipulation he chose for all his Lockdown championship defenses. The part that was feeling off, was the array of opponents he was going to face. Selena Lyre, a woman he had learned to know quite well in the past months as she was on her third attempt at taking the title from him. The Division’s Thatcher Ray Nash who, as far as everybody knows, wasn’t even signed with MWE and yet, somehow, got a title shot for ruining his match at Anarchy In The UK. JJ Night, a former champion returning from an injury caused by the Division, a group he had waged war against. And Tank Steiner, who traded his Jr Heavyweight shot with Bree’s Lockdown championship opportunity A whole different match from the one he was dreaming of, a one on one bout against her friend Bree, but the young man was not one to back down from a challenge.
There was one thing four of the five competitors were going to agree on. The Killer Kowboy didn’t belong in this match. Thatcher was well aware that he had a target on his back but he took it in stride, insulting and taunting the opponents by laughing in their faces and telling them that they couldn’t touch him. Actually, they could, and they did. A superkick from JJ sent him into another superkick from Selana that caused him to stumble into a third kick to the face, courtesy of the champion himself. Tank stopped Nash’s fall and delivered one of the most brutal chops to memory, the echo of which is probably still resounding into the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Herr Steiner wasn’t done though, raising the member of The Division over his head in a military press position and throwing him out of the ring
For those familiar with his work, seeing Tank Steiner keeping up with such a fast pace may not be a surprise, but it was definitely incredible to see a super heavyweight moving at the same speed as people half his size. If his almost unnatural speed was putting him on an equal level as his opponents, his strength was what gave him the edge and allowed him to dominate the first part of the match. He caught Selena’s moonsault mid-air and turned it into a piledriver before turning to the champion and chopping the crap out of him, leaving red handprints all over his chest. JJ tried to surprise him with a springboard hurricanrana but he got caught and powerbombed into the canvas by the Asutrian Hulk. Standing tall surrounded by the bodies of his enemies, Tank raised his eyes to glance at the Lockdown championship. He had already built himself a clean chance to retrieve the title, but he needed a ladder to get up there. And a ladder he got, right on his back as Thatcher came blindsided him using the steel weapon as a battering ram.
Wasting no time, Thatcher set up the ladder and began to climb it, looking to retrieve the belt undisturbed. “Not on my watch”, said JJ as he quickly climbed the opposite side of the ladder to stop the Killer Kowboy’s ascent. They started to battle at height, the first of many high risk exchanges we will see. throughout the match. This one ended with a suicidal spanish fly from JJ, taking out both himself and his opponent with the reckless and spectacular move. Gabe tried to sneak his way to the top but Tank grabbed him and pulled him down into a German suplex. As the Austrian got up to his feet, Selena jumped and kicked him in the back of the head and sent him face first into the steel ladder, knocking it off and causing it to lay diagonally against the top rope. The Electric Girl went charged toward Tank but got sent flying onto and through the ladder by a quick belly to belly suplex.
More ladders were sacrificed on the five wrestler’s quest to retrieve the Lockdown championship, often levying a price in blood along with it. That was the case for JJ Night, busted open by a vicious DDT on the ladder steps by Thatcher, and for the Killer Kowboy himself, who’s head was slammed onto the last step by Gabriel, in a desperate but successful attempt to stop the member of The Division from taking the belt. After pushing the bleeding Tennessee native off the ladder, Landry found himself in an enviable position to confirm himself as the Lockdown champion, but Selena had other plans. The Electric Girl set up a second ladder next to the one Landry had already climbed and, quick as a cat, reached him on the top. Standing side by side, the two tried to grab hold of the title, but it wasn’t easy with the other one pushing and punching them. In the end, it turned out to be a war without winners as Tank Steiner pushed both ladders down, knocking the two competitors back to earth.
The German fans chanted in their native tongue for their Austrian “cousin” as he set up a massive, sturdy ladder right under the title belt and began his ascent. TRN was the first tone to recover and try to push the ladder down. But the combined weight of the giant size ladder and the 340 pounds of human beings climbing it were too much for the exhausted Cowboy. He luckily found a reluctant help in Gabriel, who was obviously trying to save his reign. Together they were able to push the ladder down but Tank outsmarted them and started climbing down, landing on his feet as the ladder fell against the ropes and tumbled on the outside, forming a sort of ramp. Landry and Ray Nash looked surprised at the giant standing in front of them but before they could react, Tank was already charging in like a freight train, leveling both of them with a double clothesline.,
It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for the fans, but the match seems now to be in the home stretch. Unfortunately for them, Tank had been vanquished, buried under a pile of ladders by Thatcher. The champ wasn’t looking too good either, after being sandwiched between the two sides of the ladder by a Nightfall splash from JJ, who bruised his ribs in the process and was now rolling on the floor in pain. Selema and Thatcher were racing to the top of the ladder, starting the umpteenth battle at heights. This one was seeing the Electric Girl getting the upper hand but Thatcher managed to poke her in the eyes and push her down below. And now, nobody was in standing between Thatcher and the Lockdown championship.
The boos were deafening, not a single fan inside the Arena wanted to see a member of The DIvision holding any more MWE gold. The only person who seemed able to stop Thatcher was JJ Night, who grabbed the cowboy’s leg and tried to yank him down. But Nash used his other leg to kick the former Academy student in the face and knock him down. Now, all hope was truly gone and Thatcher could reach the coveted prize hanging above the ring. The jeers suddenly turned into cheers as someone came running down the ramp. What the hell was Ava Grimes doing here? There will be time to answer that question, what mattered now was that the Academy graduate was the only person standing between Thatcher and victory, although she had little time to act. Ava started running up the giant ladder, but there was still a gap between it and the one Nash was standing on top of. Ava didn’t stop thinking, I mean if he did she would have never started running up an unstable ladder that couldn’t even bring her to her destination. Instead she leaped toward Thatcher, hitting him with a knee strike that knocked him down and outside the ring, right on top of Tank who had finally got out of that pile of ladders. And speaking of ladders, the one the Killer Kowboy was on fell on the canvas with a thud while the young Grimes managed to hang on the Lockdown championship and was now swinging 20 feet above the ring. Afraid to fall, she started calling for “Blue hair” Selena, who was finally beginning to stir and asked her to pick up the ladder so that she could get down. Lyre hesitated, the thought that Ava could just take down the title and end another match with another bullshit ending crossed her mind. Grimes yelled at her to move, saying that the hook holding up the title was loosening. As soon as the ladder was in position, Grimes began to climb down, sarcastically thanking Selena and inviting her to reach for the belt. Which she eventually did, winning her first title in MWE.

WINNER: Selena Lyre (NEW LOCKDOWN CHAMPION)
BY: Title Retrieval, 18:03

The camera took us to a remote corner of the Mercedes-Benz Arena, away from the bustling of the locker room area and the hallways usually attended by MWE’s proactive interviewers looking to get a word in from the superstars before or after their matches. No, this is the kind of place where you meet when you don’t want the prying eyes and ears of the cameras to get into your business and share it with the whole world.

As evidence supporting that claim, the cameraman was filming the two men talking from a safe distance and an odd angle, almost as if they were trying to stay hidden from their sight. That was why we couldn’t pick up a single word of the conversation ongoing between Julian Savell, the big World Championship belt resting on his shoulder was a dead giveaway of his identity, and who we could only assume was Donovan Keane.

Donnie was seen shaking his head, to which Julian reacted in an unusual way, resting his hand on Keane’s shoulder in a reassuring way. Whatever they were talking about was not over yet, but our little sneak peek surely was, and in the most uncomfortable way for the poor cameraman.The massive figure of Benjamin Atlas stepped in front of the camera, blocking our view. And before the cameraman could apologize and leave the scene, the big man pushed him to the ground, giving us a nice shot of the Arena’s ceiling before the feed cut to the next segment.

Singles Match

Betsy Gallagher VS Aislinn Finn-Pearce

This match between two wrestlers needing to reignite their careers started with a collar and elbow tie up. Size and power favored Betsy but the last MENTV champion delivered a knee strike into her stomach and just slammed her into the canvas. Gallagher rolled away, avoiding the opponent’s stomp and quickly got back to her feet, hitting the Irish with a middle kick and whipping her into the ropes. Finn ducked Betsy’s clothesline on the rebound and hit the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, putting more momentum behind her running crossbody. Despite that, there wasn’t enough force behind her move to knock Titania off her feet. The strong brit blocked the attempt and dropped Finn on her knee with a rib-breaker. Without letting go, she then lifted Ash over her shoulders and connected a fireman's carry slam, obtaining the first near fall of the match.
Strike after strike, Betsy was pushing Aislinn toward the ropes. The former MENTV champion finally dodged the strike and hit a standing dropkick, causing Betsy to stumble back into the ropes. Finn followed with a clothesline, knocking herself and the English native out of the ring. The fight continued on the outside, with Gallagher once again using her strength to get the upper hand and push Ash Fi into the steel post. Betsy then charged in with a chop but the strike was ducked by her opponent and she ended up hitting the post instead. While she was clutching her hand in pain she got dropped on her head with a snap DDT
As the match went back inside the ring, Aislinn stayed on the attack, chopping Betsy and planting her with a bulldog followed by a flurry of punches in the corner into a boot scrape for a close nearfall. The daughter of Riot’s commentator Sir Figgles began to work on Betsy’s arm, preparing the ground for her Cleddyf (double fujiwara armbar) by wrapping her legs around Gallagher’s arm and trying to dislocate her shoulder. But Gallagher dug deep and found the strength to lift the opponent and powerbomb her into the turnbuckle, With the opponent sitting in the corner, Betsy delivered her Regal’s Knee (running knee strike), but couldn’t keep Ash down for the count of three.
From there Betsy took over the match with hard strikes and a boot right in the jaw for another nearfall. Aislinn was placed on the top rope and was hit with a superplex, but once again managed to raise her shoulder in time. A third attempt at putting down the former champion with the British End (pumphandle lift dropped into a reverse STO) resulted in another near fall.. Gallagher dragged the opponent up to her feet and started a flurry of chops that only seemed to fire Aislinn up. Finn hit Betsy with a series of headbutts followed by the Warp Spasm (cartwheel roundhouse kick) and a legdrop, for a near fall of her own. Back with the submissions, Ash applied a cross armbreaker, but too close to the ropes, making it too easy for Betsy to break free.
Sticking to her game plan, Aislinn applied yet another submission, this time opting for her trademark Barghest (rolling guillotine choke armbar). Betsy struggled a bit more with this one, trying to power out of the submission with no success. The effort only winded her down faster, to the point where she seemed about to pass out. The referee went to check on her but Gallagher refused to give up. Once again the Englishwoman found the will and strength to continue, powering out of the submission.
Aislinn stayed on the attack, obviously focusing her offense on Betsy’s arm. Gallagher did her best to protect the sore body part, although that didn’t mean she switched to a defensive stance. She may be a believer of the old saying that the best form of defense is the attack because she started swinging her legs, blasting the opponent with a flurry of kicks. Ash tried to break the siege but Betsy caught her leg and sent her flying with an exploder suplex. Aislinn then tried with a right punch but that too was blocked by Gallagher who then applied a wristlock to the Irish native, pulling her into the Queen’s Lariat. Lady Titania hooked once again the leg, but neither this was enough to keep the resilient former champion down. Betsy insisted, dragging the opponent up to her feet and hitting a couple of knee strikes before she hooked the arms and lifted Ash in the air for the Betsy Bomb. dropping Finn-Pearce on rhe canvas and getting the much needed win.

WINNER: Betsy Gallagher
BY: Pinfall (Betsy Bomb), 7:53

We cut inside the Nightfall Rising locker room, where Donnie and Jay are getting ready for their tag match. The first thing that comes to attention is the silence that envelops the room, in stark contrast to the chaotic and loud nature of the dynamic duo.

Donovan Keane in particular seems to have a lot on his mind, as he sits on the bench keeping his head low. Jay walks up to Donnie and nudges him with his elbow.

Jay Gallagher:
Hey, you good? It seems like your head isn’t in the game right now. I know we have some bullshit to deal with tonight but shit, we’ve gotten through all of it before, haven’t we?

Donnie smiles ho to his tag partner, even though it's clearly a forced smile behind which he's trying to hide his obvious concerns.

Donovan Keane:
Yeah, I'm good. I just.. I just hate that they put us against these crazy cultist bitches.. Like we all know how this will go, right?

He shrugs his shoulders, clearly not enthusiastic about tonight's booking.

Donovan Keane:
We are about to beat them, because we're clearly the superior team in this match, their minions come out and beat the shit out of us. Then we're stuck with their shit till December, including attacks on Leia and the people we care about. Sounds like fun, right?

Jay shrugs his shoulders.

Jay Gallagher:
That’s how it is sometimes, bro! But we have to stay optimistic and keep on fighting the good fight. It’s what we were trained to do. Remember all the things that Chris and Xavier taught us at Nightfall.

Donovan Keane:
Have you ever wondered if that's really how it has to be? Tell me Jay, how many matches did we have in the last couple of years? I bet we can count them on two hands. Either I was injured or you were, and none of them were due to lack of training or bad luck. Always trauma inflicted by other people. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of it.

He lets his words linger and sink in.

Donovan Keane:
I talked with Julian earlier. He said he has our backs tonight, if, or better when shit hits the fan.

He barely manages to finish the sentence before Jay butts in, shaking his head vehemently.

Jay Gallagher:
Hell no, Donnie! Are you out of your mind? You saw what he and The Division have done to Chris and his family. They tried to end the career of the man we owe pretty much everything, how can you even consider getting in business with him?

Donnie raises his voice, cutting off his best friend and tag partner.

Donovan Keane:
Who the hell said anything about doing business? He just wants to offer help, in case things get rough. And they will, you know how the Cult operates. It’s not just about us, it’s about protecting the people we love.

Gallagher nods, although he’s definitely not in agreement with what Keane just said.

Jay Gallagher:
Exactly. We must protect them, from the Cult and from The Division. Do you really think that Julian will help us from the good of his heart?

After a pause to let that question sink in, the former Portland Pro tag team champion continues.

Jay Gallagher:
You’re asking me to choose between two evils, Donnie. And I’m not entirely sure the Division is the lesser one.

He puts his hand on his partner’s shoulder in a reassuring way.

Jay Gallagher:
We don’t need them. We already have Rhett and Qiyara, Leia, Bebe and the whole Nightfall crew, and they all have our backs. But most importantly, we got each other. We’ve been through a lot of shit together, and we always came out of it. This time it won’t be any different.

Donnie listens to his partner’s heartfelt speech without saying a word. A smile finally appears on his face as he nods at Jay and takes a step back toward the exit door.

Donovan Keane:
You’re right.

He says before turning around and opening the door. Gallegher glances at him and asks.

Jay Gallagher:
Where are you going? We have a match to get ready for!

Donovan Keane:
I’m going to tell Julian to stick his offer up his ass.

Gallagher bursts out laughing, watching his tag partner storm out of the locker room.

Jay Gallagher:
Yeah, tell him to shove his dumb umbrella up there too!

Tag Team Match

The Band Of Nine (Saoirse Tyrell & Erin Marie Paige) VS Nightfall Rising

Nightfall Rising seemingly had already moved on from the little argument they had backstage.Jay and Donnie may have opposite feelings about accepting to have the Division to watch their back, but that wasn’t going to put a dent on their friendship, or their ability to work together. That much was clear since the very beginning of the match as the two immediately showed their characteristic style, fast paced action and a lot of team maneuvers. Erin didn’t seem able to wrap her head around it, getting tossed around the ring by the Nightfall guys. Luckily for them, Donnie’s German Suplex following Jay’s superkick sent her near her corner, where she could make the tag to her partner and catch a much needed break.
The former Academy student was able to break Nightfall’s momentum, blocking Jay on the mat with front facelock. Gallagher managed to get to his feet but the tattooed Irish pushed his head down and raised her knee, rocking Jay and dropping him with a neckbreaker. Definitely too little to keep him down but she tried to make the cover nonetheless, barely getting a two. Saoirse dragged him toward her corner looking to tag her partner back in but Jay pushed her away and into the corner. He quickly turned around and walked toward Donnie, but Erin was faster to take the tag and hit him with a missile dropkick to the back, frustrating his attempt to reach his partner. EMP then followed with furious stomps before grabbing him by his foot and dragging him back toward her corner. She made the tag to Tyrell and rolled under the bottom rope, still keeping hold of Jay’s ankle. She raised his foot and rested it on the bottom rope while Saoirse climbed to the top rope and jumped with a double foot stomp on Gallagher’s leg.
The youngest member of the Band Of Nine kept targeting Jay’s leg with an arsenal of excruciating submissions. A strategy that was paying off, damaging the Nightfall member’s leg to the point where Jay could barely stand on it. Despite the obvious pain, Gallagher still managed to connect a desperation enziguri that opened the way to the corner where Donovan was eager to take his spot and give him the deserved break he desperately needed.
Donnie came in like a house on fire, knocking Saoirse down three times with three consecutive lariats before turning his focus on EMP and knocking her off the apron with a bicycle kick. With Paige out of the picture, he tried to put Saoirse down with the Donnie Cutter (handspring cutter) but the Academy reject managed to get her shoulder up in time. Keane glanced in his corner, looking to involve his best friend and, together, exploit the favorable moment to put down the Band Of Nine for good, but Jay was still nursing his ankle, visibly in discomfort as he sat on the edge of the ring and massaged his leg. Realizing that the task of winning the match relied most likely on him, Donnie lifted Saoirse for a brainbuster and then climbed to the top rope, ready to jump with the DK Bomb (swanton bomb). But then Erin came around, pushing Donnie off the turnbuckle and causing him to crash on the floor outside..
The Band then had a favorable couple of minutes, in which Erin and Saoirse showed an improved chemistry from their first time together in the trios match. Still not perfect, the timing of some moves still needed to be worked on and there were some minor inconveniences and slight misunderstandings, but overall they did a good job in keeping Donnie isolated and wearing him down. Saoirse’s superkick seemed to be the end of it, but Gallagher came to his friend’s rescue, managing to save him despite the bad leg. A few moments later, following a hot tag, Jay was back in the mix. With the adrenaline pumping in his veins, the Vegas kid barely felt any pain. He flew around the ring <, connecting with acrobatic moves and awing the fans with a springboard cutter. As he was standing on the apron, ready to finish Saoirse with the Galla-Star Press, the masked cultists appeared in the crowd.
Donnie told his best friend and tag partner to “stay focused on the match and bring it home” while he would take care of the cultists. He looked ready to fend them off on his own, to perhaps sacrifice himself to give his partner a chance to finish what they started but that wasn’t necessary. Much to Keane's own surprise, the Division came out in full force, dropping cultists on their way to the ring. The Big Guy Ben Atlas was leading the pack, flanked by Julian and Jack. The rest of them was right behind, watching their backs as they quickly reached the ringside area, joining Donovan and taking on the big chunk of cultists. When Jay decided to take out a few of them as well as RAZE and Erin Marie Paige with an Asai moonsault, the referee was left with no choice but to cal for the bell.
Rather than defusing the potentially explosive situation, this decision gave the green light to a second wave of cultists to appear and storm the ring. Too many to handle even for the Division, more so with some of them, Julian himself above all, still having to compete in their matches later tonight. Not wanting to risk any injury that could affect their performance in crucial matches, Julian called for a tactical retreat, telling Atlas to take Donnie. Keane told them to wait so he could get Jay as well, or at least that someone would help him against Saoirse and two cultists. But Julian shook hiis head, saying that Jay “had made his choice”. Benjamin had to hold Donnie back to stop him from reaching his tag partner and literally carry him backstage. Outnumbered, Gallagher fell under the strikes of the Cult Of Nine. A ruthless beatdown that continued even when Jay was lying motionless on the cold floor. Then all of a sudden Saoirse raised her arm and they stopped, gathering around Tyrell and following her and Erin as they left.

WINNER: No Contest
BY: Double DQ, 9:16

The seats were pack and the fans were on their feet down the show that had taken place so far. It was no surprise they had a rise when a familiar face came on the tron, offering a good bit of love and a little bit of something for the one calling herself the Lionness. Ahalya Patel was standing in another of her wonderful formal wear items this time with an pair of iris wings adorning the costume before she grew quiet.

Ahalya Patel:
I know. . . I know. I can hear you all the way back here with your lovey dove nature for Till. It’s cool, I get it, Germans are into crazy psychopathics it’s a heart throb situation.

She chuckled receiving some boos from the crowd before she rolled her eyes.

Ahalya Patel:
Relllax Germany im Fucking with you, I get it he’s your home town guy, he’s been vying for this title for a while, and yeah . . . He’s done some shit that makes him worthy of having another shot at it. He’s a tough son of a bitch, but I promise you at the end of the day he’s not the first man I’ve made bleed and he won’t be the last.

She smirked though the fans still weren’t too approving of her message.

Ahalya Patel:
Then we have Devon, the guy who claims he’s owed everything, because he’s had some hard times.

She gave a fake “aww” expression before shaking her head.

Ahalya Patel:
Biggest pile of garbage I’ve ever heard from another competitor. “I deserve this over you because I’ve had it rough” welcome to the human condition you jackass, you think you’re the only one who’s had it tough out here, who had to fight to get somewhere? You had to overcome what? I don’t hear you out here week after week sharing your damn story with the world. You about had your arm broken by yours truly and we didn’t hear a peep, but you’ve had it tough… that’s what this title is all about bub.

She shook her head.

Ahalya Patel:
You think it’s been easy for me? Easy for Till? Like we ain’t had our struggles, Like we have bled for this business night after night? Acting like you’re owed something when it wasn’t by luck that you even got a shot at it anyways is pretty bold or you there prince, and we’re going to make sure you get exactly what you’re owed but it isn’t what you think.

She smiled lifting up her Chicago Way Championship, letting the audience see exactly what this fight was all about.

Ahalya Patel:
People who’ve never walked a hard path will never hold one of these, people who don’t know the pain and struggles of the world will never hold one of these, what makes you special is your ability to face adversity, chump! What makes you special is rising above all that god damn bullshit someone else put in your way and showing them exactly what you’re about. I’ve done it time and time again in my career and still out here scrapping for it daily. This is my title and it’s going to be a cold day in the seven circles of hell before either one of you takes it out of my grasp, I promise you that.

She draped the championship on her shoulder before walking out of the scene.

Chicago Way Championship Match
First Blood Elimination

Ahalya Patel © VS Till Schlotterbeck VS Devon Slayton

This one was one for the text books almost immediately from the get go. Ahalya occupied one side of the ring while Till and Devon were in corners opposing one another. As soon as the belt was hung in the air and the stipulations announced all hell broke loose rather quickly. Devon was quick to head in Till’s direction, the german native being backed into the corner with a thunderous boom. The crowd who was behind the man in his homeland were jeering Slayton for the assault, while Ahalya who typically was quick on the fight instead rested against the ropes tying her arms into them and watching with a smirk on her face making sure the audience saw her as she looked to her left and then to her right, instantly drawing their heat, but clearly showing she didn’t care.
After a few left and rights from Slayton, the fighting German came back to life, dodging one of the following punches, sliding behind Slayton and throwing him over with a German Suplex. The crowd instantly approved, but Till was quick to roll through and slam him down again, this time releasing the suplex hold to the crowds delight. Ahalya was quick to join in on the fun however to the downed Slayton as she finally got into one of her animal poses signature to her Kalaripayattu style and rolled up onto one hand before crashing down with some sort of handspring leg drop. Rolling back over onto her feet she turned into another animal pose style and looked in Till’s direction having clearly faced off against the fighting german before she motioned with her hand for him to bring it on and with a fun and goofy smile he did just that.
The two went back and forth with over six or seven combinations a piece, each one causing one reversal after another. The tug of war ended when Till got the upper hand on her putting her down with a swinging neckbreaker. Ahalya ducked out after this obviously having her breath taken away and it turned back to Devon and Till squaring up in the ring. This time Devon taking the upper hand and nailing his combination of a Running High Knee, followed by a spinning back fist, followed by a spinning back kick, and a running knee strike to finish, this combination being the one named the hot streak. Till’s forehead turned mighty red from all of the impact, but it wasn’t enough to bust him open just yet, but Devon didn’t give him time to rest, going right into a mounted position to offer some punches.
During her venture outside of the ring we see Ahalya returning to break up this onslaught only in the process shes brought with her some friends, a few of the weapons she’d found under the ring in a kendo stick, some throwing stars (what a strange weapon), and a steel chair. Of course also tied around her waist was that handy scarf of hers and while Devon was busy carrying out his attack on Till, she was able to wrap it around his neck instantly providing a choke hold and that had him standing to his feet to avoid the pressure, in doing so she was able to use the scarf as leverage pulling him into a toss using her hip and the mid section of his back and just as he landed on his feet she sent a sickening kick to his nose. Although the impact was damaging he was still in the match, as she dropped the scarf she made use of the kendo stick and popped him in his back, and then as he rolled over she nailed him in the chest as well, nearly breaking the stick in half, but still not the feintest sight of blood. She ran to the ropes and bounced back dropping an elbow down on top of him as well. Before she turned just in time to see the ninja stars come flying her way from the hands of Till Schlotterbeck.
Till having recovered from his earlier onslaught had grabbed hold of them and nearly taken both of his opponents out with them as he threw them wildly. While none of them officially hit either of his opponent one did scrape the forearm of the downed Devon, who blood immediately began to pour from his arm, the referee running over to him and Eliminating him from the contest. (Devon Slayton Eliminated)
While Devon was busy contesting this you could see Ahalya checking herself over, as she took had been knicked by one of the ninja stars, the referee hadn’t noticed it yet however, and she rushes over to grab hold of her scarf that was still lying in the middle of the ring, almost like a garter the scarf wrapped perfect over the scrape on her leg, and the german fans realizing just what had happened and that Till had technically just won the match. They were outraged, but Ahalya didn’t waste her time with their opinions as she ran towards Till to start battle again. There were a couple of big moves there, until Till took advantage again trying his best to outwit the Indian woman but it was proving tougher than it seemed.
Several times it seemed the match was done, but just when it seemed the this were enough to break the skin, the two would switch it up. When Ahalya hit her Over the Top Rope Tiger Drop, it swayed the fans hope for a moment. When Till nailed his Das Boot (Penalty Kick) It seemed like it was over for Ahalya, however the impressive kick still didn’t seem to make her bleed, thus it looked as if he were prepared to go for it again, but instead she rolled from the ring receiving boos from the fans, which Till delighted himself in as Ahalya flailed from the apron to the floor. She seemed so out of it as she was making her way back to her feet using the apron as a guide, but just as soon as it seemed Till was coming to start the fight back up she pulled the ropes down sending him flying to the outside barricade.
What he hadn’t seen was that during her supposed stupor she had tied some of the barbed wire from earlier around the end of her boot and just as he’d gotten up to come at her again En Femina struck him (540 High Kick). The barbed wire slashing into his forehead there was nothing he could do to the stop the blood that began to pour out. (Till Schlotterbeck eliminated)

WINNER: Ahalya Patel (STILL CHICAGO WAY CHAMPION)
BY: First Blood (En Femina aided with barbed wire), 14:22

Previously Recorded
As the sun is rising over Berlin, Germany “Too Sexy” Tiffany Lynn Page is walking around the Brandenburg Gate. Tiffany looks around at the people walking around Pariser Platz.

“Too Sexy” Tiffany Lynn Page:
I see nothing but people who are astonished by both Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz. One can’t seem to notice the similarities of the people outhere sightseeing today and what Karen has done over the last few years by doing very little other than watch how Duke and I live our lives. As much as you and your cronies like to say otherwise. That is exactly what you do.

Tiffany shakes her head in disgust.

“Too Sexy” Tiffany Lynn Page:
You can be such a better mother, wrestler, and even a better person but you chose to be the ultimate troll. So much so that your behavior has trickled down to your cronies. I mean I have got to hand it to you, Karen, both Olly and Rainer are loyal to you but that speaks to their character more than you as a person, Karen.

Tiffany’s demeanor becomes more serious.

“Too Sexy” Tiffany Lynn Page:
Don’t get me wrong, Olly, as annoying as I might find you and how disgusting your choice in tag team partners is, you no doubt have a boat load of talent. But just like I am in your way from getting what you want you are in my way from winning the Battle of the Briefcase tournament. Just remember, Olly, like you I’ll do whatever I have to do to win. Don’t believe me? Just ask Karen.

Tag Team Match

Bad & Boujee VS Those Damned LeBeaus

Not the first time these two teams met, likely won’t be the last either. What looked like a low-stakes match suddenly became a lot more important after PCP won the titles on night 1. With new champions, in fact, it’s a new hunting season for the title, and a match like this could represent a huge step forward in the ranks, considering the caliber of the two teams involved. So it wasn’t really a surprise to see Bebe taking a cheapshot to secure an early advantage.A swift throat jab right before the sound of the bell sent Annica reeling back but Bebe was quick to grab her by the arm and whip her against the ropes. On the rebound, Bebe caught the former tag champion with a leg lariat, flooring her.
The LeBeaus controlled the first part of the match, immediately using some of their tricks to stay ahead of the twins. As Leia whipped Alyiah into the ropes, Bebe pulled them down causing the former tag champion to fall out of the ring. The MWE Academy graduate then stepped on the middle rope and pulled the top one up. Leia flew between her sister’s legs and took Aliyah down with a suicide dive. Annica went to help her sister, pulling LeBeau away from her but a moonsault from Bebe took her, and everyone else, out.
After some commotion on the outside, the legal competitors headed back inside the ring. At least one of them, as the Greenes took advantage of the chaotic situation to do their trademark switch. Annica was now inside the ring, pretending to be her worn out sister to fool the unaware Leia. And when the former Junior Heavyweight champion came within reach, Annica yanked her down and dropped her neck-first on the middle rope, setting her up for a tiger feint kick. She then waited on the apron, ready to hit Leia with a springboard move and saw Bebe trying to sneak behind her back. She stopped her before she could do anything by kicking her in the face and then jumped toward the other LeBeau with a springboard crossbody. Bebe’s shenanigans bought her sister some valuable time and allowed Leia to counter Greene’s move with a dropkick. Leia hooked the leg and tried a cover but she only got a count of two.
Bad & Boujee were second to none when it comes to finding creative ways to circumvent the rules and get away with it. Twin Magic wasn’t the only trick up their sleeves as the LeBeaus learned tonight. Leia was trying to get to her corner when Annica entered the ring illegally and grabbed a handful of hair, taking The Show to the ground. The referee gave her a stern warning, reminding the former Tag Team champion of those rules she surely knew all too well. Her sister kicked Bebe off the apron, thus leaving Leia without any support. Aliyah then delivered her patented standing moonsault side slam but only managed to obtain a count of two before Bebe pulled her out of the ring.
This was by far the toughest moment for Leia LeBeau, desperately needing to create some separation and reach her sister in the corner. But Bad & Boujee were running wild on her with various tag team offenses. The Jet City Girl connected with a forearm shot which gave her some room to breathe but before she could follow up on that, Aliyah kicked her in the gut and threw her shoulder-first into the corner. Quick tag to Annica who immediately climbed the turnbuckle while her sister lifted The Show over her shoulders in an electric chair position. Thie fans knew exactly what was going to happen next, but the same could be said for Those Damned LeBeaus. Bebe blocked Annica’s leg to prevent her from jumping with the double foot stomp while Leia tried to block the first part of the Electric Dreams by dropping right hands to Aliyah’s head. Annica was able to shove Bebe away, but in that exact same moment Leia countered the electric chair drop with a reverse rana, planting Greene on her head. Annica decided that she would still hit Leia with an aerial assault but Bebe was back on her, placing both hands on the former champion’s rear and pushing her off the top rope into a ruinous fall on the outside.
Annica landed badly on her shoulder, rolling on the floor in pain. Leia made the tag to her sister who entered the ring and immediately floored Aliyah with the Snap Shot (superkick). The younger LeBeau hooked the leg but only managed to get a two out of it. She kept striking the iron while it was hot, looking to end things before the other twin could recover from the nasty bump on the outside. She hit her standing somersault butt drop and then went to the corner, climbing on the top rope. She waited there until Aliyah began to stand up and jumped with the Seattle Slutdrop. As she was about to make the cover, Annica tried to enter the ring but Leiia hit her with a baseball slide and allowed her sister to score the decisive pinfall.

WINNER: Those Damned LeBeaus
BY: Pinfall (Seattle Slutdrop), 12:26

WE WANT YOU!

October 1st will mark the beginning of the fourth Academy year. Fifteen students will be selected to join the Class Of 2024, getting the unique opportunity to train under the guidance of former World champions like Lady Magdalena and Helena Noir, flanked by a team of top notch coaches to cover every aspect of training.

This year class is open for students aged between 17 and 21, of any level of training and background.

The pre-enrollment is now officially open, the candidates' profiles will then be evaluated by the Principal Gianluigi Vaccaro and his staff.

Sign up at this link!

Battle For The Briefcase Tournament Match
Round One: One Fall

Jack Graves VS Tiffany Lynn-Page

Another forfeit in the BFTB tournament. Olly was forced, although reluctantly, to wave the white flag and give up his spot in the tournament due to the resurgence of that nagging shoulder injury he suffered at Anarchy In The UK. He was replaced by his fellow DIvision member Jack Graves who, after taking on Duke at the last PPV and “booting” him from the company, wouldn’t mind doing the same with Tiffany Lynn-Page. The Diva wasn’t happy with the change of plans. With all due respect to Olly, it's one thing to face a worn out and potentially injured version of him and a whole different thing to go one on one against the GEW Grand Champion. Tiffany expressed her feelings, telling both Jack and the ref that he didn’t belong in the match and if Olly couldn’t compete, she should be declared the winner and advance to the second round. When Graves laughed in her face, Page lost it and bitch slapped the man. Big mistake, as this only fired up the cowboy who then knocked her back a couple of steps with a heavy strike to the jaw.
Not exactly fitting the definition of a Southern Gentleman, Graves wasn’t going easy on Tiffany, pounding her with stiff strikes to the ribs and torso in the corner. The referee stood in his way to grant a break but the member of The Division was quick to shove him aside and grab Tiffany’s arm, firing her in the opposite corner and squashing her with a running clothesline. He then grabbed the middle ropes and began to drive his shoulder into her midsection, folding her in two. He then sat her up on the top rope for a superplex but Tiffany began to fight back with desperate headbutts, managing to knock him down. She then jumped onto his chest with a double foot stomp, but it wasn’t enough to keep the man down.
Fighting against a heavyweight, the Prima Donna couldn’t count on some of her characteristic moves like the Alluring and the Hottie Bomb. But the array of aerial assaults she brought to Jack seemed to be working just fine, even allowing her to score a near fall with a superkick followed by the PAWG (cartwheel into a double knee drop). Graves kicked out in two and quickly got back to his feet, ready to fight back. A Prima Donna kick knocked him down once again and Tiffany quickly hooked the leg, but just like before Jack kicked out in two.
Lynn-Page insisted with her high-flying attacks, but sometimes taking risks can backfire. She missed her springboard moonsault attempt, landing on the empty canvas after Graves rolled out of the way. The NashVillain was quick to capitalize, deadlifting the former Tag Team champion with a gutwrench movement and powerbombing her into the canvas. He didn't go straight for the cover, choosing to bide his time instead and taunting Tiffany telling her to get up. As soon as she did, he hit her with the Dinner Bell (bullhammer elbow) that sent her down to the mat seeing stars. Now he attempted the cover, but it was too close to the ropes and Tiffany managed to save herself.
Jack went for the kill, clenching his hand around the Diva's throat and lifting her for the Hangman's Call, but Lynn-Page managed to slip away and get behind his back, where she jumped and took him down with a backstabber. For the second time Tiffany went for a springboard moonsault, connecting it unlike earlier and adding another near fall to her count.
The look on Tiffany's face when her best move, the codebreaker called Sex In The City, couldn't keep down the tough Southern was one of pure shock. To her memory, nobody had kicked out of it in a long time. But Jack's resilience was well documented, ask Duke Andrews for reference. Even a tough SOB like him needed a moment to regroup after popping his shoulder up, rolling out of the ring. Tiffany tried to follow with a suicide dive but she got blasted with an uppercut that caught her in mid air and knocked her down. He wasted no time picking her up and pushing her back under the bottom rope and finish her with the Black Curtains (straightjacket DDT).

WINNER: Jack Graves
BY: Pinfall (Black Curtains), 11:21

We head backstage to see Paula huddled up with her brothers, Jesse, Justin, and Jackie. The Parker family seems to be talking strategy as we see interviewer Rylee Robinson approaching. She whispers to the camera man.

Rylee Robinson:
Hey guys, as you can see ahead of me is Paula Parker with her three brothers who for one night only, will be her teammates. Lets see if we can get a word with them!

Rylee walks up to the four Parker siblings and clears her throat. This draws the attention of all four members of the family with Paula pulling away from the huddle, leaving her brothers to follow her lead.

Paula Parker:
Is there a reason you're here? I don't recall requesting your presence. We have a big time match to prepare for.

Rylee Robinson:
Of course, that's actually why I'm here. I was hoping I could get a few questions in. If you can spare a moment of course.

Paula fans herself with her hands, her face turning red. She was turning on the dramatics this time. She sighs deeply before nodding.

Paula Parker:
I'm feeling generous, and confident, so sure. Go ahead. But make it quick.

Rylee looks at the four siblings before continuing.

Rylee Robinson:
Well, to my knowledge, this is the debut match for Jesse, Justin, AND Jackie. So lets start with you, Justin. How are you feeling going into this match? Do you see yourself as a weak link for your sister?

Paula puts her face in front of the microphone that was held in front of Justin.

Paula Parker:
Weak link? There is no weak link in our family. I know I've went on record saying that this is unfair, which it is, but, to doubt our work ethic and our preparation is not only rude, it's downright unprofessional. I think I've heard enough of your questions to my brothers, Rita.

Rylee Robinson:
It's actually, Rylee...

Paula Parker:
Whatever. You aren't the star here, we are. So, it's unfair that my brothers are being forced to compete tonight, but I'm confident that with them by my side? Not only will we be successful, but we'll steal the show. Night one was promising but night two will be PERFECT. Tonight, we take on former tag champions, and the woman I've already defeated. I know what we're getting in to, and while the numbers advantage is ours, the experience is theirs. This is a handicap match in every sense of the word, but like always, we will overcome the odds, and we will be victorious. My family holds each individual to a high standard, and tonight, it's either win...or...someone may just have to go home.

Paula glares menacingly at each of her brothers one at a time for about ten seconds each, before plastering a smile on her face.

Paula Parker:
But as I said, I'm more than confident that when that final bell rings, NINA will be a loser...again, and The Prodigy will have her highest profile win yet.

Paula grins before shoo'ing away the camera man, raising her voice to her brothers as she begins to coach them on how hard they will have to fight tonight to ensure victory and to be sure not to let her down.

3 On 4 Handicap Match

Nina & Brothers McMillion VS The Parkers (Paula, Justin, Jesse & Jackie)

Matching ring gear for Paula and her brothers, who definitely looked out of place in a ring, hesitant and perhaps a little frightened as well. Paula was trying to keep their nerves in check, reassuring them with words of encouragement. But the pop Nina and the Brothers McMillion received when they walked out from the curtain interrupted her prep talk. The former intern and the MWE Hall of Famers walked into this match as the clear fan-favorites, Some might say the favorites to win the match too, and going by their in-ring experience and wrestling ability alone, it wouldn’t be a farfetched statement. But the numbers advantage, especially in a chaotic environment such as this, definitely had its perks. From something as simple as having an extra man to break up or protect pinfalls to allow faster rotations and longer resting times should the match drag out for too long.
Nina and Paula began the match for the respective teams. The Prodigy surely felt the pressure of having to carry her team, and perhaps even the responsibility of having dragged, with her actions, her three brothers in this situation. This definitely affected her approach to the match, making it all too easy for Nina to pull her into her patented fireman’s carry into an elbow drop. Always with a special consideration for the entertainment aspect and the interactions with the fans, Nina asked the Berlin crowd who they wanted to see in action first, Javen or Christian. The pop was slightly louder for the eldest of the McMillions, and CM was the one she tagged in. But as soon as Christian entered the ring, Simon playfully tagged himself in, leaving his own brother dumbfounded. Simon was now the legal man, taking on Paula in his personal rematch from Anarchy In The UK. Just like a few weeks ago, his quick and unpredictable style, although less smooth and polished than it used to be, worked quite well against the Prodigy, allowing Javen to score the first nearfall of the match with a roundhouse kick.
Throwback to 2019 when the Brothers brought back their Catapult-O-Doom, with Christian launching Parker into a DDT by Javen. There was another cover attempt, and this time the entire Parker family entered the ring to save Paula. Jesse was blocked by a dropkick from Nina while Jackie got speared by Javen. But Justin managed to get through them and broke up the pin attempt, allowing the match to continue. Paula’s effort had been valiant, fighting back against Christian and even managing to get a count of two over him with a sunset flip, but right now she definitely needed a break, even if that meant getting one of her brothers, who are not trained professional wrestler, in the ring with a veteran of the sport. She created herself that chance with an enziguri kick. She now had a clear path toward her corner where Justin gladly stepped in to help her.
Justin showed some amateur boxing background, landing a few punching combinations before eating a dropkick from CM. Father time had been less clement with him, compared to his younger brother. Don’t get me wrong, he could still go and his technique was unaffected. as testified by the Falcon arrow that gave him another near fall. But his condition was far from the glory days, and he soon gassed out allowing Justin to floor him with a right uppercut to the chin and quickly reach his corner to tag Jackie in.
Christian tagged out too, bringing his brother back in the mix. Javen took on Jackie and easily outwrestled him, taking him down with an armdrag and following with a leg drop, but Parker raised his shoulder in time. Paula was on edge as we had never seen her before, ready to dart in every time one of her opponents pinned her brothers, anxious that they could cost her the match. On his end, Justin really did the best he could to help the cause. He was able to reverse Javen’s Irish whip and send the former Tag champion into the corner, where he hit him with a running body splash. Perhaps the more skilled of the three, Justin climbed up to the second rope and hit Simon on top of his skull with a double axe handle. It wasn’t enough to keep him down for the three but nonetheless it was a good attempt.
Jackie attacked Nina with some MMA strikes, showing a decent martial arts background. Too little to really trouble the Viper who, after weathering the initial storm brought by JP, turned the tides with surprising ease. She blocked the man’s punch and twisted his arm with a wristlock, firing a wicked kick to the ribs that left him on one knee and in a world of pain. Nina took a couple of steps back and looked ready to hit him with the Snakebite (axe kick), but as she took the first step she felt someone grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back.. It was Paula, desperately trying to save her brother from his fate. Nina didn’t appreciate the intermission, although she wasn’t surprised by it either and knocked the Prodigy off the apron with the Viper Sting (Fedor Punch). All hell broke loose then with the other two Parker Boys attacking Nina and the McMilliona coming to her rescue.
The referee desperately tried to regain control of the match, but it was all in vain. He didn’t even see Paula sliding a chair inside the ring and Jackie bashing Nina’s skull with it. Paula’s brother quickly launched the chair out of the ring and made the cover, but Nina was able to get her shoulder up just in the nick of time. Paula called him and asked to be tagged in, and Jackie gladly left the spotlights to her. The Prodigy stole the show with a springboard shooting star press right into a cover. Once again Nina got her shoulder up, but it was a moment too late.

WINNER: Paula, Jesse, Jackie & Justin Parkerr
BY: Pinfall (springboard shooting star press), 14:09

We are now in the locker room where one man alone seems to be sitting there. This has become an increasingly common sight considering how he tends to keep to himself more and more of late. But fair play to the man in terms of his physical conditioning at his age and over twenty years on the road, he’s at his leanest while his arms have even more definition in them. The veteran Seth Iser just has his arms crossed.

Seth Iser:
Well well…Brighton Lancaster, younger sibling of Echo. You walk in from graduation and straight into this opportunity for one of the biggest prizes the company has. No pressure, right? You’re only wrestling one of the men who redefined an entire style of professional wrestling. And as an opening round to the Battle of the Briefcase as well? You can’t ask for a bigger opportunity…

There’s a calmness etched in Seth’s voice as he states all of this. Right now, he is lecturing more like a teacher than a professional wrestler at the moment.

Seth Iser:
But this ain’t The Academy. Leave whatever baggage you want to bring at The Academy, just some advice from someone who's been around in this industry longer than you’ve been alive because you’re back to square one. You know what the valedictorian gets in terms of respect in this locker room on day one? Same as you…a blank slate. Everything you did was just a step to get you into THIS locker room. You have to earn everything all over again but in front of people who have been around for years and everyone with their eyes all out on you wondering if one of you kids is going to be the next big thing in the industry and what your careers will evolve into it…puts you a mile ahead of paying certain dues, you know.

There’s more of the normal tone from Seth when he says that last sentence but there isn’t real hostility coming from him as he’s leaning back on his chair.

Seth Iser:
And don’t be ashamed of the butterflies that are rumbling in your stomach right now because in a tournament setting no less, you’re stepping into the ring with one of the best in the world today and one of the best to ever play our little game. And there are high stakes in said tournament. I heard Billy drop the dreaded ‘R’ word in our game if he doesn’t win the Battle for the Briefcase and do it liberally and too fast.

Seth pauses for a moment as he lets that hang for just a brief second.

Seth Iser:
Looks like I may have to accept the consequences of retiring another if he gets that far then…

There’s a darkening of Seth’s tone when he says those words as he rocks back on that folding chair ever so slightly, his right hand now going toward his beard as if he’s chewing on that thought a little bit.

Seth Iser:
But you’re the first step, kid. For you this is a big deal, for me? This is another day and another chance to start adding to my legendary resume. I’m quite fond of this little battle considering it’s part of what broke my winless streak in tournaments. I know damn well what it takes to advance in every round and the grit and determination required to go through that hell. I know what it’ll also take off of what’s left of the back end of my career to complete this little gauntlet…even then, I accepted. The lure of having that kind of control to go after the World Title on my terms yet again was just too much now…

And then there’s a smirk that creeps onto Seth’s face that borders on total arrogance.

Seth Iser:
Ah mist...

He mutters that word in German before shaking his head slightly.

Seth Iser:
How rude…all this talk and I didn’t even formally introduce myself. I’m Seth Iser. The man who has seen everything in our sport in over two decades of competition to my name! And I am your opponent for this evening, Brighton. And whether it’s a DDT, The Injection of Poison, The Dream Eater, or some other way with whatever young wrestler’s mistake you’re going to leave in that ring for me, I’m going to show you the mental gap between a youth like you and a true professional in his craft like me. Maybe in time you’ll close that gap with some experience while also relying on that youthful energy and enthusiasm to give one hell of an effort…

And then there’s that glare as he stands up and shows off that entire six foot five frame and the impressive shape he’s gotten himself in.

Seth Iser:
But you’ll fall short like so many other people before you…and so many will after. Nothing personal, this is a business after all…but you’re just the first person in my way right now and I am not in the mood to go easy on your ass with the stakes the way they are. You’re going to help remind the rest of the people just how great I truly am tonight in Berlin, Germany.

With that last statement, Seth then walks out with his goal in mind.

Battle For The Briefcase Tournament Match
Round One: One Fall

Seth Iser VS Brighton Lancaster

When you’re 20+ years in this business like Seth, you start getting used to fighting people much younger than you. But taking on someone younger than your own daughter who’s born two years after you made your professional debut must have hit the old man differently. With that said, Brighton Lancaster didn’t look exactly like the regular teenager. The younger sister of MWE superstar Echo was just built differently; a six-foot-tall 155-pounds of pure muscles and strength, by far the strongest prospect coming out of this year’s class. And she wasn’t afraid to show that off, inviting Iser to lock horns in a test of strength and, for a while, holding her own against the grizzled veteran. As impressive as her feat was, it ended the way everyone predicted, with Seth managing to push her back into the corner although, to be fair, it took him longer than one would assume. Maybe it was some form of respect toward the debutant, maybe that teaching father instinct coming out to set a positive example, or maybe he was just being a condescending prick, but he immediately stepped back, giving the rookie a clean break.
After coming up short with the test of strength, Brighton laid out a different type of challenge, going to brawl against one of the best at that style. The shocking thing wasn’t how well she did in the exchange, but how she managed to rock him with a shot to the jaw and subsequently level him with a clothesline. The feat was met with cheers, which only boosted the young woman’s confidence even more. As soon as the veteran got back to his feet, still impressed and surprised by Brighton’s strength, she knocked him down again with a second clothesline, and then a third. Finally she grabbed him by the wrist and tossed him into the ropes with an Irish whip. Iser reversed the move and it was Lancasrer who rebounded off the ropes, running straight into a big boot by the veteran. Brighton showed great agility despite the size and slid under the former World Champion’s raised leg, popping up behind his back. She quickly wrapped her strong arms around his waist, looking to lift him with a German suplex. That appeared to be impossible even for the incredibly strong Australian-American, especially since Seth was fighting back to stop her. Eventually she gave up and pushed him forward toward the ropes, using the momentum to finally suplex the big man. A huge round of applause followed the move, worth only a count of two.
With her enthusiasm and touch of recklessness typical of her young age, Brighton was looking impressive tonight. The kid will definitely have a bright (pun intended) future, but unfortunately for her, experience was not something the Academy coaches could have taught her. Her opponent instead, had plenty of that and used it to mislead Brighton into a false sense of confidence. Looking dazed and labored in the corner, he lured Lancaster into charging for a running back elbow, only to move at the last moment and causing her to crash into the empty corner.. Deceptively fast, the old man ran into her with a corner clothesline and quickly followed with two more before he hoisted up the Academy graduate and brought her down to earth with a superplex.
The veteran used his vast technical knowledge to slow down the pace. Certainly a valuable lesson for Lancaster who, for the first time, found herself facing an opponent who topped her in size and strength. As that wasn’t enough, Seth also had the tools to wear down the opponent without giving her much room to maneuver and find a way out of this situation.But the Australian/American refused to pass out in the middle of the ring to a sleeper hold on her professional debut. She broke free with a couple of elbows into Seth’s midsection and hit the ropes, charging toward him with a head full of steam.Unfortunately, Iser saw that coming and planted her with the Icebreaker. The former MWE World champion then hooked the leg for the cover, but the youngster still had some fight left in her.
The close call definitely lit a fire under the rookie, who desperately started to punch Seth. He fought back and got the upper hand but Lancaster suddenly ducked his right hand and swept his legs, taking him to the canvas. She mounted on his chest and began to rain down strike after strike, a flurry of blows the veteran tried to parry by bringing his arms up and covering his face. Eventually he was able to shake her off himself. Both got up to their feet rather quickly, but Lancaaster was the one who struck first, spearing Seth into the ground. She landed a few more forearm shots to his head before moving away and gaining again a vertical position. Then she waited, gesturing to her opponent to get up which he promptly did. Instinctively, because even thinking something like that was completely insane, she picked the big man up and dropped him with a body slam. An incredible feat that left her surprised as much as everyone else in the Arena, although she was definitely quicker to recover from the shock and attempt a cover, but she couldn’t get past two and half.
What a performance from Brighton! On her first match, she put up an incredible fight against one of the best in the business, making him work for his ticket to round two. She took a lot of punishment, and dished out almost as much getting very close to the shocking win with a discus lariat to the back of the head that almost knocked out the veteran. But in the end she had to give up when Iser, after getting his share of near falls, dropped her on her head with his patented Deprivation DDT. After the referee counted to three, he seated on the mat and looked over at the fallen opponent, acknowledging her incredible showing. Yes, apparently even Seth Iser saw the raw talent and potential of the Academy graduate. And so did the fans, greeting her with a thunderous round of applause.

WINNER: Seth Iser
BY: Pinfall (Deprivation DDT), 14:19

We go once again backstage where we find the MWE inteerviewer Camille Bellamy standing side to side with the Academy graduate Brighton Lancaster, fresh from her professional debut.

Camille Bellamy:
Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see I'm here with one of the newest faces of MWE. Coming straight from the Academy, please welcome my guest at this time Brighton Lancaster,

The Australian-American, visibly disappointed for the outcome of her match, florces a smile to the camera.

Camille Bellamy:
Brighton, first of all congratulations on your debut. You finally made it, you hit the big stage and, let me tell you, you owned it. You went one on one against a former MWE World champion, a true veteran of this sport with a legendary career and you took him to the limit...

As the interviewer speaks, you could see Brighton's expression changing. But it wasn't anything Camille said, to be honest Lancaster wasn't even looking at her at this point. She's staring at something, or someone, in front of her at the opposite side of the hallway, that look of concern growing on her face with every passing second. Camille is still talking when Brighton places her hand on her shoulder and pushes her back while she takes a step forward, as to protect her from an incoming threat. The camera finally turns in that direcrion and as soon as it does, the person holding it quickly steps back.

Nine van der Hoek, Saoirse Tyrell and Erin Marie Paige are slowly walking toward Brighton, followed by a flock of masked Cultists. The trio stops a few steps away from Echo's younger sister, who seems ready to fight. And a fight is what she got, an uneven one as the cultists swarmed toward her. The powerhouse defended herself, managing to knock a few of them on their ass, resisting the onslaught for as long as her body allowed her to. Camille had already fled the scene, calling for security and backup to help Lancaster, who's stilll swinging those punches left and right.

Help was on the way, judging by the clatter of boots on the Arena floor, but Brighton has run out of time. Too many enemies to fend off, and she was too tired from the match against Iser. The horde of cultists eventually has the better of them, kncking her down and continuing to lay down blows until she stops moving. Then they drag her away, following The Leader in the parking lot area. A few minions stay behind to protect their exit, standing between the rest of the pack and security. The clash was inevitable, but neither the MWE crew nor the cultists threw the first punch.

Echo did, barging through the enemies line and taking two of them down with a double clothesline. The rest of the small handful left behind turns around to stop the former Invictus champion, who's chasing Nine and the rest of them in a desperate attempt to rescue her sister. For once the security team acts quickly and efficiently, tackling the masked folks and pinning them down. Echo doesn't even turn around, following Nine and her Band in the parking lot.

Unfortunately, she arrives a moment too late, watching the van leaving the Arena taking her younger sister away. The Australian behemoth can only take out her frustration on the nearest car, punching a hole through the driver's window. Blood trickle down her hand, but she doesn't seem to feel any pain.

Cloud Gate Championship Match
2 out of 3 Falls Match

A rivalry tracing back to when they both were students in the Academy, possibly the hottest prospects of their class. As you probably know, Bey never finished the year, leaving MWE’s developmental brand in December while Addison went on to become Gold Star and graduated as Valedictorian. But even if she would never admit to it, or more likely she would laugh at the idea, part of Addi must be wondering the same thing a lot of fans were asking themselves. Was Addison truly the best of that class? What if Bey didn’t leave? Would she have been the Valedictorian by the end of the year? And who’s the better wrestler among them?
As if she wanted to prove a point, McKinley challenged Bey in her strongest suit, locking up in the middle of the ring and quickly switching into a headlock. Her control over Addams only lasted the blink of an eye. Soon the Academy dropout was able to wrestle her way out of it and put Addison in a hammerlock. The Cloud Gate champion tried to swing her arm back hoping to catch the side of Bey’s head, but the Wristlock Academy alumnus ducked the blow and quickly dropped Captain Cloud Gate with a smooth hammerlock suplex. McKinley rolled out of the ring to take a first break, already favoring the arm she landed on with her whole bodyweight.
Absolutely in no rush, Bey didn’t follow her on the outside, not wanting to take any risk and well aware that Addi had to come back in before the count of the ref reached ten, or she would lose one fall: She waited patiently in the ring and as soon Addi stepped on the apron and leaned in, Addams kicked the middle rope up against the champion’s shoulder. Making her intentions clear from the very beginning, Bey then bent the opponent’s arm around the rope, inflicting more damage to it. Obviously she could only keep the illegal submission for five seconds before letting go. She then dragged Addison in the ring and put her into an armbar, trying to score the first point via submission. Other wrestlers in Addi’s shoes would have probably tapped out quickly rather than risking getting potentially injured and knowing they still would have the chance to turn this around. But not the Captain Cloud Gate. Rather than conceding the first fall to Bey with a submission nonetheless, Addison put herself through a lot of pain, but eventually managed to get to the ropes and force the break.
That arm was pretty banged up, Addison kept it limp along her body, focusing on her kicks to turn the tides. A few landed but then Bey was able to predict the next strike and blocked her leg, taking the champ to the canvas with a dragon screw. The sister of the late Tapp Addams attempted to lock her in a figure four but McKinley countered by placing her boot on Bey’s rear and pushing her into the corner. Addison quickly got to her feet and tried to pin the rival with a quick roll-up, leaning onto the middle rope to get some extra leverage and keep Bey’s shoulders down for a count of three, but Addams was able to get her shoulder up in time. Both competitors were back on their feet and Addison was the quickest to the draw, jumping in the air and connecting an enziguri kick that knocked Bey down for another near fall.
The momentum kept swinging back and forth between the two young competitors. Every time the pace sped up Addison took the lead and looked like she could score the first fall of the match, but Bey had all her best moves scouted and came prepared with a counter to each one of them, stopping the champ’s momentum and grounding her with one of the many holds in her arsenal. Even though they didn’t have a horse in this race, none of the young women had done much build an actual fanbase in their young careers, the German crowd was particularly vocal and engaged in this match tonight, making the perfect setting for one of the Match Of The Night candidates. The Cloud Gate champion went for her trademark springboard knee strike but Addams moved out of the way. Addison landed on her feet and quickly turned around to blast the challenger with a superkick. Once again Bey’s quick reflexes allowed her to dodge the blow and quickly roll up McKinley with the Schoolboy Dropout Rollup, complete with handful of thighs and feet on the ropes to secure the first fall and subsequent advantage.(Addams 1 - McKinley 0)
Addison reacted to being one fall down the same way she was known to react to any problems: putting her head down and charging in. She leaped toward Bey and took her down with a Thesz Press, raining down lefts and rights to her face. Addams was able to shake her off and get back to her feet but the Cloud Gate champion tackled her to the ground once again and hit her with a flurry of forearm strikes to the back of the head. It was the referee who separated the two contestants, giving Bey the chance to roll out of the ring. But nowhere was safe for Addams tonight. Addison launched herself through the ropes and caught the Wristlock Academy trainee with a suicide dive into a DDT on the floor. Addison immediately got up to her feet and climbed on the apron, waiting for Bey to rise to take her down with an Asai moonsault. Not wasting any time, McKinley pushed Bey’s body back in the ring and went for a second springboard knee strike, this time hitting the target. But it still wasn't enough to even the score. Addison began to show signs of frustration, yelling at the official to count faster. Addams tried to surprise her with a backslide, but before she could hook both arms, Addison was able to rock her with an elbow strike and quickly turn around to hit her Ohīlagon backstabber, picking up the three count. (McKinley 1 - Addams 1)
Tension rose as the match reached its final stretch. One mistake could cost it all, and both competitors were well aware of it, switching to a more careful and thought-out approach. That was clearly visible with Addi, who renounced her flips and high-risk maneuvers in favor of a more conservative style.The Cloud Gate champion was not known for her strength, but that deadlift bridging German suplex she pinned Bey with was quite the impressive feat, although not enough to give her the win. Addams answered with a bicycle kick that caught the running Addi right on the face, knocking her down for a count of two. Addi had Bey in a front facelock and started hammering her face with vicious knee strikes but Addams managed to slip away and grab the champ by her wrists, applying a double wristlock. The next step was to drag her into a double knee facebreaker, completing the move she calls Wristlock Hero to end McKinley’s impressive title reign.

WINNER: Bey Addams (NEW CLOUD GATE CHAMPION)r
BY: 2-1 Falls (Wristlock Hero), 21:43

We open to the backstage area. There we find MWE interviewer Camille Bellamy. Standing to Camille’s right is the self-proclaimed Queen of the Death Match Kimberly Williams. The Woman Scorned is dressed in crimson red and black wrestling gear. She has her SCW Underground Championship title belt wrapped around her waist and her HKW Bloodlust Championship title belt draped over her right shoulder. Kimberly is carrying her beloved stuffed toy penguin Wasley with her.

Camille Bellamy:
Ladies and gentlemen I am here with a woman who looks to make waves in MWE and earn a shot at championship gold in the process. Please welcome the SCW Underground Champion and HKW Bloodlust Champion, Kimberly Williams.

Kimberly Williams:
Awwww, such a sweet introduction…but you’re wrong…

Camille furrows her brow in confusion.

Camille Bellamy:
Wrong? About what?

Kimberly Williams:
You think I’m doing this for championship gold?

She looks at her HKW Bloodlust title belt and then pats her SCW Underground title belt.

Kimberly Williams:
I already have two championships; two death match championships, might I add. As far as other accolades? I have held tag team gold. I have held midcard singles gold. I have done enough to prove to the one and only person who matters that I am not just good but great in this ring…me! I am the only one whose opinion about me matters! I don’t need to shove a ten pounds of World Championship gold in everyone’s face. You know, why Camille? Because I am comfortable in my own skin. I am not so damned unconfident that I need parades in my honor to bolster my ego.

Camille Bellamy:
So what happens if you win the Battle for the Briefcase? You DO get a world championship match?

Williams sighs as she wraps an arm around a nervous Bellamy.

Kimberly Williams:
Oh you poor girl. You think so narrow mindedly. Don’t worry! By the time I’m done with this place, everyone will be thinking differently! See, Cammy, in the early years of my wrestling career I thought of myself as the black sheep of the Jones family. I mean, I knew I was a Jones. I knew who my famous mother was. I knew she was a ground breaking world champion. I watched from the sidelines as both of my sisters followed in her footsteps and also won world titles. But I never once felt as if I belonged. But over the past year things have changed. My eyes have opened and I can see that yes, I do belong. Yes, I am a Jones. I am a part of the dynasty of The Dragon. One part of that means to recognize that the mat truly is sacred. So I am going to march to that ring, beat Noa Skye’s ass, then the next round in this tournament, I’ll beat someone else’s ass, and I’ll keep going until I win it all. Then I’ll kick the World Champion’s ass and win my very first world championship. Now how is THAT for a fairy tale, Cammy?

Camille Bellamy:
Uh, it does sound great…so why don’t you care?

Williams nods her head.

Kimberly Williams:
Oh I do care. And it would mean a lot to me to win my very first World Championship, adding my own unique mark to the Jones family dynasty. But that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t need gold to prove to myself that I am one of the greats and that also doesn’t change the fact that there are better ways I can change the landscape of MWE. And that road towards changing the landscape of MWE starts with Battle for the Briefcase.

Kim pats Bellamy on the head.

Kimberly Williams:
So you tell me, Cammy…since you are the journalist…what DOES the winner of this tournament get?

Camille Bellamy:
A World Title Match anytime and anywhere they want.

Kimberly Williams:
AND!!!

Camille Bellamy:
And…booking power…

Williams nods her head, grinning sadistically.

Kimberly Williams:
That’s right! Power! UNLIMITED POWER! Just like that old wrinkled ass fart in Star Wars! That unlimited booking power is a far greater prize than a shot at the world championship. Think about it, once you cash in that briefcase to become world champion, your power ends and you immediately become the target of everyone on this roster. But as long as you have that briefcase YOU ARE GOD! And I know that feeling, Cammy. I’ve been there and I’ve had a taste of it. I got to book an entire Riot card. I got practically everything I asked for and look at the ramifications of the chaos I caused! It was brilliant! It was beautiful! Then fast forward a couple weeks later at my other promotion, SCW, where I got to book any one match I chose…and I booked a match with every title on the line…a match with ramifications that are still being felt to this very day. Imagine if I had that kind of unlimited booking power for an entire year? Just think of the beautiful chaos I could create! And to the braintrust in charge, think of the beautiful RATINGS I would generate!

She winks at the camera.

Kimberly Williams:
That’s my end game, Cammy. Sure, winning the world title is a great possibility and that is just icing on the cake. My real prize is the power of the briefcase. That’s what I am after. That’s what I am seeking. I intend to make every previous holder of the briefcase look like a rank amateur by comparison with what I do with that briefcase!

Williams shrugs her shoulders.

Kimberly Williams:
I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. One match at a time, as they say, and that means starting off with Noa Skye. You look like someone I could have fun with and trust me, we will have a blast out there tonight maiming one another. But only ONE of us is walking away from this with a ticket to the next round, and I am going to do everything that my sick and twisted mind can think of to make damn sure that ONE person advancing is me!

Kim waves at the camera.

Kimberly Williams:
See you soon!

Battle For The Briefcase Tournament Match
Round One: One Fall

Kimberly Williams VS Noa Skye

Two of the quirkiest personalities in MWE collided in this first round match of the Battle For The Briefcase. Everybody’s favorite psychopath Kimberly Williams entered the ring accompanied by the repaired and once again loyal (hopefully) Dalek. Not to be outdone, Noa rolled down the ring in a freaking tank, yelling as she drove the armored vehicle to the ring. Oddly enough, but perhaps not surprisingly, Kimberly seemed to love it more than anyone else in the arena, applauding the green haired gremlin for her entrance in style.As the two complimented each other for their respective toys, the referee was seen facepalming. If these are the premises of the match, he’s definitely in for a wild ride.
The Hex Girl wasted no time, darting toward Kim as soon as the bell sounded and sending her flying across the ring with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors.The momentum sent the Woman Scorned rolling under the bottom rope, where she thought she was safe. Only for a fleeting moment, as Noa didn’t give her the chance to regroup, soaring over the top rope with a spectacular dive to the outside that took down Kim. The Green Haired Doll was on fire, pushing the former Chicago Way champion on the apron where she dropped her on her skull with a sliced bread before taking the fight back in the ring where she attempted to pin the Wildcard, realizing that she would need a lot more than that to keep down the Queen Of Deathmatches.
Kimberly made a name for herself as a hardcore wrestler, and recently surprised the MWE fans by showing remarkable technical prowess in her match against Melissa Reeves a few weeks ago. Tonight she reminded everyone of her high-flying attitude as well, confirming once more to be a real jack-of-all-trades, able to adapt to different styles and give everyone a run for their money. Even with the exciting fast pace Noa imposed, Kim didn’t have any issue, matching the opponent’s speed and intensity and actually trying to outdo her when it came to reckless and risky moves, like when she dropped No-Elle stomach-first onto the barricade leaving her hanging there while she jumped from the top of the turnbuckle with a legdrop to the back of the neck.
Both wrestlers looked highly motivated, not afraid to put their own bodies on the line to get any sort of advantage over the opponent, Most of the match was fought on the outside in an attempt to maximize the impact and damage of their moves. This obviously came with big risks for their own safety. One example was when the two time Chicago Way champion attempted an Asai moonsault but missed the target, crashing on the hard floor instead. Noa capitalized with a curb stomp on the concrete. Noa pushed Kim’s body in and flew on top of her with a springboard shooting star press, but it still wasn’t enough to keep Williams down.
Noa came really close to score what many would call the upset of the night when she planted the Woman Scorned on her head with a satellite DDT and then climbed to the top rope, ready to jump with her Lost Paradise (diving senton). Right as she was about to leap toward Kim, she noticed the Dalek “humping” her tank. Kim was quick to capitalize on the distraction, running up the corner and taking Noa down on the canvas with a beautiful spanish fly. As soon as Kimberly realized what caused the distraction, she let out a sigh and began yelling at the Dalek to back off and leave the tank alone. Oddly enough, the Tin Can From Outer Space listened to her voice, reversing and turning away from Noa’s means of transport. The Wildcard then sprinted toward Noa with her Shadowblade, but the Hex Girl moved out of the way, dodging the lethal running knee strike..
In the frantic finale the referee had his hands full counting the several pinfall attempts the two competitors tried, hoping to catch the opponent off guard. The exchange kept the fans watching with bated breath, and there were a couple of really close calls for each competitor, but neither one of them managed to score the three. Actually the end of the match came with a slight variation on the theme when Kimberly caught Noa with a schoolboy pin but rather than keeping her down decided to roll through and kick Skye on the mush with the Morrigan’s Wrath superkick. The impact sent the Green Haired Doll back into the corner. Dazed, Noa stepped forward, walking right into Kim’s Shadowblade. The running knee connected this time, knocking down the Hex Girl for the count of three.

WINNER: Kimmerly Williams
BY: Pinfall (Shadowblade), 12:12

Anna Daniels and all her Multitudes are leaning against a wall. We can come up with an actual setting but seeing as how they talk a lot here and nobody's going to read this anyway, we'll keep disruption to a bare minimum.

Anna Daniels:
We don't come in front of this camera and babble on very often. There's a reason for that. We feel like our work speaks for itself, in winning and in losing. Regardless of what people say or do or think right now, years from now, people aren't going to be influenced by most of this roster. Some of you scream louder and peddle your pussy more than any hooker ever could. But if any of them know your names at all, it'll be a shock.

Does it sound arrogant? Maybe to some with fragile egos. But truth stays truth no matter where you are. The vessel shakes her head.

Anna Daniels:
Nah. We think if you look through the history books of this weird little business, you'll see that for every big flash in the pan that has influenced somebody, a hundred more are influenced by people like us. The strange little paradoxes that have had their share of titles but never get near the respect they deserve while we're still running. We used to hate that. How much we've worked to obtain our goals and climb every mountain just to get it swept under the rugs by weaker minded peers.

A pause for consideration.

Anna Daniels:
You wanna know the hilarious part though? That doesn't matter. We're the Muse. We're the one every great battle is fought for and every beautiful poem is dedicated to. Our figureprints will be here forever long after time has washed yours out. We influence people by being us so that they can be them. What does this have to do with our inevitable scuffle with the world champion?

Le shrug. But let's bullshit up a reason anyway.

Anna Daniels:
We've heard a lot of people whine and cry over the Division. "The big problem with Millennium is that the Division exists." "They should be knocked down a peg." "Why doesn't management actually punish the pricks?" Hell, fully grown people have threatened to bail out of this very company over this group. Here's the thing though. The problem isn't that the Division exists.

And you say "what is the problem then, Anna?" Go ahead. Do it.

Anna Daniels:
The big problem is that a lot of you bitches let them dictate who you're supposed to be. They give you lot the title of hero and y'all not only take the role. You embrace it wholeheartedly! They get off on that shit! They enjoy propping you on this wobbly ass pedestal, giving you just enough hope to invest, and knocking your asses down. At this point, that whole gang has every right to be egotistical cunts. They snatch your souls every time because you fall for it.

If you say that's not true, you're only lying to yourselves. Hands move to one of the hearts for dramatic effect.

Anna Daniels:
And…bless Julie's cold heart and tiny brain. He tried to do the same with us. "Everybody that's against us is a hero!" Almost as if the title he's holding is just a means to an end on his braindead quest to burn everything down or whatever. When that didn't work, he attempted to piss us off with a "dumb bitch and dumber bitch" quip not realizing he can easily be talking about his own family member. Based on our dealings with his sister-that-no-longer-lives, that wouldn't surprise us.

Rest in piss, Riley. You won't be missed. The arms flop back to her sides.

Anna Daniels:
We said it to him and now we'll say it to you. We don't care about the Division. We're quasi-frendly with Jack Graves and Olly-Olly-Whogivesadamn is probably still pissed off we won a match against him months ago. Julie himself is only remotely notable because of the shiny thing he's holding. We don't even know the other people's names, that's how little fucks we have for them as an overall unit and as individuals. If you and them want to play cowboys and indians, go ahead. Keep playing until you all finally bore everybody on planet Earth into changing the channel. Heldentum und Schurkerei sind etwas für Verlierer. Die einzige Rolle, die zählt, ist die des Champions.

Holy shit, it's German. CHEAP POP FOR THE PANDERING. The vessel walks off…only to come back in again.

Anna Daniels:
Oh, and fuck Chris Sanderson. He's a giant waste of roster space and contract money and we're punting him out of existence. Hooroo.

Cut to black.

Battle For The Briefcase Tournament Match
Round One: One Fall

Melissa Reeves VS Tiff

Without a doubt the most anticipated first round match, pitting a former World champion and former BFTB winner in Melissa Reeves against the record holder for the longest single reign and former World championship contender Tiff. There was definitely mutual respect between these two, a bond of friendship even. But those feelings had to be pushed aside momentarily, all it mattered now was to advance in the tournament and join Wagner, Danielson, Iser, Graves, Andrews, Williams and Kross in the second round to keep their dreams and hopes alive. Mel immediately grabbed hold of Tiff’s foot, trying to apply a submission that would hopefully take out the opponent’s most dangerous weapon, but Rolins was able to escape rather quickly. They locked up again, the Australian was clearly trying to take the opponent on a n unfamiliar ground by turning this into a technical contest where her skills and knowledge, as well as the height and leverage advantage would allow her to keep the dangerous striker at bay and control the pace of the match. She took down Tiff, starting to work her over with an ankle lock but the former Cloud Gate champion rolled through, sending Reeves toward the corner. The Aussie was able to stop and avoid the impact against the turnbuckle, turning around to see Rollins back on her feet and ready to fire off with the Death Kick. A lightning quick reaction from the veteran allowed her to duck the fearsome kick, taking refuge on the ring apron.
Not giving Melissa any room to breathe, Tiff started throwing punches from inside the ring to the opponent standing on the outer edge. The precarious equilibrium definitely affected Mel’s striking game, and for once the size disadvantage favored Tiff who was able to duck the opponent’s punches and strike her with shots to the abdominal area. The Death Kicker then tried to pull the former World champion back in the ring for a rope hung DDT but the Australian fought out of it and shoved the blonde back to the center of the ring. When Rollins came charging with her Peacemaker, the veteran lunged forward and lifted her by the leg, dropping the five foot tall woman on the top rope with a stun gun and flattening her with a jumping knee strike of her own.
Getting further proof of how dangerous Rollins could be when she’s able to build some momentum, especially with that Death Kick potentially striking out of nowhere, convinced Reeves that she wanted none of that. Going back to her holds and controlling the pace was the best way to keep Tiff on the defensive. But this didn’t mean that she turned this match into a snooze-fest, alternating those phases where she slowed the pace with others where she went to the attack, like when she was wearing out Rollins with a cravat and suddenly began to hammer her with knee strikes to the chest, knocking the air out of her lungs. Then she shot her off the ropes and caught her on the rebound with the scoop powerslam, worth a count of two.
Tiff was in great difficulty but, like many other times in her career, this was the moment when she would dig deep and find the will to go that extra mile and turn the tides. The move that got her the break was a chin breaker after blocking a suplex attempt from the Australian. Channeling the energy of half of the crowd chanting her name the RISE graduate began whirling with those strong legs, throwing a flurry of quick and hard strikes ar Mel’s torso and legs, taking the former World champion down to one knee. Now for something you don’t see often from the Death Kicker, Tiff climbed to the middle rope and jumped toward the opponent, knocking her down with a single leg dropkick. The blonde hooked Reeves’ leg and made a deep cover, but the Aussie still managed to get her shoulder up in time.
The pace remained quick, as Mel now was unable to make her initial plan work. She tried, but Rollins quickly got out of her grasp with an elbow to the gut and then dropped her to a seated position with a snapmare. Taking a run to the ropes, the former Cloud Gate champion came back at full speed and blasted the Reaver with a running big boot, once again testing the Australian’s resilience and toughness and obtaining a very close call. The momentum had completely changed by now, Rollins was in full control, hammering her chest with a number of shoot kicks, each one of them eliciting a roar of approval from the fans. Her second attempt to connect the Death Kick ended just like the first, dodged by the Australian who tried to surprise Tiff with a schoolboy pin, obtaining another two count.
Catching the opponent with a Reaver Slam gave Melissa the chance to put a halt on the Five Foot Death Machine’s momentum. After 20 minutes of intense battle, both competitors took some time to recover on the mat, letting the referee count up to eight before slowly rising back to their feet and starting what may as well be the last exchange of the match. And boy, it was an intense one!! There was no more holding back, not even an attempt to parry or block the opponent’s strikes. Just a flurry of back and forth strikes that fired up the crowd and, apparently, the wrestlers as well with their strikes were getting more and more powerful and hard with every passing moment, at the cost of speed and intensity. They reached the point when they both needed a few seconds before firing off, but neither of them was going to back or slow down. Rollins put everything she had left in that final bicycle kick, but only kicked the thin air as Mel moved out of the way. When Tiff turned around, the Reaver hit her with the Magnitude Nine, but incredibly it wasn’t enough to keep the blonde down.
It took Mel a few moments to process what just happened. Sitting on the canvas, she just stared at the younger opponent laying still a few inches away from her, wondering how she managed to get her shoulder up seeing how she was barely moving even now. Reeves shook her head and smiled, slowly pushing herself up and dragging Tiff to her feet. On instinct alone, Rollins began to fight back, landing a few punches to the stomach to create some separation between herself and the veteran. She switched to some kicks to the legs, chopping Reeves down to size. The third Death Kick attempt connected and knocked the former World Champion flat on her back. Exhausted, Tiff literally collapsed on top of her and the referee started to count. His hand stopped half inch from the mat: somehow Reeves was able to kick out and survive the opponent’s devastating kick. With both competitors now on their last leg, every mistake could be fatal. And unfortunately for her, Tiff was the first to make one, getting caught by Mel’s Facial Deconstructor. After the hard fought battle, Melissa wanted to pay respect to her opponent by helping her to get up on her feet and shaking her hand. She even pulled her in for a quick hug, whispering something to her ears before leaving the ring.

WINNER: Melissa Reeves
BY: Pinfall (Facial Deconstructor), 24:06

MELODY LENNOX:
Germany...

Her voice is meek and quiet. A severe distinct from the formerly booming, grandiose bragging that had been a performance of her appearances. Melody Lennox is backstage, her dark hair streaked with teal and aqua. She wears a black hoodie over her ring gear, the hem of blue shorts peeking out from under the oversized garb. Her fingers are clutched around a transparent facemask.

MELODY LENNOX:
This country and I are more closely connected than you may think. Germany kept my former husband under employ for years. This country kept food on my table, lights on in my home... I owe a much grander debt than I will ever be able to repay to this place for the comfort and security it's provided to me. Being here tonight for Zeitgeist? It's special to me. It's like getting to meet a silent supporter for the first time.

She fiddles with the thick, black straps anxiously. This level of vulnerability is new... raw. Uncomfortable. Unfamiliar.

MELODY LENNOX:
And the only way I can think of to thank this place for all that it's done for me is to finally... finally slay the beast that's been on my back for over a year now! I meant what I said... coming up short last time? It was a gift. I'm not done making Sophie O'Brian suffer. I'm not done whooping her ass yet. Every lash, every bruise, every cut I've laid into her? It's only a fraction of what she's deserved, and only a portion of what she's going to get!

A cruel grin crosses her lips. This is more familiar territory: lacking the arrogance, but doubled in malice.

MELODY LENNOX:
I want every moment she's spent with the Intercontinental Championship to be precious. I want to rip away what she cares about when it will hurt the most, then curbstomp her fucking skull into the mat for good measure when the crushing realization has hit her at its hardest. Boots through brains, I will HURT her emotionally, mentally, physically... EVERY WAY, ENDLESSLY, because she did the same thing to me! It's the greatest gift I can give to the worst person I've ever met...

The corners of her lips drop. Her eyebrows furrowing. There's coldness practically radiating off of the petite girl.

MELODY LENNOX:
You really should have killed me when you had the chance. Like you tried to do. Like you FAILED to do! Because I'm going to make you regret it every fucking moment for the rest of your miserable life.

She scowled, clutching that mask so tightly her knuckles turn a milky shade of white.

MELODY LENNOX:
But I'm not foolish or self-absorbed like Sophie. I'm not going to stand here and prattle on about no heroes, no villains - AKA I'm not an interesting enough person for people to care about me in the most extreme forms, so I just pretend I'm an anti-hero in the middle so no one notices the uncaring silence when I enter a building like she is - I understand that the world doesn't revolve around me. And I understand, arguably... someone else was invited to this dance before me.

Melody sighs, her shoulders slumping. Dean had just become an exhausting presence in her life...

MELODY LENNOX:
Dean... pal. I get it. You got your opportunity ripped out from under you when I finally got cleared, and could finally say that this is something I could feasibly do again. And that's a tough pill to swallow... but c'mon man. This is about so much more than you. And I get it, you deserve your shot that got taken from you when you were jumped in the back, but I deserve to be the one who ends that bitch! Especially in Berlin. This country arguably is the only reason I'm even still here today! We can talk all day about what you deserve on paper, but I deserve this debt paid in blood, and all I see when I look at you is a liability to my path. You. A guy who calls himself Mean Dean like the biggest bully toddler in preschool... oh my god... why are you in my life?

She plants two fingers at her temples, massaging the flesh there with a frustrated groan.

MELODY LENNOX:
I promise you: I'm meaner. And I'll leave you in the same discarded pile as Sophie's carcass will be in if that's what it takes to leave here tonight as the new Intercontinental Champion.

She straps the mask over her face, flattening the once charred skin underneath. Fixing her dark hair into place, Melody speaks into the camera, with a roll of subtitles on the screen.

MELODY LENNOX:
Deutschland: Vielen Dank für alles, was Sie für mich getan haben. Im Gegenzug gebe ich dir einen Champion, auf den du stolz sein kannst.
< Germany: Thank you for everything you have done for me. In return, I'll give you a champion to be proud of. >

The camera pans back into the ring.

MWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Triple Threat

Three competitors, three different styles clashing in a match for the second title in MWE. The fans were pretty quiet before the sound of the bell, neither one of the competitors would win a popularity contest although some of them were learning toward Melody Lennox. It didn't take long before the quality the three put into the match would warm them up, bringing the level of noise up to the standards of the rest of the two nights. especially thanks to the Villainess and her fast-paced, acrobatic set of offense. The Small But Mighty was in a “no-bullshit” mode, kicking whoever and whatever got in her way. Even the referee risked getting his head kicked off when O’Brian hid behind him, but luckily for him Lennox was able to hold back her leg and avoid the impact with the official’s skull. But good deeds rarely get rewarded in wrestling, and what Melody got out of this situation was a cheap shot to the throat and a DDT.
O’Brian seemed to be focusing more on Melody, perhaps wanting to shut her up for good and clear any doubt about the legitimacy of her win back at Anarchy In The UK. Turning her back on Smith for so long wasn’t a good idea, and that massive forearm strike to the back of the head reminded her of that. The blow sent her staggering a few steps forward, reaching the corner where she rested for a moment to recover from the dizziness. But Smith wasn’t going to give the champion any room to breathe, charging toward her with a running uppercut in the corner before dishing out punishment in the form of chops to the chest. A flurry left the defending champion short winded, with Dean still on the offense. He glanced behind his shoulder, seeing Melody getting back to her feet. Thinking fast, the former Invictus champion decided to kill two birds with one stone and whipped Sophie toward Lennox. Mel’s reflexes were even quicker than Dean’s thinking, and she managed to catch the incoming Sophie with a Spanish fly right into a pinning predicament, quickly interrupted by Dean.
Lennox was really stealing the show tonight with an impressive performance, perhaps the best we’ve seen from her in a MWE ring, even before the injury that kept her on the shelf for almost a year. Her unpredictable, acrobatic attacks seemed could not be stopped by either Dean or Sophie[. The Villainess scored several near falls, gaining new fans with each unsuccessful attempt. Almost the whole Mercedes Benz Arena was chanting for her as she climbed to the top rope and jumped on Dean with a crossbody. Smith caught her in mid-air and after a few rotations to gain speed, dropped her onto his knee with a backbreaker, regaining control of the match.
The former amateur boxer used his background to push back the attacks of his opponents and keep them at bay, focusing on one at the time. After planting Sophie on the canvas with his Four Uppercuts And A Dreading, he turned to kick Melody in the stomach, doubling her over. He easily lifted the smaller competitor for a vertical suplex, keeping her upside down for a ridiculous amount of time. So long that O’Brian could recover and hit him with a low dropkick to the leg. This dropped Smith to one knee, but Melody definitely got the worst out of it as she got dropped head-first onto Dean’s knee. A quick shining wizard from the Belfast native knocked the man down, allowing the champ to pin Melody for a very close fall.
The master strategist’s plan was clear: keeping Dean out of action and focus on the one she deemed a lesser threat- And that wasn’t to take anything away from Lennox, a formidable competitor as Sophie herself would confirm. But her speed was something she could control and counter, unlike Dean’s power. So keeping him down or, even better, out of the ring was working pretty well for the Intercontinental champion who once again knocked Smith off the apron with an enziguri kick and quickly turned back toward Melody, dropping her onto her knees with the Death Of Wisdom (variation of codebreaker), but Lennox managed to throw her shoulder up at the last second, saving herself and the match.
The final part of the match saw Dean and Sophie battling for the belt while Lennox was recovering in the corner from Smith’s Mean Dean diving knee strike. Once again Smith’s power was giving him the upper hand over the champion, who got planted onto the canvas with a massive spinebuster.Lennox crawled to the corner, helping herself with the ropes to get back to her feet. Noticing that the referee’s attention was, rightfully, on the action happening in the middle of the ring, she decided to remove the protective pad from the top turnbuckle, exposing the steel underneath it. Moments later, right when Dean was ready to behead the dazed champ with a discus lariat, Mel sprinted to the ropes and hit him with a shotgun dropkick to the chest, pushing him into the corner. The back of Dean’s head bounced against the steel, knocking the man down. Lennox needed to act quickly, before him or Sophie could recover. She moved behind the champion and nailed her on her skull with the Grim Fandango, hooking both legs for a deep cover. She finally did it, the Villainess became the new Intercontinental champion.

WINNER: Melody Lennox (NEW MWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Grim Fandango), 14:00

In what has become quite a common sight to the MWE fans, Elsa McCarthy and Vincent Moretti took over the center of the ring, right before the main event. The familiar scene has become synonym with important announcements, and the German fans seem to be eager to hear what the future holds for the company. The Millennium General Manager seems to be the one tasked with delivering the messagem, as she's the only one with a microphone in her hand.

Elsa McCarthy:
Good evening, Berlin. Did you enjoy Zeitgeist?

The reaction is, obvioously, loud and positive, which puts a smile on the young woman's face.

Elsa McCarthy:
That's what I like to hear. I'll be honest with you, I wish these two nights would have gone smoother, but apparently some people on this roster can't make peace with their own decisions, and think they can leave slamming the door and then sneak back in through the window.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out she's talking about Duke Andrews, who recently left the company after his contract ran out but still showed up tonight to mess with The Division's plans.

Elsa McCarthy:
But I guess that's just how things were meant to be, doomed to have issues till the very end.

The buzzing grows louder as speculations run wild. Is this the end? Are we witnessing the final MWE show? Luckily, Elsa is quick to clear the air from any doubt.

Elsa McCarthy:
I sincerely apologize for any confuision my words may have generated. I didn't mean the end of MWE, just the end of my tenure as the Millennium General Manager. Effective immeditely, I'm no longer in charge of the Green Brand.

As relieving as the news is, it still leaves the fans talking. Some may be starting to connect the dots, seeing Gianluigi Vaccaro's words from night 1 in a different light, especially the part where he said "not that it matters" when he suggested Ava the best approach to take with Elsa. Will he be Elsa's replacement? And in that case, who will run The Academy?

Elsa McCarthy:
I can only say that I'm thankful foor the opportunity that was given to me, I feel blessed to have learned from a legend like Vincent Moretti and I'm proud of everything this company has achieved while I was doing my small part to run it. It's not my place to say if I made a good job or not, only you the MWE fans and miss Van Beek can judge these past two years and draw your own conclusions.

The spontaneous round of applause gives Elsa the answer she was looking for.

Elsa McCarthy:
I can imagine some people in the back rejoice at the news, I hope a few of them will be sorry to see me leaving. To all of them, I want to say that while I won't be in my office every Wednesday night, our paths might cross again at some point. The reason why I was asked to step down from my General Manager duties is because miss van Beek believes I'm the right person to fill the new role of Agora Coordinator. Basically, a liaison between all the companies under the Agora umbrella, tasked with, in a near future, booking interpromotional events.

The idea of seeing stars from MWE, Liberty Pro, MWCW and House Of Wrestling colliding is enough to tickle the curiosity and fantasy of the fans.

Elsa McCarthy:
As for Millennium, I don't know who will fill the role I left vacant, but I wish them the best in their job. I know for a fact that miss van Beek is already enquiring a few candidates and she will soon announce a new General Manager, obviously keeping the company's best interests in mind. As for me...

Smiling at the camera, Elsa takes a small bow while the fans and Moretti greets her with a long round of applause.

Elsa McCarthy:
This is my farewell to Millennium. Thank you all for making a sometimes daunting and thankless job worth the hassle. It's been a pleasure to work for you, and I hope you feel the same way.

Visibly emotional at the end of her heartfelt speech, the former Millennium GM leaves the ring after shaking hands with her Riot counterpart who has a few last words of advice for her, even though the loud clapping from the fans doesn't allow the camera to pick them up.

MWE World Championship Match
Falls Count Anywhere Three-Way

The final bout of Zeitgeist started off in the ring, but it could end anywhere else in the Arena or even outside of it, anywhere the impetus of the battle will take these three. Hard to pick a favorite in this one, surely the lack of rules and borders could tip the scale in Julian’s favor with his goons ready to step in and lend him a helping hand in case of need, but at the same time this freedom could be used by his opponents to even the playing field. Anna didn’t think twice and as soon as Julian and Chris locked horns, she left the ring to grab a steel chair and smacked it across Savell’s back, dropping the world champion. She raised the weapon over her head and lowered it on Chris’ skull, but the second generation wrestler blocked the chair and disarmed the Time Lord. He then used her weapon against her, doubling her over with a shot to the midsection. He then dropped the weapon on the mat and tried to DDT Anna on it, but a superkick from Julian sent him over the top rope. The Savior Of Wrestling looked at the chair and, for a moment, he thought about using it to get his payback on Daniels. But then he changed his mind and set it up near the ropes and sprinted to the opposite side of the ring, gaining speed to step on the chair and fly over the top rope, taking down Sanderson with a senton.
If Julian and Chris now trading furious right hands up the ramp, Anna was not going to miss any of the action and joined in, hitting Chris with a running knee strike to the back that sent him bumping into Julian. As their heads collided, leaving them both stunned, Daniels doubled down the dose, taking down Wrestling's Middle Child with a rear mat slam onto the steel ramp. Her fury then turned on the leader of The Division, blasting him with a volley of strikes and sending him flying over the barricade and into the front row crowd with a bicycle kick. At that point, Chris was getting up to his feet although he was visibly dazed and the Time Lord kicked his head off with the Interrobang (Brazilian Kick). The fans erupted in loud cheers as Sanderson went down like a ton of bricks. Could this be it already? They definitely thought so as Daniels dropped on top of the former two-time MWE World champ and hooked his legs, with Julian way too far to intervene. But even if he wasn’t physically able to break up the cover, He still tried to, hopping over the barricade when the ref’s hand touched the ramp for a second time. Quickly realizing that he would never get to them in time, the Savior Of Wrestling came up with his plan B, turning poor referee Charles’ lights off with his Golden God Kick right as his hand was lowering a third time. Anna was in disbelief, the fans were furious, booing the World Champ out of the building for his cowardly, yet smart, action. And Julian? He laughed, immensely proud of stopping to new lows.
Not that it mattered much, but the match no longer had a referee. Paramedics were checking on the probably concussed Charles while all hell's breaking loose around them. Anna was unleashing strikes left and right, targeting both men as she vented out her frustration forthcoming this close to end Julian’s reign. And now she seemed to be hell-bent on ending his career, or at least putting him on the shelf for quite some time. She took a crutch from one of the fans and began battering Savell with it, hitting him with the improvised weapon on the head, chest, arms.. Anywhere, really. Her fury came to a shocking end (pun intended) when Sanderson stole the defibrillator from one of the paramedics’ bag and zapped the Time Lord. This wasn’t an act of mercy toward the World champion, far from it. Chris, in fact, immediately picked up the leader of The Division and set him up for his Omega Finale IV (pumphandle piledriver), but Julian was able to slip away from his grasp as Chris lifted him, landing behind his shoulders and taking him down with a backstabber-
All three competitors, plus the referee were down. Charles definitely had the worst of all of them, as he was physically unable to continue. The doctors called for a substitute referee before putting a visibly disoriented Charles on a stretcher and pushing him up the ramp. Chris got back on his feet first and he went to pick up Savell. Julian stopped whatever was on Sanderson’s mind with a low blow, leaving him on his knees. He then turned around and saw the pushing the gurney with the referee on and a wicked grin appeared on his face.He pushed one of the paramedics to the ground to reach the stretcher and shove Charles off it. He then strapped down Sanderson, tying him up to the gurney which he pushed off the stage. A ruinous fall for the former two time champion, one he could in no way mitigate. A couple of medics immediately rushed to the crash scene, and the look of concern on their faces only fuelled speculations about whether Sanderson would be able to finish the match or not. As for Savell, he laughed maniacally and turned his focus on the only opponent remaining, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her backstage.
Julian and Anna fought in the hallways, even though the Time Lord, still recovering from being electrocuted, was barely able to defend herself from the World Champion’s barrage of strikes. In an act of pure brutality, Savell dragged Anna’s face across the wall, leaving her right side completely bruised. Daniels rested for a moment against one of the closed doors, but Julain was right back on the attack, charging toward her with a running Yakuza kick. Good for her, the Time Lord was able to move out of the way and dodge the impact that knocked the door off its hinges. Following the breakthrough, Julian lost balance and fell inside the room, which gave a window to strike him with a shining wizard to the back of the head. Well known for dabbling in ultraviolence, The Muse then grabbed a couple of chairs and set them up one in front of the other, positioning the door as a bridge through them. She then laid Julian down onto the same door and climbed on top of one of the vending machines, from where she jumped onto the MWE World champion with a double foot stomp that pushed him through the door. That would have been enough to keep down most men, but not Juliaan, who was able to kick out in the nick of time.
Right when they weren’t expecting, Chris Sanderson came back into the match. The mere fact that he was still standing after the atrocious fall was testament of his toughness, but the second generation wrestler was still determined to do everything in his power to bring home his third world title. Including using a fire extinguisher to cool Anna’s jets and subsequently knock her down with it. He turned around, looking to do the same to Julian and clear his path to glory. But Savell was faster and kicked him in the nuts, causing Sanderson to drop to his knees. Julian picked up a piece of wood, part of the shattered door, from the floor and moved behind the former Kane and carved his forehead. Chris groaned in pain as blood started gushing from the deep cut, dripping down his face and painting it red. Nobody knows when, or if, he would have stopped if Anna didn’t hit him from behind with a glass bottle, cracking the World champion’s skull open.
The blood loss didn’t slow down Sanderson. Actually, it seemed to be fueling the fire inside him as he fought with a new found, and to a degree unexplainable, ardor. He brought the fight outside of the room they were in and back into the hallways, where he used anything that wasn’t fixed to the floor to attack his opponents. He even pinned Daniels in a storage room after an exploder suplex that sent her through a shelf with brooms, buckets, chemicals and everything you need for cleaning, but Julian recovered in time to break up the pinning predicament and drag Chris out of the small and dark room and back in the hallways. Anna pulled herself together and left the room as well. Behind her, in a dark corner of the closet, a red light began to flash, slowly moving from left to right and back again
In a bit of a cliché finale, the match saw its last act taking place in the Arena’s parking lot. It wasn’t a coincidence though, there was nothing random about the location chosen, or the fact that Julian brought Chris right here. This was the perfect spot for an ambush, and even Sanderson seemed to realize it when he saw that Julian had stopped attacking him and was grinning his way. But Chris never had the time to fully process it or even think of defending himself as The Division in full force came out of a black van parked right behind him and began to assault the two time champion. Anna finally reached the scene and, in a rare moment of selflessness, decided to help Chris fighting back McKena Hardy, Thatcher Ray Nash, Jack Graves, Benjamin Atlas, RAZE and Wade Manson, who were all stomping and kicking Sanderson. But she never got to help him as that red light that seemed to be following her since the battle in the closet revealed itself to be The Dalek. Without wasting any time, the overgrown tin can tased the Time Lord, giving her the second shock of the night. Luckily for Chris, there were quite a few people fed up with Julian and his gang, and they all rushed to the parking lot. Alex Andrews, JJ Night, Clyde and Erika Eldon took on the members of The Division, giving Chris some room to breathe. Still, they were outnumbered and The Division once again took over. But then Duke came from out of nowhere and evened the playing field. Technically, they weren’t “IN” the arena anymore, and nobody can say that Andrews was evading Elsa’s ban. Now that each member of the Division was fighting one opponent, Chris finally had the chance to recover, even though he still had to deal with Julain himself. Sanderson surprised the World champ with a takedown. From a mounting position, Chris began to rain down punches at Julian, deleting that smug look from his face. But his momentum was short-lived, as the Dalek electrified him as well. In the meantime, even with his right arm wrapped in a sling, Olly came out to help his brother in arms, restoring the numerical advantage. The Dalek’s shock must have been weaker than the one it hit Anna with, as Chris was still moving. At least until Julian kicked him into oblivion with the Golden God kick.
With the match now over, all that was left for The Division was to celebrate Julian retaining. The weird part was seeing The Dalek joining them in the celebration, but that mystery was quickly solved as the top part of the Genocidal Tin Can From Outer Space opened. From what was clearly a diguise came out none other than Doonovan Keane who, in a shocking (or maybe not) turn of events joined Savell's band of misfits.

WINNER: Julian Savell (STILL MWE WORLD CHAMPION)
BY: Pinfall (Golden God Kick), 25:33

Post by gvb on Aug 31, 2023 11:26:14 GMT -6

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