Post by Jim Houston on Mar 15, 2020 15:30:58 GMT
The show opens with a montage of moments from the Young Lions’ Cup, showing each person’s progress as Jace Mason gets closer and closer to winning the whole thing. It also features the build-up of Artemis Evans and Bobby O before picking through the highlights of the match. The video ends with an edited shot of Mason holding up the Young Lions’ Cup opposite Evans holding up the FPW Championship. Mike Watson and Steven Deville welcome everyone to the show.
MW: Welcome one and all to Freedom Pro Wrestling and welcome to the Road To Opening Day!
SD: We already know that there are some huge matches in the pipeline for Opening Day, including Bobby O versus Clutch McCloud, Jerry Bishop versus Aaron Williams in a steel cage and the main event, for the FPW Championship: Artemis Evans defending against Jace Mason.
MW: And tonight we continue the build towards the show with some big matches as well as a big announcement for Wrestlemania weekend from Jim Houston.
SD: I have it on good authority that the announcement will be one of the biggest we’ve heard in FPW history. I can’t give more details, but I’m excited to see if what I’ve heard is correct.
MW: There’s a lot of talk about FPW preparing for something big. I think we’re okay to start getting excited right now. But let’s get excited about our next match. Danica Jane faces Berry Bishop as she really tries to get things straight after a lacklustre start to 2020 following a defeat to her brother at Judgement Day II.
SD: I’m not sure that Danica Jane is the right person for Berry to go up against. She’s starting to really showcase what she can do. Her and Russ Bolt may not have won the Tag Team Championships last time out, but they gave The Dogs of War a great match. I see this being a real challenge for Berry.
MW: I’m sure it won’t be easy for her. By her own admittance, she needs to find a spark and she needs to find it soon. I know she’s been avoiding our Freedom Champion Botiatus’ attempts to support her, but it might be worth reconsidering.
SD: I’m sure Berry is reluctant to accept the support of a man who seems to want to help her for mysterious reasons…
MW: I’m sure she’ll be having flashbacks to late 2018, but maybe after tonight she won’t need to look to Bo for support. Let’s find out as we get Road To Opening Day underway.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a singles match and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from New Haven, Connecticut, she is a former Freedom Champion… ‘The Bombshell’… Berry! Bishop!”
‘The Entertainer’ begins to play and Berry bursts out onto the stage, smiling as the fans give her a warm welcome. She bows deeply before rising and playing along to the music and then hopscotching her way down the ramp. As Berry reaches the ring, she plays the ring apron before climbing up and somersaulting over the top rope. She bows once again in the middle of the ring and rises with a smile and a wink to the fans. As the music drops, a ‘Be-rry Bi-shop’ chant takes its place, and she does a little dance in the middle of the ring along with the beats of the chant.
“And her opponent, from Los Angeles, California and being accompanied to the ring by Clutch McCloud… Danica Jane!”
‘This Fire Burns’ begins to play and Danica emerges through the curtain. Clutch stands behind her and looks around as the fans boo, more boos seemingly directed at him than at Danica. The two of them make their way down the ramp, Clutch pointing at Berry and whispering into Danica’s ear as she nods. Danica reaches the ring and slides in before posing on the top rope before walking a few steps on the top rope and backflipping into the ring, leading to a few cheers from the fans and an approving nod from Berry.
Match 1: Berry Bishop vs. Danica Jane:
The bell rings and the two women circle one another before locking up. Danica grabs a headlock and looks to ground Berry, but Berry quickly runs her into the ropes and shoves her away. Danica hits the opposite ropes and comes back at Berry as she aims a kick. Danica ducks it and hits the ropes again, only for Berry to take her down with an arm drag. The two get to their feet quickly, only for Berry to take Jane down with another arm drag. Berry makes it up before Danica this time and she whips her into the ropes before leaping up and taking her down with a headscissors.
Berry stands and bows to the fans before moving in again, pulling Danica to her feet and landing a few forearms before whipping her into the corner. Berry then runs at her and leaps up before taking her down with a monkey flip. Berry makes her first cover.
One…
Tw-
Danica kicks out. Berry stands quickly and hits the ropes, looking for a penalty kick as Danica sits up, but Danica drops down and then trips Berry, dropping her into the middle rope. Clutch applauds on the outside as Danica gets to her feet, backs away and then runs at Berry before leaping up and landing on the back of Berry’s neck. Danica slides through the ropes and onto the apron as Berry rolls back and clutches at her throat. Danica stalks Berry before leaping onto the top rope and taking her down with a springboard lariat. Danica makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Berry kicks out.
MW: Impressive athleticism from the former gymnast.
SD: Danica Jane impresses me more every time she gets into the ring. She’s obviously training with Clutch but she’s using her own strengths. She’s not becoming a mini-Clutch.
MW: One is enough.
SD: For once, Watson, I agree.
Danica stands and pulls Berry up with her, whipping her into the corner and following her in with a lariat. As Berry staggers out of the corner, Danica connects with a swinging neckbreaker and then makes a second cover.
One…
Two-
Berry kicks out again. Danica then grabs her arm and locks her into an arm bar, driving her knee into Berry’s neck and forcing her to stay on the mat. Berry reaches out for the bottom rope but Danica stops her from moving too far. Berry turns her hips and manages to reach the rope with her legs, forcing the break. Danica breaks fairly quickly before hitting the ropes and landing a shining wizard to the back of Berry’s head as she rests against the ropes. Danica then pulls Berry to her feet and takes her down with a snap suplex.
She looks to Clutch, who nods to her, before she climbs up to the top rope. As Berry struggles to her feet, Danica comes down with a crossbody. Berry, however, manages to roll backwards with the momentum and she lifts Danica, shifts her weight, and takes her down with a pendulum backbreaker.
MW: Berry with a huge move to stop Danica Jane’s momentum.
SD: And now she’ll look to take some momentum of her own.
MW: Berry pulling Danica to her feet here.
Berry takes Danica down with an exploder suplex before hitting the ropes and connecting with the penalty kick. She then calls for Danica to get to her feet before coiling herself up. The fans stand in anticipation and Danica slowly gets to her feet and turns as Berry unleashes Checkmate… only for Danica to duck under it and pull Berry down into a schoolboy roll-up.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Berry just manages to escape! Both of them scramble to their feet and Danica looks for a kick to the gut, only for Berry to catch it and spin Danica around. Berry aims for a roundhouse kick, but Danica ducks and connects with a Pele kick. Berry staggers towards the ropes and Danica connects with a step-up enzeguiri before dragging Berry down into a Fujiwara arm bar. Berry cries out in pain and tries to scramble over to the ropes, but Danica manages to keep her away.
MW: This could spell trouble for Berry Bishop.
SD: She’s not going to be able to get out of this. She might have to tap out.
As Berry begins to get closer to the ropes, Danica shifts and tries to move into a Kimura lock. Berry manages to use the transition to free herself and she slides under the bottom rope. Danica stands and looks for a roundhouse kick of her own, but Berry ducks it and uses the ropes to help her into an enzeguiri before taking Danica down with a disaster kick. Berry makes another cover.
One…
Two..-
Danica kicks out. Berry then stands and pulls Danica up with her. She whips her into the ropes and takes her down with a dropkick before looking for Checkmate again. She coils herself up as Danica grabs the middle rope and pulls herself to her feet. Berry unleashes Checkmate, only for Danica to duck it again and, as Berry straightens up, Danica lands Lights Out. She drops into a cover quickly.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winner: Danica Jane (8:40).
Danica stands and jumps into the air with a look of surprise on her face. Clutch slides into the ring and raises her arm alongside the official as Berry rolls out of the ring. With Clutch and Danica celebrating, Berry looks back over her shoulder with a look of disappointment etched on her face. As she walks through the curtain, Clutch grabs a mic.
“Ladies and gentlemen… Danica Jane! What a great win. And what a great advert for what happens when a woman faces a woman in a wrestling ring. It goes to show that FPW can have great matches with women which do not promote evil man-on-woman violence. Let’s hear it for Danica Jane!”
The fans begin to boo after having given Danica a decent reception during the match.
“That’s enough. I shouldn’t expect anything better from all of you pigs. And talking of pigs, Bobby O… you’ve talked about our history an awful lot lately. We do have history. We have a lot more of it than most of these people have seen, and it’s time to end this once and for all. You’ve attacked Danica and I want to make you pay for it as much as I can. So what do you say Bobby? Me and you, for the last time, in a no disqualification match. Bring that lead pipe of yours because I don’t believe for a minute that you let CJ Holmes get rid of it.”
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Backstage, Jerry Bishop stands with Thalia Columbina.
TC: I have the great pleasure of being joined by FPW’s greatest wrestler… The Joker… Jerry… Bishop.
JB: The pleasure is all mine.
TC: Tonight you grace FPW with your presence in a tag team match alongside FPW Champion Artemis Evans. Are you happy to be teaming with Evans?
JB: Delighted. You see, Miss Columbina, Artemis Evans is cut from a different cloth to the rest of these… jesters. Artemis Evans is the FPW Champion and she deserves to be. Her Queendom is something to behold. I’d be delighted to offer her assistance in preparing to once again defeat Jace Mason. And I hope she would say the same about me and Aaron Williams, although it’s not as if I need any help.
TC: Have you and Evans been doing any work together before the match?
JB: As you well know, my dear, I train only with one partner. Artemis Evans and I have not stepping into a training ring and nor do we need to. We are both working towards a common goal… for now.
TC: For now?
JB: We both know that, despite Artemis’ prowess in the ring, The Joker is the best there is around here. It’s only a matter of time until I take the FPW Championship. We all know that the old boy Jimmy H doesn’t want it to happen, but he can’t stop it forever. Eventually I’ll get my chance, and I’ll only need one. So Artemis Evans and I will work together for now, but there will be a time when the two of us will meet in the ring. And, I’m sorry to tell you Artemis, at that time, I will have the last laugh.
TC: And what about your match with Aaron Williams. We know you’ll have the last laugh then, but can you give us an insight into how?
JB: I have to leave some things to your imagination, Miss Columbina. And that will be one of them. Thank you for interviewing me. You were… perfection.
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MW: This upcoming match is rather intriguing. At this point in time, we don’t know who will be challenging the Dogs of War for the Tag Team Championship at Opening Day, but this match could go a long way towards establishing a contender for those belts.”
SD: “Yes, it will certainly be interesting to see how this match will affect the Tag Team Title picture. We’ll see the former FPW tag Team Champions Death Squad go up against a team who have begun to make their presence felt on their own, the Queendom.”
MW: “Can I ask who you’re taking in this match?”
SD: “The Queendom of course.”
MW: “Of course…”
But before Mike could reveal who he thought would win the match, ‘Broken Bones’ blared from the speakers. Ava Knight appeared at the top of the ramp, leading Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing into view. Death Squad marched down to the ring, cursing at the fans in the front row, which led to a loud outburst of boos for the former champions.
Standing in the ring, Dasha Banks began the introductions. “The following tag team match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, being accompanied by Ava Knight, Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing, Death Squad!” Balmer and Downing stood on opposite turnbuckles, with Ava Knight posing on the apron between them. Ava dropped to the floor as Death Squad dropped into the ring and glared up the ramp, awaiting their opponents.
A white queen logo appeared on the screen, followed by the female voice calling ‘checkmate’ before ‘Hammer to Fall’ began to play. Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez strode onstage and were greeted by a torrent of boos. The Queendom members shared a smile before they began their approach to the ring. “And introducing their opponents, representing the Queendom, Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez!” Thea posed in the center of the ring, with Myra standing behind her, arm folded with an impassive look on her face. The two of them walked into the corner across from Death Squad, where Myra stepped onto the apron without discussion. Thea looked across the ring to see Mary Downing in the ring for Death Squad, staring her down.
Match 2: Death Squad vs The Queendom (written by Mason):
The two competitors locked eyes and advanced into the center of the ring, appearing to go for a lockup. But as Downing made to grab her, Thea stepped aside and laughed as Downing grit her teeth in frustration. Mary lashed out with a lightning fast punch that forced Thea to duck, allowing Downing to whip her into the ropes. But Thea held onto the ropes as Mary bent over to deliver a back body drop, leaving her open for Thea to step forward and land a kick straight to the face. Downing stumbled back, and Thea shot forward, landing several quick punches before connecting with an uppercut that knocked Downing off her feet. But instead of pressing her advantage, Thea stepped back and faked a yawn. “The Torment?” she taunted, smiling as Downing glared up at her. “You don’t seem that tough.” Downing shot to her feet, but before she could attack, Thea grabbed her wrist and whipped her into the ropes.
Aiden Balmer tagged himself in as she bounced off the ropes, and Downing rebounded back towards Thea. Thea kicked her leg out from under her as she got close and Downing fell face-first into the mat. Thea dropped on top of her and began raining down elbows as, unbeknownst to her, Balmer entered the ring behind her. Thea sat up, a cruel smile on her face, until Balmer wrapped his arms around her waist and planted her with a German suplex. Mary rolled back to the apron as Balmer stood over Thea. He bent down and grabbed her into a front facelock, lifting her up and tossing her into the center of the ring with a suplex. Thea landed hard, but rolled over and grabbed the bottom rope before Balmer could continue his offense. Balmer still went to attack, but the ref stepped between the two as Thea began to stand up. She smiled at Balmer before shoving the ref aside and slapping him across the face. Balmer looked shocked for a moment before he swung a hard right hook. Thea ducked his punch and slapped him again, harder this time, and laughed as she stepped back to dodge his retaliation again. But she was unable to dodge as he brought his leg up and kicked her hard in the chest, driving her to the mat. He pulled her back upright, but as he did so, Myra reached over the top rope and tagged herself in.
Unaware, Balmer whipped Thea into the ropes, positioning himself in the center of the ring as Myra stepped through the ropes behind him. He lifted Thea for a pop-up powerbomb, but before he could bring her down, Myra delivered a chop block to the back of his knee, causing him to stumble and allow Thea to pull him down with a hurricanrana. Thea rolled out of the ring as Myra waited for Balmer to rise, then connected with a pump kick as he stood up before dropping into the first cover of the match.
...1!.Kick-out!
Myra grabbed his leg as he kicked out, turning him over as she rose. She drove her knee into his thigh as she twisted his ankle. Balmer clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but otherwise showed no reaction. Myra saw this and switched tactics, bending his leg over one of hers and leaning forward to clasp her hands in front of his face, locking in an STF, allowing her to maintain pressure on the leg and inflict damage to the rest of his body as well. But she couldn’t apply enough pressure to prevent Balmer from dragging himself close enough to grab the bottom rope. She broke the submission at the ref’s count of three and retreated into the center of the ring, waiting for Balmer to recover. And recover he did, rising to his feet while glaring at her. He charged at her with a clothesline, but she sidestepped and redirected him into the ropes. He rebounded and went for a big boot, but Myra stepped in close and caught his leg before he could fully bring it up. She gave him a sadistic smile before twisting his leg with a dragon screw that sent him crashing to the mat and crying out in pain and surprise. Myra held onto his leg and dragged him into her corner, tagging in Thea. Myra held Balmer’s leg exposed as Thea stepped into the ring and climbed to the middle turnbuckle, connecting with a diving leg drop to the exposed limb, causing Balmer to cry out again. Thea rose to her feet and pulled Balmer up with her, applying a front facelock as she did so. She hooked his leg and delivered a fisherman’s suplex, bridging into the cover.
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Thea moved quickly at the kick-out, grabbing Balmer’s wrist and pulling him upright. She pulled him in for a short-arm lariat, but Balmer used his free hand to catch her wrist. He broke free of her grip and pulled her in, launching her with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Thea got to her feet quickly and attempted another slap, only for Balmer to catch her arm and transition into a half nelson, lifting her up before delivering a backbreaker and making a cover.
...1!..Kick-out!
Balmer lifted Thea upright and whipped her into the corner and charged in after her, but she just managed to sidestep his attack, catching him with a superkick as he turned around! Balmer was staggered, and Thea pushed him up against the ropes, tagging in Myra as she did so, before whipping him across the ring. Thea moved aside as Myra stepped into the ring and met the rebounding Balmer with a codebreaker. Balmer shot upright from the codebreaker, right into a backstabber from Thea! She quickly left the ring as Myra made a cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Myra tried to grab Balmer’s leg to inflict more damage, but he used both legs to kick her away, buying him enough time to shoot back up to his feet. Myra charged in, aiming to connect with a clothesline, but Balmer ducked under and Myra hit the ropes. Balmer attempted a back elbow as she rebounded, but Myra ducked under and kept running, stopping herself on the ropes. Balmer turned and charged with a big boot, but Myra dodged, causing Balmer’s leg to get caught on the ropes! Myra lashed out, kicking Balmer’s leg out from under him and then catching him, planting him hard on the back of his neck with a half and half suplex. Balmer crumpled, But Myra didn’t let him stay down, pulling him up and tucking his head under her arm before delivering a swinging DDT that left him limp, and Myra wasted no time rolling him over to make the cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Once again, Myra grabbed ahold of one of Balmer’s limbs as he kicked out, this time grabbing his wrist and turning him over. She wrapped his arm around her leg as she reached forwards and bent his knee back, locking in the Tequila Sunrise. Balmer cried out in pain and reached for the ropes, but Myra just sat deeper into the submission, holding him down. Mary Downing started pacing back and forth on the apron, starting to get nervous as Myra continued to crank on her partner’s knee. The ref knelt down near Balmer, asking if he wanted to quit, and Balmer raised his hand, bringing the crowd to their feet as it looked like he was about to tap out, only to give a shout of determination and drag himself closer to the ropes. He reached out, inches away from the bottom rope, when Myra broke the hold and dragged him back into the center of the ring. SHe went to re-apply the hold, But Balmer managed to roll himself over and used his free limbs to fight her off. He staggered to his feet and limped towards his corner, but before he could make the tag, Myra dove and grabbed his ankle, trying to pull him back towards the center of the ring. But Balmer held firm, bending down and wrapping his arms around her waist before lifting her up and slamming her to the ground with a powerbomb. But after lifting his opponent over his head, Balmer stumbled and nearly fell over, but he managed to dive into his corner and tag in his partner before Myra recovered, to a large ovation from the crowd. Mary Downing stepped into the ring as Myra stood up and ran in, dropping her with a quick clothesline. She then charged across the ring and delivered an enzuigiri to knock Thea off the apron. She turned around and charged back to Myra, delivering a tilt-a-whirl DDT. SHe let out a yell as she stood up, then turned to face Thea as she slid back into the ring. Thea charged her, but Mary met her with a kick to the gut and then a stunner that sent Thea rolling to the outside! She climbed to the top turnbuckle and waited for Myra to rise then leapt off with a missile dropkick! Myra went down, and Mary made the cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Myra powered out of the pin attempt, and Mary quickly pulled her to her feet and whipped her into the corner. She charged in and delivered a forearm, then began connecting with a series of knees to the midsection. The ref forced the break at the count of four, so she attempted to whip Myra into the opposite corner, only for Myra to reverse and send her into the corner. Myra ran towards her, only for Downing to bring her knees up to block her. Myra staggered back as Mary rose to the middle turnbuckle, and then launched into a neckbreaker that dropped Myra hard before transitioning into another cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Downing slapped the mat in frustration before a confident expression crossed her face. She rose and backed away, motioning for Myra to get back up. And once she did so, Mary Downing charged in, only for Myra to catch her and lift her up onto her shoulders in a fireman’s carry. She quickly carried her over to her corner and tagged in Thea, who leapt over the top rope as Myra brought Downing to the center of the ring. Thea connected with a superkick to Mary’s head a split second before Myra brought her crashing to the mat with an F-5! Balmer rushed into the ring as Thea dropped into a cocky cover, but Myra met him with a leg sweep and locked in an inverted figure four as the referee counted the pinfall!
...1!...2!...3!
Winners: The Queendom (17:48).
Thea and the ref stood up as the ref called for the bell, but Myra held onto the submission on Balmer. The ref realized after a moment and stepped in to break it up, only for Thea to grab him and blast him with a short-arm lariat. Thea stepped to the edge of the ring and motioned for a microphone as Myra wrenched on Balmer’s leg, causing him to yell in pain. Thea planted a foot on top of his back as she raised the mic to speak.
“Former Tag Team Champions? Really, these two?” She dug her heel into Balmer’s back as she continued. “These two are considered one of the best tag teams in FPW? They sure don’t seem that tough right now. No, if these two are considered the best, then I’m embarrassed for you FPW. You’ve done so much to present them as dangerous, as a threat to any tag team on the roster, yet look at them now. They’ve been absolutely dismantled.” Balmer had passed out from the pain of the submission, and as Myra released his legs, Thea knelt down to lift his head, showing his slack-jawed face to the cameras. “Does this look like the face of a champion to you?” she asked, smiling as she dropped his head and stood back up. She stepped in front of Balmer’s body as Myra stood next to her. “But there’s a way you can save face here FPW. We’ve proven that we’re more than deserving of a tag team title match tonight. You give that to us, and you’ll be able to prove that you can properly recognize a good tag team when you see one.”
Thea dropped the mic as ‘Hammer to Fall’ began to play, but it was quickly cut off. Lopez and Donovan looked up at the screen and then to one another as two men walked out onto the stage, one with a mic.
“For those of you who didn’t see Sixty Minutes of Freedom recently… allow me to introduce us. I am Jackson Banks and this man jumping up and down like a madman behind me-“
“How did you know?”
“I know you… of course you’re jumping up and down. This man is RJ Tudor. And together we make up Revolution-X. And you see, we put out a challenge on the latest episode of SMOF- does anyone call it that? No? Well I will anyway- we put out a challenge for a team to face us. Nobody has stepped up to the plate so how about you two really prove you’re Tag Team Title-worthy and face us? At Opening Day, let’s have The Queendom versus Revolution-X. If you win, maybe then you can talk titles. What do you say?”
Banks lowers the mic as Donovan and Lopez look at them dismissively.
“Face you? Why do you think you’re worth our time? But seeing as Houston still has his hard on for The Guardians of Strong Style and seeing as they seem to get whatever they want, including title matches that we should be getting, why not? We’ll beat you two upstarts and then we’ll take the tag belts from whoever is left standing.”
MW: Well that sounds like a great match.
SD: I’m not so sure. It sounds like The Queendom are being robbed of a shot at the tag belts by two kids who look like they should be in school tomorrow.
MW: I’ve heard good things about Revolution-X. They bring a certain brand of excitement to whatever ring they’re in.
SD: Maybe so, but Lopez and Donovan will ground them quicker than a global pandemic grounds airlines.
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In the lobby of the arena, Botiatus stands behind a merch table. A few kids stand with him waiting to have their pictures taken and a man holds cash ready to purchase a ‘H. O. B.’ t-shirt. Bo shares some jokes with the kids and takes the photos before taking the man’s money and shaking his hand. He looks to his left and frowns. The camera pans over to see a very sheepish-looking Berry Bishop.
B: Tough loss tonight, Bombshell.
Berry shakes her head and goes to turn, but Bo stops her.
B: Hey. Wait. I know you don’t want to accep-
BB: It’s not that.
B: Then what is it?
BB: I… I… um… I don’t… um…
B: I get it. This is hard for you-
BB: No you don’t. You don’t get it. You weren’t there.
B: There? I saw the match from-
BB: Forget it.
Berry walks away again, but Bo gets out from behind the table and catches up to her.
B: Hey. Whoa there. Forget I said anything.
Berry walks on a few steps and then stops and turns.
BB: Fine. I’ve forgotten.
B: You came over to me because you wanted something. I want to help you. All you have to do is say yes.
BB: It’s not that simple.
B: Ok… the way I see it is that you’ve regressed because you’re negating some of your skills. Your kicks are deadly. We all know that. But you’re not a bad technician either. Don’t let side go to waste. I can help you with that… if you want me to.
BB: I… I know I’m a good technician… I just… I don’t like to practice it. It… bring back memories.
B: I’m sure it’s hard to think of your brother at-
BB: No. It’s not… ok.
B: Ok?
BB: Ok. I want you to help me.
B: Good. I’m glad-
BB: But I have a few conditions.
B: I’m listening. You know I’m an honourable man. If they meet the House Rules, then I’ll agree to them.
BB: Rule number one. It’s a professional agreement. Nothing more.
B: Agreed.
BB: Rule number two. We do it properly. Help each other. I may be in a funk right now, but I can help you too.
B: You most certainly can. Agreed.
BB: Rule number three. I am who I am. I’ve seen what can happen when a Bishop tries to cover up who they are. I won’t change the person I am. Whatever change I make to what I can do in the ring, I’ll never change my personality. Don’t try to make me.
B: Agreed. You’re not your brother. You never will be. I understand. I think we’ve got an agreement.
Bo extends a hand. Berry looks at it for a few moments before shaking it. The two of them turn and walk through a door marked ‘FPW personnel only’ and the camera catches a snippet of their conversation.
BB: So we’ll have a purple ring and a commentary desk for Fozzie… oh… and a place for Dashy to stay when she comes to visit…
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Jim Houston stands in the ring with some kind of tombola.
“The time has come for an announcement I’ve been waiting to make since about October last year. Freedom Pro Wrestling is returning to wrestling’s big weekend! Two years’ ago, we held one of our biggest and best shows yet on Wrestlemania weekend. Last year, I decided not to do it again, but I feel that this year is the time. We’re expanding FPW- going to London in October for examples- so the chance to take FPW to Tampa is one I couldn’t refuse.
“But I didn’t want to just run one of our usual shows. Why should the wonderful Chicago fans be deprived of a show that they’ve seen the build to? I don’t believe you should be. So we’re going to run something slightly special over Mania weekend. We won’t be running one show. We won’t be running two shows. We will be running three Freedom Pro Wrestling shows! The first will take place on the evening of Friday April 4th at the RP Funding Center. We will then present a show on the evening of Saturday 5th April at George M. Steinbrenner Field through WrestleCon. The final show will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 6th April, and it will be hosted at a specially constructed outdoor arena right next to Raymond James Stadium, giving us potentially the largest audience that FPW will ever have had.”
The fans applaud as Houston takes a pause.
“Now these three shows… that’s a lot for fans to come to over a weekend. So I didn’t just want to run any show. There may be people who criticise me for this, but I love a tournament. I love a tournament with real stakes. So at Mania weekend, we will be running a number one contender tournament with sixteen of FPW’s biggest stars. The first round of matches will take place on the Friday, the quarter-finals on the Saturday and the semi-finals and final on the Sunday, where we will also see a very special appearance from… I’ll let you wonder about that one for a little while longer.
“Now you see why I have this tombola with me. Each round of this tournament will be randomly drawn. There will be no bracket. After the final first round match and the final quarter-final, I will conduct the draw for the next round. The first round matches will be drawn right here, right now.”
The fans cheer as Houston turns the tombola and reaches inside.
“The first name out of the draw is… Jerry Bishop.”
The cheers are replaced by boos as Houston puts his hand into the tombola again.
“And he will face… ohhhh… Berry Bishop.”
The fans gasp with surprise and Houston makes a face.
“A random draw can pull out some very interesting matches. Our second match will see… either Jace Mason or Artemis Evans, whoever loses at Opening Day, face… wow… Aaron Williams!”
The fans cheer another exciting match as Houston puts his hand into the tombola again.
“Our third match will be… MDE.”
The fans boo again.
“And he will face… Hiro Takahara.”
A modest cheer goes up and Houston reaches again.
“Next up we have… Liz Karlson.”
A modest cheer goes up again.
“And she will face… Ella Ripley.”
The fans boo.
“Up next is… Masa Tchyukiro.”
Another modest cheer goes up.
“And Tchyukiro will wrestle- no… this may not be a wrestling match… Tchyukiro will battle Go Shihei!”
An intrigued ‘oooooh’ fills the arena.
“Up next is… Marcus Allen Jones.”
A loud cheer goes up as an ‘M.A.J’ chant begins.
“Marcus will be up against… Russ Bolt.”
The ‘M.A.J.’ chant continues as Houston reaches in again.
“And our penultimate contest will begin with… Tommy Saxon”
The fans return to booing.
“And Saxon will face… Bobby O.”
Another cheer goes up.
“So our final match out of the draw is… Clutch McCloud.”
Another boo rings out before Houston draws the final name.
“And his opponent… The current Freedom Champion… Botiatus.”
A cheer goes up as Houston nods his head in appreciation of an intriguing draw.
“Let’s recap, the first round of matches will be:
Jerry Bishop vs. Berry Bishop
Artemis Evans or Jace Mason vs. Aaron Williams
MDE vs. Hiro Takahara
Liz Karlson vs. Ella Ripley
Masa Tchyukiro vs. Go Shihei
Marcus Allen Jones vs. Russ Bolt
Tommy Saxon vs. Bobby O
Clutch McCloud vs. Botiatus
“I’ve got to admit that I’m very happy with this draw. And if this seems like something you want to be a part of, tickets will go on sale one hour after the end of tonight’s show. Thank you very much for your time.”
MW: Well that is a very interesting announcement.
SD: Houston loves a tournament and I agree with him. And this one with no bracket and for a shot at the FPW Championship at Uprising ought to be something really special.
MW: The eyes of the wrestling world will be on Tampa and these sixteen competitors will have the chance to introduce themselves to a brand new audience. This could be huge for us and huge for one or two of these competitors.
SD: And what about that very special appearance?
MW: Don’t ask me, Steven. I have no idea who Jim Houston is referring to.
SD: Whoever it may be, these shows are lining up to be great.
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Backstage, Dasha Banks stands with Bobby O and CJ Holmes.
DB: Bobby, tonight you’ve heard that Clutch wants your match with him to be a no disqualification match. What is your response?
BO: First of all, Clutch, you can call me all the names in the world, but you won’t motivate me to beat you any more than I already am. As for your challenge… I don’t need no DQ to beat you, but I think you need it to beat me. I know I’m better in the ring than you are, and I want to prove that-
Bobby stops as he sees Russ Bolt walking up to him.
RB: Typical.
BO: What do you want?
RB: That’s so typical of you, Mr. FPW. You’re an entitled little baby right now. Sure, you beat TakeOver 2.0. Whoop-de-do. Sure you had a title match against Evans. But you lost. You think you’re the best wrestler in this company. You’re good, I know that for sure, but you’re not as good as you think you are. And what if Clutch does beat you? What if he does beat you in a straight-up wrestling match? What then? You lost your big match. You lose another one and where do you go from there? Nowhere. That’s where. You want my advice? Take the match. No DQ. At least then you’ll have an excuse when you lose.
BO: You’d be the expert on losing after all. I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll consider it. You’ll get my answer next week.
Bolt looks Bobby up and down and then walks away, leaving Bobby and CJ with Dasha.
CJ: Come on, Bob-O, don’t be taken in by him. He just wants to rile you up to get what Clutch wants.
BO: Probably. But I like the idea of smashing Clutch’s head in with a chair. Or…
CJ: No. This is precisely what we’ve talked about. Precisely why you don’t carry that pipe anymore. You’re not that man. The Bastard is gone. Please don’t bring him back.
BO: Alright… I promise you that side of me is gone. But it doesn’t mean I can’t face Clutch in a no DQ match. I won’t let it control me.
CJ: It’s not worth the risk. What if Clutch brings a pipe out there? What if he threatens me? How will you control yourself then? Could you? Are you certain? Because if you’re not certain, then you shouldn’t be accepting this match.
BO: I… Let’s talk it over. I told Russ I’d let him know. We don’t need to decide now.
CJ: Ok. But I stand by what I said. You need to be one hundred percent sure.
BO: I promise you, if I’m not certain of what I’ll do, I’ll turn it down and have a straight-up match.
CJ: Good.
CJ and Bobby walk away, leaving Dasha holding up a mic and unsure what to do with herself.
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MW: And now it’s time for our main event. Jace Mason expressed earlier this week how excited he was to be teaming once again with Aaron Williams, and the two men will be coming together in the hopes of helping each other before huge matches at Opening Day.
SD: And Jerry Bishop and Artemis Evans will be working together for the exact same aim. They’ll look to weaken Mason and Williams and make it even more likely of a Bishop-Evans double at Opening Day.
MW: Of course we know that Mason and Williams are good friends and have teamed together in the past, but what about Evans and Jerry? Will the two of them be able to match the teamwork of Mason and Williams?
SD: I won’t lie, Arty and Jerry won’t be the same as Mason and Williams in terms of team work and chemistry, but to me they have a different advantage. Pure ability. I rate both of them higher than both of their opponents.
MW: That’s up for debate. My big question with the two of them is around their egos. Jerry’s has inflated beyond all recognition and Evans has always had a strong sense of her own superiority. Will the two of them really be able to work together, to play second fiddle when they need to? Or will they both look to be the one scoring the pinfall in the end and lead to a loss which will really give Mason and Williams the momentum-
SD: momentum schmomentum, Watson. This match might give them a confidence boost, but their matches at Opening Day aren’t tag matches. They’re singles matches. And in singles competition, Aaron Williams and Jace Mason can’t- and won’t- beat Jerry Bishop and Artemis Evans.
MW: That remains to be seen. Let’s get this match started and let’s see who will be getting that all-important confidence boost ahead of Opening Day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for tonight’s main event. The following contest is a tag team match and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a two-time former Ring of Honor Champion and the holder of many championships from all over the world… ‘A Plus’… Aaron Williams!”
‘I Still Believe’ begins to play and Williams walks through the curtain singing along immediately. He calls to the fans to join in and stands with his arms outstretched and his head thrown back belting out the words. At the end of the first verse, Williams leaps from his position and begins to charge down the ramp, slapping as many hands as he can as he does. He reaches the ring and continues around the fans, picking out a young fan in a Berry Bishop t-shirt and handing him a marker pen. The fan writes ‘beat the qweeny meenys’ and Williams tousles his hair before sliding into the ring. He shakes hands with Dasha Banks and the official before settling into the corner.
“And his tag team partner, from Seattle, Washington, he is a former Free-1 winner and a former Freedom and FPW Champion… ‘The Eternal Student… Jace Mason!”
Afterlife begins to play and the fans cheer loudly. As the intro ends, Mason steps out in his usual pose, pyro exploding around him. He looks around the arena and smiles, before holding up a finger and turning back. The fans look around in confusion before a big cheer greets Mason as he returns with the Young Lions’ Cup. He holds it up before making his way down to the ring, holding out the cup for the fans to touch. Mason then reaches the ring and places it in one corner before climbing onto the apron and making his way to the turnbuckles to stand in his usual pose. He steps up and receives more cheers before dropping back into the ring. He moves over to Williams and the two shake hands and embrace for a moment before settling to wait for their opponents.
“And introducing their opponents. First, from Kansas City, Missouri… ‘The J- The J- The… Joker’… Jerry B-Bishop.”
‘Shine My Shoes’ plays and Jerry enters, revealing himself to the fans, who immediately greet him with boos. Jerry smirks to himself before making his way down the ramp, bristling a little at the fans who shout abuse at him. He reaches the ring and begins to climb the steps, before he sees the fan Aaron Williams went to earlier and begins to step down from the steps and go towards him. As soon as he does, Williams slides out of the ring and stands between the two, ready to start the match early. Jerry laughs and tells Williams that it’s just too easy before sliding into the ring. He avoids looking over at Dasha Banks but he and Jace Mason have a momentary stare-down before Jerry laughs again.
“And his partner, from Manchester, England and being accompanied to the ring by Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez, she is the FPW Champion and is representing The Queendom… ‘The Glory Huntress’… Artemis Evans.”
‘Checkmate’ rings out around the arena before ‘Hammer to Fall’ replaces it. The full strength of The Queendom walks out onto the stage and Evans stands at the front, extending her arms as Lopez and Donovan point at the FPW Championship that sits around her waist. After a few moments, the three women make their way down the ramp, talking trash to the fans and gloating that Evans has the belt. They approach the ring where Jace Mason doesn’t ever let his gaze drop away from Evans. The three of them steps up onto the apron and enter the ring at the same time, Donovan and Lopez clearing a path for Evans to step up onto the second turnbuckle and extend her arms again, tilting her head back to soak in more boos. She drops down and stands alongside Jerry, giving him the briefest of nods as the two teams stare each other down from across the ring.
Match 3: Artemis Evans and Jerry Bishop vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams:
Mason and Williams bump fists as Williams leaves the ring and Jerry and Evans agree to allow Evans to begin the match. The bell rings and the two star at one another from across the ring. Evans tells Mason that there’s no point in him expending any energy if he wants to have any chance of beating her. She offers him a chance to lie down, but he comes forward quickly and they two lock-up instead. Mason forces Evans back towards the ropes. As Evans’ back hits the ropes, she calls for the official to break them up, but Mason breaks quickly and grabs her wrist, whipping her across the ring. As Evans comes back at him, he takes her down with a dropkick and the fans cheer loudly.
Evans looks up at Mason who beckons for her to stand. She stands and Mason comes in quickly again, only to be met with a thumb to the eye. The fans boo as Evans looks to take control, driving a knee into Mason’s gut and backing up for the axe kick, only for Mason to avoid it and to pull her down with a snapmare. Mason then hits the ropes and looks for a penalty kick, but Evans drops down and Mason connects with thin air. As Mason turns, Jerry yells at him that that’s his move, but Mason ignores him, keeping his focus on Evans.
Mason stalks her before pulling her into a suplex position and lifting her, only for Evans to drop down on her feet and grabs a waistlock. Mason performs a standing switch but then gets caught with an elbow to the side of the head to allow Evans to get free. Mason then swings a forearm but Evans ducks and pulls him in for an inverted STO, making the first cover of the match.
One…
T-
Mason kicks out.
MW: Artemis Evans with the first big impact of a cagey opening.
SD: These two do know one another well and it’s no surprise that neither could assert dominance. It’s also no surprise that Evans was the first to find a way through.
MW: And now she’s making the tag to welcome- listen to those boos for the former hero.
SD: Disgraceful. No wonder Jerry is the way he is after these fans turned their back on him like this.
Jerry enters and lands a few aggressive stomps to Mason. He then pulls Mason up and wrings his arm before driving an elbow down into his triceps. Mason drops to a knee and Jerry backs into the ropes before connecting with a low dropkick. Jerry stands and looks across at Williams, who watches him closely. Jerry tells Williams to watch as he picks up Mason and whips him into the corner, before following him in with a running elbow strike. Mason staggers out and Jerry plants him with a bulldog. He makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Mason kicks out again. Jerry quickly pulls him up and goes to tag in Evans, but Mason elbows him in the gut before he can make the tag and he pulls him in for a DDT. Williams calls for the tag and Mason scrambles over to make it, the fans cheering loudly as Aaron Williams storms into the ring. He charges at Jerry and looks for a big clothesline, but Jerry ducks and rolls under the bottom rope and out of the ring. Williams watches and hits the opposite ropes in preparation for a dive, but Evans comes into the ring and cuts him off with a discus forearm. The fans boo as Jerry quickly slides in again and applies a chinlock, taunting the crowd as he does.
MW: This is the exact kind of… tomfoolery we saw from Jerry in their last match.
SD: Tomfoolery?
MW: I don’t know… but this is what Jerry looked to do. He wanted to anger these fans by having the most boring match he could. This can’t be allowed to happen tonight, and certainly not at Opening Day.
SD: There’s only one way to stop it… and that’s for Aaron Williams to make sure he can counter it.
Williams begins to fight back, forcing himself up to his feet and landing elbows to the gut. Jerry breaks the hold and reels backwards, allowing Williams to recover. He looks for a forearm strike but Jerry ducks it and connects with a dropkick to the back which sends Williams towards Mason, who tags himself in. Mason comes in quickly and ducks a clothesline from Jerry before landing a spinning gut kick, then kicking out Jerry’s leg and landing a low dropkick. Mason makes a cover.
One-
Jerry quickly kicks out. Mason makes it back to his feet and pulls Jerry with him, whipping him into a neutral corner. He follows in with a high knee, but Jerry ducks and rolls out of the corner. As Mason staggers back towards the middle of the ring, Jerry leaps up onto the middle rope and lands a version of the springboard forearm, before rolling over to Evans and tagging her into the match.
Evans enters and immediately looks to keep Mason grounded. She takes his arm and lands a series of kicks to the ribs before pulling him up and lifting him into a vertical suplex position. She quickly drops him with a brainbuster and rolls into a cover.
One…
Two-
Mason kicks out again. Evans pulls him up again and whips him into her corner. She follows him in with a spinning wheel kick and then tags Jerry back in. Jerry comes in and looks to slow things down, landing a few stomps on a now-seated Mason before rolling Mason out of the corner and pushing up onto the second rope. Mason slowly gets to his feet and Jerry comes off with a second rope blockbuster. Jerry sits up and looks at Williams for a moment before letting out another laugh. Williams begins to step through the ropes and the official quickly moves to hold him back, but this allows Thea Donovan to enter the ring and lift Mason into a Firebomb.
Mason, however, manages to drop down and he connects with a superkick to Donovan’s gut before ducking a rolling elbow from Jerry and dropping him with an STO. The official turns back and forces Donovan out of the ring as Mason crawls over to make the tag to Williams. However, Lopez grabs Williams by the ankle and pulls him down, his head hitting the apron hard on his way and Mason reaching out to nobody.
Mason turns to see Evans tagging herself back in. He moves towards her but he’s cut off by a knee to the gut followed by a butterfly suplex. The fans boo as Evans smiles to Donovan and Lopez on the outside. She plays to them a little by extending her arms, but she soon refocuses on Mason as he begins to get to his feet. She drives another knee into his gut and connects with the axe kick before turning and climbing up to the top turnbuckle. Jerry tags himself in at that moment and enters the ring, holding Mason down and allowing Evans to connect with the moonsault.
SD: See, Watson. These two are working together far better than you thought they could.
MW: I’ll give them some credit for that, but I don’t think that a four-on-two advantage should be ignored.
SD: Why does that relate to them working together?
MW: Because that kind of working together is why Aaron Williams isn’t in the ring right now. He was about to tag himself in and there’s no way this match would be going on like this if he had.
SD: You don’t know that, Watson.
Jerry quickly lifts Mason and hooks his arms, looking for the Last Laugh, only for Aaron Williams to come from nowhere with a springboard lariat! The fans cheer loudly as Williams lands on Jerry and strikes him with a flurry of right hands, but the cheers turn to boos as the official pulls Williams away and orders him back to his corner, allowing Evans to enter again and put the boots to Mason. She drags Jerry over to their corner and tags herself in as the official turns, entering the ring and covering Mason quickly.
One…
Two…
T-
Mason kicks out again. Evans quickly pulls him up and looks to set him up for Guillotine Strike, but Mason fights her off, twisting free and landing a series of forearms. He forces her back into her corner and Jerry tags himself in, but Mason doesn’t notice. He pulls Evans out of the corner and whips her across the ring, looking for Extra Credit, only for Jerry to come from behind with another rolling elbow, this time to the back of the head. Evans leaves the ring as Jerry steps through the ropes. Mason begins to get to his feet as Jerry slingshots over the ropes into a DDT. He makes a cover again.
One…
Two…
Th-
Mason kicks out and the fans cheer for him once more. Jerry looks to the official with a grimace on his face, but he doesn’t abate for long. He drags Mason over to a neutral corner and then backs up, looking for a running dropkick. Mason, however, manages to get out of the way at the last minute and the fans cheer loudly as he moves over to make the tag. Lopez once again looks to pull Williams off the apron, but Williams is ready, diving off with a cannonball onto her and Donovan before scrambling back into position and making the tag, sending the fans into a frenzy.
Williams hits the ring hard, taking Jerry down with a lariat before taking Evans down with a mid-kick. He turns and grabs Jerry, lifting him into a brainbuster onto his knee before grabbing Evans and throwing her over the top rope. Calling for the fans to get louder, Williams lifts Jerry and whips him into the corner. He follows him in with a big splash and backs up for another and another and another. After four, Jerry drops down and Williams calls for the cannonball. He backs into the corner before charging at Jerry and hitting him hard. Jerry rolls out of the corner and Williams climbs to the top rope before leaping down with a swan-ton bomb. He holds for a cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Jerry just gets a shoulder up.
MW: What a flurry of offence from Aaron Williams!
SD: I’ll give the man his due. He’s an exciting wrestler when he really gets going.
MW: And he’s desperate to get going against Jerry Bishop!
Williams pulls Jerry to his feet and sets him up for a powerbomb. However, Lopez gets onto the apron and distracts the official while Donovan comes in from behind and attacks Williams. She lands a low blow before looking to set up for Firebomb, but Mason cuts her off, hitting her hard with a forearm and tossing her over the top rope. Evans comes in but Mason connects with a spinning gut kick before whipping her into Lopez, who drops down, and clotheslining Evans over the rope to follow her. Jerry grabs Mason and spins him around, but Mason pulls him in for a quick DDT and then rolls him to the outside. Mason looks at all of them gathered on one side of the ring and the fans start to get an idea what he’s thinking. He steps up onto the top rope, looks down and leaps off with a shooting star press!
Jerry and The Queendom lie on the outside with Mason as Williams begins to recover inside the ring. The official checks on the five of them outside the ring and Williams watches them begin to stand. He calls for support from the fans before hitting the ropes, charging towards them and stepping up onto the top rope before landing a somersault plancha to take them all down once again. Williams, however, springs up to his feet and high fives several fans before grabbing Jerry and pulling him up and into the ring. He follows him in and lifts him into a suplex position before dumping him onto the top rope. Williams climbs the turnbuckles and connects with a 450-splash to send Jerry dropping to the canvas. Williams crawls over and makes a cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
Jerry just gets a shoulder up again. Williams bangs the mat in frustration but then stands, determination etched onto his face. He pulls Jerry up and hooks his arms, looking for A Triple Plus. Jerry, however, resists, not allowing Williams to lift him. As Williams continues to try, Evans gets back onto the apron and she comes in with a slingshot cutter to take Williams down. With both Jerry and Williams down in the ring, Evans and Mason urge them to get over and make a tag.
Both men crawl to their corner and tag in their partners, and the crowd erupts again as Mason blocks a shot from Evans and forces her back with a series of forearms and chops of his own. He then whips her across the ring and follows her in with a high knee. As she staggers out of the corner, Mason runs across the ring and lands a disaster kick, covering her.
One…
Two…
T-
Evans kicks out. Mason quickly pulls himself to his feet and drags Evans with him. He lifts her for a vertical suplex and takes her down with a falcon arrow before pointing to the top rope. He steps through the ropes and climbs up before being distracted as Lopez throws the FPW Championship at him. He looks at it for a moment and this allows Evans to get up with him and take him down with a modified butterfly suplex. The belt drops down into the ring as Evans crawls over to make the tag to Jerry. He enters and pulls Mason up, trapping his arms and looking for the Last Laugh, but again Mason counters, shoving Jerry away and landing a gamengiri.
MW: And now Jace Mason needs to make a tag!
SD: Williams is in position.
MW: Tag made! Tag made! In comes Aaron Williams.
Williams enters and immediately takes Evans down off the apron. He turns and connects with a mid-kick to Jerry before hitting a standing double stomp. He rolls through and looks for a second-rope moonsault, but Jerry gets his knees up and pulls him into a small package.
One…
Two…
Thre-
Williams just escapes. The two men scramble to their feet, Williams aiming another mid-kick, but Jerry catches it and spins Williams around before landing a snap Last Laugh. He lets out a laugh of his own and then makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Williams manages to get a shoulder up! Jerry looks down in shock for a moment before turning to the official. As Jerry argues, Williams slowly rolls over towards Mason. Jerry turns, but it’s too late to stop the tag. Mason enters the ring and takes Jerry down with a running forearm. He sees Evans entering the ring and he cuts her off, throwing her over the top rope. He then lifts Jerry and whips him into the ropes, looking for Extra Credit, but Lopez catches Jerry and stops his momentum. Donovan jumps onto the opposite side of the ring and distracts the official as Mason takes Lopez down with a forearm. He then backs up and looks to connect with a suicide dive only for Evans to cut him off with a shot to the head with the Young Lions’ Cup. Mason staggers backwards, his legs like jelly, and turns right into a Last Laugh onto the FPW Championship. Donovan drops down and quickly moves around to grab Williams by the leg as Jerry makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winners: Artemis Evans and Jerry Bishop (26:36).
MW: What a way to steal this match!
SD: It was genius. And look at what happened. Jace Mason was the man to be pinned.
MW: After being hit with his own trophy and being driven head-first into the FPW Championship.
SD: It’s the closest he’ll get to the FPW Championship for a long time.
MW: Be that as it may, he’ll be doing everything in his power to take that title back- and get revenge for everything The Queendom has put him through- at Opening Day.
Evans enters the ring and lays the Young Lions’ Cup down next to Mason. She and Jerry then both bend down to pick up the FPW Championship at the same time, and, just for a moment, both of them have their hands on the belt and their eyes locked on one another. A murmur goes around the arena before Jerry lets it go and Evans raises it above her head, one foot on Mason’s motionless body.
MW: Welcome one and all to Freedom Pro Wrestling and welcome to the Road To Opening Day!
SD: We already know that there are some huge matches in the pipeline for Opening Day, including Bobby O versus Clutch McCloud, Jerry Bishop versus Aaron Williams in a steel cage and the main event, for the FPW Championship: Artemis Evans defending against Jace Mason.
MW: And tonight we continue the build towards the show with some big matches as well as a big announcement for Wrestlemania weekend from Jim Houston.
SD: I have it on good authority that the announcement will be one of the biggest we’ve heard in FPW history. I can’t give more details, but I’m excited to see if what I’ve heard is correct.
MW: There’s a lot of talk about FPW preparing for something big. I think we’re okay to start getting excited right now. But let’s get excited about our next match. Danica Jane faces Berry Bishop as she really tries to get things straight after a lacklustre start to 2020 following a defeat to her brother at Judgement Day II.
SD: I’m not sure that Danica Jane is the right person for Berry to go up against. She’s starting to really showcase what she can do. Her and Russ Bolt may not have won the Tag Team Championships last time out, but they gave The Dogs of War a great match. I see this being a real challenge for Berry.
MW: I’m sure it won’t be easy for her. By her own admittance, she needs to find a spark and she needs to find it soon. I know she’s been avoiding our Freedom Champion Botiatus’ attempts to support her, but it might be worth reconsidering.
SD: I’m sure Berry is reluctant to accept the support of a man who seems to want to help her for mysterious reasons…
MW: I’m sure she’ll be having flashbacks to late 2018, but maybe after tonight she won’t need to look to Bo for support. Let’s find out as we get Road To Opening Day underway.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a singles match and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from New Haven, Connecticut, she is a former Freedom Champion… ‘The Bombshell’… Berry! Bishop!”
‘The Entertainer’ begins to play and Berry bursts out onto the stage, smiling as the fans give her a warm welcome. She bows deeply before rising and playing along to the music and then hopscotching her way down the ramp. As Berry reaches the ring, she plays the ring apron before climbing up and somersaulting over the top rope. She bows once again in the middle of the ring and rises with a smile and a wink to the fans. As the music drops, a ‘Be-rry Bi-shop’ chant takes its place, and she does a little dance in the middle of the ring along with the beats of the chant.
“And her opponent, from Los Angeles, California and being accompanied to the ring by Clutch McCloud… Danica Jane!”
‘This Fire Burns’ begins to play and Danica emerges through the curtain. Clutch stands behind her and looks around as the fans boo, more boos seemingly directed at him than at Danica. The two of them make their way down the ramp, Clutch pointing at Berry and whispering into Danica’s ear as she nods. Danica reaches the ring and slides in before posing on the top rope before walking a few steps on the top rope and backflipping into the ring, leading to a few cheers from the fans and an approving nod from Berry.
Match 1: Berry Bishop vs. Danica Jane:
The bell rings and the two women circle one another before locking up. Danica grabs a headlock and looks to ground Berry, but Berry quickly runs her into the ropes and shoves her away. Danica hits the opposite ropes and comes back at Berry as she aims a kick. Danica ducks it and hits the ropes again, only for Berry to take her down with an arm drag. The two get to their feet quickly, only for Berry to take Jane down with another arm drag. Berry makes it up before Danica this time and she whips her into the ropes before leaping up and taking her down with a headscissors.
Berry stands and bows to the fans before moving in again, pulling Danica to her feet and landing a few forearms before whipping her into the corner. Berry then runs at her and leaps up before taking her down with a monkey flip. Berry makes her first cover.
One…
Tw-
Danica kicks out. Berry stands quickly and hits the ropes, looking for a penalty kick as Danica sits up, but Danica drops down and then trips Berry, dropping her into the middle rope. Clutch applauds on the outside as Danica gets to her feet, backs away and then runs at Berry before leaping up and landing on the back of Berry’s neck. Danica slides through the ropes and onto the apron as Berry rolls back and clutches at her throat. Danica stalks Berry before leaping onto the top rope and taking her down with a springboard lariat. Danica makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Berry kicks out.
MW: Impressive athleticism from the former gymnast.
SD: Danica Jane impresses me more every time she gets into the ring. She’s obviously training with Clutch but she’s using her own strengths. She’s not becoming a mini-Clutch.
MW: One is enough.
SD: For once, Watson, I agree.
Danica stands and pulls Berry up with her, whipping her into the corner and following her in with a lariat. As Berry staggers out of the corner, Danica connects with a swinging neckbreaker and then makes a second cover.
One…
Two-
Berry kicks out again. Danica then grabs her arm and locks her into an arm bar, driving her knee into Berry’s neck and forcing her to stay on the mat. Berry reaches out for the bottom rope but Danica stops her from moving too far. Berry turns her hips and manages to reach the rope with her legs, forcing the break. Danica breaks fairly quickly before hitting the ropes and landing a shining wizard to the back of Berry’s head as she rests against the ropes. Danica then pulls Berry to her feet and takes her down with a snap suplex.
She looks to Clutch, who nods to her, before she climbs up to the top rope. As Berry struggles to her feet, Danica comes down with a crossbody. Berry, however, manages to roll backwards with the momentum and she lifts Danica, shifts her weight, and takes her down with a pendulum backbreaker.
MW: Berry with a huge move to stop Danica Jane’s momentum.
SD: And now she’ll look to take some momentum of her own.
MW: Berry pulling Danica to her feet here.
Berry takes Danica down with an exploder suplex before hitting the ropes and connecting with the penalty kick. She then calls for Danica to get to her feet before coiling herself up. The fans stand in anticipation and Danica slowly gets to her feet and turns as Berry unleashes Checkmate… only for Danica to duck under it and pull Berry down into a schoolboy roll-up.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Berry just manages to escape! Both of them scramble to their feet and Danica looks for a kick to the gut, only for Berry to catch it and spin Danica around. Berry aims for a roundhouse kick, but Danica ducks and connects with a Pele kick. Berry staggers towards the ropes and Danica connects with a step-up enzeguiri before dragging Berry down into a Fujiwara arm bar. Berry cries out in pain and tries to scramble over to the ropes, but Danica manages to keep her away.
MW: This could spell trouble for Berry Bishop.
SD: She’s not going to be able to get out of this. She might have to tap out.
As Berry begins to get closer to the ropes, Danica shifts and tries to move into a Kimura lock. Berry manages to use the transition to free herself and she slides under the bottom rope. Danica stands and looks for a roundhouse kick of her own, but Berry ducks it and uses the ropes to help her into an enzeguiri before taking Danica down with a disaster kick. Berry makes another cover.
One…
Two..-
Danica kicks out. Berry then stands and pulls Danica up with her. She whips her into the ropes and takes her down with a dropkick before looking for Checkmate again. She coils herself up as Danica grabs the middle rope and pulls herself to her feet. Berry unleashes Checkmate, only for Danica to duck it again and, as Berry straightens up, Danica lands Lights Out. She drops into a cover quickly.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winner: Danica Jane (8:40).
Danica stands and jumps into the air with a look of surprise on her face. Clutch slides into the ring and raises her arm alongside the official as Berry rolls out of the ring. With Clutch and Danica celebrating, Berry looks back over her shoulder with a look of disappointment etched on her face. As she walks through the curtain, Clutch grabs a mic.
“Ladies and gentlemen… Danica Jane! What a great win. And what a great advert for what happens when a woman faces a woman in a wrestling ring. It goes to show that FPW can have great matches with women which do not promote evil man-on-woman violence. Let’s hear it for Danica Jane!”
The fans begin to boo after having given Danica a decent reception during the match.
“That’s enough. I shouldn’t expect anything better from all of you pigs. And talking of pigs, Bobby O… you’ve talked about our history an awful lot lately. We do have history. We have a lot more of it than most of these people have seen, and it’s time to end this once and for all. You’ve attacked Danica and I want to make you pay for it as much as I can. So what do you say Bobby? Me and you, for the last time, in a no disqualification match. Bring that lead pipe of yours because I don’t believe for a minute that you let CJ Holmes get rid of it.”
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Backstage, Jerry Bishop stands with Thalia Columbina.
TC: I have the great pleasure of being joined by FPW’s greatest wrestler… The Joker… Jerry… Bishop.
JB: The pleasure is all mine.
TC: Tonight you grace FPW with your presence in a tag team match alongside FPW Champion Artemis Evans. Are you happy to be teaming with Evans?
JB: Delighted. You see, Miss Columbina, Artemis Evans is cut from a different cloth to the rest of these… jesters. Artemis Evans is the FPW Champion and she deserves to be. Her Queendom is something to behold. I’d be delighted to offer her assistance in preparing to once again defeat Jace Mason. And I hope she would say the same about me and Aaron Williams, although it’s not as if I need any help.
TC: Have you and Evans been doing any work together before the match?
JB: As you well know, my dear, I train only with one partner. Artemis Evans and I have not stepping into a training ring and nor do we need to. We are both working towards a common goal… for now.
TC: For now?
JB: We both know that, despite Artemis’ prowess in the ring, The Joker is the best there is around here. It’s only a matter of time until I take the FPW Championship. We all know that the old boy Jimmy H doesn’t want it to happen, but he can’t stop it forever. Eventually I’ll get my chance, and I’ll only need one. So Artemis Evans and I will work together for now, but there will be a time when the two of us will meet in the ring. And, I’m sorry to tell you Artemis, at that time, I will have the last laugh.
TC: And what about your match with Aaron Williams. We know you’ll have the last laugh then, but can you give us an insight into how?
JB: I have to leave some things to your imagination, Miss Columbina. And that will be one of them. Thank you for interviewing me. You were… perfection.
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MW: This upcoming match is rather intriguing. At this point in time, we don’t know who will be challenging the Dogs of War for the Tag Team Championship at Opening Day, but this match could go a long way towards establishing a contender for those belts.”
SD: “Yes, it will certainly be interesting to see how this match will affect the Tag Team Title picture. We’ll see the former FPW tag Team Champions Death Squad go up against a team who have begun to make their presence felt on their own, the Queendom.”
MW: “Can I ask who you’re taking in this match?”
SD: “The Queendom of course.”
MW: “Of course…”
But before Mike could reveal who he thought would win the match, ‘Broken Bones’ blared from the speakers. Ava Knight appeared at the top of the ramp, leading Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing into view. Death Squad marched down to the ring, cursing at the fans in the front row, which led to a loud outburst of boos for the former champions.
Standing in the ring, Dasha Banks began the introductions. “The following tag team match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, being accompanied by Ava Knight, Aiden Balmer and Mary Downing, Death Squad!” Balmer and Downing stood on opposite turnbuckles, with Ava Knight posing on the apron between them. Ava dropped to the floor as Death Squad dropped into the ring and glared up the ramp, awaiting their opponents.
A white queen logo appeared on the screen, followed by the female voice calling ‘checkmate’ before ‘Hammer to Fall’ began to play. Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez strode onstage and were greeted by a torrent of boos. The Queendom members shared a smile before they began their approach to the ring. “And introducing their opponents, representing the Queendom, Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez!” Thea posed in the center of the ring, with Myra standing behind her, arm folded with an impassive look on her face. The two of them walked into the corner across from Death Squad, where Myra stepped onto the apron without discussion. Thea looked across the ring to see Mary Downing in the ring for Death Squad, staring her down.
Match 2: Death Squad vs The Queendom (written by Mason):
The two competitors locked eyes and advanced into the center of the ring, appearing to go for a lockup. But as Downing made to grab her, Thea stepped aside and laughed as Downing grit her teeth in frustration. Mary lashed out with a lightning fast punch that forced Thea to duck, allowing Downing to whip her into the ropes. But Thea held onto the ropes as Mary bent over to deliver a back body drop, leaving her open for Thea to step forward and land a kick straight to the face. Downing stumbled back, and Thea shot forward, landing several quick punches before connecting with an uppercut that knocked Downing off her feet. But instead of pressing her advantage, Thea stepped back and faked a yawn. “The Torment?” she taunted, smiling as Downing glared up at her. “You don’t seem that tough.” Downing shot to her feet, but before she could attack, Thea grabbed her wrist and whipped her into the ropes.
Aiden Balmer tagged himself in as she bounced off the ropes, and Downing rebounded back towards Thea. Thea kicked her leg out from under her as she got close and Downing fell face-first into the mat. Thea dropped on top of her and began raining down elbows as, unbeknownst to her, Balmer entered the ring behind her. Thea sat up, a cruel smile on her face, until Balmer wrapped his arms around her waist and planted her with a German suplex. Mary rolled back to the apron as Balmer stood over Thea. He bent down and grabbed her into a front facelock, lifting her up and tossing her into the center of the ring with a suplex. Thea landed hard, but rolled over and grabbed the bottom rope before Balmer could continue his offense. Balmer still went to attack, but the ref stepped between the two as Thea began to stand up. She smiled at Balmer before shoving the ref aside and slapping him across the face. Balmer looked shocked for a moment before he swung a hard right hook. Thea ducked his punch and slapped him again, harder this time, and laughed as she stepped back to dodge his retaliation again. But she was unable to dodge as he brought his leg up and kicked her hard in the chest, driving her to the mat. He pulled her back upright, but as he did so, Myra reached over the top rope and tagged herself in.
Unaware, Balmer whipped Thea into the ropes, positioning himself in the center of the ring as Myra stepped through the ropes behind him. He lifted Thea for a pop-up powerbomb, but before he could bring her down, Myra delivered a chop block to the back of his knee, causing him to stumble and allow Thea to pull him down with a hurricanrana. Thea rolled out of the ring as Myra waited for Balmer to rise, then connected with a pump kick as he stood up before dropping into the first cover of the match.
...1!.Kick-out!
Myra grabbed his leg as he kicked out, turning him over as she rose. She drove her knee into his thigh as she twisted his ankle. Balmer clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but otherwise showed no reaction. Myra saw this and switched tactics, bending his leg over one of hers and leaning forward to clasp her hands in front of his face, locking in an STF, allowing her to maintain pressure on the leg and inflict damage to the rest of his body as well. But she couldn’t apply enough pressure to prevent Balmer from dragging himself close enough to grab the bottom rope. She broke the submission at the ref’s count of three and retreated into the center of the ring, waiting for Balmer to recover. And recover he did, rising to his feet while glaring at her. He charged at her with a clothesline, but she sidestepped and redirected him into the ropes. He rebounded and went for a big boot, but Myra stepped in close and caught his leg before he could fully bring it up. She gave him a sadistic smile before twisting his leg with a dragon screw that sent him crashing to the mat and crying out in pain and surprise. Myra held onto his leg and dragged him into her corner, tagging in Thea. Myra held Balmer’s leg exposed as Thea stepped into the ring and climbed to the middle turnbuckle, connecting with a diving leg drop to the exposed limb, causing Balmer to cry out again. Thea rose to her feet and pulled Balmer up with her, applying a front facelock as she did so. She hooked his leg and delivered a fisherman’s suplex, bridging into the cover.
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Thea moved quickly at the kick-out, grabbing Balmer’s wrist and pulling him upright. She pulled him in for a short-arm lariat, but Balmer used his free hand to catch her wrist. He broke free of her grip and pulled her in, launching her with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Thea got to her feet quickly and attempted another slap, only for Balmer to catch her arm and transition into a half nelson, lifting her up before delivering a backbreaker and making a cover.
...1!..Kick-out!
Balmer lifted Thea upright and whipped her into the corner and charged in after her, but she just managed to sidestep his attack, catching him with a superkick as he turned around! Balmer was staggered, and Thea pushed him up against the ropes, tagging in Myra as she did so, before whipping him across the ring. Thea moved aside as Myra stepped into the ring and met the rebounding Balmer with a codebreaker. Balmer shot upright from the codebreaker, right into a backstabber from Thea! She quickly left the ring as Myra made a cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Myra tried to grab Balmer’s leg to inflict more damage, but he used both legs to kick her away, buying him enough time to shoot back up to his feet. Myra charged in, aiming to connect with a clothesline, but Balmer ducked under and Myra hit the ropes. Balmer attempted a back elbow as she rebounded, but Myra ducked under and kept running, stopping herself on the ropes. Balmer turned and charged with a big boot, but Myra dodged, causing Balmer’s leg to get caught on the ropes! Myra lashed out, kicking Balmer’s leg out from under him and then catching him, planting him hard on the back of his neck with a half and half suplex. Balmer crumpled, But Myra didn’t let him stay down, pulling him up and tucking his head under her arm before delivering a swinging DDT that left him limp, and Myra wasted no time rolling him over to make the cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Once again, Myra grabbed ahold of one of Balmer’s limbs as he kicked out, this time grabbing his wrist and turning him over. She wrapped his arm around her leg as she reached forwards and bent his knee back, locking in the Tequila Sunrise. Balmer cried out in pain and reached for the ropes, but Myra just sat deeper into the submission, holding him down. Mary Downing started pacing back and forth on the apron, starting to get nervous as Myra continued to crank on her partner’s knee. The ref knelt down near Balmer, asking if he wanted to quit, and Balmer raised his hand, bringing the crowd to their feet as it looked like he was about to tap out, only to give a shout of determination and drag himself closer to the ropes. He reached out, inches away from the bottom rope, when Myra broke the hold and dragged him back into the center of the ring. SHe went to re-apply the hold, But Balmer managed to roll himself over and used his free limbs to fight her off. He staggered to his feet and limped towards his corner, but before he could make the tag, Myra dove and grabbed his ankle, trying to pull him back towards the center of the ring. But Balmer held firm, bending down and wrapping his arms around her waist before lifting her up and slamming her to the ground with a powerbomb. But after lifting his opponent over his head, Balmer stumbled and nearly fell over, but he managed to dive into his corner and tag in his partner before Myra recovered, to a large ovation from the crowd. Mary Downing stepped into the ring as Myra stood up and ran in, dropping her with a quick clothesline. She then charged across the ring and delivered an enzuigiri to knock Thea off the apron. She turned around and charged back to Myra, delivering a tilt-a-whirl DDT. SHe let out a yell as she stood up, then turned to face Thea as she slid back into the ring. Thea charged her, but Mary met her with a kick to the gut and then a stunner that sent Thea rolling to the outside! She climbed to the top turnbuckle and waited for Myra to rise then leapt off with a missile dropkick! Myra went down, and Mary made the cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Myra powered out of the pin attempt, and Mary quickly pulled her to her feet and whipped her into the corner. She charged in and delivered a forearm, then began connecting with a series of knees to the midsection. The ref forced the break at the count of four, so she attempted to whip Myra into the opposite corner, only for Myra to reverse and send her into the corner. Myra ran towards her, only for Downing to bring her knees up to block her. Myra staggered back as Mary rose to the middle turnbuckle, and then launched into a neckbreaker that dropped Myra hard before transitioning into another cover.
...1!...2!..Kick-out!
Downing slapped the mat in frustration before a confident expression crossed her face. She rose and backed away, motioning for Myra to get back up. And once she did so, Mary Downing charged in, only for Myra to catch her and lift her up onto her shoulders in a fireman’s carry. She quickly carried her over to her corner and tagged in Thea, who leapt over the top rope as Myra brought Downing to the center of the ring. Thea connected with a superkick to Mary’s head a split second before Myra brought her crashing to the mat with an F-5! Balmer rushed into the ring as Thea dropped into a cocky cover, but Myra met him with a leg sweep and locked in an inverted figure four as the referee counted the pinfall!
...1!...2!...3!
Winners: The Queendom (17:48).
Thea and the ref stood up as the ref called for the bell, but Myra held onto the submission on Balmer. The ref realized after a moment and stepped in to break it up, only for Thea to grab him and blast him with a short-arm lariat. Thea stepped to the edge of the ring and motioned for a microphone as Myra wrenched on Balmer’s leg, causing him to yell in pain. Thea planted a foot on top of his back as she raised the mic to speak.
“Former Tag Team Champions? Really, these two?” She dug her heel into Balmer’s back as she continued. “These two are considered one of the best tag teams in FPW? They sure don’t seem that tough right now. No, if these two are considered the best, then I’m embarrassed for you FPW. You’ve done so much to present them as dangerous, as a threat to any tag team on the roster, yet look at them now. They’ve been absolutely dismantled.” Balmer had passed out from the pain of the submission, and as Myra released his legs, Thea knelt down to lift his head, showing his slack-jawed face to the cameras. “Does this look like the face of a champion to you?” she asked, smiling as she dropped his head and stood back up. She stepped in front of Balmer’s body as Myra stood next to her. “But there’s a way you can save face here FPW. We’ve proven that we’re more than deserving of a tag team title match tonight. You give that to us, and you’ll be able to prove that you can properly recognize a good tag team when you see one.”
Thea dropped the mic as ‘Hammer to Fall’ began to play, but it was quickly cut off. Lopez and Donovan looked up at the screen and then to one another as two men walked out onto the stage, one with a mic.
“For those of you who didn’t see Sixty Minutes of Freedom recently… allow me to introduce us. I am Jackson Banks and this man jumping up and down like a madman behind me-“
“How did you know?”
“I know you… of course you’re jumping up and down. This man is RJ Tudor. And together we make up Revolution-X. And you see, we put out a challenge on the latest episode of SMOF- does anyone call it that? No? Well I will anyway- we put out a challenge for a team to face us. Nobody has stepped up to the plate so how about you two really prove you’re Tag Team Title-worthy and face us? At Opening Day, let’s have The Queendom versus Revolution-X. If you win, maybe then you can talk titles. What do you say?”
Banks lowers the mic as Donovan and Lopez look at them dismissively.
“Face you? Why do you think you’re worth our time? But seeing as Houston still has his hard on for The Guardians of Strong Style and seeing as they seem to get whatever they want, including title matches that we should be getting, why not? We’ll beat you two upstarts and then we’ll take the tag belts from whoever is left standing.”
MW: Well that sounds like a great match.
SD: I’m not so sure. It sounds like The Queendom are being robbed of a shot at the tag belts by two kids who look like they should be in school tomorrow.
MW: I’ve heard good things about Revolution-X. They bring a certain brand of excitement to whatever ring they’re in.
SD: Maybe so, but Lopez and Donovan will ground them quicker than a global pandemic grounds airlines.
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In the lobby of the arena, Botiatus stands behind a merch table. A few kids stand with him waiting to have their pictures taken and a man holds cash ready to purchase a ‘H. O. B.’ t-shirt. Bo shares some jokes with the kids and takes the photos before taking the man’s money and shaking his hand. He looks to his left and frowns. The camera pans over to see a very sheepish-looking Berry Bishop.
B: Tough loss tonight, Bombshell.
Berry shakes her head and goes to turn, but Bo stops her.
B: Hey. Wait. I know you don’t want to accep-
BB: It’s not that.
B: Then what is it?
BB: I… I… um… I don’t… um…
B: I get it. This is hard for you-
BB: No you don’t. You don’t get it. You weren’t there.
B: There? I saw the match from-
BB: Forget it.
Berry walks away again, but Bo gets out from behind the table and catches up to her.
B: Hey. Whoa there. Forget I said anything.
Berry walks on a few steps and then stops and turns.
BB: Fine. I’ve forgotten.
B: You came over to me because you wanted something. I want to help you. All you have to do is say yes.
BB: It’s not that simple.
B: Ok… the way I see it is that you’ve regressed because you’re negating some of your skills. Your kicks are deadly. We all know that. But you’re not a bad technician either. Don’t let side go to waste. I can help you with that… if you want me to.
BB: I… I know I’m a good technician… I just… I don’t like to practice it. It… bring back memories.
B: I’m sure it’s hard to think of your brother at-
BB: No. It’s not… ok.
B: Ok?
BB: Ok. I want you to help me.
B: Good. I’m glad-
BB: But I have a few conditions.
B: I’m listening. You know I’m an honourable man. If they meet the House Rules, then I’ll agree to them.
BB: Rule number one. It’s a professional agreement. Nothing more.
B: Agreed.
BB: Rule number two. We do it properly. Help each other. I may be in a funk right now, but I can help you too.
B: You most certainly can. Agreed.
BB: Rule number three. I am who I am. I’ve seen what can happen when a Bishop tries to cover up who they are. I won’t change the person I am. Whatever change I make to what I can do in the ring, I’ll never change my personality. Don’t try to make me.
B: Agreed. You’re not your brother. You never will be. I understand. I think we’ve got an agreement.
Bo extends a hand. Berry looks at it for a few moments before shaking it. The two of them turn and walk through a door marked ‘FPW personnel only’ and the camera catches a snippet of their conversation.
BB: So we’ll have a purple ring and a commentary desk for Fozzie… oh… and a place for Dashy to stay when she comes to visit…
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Jim Houston stands in the ring with some kind of tombola.
“The time has come for an announcement I’ve been waiting to make since about October last year. Freedom Pro Wrestling is returning to wrestling’s big weekend! Two years’ ago, we held one of our biggest and best shows yet on Wrestlemania weekend. Last year, I decided not to do it again, but I feel that this year is the time. We’re expanding FPW- going to London in October for examples- so the chance to take FPW to Tampa is one I couldn’t refuse.
“But I didn’t want to just run one of our usual shows. Why should the wonderful Chicago fans be deprived of a show that they’ve seen the build to? I don’t believe you should be. So we’re going to run something slightly special over Mania weekend. We won’t be running one show. We won’t be running two shows. We will be running three Freedom Pro Wrestling shows! The first will take place on the evening of Friday April 4th at the RP Funding Center. We will then present a show on the evening of Saturday 5th April at George M. Steinbrenner Field through WrestleCon. The final show will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 6th April, and it will be hosted at a specially constructed outdoor arena right next to Raymond James Stadium, giving us potentially the largest audience that FPW will ever have had.”
The fans applaud as Houston takes a pause.
“Now these three shows… that’s a lot for fans to come to over a weekend. So I didn’t just want to run any show. There may be people who criticise me for this, but I love a tournament. I love a tournament with real stakes. So at Mania weekend, we will be running a number one contender tournament with sixteen of FPW’s biggest stars. The first round of matches will take place on the Friday, the quarter-finals on the Saturday and the semi-finals and final on the Sunday, where we will also see a very special appearance from… I’ll let you wonder about that one for a little while longer.
“Now you see why I have this tombola with me. Each round of this tournament will be randomly drawn. There will be no bracket. After the final first round match and the final quarter-final, I will conduct the draw for the next round. The first round matches will be drawn right here, right now.”
The fans cheer as Houston turns the tombola and reaches inside.
“The first name out of the draw is… Jerry Bishop.”
The cheers are replaced by boos as Houston puts his hand into the tombola again.
“And he will face… ohhhh… Berry Bishop.”
The fans gasp with surprise and Houston makes a face.
“A random draw can pull out some very interesting matches. Our second match will see… either Jace Mason or Artemis Evans, whoever loses at Opening Day, face… wow… Aaron Williams!”
The fans cheer another exciting match as Houston puts his hand into the tombola again.
“Our third match will be… MDE.”
The fans boo again.
“And he will face… Hiro Takahara.”
A modest cheer goes up and Houston reaches again.
“Next up we have… Liz Karlson.”
A modest cheer goes up again.
“And she will face… Ella Ripley.”
The fans boo.
“Up next is… Masa Tchyukiro.”
Another modest cheer goes up.
“And Tchyukiro will wrestle- no… this may not be a wrestling match… Tchyukiro will battle Go Shihei!”
An intrigued ‘oooooh’ fills the arena.
“Up next is… Marcus Allen Jones.”
A loud cheer goes up as an ‘M.A.J’ chant begins.
“Marcus will be up against… Russ Bolt.”
The ‘M.A.J.’ chant continues as Houston reaches in again.
“And our penultimate contest will begin with… Tommy Saxon”
The fans return to booing.
“And Saxon will face… Bobby O.”
Another cheer goes up.
“So our final match out of the draw is… Clutch McCloud.”
Another boo rings out before Houston draws the final name.
“And his opponent… The current Freedom Champion… Botiatus.”
A cheer goes up as Houston nods his head in appreciation of an intriguing draw.
“Let’s recap, the first round of matches will be:
Jerry Bishop vs. Berry Bishop
Artemis Evans or Jace Mason vs. Aaron Williams
MDE vs. Hiro Takahara
Liz Karlson vs. Ella Ripley
Masa Tchyukiro vs. Go Shihei
Marcus Allen Jones vs. Russ Bolt
Tommy Saxon vs. Bobby O
Clutch McCloud vs. Botiatus
“I’ve got to admit that I’m very happy with this draw. And if this seems like something you want to be a part of, tickets will go on sale one hour after the end of tonight’s show. Thank you very much for your time.”
MW: Well that is a very interesting announcement.
SD: Houston loves a tournament and I agree with him. And this one with no bracket and for a shot at the FPW Championship at Uprising ought to be something really special.
MW: The eyes of the wrestling world will be on Tampa and these sixteen competitors will have the chance to introduce themselves to a brand new audience. This could be huge for us and huge for one or two of these competitors.
SD: And what about that very special appearance?
MW: Don’t ask me, Steven. I have no idea who Jim Houston is referring to.
SD: Whoever it may be, these shows are lining up to be great.
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Backstage, Dasha Banks stands with Bobby O and CJ Holmes.
DB: Bobby, tonight you’ve heard that Clutch wants your match with him to be a no disqualification match. What is your response?
BO: First of all, Clutch, you can call me all the names in the world, but you won’t motivate me to beat you any more than I already am. As for your challenge… I don’t need no DQ to beat you, but I think you need it to beat me. I know I’m better in the ring than you are, and I want to prove that-
Bobby stops as he sees Russ Bolt walking up to him.
RB: Typical.
BO: What do you want?
RB: That’s so typical of you, Mr. FPW. You’re an entitled little baby right now. Sure, you beat TakeOver 2.0. Whoop-de-do. Sure you had a title match against Evans. But you lost. You think you’re the best wrestler in this company. You’re good, I know that for sure, but you’re not as good as you think you are. And what if Clutch does beat you? What if he does beat you in a straight-up wrestling match? What then? You lost your big match. You lose another one and where do you go from there? Nowhere. That’s where. You want my advice? Take the match. No DQ. At least then you’ll have an excuse when you lose.
BO: You’d be the expert on losing after all. I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll consider it. You’ll get my answer next week.
Bolt looks Bobby up and down and then walks away, leaving Bobby and CJ with Dasha.
CJ: Come on, Bob-O, don’t be taken in by him. He just wants to rile you up to get what Clutch wants.
BO: Probably. But I like the idea of smashing Clutch’s head in with a chair. Or…
CJ: No. This is precisely what we’ve talked about. Precisely why you don’t carry that pipe anymore. You’re not that man. The Bastard is gone. Please don’t bring him back.
BO: Alright… I promise you that side of me is gone. But it doesn’t mean I can’t face Clutch in a no DQ match. I won’t let it control me.
CJ: It’s not worth the risk. What if Clutch brings a pipe out there? What if he threatens me? How will you control yourself then? Could you? Are you certain? Because if you’re not certain, then you shouldn’t be accepting this match.
BO: I… Let’s talk it over. I told Russ I’d let him know. We don’t need to decide now.
CJ: Ok. But I stand by what I said. You need to be one hundred percent sure.
BO: I promise you, if I’m not certain of what I’ll do, I’ll turn it down and have a straight-up match.
CJ: Good.
CJ and Bobby walk away, leaving Dasha holding up a mic and unsure what to do with herself.
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MW: And now it’s time for our main event. Jace Mason expressed earlier this week how excited he was to be teaming once again with Aaron Williams, and the two men will be coming together in the hopes of helping each other before huge matches at Opening Day.
SD: And Jerry Bishop and Artemis Evans will be working together for the exact same aim. They’ll look to weaken Mason and Williams and make it even more likely of a Bishop-Evans double at Opening Day.
MW: Of course we know that Mason and Williams are good friends and have teamed together in the past, but what about Evans and Jerry? Will the two of them be able to match the teamwork of Mason and Williams?
SD: I won’t lie, Arty and Jerry won’t be the same as Mason and Williams in terms of team work and chemistry, but to me they have a different advantage. Pure ability. I rate both of them higher than both of their opponents.
MW: That’s up for debate. My big question with the two of them is around their egos. Jerry’s has inflated beyond all recognition and Evans has always had a strong sense of her own superiority. Will the two of them really be able to work together, to play second fiddle when they need to? Or will they both look to be the one scoring the pinfall in the end and lead to a loss which will really give Mason and Williams the momentum-
SD: momentum schmomentum, Watson. This match might give them a confidence boost, but their matches at Opening Day aren’t tag matches. They’re singles matches. And in singles competition, Aaron Williams and Jace Mason can’t- and won’t- beat Jerry Bishop and Artemis Evans.
MW: That remains to be seen. Let’s get this match started and let’s see who will be getting that all-important confidence boost ahead of Opening Day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for tonight’s main event. The following contest is a tag team match and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a two-time former Ring of Honor Champion and the holder of many championships from all over the world… ‘A Plus’… Aaron Williams!”
‘I Still Believe’ begins to play and Williams walks through the curtain singing along immediately. He calls to the fans to join in and stands with his arms outstretched and his head thrown back belting out the words. At the end of the first verse, Williams leaps from his position and begins to charge down the ramp, slapping as many hands as he can as he does. He reaches the ring and continues around the fans, picking out a young fan in a Berry Bishop t-shirt and handing him a marker pen. The fan writes ‘beat the qweeny meenys’ and Williams tousles his hair before sliding into the ring. He shakes hands with Dasha Banks and the official before settling into the corner.
“And his tag team partner, from Seattle, Washington, he is a former Free-1 winner and a former Freedom and FPW Champion… ‘The Eternal Student… Jace Mason!”
Afterlife begins to play and the fans cheer loudly. As the intro ends, Mason steps out in his usual pose, pyro exploding around him. He looks around the arena and smiles, before holding up a finger and turning back. The fans look around in confusion before a big cheer greets Mason as he returns with the Young Lions’ Cup. He holds it up before making his way down to the ring, holding out the cup for the fans to touch. Mason then reaches the ring and places it in one corner before climbing onto the apron and making his way to the turnbuckles to stand in his usual pose. He steps up and receives more cheers before dropping back into the ring. He moves over to Williams and the two shake hands and embrace for a moment before settling to wait for their opponents.
“And introducing their opponents. First, from Kansas City, Missouri… ‘The J- The J- The… Joker’… Jerry B-Bishop.”
‘Shine My Shoes’ plays and Jerry enters, revealing himself to the fans, who immediately greet him with boos. Jerry smirks to himself before making his way down the ramp, bristling a little at the fans who shout abuse at him. He reaches the ring and begins to climb the steps, before he sees the fan Aaron Williams went to earlier and begins to step down from the steps and go towards him. As soon as he does, Williams slides out of the ring and stands between the two, ready to start the match early. Jerry laughs and tells Williams that it’s just too easy before sliding into the ring. He avoids looking over at Dasha Banks but he and Jace Mason have a momentary stare-down before Jerry laughs again.
“And his partner, from Manchester, England and being accompanied to the ring by Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez, she is the FPW Champion and is representing The Queendom… ‘The Glory Huntress’… Artemis Evans.”
‘Checkmate’ rings out around the arena before ‘Hammer to Fall’ replaces it. The full strength of The Queendom walks out onto the stage and Evans stands at the front, extending her arms as Lopez and Donovan point at the FPW Championship that sits around her waist. After a few moments, the three women make their way down the ramp, talking trash to the fans and gloating that Evans has the belt. They approach the ring where Jace Mason doesn’t ever let his gaze drop away from Evans. The three of them steps up onto the apron and enter the ring at the same time, Donovan and Lopez clearing a path for Evans to step up onto the second turnbuckle and extend her arms again, tilting her head back to soak in more boos. She drops down and stands alongside Jerry, giving him the briefest of nods as the two teams stare each other down from across the ring.
Match 3: Artemis Evans and Jerry Bishop vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams:
Mason and Williams bump fists as Williams leaves the ring and Jerry and Evans agree to allow Evans to begin the match. The bell rings and the two star at one another from across the ring. Evans tells Mason that there’s no point in him expending any energy if he wants to have any chance of beating her. She offers him a chance to lie down, but he comes forward quickly and they two lock-up instead. Mason forces Evans back towards the ropes. As Evans’ back hits the ropes, she calls for the official to break them up, but Mason breaks quickly and grabs her wrist, whipping her across the ring. As Evans comes back at him, he takes her down with a dropkick and the fans cheer loudly.
Evans looks up at Mason who beckons for her to stand. She stands and Mason comes in quickly again, only to be met with a thumb to the eye. The fans boo as Evans looks to take control, driving a knee into Mason’s gut and backing up for the axe kick, only for Mason to avoid it and to pull her down with a snapmare. Mason then hits the ropes and looks for a penalty kick, but Evans drops down and Mason connects with thin air. As Mason turns, Jerry yells at him that that’s his move, but Mason ignores him, keeping his focus on Evans.
Mason stalks her before pulling her into a suplex position and lifting her, only for Evans to drop down on her feet and grabs a waistlock. Mason performs a standing switch but then gets caught with an elbow to the side of the head to allow Evans to get free. Mason then swings a forearm but Evans ducks and pulls him in for an inverted STO, making the first cover of the match.
One…
T-
Mason kicks out.
MW: Artemis Evans with the first big impact of a cagey opening.
SD: These two do know one another well and it’s no surprise that neither could assert dominance. It’s also no surprise that Evans was the first to find a way through.
MW: And now she’s making the tag to welcome- listen to those boos for the former hero.
SD: Disgraceful. No wonder Jerry is the way he is after these fans turned their back on him like this.
Jerry enters and lands a few aggressive stomps to Mason. He then pulls Mason up and wrings his arm before driving an elbow down into his triceps. Mason drops to a knee and Jerry backs into the ropes before connecting with a low dropkick. Jerry stands and looks across at Williams, who watches him closely. Jerry tells Williams to watch as he picks up Mason and whips him into the corner, before following him in with a running elbow strike. Mason staggers out and Jerry plants him with a bulldog. He makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Mason kicks out again. Jerry quickly pulls him up and goes to tag in Evans, but Mason elbows him in the gut before he can make the tag and he pulls him in for a DDT. Williams calls for the tag and Mason scrambles over to make it, the fans cheering loudly as Aaron Williams storms into the ring. He charges at Jerry and looks for a big clothesline, but Jerry ducks and rolls under the bottom rope and out of the ring. Williams watches and hits the opposite ropes in preparation for a dive, but Evans comes into the ring and cuts him off with a discus forearm. The fans boo as Jerry quickly slides in again and applies a chinlock, taunting the crowd as he does.
MW: This is the exact kind of… tomfoolery we saw from Jerry in their last match.
SD: Tomfoolery?
MW: I don’t know… but this is what Jerry looked to do. He wanted to anger these fans by having the most boring match he could. This can’t be allowed to happen tonight, and certainly not at Opening Day.
SD: There’s only one way to stop it… and that’s for Aaron Williams to make sure he can counter it.
Williams begins to fight back, forcing himself up to his feet and landing elbows to the gut. Jerry breaks the hold and reels backwards, allowing Williams to recover. He looks for a forearm strike but Jerry ducks it and connects with a dropkick to the back which sends Williams towards Mason, who tags himself in. Mason comes in quickly and ducks a clothesline from Jerry before landing a spinning gut kick, then kicking out Jerry’s leg and landing a low dropkick. Mason makes a cover.
One-
Jerry quickly kicks out. Mason makes it back to his feet and pulls Jerry with him, whipping him into a neutral corner. He follows in with a high knee, but Jerry ducks and rolls out of the corner. As Mason staggers back towards the middle of the ring, Jerry leaps up onto the middle rope and lands a version of the springboard forearm, before rolling over to Evans and tagging her into the match.
Evans enters and immediately looks to keep Mason grounded. She takes his arm and lands a series of kicks to the ribs before pulling him up and lifting him into a vertical suplex position. She quickly drops him with a brainbuster and rolls into a cover.
One…
Two-
Mason kicks out again. Evans pulls him up again and whips him into her corner. She follows him in with a spinning wheel kick and then tags Jerry back in. Jerry comes in and looks to slow things down, landing a few stomps on a now-seated Mason before rolling Mason out of the corner and pushing up onto the second rope. Mason slowly gets to his feet and Jerry comes off with a second rope blockbuster. Jerry sits up and looks at Williams for a moment before letting out another laugh. Williams begins to step through the ropes and the official quickly moves to hold him back, but this allows Thea Donovan to enter the ring and lift Mason into a Firebomb.
Mason, however, manages to drop down and he connects with a superkick to Donovan’s gut before ducking a rolling elbow from Jerry and dropping him with an STO. The official turns back and forces Donovan out of the ring as Mason crawls over to make the tag to Williams. However, Lopez grabs Williams by the ankle and pulls him down, his head hitting the apron hard on his way and Mason reaching out to nobody.
Mason turns to see Evans tagging herself back in. He moves towards her but he’s cut off by a knee to the gut followed by a butterfly suplex. The fans boo as Evans smiles to Donovan and Lopez on the outside. She plays to them a little by extending her arms, but she soon refocuses on Mason as he begins to get to his feet. She drives another knee into his gut and connects with the axe kick before turning and climbing up to the top turnbuckle. Jerry tags himself in at that moment and enters the ring, holding Mason down and allowing Evans to connect with the moonsault.
SD: See, Watson. These two are working together far better than you thought they could.
MW: I’ll give them some credit for that, but I don’t think that a four-on-two advantage should be ignored.
SD: Why does that relate to them working together?
MW: Because that kind of working together is why Aaron Williams isn’t in the ring right now. He was about to tag himself in and there’s no way this match would be going on like this if he had.
SD: You don’t know that, Watson.
Jerry quickly lifts Mason and hooks his arms, looking for the Last Laugh, only for Aaron Williams to come from nowhere with a springboard lariat! The fans cheer loudly as Williams lands on Jerry and strikes him with a flurry of right hands, but the cheers turn to boos as the official pulls Williams away and orders him back to his corner, allowing Evans to enter again and put the boots to Mason. She drags Jerry over to their corner and tags herself in as the official turns, entering the ring and covering Mason quickly.
One…
Two…
T-
Mason kicks out again. Evans quickly pulls him up and looks to set him up for Guillotine Strike, but Mason fights her off, twisting free and landing a series of forearms. He forces her back into her corner and Jerry tags himself in, but Mason doesn’t notice. He pulls Evans out of the corner and whips her across the ring, looking for Extra Credit, only for Jerry to come from behind with another rolling elbow, this time to the back of the head. Evans leaves the ring as Jerry steps through the ropes. Mason begins to get to his feet as Jerry slingshots over the ropes into a DDT. He makes a cover again.
One…
Two…
Th-
Mason kicks out and the fans cheer for him once more. Jerry looks to the official with a grimace on his face, but he doesn’t abate for long. He drags Mason over to a neutral corner and then backs up, looking for a running dropkick. Mason, however, manages to get out of the way at the last minute and the fans cheer loudly as he moves over to make the tag. Lopez once again looks to pull Williams off the apron, but Williams is ready, diving off with a cannonball onto her and Donovan before scrambling back into position and making the tag, sending the fans into a frenzy.
Williams hits the ring hard, taking Jerry down with a lariat before taking Evans down with a mid-kick. He turns and grabs Jerry, lifting him into a brainbuster onto his knee before grabbing Evans and throwing her over the top rope. Calling for the fans to get louder, Williams lifts Jerry and whips him into the corner. He follows him in with a big splash and backs up for another and another and another. After four, Jerry drops down and Williams calls for the cannonball. He backs into the corner before charging at Jerry and hitting him hard. Jerry rolls out of the corner and Williams climbs to the top rope before leaping down with a swan-ton bomb. He holds for a cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Jerry just gets a shoulder up.
MW: What a flurry of offence from Aaron Williams!
SD: I’ll give the man his due. He’s an exciting wrestler when he really gets going.
MW: And he’s desperate to get going against Jerry Bishop!
Williams pulls Jerry to his feet and sets him up for a powerbomb. However, Lopez gets onto the apron and distracts the official while Donovan comes in from behind and attacks Williams. She lands a low blow before looking to set up for Firebomb, but Mason cuts her off, hitting her hard with a forearm and tossing her over the top rope. Evans comes in but Mason connects with a spinning gut kick before whipping her into Lopez, who drops down, and clotheslining Evans over the rope to follow her. Jerry grabs Mason and spins him around, but Mason pulls him in for a quick DDT and then rolls him to the outside. Mason looks at all of them gathered on one side of the ring and the fans start to get an idea what he’s thinking. He steps up onto the top rope, looks down and leaps off with a shooting star press!
Jerry and The Queendom lie on the outside with Mason as Williams begins to recover inside the ring. The official checks on the five of them outside the ring and Williams watches them begin to stand. He calls for support from the fans before hitting the ropes, charging towards them and stepping up onto the top rope before landing a somersault plancha to take them all down once again. Williams, however, springs up to his feet and high fives several fans before grabbing Jerry and pulling him up and into the ring. He follows him in and lifts him into a suplex position before dumping him onto the top rope. Williams climbs the turnbuckles and connects with a 450-splash to send Jerry dropping to the canvas. Williams crawls over and makes a cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
Jerry just gets a shoulder up again. Williams bangs the mat in frustration but then stands, determination etched onto his face. He pulls Jerry up and hooks his arms, looking for A Triple Plus. Jerry, however, resists, not allowing Williams to lift him. As Williams continues to try, Evans gets back onto the apron and she comes in with a slingshot cutter to take Williams down. With both Jerry and Williams down in the ring, Evans and Mason urge them to get over and make a tag.
Both men crawl to their corner and tag in their partners, and the crowd erupts again as Mason blocks a shot from Evans and forces her back with a series of forearms and chops of his own. He then whips her across the ring and follows her in with a high knee. As she staggers out of the corner, Mason runs across the ring and lands a disaster kick, covering her.
One…
Two…
T-
Evans kicks out. Mason quickly pulls himself to his feet and drags Evans with him. He lifts her for a vertical suplex and takes her down with a falcon arrow before pointing to the top rope. He steps through the ropes and climbs up before being distracted as Lopez throws the FPW Championship at him. He looks at it for a moment and this allows Evans to get up with him and take him down with a modified butterfly suplex. The belt drops down into the ring as Evans crawls over to make the tag to Jerry. He enters and pulls Mason up, trapping his arms and looking for the Last Laugh, but again Mason counters, shoving Jerry away and landing a gamengiri.
MW: And now Jace Mason needs to make a tag!
SD: Williams is in position.
MW: Tag made! Tag made! In comes Aaron Williams.
Williams enters and immediately takes Evans down off the apron. He turns and connects with a mid-kick to Jerry before hitting a standing double stomp. He rolls through and looks for a second-rope moonsault, but Jerry gets his knees up and pulls him into a small package.
One…
Two…
Thre-
Williams just escapes. The two men scramble to their feet, Williams aiming another mid-kick, but Jerry catches it and spins Williams around before landing a snap Last Laugh. He lets out a laugh of his own and then makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Williams manages to get a shoulder up! Jerry looks down in shock for a moment before turning to the official. As Jerry argues, Williams slowly rolls over towards Mason. Jerry turns, but it’s too late to stop the tag. Mason enters the ring and takes Jerry down with a running forearm. He sees Evans entering the ring and he cuts her off, throwing her over the top rope. He then lifts Jerry and whips him into the ropes, looking for Extra Credit, but Lopez catches Jerry and stops his momentum. Donovan jumps onto the opposite side of the ring and distracts the official as Mason takes Lopez down with a forearm. He then backs up and looks to connect with a suicide dive only for Evans to cut him off with a shot to the head with the Young Lions’ Cup. Mason staggers backwards, his legs like jelly, and turns right into a Last Laugh onto the FPW Championship. Donovan drops down and quickly moves around to grab Williams by the leg as Jerry makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winners: Artemis Evans and Jerry Bishop (26:36).
MW: What a way to steal this match!
SD: It was genius. And look at what happened. Jace Mason was the man to be pinned.
MW: After being hit with his own trophy and being driven head-first into the FPW Championship.
SD: It’s the closest he’ll get to the FPW Championship for a long time.
MW: Be that as it may, he’ll be doing everything in his power to take that title back- and get revenge for everything The Queendom has put him through- at Opening Day.
Evans enters the ring and lays the Young Lions’ Cup down next to Mason. She and Jerry then both bend down to pick up the FPW Championship at the same time, and, just for a moment, both of them have their hands on the belt and their eyes locked on one another. A murmur goes around the arena before Jerry lets it go and Evans raises it above her head, one foot on Mason’s motionless body.
