Post by Jim Houston on Dec 31, 2018 15:41:06 GMT
Highlights from all across the Year play as the show begins. It takes place in a smaller arena than usual, with just a few rows of seats and several rows of fans standing behind them. The entrance ramp is more of a stage with a podium set up for handing out awards. Down some stairs is a ring, where Mike Watson and Steven Deville stand ready to welcome us to the show.
MW: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the final Freedom Pro Wrestling show of the year. Tonight we will showcase the best of 2018 as we reveal the winners of awards such as Match of the Year, Feud of the Year and the most coveted award, Wrestler of the Year.
SD: And don't forget that we have three big matches for you too, including our champion versus champion main event.
MW: That main event of course features two new champions here in FPW as both Graham Baker and Jace Mason compete for the first time with their new titles around the waist. We also have a Team Team Championship contest and, up next, a huge ten-person tag team match.
‘Hammer to Fall’ begins and the fans all begin to boo. Artemis Evans walks out onto the stage, the FPW Women's Championship held aloft. After she makes her way down the stairs, she's followed by Lia Ness, MDE and The Invaders. The five-person team gather in the ring, The Invaders crouching together in one corner, MDE stretching in another, and Evans carefully watching Lia Ness and ensuring she doesn't get too close.
‘The Comedian’s Gallop’ then plays and the boos change to cheers as Jerry Bishop leads his team out onto the ramp. He beckons all of them out together, Berry bounding after him and embracing her older brother, while Saturn and Clutch follow just behind. Karlson enters last, her face covered by her mask but her body language clear: she's only with them because she has to be. Jerry and Berry try to haul the team together for a group hug, and Saturn and Clutch reluctantly oblige, but it takes all four of them to drag Karlson in. After they break apart, they each enter the ring as the opposing team scatter to the outside.
Match 1: Artemis Evans, MDE, Lia Ness and The Invaders v Jerry Bishop, Berry Bishop, Elizabeth Karlson, James Saturn and Clutch McCloud:
As Jerry stands in the ring telling the rest of his team, “I've got this,” Lia Ness enters ahead of anyone else and stands behind him. Jerry turns and skips back a couple of steps before coming forward with a wary look on his face. He walks up to Ness and looks her up and down before reaching up and tousling the fur on her mask. Ness swats him away but Bishop darts behind her and lifts the tail on her body suit. She turns swiftly, aiming a back fist at Jerry, but he ducks. Ness comes forward, looking for a running big boot, but again Jerry ducks and connects with a dropkick to the back. Ness continues with her momentum into the turnbuckles and bounces off, staggering a little. Jerry rolls under her and jumps onto the middle rope, looking for a blockbuster, but Ness takes him out of midair with a shoulder block.
Wasting no time, Ness pulls Jerry to his feet and lifts him up for a gorilla press. She drops him and makes the first cover of the match, 1-2-no. Jerry rolls a shoulder out. Ness pulls Jerry up and lifts him for a powerslam, but Jerry drops down behind her, tells his team: “I've still got this!” and looks to begin the Touchstone Takedown. Ness, however, plants her feet and won't be snapmared, instead grabbing Jerry by the hair and then taking him down with a vicious clothesline. Jerry hits the mat and, with a look of pain and concern, says, “Maybe I haven't got this… no… help!”
With that, Berry goes to enter the ring but Karlson holds her back. She enters herself and her and Ness square up. The fans cheer as the two women stare into each other's eyes, but Karlson is cut off from behind by Evans, who connects with a discus forearm to the back of Karlson’s head. Karlson is sent into Ness, who lifts her into a gorilla press position and throws her towards her teammates, who scatter to avoid begin knocked off the apron. Berry then quickly slides into the ring and squares up to Ness, only to be pulled up for a powerslam. She drops down just like Jerry did and connects with a spinning kick to send Ness into Evans, who falls through the ropes to the outside.
Karlson immediately follows Evans and the two brawl as Berry stands in the ring with Ness. As Ness turns, Berry lands several kicks to the gut before a leg sweep takes Ness down. Berry the. Hits the ropes and connects with a penalty kick, making a cover, 1-2-no. Ness powers out, sending Berry halfway across the ring. Ness rolls over to the her corner, tagging in Haych. Haych is quick to enter the ring but is cut off by another spin kick from Berry. Berry is about to go for another when Clutch calls for the tag. She tags him in and Clutch drives Haych back into the corner, landing a series of forearms before Haych slides down. Clutch then backs away and connects with a running boot before running over to the opposing corner and taking Dario off the apron.
Meanwhile, Karlson and Evans continue to brawl on the outside. Karlson drives Evans into the guardrail and tries to tie up her arm, but Evans counters with a rake to the eye and then shoves Karlson into the ring post. She then connects with a jumping spin kick before hitting a brainbuster to leave Karlson motionless. In the ring, Clutch is motioning for the Tar HEEL, but Evans sees it and cuts him off, landing a forearm strike which brings Saturn, Jerry and Berry into the ring. MDE and Ness rush in to meet them and they brawl, Saturn trying to hold off MDE’s takedowns while Jerry and Berry deal with Ness and Evans. The Bishops and James Saturn clear the ring but are met from behind by a recovered Haych and Dario, who throw Saturn and Berry out too, before Haych tells Dario to get into position.
With Dario on the top rope, Haych positions Jerry but is cut off by Clutch, who shoves him backwards into Dario. Haych staggers towards his corner while Clutch connects with Tar HEEL, taking Dario off the top rope and sending him to the outside. As Clutch turns Haych tags in MDE, who steps through the ropes. Clutch pauses for a moment as the fans begin a ‘we want Berry’ chant. MDE beckons Clutch forward, but he ignores him, instead slowly moving to tag Berry. The fans cheer loudly as Berry steps into the ring and gives MDE an intense look. MDE returns the look with a dismissive smile and slaps Evans on the shoulder before dropping down and rolling out of the ring. Boos ring around the arena as MDE walks up the steps and leaves through the curtain.
In the ring, Berry and Evans lock up, Evans getting the better of it and forcing Berry into a neutral corner. She drives her shoulder into Berry’s gut and allows Berry to stagger out of the corner before connecting with an axe kick. Evans then climbs to the top rope and looks down at Berry before connecting with a moonsault. She holds for a cover, 1-2-no! Karlson manages to get in and break up the cover. She then drags Evans out of the ring and lays into her, but not before Dario can make a tag. As Karlson lays into Evans, Ness drops down from the ring apron and leaps at her, connecting with a huge spear to leave Karlson down.
Dario climbs into the ring and goes up to the top rope immediately, looking for a senton bomb. Berry, however, gets her knees up and then rolls to the corner, tagging in Saturn. Saturn goes straight to the top and comes down with a picture-perfect Saturnsault onto Dario, making the cover while Jerry and Clutch hold off Haych and Ness, 1-2-3
Winners: James Saturn, Jerry Bishop, Berry Bishop, Clutch McCloud and Elizabeth Karlson.
The Bishops raise Saturn’s arms and Clutch gives him a pat on the back before rolling out to check on Karlson, who still hasn't moved. After a few celebratory moments, Jerry and Berry leave the ring to allow Saturn to have his time. He looks out to the cheering crowd and nods before dropping down and rolling out the ring.
MW: James Saturn standing tall at the end of that one.
SD: And we all know that Graham Baker has asked to face Saturn after Saturn’s recent hot streak. Perhaps this will push Jim Houston to signing that match for the Season Three Launch Party.
MW: An appropriate main event it mostly certainly would be. But talking of main events, today's first award is for Match of the Year, and here is Jim Houston to make the announcement.
Jim Houston enters the arena to cheers from the fans. He stands behind the podium where four awards sit.
“Ladies and gentlemen, before we hand over the first of tonight's awards, I'd like to thank you- everybody here and everybody who has attended or viewed any of our shows this past year. Without your support, Freedom Pro Wrestling would most certainly not exist. And to show this thanks, I'm going to make our very first match for Season Three Launch Party. Tonight, you very clearly showed that you want- and I certainly agree with this- to see Berry Bishop get the chance to face MDE. That match is official!”
The fans cheer and a ‘Fuck you MDE’ chant breaks out. Jim Houston laughs before picking up the first award.
“I'm glad you like it! But here's something else you liked. Tonight's awards, as you know, were voted on by the FPW fans, the FPW backstage officials and the FPW wrestlers. And first off I will hand out two awards. These two awards, Match of the Year and Feud of the Year, go to the same two people. With 27.3% of the vote for Match of the Year and 36.4% of the vote for Feud of the Year, these two men only faced one another once, but the tension was clear for all to see for three months. When they finally faced each other, the match was phenomenal. I truly believe this was the best match we've ever seen in FPW, and I'm sure we'll see it again somewhere down the line. The Match of the Year and Feud of the Year Awards go to Marcus Allen Jones and Graham Baker.”
The fans applaud loudly as highlights of the Baker v Marcus match play on the screen. When Baker holds up the title at the end, a ‘Gra-ham Ba-Ker’ chant begins very loudly.
“For tonight's individual awards, there will be acceptance speeches on stage, but I thought best for Baker and Marcus to stay separate for now. So we move on. The Show of the Year Award. The voting for this was very close, and it came down to two shows right at the end of the year. To me, this shows just how much FPW has been improving as time has gone on, and bodes very well for our continued improvement into 2019. The 2018 Show of the Year, with 54.6% of the vote, was Dead Man’s Chest.”
Highlights of Dead Man’s Chest play, and the fans cheer and boo as they relive the exciting moments of the 2018 Show of the Year.
“And our final award before we see The Guardians of Strong Style defend the FPW Tag Team Championships for the very first time is, quite fittingly, the Team of the Year. This one was not especially close. The winning team received 45.5% of the vote, finishing almost 30% ahead of their nearest rivals. This team haven't exactly been the easiest team to manage this year, but they have been very successful, with members holding the Tag Team Championships for much of the year as well as the FPW Championship for a very long time. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2018 FPW Team of the Year is… TakeOver.
The crowd begins to boo as Dario and Haych make their way to the stage to accept the award, neither particularly dressed for the occasion. In fact, both men are in jeans and black TakeOver shirts that have the group’s logo on the front and the words, “If you’re reading this, you’ve already lost” on the back. Dario swipes one of the trophies from Houston’s hand as Haych grabs the other two. It’s only then that the crowd realizes Marcus is nowhere to be found.
D: Oh wow, faction of the year. Ya know, I’d like to take this opportunity…I mean, there are so many people I need to thank, starting with…
Dario pulls out a small sheet of paper and a black magic marker, much like Marcus does for his entrances. The paper is blank but Dario writes on it, before shoving it up to the camera in front of him. It says, “Fuck You.”
D: That’s right. All of you can just fuck off. TakeOver found success without the support of you Freedom Fuckers and without the support of anyone in the back. There are only two people I need to thank for this award. My ride or die, Haych, and the man behind the vision, Marcus Allen Jones himself. Now, Marcus couldn’t be here tonight as he had literally anything better to do, but he sent me with a little message to all of you here and all of the guys and girls in the back.
Dario looks over at Haych who hands him another piece of paper, this time it has something written on it. Dario pulls out a pair of glasses and begins to read the message: “The fact that FPW decided to have an awards show where fans had the power in their hands is absolutely mind-boggling. As I’ve always said, trophies mean nothing. Belts mean nothing. The only thing that means anything in this world is power. Those who have it lord over those who don’t. And look around, look at this very stage right now and you’ll see who has the power. They say there is power in numbers but TakeOver is more than just a numbers game. It’s invasive, parasitic even. And just when you think you’ve got us figured out, you’ll find that you never had a clue. See, there are three of us that proclaim membership in TakeOver but 2019, it will be a new year. It’s all about the devil you know versus the devil you don’t and TakeOver, let’s just say, there’s more than three of us. The rest are just devils you don’t know yet, but I can promise you, you’ll know soon. Very, very soon. Isn’t that right, Mason? Or perhaps it’s you Saturn? MDE maybe? Hell, no one seems at all suspicious of all the new faces who have joined the company over the past several weeks. TakeOver is here to stay and everyone should absolutely be prepared for what happens next. Happy new year, though, it won’t be so happy for most of you…”
Dario puts the paper in his pocket along with his glasses before looking back at the camera.
D: The TakeOver has already begun.
As Haych glares at the camera, Dario holds his trophy up high. The two soak in the boos as they leave the stage.
MW: I'm not sure what exactly Dario meant there-
SD: He said exactly what he meant. TakeOver is expanding! New members!
MW: And I suppose you know who it is?
SD: Or who they are. I may know but you'll never get it out of me.
MW: As long as you don't turn up in your TakeOver t-shirt I think I'll live with it.
SD: Damn… why didn't I think of that?
MW: Anyway, up next our Team of the Year get the chance to see two teams, both fairly new to Freedom Pro Wrestling, fight over the Tag Team Titles that they once held. The Guardians of Strong Style won those titles from Jack Sevren and Bobby O at Judgement Day and sent out an open challenge, a challenge which has been accepted by the new team to FPW, Hunter-Killer. Have you seen George Jackson and Sara Daniels in action before?
SD: I certainly have. I think they'll be a great addition to our ranks and I wouldn't be surprised if they walked out of here as Tag Team Champions after this match.
MW: I don't particularly like their attitudes, but I can't questions their talent.
6/8 begins to play and the lights flash in sync with the rapid guitar strumming, flashing red with the 'heavy' secondary strum as both members of Hunter- Killer emerge from backstage, Jackson holding his arms out while Daniels crouches in front of him. As the song intensifies, the two walk toward the ring, Jackson looming behind Daniels and keeping his presence heavy, occasionally cursing or shouting at fans who get too close. When they get to the ring, Jackson holds the ropes open for Daniels before she returns the favor, and the two resume their pose in the center of the ring before throwing their entrance gear off to the side and awaiting their opponents.
The introduction to Guardians of Strong Style’s music begins and Sato emerges through the curtain and bows to the fans. Once the introduction ends, Sato rises and Takahara and Tchyukiro stand either side of him before they too bow to the crowd. They then both walk down the ramp with a purpose and climb into the ring, staring down Jackson and Daniels, who aggressively square up to them. There's some shoving and Tchyukiro and Takahara each call their opponents forward before Hunter Killer back off and The Guardians of Strong Style raise their newly-won titles.
Match 2: FPW Tag Team Championships: The Guardians of Strong Style v Hunter Killer:
Tchyukiro starts in the ring as Daniels and Jackson converse in the corner. Tchyukiro pushes forward and points at Jackson, who obliges, stepping towards Tchyukiro as the two square off. The official forces them back and calls for the bell. Immediately, the two men run at each other, each trying to connect with lariats. They both connect and each man staggers back a step. Tchyukiro beckons Jackson forward again and they run at each other again, looking for lariats again. The same result happens, before they repeat the move once more. Neither man backs down.
Tchyukiro points at the ropes and Jackson hits them, looking for a shoulder block. Tchyukiro laughs it off and Jackson hits the ropes again, looking for a second. Again he doesn't make Tchyukiro move. He hits the ropes a third time, trying again, but Tchyukiro runs through the shoulder block and hits the ropes himself, looking for one of his own. It forces Jackson back into the ropes and he comes back with another, forcing Tchyukiro into the ropes. The two men then run at each other once again, again looking for lariats and again neither of them getting the advantage.
The two men stare each other down for a few moments before Tchyukiro points to Takahara and then to Daniels. Jackson nods and the two men retreat carefully to their corners, tagging in their partners. Takahara and Daniels enter the ring and circle one another. As they come closer, Daniels aims a kick at Takahara’s thigh, but he blocks it easily and aims one of his own, which Daniels then parries. Suddenly, they each aim a flurry of kicks at one another, with Daniels ducking a head kick from Takahara and then Takahara jumping over a leg sweep. Daniels then catches a mid kick and ducks under an enzeguiri, connecting with a back kick and then a leaping knee strike to the face. Takahara staggers backwards and Daniels aims a spinning kick to the head, which Takahara ducks before connecting with a mid kick to send Daniels back towards her corner.
Jackson then bursts into the ring and squares up to Takahara, causing Tchyukiro to enter the ring and squares up to Daniels. The fans cheer as the official forces the illegal men out of the ring, only for Jackson to renter and connect with a powerbomb to Takahara when his back was turned. The fans boo as Daniels makes the cover, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out. Daniels then makes a quick tag to Jackson, who comes in and puts the boots to Takahara.
Jackson then drops a knee onto Takahara before looking to lock in a rear naked choke. Takahara fights him off and tries to make it to his feet, but Jackson grabs him before he can make it to Tchyukiro. He hits a scoop slam and drops an elbow onto his opponent before making an aggressive cover, his elbow in Takahara’s face, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out. Jackson drags Takahara towards Hunter Killer’s corner and tags in Daniels, who immediately goes to work on Takahara’s knee, stomping on it and twisting it as far as she can.
Takahara tries to resist, with Sato banging the ring on the outside, but Daniels grips his leg strongly and keeps manipulating the knee. She hangs the leg up on the middle rope and climbs, leaping down to apply pressure to the leg and causing Takahara to grimace with pain. Daniels then stalks Takahara from behind and pulls him in for a German suplex. He, however, counters, forcing her towards the corner, but she rolls out, maintaining her grip and performs an o’connor roll before delivering a German. She covers Takahara, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out again.
Daniels then pulls Takahara across the ring and tags in Jackson, holding Takahara up as Jackson hits the ropes. Daniels then backs off before the two connects simultaneously, Daniels with a chop block and Jackson with a hard clothesline, sending Takahara crashing to the mat. Tchyukiro tries to rally his partner in the corner but Jackson positions himself between. Takahara and his partner as he lifts him and pulls him in for another powerbomb. Takahara, however, resists, landing stiff right hands and dropping down, landing a little unsteadily on his knee before delivering two hard mid kicks. As he sets up for another, Daniels grabs him from behind, looking for another German suplex. Takahara, however, flips out of it, landing on his feet. Daniels turns as Takahara runs and leap frogs her as he attempts to get to the corner. He's met, however, with a hard elbow strike from Jackson, and crumples to the mat as Daniels leaves the ring.
Jackson then taunts Tchyukiro, causing him to try and enter the ring and allowing enough of a distraction for Daniels to yank Takahara towards the ringpost and wrap his knee around it. Jackson pulls him out and lifts him into a fireman's carry position before dropping him into a neckbreaker and making a cover, 1-2-no. Takahara manages to get a shoulder up. Jackson looks down at him with a look of disgust before slapping him hard across the face. This causes Takahara’s to burn with intensity as he stares up at Jackson. Jackson slaps him again but Takahara bursts to his feet and explodes with a series of kicks, one to the leg, a spinning back kick to the gut and then a knee strike to the head as he turns to make the tag. He dives and stretches his arm out, but Tchyukiro is pulled off the apron by Daniels.
The fans boo as Daniels drives Tchyukiro’s head into the ring apron, but the boos quickly turn to cheers as Tchyukiro snaps his head up and stares at Daniels. He drives his head into her chest to send her to the floor and climbs back onto the apron before making the tag and entering the ring. He and Takahara drive Jackson back into the corner. Takahara unleashes hard kicks to the mid-section as Tchyukiro matches him with chops. As Jackson is allowed to stagger out of the corner, Takahara positions himself behind him and Tchyukiro connects with a discus lariat, only for Takahara to connect with a hard head kick as Jackson falls. Tchyukiro makes a cover, 1-2-no! Jackson barely gets a shoulder up.
Takahara leaves the ring as Tchyukiro pulls Jackson up and forces him into the corner again. He strikes him hard with a forearm before connecting with a chop, alternating between the two and not letting up even as Jackson slumps down to a seated position. Tchyukiro then backs away before running at Jackson, landing a sliding forearm as Jackson rolls out of the corner. Tchyukiro then slaps himself in the top of the head a couple of times before climbing up to the top rope and, after a short pause, connecting with a kokeshi headbutt. He rolls away and holds his head for a moment before making a cover, 1-2-no! Daniels is in to break up the pin.
Tchyukiro gets to his feet only for Daniels to unleash hard strikes to his head and chest, exploding with a series of punches and palm strikes that force him back into the corner. She then connects with a series of kicks before Jackson recovers and she exits the ring, making the quick tag to renter. Daniels backs up and runs at Tchyukiro, connecting with the Double Barrel Special, a shotgun dropkick in the corner, causing Tchyukiro to slump down and roll out of the corner. Daniels then makes a deep cover, 1-2-no! Takahara breaks up the pin this time.
Daniels and Takahara have a stand off, before each looks to out-kick the other. They trade hard mid kicks before Takahara takes the advantage, dropping Daniels and aiming a penalty kick at her, but she catches it and rolls through into the No Escape, a rolling knee bar. Takahara grimaces again in pain and the official tries to tell Daniels that Takahara isn't the legal man, but she doesn't let up. Tchyukiro sees the hold and tries to get to Daniels but Jackson is in. He pulls Tchyukiro up for a powerbomb, only for Tchyukiro to drop and connect with a leaping enzeguiri, causing Jackson to fall onto Daniels and break her grip.
Takahara rolls out of the ring as Tchyukiro pulls Daniels up and into a Saito suplex. He bridges for the cover, 1-2-no. Daniels kicks out. Tchyukiro doesn't let up, however, and he whips her into the ropes and connects with a hard powerslam. He can't make the cover as Jackson grips him from behind and pops him up, connecting with the Jackson Drop. He takes a few moments to recover as Tchyukiro slowly makes it to his feet and then he connects with The Freight Train, beckoning Daniels over to the make the cover. Jackson guards against Takahara as the official counts, 1-2-no! Tchyukiro barely kicks out.
Jackson turns around in disbelief and he calls for Daniels to end it. Daniels stalks Tchyukiro and then connects with a shotgun dropkick, sending him staggering back into Jackson, who pulls him up for the Hunter Killer Driver. Tchyukiro however, manages to drop down behind Jackson and, as he turns, he connects with a brutal headbutt. Jackson staggers backwards and Tchyukiro runs at him, taking him down with a hard shoulder block and following through to connect with a lariat to Daniels.
Takahara finally manages to make it back into the ring and he pulls Jackson to his feet, connecting with an enzeguiri which sends him into the corner. Takahara then runs at Jackson and connects with a vicious double knee strike before he and Tchyukiro stalk Daniels. Each of them set up, one in front and one behind, and they run at her, connecting at the same time with forearms to the front and back of her head. She crumples to the ground and Tchyukiro makes the cover, 1-2-3.
Winners: The Guardians of Strong Style.
Sato enters the ring and presents Tchyukiro and Takahara with the belts, bowing to each of them as he does. The two men accept the belts and hold them aloft before bowing to the fans and leaving the ring, each man limping due to the damage they sustained.
MW: What a contest! Both of those team will be incredible sore tomorrow, but for The Guardians of Strong Style it's sure to be worth it as they leave with the Tag Team Titles still in their possession.
SD: They sure do and it'll take a lot to defeat these two, but what a debut for Hunter Killer. Both of them look incredibly dangerous and I can assure you that the tag team division here in FPW will have taken notice of what these two men did today.
MW: We have some excellent tag teams here in Freedom Pro Wrestling and I think Hunter Killer will fit in very well. But now we recognise some excellence of another form. We're back with Jim Houston for our final end of year awards.
Jim Houston walks back on stage where three more trophies sit on a podium.
“What a match that was! Hunter Killer put forth a great effort in their debut match and I'm sure that like me, you'd like to see them in action again. Well, on our first show of the year, I've just made this match official- Hunter Killer will face off against Clutch McCloud and Russ Bolt in a match I think we can all expect great things from. But now we come onto our final three awards, the first of which goes to the wrestler who has put forward the best promos of the year. This is someone who's matches always seem to live up the hype, which shows their ability as a wrestler, because not many people can hype a match like this man. Whether he's telling stories from his past, one-upping his opponents with his contacts in other promotions or simply detailing how he plans to rip an opponent's arm out of its socket, this man always gets me excited for his next match. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 Promo of the Year Award goes to Graham Baker!”
Baker comes onto the stage to loud cheers from the fans as he holds his FPW Championship aloft.
“To be the ACE of Freedom Pro, I realized I needed to get by on more than just my raw talent alone...and I feel that I was able to do that, clearly, as you do too. To craft a story with your words, to bring about feeling and emotion without even stepping in the ring...that’s the hallmark of a true ace.
People like Cena, Tanahashi, Onita, Okada...they’ve captivated audiences for decades by capturing their attention and having them hang on every word they say. I’m glad I can be considered amongst that elite crowd. Thank you.”
Baker leaves as Houston applauds him.
“And now we come to the moment of the year. There have been so many great moments this year that choosing just one was incredibly difficult. Personal highlights include Jerry Bishop seeing the light after being reunited with Super Che Junior early in the year; Jerry’s victories over Marcus Allen Jones and MDE as he won the A Block in the Free-1; Azazel’s streak finally being broken and our fantastic tournament wins for Marcus, Jack Sevren and Bobby O and Graham Baker. However, with 54.6% of the vote, the winning moment of 2018 was Graham Baker capturing the FPW Championship at Judgement Day.”
The fans cheer as Baker emerges again, a smile on his face and he accepts the award from Jim Houston.
“Winning the Freedom Pro Wrestling title was unlike anything I’ve ever done before in my life. I’ve won championships, sure-even won the Hardcore belt here-but this was new and unique. When I locked in the final Emergency Landing that would lead to the end of the match, I could hear the crowd screaming my name. I could hear their passion and feel it flow through me as I bridged and threatened to tear Marcus’s arm clean off.
“For me, this award is as much for the crowd as it is for my own enjoyment. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you.”
Baker again leaves the stage as Jim Houston steps back up to the podium.
“And to our final, and most prestigious, award: Wrestler of the Year. Last year, Azazel dominated his way to this award. This year, there have been two strong candidates. The first is a man we've already seen on two occasions tonight: Graham Baker. Baker exploded onto the scene here in FPW with a hard-fought series of matches with MDE, where he showed his technical prowess, his hardcore ingenuity and his grit and will to win. After finally overcoming MDE, Baker went on to win the Hardcore Title, a title which he brought to the forefront of Freedom Pro Wrestling. Entering the Free-1, Baker proved that he wasn't just a hardcore wrestler, but that he could match up with the likes of Azazel and Adam Thompson, the first of whom he refused to lose to, and the second of whom he almost beat. I'm winning the B Block, Baker set himself on a path which included an amazing victory over Jerry Bishop in the Free-1 final followed by excellent matches against Tommy Storm, who defeated Baker to claim the Hardcore Title, and Jack Sevren, before winning the FPW Championship in the match of the year against Marcus Allen Jones.
“The second strong candidate is indeed Marcus Allen Jones. Marcus started the year strongly, winning, and flaunting, the Young Lions Cup, and the title match which went with it. Marcus took his time in claiming that opportunity, taunting then champion Adam Thompson and, when his chance finally came, controversially causing an injury to Thompson that saw the title vacated. In the forthcoming gauntlet match, Marcus was perhaps a little fortunate to win the title, but fortune played very little into what he did next. He defeated Adam Thompson in the rematch before victories over MDE, James Saturn and in my personal match of the year over Tommy Storm saw Marcus come close to winning the Free-1. In the aftermath, Marcus became the first person to cleanly defeat Azazel before retaining his title against Clutch McCloud. He lost the title to Graham Baker in the Match of the Year but by no means was that match just Baker’s. No matter my personal opinion of Marcus’ attitude and his actions, credit must be given for the excellent body of work he put together throughout 2018.
“What that being said, I can officially reveal that the 2018 FPW Wrestler of the Year, with 54.6% of the vote is… Graham Baker.”
Baker again comes out and jokes with Houston as he accepts the award.
“Without question, this has been one of the most fulfilling years of my entire career to this point. Fighting across the world, winning multiple championships and becoming the inaugural Free-1 winner...it’s been a trip, but one that I’ve enjoyed every second of. When I first came to FPW, I didn’t know what this company had in store for me. Now, however, I realize that there was so much in store. Through beating MDE, I started a fire that carried me to the top, and now, when I enter arenas like I will later tonight, the crowd lights up just for my arrival.
“I couldn’t have done it without the support of the FPW crowd, of The Renegades, and of anyone who’s ever gotten behind me. From the bottom of my heart… again, thank you.”
Jim Houston applauds as Baker leaves the stage before he steps up to the microphone one more time.
“With that, all of the awards have been given. Please keep an eye on freedomprowrestling.com over the next couple of days for important match announcements for our next few shows and please make sure you tell your friends that they don't want to miss what we have coming up this year. Now that that's all been said, let's get to our main event, the first of what we hope will become a yearly tradition in FPW.”
The lights go out in preparation for our main event, as ‘Afterlife’ by Avenged Sevenfold blares through the arena and rocks the crowd to their feet. As the intro finishes, Jace Mason walks through the curtains, his newly-won hardcore title strapped around his waist. He walks out and plants his fist on the ground as pyro explodes behind him, before he heads to the ring, slapping the hands of fans who are ready to see an intense athletic contest between he and Baker. He makes his way to the ring, climbing the apron and turnbuckles before finding himself settled in the center. He settles in a corner as the theme changes, and DNA by Kendrick Lamar begins to blare through the arena to a massive ovation by the crowd.
Baker emerges from backstage, his leather jacket open to reveal the FPW World’s Heavyweight Championship to the screaming crowd. He points two finger guns up in the air and screams out, clearly pumped up formthis unique match. He rushes toward the ring, slapping the hands of fans as he does so before climbing up on the ropes. He tosses his jacket off and removes the belt, holding it aloft as he screams out and holds onto the ropes. He looks to Mason, and springboards into the ring, holding the title up to Mason as Mason holds his own up in response. The two share a cocky smile before both settle in their respective corners.
Match 3: Graham Baker v Jace Mason (written by Baker):
As their introductions finish and the referee presents both belts, the bell rings and Baker and Mason approach one another. Baker offers a hand that Mason shakes, and the crowd pops for the show of respect before they launch into a vicious lockup. Mason attempts to jockey for early control but Baker gets the better of him, getting Mason in a waistlock. He goes for a German suplex, but Mason plants himself and reverses the hold into a waistlock of his own. He attempts to ground Baker, but as Baker hits the ground he rolls through and traps Mason in a headlock on the ground, attempting to lock in a choke only for Mason to roll through and pin Baker’s shoulders to the mat.
ONE-and Baker kicks out with ease at the one-count! Mason and Baker both roll away, and Baker waves a single finger in front of his face before he gets back to his feet. The crowd cheers in anticipation as the two lock up once again, with Mason trying to force Baker into the corner off the bat, but Baker manages to stand his ground just long enough to reverse the hold and shove Mason into the corner.
Baker looks as though he’s going to go for a knife-edge chop...but stops, tapping Mason on the chest twice. He steps back and invites Mason to strike him, but Mason merely shakes his head. Baker invites Mason for another lockup, and the two lock-up once more, but Mason takes advantage and manages to gain control over Graham Baker as Baker goes for a waistlock, instead turning the lock into a headlock of his own! He manages to turn the headlock into a Snapmare, snapping Baker to the ground and going for a Penalty Kick-but Baker ducks it, and this time he manages to get Mason with a roll-up!
ONE-No! Mason kicks out with ease. Baker wastes no time, hitting the ropes and going for a low dropkick, but Mason counters by rolling away. He hits the ropes and goes for a dropkick of his own, landing it on Baker! Baker rolls with the hit, and Mason makes his move quickly, going for a Falcon Arrow to Baker, but Baker manages to land a stiff knee to Mason’s head as Mason lifts him, and reverses the move into a suplex neckbreaker-AND LANDS IT!
Baker rolls away from Mason as Mason holds his neck, Baker remaining in a crouched position-clearly impressed with the performance and fire shown by Mason thus far. Mason manages to get back to his feet with relative ease, and Baker invites him forward before going for a jumping knee strike-only for Mason to dodge it and whip Baker into the corner! He wastes no time going for a running knee strike to Baker, landing it cleanly on Baker’s face, before he pulls him out! He goes to the middle rope-DIVING DOUBLE STOMP TO GRAHAM BAKER! Mason goes for a quick pin!
ONE!
TW-NO! BAKER KICKS OUT! There’s still plenty of fight left in these two men as Baker holds his chest for a moment, and Mason hits the ropes, going for another low-dropkick BUT BAKER DUCKS IT! As Mason goes to recover, Baker grabs him in a waistlock-AND DRILLS HIM INTO THE MAT WITH A BRUTAL GERMAN SUPLEX! He keeps his wristlock on Mason and pulls him in for another suplex, this time a Dragon Suplex, and goes for a bridge and a pin!
ONE!
TWO-MASON KICKS OUT! Baker wastes no time giving Mason a second to recover, pulling him back to his feet and up onto his shoulders for a Mustang Driver to bring about an early end to the match-but Mason manages to reverse the Mustang Driver with a quick flurry of elbows to the skull of Graham Baker! Mason drops off of Baker and grabs him in a headlock-AND DELIVERS A LIGHTNING QUICK DDT, SPIKING BAKER ON THE MAT! Mason yanks Baker to his feet after he recovers, throwing Baker into the turnbuckles!
He rushes over to Baker, drilling him with a brutal Enziguri to the corner, before hefting him up onto the top rope! He climbs up onto the top and attempts to get in position for the Extra Credit-but Graham Baker counters with a few quick elbows of his own, causing Mason to drop to the mat! Baker attempts to recover as he stands on the top rope, but Mason’s quick, delivering a snap Superkick to Baker’s midsection, dropping him back into a sitting position! Mason cracks a smile as he realizes that Baker’s at his mercy, and goes for a move familiar to Baker and many of his fans as he sets up for a top rope Frankensteiner, but as he does so-
-Graham Baker grabs his legs! Mason’s shocked, and attempts to quickly contort his legs into a modified choke, but Baker’s quick to respond, hefting Mason up with immense strength...AND SLAMMING HIM DOWN TO THE MAT WITH A VICIOUS AVALANCHE POWERBOMB! The force of the bomb breaks Mason’s hold around Baker’s neck, and Baker rolls off of Mason, the two men laying flat on their backs merely ten minutes into the contest to a massive roar of applause from the fans. Baker rolls over to Mason and goes to hook his leg as the rush of adrenaline fades.
ONE!
TWO!!
T-NO! Mason kicks out, forcing his shoulder off the mat! Baker’s shocked, but as he sits up, his face shows a look of excitement and surprise. He gets back to his feet and settles in a corner as Mason gets back to his feet, cracking his neck. Mason invites Baker for a lock-up, and the two lock up once again, jockeying for control until Mason manages to get Baker in a headlock! He looks for another DDT, but Baker shoves him off, grabbing hold of Mason’s arm and drilling it with a pele kick!
Mason falls back, and Baker sweeps him off of his feet before attempting to lock in the Emergency Landing-but Mason’s quick to remember from their last encounter and scrambles with his leg toward the rope, hitting it and forcing Baker to break the hold! Baker rolls out of position, and goes for a low-angle knee strike, but Mason manages to dodge it by rolling out of the ring! Mason settles on the apron as Baker gets back to his feet, and Mason invites Baker to come at him, causing Baker to hit the ropes for a suicide dive-but as he comes close to the ropes and Mason guards himself-Baker catches himself on the ropes! He springboards, AND HITS A MASSIVE SPRINGBOARD LARIAT TO MASON ON THE OUTSIDE! Baker rolls to a recovery position quickly, grabbing Mason and shoving him back in the ring, rolling in and going for a cover!
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-Mason kicks out again! Finding a burst of energy, Mason scrambles back to his feet with a quickness, hitting the ropes-AND HITTING A MASSIVE DROPKICK TO GRAHAM BAKER! He grabs Baker and pulls him up for an Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker-AND HITS IT! Baker hits the mat with a thud, and Mason pulls him up for a third maneuver, getting him in a fireman’s carry! A woozy Baker strikes Mason with elbows, but Mason shows resilience as he spins, knocking Baker’s sense of balance out of whack-BEFORE HE CATCHES HIM WITH A DROPPED DETONATION KICK! Mason’s got Baker on the ropes as he heads to the top rope, posturing to the fans-SHOOTING STAR PRESS TO GRAHAM BAKER! MASON WASTES NO TIME GOING FOR A PIN!
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-NO! GRAHAM BAKER KICKS OUT ONCE AGAIN! Mason is stunned as he pulls Baker to his feet, throwing him into the ropes, and as he catches Baker on the rebound he goes for the Extra Credit-but Baker shoves him off, hitting him with an Enziguri! Baker stumbles as he spins Mason around, catching him with a German Suplex into the mat! He keeps his hold, following through with a Dragon Suplex, landing both, before attempting to complete the trifecta with a Vertical Lift Suplex-but Mason manages to counter, drilling Baker into the mat with a DDT! He keeps his headlock hold on Baker-AND GOES FOR A LAST CHANCERY!
He locks it in as Baker writhes in pain, reaching for the ropes! Baker seemingly has nowhere to go, seeking the ropes, he extends his arm, forcing Mason to adjust the hold-BUT BAKER SEES AN EXIT AS HE DRILLS MASON IN THE SKULL WITH A SERIES OF HARD ELBOWS! MASON TRIES TO ADJUST THE HOLD-GIVING BAKER ENOUGH TIME TO LUNGE FORWARD AND GRAB THE ROPES! THE REFEREE BREAKS THE HOLD, SEPARATING MASON AND BAKER FOR THE MOMENT!
The crowd reaches peak excitement as Baker and Mason settle for a brief rest, Baker settling in one corner while Mason rests in the other. Baker wipes a sheen of sweat from his face, and Mason runs a hand through his hair. The two get back to their feet and stare at one another, before both rush forward into one fierce lockup, immediately jockeying for control. Baker seems to be on the losing end-until he puts all his weight into shoving Mason into the far corner! Baker releases the hold as Mason rests against the turnbuckles, and taps Mason across the chest...before delivering a vicious knife-edge chop with a massive ‘woo!’ from the crowd! Baker goes for another, but Mason manages to block it, shoving Baker back into the corner and delivering one of his own!
As he goes for another, Baker shoves him off, and chops Mason hard across the chest. The two exchange chops back and forth, with Baker seeming to get the better of Mason-he forces him into the ropes, before lining up for a clothesline to send Mason over-only for Mason to counter and throw Baker over the ropes! Baker grabs a handful and lands on the apron, but Mason’s quick to respond, grabbing Baker in position for a Falcon Arrow! He slingshots Baker off of the ropes, and plants him on the mat with a vicious Falcon Arrow-but he’s not done! He climbs to the top rope once again, albeit slower, and prepares to go for one final Shooting Star Press-but as he dives, Baker manages to catch him with his knees up! Jace Mason rolls off of Baker’s knees in obvious pain, rolling to the center of the ring while Baker goes for one more pin attempt.
ONE!
TWO!!
THRE-MASON KICKS OUT, JUST BARELY! THE CROWD GOES INSANE! Baker’s stunned, but not disappointed, and he weakly pulls Mason to his knees, drilling him in the chest with a brutally stiff kick. He repeats the process with a few more kicks, before pulling Mason up onto his shoulders for one final Mustang Driver. Baker calls for the end, but Mason struggles and shoves Baker off. He whips Baker into the corner once again, following up with a running knee to Baker in the corner, rolling off from the impact-and hauling Baker up onto the top ropes once again! This time, however, he’s cautious, and lands a MASSIVE leaping Enziguri to the side of Baker’s head, stunning him, before going for a running start-AND LANDING A PICTURE PERFECT EJECTION SEAT TO GRAHAM BAKER! Mason can hardly believe it! He rolls Baker toward the center and goes for a pin off of Graham Baker’s old finisher!
ONE!
TWO!!
THRE-NO!!! GRAHAM BAKER BARELY GETS A SHOULDER UP! JACE MASON IS SHOCKED! Mason’s not quite sure how to follow up as Baker breathes heavily, looking up to the arena ceiling. He pulls himself to the ropes, pulling himself up as Mason settles against the opposite ropes. Mason breathes, rushing toward Baker and grabbing his arm, going for a Springboard Extra Credit to bring about an ending to the match-but BAKER COUNTERS WITH AN ARM DRAG! He throws Mason across the ring, and hits the ropes as Mason tries to recover, drilling him in the head with a low-angle dropkick and landing one! Mason slides to a halt as Baker does, and Baker grabs the stunned Mason, yanking him up onto his shoulders-AND ROLLING THROUGH WITH A MUSTANG DRIVER INTO A PIN!
ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!
Winner: Graham Baker (23:06)
Graham Baker rolls off of Jace Mason, exhausted beyond belief as the referee declares him victorious. He holds his hand aloft, but as the referee goes to hand him his belt, he motions to Mason and the referee nods, handing Mason his title and holding both men’s hands aloft. He leaves the ring to allow Mason and Baker to celebrate, and the two embrace for a moment, clinking titles and holding them high before Mason leaves the ring to allow Baker to celebrate. Baker climbs the turnbuckles as DNA rings out...but it’s suddenly cut short, and “My Last Breath” by Evanescence rings through the arena as James Saturn comes down from the entrance ramp. He enters the ring as Baker calls him forth, and the two have a staredown as Baker lays the title out between the two of them, leaving one final image as the show fades to black...
MW: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the final Freedom Pro Wrestling show of the year. Tonight we will showcase the best of 2018 as we reveal the winners of awards such as Match of the Year, Feud of the Year and the most coveted award, Wrestler of the Year.
SD: And don't forget that we have three big matches for you too, including our champion versus champion main event.
MW: That main event of course features two new champions here in FPW as both Graham Baker and Jace Mason compete for the first time with their new titles around the waist. We also have a Team Team Championship contest and, up next, a huge ten-person tag team match.
‘Hammer to Fall’ begins and the fans all begin to boo. Artemis Evans walks out onto the stage, the FPW Women's Championship held aloft. After she makes her way down the stairs, she's followed by Lia Ness, MDE and The Invaders. The five-person team gather in the ring, The Invaders crouching together in one corner, MDE stretching in another, and Evans carefully watching Lia Ness and ensuring she doesn't get too close.
‘The Comedian’s Gallop’ then plays and the boos change to cheers as Jerry Bishop leads his team out onto the ramp. He beckons all of them out together, Berry bounding after him and embracing her older brother, while Saturn and Clutch follow just behind. Karlson enters last, her face covered by her mask but her body language clear: she's only with them because she has to be. Jerry and Berry try to haul the team together for a group hug, and Saturn and Clutch reluctantly oblige, but it takes all four of them to drag Karlson in. After they break apart, they each enter the ring as the opposing team scatter to the outside.
Match 1: Artemis Evans, MDE, Lia Ness and The Invaders v Jerry Bishop, Berry Bishop, Elizabeth Karlson, James Saturn and Clutch McCloud:
As Jerry stands in the ring telling the rest of his team, “I've got this,” Lia Ness enters ahead of anyone else and stands behind him. Jerry turns and skips back a couple of steps before coming forward with a wary look on his face. He walks up to Ness and looks her up and down before reaching up and tousling the fur on her mask. Ness swats him away but Bishop darts behind her and lifts the tail on her body suit. She turns swiftly, aiming a back fist at Jerry, but he ducks. Ness comes forward, looking for a running big boot, but again Jerry ducks and connects with a dropkick to the back. Ness continues with her momentum into the turnbuckles and bounces off, staggering a little. Jerry rolls under her and jumps onto the middle rope, looking for a blockbuster, but Ness takes him out of midair with a shoulder block.
Wasting no time, Ness pulls Jerry to his feet and lifts him up for a gorilla press. She drops him and makes the first cover of the match, 1-2-no. Jerry rolls a shoulder out. Ness pulls Jerry up and lifts him for a powerslam, but Jerry drops down behind her, tells his team: “I've still got this!” and looks to begin the Touchstone Takedown. Ness, however, plants her feet and won't be snapmared, instead grabbing Jerry by the hair and then taking him down with a vicious clothesline. Jerry hits the mat and, with a look of pain and concern, says, “Maybe I haven't got this… no… help!”
With that, Berry goes to enter the ring but Karlson holds her back. She enters herself and her and Ness square up. The fans cheer as the two women stare into each other's eyes, but Karlson is cut off from behind by Evans, who connects with a discus forearm to the back of Karlson’s head. Karlson is sent into Ness, who lifts her into a gorilla press position and throws her towards her teammates, who scatter to avoid begin knocked off the apron. Berry then quickly slides into the ring and squares up to Ness, only to be pulled up for a powerslam. She drops down just like Jerry did and connects with a spinning kick to send Ness into Evans, who falls through the ropes to the outside.
Karlson immediately follows Evans and the two brawl as Berry stands in the ring with Ness. As Ness turns, Berry lands several kicks to the gut before a leg sweep takes Ness down. Berry the. Hits the ropes and connects with a penalty kick, making a cover, 1-2-no. Ness powers out, sending Berry halfway across the ring. Ness rolls over to the her corner, tagging in Haych. Haych is quick to enter the ring but is cut off by another spin kick from Berry. Berry is about to go for another when Clutch calls for the tag. She tags him in and Clutch drives Haych back into the corner, landing a series of forearms before Haych slides down. Clutch then backs away and connects with a running boot before running over to the opposing corner and taking Dario off the apron.
Meanwhile, Karlson and Evans continue to brawl on the outside. Karlson drives Evans into the guardrail and tries to tie up her arm, but Evans counters with a rake to the eye and then shoves Karlson into the ring post. She then connects with a jumping spin kick before hitting a brainbuster to leave Karlson motionless. In the ring, Clutch is motioning for the Tar HEEL, but Evans sees it and cuts him off, landing a forearm strike which brings Saturn, Jerry and Berry into the ring. MDE and Ness rush in to meet them and they brawl, Saturn trying to hold off MDE’s takedowns while Jerry and Berry deal with Ness and Evans. The Bishops and James Saturn clear the ring but are met from behind by a recovered Haych and Dario, who throw Saturn and Berry out too, before Haych tells Dario to get into position.
With Dario on the top rope, Haych positions Jerry but is cut off by Clutch, who shoves him backwards into Dario. Haych staggers towards his corner while Clutch connects with Tar HEEL, taking Dario off the top rope and sending him to the outside. As Clutch turns Haych tags in MDE, who steps through the ropes. Clutch pauses for a moment as the fans begin a ‘we want Berry’ chant. MDE beckons Clutch forward, but he ignores him, instead slowly moving to tag Berry. The fans cheer loudly as Berry steps into the ring and gives MDE an intense look. MDE returns the look with a dismissive smile and slaps Evans on the shoulder before dropping down and rolling out of the ring. Boos ring around the arena as MDE walks up the steps and leaves through the curtain.
In the ring, Berry and Evans lock up, Evans getting the better of it and forcing Berry into a neutral corner. She drives her shoulder into Berry’s gut and allows Berry to stagger out of the corner before connecting with an axe kick. Evans then climbs to the top rope and looks down at Berry before connecting with a moonsault. She holds for a cover, 1-2-no! Karlson manages to get in and break up the cover. She then drags Evans out of the ring and lays into her, but not before Dario can make a tag. As Karlson lays into Evans, Ness drops down from the ring apron and leaps at her, connecting with a huge spear to leave Karlson down.
Dario climbs into the ring and goes up to the top rope immediately, looking for a senton bomb. Berry, however, gets her knees up and then rolls to the corner, tagging in Saturn. Saturn goes straight to the top and comes down with a picture-perfect Saturnsault onto Dario, making the cover while Jerry and Clutch hold off Haych and Ness, 1-2-3
Winners: James Saturn, Jerry Bishop, Berry Bishop, Clutch McCloud and Elizabeth Karlson.
The Bishops raise Saturn’s arms and Clutch gives him a pat on the back before rolling out to check on Karlson, who still hasn't moved. After a few celebratory moments, Jerry and Berry leave the ring to allow Saturn to have his time. He looks out to the cheering crowd and nods before dropping down and rolling out the ring.
MW: James Saturn standing tall at the end of that one.
SD: And we all know that Graham Baker has asked to face Saturn after Saturn’s recent hot streak. Perhaps this will push Jim Houston to signing that match for the Season Three Launch Party.
MW: An appropriate main event it mostly certainly would be. But talking of main events, today's first award is for Match of the Year, and here is Jim Houston to make the announcement.
Jim Houston enters the arena to cheers from the fans. He stands behind the podium where four awards sit.
“Ladies and gentlemen, before we hand over the first of tonight's awards, I'd like to thank you- everybody here and everybody who has attended or viewed any of our shows this past year. Without your support, Freedom Pro Wrestling would most certainly not exist. And to show this thanks, I'm going to make our very first match for Season Three Launch Party. Tonight, you very clearly showed that you want- and I certainly agree with this- to see Berry Bishop get the chance to face MDE. That match is official!”
The fans cheer and a ‘Fuck you MDE’ chant breaks out. Jim Houston laughs before picking up the first award.
“I'm glad you like it! But here's something else you liked. Tonight's awards, as you know, were voted on by the FPW fans, the FPW backstage officials and the FPW wrestlers. And first off I will hand out two awards. These two awards, Match of the Year and Feud of the Year, go to the same two people. With 27.3% of the vote for Match of the Year and 36.4% of the vote for Feud of the Year, these two men only faced one another once, but the tension was clear for all to see for three months. When they finally faced each other, the match was phenomenal. I truly believe this was the best match we've ever seen in FPW, and I'm sure we'll see it again somewhere down the line. The Match of the Year and Feud of the Year Awards go to Marcus Allen Jones and Graham Baker.”
The fans applaud loudly as highlights of the Baker v Marcus match play on the screen. When Baker holds up the title at the end, a ‘Gra-ham Ba-Ker’ chant begins very loudly.
“For tonight's individual awards, there will be acceptance speeches on stage, but I thought best for Baker and Marcus to stay separate for now. So we move on. The Show of the Year Award. The voting for this was very close, and it came down to two shows right at the end of the year. To me, this shows just how much FPW has been improving as time has gone on, and bodes very well for our continued improvement into 2019. The 2018 Show of the Year, with 54.6% of the vote, was Dead Man’s Chest.”
Highlights of Dead Man’s Chest play, and the fans cheer and boo as they relive the exciting moments of the 2018 Show of the Year.
“And our final award before we see The Guardians of Strong Style defend the FPW Tag Team Championships for the very first time is, quite fittingly, the Team of the Year. This one was not especially close. The winning team received 45.5% of the vote, finishing almost 30% ahead of their nearest rivals. This team haven't exactly been the easiest team to manage this year, but they have been very successful, with members holding the Tag Team Championships for much of the year as well as the FPW Championship for a very long time. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2018 FPW Team of the Year is… TakeOver.
The crowd begins to boo as Dario and Haych make their way to the stage to accept the award, neither particularly dressed for the occasion. In fact, both men are in jeans and black TakeOver shirts that have the group’s logo on the front and the words, “If you’re reading this, you’ve already lost” on the back. Dario swipes one of the trophies from Houston’s hand as Haych grabs the other two. It’s only then that the crowd realizes Marcus is nowhere to be found.
D: Oh wow, faction of the year. Ya know, I’d like to take this opportunity…I mean, there are so many people I need to thank, starting with…
Dario pulls out a small sheet of paper and a black magic marker, much like Marcus does for his entrances. The paper is blank but Dario writes on it, before shoving it up to the camera in front of him. It says, “Fuck You.”
D: That’s right. All of you can just fuck off. TakeOver found success without the support of you Freedom Fuckers and without the support of anyone in the back. There are only two people I need to thank for this award. My ride or die, Haych, and the man behind the vision, Marcus Allen Jones himself. Now, Marcus couldn’t be here tonight as he had literally anything better to do, but he sent me with a little message to all of you here and all of the guys and girls in the back.
Dario looks over at Haych who hands him another piece of paper, this time it has something written on it. Dario pulls out a pair of glasses and begins to read the message: “The fact that FPW decided to have an awards show where fans had the power in their hands is absolutely mind-boggling. As I’ve always said, trophies mean nothing. Belts mean nothing. The only thing that means anything in this world is power. Those who have it lord over those who don’t. And look around, look at this very stage right now and you’ll see who has the power. They say there is power in numbers but TakeOver is more than just a numbers game. It’s invasive, parasitic even. And just when you think you’ve got us figured out, you’ll find that you never had a clue. See, there are three of us that proclaim membership in TakeOver but 2019, it will be a new year. It’s all about the devil you know versus the devil you don’t and TakeOver, let’s just say, there’s more than three of us. The rest are just devils you don’t know yet, but I can promise you, you’ll know soon. Very, very soon. Isn’t that right, Mason? Or perhaps it’s you Saturn? MDE maybe? Hell, no one seems at all suspicious of all the new faces who have joined the company over the past several weeks. TakeOver is here to stay and everyone should absolutely be prepared for what happens next. Happy new year, though, it won’t be so happy for most of you…”
Dario puts the paper in his pocket along with his glasses before looking back at the camera.
D: The TakeOver has already begun.
As Haych glares at the camera, Dario holds his trophy up high. The two soak in the boos as they leave the stage.
MW: I'm not sure what exactly Dario meant there-
SD: He said exactly what he meant. TakeOver is expanding! New members!
MW: And I suppose you know who it is?
SD: Or who they are. I may know but you'll never get it out of me.
MW: As long as you don't turn up in your TakeOver t-shirt I think I'll live with it.
SD: Damn… why didn't I think of that?
MW: Anyway, up next our Team of the Year get the chance to see two teams, both fairly new to Freedom Pro Wrestling, fight over the Tag Team Titles that they once held. The Guardians of Strong Style won those titles from Jack Sevren and Bobby O at Judgement Day and sent out an open challenge, a challenge which has been accepted by the new team to FPW, Hunter-Killer. Have you seen George Jackson and Sara Daniels in action before?
SD: I certainly have. I think they'll be a great addition to our ranks and I wouldn't be surprised if they walked out of here as Tag Team Champions after this match.
MW: I don't particularly like their attitudes, but I can't questions their talent.
6/8 begins to play and the lights flash in sync with the rapid guitar strumming, flashing red with the 'heavy' secondary strum as both members of Hunter- Killer emerge from backstage, Jackson holding his arms out while Daniels crouches in front of him. As the song intensifies, the two walk toward the ring, Jackson looming behind Daniels and keeping his presence heavy, occasionally cursing or shouting at fans who get too close. When they get to the ring, Jackson holds the ropes open for Daniels before she returns the favor, and the two resume their pose in the center of the ring before throwing their entrance gear off to the side and awaiting their opponents.
The introduction to Guardians of Strong Style’s music begins and Sato emerges through the curtain and bows to the fans. Once the introduction ends, Sato rises and Takahara and Tchyukiro stand either side of him before they too bow to the crowd. They then both walk down the ramp with a purpose and climb into the ring, staring down Jackson and Daniels, who aggressively square up to them. There's some shoving and Tchyukiro and Takahara each call their opponents forward before Hunter Killer back off and The Guardians of Strong Style raise their newly-won titles.
Match 2: FPW Tag Team Championships: The Guardians of Strong Style v Hunter Killer:
Tchyukiro starts in the ring as Daniels and Jackson converse in the corner. Tchyukiro pushes forward and points at Jackson, who obliges, stepping towards Tchyukiro as the two square off. The official forces them back and calls for the bell. Immediately, the two men run at each other, each trying to connect with lariats. They both connect and each man staggers back a step. Tchyukiro beckons Jackson forward again and they run at each other again, looking for lariats again. The same result happens, before they repeat the move once more. Neither man backs down.
Tchyukiro points at the ropes and Jackson hits them, looking for a shoulder block. Tchyukiro laughs it off and Jackson hits the ropes again, looking for a second. Again he doesn't make Tchyukiro move. He hits the ropes a third time, trying again, but Tchyukiro runs through the shoulder block and hits the ropes himself, looking for one of his own. It forces Jackson back into the ropes and he comes back with another, forcing Tchyukiro into the ropes. The two men then run at each other once again, again looking for lariats and again neither of them getting the advantage.
The two men stare each other down for a few moments before Tchyukiro points to Takahara and then to Daniels. Jackson nods and the two men retreat carefully to their corners, tagging in their partners. Takahara and Daniels enter the ring and circle one another. As they come closer, Daniels aims a kick at Takahara’s thigh, but he blocks it easily and aims one of his own, which Daniels then parries. Suddenly, they each aim a flurry of kicks at one another, with Daniels ducking a head kick from Takahara and then Takahara jumping over a leg sweep. Daniels then catches a mid kick and ducks under an enzeguiri, connecting with a back kick and then a leaping knee strike to the face. Takahara staggers backwards and Daniels aims a spinning kick to the head, which Takahara ducks before connecting with a mid kick to send Daniels back towards her corner.
Jackson then bursts into the ring and squares up to Takahara, causing Tchyukiro to enter the ring and squares up to Daniels. The fans cheer as the official forces the illegal men out of the ring, only for Jackson to renter and connect with a powerbomb to Takahara when his back was turned. The fans boo as Daniels makes the cover, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out. Daniels then makes a quick tag to Jackson, who comes in and puts the boots to Takahara.
Jackson then drops a knee onto Takahara before looking to lock in a rear naked choke. Takahara fights him off and tries to make it to his feet, but Jackson grabs him before he can make it to Tchyukiro. He hits a scoop slam and drops an elbow onto his opponent before making an aggressive cover, his elbow in Takahara’s face, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out. Jackson drags Takahara towards Hunter Killer’s corner and tags in Daniels, who immediately goes to work on Takahara’s knee, stomping on it and twisting it as far as she can.
Takahara tries to resist, with Sato banging the ring on the outside, but Daniels grips his leg strongly and keeps manipulating the knee. She hangs the leg up on the middle rope and climbs, leaping down to apply pressure to the leg and causing Takahara to grimace with pain. Daniels then stalks Takahara from behind and pulls him in for a German suplex. He, however, counters, forcing her towards the corner, but she rolls out, maintaining her grip and performs an o’connor roll before delivering a German. She covers Takahara, 1-2-no. Takahara kicks out again.
Daniels then pulls Takahara across the ring and tags in Jackson, holding Takahara up as Jackson hits the ropes. Daniels then backs off before the two connects simultaneously, Daniels with a chop block and Jackson with a hard clothesline, sending Takahara crashing to the mat. Tchyukiro tries to rally his partner in the corner but Jackson positions himself between. Takahara and his partner as he lifts him and pulls him in for another powerbomb. Takahara, however, resists, landing stiff right hands and dropping down, landing a little unsteadily on his knee before delivering two hard mid kicks. As he sets up for another, Daniels grabs him from behind, looking for another German suplex. Takahara, however, flips out of it, landing on his feet. Daniels turns as Takahara runs and leap frogs her as he attempts to get to the corner. He's met, however, with a hard elbow strike from Jackson, and crumples to the mat as Daniels leaves the ring.
Jackson then taunts Tchyukiro, causing him to try and enter the ring and allowing enough of a distraction for Daniels to yank Takahara towards the ringpost and wrap his knee around it. Jackson pulls him out and lifts him into a fireman's carry position before dropping him into a neckbreaker and making a cover, 1-2-no. Takahara manages to get a shoulder up. Jackson looks down at him with a look of disgust before slapping him hard across the face. This causes Takahara’s to burn with intensity as he stares up at Jackson. Jackson slaps him again but Takahara bursts to his feet and explodes with a series of kicks, one to the leg, a spinning back kick to the gut and then a knee strike to the head as he turns to make the tag. He dives and stretches his arm out, but Tchyukiro is pulled off the apron by Daniels.
The fans boo as Daniels drives Tchyukiro’s head into the ring apron, but the boos quickly turn to cheers as Tchyukiro snaps his head up and stares at Daniels. He drives his head into her chest to send her to the floor and climbs back onto the apron before making the tag and entering the ring. He and Takahara drive Jackson back into the corner. Takahara unleashes hard kicks to the mid-section as Tchyukiro matches him with chops. As Jackson is allowed to stagger out of the corner, Takahara positions himself behind him and Tchyukiro connects with a discus lariat, only for Takahara to connect with a hard head kick as Jackson falls. Tchyukiro makes a cover, 1-2-no! Jackson barely gets a shoulder up.
Takahara leaves the ring as Tchyukiro pulls Jackson up and forces him into the corner again. He strikes him hard with a forearm before connecting with a chop, alternating between the two and not letting up even as Jackson slumps down to a seated position. Tchyukiro then backs away before running at Jackson, landing a sliding forearm as Jackson rolls out of the corner. Tchyukiro then slaps himself in the top of the head a couple of times before climbing up to the top rope and, after a short pause, connecting with a kokeshi headbutt. He rolls away and holds his head for a moment before making a cover, 1-2-no! Daniels is in to break up the pin.
Tchyukiro gets to his feet only for Daniels to unleash hard strikes to his head and chest, exploding with a series of punches and palm strikes that force him back into the corner. She then connects with a series of kicks before Jackson recovers and she exits the ring, making the quick tag to renter. Daniels backs up and runs at Tchyukiro, connecting with the Double Barrel Special, a shotgun dropkick in the corner, causing Tchyukiro to slump down and roll out of the corner. Daniels then makes a deep cover, 1-2-no! Takahara breaks up the pin this time.
Daniels and Takahara have a stand off, before each looks to out-kick the other. They trade hard mid kicks before Takahara takes the advantage, dropping Daniels and aiming a penalty kick at her, but she catches it and rolls through into the No Escape, a rolling knee bar. Takahara grimaces again in pain and the official tries to tell Daniels that Takahara isn't the legal man, but she doesn't let up. Tchyukiro sees the hold and tries to get to Daniels but Jackson is in. He pulls Tchyukiro up for a powerbomb, only for Tchyukiro to drop and connect with a leaping enzeguiri, causing Jackson to fall onto Daniels and break her grip.
Takahara rolls out of the ring as Tchyukiro pulls Daniels up and into a Saito suplex. He bridges for the cover, 1-2-no. Daniels kicks out. Tchyukiro doesn't let up, however, and he whips her into the ropes and connects with a hard powerslam. He can't make the cover as Jackson grips him from behind and pops him up, connecting with the Jackson Drop. He takes a few moments to recover as Tchyukiro slowly makes it to his feet and then he connects with The Freight Train, beckoning Daniels over to the make the cover. Jackson guards against Takahara as the official counts, 1-2-no! Tchyukiro barely kicks out.
Jackson turns around in disbelief and he calls for Daniels to end it. Daniels stalks Tchyukiro and then connects with a shotgun dropkick, sending him staggering back into Jackson, who pulls him up for the Hunter Killer Driver. Tchyukiro however, manages to drop down behind Jackson and, as he turns, he connects with a brutal headbutt. Jackson staggers backwards and Tchyukiro runs at him, taking him down with a hard shoulder block and following through to connect with a lariat to Daniels.
Takahara finally manages to make it back into the ring and he pulls Jackson to his feet, connecting with an enzeguiri which sends him into the corner. Takahara then runs at Jackson and connects with a vicious double knee strike before he and Tchyukiro stalk Daniels. Each of them set up, one in front and one behind, and they run at her, connecting at the same time with forearms to the front and back of her head. She crumples to the ground and Tchyukiro makes the cover, 1-2-3.
Winners: The Guardians of Strong Style.
Sato enters the ring and presents Tchyukiro and Takahara with the belts, bowing to each of them as he does. The two men accept the belts and hold them aloft before bowing to the fans and leaving the ring, each man limping due to the damage they sustained.
MW: What a contest! Both of those team will be incredible sore tomorrow, but for The Guardians of Strong Style it's sure to be worth it as they leave with the Tag Team Titles still in their possession.
SD: They sure do and it'll take a lot to defeat these two, but what a debut for Hunter Killer. Both of them look incredibly dangerous and I can assure you that the tag team division here in FPW will have taken notice of what these two men did today.
MW: We have some excellent tag teams here in Freedom Pro Wrestling and I think Hunter Killer will fit in very well. But now we recognise some excellence of another form. We're back with Jim Houston for our final end of year awards.
Jim Houston walks back on stage where three more trophies sit on a podium.
“What a match that was! Hunter Killer put forth a great effort in their debut match and I'm sure that like me, you'd like to see them in action again. Well, on our first show of the year, I've just made this match official- Hunter Killer will face off against Clutch McCloud and Russ Bolt in a match I think we can all expect great things from. But now we come onto our final three awards, the first of which goes to the wrestler who has put forward the best promos of the year. This is someone who's matches always seem to live up the hype, which shows their ability as a wrestler, because not many people can hype a match like this man. Whether he's telling stories from his past, one-upping his opponents with his contacts in other promotions or simply detailing how he plans to rip an opponent's arm out of its socket, this man always gets me excited for his next match. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 Promo of the Year Award goes to Graham Baker!”
Baker comes onto the stage to loud cheers from the fans as he holds his FPW Championship aloft.
“To be the ACE of Freedom Pro, I realized I needed to get by on more than just my raw talent alone...and I feel that I was able to do that, clearly, as you do too. To craft a story with your words, to bring about feeling and emotion without even stepping in the ring...that’s the hallmark of a true ace.
People like Cena, Tanahashi, Onita, Okada...they’ve captivated audiences for decades by capturing their attention and having them hang on every word they say. I’m glad I can be considered amongst that elite crowd. Thank you.”
Baker leaves as Houston applauds him.
“And now we come to the moment of the year. There have been so many great moments this year that choosing just one was incredibly difficult. Personal highlights include Jerry Bishop seeing the light after being reunited with Super Che Junior early in the year; Jerry’s victories over Marcus Allen Jones and MDE as he won the A Block in the Free-1; Azazel’s streak finally being broken and our fantastic tournament wins for Marcus, Jack Sevren and Bobby O and Graham Baker. However, with 54.6% of the vote, the winning moment of 2018 was Graham Baker capturing the FPW Championship at Judgement Day.”
The fans cheer as Baker emerges again, a smile on his face and he accepts the award from Jim Houston.
“Winning the Freedom Pro Wrestling title was unlike anything I’ve ever done before in my life. I’ve won championships, sure-even won the Hardcore belt here-but this was new and unique. When I locked in the final Emergency Landing that would lead to the end of the match, I could hear the crowd screaming my name. I could hear their passion and feel it flow through me as I bridged and threatened to tear Marcus’s arm clean off.
“For me, this award is as much for the crowd as it is for my own enjoyment. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you.”
Baker again leaves the stage as Jim Houston steps back up to the podium.
“And to our final, and most prestigious, award: Wrestler of the Year. Last year, Azazel dominated his way to this award. This year, there have been two strong candidates. The first is a man we've already seen on two occasions tonight: Graham Baker. Baker exploded onto the scene here in FPW with a hard-fought series of matches with MDE, where he showed his technical prowess, his hardcore ingenuity and his grit and will to win. After finally overcoming MDE, Baker went on to win the Hardcore Title, a title which he brought to the forefront of Freedom Pro Wrestling. Entering the Free-1, Baker proved that he wasn't just a hardcore wrestler, but that he could match up with the likes of Azazel and Adam Thompson, the first of whom he refused to lose to, and the second of whom he almost beat. I'm winning the B Block, Baker set himself on a path which included an amazing victory over Jerry Bishop in the Free-1 final followed by excellent matches against Tommy Storm, who defeated Baker to claim the Hardcore Title, and Jack Sevren, before winning the FPW Championship in the match of the year against Marcus Allen Jones.
“The second strong candidate is indeed Marcus Allen Jones. Marcus started the year strongly, winning, and flaunting, the Young Lions Cup, and the title match which went with it. Marcus took his time in claiming that opportunity, taunting then champion Adam Thompson and, when his chance finally came, controversially causing an injury to Thompson that saw the title vacated. In the forthcoming gauntlet match, Marcus was perhaps a little fortunate to win the title, but fortune played very little into what he did next. He defeated Adam Thompson in the rematch before victories over MDE, James Saturn and in my personal match of the year over Tommy Storm saw Marcus come close to winning the Free-1. In the aftermath, Marcus became the first person to cleanly defeat Azazel before retaining his title against Clutch McCloud. He lost the title to Graham Baker in the Match of the Year but by no means was that match just Baker’s. No matter my personal opinion of Marcus’ attitude and his actions, credit must be given for the excellent body of work he put together throughout 2018.
“What that being said, I can officially reveal that the 2018 FPW Wrestler of the Year, with 54.6% of the vote is… Graham Baker.”
Baker again comes out and jokes with Houston as he accepts the award.
“Without question, this has been one of the most fulfilling years of my entire career to this point. Fighting across the world, winning multiple championships and becoming the inaugural Free-1 winner...it’s been a trip, but one that I’ve enjoyed every second of. When I first came to FPW, I didn’t know what this company had in store for me. Now, however, I realize that there was so much in store. Through beating MDE, I started a fire that carried me to the top, and now, when I enter arenas like I will later tonight, the crowd lights up just for my arrival.
“I couldn’t have done it without the support of the FPW crowd, of The Renegades, and of anyone who’s ever gotten behind me. From the bottom of my heart… again, thank you.”
Jim Houston applauds as Baker leaves the stage before he steps up to the microphone one more time.
“With that, all of the awards have been given. Please keep an eye on freedomprowrestling.com over the next couple of days for important match announcements for our next few shows and please make sure you tell your friends that they don't want to miss what we have coming up this year. Now that that's all been said, let's get to our main event, the first of what we hope will become a yearly tradition in FPW.”
The lights go out in preparation for our main event, as ‘Afterlife’ by Avenged Sevenfold blares through the arena and rocks the crowd to their feet. As the intro finishes, Jace Mason walks through the curtains, his newly-won hardcore title strapped around his waist. He walks out and plants his fist on the ground as pyro explodes behind him, before he heads to the ring, slapping the hands of fans who are ready to see an intense athletic contest between he and Baker. He makes his way to the ring, climbing the apron and turnbuckles before finding himself settled in the center. He settles in a corner as the theme changes, and DNA by Kendrick Lamar begins to blare through the arena to a massive ovation by the crowd.
Baker emerges from backstage, his leather jacket open to reveal the FPW World’s Heavyweight Championship to the screaming crowd. He points two finger guns up in the air and screams out, clearly pumped up formthis unique match. He rushes toward the ring, slapping the hands of fans as he does so before climbing up on the ropes. He tosses his jacket off and removes the belt, holding it aloft as he screams out and holds onto the ropes. He looks to Mason, and springboards into the ring, holding the title up to Mason as Mason holds his own up in response. The two share a cocky smile before both settle in their respective corners.
Match 3: Graham Baker v Jace Mason (written by Baker):
As their introductions finish and the referee presents both belts, the bell rings and Baker and Mason approach one another. Baker offers a hand that Mason shakes, and the crowd pops for the show of respect before they launch into a vicious lockup. Mason attempts to jockey for early control but Baker gets the better of him, getting Mason in a waistlock. He goes for a German suplex, but Mason plants himself and reverses the hold into a waistlock of his own. He attempts to ground Baker, but as Baker hits the ground he rolls through and traps Mason in a headlock on the ground, attempting to lock in a choke only for Mason to roll through and pin Baker’s shoulders to the mat.
ONE-and Baker kicks out with ease at the one-count! Mason and Baker both roll away, and Baker waves a single finger in front of his face before he gets back to his feet. The crowd cheers in anticipation as the two lock up once again, with Mason trying to force Baker into the corner off the bat, but Baker manages to stand his ground just long enough to reverse the hold and shove Mason into the corner.
Baker looks as though he’s going to go for a knife-edge chop...but stops, tapping Mason on the chest twice. He steps back and invites Mason to strike him, but Mason merely shakes his head. Baker invites Mason for another lockup, and the two lock-up once more, but Mason takes advantage and manages to gain control over Graham Baker as Baker goes for a waistlock, instead turning the lock into a headlock of his own! He manages to turn the headlock into a Snapmare, snapping Baker to the ground and going for a Penalty Kick-but Baker ducks it, and this time he manages to get Mason with a roll-up!
ONE-No! Mason kicks out with ease. Baker wastes no time, hitting the ropes and going for a low dropkick, but Mason counters by rolling away. He hits the ropes and goes for a dropkick of his own, landing it on Baker! Baker rolls with the hit, and Mason makes his move quickly, going for a Falcon Arrow to Baker, but Baker manages to land a stiff knee to Mason’s head as Mason lifts him, and reverses the move into a suplex neckbreaker-AND LANDS IT!
Baker rolls away from Mason as Mason holds his neck, Baker remaining in a crouched position-clearly impressed with the performance and fire shown by Mason thus far. Mason manages to get back to his feet with relative ease, and Baker invites him forward before going for a jumping knee strike-only for Mason to dodge it and whip Baker into the corner! He wastes no time going for a running knee strike to Baker, landing it cleanly on Baker’s face, before he pulls him out! He goes to the middle rope-DIVING DOUBLE STOMP TO GRAHAM BAKER! Mason goes for a quick pin!
ONE!
TW-NO! BAKER KICKS OUT! There’s still plenty of fight left in these two men as Baker holds his chest for a moment, and Mason hits the ropes, going for another low-dropkick BUT BAKER DUCKS IT! As Mason goes to recover, Baker grabs him in a waistlock-AND DRILLS HIM INTO THE MAT WITH A BRUTAL GERMAN SUPLEX! He keeps his wristlock on Mason and pulls him in for another suplex, this time a Dragon Suplex, and goes for a bridge and a pin!
ONE!
TWO-MASON KICKS OUT! Baker wastes no time giving Mason a second to recover, pulling him back to his feet and up onto his shoulders for a Mustang Driver to bring about an early end to the match-but Mason manages to reverse the Mustang Driver with a quick flurry of elbows to the skull of Graham Baker! Mason drops off of Baker and grabs him in a headlock-AND DELIVERS A LIGHTNING QUICK DDT, SPIKING BAKER ON THE MAT! Mason yanks Baker to his feet after he recovers, throwing Baker into the turnbuckles!
He rushes over to Baker, drilling him with a brutal Enziguri to the corner, before hefting him up onto the top rope! He climbs up onto the top and attempts to get in position for the Extra Credit-but Graham Baker counters with a few quick elbows of his own, causing Mason to drop to the mat! Baker attempts to recover as he stands on the top rope, but Mason’s quick, delivering a snap Superkick to Baker’s midsection, dropping him back into a sitting position! Mason cracks a smile as he realizes that Baker’s at his mercy, and goes for a move familiar to Baker and many of his fans as he sets up for a top rope Frankensteiner, but as he does so-
-Graham Baker grabs his legs! Mason’s shocked, and attempts to quickly contort his legs into a modified choke, but Baker’s quick to respond, hefting Mason up with immense strength...AND SLAMMING HIM DOWN TO THE MAT WITH A VICIOUS AVALANCHE POWERBOMB! The force of the bomb breaks Mason’s hold around Baker’s neck, and Baker rolls off of Mason, the two men laying flat on their backs merely ten minutes into the contest to a massive roar of applause from the fans. Baker rolls over to Mason and goes to hook his leg as the rush of adrenaline fades.
ONE!
TWO!!
T-NO! Mason kicks out, forcing his shoulder off the mat! Baker’s shocked, but as he sits up, his face shows a look of excitement and surprise. He gets back to his feet and settles in a corner as Mason gets back to his feet, cracking his neck. Mason invites Baker for a lock-up, and the two lock up once again, jockeying for control until Mason manages to get Baker in a headlock! He looks for another DDT, but Baker shoves him off, grabbing hold of Mason’s arm and drilling it with a pele kick!
Mason falls back, and Baker sweeps him off of his feet before attempting to lock in the Emergency Landing-but Mason’s quick to remember from their last encounter and scrambles with his leg toward the rope, hitting it and forcing Baker to break the hold! Baker rolls out of position, and goes for a low-angle knee strike, but Mason manages to dodge it by rolling out of the ring! Mason settles on the apron as Baker gets back to his feet, and Mason invites Baker to come at him, causing Baker to hit the ropes for a suicide dive-but as he comes close to the ropes and Mason guards himself-Baker catches himself on the ropes! He springboards, AND HITS A MASSIVE SPRINGBOARD LARIAT TO MASON ON THE OUTSIDE! Baker rolls to a recovery position quickly, grabbing Mason and shoving him back in the ring, rolling in and going for a cover!
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-Mason kicks out again! Finding a burst of energy, Mason scrambles back to his feet with a quickness, hitting the ropes-AND HITTING A MASSIVE DROPKICK TO GRAHAM BAKER! He grabs Baker and pulls him up for an Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker-AND HITS IT! Baker hits the mat with a thud, and Mason pulls him up for a third maneuver, getting him in a fireman’s carry! A woozy Baker strikes Mason with elbows, but Mason shows resilience as he spins, knocking Baker’s sense of balance out of whack-BEFORE HE CATCHES HIM WITH A DROPPED DETONATION KICK! Mason’s got Baker on the ropes as he heads to the top rope, posturing to the fans-SHOOTING STAR PRESS TO GRAHAM BAKER! MASON WASTES NO TIME GOING FOR A PIN!
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-NO! GRAHAM BAKER KICKS OUT ONCE AGAIN! Mason is stunned as he pulls Baker to his feet, throwing him into the ropes, and as he catches Baker on the rebound he goes for the Extra Credit-but Baker shoves him off, hitting him with an Enziguri! Baker stumbles as he spins Mason around, catching him with a German Suplex into the mat! He keeps his hold, following through with a Dragon Suplex, landing both, before attempting to complete the trifecta with a Vertical Lift Suplex-but Mason manages to counter, drilling Baker into the mat with a DDT! He keeps his headlock hold on Baker-AND GOES FOR A LAST CHANCERY!
He locks it in as Baker writhes in pain, reaching for the ropes! Baker seemingly has nowhere to go, seeking the ropes, he extends his arm, forcing Mason to adjust the hold-BUT BAKER SEES AN EXIT AS HE DRILLS MASON IN THE SKULL WITH A SERIES OF HARD ELBOWS! MASON TRIES TO ADJUST THE HOLD-GIVING BAKER ENOUGH TIME TO LUNGE FORWARD AND GRAB THE ROPES! THE REFEREE BREAKS THE HOLD, SEPARATING MASON AND BAKER FOR THE MOMENT!
The crowd reaches peak excitement as Baker and Mason settle for a brief rest, Baker settling in one corner while Mason rests in the other. Baker wipes a sheen of sweat from his face, and Mason runs a hand through his hair. The two get back to their feet and stare at one another, before both rush forward into one fierce lockup, immediately jockeying for control. Baker seems to be on the losing end-until he puts all his weight into shoving Mason into the far corner! Baker releases the hold as Mason rests against the turnbuckles, and taps Mason across the chest...before delivering a vicious knife-edge chop with a massive ‘woo!’ from the crowd! Baker goes for another, but Mason manages to block it, shoving Baker back into the corner and delivering one of his own!
As he goes for another, Baker shoves him off, and chops Mason hard across the chest. The two exchange chops back and forth, with Baker seeming to get the better of Mason-he forces him into the ropes, before lining up for a clothesline to send Mason over-only for Mason to counter and throw Baker over the ropes! Baker grabs a handful and lands on the apron, but Mason’s quick to respond, grabbing Baker in position for a Falcon Arrow! He slingshots Baker off of the ropes, and plants him on the mat with a vicious Falcon Arrow-but he’s not done! He climbs to the top rope once again, albeit slower, and prepares to go for one final Shooting Star Press-but as he dives, Baker manages to catch him with his knees up! Jace Mason rolls off of Baker’s knees in obvious pain, rolling to the center of the ring while Baker goes for one more pin attempt.
ONE!
TWO!!
THRE-MASON KICKS OUT, JUST BARELY! THE CROWD GOES INSANE! Baker’s stunned, but not disappointed, and he weakly pulls Mason to his knees, drilling him in the chest with a brutally stiff kick. He repeats the process with a few more kicks, before pulling Mason up onto his shoulders for one final Mustang Driver. Baker calls for the end, but Mason struggles and shoves Baker off. He whips Baker into the corner once again, following up with a running knee to Baker in the corner, rolling off from the impact-and hauling Baker up onto the top ropes once again! This time, however, he’s cautious, and lands a MASSIVE leaping Enziguri to the side of Baker’s head, stunning him, before going for a running start-AND LANDING A PICTURE PERFECT EJECTION SEAT TO GRAHAM BAKER! Mason can hardly believe it! He rolls Baker toward the center and goes for a pin off of Graham Baker’s old finisher!
ONE!
TWO!!
THRE-NO!!! GRAHAM BAKER BARELY GETS A SHOULDER UP! JACE MASON IS SHOCKED! Mason’s not quite sure how to follow up as Baker breathes heavily, looking up to the arena ceiling. He pulls himself to the ropes, pulling himself up as Mason settles against the opposite ropes. Mason breathes, rushing toward Baker and grabbing his arm, going for a Springboard Extra Credit to bring about an ending to the match-but BAKER COUNTERS WITH AN ARM DRAG! He throws Mason across the ring, and hits the ropes as Mason tries to recover, drilling him in the head with a low-angle dropkick and landing one! Mason slides to a halt as Baker does, and Baker grabs the stunned Mason, yanking him up onto his shoulders-AND ROLLING THROUGH WITH A MUSTANG DRIVER INTO A PIN!
ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!
Winner: Graham Baker (23:06)
Graham Baker rolls off of Jace Mason, exhausted beyond belief as the referee declares him victorious. He holds his hand aloft, but as the referee goes to hand him his belt, he motions to Mason and the referee nods, handing Mason his title and holding both men’s hands aloft. He leaves the ring to allow Mason and Baker to celebrate, and the two embrace for a moment, clinking titles and holding them high before Mason leaves the ring to allow Baker to celebrate. Baker climbs the turnbuckles as DNA rings out...but it’s suddenly cut short, and “My Last Breath” by Evanescence rings through the arena as James Saturn comes down from the entrance ramp. He enters the ring as Baker calls him forth, and the two have a staredown as Baker lays the title out between the two of them, leaving one final image as the show fades to black...
