Road To Young Lions' Cup III: Night Two

[Jim Houston]

The show opens with the same promo video for the Young Lions’ Cup as the last show, with added highlights of the two quarter-final matches from the previous show too. It also highlights the Jace Mason and Bobby O tag match, with Jace getting the chance to make the Myra Lopez vs. Berry Bishop match a triple threat. It picks up on the Jerry Bishop and Aaron Williams feud, showing some of the verbal back-and-forth as well as the main highlights of their match at Launch Party. After showing the Young Lions’ Cup bracket, it cuts to Mike Watson and Steven Deville at ringside.



MW: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Night Two on the Road to Young Lions’ Cup III. Tonight we have two more quarter-finals for you as Marcus Allen Jones takes on Ella Ripley and Go Shihei faces a returning Liz Karlson.

SD: But we are also graced with The Queendom in action and Jerry Bishop righting a wrong caused by Aaron Williams.

MW: I’m not sure that Williams caused a ‘wrong’… I think it was more like Jerry refusing to finish a match, but let’s not get bogged down there. Tonight we begin with-



‘This Fire Burns’ cuts off Watson and the fans boo as Clutch McCloud, dressed in a smart suit, walks out onto the stage. He looks around the arena before making his way down to the ring. As he enters, he takes a mic and raises it to his lips.



“How’s this for a start to the show? Clutch McCloud ended the last show and now I start this one too. I want to address what happened last week because, for some reason, I seem to be the one getting chewed out for what I did as a reaction to Bobby O striking a woman. At the end of our match last week, Bobby O left the ring and decided to confront Danica Jane, laying her out with a heinous RKO. I’m not sure how many times I need to say it before people start to realise the truth around here, but any time a man lays hands on a woman and it goes unpunished, it puts thousands of women’s lives at risk all over the world. It normalises man-on-woman violence and it will never be acceptable.



“So when I left the ring to confront Danica’s abuser, I did so as a hero. I did so as a man unwilling to accept the ongoing patterns of violence against women prevalent here in Freedom Pro Wrestling. And yet I got booed out of the arena, I got fined half of my paycheck and I’ve had endless social media abuse for two weeks straight. But if that’s the penalty I have to pay to continue to oppose man-on-woman violence in all of its ugly forms, I’ll pay it. If this is the penalty I have to pay to make you people realise that what you’re cheering for, normalising, is wrong, I’ll pay it.



“I’ve been a staunch opposer of man-on-woman violence for a long time now and I’ve opposed this evil very vocally. But tonight’s card will see yet more of this barbaric practice going unchallenged. Take our first match. Bobby O and Jace Mason, two of your blue-eyed-boys, going up against two women. Marcus Allen Jones facing Ella Ripley. Go Shihei facing Liz Karlson. Even my own best friend and girlfriend might be drawn into fighting against wrestlers of the oppose gender. This evil is spreading like a disease throughout Freedom Pro Wrestling and I will not stand idly by and watch it happen. Last week I exacted revenge on Bobby O, not just for me, but for all women who have ever been abused. Tonight, I’ll be watching Bobby and Jace’s match very closely.”



Clutch drops the mic and looks over to the announce table, walking towards it and stepping through the ropes as the fans boo some more.



MW: Well, I know I wasn’t expecting you to join us, Clutch, but welcome.



CM: How could you not expect this? I’ve made myself quite clear how I feel about this situation, it only makes sense I be here to witness this travesty.



SD: It’s okay, Clutch, he’s not that good at predicting things.



MW: Our next match is sure to be a battle of-



SD: If you say “battle of the sexes”, I will put sand in your coffee.



MW: I was going to say a battle of wills, but good to know, I guess? We’re set to see one of the most cohesive tandems in FPW squaring up against two of FPW’s brightest competitors teaming for the first time, as the Queendom go head to head with Bobby O!



SD: Now, I know the Queendom has this match cinched up, but even with the match being intergender, who do you think will win this one, McCloud?



CM: I refuse to acknowledge that question.



“Hammer to Fall” hits over the speakers and the crowd begins to boo as the Queendom’s video plays on the screen. Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez take both sides at the top of the ramp, followed closely by Artemis Evans holding the FPW Championship over her shoulder. As their pyro hits she nods to Lopez and Donovan, and the trio make their way down the ramp, the Black Queen taunting the crowd, the White Queen giving the fans the cold shoulder.



DB: The following contest is a tag team match! Introducing first, accompanied by Artemis Evans, Myra Lopez and Thea Donovan, THE QUEENDOM!



Lopez and Donovan climb into the ring and look out into the crowd, Lopez with an icy stare and Donovan mocking signs for Bobby and Mason. Evans takes her place in their corner at ringside, mocking the fans and flaunting her title.



MW: The Queendom looking to keep momentum in their favor here tonight after defeating Mason in the first round of this year’s Young Lions’ Cup. Even if it wasn’t exactly a clean win.



SD: The Queendom did what they do best, look for opportunities and take them. Besides, these ladies are smart, they know how to take advantage of any situation.



CM: Not to mention the fact that they’re all on the same page. Can’t say the same for certain about Bobby and Mason.



The music changes to “Afterlife” and the crowd cheers as the lights go down. They come back up with Mason’s pyro as he poses on the stage. He takes in the crowd and jogs to the ring, fist-bumping and high-fiving fans in the front rows, and completes his entrance as Dasha makes her introduction.



DB: And introducing their opponents! First, he is the Eternal Student, JACE! MASON!



MW: Mason out here to get payback for his last encounter, and also to deal a blow to Evans, even if it is indirect.



SD: He’s just a sore loser, he lost the title, he lost the rematch, he needs to move on already! He calls himself a student, learn when to quit!



CM: If he were a proper competitor, he wouldn’t even accept this match, it’s absurd.



The music shifts to “This Means War” and the crowd cheers once more as the lights go down, although not quite as loudly. The lights come back up with Bobby’s pyro. He pops his collar and looks out to the crowd with a smile. Before he makes his way down the ramp, he holds one arm outstretched. Suddenly, CJ Holmes appears from the back and takes Bobby’s arm and the two walk down the ramp together, high-fiving the crowd. CJ and Bobby share a quick kiss at the ring steps before Bobby climbs into the ring Mason shakes his head, and we hear him say “you should’ve talked to me first”. Bobby tells him to calm down and stay focused.



DB: And his partner, apparently accompanied by CJ Holmes, he calls himself Mr. FPW, BOBBY! O!



MW: Well, this is certainly a surprising development! Looks like Bobby’s brought some backup of his own to help even the odds against the Queendom!



SD: What’s she even doing here? She doesn’t have any right to be out here, she’s not a competitor, she’s not even on the roster!



CM: This is just getting ridiculous, now we’re letting civilians get involved in this farce?



Match 1: The Queendom vs. Bobby O and Jace Mason (written by Jerry):



The two sides stare each other down and discuss strategy while the referee makes their checks. After deliberating, Donovan starts in the ring for the Queendom and Bobby for his side. The referee calls for the bell and the match begins. Donovan and Bobby circle each other. The two lock up with Bobby going for a wristlock, Donovan counters into a waistlock, Bobby reverses and connects with a series of jabs to Donovan’s midsection. He grabs her wrist and goes for a short-arm clothesline, but Donovan ducks under and rip-cords Bobby back into a lariat of her own, dropping him to the mat. As he lies there, Donovan hurls some insults at Mason on the apron. She picks Bobby up by the hair slaps him across the face. On the outside, Evans laughs heartily while CJ calls encouragement to Bobby.



MW: The Queendom looking to get under the skin of Bobby O and Mason early on.



SD: And as the song says, nobody does it better!



CM: He deserves to be slapped for getting himself into this mess.



Bobby catches Donovan’s hand as she goes for another slap and connects with a leaping clothesline. He brings her to her feet and whips her into the ropes, spinning himself around with the momentum. Outside of Bobby’s line of sight, Donovan makes a quick tag to Lopez before rebounding into a scoop powerslam from Bobby. He goes for a cover but the referee doesn’t start the count. As Bobby argues with the ref, Donovan smiles at Bobby and Lopez charges in, connecting with a spinning leg lariat to the back of Bobby’s head and makes a quick cover.



ONE!

NO!



Bobby kicks out, holding his hand to his neck. Donovan laughs and exits the ring.



MW: Looks like Bobby’s a bit distracted here already, his ring awareness seems off.



SD: Or, he could just be in there with competitors who are better than him?



CM: OR, this whole thing is a sham?



Lopez pulls Bobby up and wraps him into an octopus lock. Mason reaches in for the tag. Bobby struggles in the hold but rather than reach for the tag he reaches for the ropes, taking hold and forcing the break, Lopez finally letting go at 4.8. Bobby tells Mason he’s fine, Mason backs off. Lopez looks for a pump kick as Bobby turns around, but he catches the leg. He whips it down and uses the momentum to swing Lopez into a DDT. Letting his anger show a bit, he stomps on her midsection against the ropes. Lopez crawls under them, forcing Bobby to back off. As he does so, Lopez spins herself around and sweeps his leg and drops him to the mat. She takes hold of one of his arms between her legs and rolls over and over, wrenching his arm each time. Bobby manages to pull his other arm over and catch his trapped hand. He works himself to his knees, with Lopez’ legs still wrapped around his arm. As CJ and Mason cheer him on, Bobby powers himself to his feet, lifting Lopez with him before dropping her with an emphatic powerbomb. Bobby goes for a cover.



ONE!

T- NO!



Lopez kicks out. Bobby nurses his arm and gets to his knees. He runs the ropes as Lopez gains her footing, rebounding and connecting with a double-leg dropkick, bouncing Lopez into the ropes and ricocheting her onto the mat. Bobby quickly gets up and pulls her up for a big German suplex, tossing her across the ring, but also exerting his arm, which he flexes to keep feeling going. CJ cheers Bobby on, while Evans and Donovan shout for Lopez to make the tag.



MW: A hard-fought match so far, but Bobby O has yet to tag in his partner, how much more damage can he sustain before it’s too much?



SD: He’s too arrogant to let someone else get the win, let him stay in and get beaten up for it.



CM: Bobby would rather be a disgrace and damage his reputation by fighting women, in or out of the ring.



Bobby catches Clutch’s comment and leans against the ropes to stare him down. In doing so, Mason reaches over and tags himself in, telling his partner to keep his head in the game. Bobby climbs out of the ring and seethes on the apron, CJ doing her best to calm him down. Mason charges across the ring just as Lopez tags in Donovan. She ducks under a running elbow and Mason crashes into the turnbuckle, dazing him. She picks him up onto her shoulders and drops him with a Death Valley driver towards her corner, choking him out with her foot against the turnbuckle to the ref’s count of 4. She gives him a quick stomp as he starts to get back up and laughs in his face. Mason leaps up and grabs her, connecting with a sudden STO, throwing her away from her corner. He runs the ropes and hits a basement dropkick to the back, laying her out towards the middle. He quickly climbs a neutral turnbuckle and drops a knee to Donovan’s head and makes a cover.



ONE!

TWO!

NO!



Donovan kicks out with a dazed expression. Evans barks at her to get back in the match. Bobby pounds the turnbuckle to get the crowd going, CJ does the same on the apron.



MW: Quite the agility shown from the Eternal student, but he is also the freshest competitor in this match.



SD: If he really wanted to win he would’ve tagged himself in earlier.



CM: Bobby’s ego’s too big for that.



Bobby glares at Clutch once more, CJ tells him to ignore him. Mason feeds off the crowd and turns around just in time to see Donovan get to her feet. She rushes him but he sidesteps her and gives her a drop toe hold, planting her back to the mat, and transitions into a fujiwara armbar. Donovan screams in pain as he wrenches her arm. After several agonizing moments she claws and drags her way to the ropes for the break, which Mason does after about two seconds. He pulls her up and tosses her across the ring with an underhook suplex. Donovan practically bounces off the mat and flops into her corner. Lopez tags herself in and dashes across the ring, chop blocking Mason’s legs out from under him. She pulls him up into a Northern Lights suplex, bridging for a pin.



ONE!

TW- NO!



Mason powers out, rolling over and planting Lopez with a DDT as she gets to her knees. Dazed, Lopez crawls to the ropes and puts her head through them near her side of the ring to catch a breather, Evans shouting at her to stay focused. Evans manages to life Donovan’s hand and “tag” her into the match just as Mason climbs the corner and connects with a wrecking ball dropkick, driving Lopez back into the ring. Mason lands on the outside and stares Evans down. Evans begs off, telling Mason to think about what he’s doing, she’s not even in the match. Mason glares through her and looks at the FPW Championship. He stalks Evans towards the corner closest his own near the commentary desk as she continues to beg off. From their corner, Bobby and CJ both yell at Mason not to risk it and get back in the ring. The referee tells Bobby to stay in his corner, which he shows he is by holding the tag rope. Behind the ref’s back, Mason heeds his partner’s advice and turns back toward the ring, straight into a superkick from a drained Donovan, who collapses back to the floor. Mason staggers against the barricade.



MW: A cheap shot from the Black Queen!



SD: And here comes the Ice Queen for the one-two!



Lopez hits a sudden butterfly backbreaker, dropping Mason to the floor. Bobby rages at the referee to look at what’s happening.



CM: Looks like someone didn’t take their Prozac today.



Bobby whips around and drops off the apron, marching towards the commentary desk. He starts to shout in Clutch’s face, who sits impassively at the table. CJ tries to pull him away, but struggles, even as the referee calls for Bobby to leave the commentators alone. Across the aisle, Mason lies dazed in the clutches of the Queendom. Donovan and Lopez hold Mason up by his arms as Evans taunts him with the championship. She takes it off her shoulder and holds it in his face, laughing at him. After a moment, she pulls the title back, then she pulls it back further, looking to slam it into Mason’s head. Before she can connect, CJ Holmes races across the aisle and hits Evans with an RKO, planting her to the shock of everyone in attendance, leading to “HOLY SHIT!” chants. Lopez and Donovan stand stock still, dropping Mason, Bobby stands with his hands on his hips and calls out “That’s my girl!”



MW: DID WE JUST SEE WHAT WE THINK WE SAW? CJ Holmes with an RKO!



SD: That was entirely uncalled for! Neither of them are even in the match!



MW: It seems like Bobby has been helping CJ to make sure she can defend herself. And it worked!



CM: This sort of violence is pointless, not to mention egregious and insulting to the champion.



CJ glares at Lopez and Donovan and gives them a false start, startling them further. She laughs to herself and points behind them. They turn around to see Mason has risen to his feet. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the two Queens scamper into the ring. Lopez is met with an RKO of her own from Bobby, who sped into the ring to meet his opponents. Donovan stops dead in her tracks in surprise. Lopez rolls back out dropping down next to Evans. Bobby slides back out into his corner. Donovan turns to flee once more straight into the waiting arms of Mason. He grabs hold of her and hits her with Extra Credit and makes the cover.



ONE!

TWO!

THREE!



Winners- Jace Mason and Bobby O (16:43)



Mason drinks in the cheers of the crowd and celebrates as the referee raises his arm. Bobby climbs between the ropes and lets out a triumphant roar. Mason extends a hand to Bobby, who accepts it after a moment’s hesitation, and they raise their hands together in victory as Donovan slips out of the ring and stands alongside Lopez and Evans. CJ cheers them on from their corner as the Queendom start up the ramp.



MW: Looks like these two were able to put aside their differences long enough to get the W here tonight!



SD: They cheated! They’re filthy cheaters!



MW: They did nothing of the sort! Evans wasn’t officially in the match, and neither was CJ.



SD: Trickery! Tomfoolery! Flippant disregard for human decency!



CM: You mean like this match was? Still can’t believe Bobby would hit a woman with an RKO.



Mason and Bobby pose on the turnbuckles, Mason pointing into the crowd, Bobby pointing at CJ, then turning his attention to Clutch, mouthing “I win”. Suddenly, Artemis Evans grabs CJ to the horror of Mason, Bobby, and the crowd.



Evans: HEY, BOBBY-BABY! WATCH THIS!



Evans tucks CJ’s head under her arm and hits her with the Guillotine Strike. Evans darts up the ramp along with Lopez and Donovan and into the back, laughing all the way to the disgusted boos of the crowd. Bobby, foaming at the mouth, drops from the turnbuckle and skids out of the ring after them. He stops next to CJ and cradles her in his arms on the floor, Mason exiting the ring and standing behind his uneasy ally.



MW: Talk about flippant disregard for human decency!



SD: You said it yourself, turnabout’s fair play in this business.


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Backstage, Liz Karlson stands with Dasha Banks.



DB: Liz Karlson. Tonight you make your return to FPW after a short injury-related absence. How does it feel to be back?

LK: It feels good. Truth be told, I could have come back earlier, but I wanted to wait until I was at my peak. I left this place as a well-respected wrestler who could mix it up with anyone and leave them with a limp win or lose. I’m coming back to pick up where I left off and the Young Lions’ Cup is the perfect place to do that.

DB: Do you think you can win the Young Lions’ Cup?

LK: Of course I can. A lot has changed since I was last here. Our new champion is Artemis Evans. A woman I beat for her first title and a woman I plan to beat for her second. She’s not the kind of champion I’d be proud to face, but she’s the kind of champion I know people will be glad when I beat. So I don’t think I can win the Young Lions’ Cup, I plan to win it, and I will make sure that I take full advantage of the opportunity it gives me.

DB: You’ve got as tough a draw as you could have hoped for against Go Shihei. How will you overcome the difference in power?

LK: Someone is only as powerful as their legs. As luck would have it, I happen to be very good at taking out people’s legs. If I tear all of the ligaments in his knee, he won’t be able to lift shit. And I plan to leave him unable to walk by the end of the match.

DB: One final question. Your last match here saw you lose the Freedom Championship that I know meant a lot to you. Are you planning on challenging Botiatus to a rematch should he overcome Hiro Takahara at YLCIII?

LK: Lizzie Two-Belts has a certain ring to it, don’t you think? It wouldn’t be the first time in FPW that I’ve unified two divisions. Botiatus beat me fair and square and I respect him for it, but I know he wants to be a fighting champion and I know he’d accept my challenge no questions asked. I’ll get to Botiatus, but first I need to focus on winning this tournament and getting the FPW Championship match that I know I deserve.



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MW: Welcome back to ringside for our third quarter-final in Young Lions’ Cup III.

SD: This one ought to be interesting. Ella Ripley tried to help Tommy Saxon through against Berry Bishop but she couldn’t do it and he fell. Can she manage to overcome a man who many think is the very best in FPW tonight?

MW: Ripley had some harsh words for Marcus on the Night One. She claimed that he lied about turning down a WWE contract and that, if he was telling the truth, she would prove it was the worst decision he’d ever made.

SD: Now I may not be as close with Marcus as I once was, but I know for a fact that he was offered a contract and I know for a fact that he did indeed turn it down. Ella Ripley and Tommy Saxon think that he made a mistake, and maybe he did, but I’m not sure Ripley will be able to stop Marcus from advancing tonight.

MW: Of course, Marcus doesn’t seem too bothered with a title challenge at the moment so winning this tournament may not be highest on his list of priorities.

SD: In fact, several people have accused him of not setting the fastest possible time in the Beat the Clock Challenge at Launch Party, and I agree. I think he could have shaved off some time and possibly be the number one contender right now, but he seems to think that an FPW Title challenge would be bad for him somehow. However, he’s held the Young Lions’ Cup before and I think he feels he still has to prove that he’s the best young wrestler not just in this company, but in the world. He’s never lost a match in this tournament remember.

MW: Last year he was removed due to suspension of course, but that Marcus was a very different man to the Marcus we will see tonight. He’s grown up and matured a huge amount since then. How about Ella Ripley? You say you don’t think she can beat him tonight, but what will she be hoping to do to get an advantage?

SD: She’ll have Saxon with her, so the numbers game will be a help. Honestly, I think she needs to look for a quick flash-pin. I don’t see her staying with Marcus over a long match.



“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is a quarter-final match in Young Lions’ Cup III. Introducing first, from Chicago, Illinois, he is a former Young Lions’ Cup winner and a former Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion… Marcus Allen Jones!”



The fans cheer as ‘Hall of Fame’ begins to play. Marcus emerges onto the stage and performs his trademark standing backflip, landing in his usual pose and soaking in the applause of the fans as pyro explodes around him once ‘Standing in the Hall of Fame’ hits. He stands up and begins to walk down the ramp, holding out his arms to slap hands with the fans. As ‘You can walk straight through hell with a smile’ rings out, Marcus gives the camera his typical smile and pulls out a piece of paper which says ‘YLC 6-0’. He screws up the paper and throws it at the lens before sliding into the ring and climbing onto the turnbuckle to acknowledge the fans.



“And his opponent, hailing from Colby, Kansas and being accompanied to the ring by Tommy Saxon, this is the Colby Kid… Ella Ripley.”



‘Gonna Get Mine’ plays as the fans begin to boo. Ella Ripley and Tommy Saxon come through the curtain and share a passionate kiss before smirking to the crowd. Ripley leads the way to the ring as the two of them talk trash to the fans, Saxon stopping to have a staredown with a male fan who he sees checking out Ripley from behind. Ripley climbs into the ring and looks across at Marcus as Saxon joins her at ringside, reaching up and giving her a pat on butt before she leans down and the two share another kiss.



Match 2: Young Lions’ Cup III: Quarter Final 3: Marcus Allen Jones vs. Ella Ripley:



The bell rings and Marcus and Ripley come forward, quickly locking up. Marcus locks in a headlock and Ripley drops to one knee. She pushes up and forces Marcus into the ropes, trying to shove him off, but Marcus maintains his grip, taking Ripley over and synching in the headlock deeper. She tries to resist again but Marcus keeps the hold locked in. Ripley begins to get to her feet and she forces Marcus into the ropes again, this time managing to push him off to the opposite ropes. As she grabs the official, Saxon grabs an ankle and Marcus staggers. He turns and Saxon leaps up with The Knuckler! Marcus drops to the mat and Ripley makes the cover.



One…

Two…

Thre-



Marcus gets a shoulder up in the nick of time! The fans cheer loudly before booing Saxon as he gets on the apron to protest. With the official distracted, Ripley pulls a set of brass knux from her boot and slips them on. She stalks Marcus as he gets to his feet and she aims a right hand, but he ducks and lands a Pele kick, sending the knux towards the ropes. Ripley drops to a knee and Marcus hits the ropes, coming back at her with a shining wizard. Marcus then hits the ropes again and charges at the opposite side, landing a corkscrew moonsault plancha to take Saxon out. He stands and rallies the fans before getting onto the apron and calling for Ripley to get to her feet.



MW: You said the number game would give Ella Ripley an advantage in this match-

SD: And it nearly did.

MW: Nearly. But now Marcus has taken out Tommy Saxon and is in control.

SD: Ripley doesn’t want to turn around right now.



As Ripley turns, Marcus leaps up and lands a springboard missile dropkick. He doesn’t waste any time, pulling Ripley to her feet and lifting her before planting her with a falcon arrow. He looks up to the top rope and climbs quickly, his back to the ring, before coming down with a perfect phoenix splash. He holds for a cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Ripley just kicks out. Marcus looks down at her and grabs her by the head to pull her up to her feet. Positioning himself behind her, he grabs her by the waist and lifts her for a wheelbarrow facebuster, but she manages to roll through, taking Marcus down and rolling into The Ripper! Marcus struggles and quickly scrambles to the ropes before it can be properly locked in. As Ripley breaks the hold, the shakes off the damage Marcus had caused before seeing him rising to a knee. She quickly lands a Rip-Roaring Elbow before making a cover.



One…

Two…

T-



Marcus kicks out. Ripley looks down as Saxon gets back to his feet, quickly pocketing the brass knux. Ripley lifts Marcus and lands a snap suplex before rolling through and pulling him up for another, this time suplexing him into the turnbuckles. He slides down them and Ripley steps over him, climbing up onto the top rope before looking for the Lucky Star Press, which Marcus barely avoids.



MW: Marcus getting out of dodge on that one.

SD: Ella Ripley proving that she can stand toe-to-toe with Marcus Allen Jones, at least for a time.

MW: But Marcus has some time to recover now. He’s getting to his feet before Ripley, and she won’t want to see that.



Marcus stands and stalks Ripley as she pushes up as well. She turns into a thrust kick to the gut, which Marcus follows up with a running swinging neckbreaker. He then hits the ropes and comes back with a standing shooting star press, making another cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Ripley gets her should up. Marcus stands and pulls Ripley up with him, whipping her into the corner and landing a running dropkick. She staggers out of the corner and Marcus pulls her in and this time connects with the wheelbarrow facebuster. He rolls her over for another cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Again Ripley manages to kick out. Marcus pulls her up again and traps her arm, looking to end the match. He spins her out and looks for Six Stars, but Ripley counters, avoiding the knee and landing a Northern Lights suplex. She rolls away, recovering from Marcus’ onslaught. She uses the ropes to pull herself up before turning to Marcus, who is on one knee. She looks for another Rip-Roaring Elbow, but Marcus ducks it, rolling through into a handspring enzeguiri. With Ripley down, he looks to the top rope again. He climbs up but Saxon gets onto the apron and grabs hold of his leg. Marcus tries to shake him off and the official comes over to warn him, but Saxon shoves the official aside, distracting him for a moment, as he looks to land The Knuckler again with the brass knux. Marcus, however, catches the fist, uses it to hold his balance as he walks the top rope and leaps down to lands a hurricanrana to the outside. Saxon lands hard but Marcus makes it back to his feet quickly, only for Ripley to take him down with a suicide dive. He hits the guardrail and Ripley quickly lays into him with stomps.



SD: What did I say about the numbers game?

MW: It seems to be taking its toll on Marcus in this one. He needs to find a way to regain control.

SD: Slumped against a guardrail? Unlikely!

MW: And now Ella Ripley may be looking for the Colby Cannonball.



Ripley drags Marcus towards a section of guardrail where she has a long run-up before backing away. She charges at him and connects with the Colby Cannonball before standing and holding her back. She reaches down and grabs Marcus, lifting him up and rolling him into the ring. Ripley follows, quickly making a deep cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Marcus gets a shoulder up and the fans cheer loudly once again. Ripley bangs the mat and remonstrates with the official, but he clearly signals two. As she argues, Saxon pushes himself to his feet, still wearing the brass knux. Ripley moves back to Marcus and pulls him up, lifting him for a vertical suplex, but he drops down behind her. She turns but he drives a knee into her gut and connects with a Canadian destroyer. As he makes the cover, Tommy Saxon gets onto the apron and distracts the official again. Marcus, looking frustrated, moves over to Saxon, grabbing the official and shoving him aside, only for Saxon to aim a knux-assisted right hand. Marcus, however, ducks it and connects with a Pele kick to the arm, sending the knux flying up into the air. As they come down, Marcus catches them and slips them onto his fist, landing a right hand to Saxon to send him to the floor, motionless.



MW: Tommy Saxon gets what was coming to him!

SD: But watch out!



Ella Ripley reaches up and grabs Marcus into a schoolboy roll-up, grabbing a hold of the tights.



One…

Two…

Three.



Winner: Ella Ripley (11:53).



MW: No way!

SD: The numbers game did it in the end. Marcus Allen Jones has been beaten by Ella Ripley!

MW: She grabbed the tights after Tommy Saxon distracted Marcus. She may have advanced, but I can’t say that she’s won this match.

SD: But the record books will. The Suplex Sweethearts must have learnt from the loss last week against Berry and now they’ve beaten arguably the best man in this competition. Ella Ripley advances to the semi-finals on her YLC debut.

MW: And Marcus Allen Jones has suffered his first defeat in this competition.



Ripley quickly gets out of the ring as Marcus stands and looks ruefully at her. He shakes his head and sighs as she smirks, helping Saxon to his feet. The two of them share another kiss, but quickly scamper to the back as Marcus leaves the ring.



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Backstage, Botiatus is with Dasha Banks.



DB: I’m joined now by FPW Freedom Champion, Botiatus. Thank you for joining me.

B: No problem.

DB: Botiatus, you defended your title successfully in what many have said was an early Match of the Year-contender against Masa Tchyukiro. You must be suffering from the after-effects of that one?

B: I’ve got a few aches and pains from that for sure. Tchyukiro put up a hell of a fight and I respect him for it. He gave me everything he had and he made me pull out a lot from my locker too. But at the end of the match, it was me with my arm raised and me with this belt still over my shoulder, just like I intend it to be for a long, long time.

DB: And now you’ve accepted a challenge from Tchyukiro’s Gusrdians of Strong Style partner, Hiro Takahara. Why Takahara?

B: Well, I won’t say that Takahara has earned a chance from winning matches because he hasn’t. But I respect strong style. Like I said earlier, Takahara gave Marcus Allen Jones a tough match and I want to face guys like Marcus myself. If I can beat some of the guys a little lower down the card, I’ll work my way to defending this belt against some upper-level guys like Marcus. A win over both Guardians of Strong Style will leave nobody in doubt over how tough I am and how much passion I defend this belt with.

DB: You’ve also recently taken an interest in Berry Bishop. What are your intentions?

B: Spoken like a true best friend. My intentions are nothing but honourable, Dasha. I don’t like the way that she was treated by her brother and I want to help her get better. In fact, you saw him ask me that himself. Currently, she doesn’t seem too eager to take me up on my offer, but I know that my suggestions helped her overcome Tommy Saxon. In time, I’m sure she’ll see her way to accepting my help. After all, if I’d been treated the way she has by some of the guys around here, I’d probably have a few trust issues too.

DB: And finally, we’re seeing the return of Liz Karlson to FPW tonight. You beat her for the Freedom Title. Assuming you manage to keep it after YLCIII, would you consider facing her again?

B: In the match at Judgement Day II, I won, but she gained my respect. If you haven’t worked it out yet, respect is important to me. If Karlson wants to challenge me, all she has to do is ask. I’ll be there and I’ll put this baby on the line- assuming I still have it, of course. I’ll defend this title against anyone at any time. MDE, Clutch, Tchyukiro, Takahara… Karlson maybe after that? Then who knows. Anyone who wants to try and take this from me knows where I am.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



MW: “We have a very intriguing match up next.”



SD: “You can say that again.”



MW: A backstage altercation and a lack of challengers for the tag team championships led to a number one contender’s match of sorts.”



SD: “If Russ Bolt and Danica Jane, a rather untested team, can defeat the Death Squad, who are the only team in FPW who hold a victory over the current champions, then the Dogs of War will see Russ and Danica as worthy challengers and put the titles on the line against them.”



MW: “Do we know what happens if Death Squad pick up the victory? Will they recieve another shot at the champions?”



SD: “I don’t know, I presume we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”



‘Broken Bones’ hits the speakers, and Ava Knight leads Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing out onto the stage. They glare out into the crowd before beginning to walk down the ramp, cursing at various members of the front row.



From within the ring, Dasha Banks began introducing the teams. “The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Las Vegas Nevada and Denver Colorado respectively and being accompanied by Ava Knight, Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing, the Death Squad!” Death Squad stepped into the ring, with Ava stepping up to Dasha and intimidating her as Balmer and Downing posed on the turnbuckles.



Death Squad’s entrance was cast into darkness as a pair of spotlights shone on the stage and ‘This Fire Burns’ began to play. Russ Bolt and Danica Jane stood visible under the lights, Russ standing calm and collected, while Danica couldn’t help fidgeting out of nervousness. The lights in the arena came back on and the pair of them started walking towards the ring, with Danica lagging behind Russ somewhat.



“And introducing their opponents, from Miami Florida and Los Angeles California respectively, Russ Bolt and Danica Jane!”



Russ wasted no time stepping through the ropes and into the ring, but Danica hesitated on the apron. Russ noticed and, although he rolled his eyes a little, opened the ropes and encouraged her to step into the ring. Danica bit her lip and stepped through the ropes. She and Russ shed their excess gear and settled into a corner across from Death Squad. Seeing Balmer in the ring for their opponents, Russ motioned for Danica to step back onto the apron, signalling that he’d start the match.



Match 3: Death Squad vs Russ Bolt and Danica Jane
(written by Mason):

Russ and Balmer circled each other before they both aggressively snapped into a lockup, with Balmer using his strength advantage to shove Russ to the floor. He laughed at Russ’ shocked face and motioned for him to get back up. Russ did so and went right back on the offense, faking a takedown attempt before landing a pair of quick strikes to the midsection. He took a slight step back and then leapt up to get a different angle on forearms strike, but Balmer grabbed him out of the air before tossing him back down. Russ made it back to his feet, a bit more slowly this time, and Balmer used that extra time to back into his corner and tag in Mary Downing, who enters the ring with a devilish grin. She stood in front of Russ and spread her arms, saying “go on Russ, hit me.” She leaned forward, tapping the side of her face to reinforce the invitation. Russ took a deep breath and brought his arm back, seemingly about to strike, but then walked backwards and tagged in Danica, causing Downing to laugh.



Danica stepped into the ring, and Downing watched her approach, never taking her eyes off her, a smile on her face. She feinted a punch, causing Danica to flinch, and then started laughing at the reaction. She kept laughing until Danica suddenly slapped her across the face/ Downing was stunned, and Danica took advantage of her lowered guard by kicking her in the gut, driving her back. Downing’s expression turned to rage and she swung a wild and powerful punch, only for Danica to duck and catch her with an enzuigiri that dropped her. Danica quickly made a cover.



...1!.Kick-out!



MW: “Danica aquitting herself well in this match despite her obvious nerves.”



Danica pulled Downing upright and whipped her into the ropes, catching her with a shoulder block on the rebound, but Downing simply laughed it off, motioning for her to try again. Danica obliged, running to the ropes and rebounding into another attempt, only to get caught with a powerful lariat. Danica went down, and Downing attempted a senton to follow up, but Danica just managed to roll out of the way, diving into her corner to tag in Russ.



Russ stepped in and pointed across the ring as Downing returned to her feet, telling her to tag out She began to do so, taking a step back and starting to turn around, only to whip back around and kick Russ in the gut, doubling him over and then pulling him into a DDT. “Now I’ll tag out.” she taunted as she strode into her corner and lazily tagged in Balmer. Balmer entered the ring as Russ began to rise, pulling him into a front facelock, lifting him up and draping him over the top rope. He then ran to the ropes and rebounded into a running knee strike to the side of Russ’ head. Russ began to fall forward into the ring, but Balmer caught him and lifted him back up before turning around and driving him to the mat with a powerbomb. Russ went limp as he hit, and Balmer slid into a cocky cover, refusing to hook the legs.



...1!...2!.Kick-out!





Balmer raised an eyebrow as Russ escaped his cover, and then hauled him to his feet. He hammered him in the stomach before whipping him into the corner, following him in to deliver a crushing lariat, then delivered a knife-edge chop that echoed through the arena. Russ almost fell, just barely holding himself up on the ropes, and Balmer took advantage of his position, holding his head down and driving knees into his forehead repeatedly. Russ was dazed, and Balmer grabbed his wrist, pulling him into an overhead belly to belly, tossing him across the ring. Russ tried to reach for Danica to make the tag, but Balmer stomped on his head, halting his movements before rolling him over to make a cover.



...1!...2!.Kick-out!



Now Balmer let out a growl of frustration before he pulled Russ to his feet, whipping him into the ropes. Balmer went for a clothesline, but Russ dropped down, sliding between his legs to avoid the strike. He popped up to his feet and delivered a dropkick, driving Balmer forward into the ropes. Balmer turned around as he rebounded, and Russ scooped him up to deliver an Alabama Slam, driving Balmer into the mat!



MW: “Russ Bolt fighting back into the match, he has to make a cover right now!”



SD: “But he’s going towards the corner, looking for a tag instead. Not necessarily a bad idea, but it’s giving Balmer time to do the same.”



Russ reached out and tagged in Danica, and just a moment later, Balmer tagged in Downing. Both women rushed each other, with Downing attempting a clothesline, but Danica ducked under, and as Downing turned around, she caught her with an enzuigiri. WIth Downing dazed, Danica pulled her to the mat with a snapmare, following up with a shining wizard. The crowd cheered as Danica signalled for an end to the match, waiting for Downing to get up. Downing did so, and Danica leapt up, connecting with the Lights Out! Downing dropped hard, and Danica made a cover.



...1!...2!..Kick-out!



MW: “That’s Danica’s best shot, and Mary Downing just powered out!”



Danica froze for a moment, stunned that she’d been unable to put away Downing. She shook her head and refocused on her opponent, but the few moments of delay allowed Downing to retreat into her corner and tag in Balmer. Danica turned to her corner to try and tag in Russ, but while the referee checked on Downing, Ava Knight pulled Russ off the apron and tossed him into the stairs. Danica was shocked as she realized she was left alone with Aiden Balmer, and she slowly turned around to face him. Balmer smiled and motioned her forward. Danica gulped, and then exploded forward, connecting with alternating forearms to drive him back before connecting with a pele kick. But Balmer didn’t go down, so Danica ran to the ropes, rebounding off of them and coming back towards Balmer with a clothesline, only to be met with a big boot! Danica was practically knocked out, falling to the ground and not moving. Balmer dropped into mount on top of her and began raining down right hands as Ava Knight and Mary Downing taunted the crowd. Balmer lifted Danica’s limp body up, pointing and laughing as she weakly tried to fight against him. He lifted her up to connect with the Gift of Gore, slamming her into the mat, holding her shoulders down to make the cover. The ref started counting, but as he did so, Russ slid back into the ring, running forward and delivering a penalty kick to the exposed Balmer! Danica rolled over and began to crawl into the corner as Russ guarded her. Danica made it to the corner and Russ stepped out onto the apron to make the tag, then hurried to the top rope, leaping off before Balmer could stand up to connect with a Thunderbolt elbow drop! He made a quick cover, hooking both of Balmer’s legs.



...1!...2!...3!



Winners: Russ Bolt and Danica Jane (12:02)


MW: “They did it! Russ Bolt and Danica Jane overcome the intimidating presence of Death Squad to earn a shot at the FPW Tag Team Championships!”



Danica stumbled into the ring and stood with Russ as the referee raised their arms. The two of them shared a quick hug as a portion of the audience cheered their victory.



SD: “I wasn’t sure that these two, who we’ve rarely seen team together, would be able to overcome the experience and sheer ruthlessness of Death Squad, especially if they refused to wrestle opponents of the opposite gender, something that Death Squad have no problem with. But Russ and Danica proved me wrong and came away with the victory and the title shot tonight.”



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Backstage, Marcus Allen Jones is walking through the corridor. He comes to an office and is about to push open the door but he pauses and knocks. After a moment, a voice calls him in and Marcus enters to find Jim Houston sat behind his desk.



JH: Marcus. Why am I not surprised? Come in.

MAJ: You saw what happened out there, right?

JH: Yes, I saw it and-

MAJ: How Saxon and Ripley turned it into a handicap match?

JH: Yes, I saw, but-

MAJ: And how it was remarkably similar to what happened to Mason?

JH: It was very similar. Howe-

MAJ: He had a chance to make things right. What do I have to do? I’ll face both of them if I have to.

JH: Look, Marcus-

MAJ: Come on! To give Mason a chance and not me… is this because of our history?

JH: Our history is just that- history. You’ve worked hard to earn my respect and you’ve done it tenfold by now. I can’t get you back in the tournament. I’m sorry.

MAJ: But Mason-

JH: Mason was different. He was targeted and screwed over repeatedly by The Queendom, and he stayed focussed on his match. You actively attacked Tommy Saxon and tried to bite off more than you could chew. Besides, Mason had another show to get a match on and you don’t. If I gave you a second chance, it would have to happen before the semi-finals and I can’t in good conscience put someone through a potential three-match night. It wouldn’t be right. So I’m sorry, Marcus, but the result will stand.

MAJ: Fine. But you know as well as I do that if I’m not on the card for the show, it won’t sell as well. I’m not being arrogant. I’ve seen the same numbers you have. I sell tickets. If Ripley is in the semi-final, fine. Give me Saxon. One-on-one. Let me beat him and then give me a shot at Ripley again. If she wins the tournament, I want my chance to show I can beat her.

JH: You make a good point, Marcus. I guess I can find a sport on the card. Marcus Allen Jones versus Tommy Saxon at Young Lions’ Cup III. You’ve got it.

MAJ: Thank you.



Marcus turns to leave but stops as Houston speaks.



JH: Oh. And Marcus. You may not have won the Young Lions’ Cup, but you’ve earned a title match as much as anybody on the roster, if not more. All you have to do is ask. I mean that.



Marcus looks at Houston and nods before turning and leaving the office.



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MW: Well we’re about to find out our final semi-finalist and this match is set to be something special.

SD: Liz Karlson makes her first appearance in two and a half months against Go Shihei.

MW: We’ll talk Karlson in a moment. But first… Go Shihei is a powerhouse who entered FPW and seemed like someone who couldn’t be stopped. Why hasn’t he done more?

SD: I’m not certain, but he’s inexperienced. Go Shihei has the physical tools to be a dominant, bruising heavyweight. He’s as powerful as anybody else, if not more so. He could be a champion for sure, but I think his mentality may be lagging behind his physical ability. He’s lost a lot of matches that he’s been in control of. We know that he was working with Kate Mustang, but her focus was going on Graham Baker, and I don’t know if he was getting the kind of mentoring that he would have been expecting. Without her, maybe he’ll find a way to fulfil his potential.

MW: So Liz Karlson, then. She had a good run with Freedom Championship. Her 113-day run is second only to Jace Mason’s long run but she lost it in the same match where she got injured. She said herself that she wants to keep moving forward from where she was, but do you think she’ll be ready to slot right back into that near-top tier that she was in when she left?

SD: She’s one of the best technicians in FPW and her knowledge of submission wrestling is as good as anybody. Mentally, I think she’ll be right there, but physically nobody knows, not even Karlson. Not until she gets into a ring for real will she be certain about whether she’s ready. You can train all you like, but when you’re stood across from someone who you know is trying to knock you out, all of that training can easily go out of the window. She won’t know until she takes her first big move from Shihei.

MW: With the winner going on to face Ella Ripley, this final quarter-final is a great opportunity for one of these two to make a big splash in Young Lions’ Cup III. Let’s find out which will emerge victorious.



“Ladies and gentlemen, this match is scheduled for one-fall and will be the fourth and final quarter-final of Young Lions’ Cup III. Introducing first, from Osaka, Japan, this is Holy Fury… Go Shihei!”



The opening monologue to ‘Fury, Oh Fury’ begins and darkness fills the arena. As the monologue ends and the lyrics begin, the lights come up dark red and white and out steps Go Shihei. He surveys the arena and looks over the fans who give him a mild reception, before beating on his chest and make his way down to the ring with an intense stare. He reaches the ring and climbs onto the apron before stepping through the ropes. Once in the ring, Shihei beats his chest a few more times and then settles into the corner to await his opponent.



“And his opponent, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and making her return to Freedom Pro Wrestling, this is ‘The Renegade’, Elizabeth Karlson!”



‘Turn It On’ begins and the lights flicker on and off along with the music. Cheers fill the arena as Karlson steps through the curtain backwards, the Renegade design on her vest clear for the camera. She turns and looks around the arena, nodding to herself before making her way down the ramp with a purpose, holding out her hands but not looking away from Go Shihei, who stares straight back at her. Karlson enters the ring and climbs the turnbuckles, looking out into the fans. She does the same on two other corners before walking towards Shihei’s corner. He stands his ground and she stops, staring him in the face before the official moves her back.



Match 4: Young Lions’ Cup III: Quarter-Final 4: Go Shihei vs. Elizabeth Karlson:



The official calls for the bell and Karlson and Shihei both remain in their corners for a moment, Karlson stretching herself out as Shihei stares her down. After a few moments, she claps her hands and moves forward, and the two lock up. After a brief lock-up, Shihei shoves Karlson away and she drops to the mat. Karlson bangs on the mat and quickly gets to her feet, coming in again to lock up. The two lock up again and the same thing happens, Shihei shoving Karlson down. Karlson bangs the mat, but, this time, she doesn’t get to her feet. Instead, she remains on the mat and beckons Shihei forward.



As Shihei moves in, he reaches down to grab Karlson by the head, but she raises her legs and pulls him into a triangle choke. Shihei lifts her up and looks for a quick powerbomb escape, but Karlson releases her legs and drops to her feet, landing a hard mid-kick to Shihei’s chest, but he stands his ground. Karlson goes for another, but again Shihei stands his ground. Karlson then aims a leg kick, but Shihei catches it and lifts Karlson for a version of a pop-up powerbomb. He reaches down again and pulls her to her feet, whipping her into the turnbuckles and following up with a hard running lariat. Karlson collapses down into a seated position.



MW: A strong start from Go Shihei.

SD: Karlson tried to use her power but she’s no match for Shihei in the power game. She couldn’t keep her submissions locked in so she went to her kicks- which I hear she’s really been working on- and they didn’t make Shihei budge. I’m not sure what else she can do.

MW: And now Go Shihei is in control. This isn’t the return that Liz Karlson was hoping for.



Shihei reaches down and pulls Karlson up to her feet in the corner. He lands a hard chop and the fans gasp at the sound. He holds her up by the chin and lands another, before landing a third which causes Karlson to stagger out of the corner. Shihei hits the ropes and connects with another running lariat, Karlson hitting the mat hard and folding up. Shihei makes a cover.



One…

Two…

T-



Karlson kicks out. Shihei stands and looks down at her as she gets onto all-fours. He reaches down and lands a clubbing blow across her back, forcing her down again. He then bends down and lifts her, connecting with a deadlift Saito suplex before making another cover.



One…

Two…

Th-



Karlson kicks out again. Shihei pulls Karlson up again and forces her into the corner. From the corner, he whips her across the ring into the opposite corner and she connects hard with the turnbuckles, staggering out. Shihei charges at her for another hard lariat, but she ducks it and hit the ropes, coming at Shihei with a running cross-body, but he catches her. Karlson tries to resist but Shihei drops her over his knee for a hard backbreaker.



MW: Liz Karlson getting some breathing space but only for a second.

SD: Go Shihei looks great out here. Liz Karlson is struggling to infict any kind of damage and now she looks to be in real trouble.

MW: Shihei has certainly had the best of this match but I don’t think Karlson will just lay down. She’s struggled to make much of an impact on him so far, but she’ll have something up her sleeve for sure.



Shihei backs away and hits the ropes before running at Karlson and looking for a running senton, only for Karlson to roll out of the way. Shihei hits the mat hard and Karlson forces herself to get to her feet quickly before landing several hard kicks to Shihei’s chest as he sits in the middle of the ring. She then hits the ropes and comes back with a shining wizard. Karlson then stands and calls to the crowd as they cheer for her. She waits for Shihei to get back to his feet and then she hits the ropes, landing a hard lariat. Shihei staggers, and Karlson hits the ropes again, landing another hard lariat. Shihei staggers again and Karlson hits the ropes for a third time, only this time she runs right past Shihei and comes back with a shining wizard to the knee before catching Shihei into a grapevine ankle lock.



MW: What a great idea from Karlson!

SD: If Go Shihei can’t stand, he can’t use his power. This could take away his biggest advantage.

MW: The official checking on Shihei and asking if he wants to tap. I don’t think he’ll willingly give up on this match though.



Shihei begins to drag himself over to the ropes, and Karlson is powerless to stop him. He reaches the bottom rope and she releases her hold but she quickly climbs to the top rope and, as he pulls himself up on the ropes, lands a mushroom stomp. He drops back down and Karlson stands behind him before bending down and wrapping her arms around his waist. The crowd gasp and she tries to lift Shihei, but she struggles.



MW: There’s no way that Liz Karlson can do this!



She begins to lift Shihei off the canvas before dropping him back down again and releasing her grip.



SD: He’s too big. She’s certainly bulked up, but this is too much for Karlson.



With a grimace of determination, Karlson bends down again and grips him for a second time. She lifts, and he comes off the canvas.



MW: She’s going to do it!



Karlson pulls Shihei up a few more inches, but she still can’t manage it, and drops him back down. She backs away and he begins to stand, but she comes at him with a chop block to the back of his left knee. He drops to one knee and Karlson connects with a buzzsaw kick to the side of Shihei’s head. He drops down and rolls under the bottom rope. Karlson catches him and begins to pull him up, forcing his head and upper body back through the top and middle ropes. She lands a series of Kawada kicks to his head before looking to the top rope. She steps through and climbs up before connecting with a Brick Shithouse Bomb to Shihei’s back. He drops down into the ring and Karlson hurriedly rolls him over, making a cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Shihei kicks out. Karlson looks at the official to confirm it was only two before standing up and stepping away from him. She stalks Shihei as he begins to stand. She moves towards him and steps up for Full Fuckin’ Force, but Shihei catches her and delivers a brutal sit-out powerbomb, holding for a cover.



One…

Two…

Thr-



Karlson gets her shoulder up.



MW: Shihei so close to a victory there!

SD: Karlson came close to finishing it but she became the one who had to kick out.

MW: It was a beautiful counter from Go Shihei.



Shihei begins to make it to his feet before Karlson and he slaps himself on the head a couple of times. As Karlson stands, Shihei grabs hold of her and whips her into the ropes before taking her down with a hard big boot. He lifts her and forces her into the corner. Shihei takes a few steps and lands a hard lariat before clubbing several move lariats into Karlson. She begins to drop but he catches her and pushes her up onto the top rope. He follows and grips Karlson around the waist, before landing a top-rope belly to belly overhead suplex. Karlson lands hard and Shihei stands, looking down at her before stepping through the ropes and climbing back up to the top rope. Shihei looks down and leaps off for Year of the Toad, only for Karlson to catch him in another triangle, transitioning to a triangle armbar.



Shihei fights against it, but Karlson pulls back as hard as she can. He pushes up with his other arm but drops back down before making one last effort to make it to the ropes. Despite Karlson’s resistance, Shihei manages to get an arm over the bottom rope. Karlson breaks the hold and takes a moment to recover before forcing herself to her feet. She looks at Shihei as he pulls himself up to his feet and then she hits the ropes, charging at him and finally taking him down with another lariat. Karlson stands behind him and cries out before wrapping her arms around him and lifting, the crowd cheering loudly as Karlson lands a huge deadlift suplex. She stands, staggers for a moment, and then lands Full Fuckin’ Force. She rolls Shihei over and makes the cover.



One…

Two…

Three.



Winner: Elizabeth Karlson (14:43)



MW: A huge win for Liz Karlson to advance to the semi-finals!

SD: And she’s the fourth female semi-finalist, but, more importantly, she pulled off a big victory over a very determined Go Shihei.

MW: Karlson took a lot of punishment but she shows just how good she could be. She’s got to be a big favourite to make a final as well as potentially taking home the entire thing.

SD: So it’ll be Myra Lopez vs. Berry Bishop vs. Jace Mason and Ella Ripley vs. Liz Karlson.



Karlson has her hand raised and she staggers towards the ropes before holding her arms up to the fans and leaving the ring.



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Backstage, Dasha Banks stands outside the trainer’s room with Bobby O.



DB: Bobby, tonight was very eventful for you. What did you make of what happened after the bell of your match?

BO: I’m fed up. Two weeks ago, it was Danica Jane crossing a line. Now Artemis Evans? CJ is not a trained wrestler. I know that she takes a risk by coming to the ring with me, but it shouldn’t make her a target, even if she did strike out at Evans in self-defence. If anyone wants to get at me, they know where I am. You don’t get to me through her. You get to me by standing across from me in a ring and seeing if you can beat me. And Artemis, that’s what you’ll have to do in two weeks.

DB: Of course your victory tonight took Lopez and Donovan out of the equation for the FPW Championship match. You must like your chances going into that one.

BO: I always back myself going into a match. I proved against Sevren that I can beat anybody when given a fair chance at them. I’ll do the same to Evans. She won the title because of the Dead Man’s Chest- and she only won that because Marcus sacrificed himself to stop Sevren from winning it. She defended it against Mason because she had help. Now she has to defend it one-on-one against the best wrestler in FPW who she’s just given extra motivation to.

DB: Clutch McCloud also had some strong comments aimed at you. What do you make of those?

BO: Clutch McCloud knows where to find me as well. He sat on commentary throughout my match and I heard some of what he had to say about me. After I deal with Evans- and I mean after. Stay the hell away from that match, Clutch- I’ll deal with Clutch McCloud. I haven’t forgotten what he did to me. He can’t hit me on the head with a pipe and expect to get away with it.

DB: After CJ threw away the pipe, did you happen to pick up a new one?

BO: No. I’ll deal with my problems the right way now. As much as I might want to take an eye for an eye with Clutch McCloud, I’ll beat him in the ring. The same with Evans. The best revenge is taking that FPW Championship, and it’s about time that I did. When I saved us from TakeOver 2.0, I earned the right to call myself Mr. FPW. At Young Lions’ Cup III, Mr. FPW is going to be able to call himself FPW Champion.



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MW: Now it’s time for our main event of the night as we get a rematch from Season Four Launch Party.

SD: Jerry Bishop didn’t think it was worth the energy to beat Aaron Williams after the Beat the Clock time expired. He got counted out and Williams demanded a second chance to face Jerry. Tonight that match happens.

MW: We’ve heard Aaron Williams say how determined he is to put on a show tonight with Jerry Bishop, but it doesn’t seem that Jerry shares that same desire.

SD: And why should he? Jerry Bishop wants to win matches not put on shows. He’s here to be FPW Champion, to give these fans what they deserve. Wrestling for forty minutes against Aaron Williams won’t help him as much as dispatching him in five minutes. That’s what I expect Jerry to do tonight.

MW: Aaron Williams seems to have found a new motivation in recent weeks, mostly from Jerry Bishop. I’m not sure it’ll be quite as easy as that to beat him.

SD: I think Jerry can beat whoever he wants to beat. Aaron Williams is in his way and he’ll remove him as an obstacle. I guarantee Jerry Bishop sees Williams as just that- an obstacle on his way to becoming FPW Champion. Williams doesn’t see Bishop in the same way. He sees Jerry Bishop as someone to cling onto to keep himself relevant. Since the Free-1, Aaron Williams has done nothing here. After tonight, he’ll be back to being nothing and nobody.



“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is our main event and is scheduled for one-fall. Introducing first, from Kansas City, Missouri… ‘The… Jo…ker’… Jerry Bishop.”



Boos ring out around the arena as ‘Shine My Shoes’ begins to play. Jerry Bishop walks onto the stage in his now-familiar new gear. He looks around and hears all of the boos before shaking his head. He raises a finger into the air before pointing down to his shoes with one hand and out into the crowd with another. Making his way down the ramp, Jerry shouts abuse to the fans, telling them that they’re getting exactly what they deserve and they’ll soon see that dream of Jerry Bishop as FPW Champion fulfilled. He climbs into the ring and steps up onto the turnbuckle, extending his arms and closing his eyes, breathing in the boos before dropping down and looking back up the ramp.



“And his opponent… from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania… he is a former two-time Ring of Honor World Champion and a former champion all over the world… ‘A Plus’, Aaron Williams!”



‘I Still Believe’ rings out and Williams emerges immediately, singing along but keeping his eyes focussed on Jerry. He stands and listens as the crowd sings along to the song before making his way down the ramp, slapping hands with fans and pulling out his usual marker pen. He sees a kid in the front row and hands it to him, before smiling as the kids writes ‘Save us, Aaron… you’re our only hope’ on his knee pad. Williams nods to the kid before running to the ring and sliding in, shaking hands with Dasha and the official and then staring across at Jerry, who gives him a cold stare back.



Match 5: Jerry Bishop vs. Aaron Williams:



As the bell rings, Williams comes forward and goes to lock up with Jerry, but Jerry steps through the ropes and drops from the apron. The fans boo loudly but Jerry just stands and smirks at Williams, who stands in the ring with his hands on his hips. Jerry tells the official to move Williams away from the ropes and then climbs back onto the apron. Williams comes forward again and Jerry quickly drops down, wagging his finger at Williams.



“This match is on my terms,” he calls as the fans continue to boo. “This is what you deserve. This is what you all deserve now.”



Williams beckons Jerry into the ring and Jerry steps up onto the apron again. He takes his time, waiting as Williams tells him to get in and start the match. Jerry stands there and Williams comes forward again, only for Jerry to drop down once again to loud boos from the fans. Williams extends his arms and asks Jerry what he thinks he’s doing.



“We’re not having your match tonight, Aaron,” Jerry replies. “We’re not having an Aaron Williams spot-fest. I’m here to win. That’s all. Now back off and let me get into my ring.”



Williams shakes his head and the fans continue to boo, but Williams does back off into the opposite corner. Jerry slowly climbs back onto the apron before stepping into the ring and earning an ironic cheer, to which he turns to the crowd and sarcastically applauds, leading to more boos.



Williams comes forward and looks to lock up with Jerry again, but Jerry ducks the lock up and rolls out the opposite side of the ring. Williams turns and shakes his head at Jerry, who gives him a smirk, only for Williams to drop and rolls out of the ring after Jerry. Jerry runs around the ringpost and slides into the ring. Williams follows but Jerry jumps on him quickly, landing a series of stomps to keep Williams down. The fans boo as Jerry lifts Williams by the arm and lands hard kicks to his ribs. As Jerry lets go, Williams rolls away, but Jerry doesn’t let up, dropping down and locking in a headlock. He pushes up with his hips to apply more pressure and manages to avoid Williams’ attempts to lock in a headscissors.



MW: This certainly isn’t the type of match that Aaron Williams would have had in mind.

SD: But it’s just what Jerry Bishop will have wanted. Williams got frustrated and gave Jerry an opening.

MW: And these fans are not liking how it’s going so far.

SD: Aaron Williams promised them the spectacle to end all spectacles, but he’s not delivering. I can understand their frustration.

MW: Will this help Jerry?

SD: I think so. He’ll be loving this reaction. He’s deliberately tried frustrate Aaron Williams and all of these fans, and he’s succeeded in both so far.



Williams pushes up to a knee and begins to fight back against Jerry, forcing him into the ropes. He shoves him off and sends Jerry into the opposite ropes, but Jerry catches the top rope and ducks between the top and middle rope. Williams runs towards him but the official holds him back as Jerry is in the ropes. Williams holds out his arms in frustration but the official shrugs and Jerry, behind the official’s back, pokes Williams in the eye. Williams staggers back and Jerry moves in with another headlock, taking him over once again. Jerry again pushes up with his hips to apply more pressure and he still manages to avoid Williams’ attempts to use his legs to escape.



Williams tries to push up to his feet again, but, as soon as he gets to one knee, Jerry sweeps it out and transitions into a chinlock. He keeps all of his weight on Williams and orders the official to check on him as the fans continue to rain down abuse. Jerry maintains the hold as a ‘boring’ chant breaks out. As it gets louder and louder, Jerry smirks, wrenching on the chinlock in time to the chant. Williams begins to bang the mat in an attempt to get some support for a comeback, and the boring chant breaks down into a rhythmic clap which helps Williams fight against Jerry’s hold. Williams gets to his feet slowly, and drives an elbow into Jerry’s gut. Jerry releases the hold and Williams hits the ropes, aiming a lariat at Jerry, only for Jerry to duck and roll out of the ring again, leading to yet more vociferous boos from the fans.



MW: Is this a wrestling match or… I don’t know what it is but this isn’t what these fans paid for.

SD: And The Jester is revelling in it.

MW: But Aaron Williams most certainly isn’t.

SD: And that’s why it’s genius from Jerry Bishop. He’s got Williams just where he wants him.



Williams climbs out after Jerry, who moves to the opposite side of the ring. Williams goes to run to the left, but Jerry goes the same way, keeping the distance between them. Williams then changes direction, but so does Jerry, again maintaining the distance between them. Williams bangs the ring in frustration before sliding into the ring and charging at Jerry, diving between the ropes with a suicide dive, only for Jerry to move out of the way. Williams lands with a loud thud on the floor and Jerry looks down at him with another smirk. Jerry slowly rolls back into the ring and tells the official to start his count.



1……….

2……….

3……….



Williams lies on the floor clutching at his chest.



4……….

5……….

6……….



Williams begins to move, but he’s clearly hurt from the impact on the outside.



7……….



Williams pushes up to all-fours.



8……….



Williams grabs the edge of the ring and forces himself back in. Jerry quickly grabs hold of his wrist and lifts his arm, landing kicks to his ribs again. Williams tries to cover up but he can’t, and Jerry keeps up the barrage of kicks. After releasing the wrist, Jerry goes back to the chinlock, and forces Williams down to the mat, putting all of his bodyweight onto him so that he struggles to take a breath.



MW: Once again these fans sharing their opinion of these tactics from Jerry Bishop.

SD: They can tell him all they like that they think this is a boring match, but it’s the exact response he wanted. He told Aaron Williams that he wasn’t going to wrestle the match Williams wanted. We’re almost ten minutes in and we’ve seen a chinlock, a headlock and several kicks to the ribs. That’s it. It’s like we’re back in the thirties and Jerry Bishop is loving every second of it.

MW: I smell and MDE influence in this as well.

SD: Jerry’s technique has certainly improved.



Williams tries to push himself up again but, every time he does, Jerry uses one of legs to sweep out Williams’ arm. Jerry keeps the hold on and the restlessness of the fans grows and grows, but Jerry’s smirk just gets bigger and bigger. Williams makes another effort to push himself up, and Jerry tries to sweep the arm again, but Williams catches his ankle and traps it between his forearm and bicep, allowing himself to release the pressure and push up to a knee. Jerry frees his leg, but not in time to stop Williams from getting to his feet. The fans cheer loudly as Williams lifts Jerry for a back suplex, but Jerry flips out of it and drops back into the corner. Williams stands and turns, running at Jerry, who drops down and, once again, out of the ring. Williams collides with the turnbuckles and staggers back, but Jerry remains on the outside.



Williams looks round and sees Jerry on the outside again. He yells at Jerry with frustration, but Jerry just laughs. Williams moves towards the ropes and steps through again, but Jerry slides back into the ring and catches Williams’ leg while it’s still trapped in the ropes. He lands a kind of dragon screw before hitting several more kicks to the knee as Williams remains trapped in the ropes. Jerry pauses for a moment and Williams frees his leg, only for Jerry to catch him before he drops to the floor and pull him back into the ring. Jerry pulls Williams up and lands a parallel snapmare, hitting the ropes and aiming to complete the Touchstone Takedown but… he stops short and instead locks in another chinlock.



MW: Wow these fans hate that!

SD: And look at the smirk on Jerry’s face. He enjoyed that one!

MW: FPW prides itself on putting on the best possible matches, but this… if this is your first show and you were attracted by this match, I promise you this isn’t the kind of match we put on.

SD: when Jerry Bishop wins the match, I can guarantee it’ll be the kind of match we’re going to see a lot more regularly. When Jerry is the FPW Champion, he’ll be happy to wrestle in empty arenas because fans go home during his so-called boring matches.



A ‘boring’ chant fills the arena, and Jerry again torques on the hold in rhythm with the chant. He keeps his body weight on Williams as Williams does all he can to escape from the hold. Jerry managed to maintain it through the struggles and the chant only gets louder and louder. Finally, Williams manages to get a foothold, pushing himself up to one knee again. Jerry tries to resist but Williams powers through, to a loud reaction from the crowd, who are desperate to see the kind of action they expected from this match. Williams gets to his feet and elbows Jerry in the gut again, escaping from the hold. He aims a kick at Jerry, but Jerry ducks it and slides to get out of the ring, only for Williams to catch him.



The fans cheer loudly as Williams drags Jerry back into the ring and unloads on him. He lands a series of forearms before taking him down with a midkick. Jerry tries again to roll out of the ring but Williams catches him, pulling him to his feet and forcing him into the corner, where he unloads a barrage of mid-kicks before backing away into the opposite corner. Williams charges at Jerry and lands a big splash, before backing away and hitting another, then another, and another and another and another, until finally, with the arena coming unglued, Jerry drops down to a seated position. Williams calls for a cannonball as he backs into the corner. He charges at Jerry and looks for it, but Jerry again manages to roll out of the ring. Williams hits the turnbuckles hard and drops down to the mat to loud boos from the fans.



MW: Aaron Williams managing to show these fans a little taste of what they came to see.

SD: But Jerry Bishop escaped in the end. He knew he had to get out of the ring and he managed to do just that.

MW: And now Jerry is recovering on the outside. He seems content to let Williams see him on the outside and get more frustrated rather than to get into the ring and try to get on top of him again.

SD: And why wouldn’t he? He’s done a fine job of frustrating Williams and incensing the fans. Why stop now?



Williams sits up and looks to the outside as Jerry shakes his head again.



“I told you,” Jerry calls to him. “This is my kind of match. My terms. Not yours.”



Jerry stays on the outside as Williams pushes himself up to a vertical base. Williams shakes his head and calls for Jerry to get back into the ring, but Jerry shakes his head with a smirk. Williams sighs and shrugs, before leaping up onto the top rope and looking for a springboard tope con hilo, only for Jerry to move aside again. But Williams lands on his feet! Jerry sees and his eyes widen for a moment before he runs away and around the ring. Williams pursues him and Jerry slides into the ring. Williams follows and Jerry drops down, looking for a front facelock, only for Williams to use sheer determination to push through it and drive Jerry back into the corner. He unleashes a volley of right hands, only for the official to pull him back. Jerry takes advantage by poking Williams in the eye again, leading to more boos from the fans as Jerry this time manages to lock in the front face lock and force Williams to the mat.



MW: And just like that, we’re back to square one in this match.

SD: Aaron Williams pushes Jerry Bishop as much as he could, but Jerry just needed one opportunity to get his strategy back on track.

MW: It certainly seems to be. And this arena is filling up with boos.



Jerry maintains his leverage and keeps Williams grounded, even beginning his own ‘boring’ chant. The fans meet it with yet more boos and Jerry’s smirk gets wider and wider. He orders the official to check on Williams, who is starting to fade, unable to muster the strength to break out of the hold. The official checks on him but tells Jerry that he’s still conscious, and Jerry laughs, yelling to the fans that there’s a lot more of this to come.



Slowly building, a rhythmic clap spreads around the arena as an attempt to make Williams stir. As it reaches its peak, Williams begins to find some energy, slowly pushing himself up against Jerry’s body weight. As the fans begin to cheer louder than they’ve cheered all match, Williams gets to a standing base, hooking an arm over Jerry’s head and freeing himself, desperately lifting Jerry and connecting with a kneecap brainbuster! Williams rolls away and struggles to capitalise, trying desperately to get to his feet. As he does, he pulls Jerry up and, gripping his wrist, lands a series of mid-kicks before connecting with a sudden DDT.



The fans cheer loudly as Williams, gaining in confidence and in energy, lifts Jerry again and hooks an arm over his head. He lifts him and dumps him on the top rope, climbing to the top turnbuckle and looking down at Jerry. Williams is about to launch into a 450-splash, but Jerry gets off the top rope and drops down to the floor once again. He shakes his head at Williams and begins to walk away up the ramp. Williams drops down into the ring and holds his arms out to Jerry, who keeps shaking his head and wagging his finger as he slowly gets further from the ring. The official begins to count.



1……….

2……….

3……….



Boos fill the arena once again as Williams calls for Jerry to come back to the ring.



4……….

5……….

6……….



Williams looks to the official and then to Jerry, who turns as he reaches the top of the ramp. Williams shakes his head and slides out of the ring, running up the ramp. He grabs Jerry and turns him, but Jerry is ready, instantly trapping his arms and dropping him with a Last Laugh onto the ramp. Williams lies motionless as Jerry walks slowly back down the ramp and into the ring. He orders the official to start counting again.



1……….

2……….

3……….

4……….

5……….

6……….



Boos continue to fill the arena as Williams lies totally motionless at the top of the ramp.



7……….

8……….



Jerry stands and soaks in the boos as it becomes clear that Aaron Williams isn’t going to make it back to the ring.



9……….

10.



Winner: Jerry Bishop (26:18).



Jerry demands that the official raise his arm as the boos continue to rain down upon him.



MW: Well this match is over and Jerry Bishop has won it, via countout.

SD: What a victory it was for Jerry Bishop. An expert strategy executed to perfection.

MW: Or a deliberate attempt to deny the fans what they want in order to troll them. If that’s what Jerry wanted, that’s what he managed to do. I have a feeling that this isn’t the end of Jerry Bishop and Aaron Williams’ on-going issue and I certainly hope we see these two have a proper wrestling match at some point in the near future. But for now, for FPW, it’s good night.