Post by gvb on Oct 8, 2020 16:20:31 GMT -6
Millennium LXVI
Live from Enterprise Arena in Chicago, IL
Wednesday, October 7th, 2020
We open backstage in the Enterprise Arena. One of the Glorious Golden Era’s newest recruits, Sophie O’Brian, is alone in her dressing room. She is not stretching but instead is sitting alone on the floor. Clearly she is deep in thought, thinking about strategy for her match tonight against Keelan Jayce. The deep thought is interrupted when Glory Braddock and Sophie’s brother Mark O’Brian enter the room.
Mark O’Brian:
We’re here!
Mark’s voice is loud and booming. Glory holds out a hand to hush him, even as Sophie rolls her eyes.
Glory Braddock:
Sorry about that, Sophie. We just got back and I have good news. Everything is confirmed, my managerial license is cleared which means I can act as your manager here on Millennium and I can assist Kyle as well should he need it.
Sophie stands up to her feet.
Sophie O’Brian:
Good. Fighting a war on two fronts is never good. Many a tyrant has tried this and failed miserably. We cannot have our resources split, my friend.
Glory Braddock:
But I am not a tyrant.
Sophie smirks knowingly.
Sophie O’Brian:
I never said you were, my friend.
The MWE Riot Champion nods her head.
Glory Braddock:
As far as tonight goes, Kyle doesn’t want nor does he need my assistance. He wants to show he can do this on his own. The same goes for you, Sophie. I know you can do this on your own and that is why Mark and myself, as well as Kyle, will try to stay out of your match against Keelan. Now, in the event there is outside interference of any sort, rest assured that you have the full support of the Glorious Golden Era.
Sophie approves of this message from her best friend and the reigning Riot Champion. Sophie nods her head with a smile on her face.
Sophie O’Brian:
Excellent, because you are right, I can do this on my own. I do not need any outside assistance or interference to achieve my ends. However I will always adhere to my philosophy of Total War. Winning by any means necessary, taking the fight to the enemy in any and every way imaginable. Tonight I will bring Total War to Keelan Jayce. It may not be popular with the people, it may not be popular with MWE, it may not even be popular with you my friend, but I will bring my own brand of Total War and on my own I shall be victorious.
Glory Braddock:
Understood. I’m here to provide backup and a level playing field if necessary. That’s all. The same goes for Neil and Kyle respectively. The Glorious Golden Era’s mission is to uphold the traditions and greatness of wrestling and to establish ourselves as the best of the best.
Braddock places a hand on Sophie’s shoulder.
Glory Braddock:
And you, Sophie, are the very best wrestler I have ever been in the ring with me. You are amazing. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise, especially Keelan.
Sophie O’Brian:
Don’t worry, friend, I won’t...
Singles Match
West Long VS Kate SteeleThe first episode of MWE’s flagship show opened up with what many people expected to be a one way contest between the Warwolf and Kate Steele. West has been making a name for himself recently, especially in GEW where he’s considered one of the fastest rising stars in the New York based company. His path here in MWE has been a bit more bumpy, but there was no denying he was the clear favorite walking into this match, despite Kate having a good start and taking him off guard with her speed. She didn’t give Long a moment to breathe, keeping her offense relentless with lightning quick kicks and acrobatic moves like the tornado ddt that planted the Warwolf on his head. She tried an early cover attempt, but West kicked out with authority, picking himself up and blocking her following kick to the ribs. Kate immediately hit an enziguri, rocking West and causing him to spin around. She quickly drove his face into the canvas with a bulldog and headed to the closer corner, climbing up to the top of the turnbuckle and waiting for him to stand up. As he did, she flew in with a crossbody, making a terrible mistake. Long easily caught her in mid air and placed her on his shoulder, taking a few steps to throw her into the mat with a running powerslam. Once weathered the initial storm, West seemed perfectly capable to bring this match home without too much trouble. The size advantage allowed him to absorb her rare strikes, his greater strength to easily toss the opponent around or hit her with devastating blows to the head, each one of them looking like it could potentially knock Kate out. After kicking out from a pinning predicament following a one handed spinebuster, Steele came back with a second wind, connecting a few strikes in rapid succession and making West stumble back a few steps with a pele kick. The big man was stunned, but still managed to react and behead the charging Siren with a discus clothesline. Kate slowly tried to stand up, not realizing that the Warwolf was right behind his back, ready to grab her in a waistlock for a standing release German Suplex. Steele got up to her feet and stumbled in the corner, looking to catch her breath. But West was right back on the attack with a corner clothesline, to which he followed with a Biel toss to throw her back in the middle of the ring. The former Lockdown champion arched her back in pain, struggling to even get up. And when she did, Long finished her with the Point Blank (fireman’s carry powerslam). WINNER: West Long BY: Pinfall (Point Blank), 6:26 |
We now head into the locker room area and depending on who is there at any given time it really enhances what kind of mood there is. We only have one inhabitant in said locker room at this point and it’s one of the carriers of the briefcase in Seth Iser. He’s dressed professionally in his three piece suit, a black and red variant and with the cast on his left hand gone we get a much clearer view of the copper bracelet on his left wrist. But it seems as if to this point he’s been sitting in the locker room, watching, observing, and seeing the show. And the moment he notices the camera he gestures for the person holding it to come forward.
Seth Iser:
Always watching and always listening...
He begins in a low tone of his as he has his arms crossed and his face has an expression of a calm man who might be looking to teach someone.
Seth Iser:
That’s why I’ve gotten to where I’ve been for years and it’s how I’ve built and earned my reputation. I might not run as fast as I once did and my hair might have some parts going gray but the knowledge and wisdom I’ve accumulated brought me the briefcase as you know. Gray is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.
He lets out a small smirk as he recounts that quote indeed being the son of a preacher.
Seth Iser:
In terms of passing knowledge, it’s a righteous act even if I am picky about who I choose to spend time under the learning tree. But righteousness isn’t exactly black and white as we’ve come to find out. I think the righteous thing to do in terms of our code is to give everything you have when that bell rings. I guess you can twist that into a sin of pride or even envy if you look at it from a certain point of view but...at an age where most people in our industry won’t even compete anymore...I might be doing some of the best work of my career all over the world with my head clear and knowing that unless I pass certain things down...parts of the industry itself might die when I retire. And I can’t let that one happen…
The veteran’s face has contorted back into that familiar neutral look, the poker face mask we often have seen from him in the past.
Seth Iser:
But I’ll pass a pair of nuggets of knowledge right now. The first one is simple...I’m finally approaching that clean bill of health again where the hand isn’t nagging me. And that means I’ll be counting the days when I challenge for the World Championship. I don’t plan on interfering in Devin Hearst’s quest to try his hand at becoming the champion of the company. But I don’t know if he fully realizes he’s dealing with someone who can’t be beat the same way twice. It’ll be fun to see how that plays out considering my own investment professionally and personally but...they both know I’m looming. And when I cash in...well, you are looking at the next World Champion.
He pauses for a moment after letting out that business. The veteran’s face then lightens up ever so slightly.
Seth Iser:
And the second one pertains to why I’m here tonight: The Main Event.
And then you see Seth’s face put on a full blown smirk.
Seth Iser:
Youth, energy, speed, and learning versus the ultimate machine of professional wrestling. Megan Rydell and BROOKFORD. Megan’s learning fast these past few weeks. She’s won multiple titles here in the company without me and that’s a testament to her raw talent...and BROOKFORD? He’s one of the few wrestlers I truly consider a peer because he is the one guy in that locker room that I know I had to wrestle a damn near perfect match or I wouldn’t have the briefcase I had today. That’s how phenomenal he is at his craft. And no, I’m not intervening in that match in the slightest either...I’m just as curious as everyone else to see how it all plays out.
The smirk is gone and then you see the elder statesman have that serious expression etched on his face.
Seth Iser:
You’ll see some of the old school principles of the sport in both of them in completely different ways. Things that’ll hopefully be passed down long after I’ve gone to the grave. People might not like either of them but they’ll damn sure respect both of’m long after both are done their brand of work. And I...like many people in the industry, will enjoy the ride of watching it, maybe even learning a little on top of it. Maybe learning to be open to learning...is the ultimate nugget of knowledge someone needs…after all…
And then he reaches down onto the floor and picks up that briefcase of his.
Seth Iser:
It’s worked wonders for me…
And with that last nugget of knowledge complete he then shoos the camera man off by pointing him out the door. He wants to watch the rest of the show in peace.
Singles Match
Jada Hashford VS Lucie CallawayA debut and a return. First singles match for the former Chicago Way champion who came back to MWE at Drums In The Night as a surprise entrant in the battle royale. The younger sister to the hardcore legend Brytain Rollins wasn’t too happy with the outcome of the battle royale, but tonight she already had the opportunity to turn things around. The beginning of the match was very back and forth, the two competitors, similar in size, met in the middle of the ring and just unleashed hell on one another. Punches and kicks were flying in all directions, all of them hitting their mark as neither one of them was even trying to put up any sort of defense, whether that was dodging or attempting to block the opponent’s blows, focusing only on the attack and one-upping the other. It was an incredibly even exchange, but in the end Jada was the one coming out on top, rocking the former champion with a stiff forearm to the jaw. The nineteen years old girl stumbled back holding her face before getting trampled by a running lariat from Hashford. Jada’s style of offense was pretty basic, mostly based on a brawling style but not for this any less effective. Her goal was clear, wear down the younger opponent quickly with no particular care or regard about Lucie’s safety as the series of mounted elbows strikes proved. And so far, it worked magnificently. If her first stint in MWE proved anything, that’d be that Callaway can take A LOT of punishment. And seeing her constantly kicking out was starting to frustrate Jada, inevitably leading her to make a mistake, namely taking a little too long to prance around when she lifted Lucie for the Shut Out, her patented scoop brainbuster. This allowed Lucie to slip away and quickly take Hashford down with a front head scissors. She then unleashed a volley of kicks to her chest as Jasa was getting up to a vertical base, knocking the wind off her lungs and leaving her on her knees, defenseless against the running knee to the face that floored her, Lucie added a couple of knee drops before climbing up to the top rope and pay tribute to her sister with the Thrillkiller swanton bomb, picking up a count of two. Whenever Lucy picked up the pace, Jada found herself in great difficulty. Lucie scored several near falls using quick pinning combinations, but Hashford was never caught off guard from them and always raised her shoulders in time. When Callaway set her up for her Nine Crimes headlock driver, Jada pushed the young girl away, catching her with a boot to the face when she turned around. And then she built some offense, sending Callaway in the corner and using her knee to choke her. The referee gave her another stern warning, not the first of the match but definitely the last, and he made sure she got the message. The match went on with Lucie once again gaining control, connecting the Nine Crimes at the second attempt. Once again Hashford kicked out and rolled under the bottom rope to buy herself some time. A risk taker by nature, Lucie launched herself through the ropes with a suicide dive, getting caught by a punch straight to the head that left her hanging on the ropes. Jada then dragged her out and dropped her head first on the concrete floor with the Shut Out, rolling her back in the ring. Before entering as well, she dropped the brass knuckle she used to punch Lucie, hiding it from the referee’s sight and making the cover, picking up the win in her debut. WINNER: Jada Hashford BY: Pinfall (Shut Out), 9:14 |
We cut backstage, finding Kory Kramp and his tag team partner for the night enthusiastically discussing strategy for their upcoming match. Drew gets a little overly excited, claiming that tonight is just the start, and the fans are looking at the future MWE Tag Team Champions. The Bad Boyz are just the first names on the list... His heartfelt speech is interrupted by Marcus Ali Jr and Khali Washington walking into frame. Khali is the one taking word, ironically saying that they should back out of the match now that they still are in time. The Bad Boyz are obviously mocking the duo, and Kory had had enough of their bullying. Marcus called him midget, rudely telling him to shut up. If Kramp was trying to hold back, not giving in to the Bad Boyz blatant provocation Dream choose a different approach, jumping at Marcus' throat. KW3 immediately helped his partner which prompted Kory to reluctantly join in. The brawl went on for a good minute before security arrived to the scene.
They didn't have the chance to stop the fight, a moment before the The Masked Angel stormed in and ended the fight, launching Kory through a drywall and powerbombing Drew through a table. The Bad Boyz were able to add a few stomps in, before mocking them even further with a "see you in the ring, kids."
Tag Team Match
Kory Kramp & Drew Dream VS Bad Boyz (Marcus Ali Jr. & Khali Washington III)
The boos were as loud as ever as Marcus and Khali entered the ring. Obviously, they knew all too well that their scheduled opponents wouldn't have been able to wrestle after the brutal attack backstage, hence why they demanded the referee to declare them the winners of the contest. And the ref was just about to, having no other choice but to state that Kory and Drew failed to show up to their match. Before his decision was made official though, Elsa McCarthy stepped out on the stage, saying that she was disappointed. Not much by the attack himself, she's getting used to that. What really disappointed her was the fact that Khali and Marcus thought they could get away with it. She apologized then to the Millennium fans who won't be able to see what, on papers, was a great tag match. The pleasure though will be reserved to the Riot fans, as she called Vincent Moretti and he gladly accepted to host it on the orange show. You could tell that Marcus and Khali weren't too pleased, but they hid it behinf those cocky smiles. WINNER: // BY: //, 0:00 |
In a rare sight, the scene opens up on Kyle Butler all by himself. Ever since he signed with MWE close to a year ago, him and Neil Newman have been joined at the hip. Not too long after that, Glory and someone who doesn’t even work for MWE anymore linked up with him to become the Glorious Golden Era. Neil got himself into a prediument on Riot. Glory is exclusive there. The nameless person opted to leave the hive. All that remains on Minimum is Kyle Butler in his singlet stretching, getting himself loose for his match against Atticus Valentine. Kyle would soon learn that he is not as alone as he thought. His wife Jessica Lasiewicz walks into the scene. He is so focused on getting himself ready he doesn’t notice her. Kyle turns around. Noticing Jessica brings a smile to his face.
Kyle Butler:
Hey beautiful.
She walks right up to Kyle and gives him a gripping hug. She leans her head into his chest. Kyle wraps his arms around her, pulling her in close.
Kyle Butler:
Glad you stopped by actually.
Jessica looks up into his eyes. With a stoic smile on her face she utters.
Jessica Lasiewicz:
Figured.
Kyle Butler:
I do have the most gorgeous wife--
Jessica Lasiewicz:
The most FABOLOUS wife.
Kyle Butler:
Tomatos, tomatoes.
Kyle cracks a smile.
Kyle Butler:
I don’t know why I am overthinking this, babe. The Summer tour didn’t work out in my favor. Lost on all three shows. Momentum hasn’t been on my side for months. Part of me questions if I am in over my head trying to establish a singles career. Generic Badass One Million thinks he is going to make short work of me. Maybe this was a mistake.
Jessica glares at Kyle.
Jessica Lasiewicz:
Don’t doubt yourself. I won’t hear any of it. This journey is going to take time. You were a tag team wrestler for most of your career. The transition to singles is a tougher adjustment then expected. Look at me every time I decided to venture out on my own. Success didn’t come immediately. Trust the process, I believe you’ll get there. Want momentum? Beat Atticus. He is not the first guy who enjoys hurting people. Won’t be the last. Show him and everyone else it doesn’t matter how much hell he thinks he can inflict, you’re tougher. And better.
Kyle leans in to kiss his wife.
Kyle Butler:
Thanks babe. Tonight the TIDE is going to ROLL, bay beeeeeeee.
Jessica Lasiewicz:
Except during basketball season. Go Blue Devils.
Kyle shakes his head.
Kyle Butler:
Basketball sucks anyway.
Kyle sticks his tongue out. Jessica smirks.
Jessica Lasiewicz:
You don’t say that when you have to replace the furniture I destroy when Duke loses.
Kyle Butler:
Fair enough, babe. Fair enough.
Jessica and Kyle continue to talk. The audio feed cuts as the scene fades to black soon after.
The camera cuts to the backstage area now, where the self-proclaimed ‘Grand Prince’ Freddie Hjalmar is walking, flanked by his Royal Guard. In Freddie’s hand is a roll of parchment, sealed by wax and a red ribbon. Gesticulating with it as he begins to talk, the Royal Guard nod along with him as he speaks.
Freddie Hjalmar:
You both know what you have to do. Take it, go to the office, deliver the message. No distractions, no funny business - just deliver the message. Of course I would do it myself, and obviously I would do a much better job than the two of you idiots, but I can’t be seen lobbying like some sort of commoner. I don’t beg, plead and kneel to authority figures - I am the authority figure!
He seems overly proud of himself as he exclaims that, before continuing, turning to the smaller of the two men.
Freddie Hjalmar:
Porter, you’ve memorised the message. Repeat it as it’s read. Twice if you have to. Three times! As much as possible until my demands are met. I won’t do anything for this company until I’m afforded the opportunity to enact justice. I could have had more gold. More gold! If not for that hateful, jealous Welsh bitch.
Freddie huffs in annoyance, taking a second to compose himself as the three of them come to a stop as they approach a junction of sorts.
Freddie Hjalmar:
The office is that way. Hammond, if anyone even tries to stop you...put them through a wall. Now go.
Hjalmar hands over the roll of parchment to Porter who nods, turning right to head down the hallway alongside his partner Hammond. Freddie watches them for a few moments, dusting off robe and heading left as the camera fades out.
Singles Match
Atti Valentine VS Kyle ButlerA new beginning for Kyle Butler, away from his lifelong friend and partner Neil Newman. His first match on the green brand was against a man with a huge chip on his shoulder, a man who came here to continue the legacy of his family’s name and, so far, failed to live up to it. Valentine made it clear before the match, nothing mattered to him but putting down Butler. He didn’t even wait for the bell to ring, getting a head start with a punch straight to the jaw. He was never known to be one to go easy, but tonight he looked even more ruthless than he used to be, especially when he forced Butler in the corner and drove his boot on his chest multiple times, stomping him into the ground. The referee pushed him back to give Kyle some break but Atticus shoved the official aside and tried to choke the former Tag Team Champion. Again the official counted to five before separating the two competitors and having some words with Atti, who didn’t seem to care too much. His eyes remained focused on Butler, who was now getting up to his feet. He grabbed him by the back of his head and drove his face on the top turnbuckle, lifting the Alabama born and letting him fall neck first on the top rope. Kyle bounced back and immediately brought both hands to the throat, coughing and trying to catch his breath. What he caught instead, was a boot to the face, courtesy of Atii’s savate kick. In the first five minutes, Atti scored several near falls, seemingly growing more and more frustrated after every one of them. But by the middle of the match the tides had definitely turned, and Butler seized control of the fight. working over Valentine with a series of holds to keep the high flier grounded. Atti broke free from the side headlock with a couple of elbows to the pit of the stomach, taking a short run to the ropes to get some momentum behind his next piece of offense. But Kyle grabbed the waistband of his tights and pulled him back into a snap german suplex. Atti was quick to get up to his feet, but even quicker was Kyle to wrap his arms around him and lift him for another suplex, a belly to belly variation this time. Atti used the ropes to get back to a vertical base, but he couldn’t catch a break from Kyle’s relentless offense. The GGE member was right back on the attack with a flurry of chops to the chest. Valentine was then sent against the ropes with an irish whip and thrown over Butler’s head with a back body drop, managing somehow to land on his feet and catch the opponent as he turned with an enziguri that left Kyle dazed. Atti bounced against the ropes and charged at him, getting caught and slammed on the canvas with a spinebuster. Kyle hooked the leg but Atti raised his shoulder in time. The match was now in its crucial stage, the intensity the two competitors put in reached its peak. Atti was able to reverse Kyle’s irish whip and fired him in the corner, following with a big spear. He then applied a cravate and sat him on the canvas with a snapmare, quickly connecting a roundhouse kick to knock him down. The standing moonsault he performed found Kyle’s knee raised in protection, causing Atti to clutch his rips as he rolled on the canvas in agony. Butler showed no mercy and actually capitalized with a couple of rib breakers before throwing him across the ring with a fallaway slam. Atti crawled to the ropes, using them to help himself up. When Kyle grabbed him from behind, he swung his leg back for a mule kick. The referee somehow missed the illegal move, allowing the match to continue. Atticus nailed the opponent with a beautiful springboard reverse ddt. That still wasn’t enough to keep Kyle down, but perhaps the Valentine’s Day would have done the trick. He climbed to the top rope, taking a moment to gloat before jumping off with his patented swanton bomb. Missing the target. That little hesitation was fatal for Atticus, giving Kyle enough time to roll out of the way. Without wasting a second, Kyle dragged Atti up and planted him with the Rooooooooooooooooooolllll TIDE!!, scoring his first win in singles competition. WINNER: Kyle Butler BY: Pinfall (Rooooooooooooooooooolllll TIDE!!), 11:32 |
Atti didn't take the loss too well, grabbing a chair from under the ring and blasting Kyle with it, knocking him down instantly. More furious shots were delivered by Atticus, to the back and ribs of the downe opponent.And he kept going, until the security rushed down the ramp, checking on Kyle as Atti headed backstage.
Elsa McCarthy:
T-Thank you, I guess?
The young general manager looked down at the parchment in her hand. She already read it, the broken seal and ribbon are laying on her desk. Nonetheless, she decided to give it another read, repeating the words written on it under her breath. Too low to be caught by the camera, thus leaving us wonder what's the content of the Royal letter.
Elsa McCarthy:
Tell him that I'll see what I can do. And...
She stopped mid sentence, turning toward the door where Ryen Riekert was standing.
Elsa McCarthy:
Oh no... What happened now?
She said with a long sigh, knowing by the look on his face that Ryen was bearer of more bad news.
Ryen Riekert:
Bobbi Jackson... She's been attacked.
Elsa McCarthy:
You have to be kidding me..
Turning to the Royal Guard she quickly dismissed them. As they left, she stood up from her chair and joined Ryen on the treshold.
Elsa McCarthy:
Take me to her.
And the segments end as they leave the office.
The feed switches to the backstage area where The American Monster Jacob Hammerstein sits on a production crate. His black hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail and his eyes are covered by ultra-dark sunglasses, although the remains of a nasty shiner is peaking under the rim of the glasses.
Hammerstein:
At Drums in the Night, I outfought and outlasted twenty-nine of the best this company has to offer to earn a shot at either The Lockdown Title or The MENTV Title. But, you really wouldn't know about it if you didn't watch the show, because there really hasn't been a whole lot said about it.
I'm ok with that.
Hammerstein hops off the crate, then leans against it. He pulls the sunglasses off and tosses them to the side, exposing the black eye.
Hammerstein:
In fact, I prefer it that way. I, myself, haven't said much about it, not because it's not something to be proud of. I kicked ass out there. I earned the chance to fight for one of those titles. I'm amazingly proud of myself.
Hammerstein removes the ponytail holder from his hair and shakes his head to loosen his long black mane.
Hammerstein:
I haven't said anything, because I want Bobbi Jackson and Pierce Manning to wonder "Is this the time? Is The American Monster coming for my title?"
Now, they'll tell you they're not sweating me. They're not worried about me, not at all.
That's what they'll tell you. You and me…
He moves his index finger back and forth, pointing at the camera, then himself.
Hammerstein:
...we know better. See, we know that their grip is a little tighter when they're holding that belt in their hands. We know that they hold onto their belts a little longer before handing them off to the official before a match.
Hammerstein smirks.
Hammerstein:
That's because they know that their time as Champion is winding down. Every time they let go of their belt is moving them closer to the time they'll release it and not get it back.
They wonder which one of them I'm gunning for. Is it Bobbi? Or is it Pierce? Noone knows.
His smirk turns to a mischievous grin.
Hammerstein:
Well, almost nobody.
Hammerstein turns and walks away from the camera.
Singles Match
Keelan Jayce VS Sophie O'BrianWhat connects Sophie O’Brian and Keelan Jayce? Both competitors challenged Megan Monroe for the Intercontinental championship and came up short. Not without controversy that’s for sure, but still they both needed a win to put themselves back in contention. And they both knew it, starting the match circling each other slowly, opting for a cautious approach. Sophie made the first move, twisting the Australian into a standing armbar. Not long after, Jayce found a creative way to escape the hold and stun O’Brian with a jumping knee to the chin. She staggered back a few steps, giving Keelan space to charge in and wrap his legs around her head, sending her in the corner with a running headscissors. As she laid against the post, Keelan hit her with a handspring back elbow, drawing a round of applause from the crowd who seemed to love his acrobatic style. And they had the chance to appreciate it tonight as Keelan put on a literal show using the unpredictability of his tricking style to hit Sophie with kicks from impossible angles, eventually knocking the veteran down. The standing corkscrew shooting star press he performed after was a thing of beauty, but not enough to beat the northern Irish. For someone like Sophie who’s known to study the opponent to the last detail, watching hours and hours of tapes and preparing counters to every move, facing someone who made improvisation the guiding thread of his offense seemed to be too much of a challenge. The first part of this match was all Keelan, with Sophie in difficulty like rarely seen before. Her chance to turn the tables came when Jayce jumped on her chest with a double foot stomp. Knowing exactly what was coming next, that was in fact the first part of the True Blue, Sophie had the opportunity to counter it, and she didn’t miss it. As he jumped for the moonsault, she rolled away and grabbed his ankle. KJ landed face first on the canvas and, worst part of this, he found himself trapped in an ankle lock. The torque O’Brian was applying to his ankle brought out a scream from the young man, who began clawing his way toward the ropes. He finally grabbed hold, but this didn’t result in immediate freedom from O’Brian’s grasp. She held onto his ankle tightly for the full five count, and when she finally let him go, she immediately went once again for that leg with some vicious stomps to the ankle. The constant work on the leg Sophie put in in the following minutes was paying off. Keelan was in visible pain, barely able to walk on that bad leg let alone doing all the flips and cartwheels that helped him getting an edge on O’Brian in the first part of the match. And Sophie was not done yet, taking him down with a chop block and wrapping him up in a texas cloverleaf. Keelan was able to break free, kicking away Sophie when she was trying to put him into another submission, a figure four leglock this time. As soon as he got back to his feet, Sophie tried to charge at him with a clothesline but she got caught with a beautiful standing spanish fly. The Australian kept fighting, bad leg and all, almost taking O’Brian out for good with a facecrusher. But the leg failed him when he went for The Aussie Salute, and he couldn’t get the elevation necessary for the double gainer splash. The result was an awkward attempt that found nothing but the waiting canvas. Sophie didn’t think twice and quickly locked him in the Wisdom, her merciless Muta lock that gave her another win here tonight. WINNER: Sophie O’Brian BY: Submission (Wisdom), 13:21 |
Millennium returns from commercial break inside the Trainers Room where we see the current MWE Lockdown Champion "The Rising Phoenix" Bobbi Jackson being looked over by the doctors as she groans in discomfort and pain as she attempts to continue on the conversation she is having with her girlfriend Alexa Cannon.
Bobbi Jackson:
Look, I'm sure it was Duke or one of the other assholes in A.P.E. They attacked me from behind months ago and were never caught and I'm sure they attacked me again tonight...
Bobbi groans rubbing her forehead as she continues to speak.
Bobbi Jackson:
They want to put me on the shelf to have a reason to strip me of my title, I'm not going to let that happen!
Alexa furrows her brow at Bobbi and sighs.
Alexa Cannon:
Look, Doll. I'm not going to tell you what to do. But if you go out there tonight hurt in a match like the Phoenix's Cage I worry about more than your title...I worry about your safety.
Bobbi looks down in silence as she softly sighs.
Bobbi Jackson:
I get it...trust me, I do. But I can't just let them win. If I'm going to lose this title, I'd rather lose it in the ring than be stripped of it. Once again, Duke needs to cheat to have a chance against me. He's the scum of the Earth and proves it with everything he does...
Bobbi is then interrupted by the medical physician.
Physician:
Miss. Jackson, I can clear you to wrestle tonight if you insist, but I also think you should probably just take the night off.
The blonde lets out a deep growl under her breath as she grabs her title that lays next to her and hops off the table.
Bobbi Jackson:
Yea...that's not going to happen. Thanks for the advice, but I have a title to defend...
Alexa sighs and follows Bobbi as the two blondes leave the Trainer's Room as the show heads back to ringside for the next match.
Non Title Tag Team Match
APE (REDD Thunder & Chris Constantine Junior) VS Rhett Adelson & Qiyara Singh
This match might have not been for the title, but the implications were well known to all parts involved. Rhett and Qiyara didn’t want to waste an opportunity to earn themselves a title shot and started the match off strong, taking on the former world champion and isolating him in their corner. With quick tags they kept constant pressure on Constantine, wearing him down with kicks and knee strikes and keeping him away from the biggest threat in the match, the Walking Disaster. The duo scored an early near fall when Rhett picked up Constantine for a brainbuster and dropped him on the mat after Qiyara kicked him on the head. Constantine kicked out in two, stretching out to reach his partner. Adelson grabbed his foot and dragged him back to the middle of the ring. Chris kicked him away and headed once again toward his partner but he got pulled back into a german suplex by the Nightfall trainee. Rhett made yet another cover but all he got out of it was another two. There was a tag to Qiyara who fired Chris in the corner and reached him with several knee strikes, the last one hitting Constantine hard on the jaw and knocking him down. Nobody was expecting APE to fight clean and in fact REDD entered the ring illegally while Rhett and Qiyara were working on Chris and knocked both of them down. He picked up Singh from the mat and bodyslammed her onto her boyfriend, squashing both of them with a senton. The referee told him to leave the ring, as there was no tag and he wasn’t the legal man. REDD scoffed and grabbed CCJ’s arm, dragged him toward the corner, left the ring, raised his hand and tagged himself in. He immediately charged at Rhett, taking him down with a shoulder tackle. For a couple of minutes, Adelson was completely at REDD’s mercy, as the big man pulled out all the high impact moves in his arsenal, including the Killamajig. The spinning spinebuster could have given APE the win if it wasn’t for Qiyara rushing in and making the save. They were still on the match, but Rhett needed to make a tag, and do it quickly. Rhett whipped him in the opposite corner and charged at full speed, eating (almost literally) the protective pad on the top turnbuckle as Adelson exited the ring through the ropes. Constantine tried to attack him but Adelson stopped the former champion with a superkick, knocking Chris off the apron. He then ducked the big man’s right hand and doubled him over with a shoulder to the stomach, quickly climbing on the turnbuckle and jumping with a diving double foot stomp to the back of the bent over opponent, opening his way to his corner. Qiyara’s Muay Thai and Pehlwani background, combined with her natural speed and the flawless technique came in handy tonight allowing her to get the best of the Thunder. Way too fast for the powerhouse, she steadily worn him down with those precise strikes, adding some knees to her combination just to put the big man even more out of his game than he already was. And it worked greatly, leaving REDD standing groggily in the centre of the ring, unable to react as Sing measured him up and knocked him down with the 540 hook kick. She laid on top of him and made the cover, but Constantine grabbed her foot and dragged her out. The two brawled on the outside and CCJ was getting the best out of the indian, until Rhett took him out with a senton from the apron. As the action went back inside the ring, REDD seemed to have recovered, squeezing Qiyara in a tight bear hug. Constantine called him and obtained the tag, dropping the elbow after Thunder threw Qiyara unceremoniously in the middle of the ring with a belly to belly suplex. CCJ tried to score the win for his team, but Singh was not done yet, not even after the American Strong Piledriver, saving herself with a foot on the ropes. And while Chris complained to the referee, Singh managed to reach her corner and make the tag to her man. Adelson entered the ring and headed straight to REDD, taking him down with a dropkick. Constantine turned around to see what happened, catching Rhett’s running single leg dropkick right on the face. There was a cover, REDD entering the ring to save his partner but coming in a moment too late. WINNER: Rhett Adelson & Qiyara Singh BY: Pinfall (Explosion), 15:08 |
The camera took us once again inside the General Manager office. Elsa pops out one of the tablets she always keeps within reach to fight the migraine that seems to afflict her so often.
Grace van Beek:
An eventful night, was not it?
Came the calm and emotionless voice of the MWE owner Grace van Beek.
Elsa McCarthy:
You can say that.
Was her quick response.
Grace van Beek:
I can also say that you handed the situation egregiously.
The unexpected praise took the GM off guard, causing her to blush ever so slightly.
Grace van Beek:
And I do not mean only tonight. You have been running this show better than your predecessors, and you know how pleased I was with both miss Bennett and Mister Vaccaro's work.
Elsa nodded, unable to add anything.
Grace van Beek:
For example tonight, you built a wonderful show. I would dare to say perfect, except for a minor detail.
The confidence Grace's words built instantly crumbled as Elsa quickly relived the night in her mind, wondering what mistake she made, what was that little blemish on what was otherwise considered a perfect night.
Grace van Beek:
It is nothing major, and I defiinitely do not hold it against you. I, although, feel the need to step in and put what I believe will be the proverbial icing on the cake. That is why I just informed the official that the Intercontinental Championship is on the line tonigh.
Grace turned to the camera, barely curling her lips in an almost invisible smile.
Grace van Beek:
You are welcome.
And just like that, she asked the camera to leave.
The scene opens with BROOKFORD backstage in his wrestling gear. He is leaning up against a white wall. With his arms crossed and a menacing glare, he parts his lips to speak.
BROOKFORD:
Megan Monroe. Current Intercontinental Champion. The woman that Seth Iser took under his wing. That about sums it up? There is more to your story Megan, I don’t care about that. You can remind us how you got here. What you’ve done. All you had to overcome. What does that matter to a guy like me. Stories are cute. Unless those stories are worth telling, they don’t pay the bills do they? When I see you I am looking at a champion. A woman who Seth took an interest in. That is good enough for me. Seth’s endorsement means you are worth my time, best believe I am going all out to secure this win.
Somehow I doubt the fans care about any of that. All I’ve been asked about is why I attacked Alan Envy.
BROOKFORD cracks a smile.
BROOKFORD:
Patience people. All will be revealed in due time. Now if you excuse me, Megan awaits.
BROOKFORD walks off camera as the scene fades to black
Lockdown Championship Match
Bobbi's rule: Phoenix Cage
Bobbi Jackson (c) VS Duke AndrewsBobbi's rule: Phoenix Cage
Duke had a wide smile on his face as the cage lowered down, locking him and Bobbi inside the Phoenix Cage. Jackson was the one who won the title from him, the one who surpassed his reign both in length and number of defenses. Tonight he had the opportunity to get back the Lockdown championship and write his name in the history books as the first person to hold that title twice. And the backstage attack Bobbi was victim of earlier in the night certainly gave him a big advantage. The match started and the co-founder of APE was immediately on the driver seat, unleashing a flurry of right hands on the defending champion and throwing her against the cage. Bobbi was in great difficulty already but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Duke connected some heavy European uppercuts, pushing the champion against the cage. Then, he tried to end her with a running big boot but the Rising Phoenix moved to the side, and the challenger winded up kicking the steel structure, hurting his leg. Bobbi focused on that body part with a series of swift kicks to the thigh, forcing him on his knees with a basement dropkick and ending the sequence with a roundhouse kick to the head. Despite the cowardly attack that was clearly affecting her, Bobbi Jackson put out an all heart performance in that cage, bringing the fight to the challenger with her characteristic punching and kicking combinations. She even came real close to the win after slamming Duke’s face on the cage repeatedly and dropping him down with an unprettier. Andrews kicked out in two, trying to take back control with a knee to the stomach that doubled the Rising Phoenix over. He then launched her against the wall, but Bobbi was able to jump and hang on the structure to avoid the impact, climbing up a little. Though she couldn’t win the match by escaping the cage, and she perfectly knew it, this position allowed her to stagger the challenger with a kick to the face and pin him with a diving crossbody, Another two count, after which Bobbi went for the Phoenix Landing, but her pedigree attempt was blocked and countered by Andrews with a back body drop. Sometimes heart isn’t enough to win matches, and not every story has a happy ending. As the match went on, approaching the ten minutes mark, the punishment taken before and during this match was starting to catch up on her. It was the moment Duke had been waiting for to strike back. Some may say the Epitome Of Perfection even accepted to leave the champion the initiative to wear her out sooner. A big risk, a gamble even but something right in Duke’s wheelhouse. When he saw the opportunity, he struck, and he struck hard. A right hook that rocked the champion, followed by a furious volley of stiff forearm strikes, a kick to the leg and a back elbow to the jaw. Bobbi crawled to the corner, but Duke was right back onto her with his Red Wing Stomp. He had the champion right where he wanted her now, almost helpless at his feet. He took some more time to punish her, delivering all the best moves in his repertoire, like the Crossroads leghook reverse STO and the Killshot. He could have probably pinned her after the knee to the face, but he wanted to use this chance to make a statement and send a message to everyone in the roster. Picking Bobbi up and lifting her on his shoulder, he then planted her with the Andrews Effect, walking out of the Phoenix Cage with the Lockdown Championship. WINNER: Duke Andrews (NEW CHAMPION) BY: Pinfall (Andrews Effect), 9:46 |
Intercontinental Championship Match
Megan Monroe VS BROOKFORDPeyton Holland: "This is it, ladies and gentlemen. The main event of the night, an Intercontinental Championship match between Megan Monroe and BROOKFORD.” Ambra Monroe: "Take a look at Megan, she’s definitely not happy." Peyton Holland: "Can you blame her? She has to put her title on the line, against one of the most dangerous men in MWE." Ambra Monroe: "I wonder what she did to piss off the boss.." Megan knew all too well that her best chance to survive was to stay away from the Problem Solver and wear him down with quick attacks. It worked well for almost a minute, but then BROOKFORD caught her leg and tossed her with an exploder suplex. Meg was quickly up to her feet and ducked the clothesline, moving behind BROOKFORD’s back and hitting him with a forearm to the head. Megan then dropped him on his head with a reverse hurricanrana, making a first cover attempt with a lateral press. BROOKFORD kicked out in one with such force that he sent Monroe flying a few feet away. Ambra Monroe: "We don’t discover it tonight, but BROOKFORD is a beast." Especially when he’s given the chance to dictate the pace and take his time to bring his set of offence. Slow and methodical, he’s looking to tear Megan apart limb by limb, starting with the right leg. Peyton Holland: “Let this be a lesson to whoever thinks BROOKFORD is all muscles. What makes the guy so dangerous is not only his size, or the fact that he doesn’t care about hurting people. It’s the fact that, despite all of that, he ALWAYS has a plan.” Ambra Monroe: “Damaging Meg’s leg means taking out most of her offense and limiting her speed.” BROOKFORD dropped his elbow on the opponent’s leg a few times before locking in a leg lock. Monroe started clawing at the canvas, inch by inch dragging herself closer to the ropes… And rope break! Surprisingly BROOKFORD immediately let her go, smiling cockily almost as suggesting that he didn’t need any shortcuts to get the job done. Megan instead had no qualms in breaking some rules to get that opening she needed now that the BROOKFORD was back in control. She went for the eye, leaving him momentarily blind and using this opportunity to strike with the crescent kick. The Dynasty Champion stumbled back a couple of feet, but didn’t go down. He resisted Megan’s superkick as well, bouncing against the ropes and back in front of Monroe, who took a run to the opposite side of the ring to get some speed behind the Mega Kick (running single leg dropkick). Clutching at her knee, she dragged herself on top of the big man, but her attempt only earned her a count of two. Peyton Holland: "I wonder if she could have got the three, if she was a little faster in making the cover." Ambra Monroe: "Probably not, BROOKFORD seems to still have a lot left in his tank. " And he did show it in the following minutes, literally dominating the opponent with his array of power moves. The sitout spinebuster and the pumphandle powerslam surely did their damage on the Intercontinental champion, but they couldn’t keep her down. In between, Megan had some sparks of offense, targeting once again the challenger’s legs and bringing him down to his knees, allowing her to connect a hurricanrana driver. BROOKFORD had the champion in the corner, wearing her down with heavy chops to the chest before throwing her all the way across the ring and squashing her in the corner with his whole bodyweight. Effortlessly, he sat her on the top rope and climbed up to the middle one, driving the Intercontinental champion all the way down with a super brainbuster. He hooked the leg, but the referee’s hand stopped before touching the mat for a third time. Peyton Holland: “Credit to Megan, she’s still in this.” Ambra Monroe: “The fans thought he had her there, and quite frankly, so did I.” Even BROOKFORD seemed to have troubles believing it, shooting a dirty look at the referee before getting back to work. He attacked Meg with a series of knee strikes to the chest, lifting her over his shoulders in a powerbomb position and taking a short run to the corner. But Megan was able to turn the buckle bomb into a hurricanrana, causing BROOKFORD to crash face first against the middle turnbuckle. Although visibly stunned, he tried to get immediately up to his feet, but Monroe drove both knees into his face, dropping him seated in the corner. Again she took a run, this time hitting him with a shining wizard that left the big man motionless on the canvas. Not without effort, she dragged him further away from the corner and climbed the turnbuckle, diving and flipping in mid air with a 450 splash, picking up another near fall. Peyton Holland: “That was close..” Fifteen minutes in and there was no sign of slowing down from either competitor. Megan had the momentum on her side after BROOKFORD almost ended the match with a devastating big boot only a minute before. The turning point was a missed corner splash by the Problem Solver that gave Megan the chance to kick the hell out of him and, why not, even choking him in the corner. The referee separated the two of them and warned Monroe that he will no longer tolerate her taking shortcuts. She nodded, noticing the opponent getting up and coming her way. She hid behind the referee, using him as a human shield to keep distance between her and BROOKFORD. When she finally pushed the official aside, she was lightning quick in taking down the big man with a drop toe hold, immediately trying to lock him in the Rydell From Hell (Anaconda Vise). She never quite got him fully, and BROOKFORD escaped it with little to no damage done to him. And the fight went on, Megan using her speed and agility to her advantage, landing some of her devastating kicks and leaving BROOKFORD standing groggily in the middle of the ring. Up to the top rope she went, this time for a diving hurricanrana. Bad idea, as he caught her in mid air and tested the resilience of the ring driving her on the mat with a ridiculous sit down powerbomb. Peyton Holland: “This is it, we have a new cham…” Ambra Monroe: “Not so fast, she kicked out again!” BROOKFORD shook his head in disbelief. This one was as close as he could possibly get and yet so far. Megan was barely moving, but somehow still in the match. Despite none of them being fan favorites, the people in attendance couldn’t help but tribute them with a round of applause for what they were doing in that ring tonight. The cheers quickly turned into boos as Seth Iser appeared on the stage, the briefcase he won at By Any Means in his hand. Peyton Holland: “Seth is here, and he has the briefcase with him..” Ambra Monroe: “Considering his history with Megan, I doubt he’s here to cash in. Most likely, he’s going to use it to help her, like he did in her match against Sophie O’Brian” His history with BROOKFORD was well documented as well, and the New York born didn’t seem too happy with Seth hanging around. And he wasn’t quite about it, yelling at the grizzled veteran to stay out of his business. Seth didn’t react, pacing around the ring until he reached the timekeeper area, ready to use the briefcase if needed. BROOKFORD grunted, grabbing Megan by the throat and lifting her for a chokeslam, looking over at Seth who was now saying something at the announcer. The referee glanced in that direction as well, expecting Rumchata to stand up and announce the change of stipulation at any moment. With everyone’s eyes on what was going on outside, Megan kicked herself free, driving her foot right in BROOKFORD’s nuts, causing him to let her go and double over in pain. Before the referee could turn his attention back and suspect anything, she rolled the challenger up with a small package stealing the win. WINNER: Megan Monroe (STILL CHAMPION) BY: Pinfall (Small Package), 22:27 |