Post by gvb on Sept 23, 2020 13:10:22 GMT -6
MWE Presents: Drums In The Night
Live from Enterprise Arena in Chicago, IL
Sunday, September 20th, 2020
Before anything else can interrupt the scheduled show, the cameras pick up outside the entrance to the Enterprise Arena in Chicago.
The black and white image, a la the nWo from the late nineties shows Duke hanging up the last poster board on the front of the building.
Each one reading differently about the travesty of him being suspended for the fact that Grace Van Beek can not come to terms with what she has done.
“Free Duke” “She said to send them” “Hey ma, bring me a beer!” “Chicago Sux”
He had a small tent set up, a few camping chairs around the foreground.
Duke Andrews:
Bring me another beer!
He smirked as an ice cold beer is tossed his way from Alan Envy.
He cracks the top before taking a swig. His shirt reading “Stay Silent. Stay Violent”
Duke Andrews:
Ya know, what was said in jokes, was meant to stay that way. It’s not my fault that Grace reciprocated and *insert beeping sounds here*!
He smirked as he looked at the beer.
Duke Andrews:
So because she decided to send me *more beeping sounds* I’m the one that’s punished? I’m the one that gets to come to this shit hole city and drink beer? Fine. I’ll stand my ground. It wasn’t an unsolicited *beeping sound*, no. In fact she liked it. Boys, it’s all about the camera angles.
Duke paused as Envy held his hand up.
Duke Andrews:
You’re right Alan, also make sure you wear skinny jeans. That’s courtesy of the stud Alan Envy. But back to what I was saying. She wants to keep the title on Bob, that’s bad business. She wants to make a point? Also bad business. I thought this broad was supposed to be the brightest and smartest person around, yet she hires incompetent twats like Elsa, the one before her, and the one before that, and then she has Moretti. Again, an incompetent twat.
Duke finishes his beer.
Duke Andrews:
Oh well, this show is still brought to you by APE. You can try and keep us away, but it’ll never work. You can try to make us stay home, but we still control the entire brand. Fix this situation, Grace. You know what’s best for business. Fix this situation, put me in that ring next show again Tits Mcgee and I’ll bring the prestige back to the title. Bet
Backstage we see Dean Smith currently holding the Junior Heavyweight title with Luna's name on it. Luna has since had her name replaced with star-like diamonds to spell out her name. Just like the event prior, Luna comes by to swoop in and pick up her title from her brother.
Luna Smith:
You'll have your own one…
As she then rubs off where it's been resting on Dean.
Luna Smith:
…soon enough. Don't be like Leia Le-
Luna hardly finishes her opponents name as she just continues.
Luna Smith:
Can you believe she tried to take my title? Who does she think she is? That's why I had this name plate updated with a brighter name…so everyone will see even if my title is on the line in some barbaric ladder match again.
Dean's used to Luna needing to just unload her feelings, her rant so he takes a hard, silent, but unnoticeable sigh.
Luna Smith:
As for tonight. I don't know why I've been put into a match with her. She LOST, we all saw it, it's probably because of her stock I'm on the opening match…I'm modest and I'd say I should be at least before the main event…but she's dragged me right down to the opener? How low is her stock? She's certainly not worthy of a title match either….You're taking me out afters to celebrate as champions, aren't you?
Dean Smith:
Yeah. We're gonna have a good time, see if Millie and Max'll join us. ….Glory though, she's not going to be an easy champion to dethrone.
Luna can tell by the brief pause, that the first summer triology ppv confrontation was on his mind.
Dean Smith:
Braddock's out there on social media, even on the show last week claiming she beat me one two three, Luna.
Then Luna furrows her brow as Dean's visibly not letting it hold any weight on his shoulders.
Dean Smith:
But she didn't. I mean I went through everything in that match. She brought her best move and it still wasn't enough to put me away. Duke was there to get me out, he won't be out there tonight.
He gives Luna a look to have his back, which she takes seriously and nods back.
Dean Smith:
But last time we were in the ring, I mean I think Bree's powerbomb might have been overkill because she was out before she was hurled to the floor from my finisher. The same move that brought and kept the Invictus title on my shoulder will bring it to me from Glory. I've been on the Riot Brand since I started in Millennium, I've waited, I've built myself through the Invictus division and this summer I've proven that I might just be as dumb as I look, because I don't give up on that goal of mine. Becoming Riot Champion.
He then gives Luna's Junior Heavyweight Title a little pat, twice in fact.
Dean Smith:
And that's what's brought me to tonight. Bree's got an opportunity, you're wearing gold again. It's time big brother Dean got himself another MWE Glory Gold from a golden haired Glory girl.
Luna Smith:
Just make sure you're ready for everything. You'd be surprised what a woman can do when you try to take what's hers. You be ready for everything.
Dean Smith:
I am. She's held that title for a long while, she's not officially defeated me, then Bree and I defeated her clear as day. Tonight, that case, no matter how many O'Brian's are in her corner, when Millennium's new season of TV comes in, it'll be Dean Smith walking out with the MWE's Riot title right here.
He slaps his shoulder quite hard it mildly startles Luna even. She doesn't know what to say as Dean goes on his way as he always has in Millennium, dialling for an assistant to get her flowers for her locker room before the camera cuts to black.
Singles Match
Luna Smith VS Leia LeBeauThe Junior Heavyweight championship match at A Place In The Sun ended with a little bit of controversy, as Leia actually retrieved the title hanging above the ring but lost possession before touching the ring, allowing Luna to pick it up and retain. Tonight marked a huge opportunity for Showtime to earn another shot at Luna and the Junior title, and after hearing what the Star Of The Night said before the match, Leia was even more determined to prove herself to the arrogant champion. And what better way than showing her what she was capable of with a flurry of swift and hard kicks? Luna was a proficient striker as well, considering her krav maga background, but she couldn’t match the opponent’s intensity and determination. Soon enough Luna was against the ropes, but this didn’t save her from the onslaught. The last one, a roundhouse kick, threw her over the top rope and onto the floor outside after hitting the apron. The fans were on their feet already, cheering and chanting for The Show who thanked and greeted them with an elaborate bow, one that would bring back a lot of memories with the wrestling’s fans. Luna had had enough already, claiming she was being disrespected by her opponent and the fans. She grabbed the title from the timekeeper area and would have walked out of the match through a shower of boos from the few but very vocal fans, if it wasn’t for Leia chasing her and slamming her face first against the plexigalss barrier. The title fell on the ramp, and there it lay while LeBeau dragged the champion back to the ring. She rolled her inside so that her neck was sticking out under the bottom rope, resting on the apron. Leia went for an apron legdrop but missed the target as Luna moved away at the last moment, quickly picking the opponent up and dragging her back inside the ring, holding her in a front facelock suspended with the feet on the middle rope. And then she planted her head first into the canvas with a rope hung ddt, floating into a cover for a count of two. The pace remained fast and furious even now that Luna was in control. The former Lockdown champion took the challenger down with a bicycle knee strike, but Leia still managed to kick out. Wasting no time, Luna got her in a side headlock and drove her knee in the Jet CIty Woman twice, completing the Upgrade with the overdrive neckbreaker. Once again the challenger raised her shoulder before the three, showing all her resilience. The champ was starting to get frustrated, dragging Leia up to her feet and hitting her with a knife edge chop. The Show fought back with one of her own, Luna hit her with a forearm strike and ate one of the same right after. Things escalated rather quickly, Leia matching blow for blow in an intense exchange. Just when LeBeau was getting the upper hand, Luna caught her with a throat jab, leaving the young girl breathless. With an irish whip she then fired her against the ropes and caught her with her running Spanish fly, but not even this was enough to get that three count. The Stardom (sparkle splash) could have done it, but she found nobody’s home as Leia rolled out of the way. The missed splash opened the way for Leia to turn the tables, showing that not only her kicks were lethal, but her hands were dangerous weapons as well, hitting Luna with some quick boxing combos. She then shoved her in the corner and hit a running back elbow, teasing the fans a little bit before offering them what they all were waiting for, a clean view of her long legs as she performed a handstand and pressed her foot against Luna’s throat. She could only keep the illegal choke for a count of five, but that was enough to leave Luna on all fours to catch her breath while Leia left the ring and climbed up to the top rope. From up there, she patiently waited for Luna to get in position for her Seattle Slutdrop, jumping on the Junior Heavyweight champion with a diving legdrop bulldog. Leia rushed to make the cover, but the vicinity with the ropes allowed Luna to break up the count simply by resting her foot on the bottom one. This great contest was still going, Luna almost picked up the win with the Starstorm but Leia refused to give up. Smith sent Leia in the corner and charged at her, hitting a boot to the face to stop her charge. LeBeau quickly grabbed her wrist and sent her in the opposite corner with an irish whip. It was now her turn to charge, hitting the still dazed champion with the Jet City Jive to score a clean win against the Junior Heavyweight Champion. WINNER: Leia LeBeau BY: Pinfall (Jet City Jive), 9:29 |
Leia was celebrating her big win in the ring, climbing to the top turnbuckle and gesturing the fans that soon she will be wearing the Junior Heavyweight Championship around her waist. Speaking of the title, it was still laying on the ramp, unguarded. Not for long as Nina walked out of the curtains and walked toward it. She picked it up from the ground and looked at Leia and Luna inside the ring. The two women were in much different moods, but they both shook thier head and began screaming at the Chicago born as she said "Finders keepers" before walking away with the gold on her shoulder.
Elsa McCarthy was inside her office, her face buried in the pile of papers placed over her desk in an orderly fashion. Her eyes are scanning some documents, quickly moving from one to the next as if she was looking for a detail she was now missing.
Elsa McCarthy:
There you are!
She excitedly blurted out, finally finding what she was looking for. She took that note and kept it in front of herself, bundling the other papers and placing them on top of the right stack. With a satisfied smile on her face, she leaned back on the chair and massaged her temples, trying perhaps to push back one of those migraines that often bother her. A knock at the door drew her attention, a slight smile appearing on her face,
Elsa McCarthy:
Please, come in Eloise. The door is open.
But when it opened, it wasn’t the gorgeous agent and sister to the Riot star standing on the threshold. Dark curly hair, the young man stepped inside the office holding what looked like a tube in his hand. The most observant among the fans may have recognized him as Daegan, the Social Media manager hired by Elsa and Vincent back in March.
Daegan:
I’m not Eloise, but I brought you your water.
He said with a polite smile in his thick Bostonian accent as he handed the Millennium General Manager the tube shaped bottle of Voss mineral water. Elsa took the bottle and placed it on the desk, whispering a “thank you” to the young man. He answered with a slight bow, taking a step backward.
Daegan:
And you’ll be happy to know that Miss LeBeau just entered the Arena. I’ll send her this way.
Elsa McCarthy:
I appreciate it. I knew I was making the right decision when I hired you. You’ve been incredibly helpful, Daegan.
The smile on his face grew wider as he stepped back and out of the door.
Daegan
Whoa. I’m just doing my job, boss… But thank you.
Elsa smiled back as the man behind the company’s twitter account closed the door behind him and left the office. Moments later, the balcony door swung open and the unexpected trio of Grace van Beek, Ryen Riekert and Chuck Matthews made its appearance. While Grace and Ryen stood by the door, the founder of Millennium Wrestling walked toward the young General Manager with a briefcase in his hand. Elsa had by now sat back on her chair, the bottle of water in her hand. She wasn’t drinking though, looking at it and turning it in her hand instead. A long sigh escaped her lips as Chuck was now in front of her, his hand extended in her direction.
Chuck Matthews:
I have everything I need right here, this won’t take long, Elsa.
The General Manager of the green brand stared at him for a few long moments, a look of concern clearly visible on her face. She raised her eyes, glancing now at the pair of Grace and her bodyguard. The Diamond Princess gave her a light nod that looked more like a command than a reassuring gesture. Either way, it worked. Elsa handed the bottle to Chuck, who turned around without saying a word and headed to the door, followed by Grace and Ryen. The former military was the only one who showed some sympathy for the clearly upset McCarthy, offering her a warm smile and few words of comfort before leaving.
Ryen Riekert:
Everything will be alright, kid. I give you my word.
Elsa forced a smile as she watched him go, leaving her alone in the office with her thoughts.
Chicago Way Championship Match
Steel Cage Match
Joey Leclair (c) VS Kristina SpencerSteel Cage Match
The Chicago Way Championship was on the line in the first of two cage matches of the night, as the current champion Joey Leclair was scheduled for his third defense against Krissy Spencer. And he was determined to make a quick work out of the opponent to cement his legacy in the company’s hardcore division, pushing the former Junior Heavyweight champion against the wall of the cage and pound her with several punches to the mid section and face as well. It didn’t take her long to figure out a perfectly legal way to escape the initial onslaught, hitting the champion with a knee to the crotch. Leclair doubled over in pain and breathless, a moment later he was launched head first against the steel structure and quickly rolled on his shoulders for a first pinfall attempt that resulted in a two count for the challenger. Joey didn’t like the sneak attempt and leveled her with a lariat, Showing no hesitation, he mounted on top of her for some ground and pound actions, even drawing some blood from the challenger’s forehead. When he eventually let her go and stood up, the camera picked not only the sadistic grin on his face, but the brass knuckle he used to bust her open as well.He removed it from his fist and threw it in the corner, picking Krissy up for a brainbuster and making the cover. Spencer kicked out in two. The level of violence only kept growing, the walls of the cage shaking every time one of them threw the opponent against them. Most times, it would be Kristina ending up squashed against the unforgiving steel. Eight minutes in though, she countered a powerbomb attempt with a hurricanrana that left Joey sitting with his back against the cage. Gathering what little energy she had left after the beatdown she went through to charge at him slam him against the structure with a dropkick. It was the opportunity she was waiting for, the opening to turn the tides of a match that, up to that point, saw the defending champion in absolute control. And she did good, exploiting the environment and the lack of rules to make the Death Dealer bleed, repeatedly driving his head against an exposed turnbuckle. She even came close to the win with a meteora to the stunned champion, but it wasn’t enough to keep Joey down. Spencer tried to escape the cage then, and almost managed to climb to the top when Leclair reached for her leg and unceremoniously pulled her down. It was a nasty fall for Kristina, but the worst had yet to come with Joey letting himself fall with an elbow to the chest. Joey kept control for the past minutes, at this point he seemed like he was just toying with Kristina, enjoying to put her through unspeakable suffering like when he grinded her face against the steel, leaving her there and knocking her out with a Death Dealer Elbow to the back of the head with such force that it rocked the entire structure. And yet, the WIcked One still had some fight in her. Leclair had had enough, whipping her back first against the exposed corner. Determined to put an end to this, he charged in finding nothing but the cold steel as Krissy moved out of the way, pushing him from behind head first into the turnbuckle, literally stepping on his back to start her climb. Joey recovered rather quickly, wiping off the blood that once again began pouring from his wounded forehead and climbed up to the second rope to stop her attempt to escape. Sliding between her legs, he found himself in the perfect position to powerbomb her to the canvas. Kristina wasn’t moving and the champion took a moment to recover, sitting on the third rope. Spencer began to drag herself to the opposite corner, reaching it and slowly pulling herself up to lean against the ropes while Leclair jumped down, ready to charge at her a second time. This didn’t get any better than the first time as Kristina met him with a punch to the jaw, wearing the same brass knuckle Joey used earlier in the match. The impact stunned the Chicago Way champion, causing him to stumble back to the centre of the ring. It was her best shot, the one opportunity she should not miss. And she went for it, the Wicked Hand, a heart punch with the brass knuckles still on, the move that would have won her the second title in MWE. But Joey wasn’t ready to give up on the gold yet, kicking her arm away and causing her to spin 180° degrees, holding her arm in pain and losing control of the weapon that flew off her hand. Joey then set her up for the Stygian (vertebreaker). It was over, and Leclair knew it. But rather than making the cover, he slowly walked to the door, not before mocking the former Junior Heavyweight champion eliciting the boos from the few fans present. WINNER: Joey Leclair (STILL CHAMPION) BY: Cage Escape, 14:10 |
The scene opens with Pierce Manning leaning against a white wall backstage in the hallway. The MENTV Championship is hanging off his shoulder. With his hands arms by his side, Pierce launches into his promotion of his title defense later in the night.
Pierce Manning:
Dean Smith.
Echo.
What do those two names have in common?
Former Invitcus Champions who I own!
Pierce flashes a smug smirk on his face.
Pierce Manning:
Both of those names were synonymous with the former Invictus division, a division that has been rendered obsolete for good reason. I am not a hardcore advocate of wrestling like certain people on the roster but... no one wants to see a match come down to a judges decision. Where is the fun in that? Anyone can complain that they got screwed over. With the MENTV Championship, it is on you to get the job done. No one with their bias opinion can sway the outcome. With that being said, Echo and Dean Smith are not the only two names linked to the former Invitcus division.
Pierce points to the camera.
Pierce Manning:
You are as well Liv Mercer.
You didn’t become champion like the others. For months you were obsessed with proving to Echo that you were the better woman. Two chances you had to prove your point. Both times you came up short. Along the way we crossed paths. A triple threat match that occured back in April. Do you remember how that went down? Of course you do. You kicked me between the legs after I knocked Echo out with my sock full of coins. Pinned me. Went along your merry way to come up short against Echo.
I should consider me becoming the last champion, accomplishing what you couldn’t a victory in and of itself?
Pierce shakes his head.
Pierce Manning:
I have unfinished business with the Invictus division. Dog Days of Summer I put one nail in the coffin showing Echo once and for all who the man is. Now, it is your turn. I wipe the slate clean of what used to be the Invictus division by pinning the last person who was synonymous with the dead brand. Once you as casted aside into the ether where you belong, I can march on, building the MWETV division brick, by brick by brick... or until I have five straight defenses. Whichever comes first. Glory. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about you, toots. If you are Riot Champion by the time I reach the required number of defenses to capitalize on the gift of being MWETV grants me, I can remind you of one undisputed fact.
Pierce Manning is The Man. Deal with it.
Pierce winks. He walks off as the scene fades to black.
Ladder Match
Marcus Ali Jr. VS Omari JohnsonMarcus was in the ring already, waiting for his opponent to join him. Ladders had been scattered all around the ring for them to use to retrieve the briefcase hanging above the ring. Inside it, the contract Omari signed when he first joined the Ali Wrestling Academy. A contact that, it was revealed, bounds him to the Bad Boyz, something Omari wasn't aware of and, most importantly, doesn't want. Tonight was his chance to get that contract voided, all he had to do was to beat Marcus and retrieve it from the briefcase. Looking determined and focused, Johnosn walked out to the stage, making his way to the ramp. A group of masked individuals, their faces covered by balaclavas sneaked up behind him and knocked him down. Kicks and punches reached the poor guy, Marcus wondering what the hell was going on but keeping himself out of this. Just as quick as the group entered the scene, they left, taking Omari with them. The match clearly wasn't going to happen at this point, but Marcus still demanded an opponent, issuing an open challenge to anyone in the roster. Out came the Riot General Manager Moretti, telling him that , unfortunately, nobody was available to fight him. But, there is a battle royal in the main event, with 30 Millennium and Riot superstars in it. They might as well be 31. Ali seemed cool with this, nodding as he left the ring. WINNER: // BY: 0:00 |
We return to a shot of the arena with the fans practicing their best social distancing while still enjoying the action. The fans are mugging for the camera that is on them but then it all shifts when the lights dim ever so slightly to catch their attention. The familiar instrumental strumming of ‘Psychosocial’ is what plays next and the crowd that was happy to have this moment suddenly turn to boos the moment the entrance music plays. And then after a couple of seconds of waiting the veteran busts through the curtain in his ring gear with the briefcase in hand and the audience greets the elder statesman with contempt and at the top of the stage Seth puts his arms out and there are more boos that greet him.
He then starts the methodical walk down the ramp and the verbal abuse by some of the fans follows, a sight that almost feels refreshing after months of no fans but Seth is glaring at the audience with disdain briefly as he pauses at the ramp to eyeball the ‘Neal burnt Iser’ sign with a blackened cast next to it. He responds by reaching into the crowd and ripping up the sign and flinging it back out into the people which doesn’t endear him any further with this audience but rather than instigate things further he starts to head toward the ring, going up the steps and entering into the ring. Rather than do his corner pose he gestures for a microphone and you aren’t going to refuse a six foot five monster of a man when he demands an opportunity to speak.
Seth Iser:
Do I ha--
Before he can let out his usual opening the crowd begins to boo louder toward him. He doesn’t hesitate though, wanting to continue on...
Seth Iser:
Do I have y---
Again, he’s drowned out by the boo birds of this Chicago audience and with that Seth’s eyes have that brief glint of rage.
Seth Iser:
I said DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION now!?
He booms that and the crowd boos yet again toward him but rather than go for an insult toward the city he sneers toward the camera.
Seth Iser:
Good because I have something to get off my chest before the tag match and I’ve been granted my time...I was sitting back and I’ve had my eyes and ears open since I signed on the dotted line to wrestle here on a regular basis. And I don’t even know if certain people believe half of the things they blab out when they shoot their yap or what weight certain words carry to someone who adheres to the old school principles of the sport. So before I do my job in the city of Chicago…
The fans cheer the mention of the name and Seth just shakes his head and peers over the ropes waving his arms in a timeout motion briefly.
Seth Iser:
Woah woah woah...timeout, woah. You booed me all the way down the ramp, you jeered me further when I took out that insulting sign and now the moment I mention the name of this god forsaken city everyone cheers. HOORAY! YAY! LOOK AT US! HE MENTIONED OUR NAME! WOOHOO! THAT’S WHERE WE LIVE!
As Seth is mocking them the cheers are starting to turn back into the jeers that are increasingly familiar.
Seth Iser:
How simple minded are you cumbergrounds hm? That you can’t even have a moment of actual thought and everything is let out the moment somebody says something you might like. Do you raise your children with that kind of wishy washy attitude? No wonder they’re obsessed with stupid things like Tik Toks and vines...because you helped foster people’s minds with the attention span of a gnat by being the most spineless forms of humanity I’VE ever met and ALL of you should be ashamed!
And the boos just get louder and louder for this man and Seth just sneers coldly.
Seth Iser:
Then you come to shows like this and boo real winners because the city of Chicago can’t produce a winner in sports nor can it even offer up a pizza remotely approaching New York’s status! Why? Because IT’S A FUCKING CASSEROLE!
And then the insult of their sports and beloved pizza is far too much for these fans as they begin the ever vulgar ‘Fuck you Iser’ chant that picks up momentum. And at that Seth just shakes his head.
Seth Iser:
You feel more attachment to your horrible pizza than you do raising your kids...that says it all right there…
And he just offers a shake of the head in disgust as the chant finally starts to die down after several seconds.
Seth Iser:
But back to the topic at hand since you people had to get involved and make it about yourself...to one of the two opponents in this upcoming tag match: Keelan Jayce.
The crowd lets out a cheer when Iser mentions the young man’s name and there’s a sneer from Seth but he does let the crowd acknowledge him and the cheers rumble a little louder for a bit before Seth booms through.
Seth Iser:
I have eyes and ears, kid. I saw you yammering with the embodiment of lies himself in Owen Gonsalves. I even heard what you said the last time you took air time. You yammered about how you had me beat in the steel cage yet again...even though you made an obvious young wrestler’s mistake in our match despite the compromised state you put me in. And you puffed your chest out about it...but you should’ve settled your issue with Gavin way before you stepped in the ring with me. That was your own damn fault in the matter. And because you didn’t get your hand raised all you’re doing is crying over spoiled milk...and nobody likes that. It’s wasting all of our time when you pull that crap.
He shakes his head more like an old professor scolding a troublesome but talented student rather than someone who just shouted at Chicago about their taste moments earlier.
Seth Iser:
Then you referred to me as the worst in the sport and that you despised me and all that other bile. Consider who you just spoke to in Owen there...choose your words far more carefully than that and think about what I did to him when he really crossed me. Don’t make the same mistakes he did. But you really think I’m worse than someone on the roster who sexually harassed our boss? Do you not have any thought to the words that came out of your mouth or did you let your emotions get the best of you?
And then he just lets out a smirk as something clicked. It’s faint for a moment and that smirk is gone in seconds but it was there.
Seth Iser:
Or are you just that upset that someone was honest about their intentions the entire time and then went through with it? That’s your own fault then. For all that talent you need to use your head a little bit more there kid. But if you REALLY want to make a whole issue of this...I’ll make a true old school wrestler out of you yet...or you might bleed out and drop out from the experience. Doesn’t matter to me either way, I get paid the same for winning after all…
And with that coldness the boos start to reign down on the veteran and he isn’t flinching from it at all. He just continues speaking in that business like tone.
Seth Iser:
But I haven’t forgotten about you either Neal. Setting my cast on fire...the anger you had when I pulled the FGA Wildcard Tournament from under your nose. The mutual disdain we both have...when we ended it in a draw. And hell...you setting me on fire for the taste of victory. As much as I’m angry about the fire...I get it. Really I do...hell I respect it even because you’re learning the thing Keelan already should have. You have to do what you need to when that bell rings, especially when you are opposite someone who is doing whatever it takes to get their hand raised. That is what professional wrestling truly is about at the end of the day. Wins and losses. It’s our job to win and we get paid more for those wins and these championships.
And he pauses for a moment yet again before sneering.
Seth Iser:
You and I Neal...we’re destined to do this until I retire I think. That’s my intuition. I’ve become someone for you to pursue...to beat, to compare to after this year made us irrevocably linked. And if I have it my way...we will both have a shot to correct the wrong of that draw in singles competition later because that’ll hang over both of us no matter what championship we may win with our briefcase choice.
And then there’s a snicker as Seth thinks further on it.
Seth Iser:
But speaking of champions...I have my partner here tonight...someone who is learning under me quite well...and someone who wants to make her name mean more than anything else given to her. And unlike the idiot bots of twitter...she won’t be censored for sharing her beliefs. You know the name of Iser. But in a couple years time you will hold the last name of Monroe with the same kind of prestige that you hold my last name. And I give you the MWE Intercontinental Champion...Megan Monroe!
And when he lets that introduction off the boos are in full force yet again as he points toward the entrance ramp with his free hand. “Ludens” by Bring Me The Horizon blares over the PA system and out walks Megan Rydell, holding the IC championship in the air. The fans boo her but Megan simply shrugs it off with a smirk. She makes her way down the ramp before sliding into the ring and grabbing a microphone.
Megan Monroe:
Thank you for the kind words, Seth.
Meg gives her new ally a nod before she continued on.
Megan Monroe:
And Seth here? He’s right. Soon enough, my name will be as well known as the name Iser and it’ll be because I’m learning from the best here, which is Seth. But while I’m still learning and perfecting my craft? I’m still better than all of you.
The fans boo as Meg points at them.
Megan Monroe:
And that goes for all of you too!!!
The crowd boos even louder.
Megan Monroe:
As for our opponents tonight? Seth already pointed out one truth about Keelan and that’s that he gets incredibly distracted. It’s not hard getting him to take his eye off the prize. You just have to get in his head a little.as for Durdan?
Monroe let out a cackle as she shook her head.
Megan Monroe:
What is he really going to do? Iser knows him like the back of his hand. And trust me, everything Seth knows? It’s passed down to me and I absorb it like a sponge. Needless to say? I’m ready for Neal and I’ve already shown that I can beat Keelan. Now? I get to beat both in one night.
Meg steps towards the much larger Iser and pars him on the back.
Megan Monroe:
What’s most important tonight though? Is that you all get to see the power and destruction of Seth Iser and Megan Monroe as a team. Honestly? Putting us two together literally makes the deadliest combo this company has ever seen. Maybe we’ll even go for the tag belts?
She laughed and shrugged.
Megan Monroe:
But I digress. I’m out here to show you all that Seth and I are on the same page, so quit asking and just watch. Watch what happens tonight when we decimate Keelan and Neal. Watch and see that we’re the most talented duo this company has ever seen and most of all? Watch and see the future of MWE… Me!
Meg drops the mic and her music places as she raises the Intercontinental Championship on the air. Her and Seth nod at each other as they make their way to the back now.
MENTV Championship Match
Pierce Manning (c) VS Liv MercerSecond defense back to back for Pierce Manning, the new MENTV Champion. A win tonight would be another step toward that Riot championship shot, but in order to do that, he’d need to go through Liv Mercer, still chasing history looking to become the first ever triple crown winner in MWE. No stranger to one another, having shared the ring in the past already, they knew exactly what the opponent would bring to the table, making the first part of the match a delight for the pure wrestling fans, exchanging holds and counters in a long chain wrestling sequence. None of them seemed to get the upper hand, everytime someone obtained a slight advantage, the opponent quickly found a way to counter and regain control. This elaborate dance found its end when Pierce grabbed her in a waist lock and went for a snap german suplex. Mercer was right back on her feet, ducking his clothesline and kiciking off his leg, tripping him over and sending him hanging on the middle rope. Liv jumped on his back, causing his throat to bounce against the rope as she exited the ring, landing on her feet and quickly climbing back on the apron, driving the knee to the side of Pierce’s head. The champ was down and Liv grabbed the rope to hit him with a slingshot senton, making the cover for the first near fall of the match. The champion took control after a super belly to belly suplex, rushing up the turnbuckle to intercept an aerial attack from Liv. Her landing was all but graceful, her shoulder being the first part to touch the canvas which resulted in a slight injury for Mercer. And Manning went for it right away, grabbing her arm and twisting it, yanking with all his force to take her down to the mat. Joint manipulation at its finest, this was what Pierce did for the following minutes, working on that shoulder and trying to submit the challenger who managed to stretch her legs to reach the bottom rope. The referee had to force the breakup since The Man had no intention of letting her go. As soon as he did, Liv rolled out on the apron, holding her arm in pain. Relentlessly, Pierce dragged her up to her feet and grabbed her by the wrist, bending her arm around the top rope and pulling for an illegal submission. Under the threat of a disqualification, he had to let her go, and listen to the referee’s stern admonishment as the official put himself between Manning and Mercer. Pierce then went back on the attack, but this time it was Liv surprising him by looping her arms behind his neck and dropping off the apron, driving him throat first on the top rope. She then slid back in the ring and caught him with a running bulldog, smashing his face on the canvas. The former Riot champion came really close to the win with a mean roundhouse kick that floored Manning. Being so close to the ropes saved his reign from being cut short by Liv. The challenger remained in control. slowing down the pace and trying to submit Manning with a dragon sleeper. It took him a while to break free, and when he eventually did, he was too worn out to quickly counterattack. And so Mercer struck again, sending him to the floor with a running single leg dropkick. Instead of going for a cover, she wrapped her legs around his head, locking him in her figure four headlock she calls Liv Lock. A move Pierce had scouted, managing to escape it before Mercer could apply it. The back and forth action brought near falls for both of them, but knowing their history and how much their managers loved to interfere in their matches, it was just a matter of time before they got involved, turning the match into mayhem. The referee tried his best to keep things under control and at the same time keep a watchful eye on the two competitors. Eventually he had had enough, sending off both Oz and Jared, despite their protest. It was in this moment of confusion that Liv went low, kicking Pierce between the legs and then connecting the Stay Grounded inverted foot stomp. Manning wisely rolled out of the ring, falling on the floor outside to avoid being pinning. Constable went to check on him, an action the referee didn’t take well as he shouted at him to leave. Liv had now left the ring too, picking up Pierce to take him back inside the ring. Before she could do it, she was hit by a punch to the jaw that knocked her out. Manning then brought the fight back inside the ring, leaving a sock full of dime on the floor behind him. The referee didn’t see it, the same way he didn’t see Jared handing it to him while checking on Pierce. What he did see instead, was Pierce dropping Liv down in the centre of the ring with his TBTM and make the cover for the three. WINNER: Pierce Manning (STILL CHAMPION) BY: Pinfall (TBTM), 12:02 |
Eloise K. LeBeau:
Anastazja warned me about him.
Came the voice of the stunning Eloise LeBeau. The agent of the Riot star Leia LeBeau and of the former Cloud Gate champion Anastasia Starling was sitting in Elsa’s office, right in front of the General Manager.
Eloise K. LeBeau:
I didn’t imagine he was…
Elsa McCarthy:
I wish I would have noticed this sooner. The answer was there, it had always been. I only needed to dig deeper.
The GM kept shaking her head, pointing at the paper she was showing to Eloise.
Eloise K. LeBeau:
You had no reason to even suspect this. As a matter of fact, I believe you did an excellent job at finding out all this by yourself. She will be happy to know.
The gentle tone of her voice and her kind words momentarily comforted the General Manager.
Eloise K. LeBeau:
And you think that…
A knock at the door interrupted the conversation between the two women.
Elsa McCarthy:
I guess we are about to find out.
She said with a sigh, standing up from her desk and walking to the door. Visibly nervous, she took a deep breath before grabbing the handle and, not without a little hesitation, swinging the door open. Ryen was standing there, that smile he greeted Elsa with was now completely gone. He barely acknowledged Eloise with a quick nod, his focus quickly switching back to the young General Manager.
Ryen Riekert:
Positive.
He simply said, and that word alone made Elsa flinch. A brief moment, before she forced herself to regain her composure,
Elsa McCarthy:
Oh. We shall proceed with the plan then.
Elsa turned around, glancing at Eloise.
Elsa McCarthy:
I’ll be back soon, Eloise.
The agent tried to say something, but Elsa was already on her way out, leaving Eloise alone in her office.
Tag Team Match
Neal Durden & Keelan Jayce VS Seth Iser & Megan Monroe
The four men competitors were inside the ring, deciding who should start the contest. Well aware that his partner was involved in a battle for the ages, Keelan insisted that he would start the match. Their opponents instead agreed that Seth, who just like Neal took part in FGA’s latest event Only The Strong Survive 24 hours ago, would be the first one in. The veteran knew how to work a crowd, his promo from earlier literally set the crowd on fire and they were HATING to see him in the ring. And that hatred, you can imagine, only grew stronger when he flipped the bird at the fans and made the tag to Megan before even a single punch was swung. The jeers were now deafening, and the Intercontinental Champion entering the ring laughing at the whole situation didn’t make things much better. The smile on her face was quickly wiped out by a spectacular butterfly kick from Jayce that knocked her out cold. He hooked the leg, forcing Seth to get right back in to save his young partner and breaking up the pin with a vicious stomp to the back of Keelan’s head. The 12 size boot to the head couldn’t stop him from taking flight with a springboard corkscrew plancha to the outside, wiping out Megan and landing on his feet effortlessly. The fans were on their feet for this feat of athleticism, but Keelan knew better than to soak in their adulation, quickly grabbing Megan and rolling her inside the ring, setting up the next piece of offense already. It would have been a beautiful springboard shooting star press if it wasn’t for Iser blindsiding him with a big boot as he leaped on the top rope. The impact was brutal, the landing head first on the apron dreading and for a moment the thought of Keelan being injured looked like a likely possibility. But luckily Jayce picked himself up, visibly dazed and a bit out of it but able to continue. Megan made things worse with a baseball slide that sent the Aussie against the barricade, the back of his head hitting the barrier first. Rough night so far for Keelan. Megan and Seth were giving him no time to recover after the back to back blow to the head, keeping their pressure constant and showing surprising chemistry for a brand new team. Of course Megan was the one pulling the weight, doing most of the action and rationing the grizzled veteran energy. But whenever Seth was inside that squared circle, the feeling was that the ending was nigh for Jayce. And on a couple of occasions, it would have been if it wasn’t for Neal coming to rescue, like when he dropped him with the Pillar Of Truth for the closest of near falls. The fans were still firmly behind Keelan, understanding the difficult moment he was in. Their chants grew in volume, trying to prompt a reaction in him. And it worked, as he used his elbow to break free from Seth’s headlock and rocked the big man with a pele kick. He tried to reach his corner quickly, but Iser was right behind him and prevented him from reaching Neal. The two fought for another good minute, Seth imposing thanks to his strength and sending Jayce against the ropes. The australian surprised the veteran with a tornado ddt, and once again went for the tag. But when he got there, he couldn’t find his partner, dragged off the apron by Megan. As the Intercontinental champion laughed at her challenger, Neal clubbed her from behind, alerting his partner just in time for him to avoid Seth’s clothesline, catching him with a neckbreaker. And finally the tag was made. You wouldn’t tell that Neal wrestled less than 24 hours ago in New York City, the Anarchist brought the usual amount of energy as soon as he stepped through those ropes, delighting the fans with his fast and acrobatic style that brought him a couple of near falls against Iser. Neal was on fire, dominating the contest even after Seth made the tag to Megan Monroe, almost putting her down with the sitout scoop slam piledriver. The Intercontinental champion fought back, coming in with her hard hitting kicks and to rock Durden and floor him with a discus elbow smash. She took a high risk, climbing up to the top rope and connecting with the Fly-Dell (phoenix splash), only obtaining a two count thanks to Keelan’s interference. Iser entered the ring and attacked the Australian, and all hell broke loose inside the ring, the two men fighting in a corner while Megan and Neal continued their contest in the opposite. The referee tried to keep track of the action, but Iser and Jayce going at it right next to him were a distraction. He tried to separate them and make them leave the ring, taking his eyes off the legal competitors in the exact moment Neal caught Megan with a roll up. This was a definite and clear three to say the least, but the official completely missed it. Just like he missed the low blow Monroe used to set the Underground Underworld champion up for her Beautiful Disaster (lifting ddt), stealing the win for her team. WINNER: Megan Monroe & Seth Iser BY: Pinfall (Beautiful Disaster), 13:51 |
Pre-recorded…
We open in what appears to be someone’s immaculate looking office. It is large and gives off the air of professionalism and power. There is a large wood oak desk with a large black swivel chair. The back is turned so we cannot tell who, if anyone, is sitting in the chair. Just then the chair spins around and we see the lovely figure of “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. The blonde haired beauty is wearing a royal purple dress that hugs her every curve, flattering her figure, and has a hemline that stops just at the knee. Her feet are encased in black patent leather high heel pumps. Draped over her right shoulder is the MWE Riot Championship title belt and draped over the left shoulder is the SCW Adrenaline Championship title belt. A confident smirk is etched across her lovely face as she stares into the camera.
Glory Braddock:
Feast your eyes upon greatness; pure, unadulterated greatness. There is good, there is great, you have the best, but then you have Glory Braddock. Very few can achieve the level of greatness that I have achieved and to be perfectly honest with you, I doubt anyone ever will. I am a champion in two promotions, I run a successful business, and I am actively training the future generations of this sport.
The self proclaimed Best in the World pats her Riot Championship title belt that rests upon her right shoulder.
Glory Braddock:
I told each and every one of you that my quest to become MWE Riot Champion was because I alone was worthy to lead this brand into the future. I endured three other opponents but was that good enough? No, so they put me against Henri Black in a Best of Five Series, the most violent Best of Five Series in this company’s history, and I still endured, I persevered, and I became MWE Riot Champion. Then just to throw a curveball in my direction they made me defend the title in the clusterfuck of all clusterfucks at Dog Days of Summer.
She points her long slender finger at the camera.
Glory Braddock:
It was then that you had your opportunity, Dean. You had the opportunity of a lifetime to take me on when I was at a disadvantage. The Riot Championship was right there for the taking. Management practically handed it to you on a silver platter. All you had to do was not screw it up. But that’s exactly what you did. You choked. You screwed it up and I beat you to retain the Riot Championship at Dog Days of Summer. But was that good enough?
The British Bombshell shakes her head.
Glory Braddock:
No it wasn’t, at least not in the eyes of Moretti. Apparently he thinks you deserve a second chance. And why is that, because you got a fluke pin fall victory over me in a tag team match? Here’s a newsflash for you, Dean; in real life you do not get second chances. In real life if you screw up that’s it, you are done, and by all rights you should not be getting this second chance at Drums in the Night. If I wanted to I could have my lawyers challenge the fairness of this title match and get it canceled.
Braddock chuckles lightly.
Glory Braddock:
But you’re in luck, not because I’m feeling generous but because I prefer to do my fighting in the ring. You seem to not understand the fact that you are not on my level. You do not seem to grasp the fact that you do not belong in the same ring as me. People look at you as a machine but I look at you and I see just another musclebound idiot who cannot wrestle his way out of a wet paper bag. I look at you and I see another Neanderthal who relies on his size and strength to keep his own dim bulb head above water. But what do you see when you look at me, Dean? Do you see confidence? Do you see arrogance? Do you see the MWE Riot Champion? Well I’ll tell you what you should see. You should see a woman who has made a career out of taking men like you, big badass, brutes, and chopping them down to size. I have taken monsters and machines and humiliated them week in and week out. So do I sweat this little challenge of yours at Drums in the Night?
Braddock shakes her head.
Glory Braddock:
No, I do not sweat you, I do not worry about the threat that you pose because lets face it, when you look at me you are looking at The Best in the World and why should I be afraid of anyone else when I am better than everyone else? So tonight you will get your one on one chance against me. But enjoy this time in the spotlight, enjoy this rare opportunity to share the ring one on one with the best ever, because once this is over, you will go back to where you belong; in obscurity.
Riot Championship Match
Glory Braddock (c) VS Dean SmithDean Smith looked pumped, the big win in that tag match at A Place In The Sun when he pinned The Best In The World gave him a huge boost of confidence in his quest to the Riot championship. And it was all Dean in the early moments, overpowering the British Bombshell and closing her in the corner, where she couldn’t defend herself from his hard chops and forearm strikes. The referee asked him to let go, he grabbed her arm instead and whipped her across the ring, all the way into the opposite corner. He followed up with a running back elbow to the face. Down went the champion, while Smith climbed up to the top rope, looking to end this quickly with the Mean Dean flying knee. Sophie O’Brian, who was accompanying Glory in this match somehow confirming the rumors according to which she would have joined the Glorious Golden Era, replacing Hayley who left the company after her loss at By Any Means, grabbed Braddock’s arm and rolled her out of the ring, taking her off the line of fire. If there still was any need to prove how much Dean wanted this, the big risk he took when he dove on the outside with a crossbody was all the evidence he needed. Too bad it didn’t pay off, as he only took out Sophie with it. O’Brian, in fact, was quick to push her best friend out of the way, saving her from the flying Dean. This gave The Best In The World the opportunity to strike, hitting Dean with a couple of kicks to the back of the head and then pushing him against the steps. Glory re-entered the ring, seemingly content to take the count out win, but the longest reigning Invictus champion in history was able to beat the count. The match continued with the champion capitalizing on the advantage she just obtained, using quick flurries of kicks and strikes in combination with some ground work to keep him down. Her main target became his right leg, specifically the knee area with the clear goal of taking out the former Invictus champion’s most feared move, the Mean Dean flying knee she had the displeasure of tasting ten days ago at A Place In The Sun, with the outcome everyone remembers. She stomped at it multiple times leaving an agonizing Dean to clutch it as she rolled out of the ring. The reason for this surprising and unexpected break in a moment where you'd expect someone like her to be going for the kill was far from charitable. She grabbed his ankle and, after slamming his knee on the post, applied an illegal figure four, putting Dean through five seconds of excruciating pain, receiving the compliments from Sophie for her ruthlessness and tactical wisdom. Back inside the ring she went, grabbing the leg to go for another submission. But Dean pushed her away, crawling to the ropes to help himself up to his feet. Braddock went back on the attack and ate an elbow to the mouth. He then started building some offense with a couple of quick jabs, the third catching the Riot champion on the throat. He quickly put her in a side headlock, following with some punches to the head to the breathless Glory before driving her face first into the canvas with a bulldog. His cover attempt only gave him a two. Although limping on his right leg, Dean was able to keep up with his offense, forcing Glory once again in the corner. This time he had a series of uppercuts in store for her, a total of five at the end of which he lifted and sat her on the top rope. He climbed up, thinking about connecting a superplex but as he was climbing, the knee gave up and he almost fell back to the canvas. Back up again he went, but now Glory was ready to welcome him with a headbutt. Dean staggered, but he kept climbing only to receive a second heabutt. And a third, followed by a fourth but he was still hanging on. Fifth time was the charme for the Riot champion as Dean, finally, fell down on the mat. The headbutts took their toll on her as well, but they didn’t stop her from diving on the challenger with the London Plunge. The match went on, and Smith almost picked up the win with a backslide driver first and a fireman’s carry gutbuster a minute later. He ended up hurting his own knee with this move, but this didn’t stop him from going for the Mean Dean diving flying knee. He connected with his best move, every single person in attendance raising to their feet to witness the moment he’ll claim the gold but the bad shape his knee was in, costed him some precious time, and when he eventually made the cover, he only got a two. You could clearly see the look of frustration and pain on his face after he missed his greatest opportunity to win the title. And he never had another one after that, as when he was applying the Dragon Sleeper, Braddock used her technical prowess to slip away and take him down with a variation of a drop toe hold, floating right into the Indian Deathlock she calls Glorify Thy Name. Not a resolutive submission usually, but with all the damage Dean had taken to that knee in this match, he had no choice but to tap. WINNER: Glory Braddock (STILL CHAMPION) BY: Submission (Glorify Thy Name), 14:41 |
Backstage at Millennium's event. The camera focuses on a large stack of oreos that go up, and up, and up, and all the way up passed Bree's blonde hair to stand possibly six feet two inches tall from the plate on the table to the top oreo.
Bree Smith:
Whoa!
She takes a closer inspection to see there's peanut butter stuffed, strawberry cream stuffed, double stuffed, mint stuffed and some delicious, rare, chocolate hazelnut ones in there.
Bree Smith:
There must be a thousand oreos in here.
Bree casually pulls the plate towards her, then quickly supports the back of the plastic cylinder to prevent the oreos from falling. Once she's steadied it, she steps back up.
Bree Smith:
There must be a thousand oreos in here. Hey, Dude.
Bree grabs the attention of one of MWE's staff members and gestures to the stack of Oreos. She then looks down into her jeans, pulls out her wallet and plucks out a few bills.
Bree Smith:
Would you move this giant tower of oreos to, oh, my locker room? I know I'm gonna work up an appetite throwing all kinds of people out of the ring tonight. Hammerstein, Kate Steele, JRD, well-built just to name a few who're going to be going over the top rope.
Staff:
Don't forget, Newman
Bree Smith:
Would you move this giant tower of oreos to, oh, my locker room? I know I'm gonna work up an appetite throwing all kinds of people out of the ring tonight. Hammerstein, Kate Steele, JRD, well-built just to name a few who're going to be going over the top rope.
Bree narrows her eyes while the guy rests the oreo stack against his shoulder and supports the heavy plate with both hands. Bree bites the insides of both her cheeks between her teeth.
Bree Smith:
Newman….
As any MEW Fan would know what Bree meant by that. She brushes it aside, thinking to herself about the Oreos now awaiting her in her locker room. Instead, she takes herself a bottle of water.
Bree Smith:
It's been a while since I've been in a singles match. I mean the last one that comes to mind was that Invictus match with my bro in my corner.
Bree sighs a little bit. The crack of her breaking the seal on the water bottle top is heard and she sips a refreshing sip before pulling back surprised. She looks at the bottle and notices there's a hint of strawberry, her favourite.
Bree Smith:
Anyway, winning the Bree-ttle royale does pose an interesting choice.
Bree has two little though bubbles come up on either side. In one is the image of Luna holding her then Lockdown Championship in a promotional image, glamourous and gorgeous looking. In the other is Dean minutes after winning the Invictus Title, holding it up in the corner.
Bree Smith:
Which one do I choose? Luna's Lockdown Title or the brand new MENTV Title. The Lockdown title could 'bree' a good choice. I'd obviously pick an I Quit match stipulation. But then the MENTV LEADS to other titles. Beat someone in fifteen minutes? Pffft
Bree rolls her eyes with derision and holds up her index finger in one hand, then in her other hand Bree holds up her middle and index finger.
Bree Smith:
I could do it in Twelve. But let's not get ahead of myself. Fourteen other opponents plus any surprises make this a royal challenge. Everyone is going to "Bree"-ng it 100% with two title opportunities technically on the line....that's why I'm "Bree"-nging it
Bree replaces her monster inc hat with a red one featuring the numbers 120 in a thick, bold, black font.
Bree Smith:
One-Twenty.
Bree let's that simmer for a moment as she shrugs and sighs, this time a little harder than she did before.
Bree Smith:
I wish I didn't have to eliminate Teegs last though. She'll last until the end no doubt...and that's when it'll "Bree" crunch time. But I think I got this. I want this... And not for nothing, but my last match was where I proved that the Riot Champ and Sophie were wrong, alongside my Bro - the next Riot Champ...
She flashes a big smile on camera and sips her water again, before getting a beep on her phone. She checks the little notification and begins leaning towards the hallway.
Bree Smith:
Catch you later!
As Bree claps her hands together loudly to make an echo, walking with authority towards her locker room for some last minute training before the big event.
Cloud Gate Championship Match
Melissa Reeves (c) VS Freddie HjalmarFourth and last title match of the night, with the Cloud Gate championship on the line. It was Melissa Reeves’ second defense since winning the vacant title at By Any Means but, with all due respect to Kate Steele, her opponent tonight was a much bigger challenge. Like him (very few do) or hate him, you can’t deny that 2020 is becoming the year of the Promised. He just won the HKW Global championship a few days ago, he had a chance at the Cloud Gate tonight and in just a few days he could become the new LPW Gotham champion. The bell rang and Melissa took the first shot shutting Freddie’s mouth with a sound slap. Not the most impactful maneuver but satisfactory nonetheless. Hjalmar’s reaction was immediate and furious, a right hook straight to Mel’s face. But it was also exactly what Reeves was expecting, and she easily ducked it to move quickly behind his back and pinning him with a snap bridging german suplex. Freddie kicked out in two, getting up to his feet to see the Cloud Gate Champion gesturing how close she went to give him an embarrassing loss. It was undeniable that all this was already getting under the cocky prince’s skin, but his desire to get instant payback against who he had already deemed as an inferior opponent didn’t work well for him. His strikes lacked precision and unpredictability, making it all too easy for Melissa to dodge and counter, keeping the advantage in this early part of the match. Again Freddie swung and missed with the clothesline, getting dropped on his back by the Reaver Slam. Before the champion could capitalize on it with a pinfall attempt, the second generation wrestler had already rolled out of the ring. A wise move that allowed him to catch his breath and bait Melissa, sidestepping as she went for a baseball slide and grabbing her feet to swing her against the barricade. That one mistake Mel made was the first big turning point of the match, allowing Fred to take control. The Promised spent a long time on the outside to inflict more damage to the champion, sliding back inside the ring every time the referee came close to the count of ten. Notable moments of this long excursion were an asai moonsault and a tornado ddt from the apron. Eventually he rolled the champion back in the ring and climbed up to the top turnbuckle, taunting the fans and calling for the Prince Of Roses. He took a little too long to soak in their jeers, giving Melissa time to recover and, when he eventually dove toward her for the diving meteora, counter it with a dropkick. She wasted no time and picked him up, delivering one of her famous striking combinations, hitting him with punches and kicks in rapid succession, ending it with a roundhouse to floor the challenger. She made the cover, but he kicked out in two. The rest of the match saw the two competitors going back and forth in an exciting contest. We saw Melissa pulling out all the best moves in her arsenal, including the Death From Above shooting star press, but failing to keep Freddie down. The Swedish-Canadian had his moments to shine, some of them resulting from a loose interpretation of the rule book. Despite the referee trying to enforce the rules, Freddie kept ignoring them and his admonishments, placing his knee on the back of Mel’s head and pushing her down against the rope. Having her exactly where he wanted her, he kicked her in the face with a tiger feint kick. Then he awed the fans with a beautiful springboard shooting star press, hooking the leg to become the new Cloud Gate Champio…. NO! Melisssa raised her shoulder at the very last second. Freddie was in clear disagreement with the referee’s call, and he expressed his opinion with the referee, getting in his face and yelling at him that his count was too slow. The argument went on and on for a few long seconds, things heating up as the official raised his voice to state his case. Hjalmar considered this disrespectful and pushed back the referee, who threatened to disqualify him if he dared touch him again. Melissa in the meantime pulled herself up to her feet and went for a superkick to the back of the unaware Hjalmar’s head. Somehow the Promised was able to duck it, and Mel’s boot connected with the referee’s jaw, knocking him out. In the brief moment of shock that followed, Mel was hit with a snap ddt by Freddie, who then rolled out of the ring and grabbed a chair, ready to take advantage of this unexpected turn of events. He slid back in the ring and prepared himself to slam it on the champion’s head, keeping an eye on the referee as well, ready to drop the weapon if he’d get up before the opponent. But the referee was still in dreamland, while Melissa was stirring up. Hjalmar was already foretasting the moment he’d knock her out and take her title, and he was so focused on it that he didn’t pay attention to the roar of the fans as a female figure was rushing down the ramp. Not until the woman entered the ring and tapped him on the shoulder. Only then he turned around to see…. LOWRI MOSS??!!?! The longest reigning Underground North American Champion, current FGA Pride champion and tag team champion and World Cup winner was here at Drums In The Night! Dressed in a pair of jeans and a Pendragon shirt, the Welsh born superstar was here in Chicago to support her boyfriend Neal Durden and decided to be the wrench in Freddie’s plan, the history between them well documented in what has been and still is, going in the Underground. Instinctively Hjalmar swung with the chair and missed as Lowri ducked the blow. Melissa grabbed him by his arm and spun him around, connecting the Facial Deconstructor through the chair. The Promised was down, the referee was recovering from the superkick with perfect timing. All Mel had to do was to make the cover, and retain her title. Her eyes never left Lowri, who had now already left the ring and was walking up the ramp, nodding her head and smiling at The Reaver as she celebrated inside the ring. WINNER: Melissa Reeves (STILL CHAMPION) BY: Pinfall (Facial Deconstructor), 13:35 |
Backstage, reigning MWE World Champion Kelsey Spencer is shown pacing back and forth, stretching her taped up fists.
Kelsey Spencer:
When it comes to the sport of professional wrestling, there’s one thing I’d always hoped my first true reign as World Heavyweight Champion would bring me. One thing that I looked forward to above all else… The challenge that competing at an elite level brings with it. The caliber of competitor who steps up to challenge me for this championship. And so far, I can’t say I’m disappointed. It’s not surprising, really.
She points to the World Championship, strapped securely around her waist.
Kelsey Spencer:
When you think of how prestigious this championship is, and the level of talent that walks the MWE halls week after week, it’s expected that the best of the best are gonna come after the gold. Afterall, this is what it’s all about - why we’re all here - to earn the right to call ourselves MWE World Champion. I’ve been fortunate enough to defend this title against the former champion Chris Constantine Jr -one of the most cunning wrestlers to step into a Millennium Wrestling ring - as well as a collection of challengers in a huge elimination tag team match.
I wanna take you back to A Place In The Sun; the last time MWE came to you on pay-per-view. A star-studded card which showcased many great talents. A huge six-way match to crown a new Cloud Gate contender; Pierce Manning crowned as the first MENTV Champ, and defending it in an awesome match against Echo; and who could forget that brutal TLC Match where Luna Smith fought tooth and nail to hold onto her Junior Heavyweight Title?
But as thrilling as the entire night was, something else caught my attention. Something else still sticks in my mind, and has ever since. The main event tag team match. More accurately, what happened towards the closing moments of the match, and the aftermath that followed. First off, in typical APE fashion, Duke Andrews and Alan Envy showed up to try and provide an unfair advantage to their buddies. But for their troubles, they were clotheslined outta their shoes by a 6’10, 328 pound colossal mass of humanity that we later came to know as Dreadnought, a new heavy for Devin Hearst. As if Andrew Wilkow wasn’t daunting enough, Dreadnought did the work of two men when he single-handedly flattened the MWE Tag Team Champions on that night. Then, we saw a scene we’re not used to seeing - all four members of American Pain Experience lying flat on the mat to close the show. Talk about making an impact.
Fast forward to tonight. Drums In The Night, September 20, live on pay-per-view. I find myself on the sights of Devin Hearst and his back-up, known collectively as Sandstorm Inc. Yup, the same guys who laid out one of the most dominant factions in MWE history will be standing across the ring from me tonight. Logic tells me I should be intimidated, but you know what? Even though I’m nervous as hell … I’ve never been more excited! The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, the blood is pulsing through my veins harder than ever before at the thought of testing myself against a group so daunting and dominant.”
I fully expect Devin Hearst to beat the living hell outta me like he has many times before. I’m sure hitting Andrew Wilkow is gonna be like smacking into a brick wall. And I just know that I’d have a better chance wrestling a grizzly and coming out on top than I would squaring up with Dreadnought. But here’s the thing … I’m not coming to the ring alone tonight. Yeah, looking across the ring at those three is enough to give anyone shaky knees. But I’ve got Javen and Christian Michaels behind me; two of the most decorated, most celebrated professional wrestlers of the past two decades. A seasoned tag team who have done and won it all. Former MWE Tag Team Champions, and two of my very best friends. We’ve been to war together, taking on the likes of The Revolution and American Pain Experience. And this night’s gonna be no different.
Tonight, the Self-Die Squad rides one more time as we collide with Sandstorm Inc in what’s sure to be one of the most brutal challenges I’ve come across recently. But with Brothers McMillion being the ones by my side, I can say with confidence that I’ve never been more ready to tackle it head on.
Trios Match
Self-Die Squad (Kelsey Spencer & Brothers McMillion) VS Sandstorm Inc. (Devin Hearst & Andrew Wilkow & Dreadnought)
Not to say that the World champion was intimidated by the trio of her opponents tonight, but surely the size difference was something she kept account of. Especially when it comes to Dreadnought, the last addition to Hearst’s crew. The image of him running through the four members of APE ten days ago was still clear in her mind and in those of the fans, who were curious to see the juggernaut in action. They had to wait tho, as Wilkow was the one starting things off against Kelsey, seemingly eager to perform in front of a live crowd for the first time in months. And she started off with the right foot, using her quickness to strike and dodge Andrew’s hard but slow blows. But no matter what she hit him with, Wilkow wasn’t going down, not even after an enziguri kick. Kelsey insisted, but this time Andrew caught her leg and hit her with a massive forearm to the jaw. A few more followed, before he sent Spencer against the ropes and picked her up as she rebounded back from them. Whatever he was planning to do, it didn’t work well for him, as the World champion countered it with a ddt. Hearst wasn’t pleased with his goon and decided to take the matter in hand, asking and obtaining the tag from Wilkow. Kelsey welcomed the challenge of the former Riot champion, accepting a strike for strike exchange against the bigger and stronger opponent and holding her ground for a good minute. There was a moment she even seemed to be coming out on top, connecting three forearm shots in rapid succession. But Hearst was just catching his breath momentarily, rocking the former Uncanny Socialite with a big right hand. And a second, followed with a third and a series of hard chops, whipping her against the ropes and hitting her with a big boot. This wasn’t their first dance, Kelsey was one of those who tried to prematurely end Devin’s reign as Riot champion and came up short. It was a triple threat back in March, but even in a one on one contest, Hearst seemed to have an edge on Spencer, keeping control and wearing her down with striking combinations and power moves, like the Desperado throwing suplex that earned him a two count. Even through difficulties, Kelsey never gave up, exactly what you would expect from her. She kept getting up and fighting back, slipping away from his The Comedown attempt and dragging him down with a rear mat slam. She needed to reach her husband across the ring, but Devin was on her way. At least until she leveled him with a shining wizard, finally making the tag to Christian Michaels. The veteran picked up Hearst and immediately connected with a snap suplex, trying a quick cover attempt that resulted in a near fall. He didn’t let the slight advantage his wife built go to waste, keeping the pressure on the founder of Sandstorm, calling in his brother for help with quick tags. Hearst survived the Fastball Special and the Dirty South Drop, and now he was dealing with Javen. The younger of the two brothers was looking pretty good tonight, probably due to Devin having been in the ring for a long time now. After taking the opponent down with a leg lariat, Simon went to the top rope and dove for the Javenation, but his swanton bomb found Devin’s knees. Hearst went to make the tag to Dread, and almost at the same time Javen did the same to his brother. The McMillions were ready to face the newest acquisition, or so they thought before he trampled them with a double clothesline. A one man wrecking crew, that was the simplest and closest to reality way to describe Dreadnought. APE or Self-Die Squad, one or two opponents at the same time, little it mattered to him, he kept manhandling whoever stepped up to him. Javen, who remained in the ring illegally, was literally thrown out with a disarming ease with a military press drop, launching him almost right against the barricade. CM instead was driven almost through the mat with a thrusting spinebuster, and if it wasn’t for Kelsey ducking Hearst’s attempt at beheading her with a running lariat and making the save at the last second, he would have probably never got up in time from it. Devin didn’t take well the fact that Spencer outplayed him and dodged his attempt at preventing her from breaking up the pin. He kicked Kelsey in the head as she was getting up, but the fallen world champion was avenged right away by Javen who came back inside the ring with a missile dropkick to take down the Florida Shuffle. Dreadnought annihilated him with the the Tidal Surge (olympic slam), but when the 6’10’’ got up to his feet, he found CM ready to kick him in the stomach and connect the Just Like That, the twist of fate that gave him so many wins in his 17 years long career. Tonight though, it didn’t even give him a one count, as Wilkow knocked him down with his LARIAAAAAT before he could even make the cover. The match turned into a free-for-all, a massive brawl that only had one possible ending. The referee calling off the match, declaring it a No Contest. WINNER: // BY: No Contest, 18:22 |
The match was over, but not the fight. No longer concerned about being disqualified, the Sandstorm trio had no restraint and turned this into a literal beatdown. Both Javen and CM got kicked in the jewels by the two behemots, who then joined Devin in a three on one massacre on the World champion who was left laying in the middle of the ring, next to her fallen partners. Sandstorm Inc was standing tall, Dreadnought barked at the timekeeper to hand over the World Championship and gave it to Hearst, who raised it in the air and told the fans to get used to this view. Wilkow re-entered the ring with three cans of Sandstorm Energy, one for each of them proposing a toast to the future MWE World Champion. Devin kindly refused, saying that the mother of his kid doesn't like the aftertaste the drink leaves in his mouth and made him promise he wouldn't drink it.
Wilkow shrugged his shoulders and happily downed both cans, Devin gave him a disgusted and concerned look, quickly hiding it behind a fake smile and a pat on the back, congratulating him and Dread for a job well done.
Wilkow shrugged his shoulders and happily downed both cans, Devin gave him a disgusted and concerned look, quickly hiding it behind a fake smile and a pat on the back, congratulating him and Dread for a job well done.
The camera caught Elsa McCarthy as she was walking in the vicinity of the cafeteria inside the Enterprise Arena.
Elsa McCarthy:
Can I have a latte, please?
She politely asked the barman behind the counter. On her left, Daegan was there as well, taking a well deserved break from his work. Hearing and immediately recognizing the voice of the General Manager, the curly man turned to her.
Daegan:
Whoa. Weird seeing you here, Elsa. If you wanted a coffee, you could have asked me, I’d have gladly brought it to your office.
Elsa McCarthy:
Oh. Hi Daegan, I didn’t see you there…
Her hand was slightly shaking as she raised the cup of coffee to her lips. She put it down quickly, trying to hide a certain nervousness with a wide smile.
Elsa McCarthy:
I… Uh… I needed to catch a break from those paperworks I was looking at.
Her voice betrayed her true emotions. Despite her attempts at looking normal, she was clearly fidgety, for some reasons not at ease in this situation. She continuously looked at the mirror behind the counter, using it to get a view of what was going on behind her shoulders. A series of small signals that didn’t go unnoticed with Daegan. The sweet smile on his face disappeared, as he jerked up from his seat and looped his arm around Elsa’s neck, the forearm pressed against her throat as he dragged her up to her feet, holding her back pressed against his chest. The sudden action caught by surprise the security team that was silently approaching them from behind, finding themselves now facing Daegan as he held the General Manager hostage.
Daegan:
Whoa… Easy there, cowboys.
His words didn’t obtain the effect he was hoping for, as the men in black kept advancing toward him. He reached inside his pocket and pointed it in Elsa’s side, causing her to wince in pain.
Daegan
Not another step. Nobody has to get hurt…
The tone of his voice was darker than what we used to hear from him, vaguely threatening. For every step forward the security took, Daegan took in the opposite direction, keeping the distance between him and the handful of men unchanged. To prove that he was serious in his intention, he pushed the object he was holding in his left hand in Elsa’s flank, drawing a groan of pain from her lips. That was when a familiar voice commanded the security to stop.
Daegan
We can keep this nice and easy… nice and slow. Don’t move a muscle.
Daegan muttered, taking a slight step backwards as he held the object to Elsa’s back, his eyes flanking left and right as he kept focus on the situation going on around him. One of the guards took a step forward, causing Daegan to cry out loud, his mop of curls shrouding part of his face.
Daegan
NOT A MUSCLE! Not one, I said… Tell them, Elsa, tell them not to move. Tell them!
He gripped her tightly, making her wince in pain as she reluctantly nodded her head, her eyes not closing as she looked over at the security team.
Daegan
You could have just been ignorant and allowed what is always going to happen, happen. Now we have to do things the hard way, and nobody ever wanted that...W-what was it that clued you in? It wasn’t The Heiress, was it? Or are you going to claim that you are actually smarter than you look?
His voice packed venom, even after the slight stutter, coming more off more like a snarl as he whispered something into Elsa’s ear that could not be picked up by anyone else. Whatever he said, it made Elsa grow pale as a ghost, prompting one of the guards to flinch.
Daegan
Not another step! Not one! I swear you will not like what is going to happen if you, any of you, take one step further. Call them off, call them off now!
Elsa winced in pain again, Daegan yanking her back two steps as he glared around at the gathering party, backing towards the exit.
Elsa McCarthy:
P-Please… Let me go… You’re hurting me…
The young general manager cried out, tears flowing from her blue eyes and running down her cheeks. Never she thought she’d ended up in a situation like this. Ryen’s plan was simple and, on papers, perfect. She only had to keep him distracted long enough for them to surround and restrain him, but something went wrong. Her nervousness betrayed her, giving away her real intentions.
Elsa McCarthy:
I.. I’m begging you Daegan..
Daegan
You will be silent. SILENT. Silent like a true symph--
Daegan heard a noise, a shrill call in the distance that made everybody turn their heads for a fraction of a second. There was a flapping of wings, and the sound in itself seemed to make Daegan panic, as he loosened his grip ever so slightly.
Daegan
Impossible!
Fear was paralyzing her, but in that moment, that fraction of second when Daegan’s grip around her neck loosened even though just a little bit, instinct prevailed over her reason that was suggesting her to stay still and silent and hope for someone to rescue her. Instead she acted, driving her elbow backwards into his stomach. If she turned around, she would see the look of utter shock on his face. But she didn’t, saving her energy to run toward the guards, forgetting she was wearing 10 inches heels with disastrous consequences. She stumbled and fell to the floor after just a few steps. But at that point the security team had already started to run forward, and Daegan opted for a wise retreat, running away chased by the men in black. The clatter of the boots on the pavement faded into distance, the area falling back into the usual quietness only interrupted by the sobbing of the Millennium General Manager. Elsa was still on her knees and hands, taking some time to process what was hands down the scariest moment of her life. Through the tears veiling her eyes, she saw a hand reaching out for her. She slowly rose her gaze, finding Ryen Riekert standing there to help her.
Elsa McCarthy:
I… I’m sorry, Ryen. I…
She sighed as he pulled her up. The former military didn’t say a word, pulling her closer in a comforting embrace. Grace van Beek and Vincent Moretti eventually appeared on the scene, both of them watching from afar with a relieved look on their face now that Elsa was safe. Hurt and scared, but no longer in danger.
Battle Royal
Winner gets a shot at either the Lockdown or the MENTV Championship
Alex Andrews VS Kyle Butler VS Neil Newman VS Brien Storm VS Hammerstein VS Kate Steele VS Kimberly Williams VS Jenni Anderson VS Bree Smith VS Teagan Gallagher VS Jacky Rex Daniels VS Rhett Adelson VS Qiyara Singh VS Kory Kramp VS Drew Dream and more...Winner gets a shot at either the Lockdown or the MENTV Championship
Amy Maynard: “Thirty Superstars…” Peyton Holland: “Thirty-one, don’t forget Marcus Ali was added to the match.” Amy Maynard: “You’re right Pey. Thirty one superstars from both rosters are set to battle it out in a this battle royal for a shot at either the MENTV championship for the Riot roster or the Lockdown championship for those on the green brand.” Ambra Monroe: “Two competitors start the match, every two minutes a new one joins in the battle and the only way to score an elimination is to throw your opponents over the top rope.” Sir Figgles: “Both their feet must touch the ground though, let’s not forget. We’ve seen people do some crazy shit in the past to save themselves from elimination.” Inside the ring, West Long and Teagan Gallagher started the match. but not much really happened. They both knew how stacked the deck was for them as the first two entrants and how hard would it be to get all the way through in order to be the last one standing and so they opted for a slow start, Teegs mostly staying away from the big man and his powerful grip while West was trying, not too convinced, to chase her. The two minutes ran off quickly with nothing noteworthy happening, and the third competitor entered the ring. Sir Figgles: “What the hell? When did we start letting toddlers fight?” Ambra Monroe: “Why not? We already had one at commentary…” Amy Maynard: “That’s no kid, obviously. It’s Kory Kramp, the Human Fly” Sir Figgles: “And like a fly, he just got swatted! Haha I love it!” The energetic Kory entered the ring with all his enthusiasm, climbing to the top rope and jumping in toward the Warwolf, who just caught him in mid air with a palm strike. He fell down on the canvas, helpless victim for Long’s first elimination if it wasn’t for Teagan taking her chance and hitting the big man from behind with a forearm to the back of the head. Long turned around and delivered a few heavy strikes to the irish girl’s jaw, rocking her and lifting her over his shoulder. Long didn’t want to waste any time or energy, going straight for another elimination. He was so close to the ropes, ready to drop Teagan outside when the former Tag Team champion slipped away, landing behind him and trying to throw him over the top ropes. A titanic effort, but she succeeded at least partially. West found now himself in a precarious position on the apron, taking a couple of punches but still hanging in there. Gallagher went for the KO blow, but he ducked it and drove his shoulder in her midsection, eventually getting back inside the ring. Peyton Holland: “And here’s the signal, two minutes have passed, time to find out the fourth entrant.” “Karate” by Babymetal blared out of the loudspeakers, the fans immediately recognizing it as Warblade 42 entrance song. But which one of them drew number 4? The question was quickly answered as Niko Yua walked out of the curtains, running down the ramp and entering the ring. She found none other than the Warwolf waiting for her, but the incredible size difference didn’t impress her that much. She went at him with her swift kicks, chopping down the big tree with swift strikes to the legs, forcing him on his knees. She made a signal to the fans and.. Meteor Strike! Long was down after the Bullhammer, the crowd popping for Niko who kept the momentum going, attacking both Teagan and Kramp with her educated feet. And she kept them both at bay, showing an incredible shape in her first match in over two months. A great performance from the Blade Maiden Of Tokyo that was definitely earning her new fans tonight. But all good things must come to an end, and her momentum ended with a wicked clothesline to the back of the head. Amy Maynard: “Oh my…” Peyton Holland: “Talk about a game changer!” Sir Figgles: “That’s my boy!” Deafening boos rose from the crowd as Celine Dion’s hit “My Heart WIll Go On” played out of the loudspeakers. Sporting a “Free Duke” shirt, the Walking Disaster made his way to the ring. Liv and Yuko were battling in a corner, Kory was playing cat and mouse with Long. REDD Thunder shrugged his shoulders and stepped inside the ring and started handing out headbutts like candy on Halloween. One by one they all fell to The Law, now the only one standing. He looked around at the devastation he caused, letting out a light chuckle before he decided to clean the ring. Starting with Teagan. He picked her up and walked to the ropes, the member of the BreeTee Committee desperately grabbing them trying to hang on and avoid the elimination. Successfully, at least for now. She landed on the apron wrapping her arms and legs around the bottom rope, resisting REDD's attempt to push her off with his foot. It wasn’t easy, and she felt like she was losing her grip. But luckily for her, Long attacked the Thunder from being, becoming the new target of the Walking Disaster. Ambra Monroe: “Sixth man in, and still no eliminations.” Peyton Holland: “Here comes the wildcard, the man who wasn’t supposed to be in this match, Marcus Ali Jr.” The Bad Boy entered the ring and he seemed to have a bone to pick with Kory, who beat him back at A Place In The Sun. He jumped on the Human Fly and pinned him to the canvas, targeting him with quick left and right punches to the face. Niko was catching a breath in the corner, Teagan was laying on the floor near the ropes still recovering from the near elimination. In the centre of the ring an epic battle between two super heavyweights was taking place, REDD and West trading hard strikes that could have knocked out a normal man. But there was nothing normal with them, or the intensity they were putting in each and every punch. Or in the fact that, despite such force, none of them was backing down. The turning point was when REDD sent west against the ropes and the Warwolf came back with a shoulder tackle… Knocking down the Walking Disaster! Amy Maynard: “Whoa! That was impressive!” Peyton Holland: “An incredible feat of strength… Hold up, we may see the first elimination!” Kory Kramp was fighting for dear life, standing on the apron and holding on the top rope as Marcus used him as a punching bag, each strike getting a little closer to drop him on the floor outside. With perfect timing the siren went off and Stranger Things by Joyner Lucas and Chris Brown hit the loudspeakers: Drew Dream entered the battle royale, once again saving Kory from an awful fate. The newest signée looked quite impressive in his MWE debut, his speed and agility being an incredibly effective weapon against Ali. The Airhead From Atlanta knocked the Bad Boy down with the Gobstopper (running single leg high knee). Teagan and Niko were fighting close to the ropes, too close to be safe. The BreeTee Committee member was so focused trying to eliminate the japanese that she didn’t notice West Long sneaking up behind her and throwing both women over the top rope. Rumchata Ayano: Teagan Gallagher and Niko Yua have been eliminated (Long -2) Amy Maynard: “Wow! A double elimination, well done West!” West turned around, eating a running big boot from REDD Thunder. Marcus Ali was in great difficulty, having to deal not with one but two opponents in Kory Kramp and Drew Dream, taking turns to kick the Bad Boy. Again the countdown started, reaching zero for the eighth entrant of the night… Kimberly Williams. The woman scorned added more unpredictability to an already chaotic match, and not only because she tried to enter it wearing the infinity glove, wasting half a minute to argue with one of the referees who eventually managed to remove it from her hand. Once she got inside the ring, she attacked everyone and anyone, with no strategy or gameplan at all. A puzzled Drew Dream asked her why she interrupted him right when he was about to eliminate Marcus Ali, she answered with a shrug of her shoulders and a kick between the legs, following up with a hurricanrana. Marcus thanked her, she kipped up to her feet and rocked him with an enziguri to the back of the head as soon as he turned his attention to Kramp. And then the buzzer sounded once again. Peyton Holland: Look who’s back! Zoe Rian, one half of Strip Search walked out to a decent pop welcoming her back to a MWE ring. As far as we know, her tag team partner will be on the sidelines for a little longer, but ZoZo was craving to get back inside a ring, and she proved it by hitting the Wildcard with a quick volley of kicks and forearm strikes, sending her flat on her back with a jumping knee strike. She was doing good, showing no signs of ring rust after the long hiatus, planting Kory on his head with the PoleDriver implant ddt. But then West Long happened. The Warwolf had just body slammed REDD Thunder and decided that Rian would be his next victim, turning her inside out with a running lariat. Drew Dream helped Kory to his feet, the two of them targeting Marcus Ali, working together and showing a certain chemistry with combined moves. The Angel Of Mercy kept fighting, but the numbers game was catching up to him, until a familiar music hit the PA System. Just hearing the first notes of The Masked Angel’s theme gave him a boost of energy that he used to push Dream away, focusing now on Kramp. Drew came back on the attack, but the mysterious member of The Bad Boyz entered the ring and took him to the mat, pounding him with heavy punches. Long was about to score the third elimination of his battle royal, powerbombing ZoZo on the floor. The member of Strip Search tried and achieved the impossible, shifting all her bodyweight backwards as she grabbed the top rope, flipping Long over the top rope and barely staying in this match, her right foot just brushing against the floor outside. Rumchata Ayano: West Long has been eliminated! (Rian -1) Still incredulous, Zoe lifted herself up on the apron, just in time to see Jacky Rex Daniels appearing on the stage. And that was the last thing she saw since, when she turned around to enter the ring, she was met by a running headbutt by REDD Thunder. Rumchata Ayano: Zoe Rian has been eliminated! (Thunder -1) The two teams were fighting, Kramp taking now on the Masked Angel and Dream squaring up to Marcus Ali. The two members of the Bad Boyz were coming out on top in the respective brawls and, without even needing to communicate, went for an irish whip at the same time, causing Kramp and Dream to collide in the middle of the ring. Kimberly Williams was sitting in a corner, watching as Daniels and REDD were fighting not too far from her. A smart strategy from the redhead, taking some time to recover while waiting for the field to clean up a bit. But nobody was risking an elimination yet, the six men keeping themselves safely far away from the ropes. If anything, another competitor joined the battle, the twelfth of the night, bringing the total of people in the ring at the same time to eight. Peyton Holland: “A former Lockdown champion in Kate Steele joins the battlefield.” Ambra Monroe: “You can bet she’d love another shot at the title, but it won’t be easy.. We’re not even halfway through the scheduled entrants” Steele ducked a clothesline from Williams and sent her into a corner with a headscissors. The endless fight between Kramp and Marcus Ali eventually found its conclusion in a back to back elimination as the Bad Boy sent the Good Wrestling Boy over the top rope with the Iron Fist, immediately joining him courtesy of Dream. Rumchata Ayano: “Kory Kramp and Marcus Ali have been eliminated!” (ALi -1) (Dream -1) Sir Figgles: “Let the fun begin, folks! Here comes a bonafide looney!” Drawing number 13, Saki entered the squared circle and immediately meddled between Williams and Spencer. She seemed to have some sort of issue with the Woman Scorned, stepping on her chest to perform a shiranui on Steele. She taunted the former Underground Bloodlust champion who took up the gauntlet and hit her with the Morrigan’s Wrath superkick. Saki bounced back to her feet pretty much as soon as she touched the canvas, jumping on Kimberly and… Amy Maynard: “Is she… Biting her?” Sir Figgles: “Haha, I told you she’s nuts!” While Saki was busy in her attempted act of cannibalism, Jacky was trying to lift REDD over the top rope, but the member of APE was too heavy for this task. Kate was back on her feet and attacked Saki, instantly regretting it as the Singapore Mauler switched her focus on the former Lockdown Champion, rocking her with a headbutt. A few seconds later, while Khali Washington III was entering the ring, Kate left it, courtesy of a double superkick from Saki and Kimberly. Rumchata Ayano: “Kate Steele has been eliminated!” (Saki -1) (Williams -1) The Bad Boyz had now the numerical advantage, and Drew Dream stood no chance, unceremoniously thrown out of the ring by the latest one to join the pack. Rumchata Ayano: “Drew Dream has been eliminated!” (Washington -1) Both REDD and Jacky were laying on the floor, theirs was a battle for the ages even though it kind of happened in the background of the rollercoaster of emotions that this part of the match had been with that series of quick eliminations that cleaned the field. The Bad Boyz moved their attention on Kim and Saki, whose alliance ended the moment when Kate’s feet touched the floor. The circumstances brought them to work together again, defending themselves from the attacks of Masked Angel and KW3 and managing to perform a double suplex on the All American Athlete. REDD and Jacky were back at it, the Walking Disaster getting the advantage and slamming the Rapscallion on the canvas with a spinebuster. Things seemed to turn for the best for APE, as the fifteenth to enter the match was Alan Envy. Coming out at full speed from the curtain BROOKFORD charged at Alan like a rhino and literally ran over the Lonestar, throwing him several feet down the ramp with a massive shoulder tackle to the back of the head. The fans watched in shock as the current Underground Dynasty Champion was brutalizing Envy with no reason. Alan’s rumble never officially started, but his night ended as the Problem Solver picked him up and launched him through the plexiglass barrier with such force that the Texan landed between the fans. Ambra Monroe: “I guess we won’t see Envy in this rumble, after all” Peyton Holland: “Definitely not. But why this attack? BROOKFORD wasn’t even booked to compete, I didn’t even know he was in the arena” Ambra Monroe: “It looks like you’ll have to wait for the answer, Pey.” BROOKFORD smirked at the unmoving Envy, turning around and leaving as nothing happened. REDD called his friend’s name, taking his eyes off Jacky who capitalized on this distraction to score a huge elimination. Rumchata Ayano: “REDD Thunder has been eliminated!” (Daniels -1) Kyle Butler was the next entrant, the former Tag Team champion would love nothing more than earning a title shot to ignite his singles career. It was still a long way to the end of the match, but if his first moments in this rumble match were any indication, Butler had the focus and determination to go all the way. He introduced himself to the opponents with a belly to belly suplex on the Masked Angel to launch him right out of the ring, scoring an impressive elimination. Rumchata Ayano: “The Masked Angel has been eliminated!” (Butler -1) Now that he was left alone, Khali Washington saw his chances of survival slimming down terribly. Saki and Kimberly kept double teaming him and eventually tossed him over the top rope, scoring another double elimination. Rumchata Ayano: “Khali Washington III has been eliminated!” (Saki -2) (Williams -2) The Wildcard and the Kawaii Deathmachine realized that they were making a good team, exchanging a high five. Amy Maynard: “Watch out girls!” Too bad for them they couldn’t hear Amy’s warning. If they did, they would have seen Butler charging in and taking them both out with a double clothesline. Rumchata Ayano: “Saki and Kimberly Williams have been eliminated!” (Butler -3) The impact Butler had on this match was impressive. The ring was now cleaned up, two men standing inside of it and a third woman joining them, the other half of Warblade 42, Valkyrie. Both her and Kyle were way fresher than Jacky, but the eclectic Australian compensated with the experience and his unquestionable talent. Moving around the opponents, he seemed able to predict their moves and act beforehand, keeping himself away from their strikes. It was almost like he was leading them in a sort of dance at the end of which Kyle and Vee bumped into one another. And this was when Daniels struck, dropping the former Tag Champion down with his The Wild Blue Yonder, hitting the Omega Academy instructor with his Ex-Oblivione ripcord saito suplex. The fans couldn’t help but applaud what was a wonderful showing from the Rapscallion, who thanked them with a bow. “Highway To Hell” signaled the arrival of the American Monster Hammerstein. He looked a little disappointed that there were no members of APE left, his only hope was that Constantine would enter the rumble at some point. But for now, he had his hands full with the three opponents inside the ring. The first one she focused on was Valkyrie, only because Butler was getting his taste of revenge on Daniels. The Great Dane Bitch was holding her own in a brawl against the former Chicago Way Champion, and nobody was surprised by this. Her strength and striking ability were no secret to the fans, who were now enjoying this and the other brawl as well, two intense and evenly matched exchanges. The buzzer sounded once again, disrupting this perfect equilibrium. Entrant number 19 was indeed a Constantine, just not the one Hammerstein was expecting. Sir Figgles: “Oh, it’s the lesser Constantine…” Amy Maynard: “Hey now, Topher may not be as accomplished as his brother, but that’s not a good reason to count him out so soon.” Topher Constantine Junior brought his personal touch and innovative style into this match, breaking up the two pairings and getting the attention of all four competitors on himself. And he juggled just fine between them, catching Butler with the Or Whatever springboard stunner and following with the And Stuff lightning fist on Valkyrie. Jacky fell victim to the Or Something hurricanrana while Hammerstein was lifted and dropped on the mat with a bodyslam and then hit with the So Like legdrop. With everyone else down, Topher was ready for the next entrant who happened to be Alex Andrews. The Rookie Sensation may not have the best record in MWE, but she surely proved that she can hang with the MWE superstars. And she confirmed it tonight, entering the ring and ducking a clothesline from Topher. She then waited for him to turn around and caught him with an ace crusher, noticing Jacky Rex Daniels starting to get up to his feet. She knocked him back down with her Brain Death. Her momentum was abruptly stopped by Valkyrie with a german suplex, The Warmaiden Of Roskilde didn’t have much time to celebrate, having to defend herself from the fury of the American Monster. Halestorm’s “Bad Romance” signaled a moment the fans weren’t really looking forward to. The Queenpin Jenni Anderson was back, and the reception the fans reserved her was, as you can imagine, a loud round of boos. She may not be a fan favorite, but she definitely belonged in that ring, as the early almost elimination of Jacky proved. The Rapscallion somehow managed to save himself, re-entering the ring from under the bottom rope, helped by the fact that by then, Jenni had already switched her focus on Alex Andrews.The momentum of their fight sent both Hammerstein and Valkyrie stumbling over the top rope and landing on the apron. Amy Maynard: “They can’t be thinking of fighting there. It’s too dangerous!” Peyton Holland: “The chances for a double elimination are high, that’s true. But you know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Hammerstein and Valkyrie did indeed fight on the apron, their punches flying in an exciting back and forth made even more thrilling by the awareness that even the slightest mistake could be fatal. Hammerstein came out on top from this contest, thanks to a series of rapid fire headbutts. A stunned Vee was holding tightly onto the rope with her hand, Until Hammerstein yanked it away, lifted the member of Warblade 42 in a suplex position and dropped her on the outside. Rumchata Ayano: Valkyrie has been eliminated! (Hammerstein -1) Topher saw an opportunity to score a prestigious elimination on Hammerstein and took it, but the former Chicago Way Champion blocked his punch and connected with one of his own, catching Junior right on the jaw and stunning him momentarily, long enough to lock his arms around his head and dragging him outside. Rumchata Ayano: “Topher Constantine Junior has been eliminated!” (Hammerstein -2) The lights dimmed down and “Under The Graveyard” by Ozzy Osborne played out of the loudspeakers. Total War Sophie O’Brian was the twenty second entrant of the rumble and she immediately went to help her GGE member who was almost getting eliminated by Alex Andrews. The young rookie went from a potential career defining moment to a disappointing elimination as Sophie sneaked up behind her and tossed her over the top rope. Rumchata Ayano: “Alex Andrews has been eliminated!” (O’Brian -1) Although they didn’t actually work as a unit, Sophie and Kyle were always watching each other’s back, ready to help their partner should the situation require it, Neil Newman joined them in the ring. The Glorious Golden Era was now in full force, each one of them taking on a different opponent. Newman was kicking Hammerstein in the corner, Sophie brought the fight to the Queenpin while Butler, the first of them to enter the ring, was battling it out with the Mad King himself. Jacky’s performance was applause-worthy, the Rapscallion entered with the number eleven and was still there, still fighting. But the fatigue was showing on the former Rebellion world champion, and Kyle got the upper hand in this exchange, looking to plant him with his ROLL TIIIIIIIIIIDE! Never count Daniels out too soon though, as the australian born pushed the opponent against the ropes and lifted him over his shoulders, planting him on the canvas with the Synesthesia. Butler was down, and it was easy for Jacky to throw him out of the ring. Rumchata Ayano: “Kyle Butler has been eliminated!” (Daniels -2) No time to rest for Jacky as the buzzer sounded once again, this time to welcome Jessica Lasiewicz in the match.She quickly attacked the man who just eliminated her husband with a flurry of quick kicks. Amy Maynard: “Here comes Jessica, looking to avenge her man.” Peyton Holland: “Either that, or she’s targeting the man who has been in this match the longest. Not that this makes him an easy target anyway.” Rex still had fuel in his tank despite having been in the ring for over 25 minutes. He weathered Jessica’s assault, recoiling toward the ropes. She went for a dropkick, sending him to bounce against the ropes. He rebounded back with the Master Stroke, his patented discus punch that knocked the daughter of the polish legend Andreas Lasiewicz to the floor. Newman decided to take his chance and avenge his tag partner, attacking Rex from behind. He had the Rapscallion in a waist lock and dragged him closer to the ropes, looking to eliminate him with a German Suplex. Jacky fought back and broke free with an elbow to the jaw. Jessica was up to her feet, and in a bad mood. She went for the Our Lady Peace, but the Rapscallion rolled on the floor, avoiding the bicycle kick that connected to Newman’s face instead, sending him out of the ring. Rumchata Ayano: “Neil Newman has been eliminated!” (Lasiewicz -1) Jessica apologized to the husband of her best friend and tag team partner and almost paid for it as Daniels threw her over the top rope. Luckily for her, she was able to catch the rope and save herself. Another tag team specialist entered the ring next, the fans getting on their feet to greet Qiyara Singh. She entered the ring in the same moment Jenni Anderson left it, tossed through the ropes by Hammerstein’s The Pounce. The American Monster had now to deal with the fresh and dangerous Indian, getting a taste of her dangerous kicks. Sophie tried her hand against Jacky. She had him at the ropes, her striking combination rocked the Rapscallion and, for the first time, it looked like he couldn’t take it anymore. O’Brian ended him with an enziguri, and it was mere luck that the apron stopped his fall. Jacky was still in this match, taking a moment to recover, helped by the fact that Jessica had locked horns with Sophie. Two minutes passed rather quickly, and the countdown started once again, the fans counting from ten to zero, their anticipation growing as they started speculating about who will be the entrant number 26. Well, let me tell you none of them could have possibly guessed it. Ambra Monroe: “That’s… Lucie Callaway?” Sir Figgles: “Who?” Peyton Holland: “Lucie Callaway, the younger sister of the Pink Hair Grenade Brytain Rollins, former Chicago Way Champion and the youngest champion in MWE history.” Sir Figgles: “Never heard of her.” An unexpected return for the young girl, her dynamism quickly resulting too much to handle for the tired opponents. Jacky was sent flying across the ring with a headscissors, Hammerstein was nailed by the S.O.S (RKO). When Lucie got up to her feet, she was met by a big kick to the face by Sophie, giving the young girl her special welcome back. As the two women fought it out, the countdown started once again and Summer Collins joined the pack just in time to help her Fabulous partner against Singh. Qiyara was doing a great job defending herself against Summer and Jessica, wisely staying away from the ropes. Sophie didn’t do the same thing, and a clothesline from Lucie took her out of the equation. Rumchata Ayano: “Sophie O’Brian has been eliminated!” (Callaway -1) “Brianstorm” by Arctic Monkeys introduced Brien Storm and the Captain assaulted Hammerstein right off the start, connecting with the Unforecasted Storm. He then tried to do the same to Lucie, but the young girl slipped away and dropped him face first on her knee with the Nine Crimes. Fabulous eventually got the best of Qiyara and they were now wearing her down with a two on one assault. Summer threw Singh over the top rope, but she landed on the apron and ducked a right hand from Jessica, kicking her tag partner in the head. Still, she was in great difficulty, the two members of Fabulous kept coming at her knowing that they were so close to eliminating her. We Came As Romans’ “Carry The Weight” played out of the loudspeakers and a big smile formed on Qi’s face. Amy Maynard: “Here comes the cavalry…!” Sir Figgles: “He’ll never make it in time!” Rhett Adelson sprinted down the ramp, knowing that his girlfriend needed him, and she needed him now. Jessica and Summer hit Qiyara with a double superkick, knocking Singh off the apron and right into her boyfriend’s arms. Peyton Holland: “What a save from Rhett!” The young couple treated themselves and the fans to a moment of sweetness before entering the ring and taking the fight to Fabulous. Lucie’s comeback ended prematurely courtesy of Jacky who caught her by surprise after she knocked down Storm with a superkick. Rumchata Ayano: “Lucie Callaway has been eliminated!” (Daniels -3) The ring was overcrowded but not for long. Abetted by the fatigue and lack of lucidity, the competitors began making mistakes. In an attempt to eliminate Jessica, Qiyara took herself out as well. Rumchata Ayano: “Jessica Lasiewicz and Qiyara Singh have been eliminated!” (Singh -1) (Lasiewicz -2) Before the 30th entrant Bree Smith could enter the ring, Brien Storm was thrown over the top rope by Hammerstein. Rumchata Ayano: “Brien Storm has been eliminated!” (Hammerstein -3) The member of the BreeTee Committee delivered german suplexes to everyone, receiving a loud round of applause for her feat of strength. Summer was the first of the bunch to recover and after a quick exchange of forearm strikes with the former Tag Team champion, hit her with an exploder suplex. Peyton Holland: “Here we go, the last countdown for tonight. Who is the last entrant in this Battle Royal?” Ambra Monroe: “In the only match of this type in MWE, back at the first Dark Web, Eliza Valentine entered the ring last and won the whole thing. This is a great opportunity for whoever picked the last spot.” “Human” by Metallica was the last song playing through the loudspeakers, and that can only mean one thing. Amy Maynard: Tank Steiner! That’s the last opponent you would want ot see entering the ring with the last spot!” And the reason was soon clear. As the Austrian Hulk entered the ring, people begin to leave it in the most unpleasant ways. Summer, who bravely and recklessly charged at him only to be launched over the top rope. Rumchata Ayano: “Summer Collins has been eliminated!” (Steiner -1) Rhett Adelson was next, chopped all the way to the ropes and eliminated with Das Boot. Rumchata Ayano: “Rhett Adelson has been eliminated!” (Steiner -2) Bree still had a lot of energy, having been the last one to enter before Tank. And for a few minutes she held her own against the big man, while Hammerstein and Daniels recovered on the mat. But eventually, her adventure in this match came to an end with a released Austrian Suplex. Rumchata Ayano: “Bree Smith has been eliminated!” (Steiner -3) Hammerstein and Daniels joined forces against the common enemy, but Tank was in a wonderful shape tonight, moving like a cruiserweight and hitting like the super heavyweight he was. He powerbombed Hammerstein and went for a spinning backfist on Jacky who, somehow, dodged the strike. This was the first opportunity to wear down the big man and Daniels capitalized on it, hitting him with everything he had left. He had the Austrian at the ropes and he was trying to throw him over the top one, almost succeeding when… Amy Maynard: What is she doing? Sir Figgles She was never eliminated! This is brilliant!” After spending a long time on the outside, Jenni Anderson entered the ring sneaking behind Jacky’s back The loud boos caught the attention of the Rapscallion who quickly turned around but couldn’t avoid being tossed over the top rope by the Queenpin. Rumchata Ayano: “Jacky Rex Daniels has been eliminated!” (Anderson -1) The member of the Establishment noticed Tank in difficulty. She tried to capitalize on it, but lifting him was an impossible task to perform alone. She called for Hammerstein help, while hitting the big man with kicks and punches, even choking him with her foot on the throat in the corner. With the reluctant help of the American Monster, she managed to get rid of the big man. Rumchata Ayano: “Tank Steiner has been eliminated!” (Anderson -2) (Hammerstein -4) She didn’t hesitate to turn on the man who just helped her and kick him hard in the ribs. Hammerstein was totally expecting it and blocked her foot, shaking his head as Jenni tried to talk her way out of it, offering him money if he left the ring and let her win. Jacob politely declined the offer, lifting her on his shoulders and powerbombing her on the floor outside. Rumchata Ayano: “Jenni Anderson has been eliminated! The sole survivor and winner of the Battle Royale… Jacob Hammerstein!” (Hammerstein -5) WINNER: Hammerstein BY: Last One Standing, 66:21 |
Peyton Holland: "He did it! Hammerstein won the battle royal!"
Ambra Monroe: "And he did it at the end of an incredible performance, beating the previous record of eliminations set by Wilkow one year ago."
Amy Maynard: "This was an incredible night! Great action, surprises, comebacks..."
Sir Figgles: "We almost lost a GM too..."
Peyton Holland: "Yeah that was... scary. I hope Elsa is okay."
Ambra Monroe: "We all do. Anyway, our time is up, Drums In The Night is officially over but don't go anywhere. We still have one match left."
Amy Maynard: "Indeed. Donovan Keane and Asher Miles will fight until only one of them is standing in an unsanctioned match. See you soon, folks. Good night!"
“Drums In The Night” was over, the last of the three MWE’s Summer Specials just ended with a banger of a main event, a battle royal match that showcased some of both brands battling it out for a shot at gold. The camera took us backstage, in one of the hallways leading to the exit of the Arena where the last fans were ordinately leaving through the door. Staff members were doing the same, pushing heavy crates toward the storage room on the opposite side of the hallway, a janitor was swinging inside an empty locker room. All in all there was a sense of demobilisation, an uncharacteristic silence creeping in as the hallway soon turned empty.
Barring a solitary figure standing against the wall, wearing long black tights with “Nightfall” written down the right leg and “Rising” on the left and a black “Dangerous Donnie” shirt. It was, of course, Donovan Keane who, in a matter of minutes, will be fighting the biggest match of his career against Asher Miles. With the potential of it being the last. A rivalry that has been going for over five months between the Nightfall member and the ghost from his past who has been targeting him since his debut in April finally culminating in a match he demanded for, begging Vincent Moretti who kept refusing to book it considering what happened the last time these two were left to fight in one of the most brutal matches in MWE history, the Ambulance Match at Dark Web II that forced Keane on the shelf for two months. He insisted so much for this last and definitive chapter that he eventually convinced the Riot GM to sign it off, declining any responsibilities for possible injuries.
And only now Keane was feeling the weight of his choice. That swag, the confidence and a little bit of arrogance that always characterized the Vegas kid was gone as the pre-match tension had now reached its peak. Focused, but visibly concerned as well, he didn’t even notice the slender figure of his beautiful girlfriend Leia LeBeau stopping in front of him on her way out of the arena.
Leia LeBeau
It’s infuriating that they won’t let me stay. Myself and Eloise have been campaigning all day, but they simply will not budge at all.
Leia was visibly upset, despite her earlier success in the evening, and was attired in fashionable jeans, a Seattle Kraken jersey and a very regal purple blazer jacket, one that may well have been familiar to many wrestling fans.
Leia LeBeau
I believe in you, and I believe in your ability but there… there is something that I just don’t trust about all this.
For all the doubts and concerns he had, he needed to hide them from her. She was already upset enough about this, the last few days have been incredibly heavy for both of them the dark clouds of what could possibly happen and the memories of those months spent between hospital and physical therapy bearing down on their carefree days. He put on a brave face, smiling as he took her hands in his and softly said.
Donovan Keane:
Leia… We’ve been through this, you have nothing to worry about. I know what I’m doing.
Leia LeBeau
Don’t… just don’t tell me that I have nothing to worry about, Donnie! I’ve been in the ring with this psychopath. I’ve looked right into his cold, dead eyes and they told me everything I needed to know about him. He’s not here for success or fame, he is just here to cause pain. It’s all he cares about.
She wiped a tear from her eye, trying to compose herself and stay strong for her man, but her concerns were clearly on display.
Leia LeBeau
This is not a controlled environment, Donnie. There are no real officials or a crowd. There is no one here to stop this if it goes too far.
At that point, shocking her man, she digged him in the arm.
Leia LeBeau
And don’t you DARE tell me not to worry. I love you, Donnie. I love you so much, and of course I am going to worry.
Donovan pulled her in a tight hug, trying to comfort and reassure her. And at the same time, work up his courage.
Donovan Keane:
I know, baby… I know.
His eyes were looking at distance as he kept his sobbing girlfriend against his chest.
Donovan Keane:
But this is what I wanted. It HAS to end like this, just the two of us settling this thing once and for all until only one of us can stand. He wouldn’t have played by the rules anyway, and I can’t afford anyone else to get hurt because of me. Not you, not Jay or my brother not no one else who might get caught in the crossfire. It ends tonight, one way or another.
Leia held him so tightly, struggling to bring herself to let go. But she raised her head wearily, kissing him so softly upon the lips. She gazed at him with watering eyes, gripping him tight as her lower lip quivered.
Leia LeBeau
Then finish this. Please, please let this be the end of it all. Finish this for Jay, and your brother. And for me, and you. Just finish this and come back home to me. Please, Donnie?
He looked down at her, and for a moment he hated himself for letting his emotions drive him so far, to this point of no return where he deliberately put his health on the line in a match with no rules against a certified psychopath. How much easier would it be for him to say “fuck it” and just leave with the woman he loved, heading back to the comfort of their home and enjoy the rest of the night. He ran from his past for so long, why not doing it once again?
But it was too late now. And not only because Ryen Riekert, the man designated to stop this match when Asher or him will be unable to continue, was quickly approaching. Mostly because Miles had to be stopped, and he was the only one who could do it. If violence was the only language Antares understood, Donnie was going to have a long chat with him. And the message he will send him will be one and clear. Leave me and my dears alone.
Donovan Keane:
I will, I promise.
He leaned down to kiss her, spending the last moments before his match like this.
Donovan Keane:
And after tonight, you REALLY won’t have to worry anymore.
Leia LeBeau
I’m holding you to your word, Donnie.
Leia responded, finally letting go of him as she grabbed her Vegas inspired carry case. She kissed him longingly one last time, holding a delicate hand to his cheek.
Leia LeBeau
I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t want to keep a girl waiting, do you?
She joked, giving him a playful little wink, showing him that Showgirl charisma once more, before she motioned to move away and leave him to the war that had been brewing for so long. Donnie watched her go until she disappeared behind the closed doors, despite Riekert inviting him to follow him to the ring. And before leaving, he had a last few words for his opponent.
Donovan Keane:
This is not what I wanted, Asher. This is what YOU wanted. Remember it when everything is set and done, remember it when I take away from your only reason for living. They say that vengeance is a dish best served cold.
But tonight, I’ll make sure you choke on it.
And finally he followed Ryen to the ring where the match was set to start.
Ambra Monroe: "And he did it at the end of an incredible performance, beating the previous record of eliminations set by Wilkow one year ago."
Amy Maynard: "This was an incredible night! Great action, surprises, comebacks..."
Sir Figgles: "We almost lost a GM too..."
Peyton Holland: "Yeah that was... scary. I hope Elsa is okay."
Ambra Monroe: "We all do. Anyway, our time is up, Drums In The Night is officially over but don't go anywhere. We still have one match left."
Amy Maynard: "Indeed. Donovan Keane and Asher Miles will fight until only one of them is standing in an unsanctioned match. See you soon, folks. Good night!"
“Drums In The Night” was over, the last of the three MWE’s Summer Specials just ended with a banger of a main event, a battle royal match that showcased some of both brands battling it out for a shot at gold. The camera took us backstage, in one of the hallways leading to the exit of the Arena where the last fans were ordinately leaving through the door. Staff members were doing the same, pushing heavy crates toward the storage room on the opposite side of the hallway, a janitor was swinging inside an empty locker room. All in all there was a sense of demobilisation, an uncharacteristic silence creeping in as the hallway soon turned empty.
Barring a solitary figure standing against the wall, wearing long black tights with “Nightfall” written down the right leg and “Rising” on the left and a black “Dangerous Donnie” shirt. It was, of course, Donovan Keane who, in a matter of minutes, will be fighting the biggest match of his career against Asher Miles. With the potential of it being the last. A rivalry that has been going for over five months between the Nightfall member and the ghost from his past who has been targeting him since his debut in April finally culminating in a match he demanded for, begging Vincent Moretti who kept refusing to book it considering what happened the last time these two were left to fight in one of the most brutal matches in MWE history, the Ambulance Match at Dark Web II that forced Keane on the shelf for two months. He insisted so much for this last and definitive chapter that he eventually convinced the Riot GM to sign it off, declining any responsibilities for possible injuries.
And only now Keane was feeling the weight of his choice. That swag, the confidence and a little bit of arrogance that always characterized the Vegas kid was gone as the pre-match tension had now reached its peak. Focused, but visibly concerned as well, he didn’t even notice the slender figure of his beautiful girlfriend Leia LeBeau stopping in front of him on her way out of the arena.
Leia LeBeau
It’s infuriating that they won’t let me stay. Myself and Eloise have been campaigning all day, but they simply will not budge at all.
Leia was visibly upset, despite her earlier success in the evening, and was attired in fashionable jeans, a Seattle Kraken jersey and a very regal purple blazer jacket, one that may well have been familiar to many wrestling fans.
Leia LeBeau
I believe in you, and I believe in your ability but there… there is something that I just don’t trust about all this.
For all the doubts and concerns he had, he needed to hide them from her. She was already upset enough about this, the last few days have been incredibly heavy for both of them the dark clouds of what could possibly happen and the memories of those months spent between hospital and physical therapy bearing down on their carefree days. He put on a brave face, smiling as he took her hands in his and softly said.
Donovan Keane:
Leia… We’ve been through this, you have nothing to worry about. I know what I’m doing.
Leia LeBeau
Don’t… just don’t tell me that I have nothing to worry about, Donnie! I’ve been in the ring with this psychopath. I’ve looked right into his cold, dead eyes and they told me everything I needed to know about him. He’s not here for success or fame, he is just here to cause pain. It’s all he cares about.
She wiped a tear from her eye, trying to compose herself and stay strong for her man, but her concerns were clearly on display.
Leia LeBeau
This is not a controlled environment, Donnie. There are no real officials or a crowd. There is no one here to stop this if it goes too far.
At that point, shocking her man, she digged him in the arm.
Leia LeBeau
And don’t you DARE tell me not to worry. I love you, Donnie. I love you so much, and of course I am going to worry.
Donovan pulled her in a tight hug, trying to comfort and reassure her. And at the same time, work up his courage.
Donovan Keane:
I know, baby… I know.
His eyes were looking at distance as he kept his sobbing girlfriend against his chest.
Donovan Keane:
But this is what I wanted. It HAS to end like this, just the two of us settling this thing once and for all until only one of us can stand. He wouldn’t have played by the rules anyway, and I can’t afford anyone else to get hurt because of me. Not you, not Jay or my brother not no one else who might get caught in the crossfire. It ends tonight, one way or another.
Leia held him so tightly, struggling to bring herself to let go. But she raised her head wearily, kissing him so softly upon the lips. She gazed at him with watering eyes, gripping him tight as her lower lip quivered.
Leia LeBeau
Then finish this. Please, please let this be the end of it all. Finish this for Jay, and your brother. And for me, and you. Just finish this and come back home to me. Please, Donnie?
He looked down at her, and for a moment he hated himself for letting his emotions drive him so far, to this point of no return where he deliberately put his health on the line in a match with no rules against a certified psychopath. How much easier would it be for him to say “fuck it” and just leave with the woman he loved, heading back to the comfort of their home and enjoy the rest of the night. He ran from his past for so long, why not doing it once again?
But it was too late now. And not only because Ryen Riekert, the man designated to stop this match when Asher or him will be unable to continue, was quickly approaching. Mostly because Miles had to be stopped, and he was the only one who could do it. If violence was the only language Antares understood, Donnie was going to have a long chat with him. And the message he will send him will be one and clear. Leave me and my dears alone.
Donovan Keane:
I will, I promise.
He leaned down to kiss her, spending the last moments before his match like this.
Donovan Keane:
And after tonight, you REALLY won’t have to worry anymore.
Leia LeBeau
I’m holding you to your word, Donnie.
Leia responded, finally letting go of him as she grabbed her Vegas inspired carry case. She kissed him longingly one last time, holding a delicate hand to his cheek.
Leia LeBeau
I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t want to keep a girl waiting, do you?
She joked, giving him a playful little wink, showing him that Showgirl charisma once more, before she motioned to move away and leave him to the war that had been brewing for so long. Donnie watched her go until she disappeared behind the closed doors, despite Riekert inviting him to follow him to the ring. And before leaving, he had a last few words for his opponent.
Donovan Keane:
This is not what I wanted, Asher. This is what YOU wanted. Remember it when everything is set and done, remember it when I take away from your only reason for living. They say that vengeance is a dish best served cold.
But tonight, I’ll make sure you choke on it.
And finally he followed Ryen to the ring where the match was set to start.
Unsanctioned Match*
Donovan Keane VS Asher MilesOnly the minimum amount of lights illuminated the now empty Enterprise Arena, no fans sitting on the stands, no commentators at the table, no ring announcer nor timekeeper to ring the bell. Not even a referee to officiate this unsanctioned match between Donovan Keane and Asher Miles, a rivalry that goes far beyond the boundaries of photography, plunging its roots in a past none of them seem too keen to talk about. Riekert, who looked like he’d like to be anywhere but here, unsurprisingly considering what happened earlier in the night, reminded them that this match will go until one of them is incapacitated to continue, and that they are allowed to use any and every mean to ensure this. No sooner said than done, the two competitors went at each other’s throat, trading closed fists. The exchange wasn’t that long, but its intensity was one that was rarely seen, pure hatred channeled in every punch. In the end, Miles got the upper hand and sent the dazed opponent against the ropes with an irish whip, hitting him with a jumping knee to the face after he bounced back. And that was about as much wrestling as we saw in this match, the fight quickly spreading to the outside as Asher left the ring and grabbed Donovan by the foot, yanking and dragging him under the bottom rope, letting him fall awkwardly on the concrete floor. Ryen, a sort of expert by now of this kind of matches, remained close to the action, although maintaining a safety distance from the chair swinging Antares as he was relentlessly dropping the chair down Keane’s back. Donnie rolled away, arching his back in pain. This way though he offered his chest and midsection to the opponent who switched his grip on the chair, holding it by its legs and driving the top rail down in his abdomen. Once again Donnie rolled away, the backlash of the impact against the concrete floor caused Asher to lose his hold on the chair that was picked up by Donovan after he kicked Asher’s knee from the ground and caused him to trip over and land face first on the cold steel. The member of Nightfall Rising was already foretasting the sweet revenge, enjoying the look of despair on his opponent’s face as he was crawling back up the ramp. Perhaps a little too much, taking his sweet time to talk to and taunt the rival before swinging the chair to his head. Which is exactly what happened to him when Miles, with a lightning fast movement, drove both feet onto the incoming chair, pushing it back into Donnie’s face. With blood trickling down his busted up nose, Keane staggered back, visibly dazed. And Asher took advantage, doubling him over with a kick to the stomach and dropping him head first onto the chair with a ddt. No surprises the heat of the fight lead the two competitors backstage, the empty hallways becoming the scene of their fighting. Asher was in control, dragging his opponent around and tossing him against the walls, adding more color to his face by driving his head to the emergency glass you’re supposed to break only in case of emergency. The taste of his own blood awakened Donnie, who desperately started fighting back. From a kneeling position, he punched the opponent in the ribs, slowly getting back to a vertical position as Asher kept recoiling toward the door of Elsa’s office. And Donnie put him right through it, lifting him from the floor and charging to the closed door, unhinging it and finding himself on top of his opponent. He then rained down lefts and rights with unprecedented fury, even helping himself with a porcelain vase that was smashed on Asher’s head, red roses and all. Possibly as a form of respect and solidarity to the young general manager after the horrible night she had, Ryen asked them to step away from the office and oddly enough, they listened. Or actually, Donnie listened, dragging a barely conscious Asher further down the hallway, powerbombing him on the only crate that was left there for the few cameras that were following the action. Hardcore wrestling in times of Covid. Or perhaps it was just survival instinct kicking in, but Asher regained control in an innovative way, throwing an entire bottle of hand sanitizer placed near a door on Donnie’s face. It must have felt like his eyes were burning, at least judging by the groan of pain he let out immediately, trying to rub the gel off his face. But most importantly, this left him temporarily blind, allowing Asher to dispose of him. Miles swung the heavy door open and launched the opponent through it, watching him landing hard on the concrete of the Arena indoor parking. Not many cars were there as thee fans and majority of staff had left already, but the small minivan parked close to the door was exactly what Asher needed. He opened the trunk, smashing Donnie’s head on the inside and violently closing it on his back. He went for it a second time, but Donovan instinctively swung his leg back, right on Asher’s crotch. He turned on his back and raised both legs, placing them on his opponent’s chest and pushing him all the way back against a concrete column. With his hand, he reached inside the trunk of the car, finding the jumper cables and wrapping them around Asher’s neck, trying to choke him out. Miles managed to slide a hand between his neck and the cables before Donnie could tighten the grip, alleviating some pressure from his throat. Change of plans for Donnie who then used the cables to drag Asher toward the ambulance, parked there to provide assistance to one, or most likely both of them at the end of this grueling contest. His eyes were still bothering him, a close-up of the camera clearly showing the redness caused by the sanitizer. But this wasn’t going to stop him, not now that he was so close to end this thing once and for all. Reminiscent of their match at Dark Web II, they were once again fighting in proximity of an ambulance, in all similar to the one Asher drove over Donnie putting him out of commission for two months. This time Donovan was in control, breaking the glass of the rear door using Miles’ head as a battering ram. They even fought inside the back of it, a chaotic brawl the camera couldn’t quite catch due to Ryen Riekert standing in the way. But a bunch of seconds later, Donnie stumbled back out of it with a scream of agony, a pair of scissors planted on his arm. Clenching his teeth, he pulled it out, trying with his other hand to stop the blood gushing from it. Asher was right back on the attack, hitting Donnie with several strikes to the face, causing him to back away to try getting away from this flurry of offense. They found themselves in front of the ambulance, Donnie trying to fend the opponent off desperately with a series of headbutts. His right arm was still bleeding profusely from the deep hole carved by the scissors. Nonetheless, he lifted Asher in a powerbomb position, the Antares squeezing the arm around the wound hoping this would cause Donnie to drop him. But it didn’t work, despite the agonizing pain he was suffering, Keane launched the opponent on the windshield, causing it to explode on impact. Asher slid down on the floor, leaving red trails of blood on the hood of the ambulance from his bleeding back, studded with glass shards. He touched the floor, Ryen approaching him to call off the match but Miles was still moving, waving him off. “Oh for fuck’s sake..:” Donnie blurted out, incredulous that his opponent was still moving. His right arm was limp around his flank, covered in blood and pretty much useless. He slowly walked to the ambulance, his forces abandoning him due to the bloodloos. But he still opened the door using his good arm, and turned the engine on. His intentions were clear as he shifted into reverse gear and drove backwards to get a run-up. Even Ryen shook his head praying that he wouldn’t do what he seemed to be wanting to do. But as Asher picked himself up, barely standing on his own legs, Donovan shifted gear and drove at full speed toward him. Miles could only imagine what was about to happen, finding himself in the same shoes Donnie was back in May, unable to move and blinded by the ambulance lights, passively waiting for his fate. The screeching sound of the tires was deafening, the ambulance stopping inches away from Asher. The door opened and out came Donovan Keane, him as well on his dying breath. He walked toward his opponent, shaking his head and muttering. “This is the difference between you and me, Asher., this is why I won't fail. I don’t seek a personal vendetta, i seek justice for the innocent.” Donnie said, dragging himself closer to Asher. “This is for Leia…” He hit Asher with a superkick, knocking him to the floor. Miles tried to pick himself up. “This is for Iggy and Jay…” A stomp to the back brought Asher back on the floor, his hand still moving trying to hang on the fabric of Donnie’s tights to pick himself up. Keane immediately pulled the leg away. “This is for everyone who suffered because of our fathers.” And again he kicked him, right on the side of the head, knocking him out cold. Ryen clearly signaled that the match was over, paramedics running to check on the unconscious Miles. Donnie wasn’t in a much better shape, falling on his knees exhausted and with tears in his eyes. “I… I never wanted this.. F-For..:” And he collapsed to the floor, Ryen kneeling down next to him and calling for more EMTs to rush on the scere. The show then faded to its conclusion, leaving the doctors to check on the two fighters. WINNER: Donovan Keane BY: KO, 22:17 |