Post by Jim Houston on May 3, 2020 10:58:52 GMT
A video plays, highlighting previous All Star Tag Team Classics. It flashes through the participants in the first All Star Tag Team Classic and shows Bobby O and Jack Sevren’s route to the final, before cutting to them defeating The Invaders and holding up the Tag Team Championships. It then flashes through the All Star Tag Team Classic II participants and focusses on Death Squad’s victory over The Queendom and The Guardians of Strong Style, then their Tag Team Championship victory and finally their win over Jerry and Berry Bishop in the final. We then have a run through of this year’s participants, ending with a shot of the bracket.
The feed then cuts to Mike Watson and Steven Deville at the announce desk.
MW: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to what has always traditionally been one of the biggest times of the FPW calendar, the All Star Tag Team Classic.
SD: And this tournament is sure to be bigger and better than ever. The Queendom, Death Squad, The Dogs of War, Jerry Bishop and MDE, Berry Bishop and Botiatus, Russ Bolt and Danica Jane, Revolution-X and Jace Mason and Aaron Williams. What a line-up.
MW: One team will stand tall and will be crowned All Star Tag Team Classic III winners. They will go on to face The Guardians of Strong Style for the FPW Tag Team Championships, a title which previous All Star Tag Team Classic winners have never failed to win.
SD: Tonight’s half looks great. My personal favourites are both in this half of the bracket. The Queendom face Russ Bolt and Danica Jane, who are Clutch-less for the first time ever and Jerry Bishop and MDE, the team I expect to end victorious, take on Aaron Williams and Jace Mason.
MW: That match could main event any show and would be a worthy final in itself, but it will be a brilliant first-round match-up. In addition to that, we see both members of the Suplex Sweethearts in action tonight, as Bobby O looks to regain some momentum following his loss to Aaron Williams and Liz Karlson looks to push herself back up the FPW ladder.
SD: But we start it all off with one of my favourites- and I don’t mean Bobby O.
MW: This matchup has been building for some time, as Tommy Saxon of the Suplex Sweethearts has been getting under the skin of Bobby O for weeks now, and it's time for these two technicians to face off mano-a-mano.
SD: That doesn't mean what you think it means. Literally translated, it means hand-to-hand.
MW: ...well, that's not usually the modern parlance, sure, but that actually applies more than the present-day usage in this case.
SD: ...shut up, Watson.
Dasha Banks takes the middle of the ring.
DB: The following contest is scheduled for ONE FALL!
Carpenter Brut's "Turbo Killer" fills the air and the crowd begins to boo. Tommy Saxon saunters onto the stage and holds his arms out to the crowd with a wide smirk, slowly turning in a circle before walking coolly down the ramp, too-slowing some children along the barricades. He climbs into the ring and turns to Dasha with a wink and quick "smooch" of his lips before leaning against the ropes towards the hard camera, checking his "watch" with an almost bored expression.
DB: Ew- Introducing first, from Hammersmith, London, The Hammer, TOMMY! SAXON!
MW: The power-half of the Suplex Sweethearts has been egging on Bobby O about his at-times contentious relationship with longtime partner CJ Holmes, bragging about his own romance with Ella Ripley who we'll be seeing in action later tonight as well, turning this bout into a battle of pride between the two men.
SD: They could've settled this in the parking lot with some white gloves and pistols at twenty paces if that's all this is about!
MW: Steven, that's definitely illegal here.
SD: Fine, then let them get it out of their systems in the ring! Saxon's had Bobby's number ready and waiting, we all know the Suplex Sweethearts are the strongest pair of lovebirds in this company, apart from possibly-
"This Means War" cuts in and the crowd begins to cheer loudly. Bobby O takes the top of the stage in his bomber jacket and looks out into the crowd with a smile. CJ Holmes joins him and the two share some quiet words. We hear her say "stay in control, okay?" and give him a peck on the cheek before they separate. Bobby strides confidently down the ramp, arms wide, high-fiving as many people as he can. He makes it to the ring and looks up at Saxon in the corner, who gives him a mocking round of applause before flipping him the V. Bobby shrugs it off and climbs into the ropes, giving Dasha a quick fist-bump before leaning against the ropes and hollering to the fans to fire them up.
DB: And his opponent, he is the one and only MR. F! P! W!, BOBBY! OOOOOOOOOOOOO!
MW: Bobby's looking to wipe that smug grin off Saxon's face and restore dignity and decency to this promotion here tonight.
SD: If he wanted to do that, he could've just stayed in Stamford and joined Right to Censor!
MW: That wouldn't have been possible, Bobby would've barely been in grade school.
SD: He could've revived it! We all know how that company feels about revivals!
Match 1: Bobby O vs. Tommy Saxon (written by Jerry):
The referee calls for the bell. Bobby and Saxon size each other up. Saxon waves Bobby in, calling for a lockup. The two hook their arms around each other. Bobby gains the upper hand, grasping Saxon's wrist and leveraging him down to one knee. Saxon rolls through, reversing the pressure, and keeps hold of Bobby's wrist. Saxon wraps Bobby's arm around his own waist, ripcording him out and looks to pull him back in for a lariat. Bobby has the move scouted and ducks underneath, keeping Saxon's arm trapped, and catching his other arm behind, lifting him up into a straightjacket suplex. Saxon crashes hard to the mat. Bobby kips up and runs the ropes, smashing Saxon in the face with a sliding clothesline as he starts to his feet. Bobby pulls Saxon back up and whips him into the ropes and scoops him into a picture-perfect powerslam. Bobby hooks Saxon's leg.
MW: Bobby looking to end this one early!
SD: Not a chance!
ONE!
NO!
Saxon kicks out. Bobby nods, acknowledging he may have gotten ahead of himself. As the two men get to their feet, Saxon shouts "your brother does it better anyway." Bobby clenches his fist and swings blindly backwards at Saxon. Saxon dodges aside and lunges forward and takes Bobby's arms, tucking his own head underneath and hoisting Bobby up into a Northern Lights suplex. Saxon bridges for a cover.
ONE!
NO!
MW: Saxon also looking to make this a quick encounter!
SD: He's showing turnabout is fair play.
Bobby kicks out. Saxon waggles a finger at him as Bobby starts to his feet. Bobby grits his teeth and leaps up. Saxon tries to grab Bobby and throw him over, but Bobby maneuvers his arm around Saxon's neck and swings himself back down into a DDT, planting Saxon headfirst into the mat. Bobby gets his footing and pulls Saxon up and throws him into the ropes and looks for another powerslam as he rebounds. Saxon catches Bobby's arm and plants his feet, blocking the lift, and quickly jabs Bobby in the face. Bobby reels, and Saxon hip tosses him to the mat. The referee warns Saxon to keep it clean, Saxon backs off, saying that was perfectly legal.
MW: That didn't look very pleasant.
SD: What do you expect this to be, Watson? Another Pleasant Valley Sunday? This isn't Status Symbol Land, this is wrestling!
Saxon laughs at Bobby as he rises to one knee. He drapes an arm around Bobby's neck and pulls him to his feet, wrapping his other arm over his shoulder. Saxon looks for a Fisherman's suplex, but Bobby strikes Saxon hard in the midsection, buying himself some time. He lays in more punches, eventually freeing himself and pulling Saxon in for an exploder suplex, throwing him across the ring. Bobby stalks towards Saxon, putting the boots to him in that inimitable Orton style. Saxon drags himself into a corner while Bobby continues to stomp. The ref gives Bobby the count to let Saxon out, which Bobby breaks at 3. Saxon pulls himself up with the ropes as Bobby runs to the opposite corner. He springs up and pushes his feet off the second turnbuckle, using the momentum to charge back in to Saxon and connect with a running dropkick. Saxon staggers out of the corner, holding himself up with the ropes. Bobby yanks Saxon off the ropes and towards the opposite side, clacking him across the jaw with a superkick on the way back. Bobby covers.
ONE!
TW- NO!
Saxon kicks out. Bobby lifts Saxon back up sends him into the ropes once more. He looks for a pop-up powerbomb, but Saxon manages to leapfrog over Bobby, landing back to back between him and the ropes. Saxon quickly hooks his arms through Bobby's elbows before he can turn around, hoisting him up onto his back. Saxon takes hold of Bobby's feet and wraps them around his thighs, locking in a Gory Special.
MW: Someone's been doing their homework!
SD: When you've got a study partner like Ella Ripley, you pay attention!
Saxon applies pressure to Bobby's limbs as the referee checks if Bobby submits. When Bobby refuses to give in, Saxon releases the pressure, dropping Bobby hard face-first to the mat. Saxon turns around and clasps his hands around Bobby's waist, gutwrenching him up and over into a suplex, throwing him towards a corner. Bobby pulls himself with the turnbuckles. Saxon comes up behind and lifts Bobby's arms up into a full nelson position before suplexing him back towards the center of the ring. Saxon makes a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
T- NO!
Bobby kicks out. Saxon slams the mat and yells at the ref to pay better attention. Bobby struggles to one knee, but Saxon spots him and pulls him into a snap suplex towards the ropes. Bobby pulls himself up slowly with the ropes, Saxon swaggers over and nonchalantly puts a knee against Bobby's head, choking him out on the second rope. He blows a kiss to a woman in the front row as the referee calls for the break, finally letting Bobby out at 4. As Bobby catches his breath draped across the top rope, Saxon snares him around the waist, heaving him up and bouncing his legs across the top rope, slingshotting Bobby back towards the center of the ring with a thunderous suplex. He pulls Bobby up by the chin before unleashing his Tommy Gun strike combination. He jabs Bobby in the gut twice, kicks him in the midsection, spinning back elbow to the jaw, and a roaring clothesline to the throat to drop him to the mat. Saxon covers.
ONE!
TWO!
THR- NO!
MW: Bobby O digging deep to stay in this fight!
SD: He should let that pride of his go and just give up already!
Saxon kneels down in Bobby's face and calls out "looks like CJ takes it to the face better than you, Bobby", to a wave of boos. Bobby's eyes flash furiously and he unleashes a huge punch to Saxon's jaw, throwing him off balance. Bobby lets loose a torrent of punches to Saxon's face, rolling him over and pummeling him against the mat as the crowd cheers. The referee steps in, telling Bobby either to pin Saxon or let him up. Bobby lets up, fuming, running his hands through his hair, staring at the dazed Saxon on the canvas, while the crowd chant "KICK HIS ASS! KICK HIS ASS!" Bobby slowly stalks towards him, Saxon begging off and scooting backward towards the corner. Bobby looms over Saxon and stomps a mudhole in him against the bottom turnbuckle. Again, the referee counts Bobby to let him out, this time Bobby steps away at 4.5. Saxon pulls himself up to his feet only to be met with a tornado DDT from Bobby. Bobby keeps hold of Saxon, pulling him up and setting him back up in the corner, seething. Bobby pushes Saxon up onto the top turnbuckle, climbing up after him, positioning himself for a superplex. The crowd build up an "ohhhhhhhhhh" in anticipation followed by a chant of "OH SNAP! OH SNAP!" as Bobby powers Saxon up off the turnbuckle, slamming him hard into the mat and locking on the Anaconda Vise.
MW: O-Snap indeed! Bobby's got Saxon right where he wants him!
SD: Not quite! Look!
Bobby has the hold cinched in tight, but he unwittingly dropped Saxon closer to the ropes than he intended. Saxon claws toward the bottom rope, grabbing hold for dear life. The ref makes the count, Bobby letting go at 4.7. Bobby stands up, breathing heavily, holding his hands to his head as Saxon rolls himself over to catch his breath. Suddenly, almost unconsciously, Bobby whips himself around and down onto the mat, staring at Saxon. Bobby slams the mat several times, the crowd clapping along with each slam before building up on their own to a fast pace. Saxon stumbles to his feet as Bobby stands back up. He hurtles Saxon towards the ropes, catches him on the rebound, and pops him up into an RKO. The crowd erupts as Bobby makes the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Winner: Bobby O (13:38).
Bobby rolls off Saxon and starts to take deep breaths, calming down and starting to smile as Dasha calls the finish.
DB: Here is your winner, MR. F! P! W! BOBBY! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
*The crowd copy Dasha with a long "OHHHHHHH" of their own. Bobby turns back to the crowd and leans against the ropes, pointing out into the stands as a wide smile glows across his face.
MW: Absolutely amazing show of endurance and willpower from Bobby O tonight!
SD: Are you kidding me? He's a lunatic! He could've killed Saxon in there!
MW: Before this match even started you suggested pistols at dawn.
SD: That would've at least had some honor to it!
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Backstage, Aaron Williams and Jace Mason are taping their wrists in the locker room.
AW: You seem a little… distant. You ok?
JM: I lied to you.
AW: What?
JM: I lied to you. I said that my focus was one hundred percent on winning this tournament. But all I can think about right now is that once again I’ll be walking out there without the FPW Championship. A belt I worked so hard to earn- and I did earn it, no matter what some people might say. Unlike Evans, Jerry beat me fair and square and I accept that. I hate everything about it, but I accept it. And tonight I get the chance to square off with him again, the chance to pin him and get another shot. All of that is racing through my head when I should be thinking about us and this tournament.
AW: I get it, man. I get it. Did I ever tell you about YGW?
JM: YGW?
AW: You probably wouldn’t have heard of it. It’s a small company in Ohio- it was anyway. It was the first place that really went with me. I was green as shit but they saw something in me that no other company had seen yet. They strapped a rocket to my ass and I rode that rocket to their title. The fans loved me. But I lost the title in my first defence. I was a lot like you back then. I told the fans that I’d work my way back, earn a second chance and that time I’d be the champion they all wanted me to be. So I did that. I won match after match and chased down that champion until I got my rematch. I won that title back. I vowed to be the best champion that company had ever seen. I was just getting hot in some other places at that point and I vowed to put YGW on the map. I was going to pay them back for believing in me. So when I had my first title defence on a big show in this massive circus tent outside of Columbus, I made sure everyone knew about it. We drew twice as many people as we usually did. And you know what I did? I stunk up the place. I wrestled one of the worst matches of my life. I lost that title on my first defence again. I vowed to come back for it, but I had to miss a bunch of shows because I was booked in other places. And it turned out the promoter was putting all of his eggs into getting big coverage for his next couple of shows and it didn’t happen. Before I could come back, the place went to the wall and I never got the chance to put it right. So, yeah, I get it.
JM: Still hurts, huh? After all this time? After all that success?
AW: Yeah. It does. Even after everything I’ve done and everything I’ve won, that’s a loose end I’ll never get to tie up. But you? You’re in a place which isn’t going to the wall soon. You’re in a place where you can earn another chance and you’ll take that chance and you’ll be that champion you wanted to be. That’s not a thought that’s going to drop out of your head just because I wanted to team with you for this tournament and I wouldn’t expect you to forget all of that for me. Use it. Use that anger. Don’t be scared of it. Anger is only bad when you let it take over who you are. Stay in control of that anger and parcel it out when you need it and it’ll make you stronger. Cut a bit of it off and wrap it up for tonight. Use it to give yourself that little extra. Use it to pin Jerry and earn a rematch against him. And use it to advance to the next round of the All Star Tag Team Classic. If you feel that us losing last year was your wrong to write, then use that anger to help put it right. But never apologise to me or anyone else for being ambitious. Never.
JM: Thanks, Aaron. Let’s both use that anger. I know you can’t be happy with how things ended with you and Jerry either.
AW: Damn right. Tonight let’s take the chance to not just advance to the semi-finals but to prove that his way isn’t the best way. Then we can focus on winning this tournament and then we can focus on you taking back that title.
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MW: “Our next match on the card features Tommy Saxon’s partner Ella Ripley in action against Elizabeth Karlson.”
SD: “I still don’t fully understand why the Suplex Sweethearts aren’t competing in the Tag Team Classic. They haven’t been a part of the tournament before, surely we could take out a team that’s previously been a part of the tournament and give someone new a chance. Death Squad maybe? They’ve won the tournament before after all, why do they need to take a slot again?”
MW: “I don’t know how Houston makes his decisions, but if I had to hazard a guess, it might be because Death Squad has the better record as a tag team. That might be what gives them a spot in the tournament over the Suplex Sweethearts.”
SD: “I’m annoyed at how much sense you just made.”
As Watson rolled his eyes over his partner’s comments, ‘Gonna Get Mine’ began to play, and Ella Ripley strode into view, where she was greeted by a torrent of boos from the crowd. She laughed at them before sauntering her way to the ring as Dasha began the introductions.
“The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Colby, Kansas, she is One Bad Bitch, Ella Ripley!” Ripley sat posed on the top turnbuckle as the crowd continued to boo before dropping into the ring as her music faded out.
‘Turn it on’ started playing, and as it did so, the noise of the crowd switched to cheers as Karlson appeared amidst the flickering lights at the top of the ramp. She looked at Ripley in the ring before she began making her way down the ramp, slapping hands with the fans on either side of the ramp. “And introducing her opponent,” Dasha said. “From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Renegade, Elizabeth Karlson!” Karlson launched herself over the top rope and landed in the ring, staring down her opponent, who gave her a dismissive once-over before they both settled into their corners.
Match 2: Ella Ripley vs Elizabeth Karlson (written by Mason)
:
Both wrestlers locked eyes and advanced into the center of the ring. Karlson was tense, ready to engage, while Ripley was more relaxed, confidently approaching her opponent. Karlson went for a lockup, but Ripley shoved her face aside, laughing as Karlson glared back at her. Karlson swung a punch, but Ripley caught her wrist and made to whip her into the ropes, only for Karlson to reverse and send her across the ring. Ripley held onto the ropes to prevent the rebound, causing Karlson to come up short on her attempted dropkick. Karlson rolled over and sat up into a defensive position to see Ripley smirking at her from the ropes. Karlson began to rise, and Ripley darted in, pulling Karlson to the mat with a schoolboy roll-up!
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Karlson kicked out and shot to her knees as Ripley stood up, holding her finger and thumb just inches apart to show how close she’d come to victory.
MW: “Ripley seems to be taking Karlson a little too lightly for my liking in the early stages of this match.”
SD: “I hate to agree with you, but I will in this case. We’ve all seen how dangerous Elizabeth Karlson can be, and it would be unwise to push her the way Ripley is right now. They don’t call her the Mistress of Fuckery for nothing.”
Karlson rose to her feet and the two women began circling each other. Both of them were waiting for the other to make the first move, but when neither did so, Ripley began to smirk. This was all the invitation Karlson was waiting for, and she charged in, faking a clothesline before connecting with a kick to the midsection. Ripley doubled over, allowing Karlson to drop her with an elbow to the head. She collapsed, only for Karlson to lift her back up and whip her into the ropes, connecting with a hard lariat as she rebounded. Ripley was down again, but before Karlson could capitalize, she rolled to the outside, ignoring the boos from the crowd as she caught her breath. Karlson didn’t give her the chance though, running across the ring to build momentum before delivering a baseball slide dropkick under the bottom rope, driving Ripley into the barricade. Karlson sat on the apron and soaked in the crowd’s cheers for a moment before she hopped down and advanced towards Ripley. Grabbing her by the hair, she pulled Ripley upright, exposing her chest for the knife-edge chop she followed up with. Ripley staggered away, and Karlson let her go for a few steps before she grabbed her again and threw her up against the ring post. She went to deliver another knife-edge chop, but Ripley ducked out of the way, causing Karlson to connect with the ring post. Karlson winced and held her wrist as Ripley rolled into the ring to break the count, then rolled back out to continue the offense. She grabbed Karlson’s wrist and went to whip her into the ring steps, only for Karlson to reverse and drive her into the steel! Ripley cried out as Karlson stood over her, shouting “Did you think that would be enough?”
She lifted Ripley’s limp body and rolled her into the ring before she started climbing the turnbuckles. She paused at the top, lining up her target before launching into a double stomp, driving her feet into Ripley’s chest! She rolled over and hooked a leg for a cover.
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Ripley powered out, and Karlson nodded as she did so, pulling her upright and setting up an Irish whip into the corner, only for Ripley to reverse and send her into the corner. Ripley took a moment to catch her breath before she charged in after her. But Karlson brought her knees up, driving them into Ripley’s chest as she approached and lifting herself to the middle turnbuckle in the same movement. She waited for Ripley to stagger back a few steps, and then launched herself into a missile dropkick that sent her crashing to the mat as Ripley sidestepped. Before Karlson could get up, Ripley dove in, hooking the leg and bridging into a pin.
...1!..Kick-out!
Ripley sprang to her feet and connected with a roundhouse kick to Karlson’s head as she sat up. With Karlson still dazed, Ripley pulled her up before driving her back to the mat with a snap suplex. She maintained her grip on Karlson’s wrist, extending her arm and repeatedly driving her knee into the bicep before she began twisting the wrist. Karlson struggled, but Ripley continued to apply pressure, only pausing occasionally to connect with an elbow to the head if Karlson started to fight her way out. She eventually switched her grip, standing and pulling Karlson up with her, dragging her over towards the corner. She twisted Karlson’s arm behind her back and then drove her shoulder-first into the turnbuckle, catching her as she staggered back and pulling her to the mat with an arm wringer. With Karlson facedown on the mat, Ripley stepped on her shoulder before driving her heel into the back of karlson’s hand. Karlson cried out, and the ref pulled Ripley back to make sure Karlson could continue.
MW: “Ripley focusing on the arm and hand of Karlson, possibly inspired by Karlson driving her hand into the ring post earlier.”
Karlson shoved the ref aside and was about to beckon Ripley forwards, but Ripley was already advancing, driving her boot into Karlson’s shoulder again. Karlson went down, only for Ripley to lift her back up and connect with a jumping shoulder breaker. Karlson went down, clutching at her shoulder, as Ripley turned to the corner and began to climb. She took a moment on the top turnbuckle to insult the fans, prompting another wave of boos, before launching into a shooting star press and holding for a cover!
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
SD: “Ella Ripley nearly scoring the win off of the Lucky Star Press, and now we’re getting to see where some of that ego we saw comes from, and that’s because Ripley is an extremely talented wrestler.”
“It’s only a matter of time.” Ripley taunted as she grabbed Karlson by the hair, pulling her up to her knees. She started pulling her fully upright, but Karlson shoved her away and spat in her face. Ripley looked shocked, but the crowd cheered, and they got louder as Karlson smiled and rose to her feet, gesturing for Ripley to bring it. Ripley charged in, but Karlson kicked her leg out as she did, sending her tumbling to the mat. Karlson bent down and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her up and planting her with a deadlift German suplex. Ripley rolled onto the apron to recover, but Karlson reached over the ropes and grabbed her, setting her up to suplex her back into the ring. Ripley broke free with a knee to the head however, then connected with a kick when Kalson approached again. Ripley took a deep breath and gripped the top rope, launching into a springboard seated senton that Karlson caught into a powerbomb! The crowd exploded as Karlson bent down and lifted Ripley back up and onto her shoulders in a torture rack position. She gave the crowd a devious grin before spinning Ripley out into a cutthroat neckbreaker!
MW: “Elizabeth Karlson connects with the Baker Buster, and that’s gotta be it- what’s this!?”
Tommy Saxon was running down the ramp, greeted by a cavalcade of boos. Before she could make the cover, Karlson turned to greet Saxon as he leapt onto the apron and shouted at her. Saxon shouted a challenge to Karlson, who raised her eyebrows and spread her arms, stepping closer. But behind her, Ripley began to recover, rising to her knees.
SD: “Saxon’s buying time for his partner, but this still might not go the way he thinks. We know Kalrson isn’t going to back down from anyone.”
And Karlson proved this, interrupting Saxon’s tirade with a punch to the face that sent him crashing to the floor. Karlson shouted down at him as the crowd roared their approval, but this time she would be interrupted as Ripley turned her around and planted her with a jumping cutter!
SD: “Ella Ripley hits the Stargazer!”
Ripley wasted no time, rolling Karlson over and hooking both legs for a cover.
...1!...2!...3!
Winner: Ella Ripley (13:55)
.
‘Gonna Get Mine’ played as Ripley sat up and threw her hands in the air. On the outside, Tommy Saxon massaged his jaw, a smile on his face in spite of the discomfort. Ripley beckoned him into the ring, and he obliged, giving her a hug before raising her hand in victory.
But the celebration was cut short as ‘This Means War’ began to play and Bobby O came out, angrily marching down to the ring.
MW: “Bobby O out here after tempers ran high during his match with Tommy Saxon earlier, and he doesn’t look happy about what he just saw.”
Bobby reached the ringside area and aggressively pointed at Saxon, shouting “You can’t just do whatever you want!”
Saxon laughed at him. “And who’s going to stop me?” he said before Karlson shoved Ripley aside and attacked him from behind, dropping him to his knees and laying into him with a series of vicious strikes. Ripley grabbed Karlson and pulled her off of Sazon, holding her arms behind her back as Saxon recovered and stood, running to the ropes for the Knuckler, only for Bobby to grab his legs, tripping him and pulling him to the outside. The two of them began to brawl as back in the ring, Karlson broke free of Ripley’s grip and connected with an elbow to the head. Karlson turned around and unloaded on Ripley connecting with strike after strike until Ripley was basically out on her feet, requiring Karlson to hold her upright. As Bobby and Tommy continued to brawl around the ringside area, Karlson’s face split into a wicked grin as she whipped Ripley into the ropes. But Ripley held on, and then dropped down, rolling to the outside. At the same time, Saxon kicked the ring steps into Bobby’s legs and hurried to his partner, helping her walk as they retreated through the crowd. Bobby rolled back into the ring to stand with Karlson as they glared at the escaping Suplex Sweethearts.
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Backstage, Dasha Banks stands with Clutch McCloud, the Freedom Championship over his shoulder.
DB: I’m joined by the newly-minted Freedom Champion, Clutch McCloud. Clutch, how does it feel to finally be walking around with some gold?
CM: Finally? Yes, it’s been a long time coming, but I think I deserve a bit more respect than that. I hope you’ll remember that I’m fighting for the fair and just treatment of women all over the world. Maybe you ought to show me a bit more appreciation than sly digs in the form of questions. But you’re right, I am Freedom Champion and I see this belt not as a title, but as a platform. I can use that platform to spread my message further and wider. And that feels better than anything else ever could.
DB: Last week it seemed like you won a title, but lost two long-time relationships. Do you have any comment on Russ Bolt and Danica Jane?
CM: It’s unfortunate. It’s not what I wanted to happen, but sometimes sacrifices must be made to attain a goal. Russ Bolt has been uncomfortable for some time. If truth be told, I’m not sure he ever truly returned to the fold after the unfortunate events of last year. You see, Russ knows that he has me to thank for being here, and he doesn’t like having to rely on others. He got to the NBA on talent alone. He succeeded in the NBA because of that talent. He followed me here out of friendship and, dare I say, respect. But look at what he’s done here? Do you think anyone else with a record like his would still be here? No. He’s here because of me. And after all the support, guidance and friendship I’ve given to him, he won’t stand behind me and support my crusade against the evils of man-on-woman violence? When it is as just a cause as any other in the world? He disappoints me, Dasha. He disappoints me just like he disappoints the fans every time they hear his music.
DB: Strong words. But words which didn’t tell us about your reaction to Danica Jane choosing Russ over you.
CM: Danica… she made a… mistake. She’ll see it soon. She’ll be back.
DB: It seems like that decision really hurt you.
CM: Let’s move on.
DB: Okay. Well, you’ve been booked to face Aaron Williams in two weeks’ time. He beat you in the Wrestlemania weekend tournament and has to be seen as a big threat to take the Freedom Championship from you. Is he someone you would have chosen for your first defence?
CM: Well, Dasha, the Freedom Championship is a men’s division belt. Therefore, any man on the roster is in theory eligible to challenge for it. Aaron Williams did beat me and then he went on to beat Bobby O. I see why he’s been given the opportunity and I look forward to retaining my title over him.
DB: You do know that the Freedom Championship, like all others in FPW, is not just intended for men?
CM: As champion, I dictate match stipulations, right? And I vow that this title will never be defended against a woman. I have the freedom to choose that and I have made my choice.
DB: I’m not sure that’s a choice you get to make. Jim Houston still sets the challenger.
CM: I’ve told you where I stand and I’m sticking to it. The Freedom Championship will represent the same level of competition that it always has done and I fully intend to be a fighting champion. However, I will not allow this title to continue to be used to allow and, in fact, to promote violence against women. This championship, and I as champion, will stand as a beacon of hope to every woman who lives in fear of returning home and receiving a beating because of insecure and frankly barbaric men who hide in every country, every city and every street. They fill our arenas show after show. I will not allow this to continue. I will make a difference. And whether you like it or not, you will appreciate me in the end.
Clutch straightens the Freedom Championship and walks off as Dasha gives a raised eyebrow to someone behind the camera.
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Backstage, Bobby O knocks on a door as CJ Holmes stands beside him. After a few moments, Thea Donovan opens it.
TD: And what exactly do you want?
BO: I want to speak to Liz Karlson.
Donovan gives a dismissive snort and closes the door. A few second later, Karlson opens it again.
EK: You didn’t have to do that. I could have taken both of them.
BO: But I’m fed up of them thinking they can do whatever they like. Saxon goes around provoking everybody he can. You’d have thought Marcus giving them both an ass kicking would have shut him up, but his mouth doesn’t seem to know how to shut. Ripley isn’t any better. That’s twice she’s won matches because of Saxon.
EK: So what are you here for? Are you going to stand at the door and bitch at me for much longer?
BO: I have a proposition. Houston has okayed it. For the next Road To show, we team up and face them. I’d take them on by myself but I’ve been advised against it and I’m sure you’d like to get your hands on them again.
EK: Team with you? Why shouldn’t I just face them both by myself?
Bobby breathes deeply and CJ quickly cuts in.
CJ: Look, Bobby is making you an offer. If you want to get your hands on Ripley and Saxon, you can team with him and do it. Otherwise, he’ll take the match against both of them and you won’t get the chance. You haven’t exactly been pulling up trees around here, lately. A win would help you.
Karlson gives CJ a look but then breaks it and runs a hand through her hair.
EK: I do want to get my hands on them. Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal. But don’t expect this to be the start of a beautiful friendship. I’ve seen what you do people. I’ll be watching my back.
BO: You don’t have to. We take care of The Suplex Sweethearts and then we move on.
Bobby extends a hand and Karlson shakes it, neither looking entirely comfortable.
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MW: And now All Star Tag Team Classic III is about to begin with our first quarter-final match. Steven, before we get into this specific match, give me a run-down on your thoughts on this tournament.
SD: The All Star Tag Team Classic is always an interesting tournament. We see a mix of established tag teams and teams which come together specifically for this tournament. I think there’s no doubt that this is our strongest field yet. Our established teams like The Dogs of War, Death Squad and The Queendom all have a lot to prove. We have a young team like Revolution-X looking to make their mark and we have the likes of Russ Bolt and Danica Jane trying to break out of their association with Clutch McCloud. Our big three teams which have come together for this tournament all interest me too. Williams and Mason entered last year and have teamed on and off since. Botiatus and Berry have trained together but never teamed before and the FPW Champion is entering for the first time, alongside MDE to make the team I believe have to be favourites for this tournament. All in all, there’s a lot to get excited about.
MW: You mentioned the two teams in this match. The Queendom are the established unit while Russ and Danica will be looking to prove something. I presume you think The Queendom take this match?
SD: I do. They came within a whisker of defeating The Guardians of Strong Style and becoming Tag Team Champions at Uprising. I respect Russ Bolt and Danica Jane for stepping out on their own, but they’re coming up against a strong unit tonight and I don’t think they have the experience to come out victorious.
MW: What do you think Russ and Danica can do to increase their chances in this one?
SD: I think they need to gel very quickly as a team. They need to frequently tag in and out and not allow the more experiences team to cut one of them off. They need to be wary of The Queendom’s expertise in utilising the rules of the match like the five seconds for double teams. In short, they need to have put a lot of work in in the past week or two, and even then I don’t know if they’ll be able to pull off what would be quite the upset.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following is the first quarter-final of All Star Tag Team Classic III. Introducing first, representing The Queendom, from Puebla, Mexico and San Diego, California respectively, ‘The White Queen’ Myra Lopez and ‘The Black Queen’ Thea Donovan.”
The fans boo as ‘Checkmate’ rings out around the arena before ‘Hammer to Fall’ takes over. Lopez and Donovan step out from the curtain and look around at the booing fans. Donovan taunts the fans on her side of the stage as Lopez makes her way down the ramp, ignoring the boos and abuse that the fans throw at her. Donovan continues to talk trash to the crowd as she moves down the ramp after her partner. Lopez slides into the ring as Donovan reaches the bottom of the ramp, signalling that The Queendom will be taking the Tag Team Championships before long. She follows Lopez into the ring and the two of them climb to the middle turnbuckles, extending their arms and tipping their heads back, just like Artemis Evans does.
“And their opponents, from Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California respectively, Russ ‘Thunder’ Bolt and Danica Jane!”
‘Jumpman’ begins and the fans give a mildly positive reaction as Bolt and Jane come through the curtain. Bolt stands with his arms out and dips one way and the other before doing a fade away as the song picks up. Danica nods and the two bump fists before making their way down the ramp. Bolt slaps hands with a few fans and Danica gives a strange look to a fan wearing a homemade ‘I Stand with Clutch’ shirt shouting that Russ Bolt is woman-beater. The two of them climb onto the apron and step through the ropes, looking across to Lopez and Donovan, who regard them contemptuously.
Match 3: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter Final 1: The Queendom vs. Danica Jane and Russ Bolt:
The bell rings with Myra Lopez and Danica Jane in the ring. Danica looks across at Lopez, who shakes her head and looks down her nose at her. Danica comes forward and the two lock-up, Lopez quickly taking the wrist and wringing the arm. She kicks Danica’s leg out and maintains control over the arm. She looks derisively at Danica again before forcing her shoulder to the mat with her foot and applying pressure to the arm bar. Danica pushes up and rolls through to alleviate the pressure, taking Lopez’s wrist and wringing her arm, but Lopez quickly twists free and sweeps the leg. She takes the ankle and twists painfully, Danica carefully watching to make sure Lopez doesn’t do too much damage.
Lopez looks down dismissively again at Danica before dragging her over to the corner and tagging in Thea Donovan. Lopez keeps her grip on the ankle as Donovan enters the ring and drops a leg on Danica. She stands and pulls Danica up, throwing her into the corner and extending a leg to choke her. The official begins to count and Donovan releases her grip after four, pushing the official away as he tries to admonish her. Danica drops to a knee as she holds her throat and Donovan lifts her and hooks an arm over her. She pulls her up for a vertical suplex and holds her up for a few moments before dropping her to the mat. She then drags Danica back over to the corner and tags in Lopez, who traps Danica’s neck between her legs and performs a scissor twist.
MW: Danica Jane looks in trouble here.
SD: The Queendom showcasing their excellent tag team wrestling. I said that Danica and Russ couldn’t afford for one of them to get isolated and they’ve already failed. I don’t know if Russ Bolt will even get into this match.
MW: Danica Jane is easily the least experienced wrestler in this match. Perhaps it was a mistake for her to start it off.
Lopez pulls Danica up and then takes her down with a neckbreaker before lifting her again. She traps both of her arms and lifts her up, looking for a butterfly backbreaker, but Danica wriggles free and drops down behind Lopez. Lopez turns and Danica lands a Pele kick before heading over to the corner and tagging in Bolt. He comes in but Lopez also managed to make the tag, and Donovan comes to meet him. The two eye one another for a moment before coming forward into a powerful lock-up. Bolt forces Donovan back a few steps before releasing his grip and whipping her into the ropes. He leaps up and connects with an impressive dropkick, making the cover.
One…
Two-
Donovan kicks out. Bolt pulls her up quickly and lifts her into a scoop slam. He reaches over and tags in Danica, who slingshots over the top rope into a leg drop. Danica makes a cover.
One…
Two-
Donovan kicks out again. Danica lifts her up and forces her back into the corner, landing a quick flurry of kicks to the midsection and then taking her out of the corner with a snapmare. She runs past Donovan, looking for the shining wizard, but Lopez reaches into the ring and trips her. The fans boo and the official admonoishes Lopez, but she just looks past him as Donovan looks to capitalise. She connects with a forearm to stagger Danica and then aims for a superkick, but Danica ducks it, leaps onto the ropes and comes off with a springboard cross body. She rolls off Donovan and makes the tag to Bolt.
MW: That could be a big moment. We know how dangerous that superkick is.
SD: I’ve been impressed with Danica Jane’s athleticism. She’s starting to use that raw talent and converting it into in-ring prowess. She’s a long way from being as good as I think she could be, but I’m seeing more than I thought I might.
MW: And now Russ Bolt is pulling Donovan up. These fans seem to be getting behind Bolt and Danica now.
Bolt sends Donovan into the corner and follows in with a running clothesline. Donovan staggers out of the corner and Bolt pulls her in for a German suplex, bridging for a cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Lopez comes into the ring and sweeps Bolt’s legs to break up the cover. She quickly grips Bolt’s left leg between her own legs and twists, causing him to cry out in pain. Danica looks to enter the ring but Donovan catches her with a superkick as she steps through the ropes and she falls to the floor. Donovan stomps hard on Russ’ leg as the official forces Lopez back to the outside. She drags Bolt over to the corner and places his leg on the bottom rope, leaping up and coming down hard on it. Bolt grabs his leg and calls out in pain as Donovan tags in Lopez, who quickly lifts the leg and drives her knee down on the inside of the knee, wrenching hard as Bolt grimaces in pain. Lopez pulls Bolt up and pulls him in for a Northern Lights suplex, bridging for a cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Bolt forces a shoulder up and Lopez quickly repositions herself to lock in a knee bar. Bolt cries out in pain and reaches out towards the ropes, but he can’t grab them. He looks over to Danica, but she’s not made it back onto the apron yet. He raises a hand to tap out, but the fans come alive with a ‘No… no… no’ chant. Bolt looks around the arena and grimaces, making a big effort to get to the ropes and grabbing the bottom rope to force the break. Lopez releases the hold and she reaches up, tagging inn Donovan. Donovan comes in and quickly pulls Bolt to his feet. She whips him into the ropes, but Bolt’s knee gives out and he drops to the mat.
Donovan laughs, moving over to him and tauntingly slapping him in the face. After a few slaps, Bolt looks up at her with fire in his eyes and begins to get to his feet, but Donovan kicks his knee out and he drops again. She quickly backs into the ropes and comes back with a hard penalty kick. She drops into a cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Bolt kicks out again. Donovan stands and watches as he tries to get to his feet. He manages to get up, but he can’t put much weight on his left leg. Donovan quickly tags in Lopez and she comes in with a hard chop block. Bolt drops to the mat, both hands instinctively going to his knee. The fans boo as Donovan taunts Bolt before the official forces her out of the ring. Lopez grabs Bolt by the legs and drags him over to The Queendom’s corner before stepping through and locking in the inverted figure-four leg-lock. Bolt cries out in pain and reaches out for the ropes, but he’s too far away. As the official checks on him, Lopez reaches up and Donovan grabs her hands, pulling her up to apply even more pressure. The fans boo, but those boos turn to cheers as Danica jane yanks Donovan off the apron and hits Lights Out. Danica then climbs slides into the ring and breaks up the hold just as Bolt looks about to tap.
MW: Perfect timing from Danica Jane!
SD: She can’t attack Thea Donovan like that!
MW: Donovan did exactly that to her.
SD: No she didn’t. Donovan hit a superkick when Danica Jane was trying to come into the ring. Attacking her on the outside is wrong.
MW: While Donovan was helping Lopez to cheat by-
SD: Danica and Lopez going at it!
Danica and Lopez exchange forearms in the ring before Danica ducks under one and lands a spinning kick to the gut. She takes Lopez down with a swinging neckbreaker before dragging Bolt over to their corner and tagging herself in. She comes in and stalks Lopez before going for Lights Out again. Lopez, however, manages to duck, grabbing Jane by the head and pulling her down into the middle turnbuckle. Lope rolls away and collects herself before standing and turning to Danica, who is slowly getting to her feet. Lopez stalks her before pulling her up into a vertical suplex position, which she turns into a falcon arrow. She then maintains her grip on Danica, locking in a rear naked choke.
Danica flails her legs as she tries to get to the ropes. She looks about to get to the bottom rope, but Donovan, just recovered, pulls the rope away and Danica’s leg hits the mat instead. The fans boo as Lopez shuffles back towards the middle of the ring. The official checks on Danica, who looks about to pass out when, suddenly, Russ Bolt comes flying through the air with Thunderbolt! Lopez’s grip releases and Danica rolls away, struggling to breathe. Bolt struggles to his feet, limping as he steps towards Donovan as she enters the ring. He ducks a slap and lifts Donovan for an Alabama slam, but Lopez gets him from behind with a chop block and he falls to the mat, clutching his knee. Donovan forces him out of the ring and turns as Lopez pulls Danica up. Donovan comes in with a hard superkick and Lopez catches Danica, lifting her onto her shoulders for a GTS. She makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winners: The Queendom (15:56).
Lopez stands and she and Donovan order the official to raise their arms. They look down at Danica with a smirk before climbing onto the top turnbuckles and telling the fans that they’re going to be the next Tag Team Champions.
MW: Well those two might not be popular, but they could be right.
SD: That was an impressive win for them. Danica Jane and Russ Bolt gave them a good match- better than I expected- but The Queendom were in control for the majority. I think they probably fall to Jerry and MDE, but they’re proving why they ought to be considered among the upper echelons of the FPW tag division.
MW: And let’s take a moment to recognise the effort from Russ Bolt and Danica Jane. For an inexperienced team made up of two inexperienced wrestlers, they gave an established team a very tough contest. I think they’ve shown tonight that moving away from Clutch was the right move. They had the crowd behind them too.
SD: That’s hardly relevant, but yes, they did give a good performance and it was fairly impressive. Whether or not they made the right move, we won’t know for some time, but it was a positive start as they stepped out on their own.
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Backstage, MDE and Jerry Bishop emerge from the locker room ready to make their way to the ring. They start walking down the corridor but MDE pauses as he sees Robert D. Jackson stepping out of Jim Houston’s office. He puts a hand on Jerry’s shoulder and then walks over to Jackson.
MDE: If it isn’t the mercenary himself. You’re not on the show tonight. What are you doing here?
RDJ: I was just signing a contract for our next match. The one Houston gave you to see if you could get back some of your credibility after losing to the guy who you said you were so much better than. I guess we’ll see if that’s true- again- in a couple of weeks.
Jackson goes to walk on but MDE steps in front of him.
MDE: You know you got a lucky break. You caught me with a roll-up. I’ll give you credit for that, but its’ hardly a dominant victory, is it?
RDJ: You know in amateur wrestling, a pin is only for two seconds, right? I’d say pinning for three is pretty dominant. But have it your way. Tell yourself whatever you like. The record books say I beat you and I’m fairly confident I can do it again.
MDE: And this time will it be another lucky roll-up or will you try to beat me properly?
RDJ: I’m pretty sure you’re no stranger to a roll-up either. I don’t remember hearing much in the way of saying you got lucky after that ridiculous Bourbon Street Street Fight I made myself endure.
MDE: That’s different. You didn’t even try to beat me properly. You had a good plan, I’ll give you that. You knew you couldn’t beat me with anything more than a lucky break and you wrestled to try and get one. You got it, so maybe you deserve it. But next time we meet, it won’t be the same.
Jackson smiles at MDE.
RDJ: Maybe not. But maybe it will be. I’ve watched a lot of your matches. For two reasons actually. Firstly, because I was facing you but secondly because I actually respect your wrestling ability. I don’t respect the way you act, talk, lord it over everyone or make yourself sound so much better than you are, but I respect your wrestling ability. It’s a shame that ability was given to you and not to someone more deserving. Maybe you should start to watch yourself too. You’ll find plenty of flaws to patch up. I’d wager that most top-level amateur wrestlers could beat you. You only claim to be this great technical wrestler because a lot of us don’t choose this path and therefore can’t show you up.
MDE: You’re far too arrogant for a man who’s wrestled one match. You should show some-
RDJ: Maybe I am, but that one match was a win and it was against you. So forgive me for not bowing down and kissing your feet like you have this puppet do over here.
Jerry walks up to Jackson and stares at him.
JB: The FPW Champion is no-one’s puppet. For your information, you should have accepted his offer. I think I’d have enjoyed training with you. But this little talk will have to come to an end. Unlike you, he and I are important enough to be involved in a match tonight and it’s high time that we showed up Jace Mason and Aaron Williams once again.
MDE: I’d stay around to watch. Maybe you’ll learn something.
RDJ: I’ll watch. Probably tomorrow. Mason and Williams are two guys I’d love to learn from.
Jackson walks off, leaving MDE staring after him, an intense look in his eyes.
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MW: And now it’s main event time. This is one of the most hotly-anticipated tournament matches I can remember in a long time. New FPW Champion Jerry Bishop teams with former FPW Champion and… mentor? Coach? Training partner? Whatever he is to Jerry, Jerry teams with MDE tonight to face the man Jerry defeated for the FPW Championship, Jace Mason, and his long-time friend Aaron Williams, who has also had quite the series of matches with Jerry this year.
SD: The winners face The Queendom in the semi-final and, as much as I hate to say that Thea and Myra won’t win this tournament, I think we’re about to see the winners of All Star Tag Team Classic III right here.
MW: A lot of people have picked the winner of the tournament to come from this match. But this is more than just a tournament quarter-final, isn’t it, Steven? This is going to have many more repercussions than just who makes it to the semi-final.
SD: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams will certainly hope so. A win for them will put them back in contention for a shot at the FPW Championship, but a defeat- another defeat- could see them slip right to the back of the line.
MW: We’ve seen Williams and Mason team before. They were losing semi-finalists last year… to Jerry and Berry by the way… what a change a year makes… but we haven’t seen Jerry and MDE teaming up. How do you expect their team to work?
SD: I think they’ll be like a well-oiled machine. They’ve been training together for the best part of a year now. They’re both among the best in the world at this sport and their intelligence for wrestling is second to none. I expect them to be fully prepared for this match. My question will lie over Mason and Williams. They know that if they can pin Jerry, or even MDE, they might earn a shot at that title. Mason will be desperate to get another shot to finally do a title run the way he imagines it and you know Aaron Williams will be desperate to get his chance at dethroning the Clown Prince. When it comes down to it, will they put the team goal of advancing over their personal goal of being the win to pick up the victory? I’m not sure they will.
MW: I don’t think they’ll let their own personal agendas get in the way of victory tonight. Of course they want the FPW Championship, but they entered this tournament to win it. If they get to take some form of revenge on Jerry and MDE on the way, all’s the better. They both know that they’re good enough to earn an FPW Championship match when that time comes, but a shot at the All Star Tag Team Classic doesn’t come around too often, and I think they’ll put that first.
SD: Don’t be so sure.
MW: Well let’s find out as we get down to Dash- no, to Thalia Columbina…
Thalia Columbina stands at the top of the ramp and the fans boo the instant they see her being hit with a spotlight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for a combination like no other. On the one hand, THE greatest technical wrestler in the world today, THE genius trainer who gifted you the Joker we are about to welcome, THE greatest trans-Atlantic export in the history of America… MDE! On the other hand, THE FPW Champion, THE man who will break every FPW Championship record, THE man making his first in-ring appearance since fulfilling all of your wishes, THE greatest man to come out of Kansas City, Missouri, THE Joker, THE single most enticing, exciting and engaging man in all of professional wrestling, Jerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry Bishoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop”
‘Sine My Shoes’ begins to play but it’s barely audible over the boos and the duelling ‘Fuck you, Jerry’, ‘Fuck MDE’ chants. MDE walks out into the arena first, followed by Jerry Bishop, the FPW Championship slung over his shoulder. Each of them look around the arena for a moment before Jerry turns and bows deeply to Thalia Columbina. MDE leads the way down to the ring, ignoring the abuse of the fans. Jerry follows, stopping at points to conduct the chanting and further insight the ire of the crowd. As they reach the ring, MDE climbs the steps and steps through the ropes while Jerry slides into the ring. They bump fists before MDE turns and looks directly at Dasha Banks while Jerry completely blanks her as usual. Dasha stares daggers at MDE before stepping forward and raising her microphone.
“And their opponents in this second quarter-final match of All Star Tag Team Classic III, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a former two-time Ring of Honor Champion and the holder of many championships from all over the world and from Seattle, Washington, the only ever two-time former FPW Champion, ‘A Plus’ and ‘The Eternal Student’… Aaron Williams and Jace Masoooooon!!”
‘Afterlife’ plays and the crowd begins to build their anticipation. As the intro ends, Jace Mason steps through the curtain, pyro going off around him as he stands in his usual pose. He steps forward and Aaron Williams follows him. The two men look at one another and nod before looking out all around the arena and pumping up the fans on either side of the stage. They come back together at the top of the ramp and point down to Jerry and MDE in the ring before heading down the ramp and slapping hands on either side of the aisle. When they reach the ring, they each go around one side slapping hands and hen cross over in the middle. Williams pulls out his marker and hands it to a young girl at ringside, who instantly writes ‘Flip you, Jerry’. Williams laughs before joining Mason and climbing onto the apron. Mason steps up onto the top turnbuckle in his usual pose while Williams enters the ring and shakes hands with the official and with Dasha, his eyes locked on Jerry as he pulls back. Mason drops down and Jerry smiles, raising the FPW Championship as the two stare one another down for a few moments.
Match 4: All Star Tag Team Classic III: Quarter-Final II: Jerry Bishop and MDE vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams:
The official calls for the bell and Jerry and Mason step forward. A loud ‘A Plus Stu-dents’ chant fills the arena but Mason barely seems to notice, giving Jerry a serious stare while Jerry merely raises an eyebrow, pointing out at the FPW Championship. Mason claps his hands and begins to circle Jerry, who watches him intently. The two finally lock-up, jockeying aggressively for position. Mason looks for a headlock but Jerry slips out and locks in a hammerlock. Mason twists himself free and takes Jerry’s wrist, wringing the arm. Jerry rolls through to escape and takes Mason’s wrist, wringing his arm instead. Mason grabs the top rope and uses it to support a front flip to escape the pressure. He pulls Jerry towards him and connects with a hard forearm that staggers Jerry. The fans cheer as the two men stare each other down across the ring.
Jerry backs away and makes the tag to MDE, while Mason also tags out. MDE and Williams circle one another before coming together to lock-up. Williams ducks it, looking for a waistlock, but MDE quickly performs a standing switch, lifting Williams and dropping him to the ground. He maintains the grip around the waist and looks to transition to take an arm, but Williams keeps his arms tight to his body and MDE has to keep the waistlock in. Williams fights his way back up to his feet and frees himself with a couple of back elbows. MDE reels away and then turns into a hard mid-kick which sends him staggering back into the ropes. Williams grabs him by the wrist and sends him across the ring, taking him down with a dropkick and then making the first cover.
One…
Tw-
MDE kicks out.
MW: Williams impressive in the early going.
SD: I don’t know how impressive that was. He resisted- he held off MDE for a time, but if he tries to go for a technical exchange with MDE, it’s not going to end well.
MW: He and Mason have clearly been working on their technical wrestling.
SD: As any team would who goes up against these two. You’d have to.
Williams wastes no time and pulls MDE up to his feet. He drags him over to the corner and makes the tag to Mason. Mason keeps MDE in the corner and lands a series of hard chops before dragging him out and draping an arm over him, looking to lift him for a falcon arrow. MDE, however, drops down behind Mason and pulls him in for a German suplex, but Mason drops down, pulls MDE’s arms through his legs and flips him over, hooking MDE’s legs with his own for an unconventional cover.
One…
Tw-
MDE kicks out, grabbing hold of Mason’s waist as his shoulder comes up and quickly standing, before going for a German suplex. Mason, however, over-rotates and lands on his feet. He quickly hits the ropes and comes at MDE, but MDE drops down and Mason jumps over the top of him. MDE stands but Mason leaps up onto the middle rope and comes back with a disaster kick. MDE is sent rolling back into his corner and Jerry reaches down to make the tag. He eyes Mason across the ring and Mason calls for him to get in, eager to resume their hostilities after Uprising.
MW: These fans really want to see these two men going at it.
SD: And why wouldn’t they? They had one of the best matches FPW has ever seen at Uprising.
MW: And Mason will be aching for a chance to get one over on the man who robbed him of the FPW Championship.
SD: Robbed him? He won it fair and square.
MW: He did. But Mason will still be feeling aggrieved.
SD: That he wasn’t good enough to hold the belt for long on both times that he won it? That’s on him; not on Jerry.
Jerry slowly steps through the ropes and Mason calls him forward. The two lock-up again and Mason quickly locks in a headlock. He takes Jerry over and maintains his grip, really wrenching on the hold. Williams bangs the top turnbuckle in encouragement as a ‘Let’s Go, Mason’ chant rings out. Jerry fights back to a knee but Mason quickly releases the hold, kicking out the leg and hitting the ropes, taking Jerry down with a low dropkick. He makes the cover.
One…
T-
Jerry kicks out. Mason then pulls Jerry to his feet and looks to bring him over to his corner for another tag, but Jerry elbows him hard in the gut and brings him back into the middle of the ring. He whips him into the ropes and takes him down with an arm drag before ducking an attempted right hand after Mason scrambles to his feet. He pulls him in for a running bulldog and then reaches up to tag in MDE.
MDE enters the ring and immediately grabs the left arm. He brings it up Mason’s back and wrenches painfully on the shoulder. Mason grimaces in pain but tries to work his way free. He begins to twist his way out but MDE twists with him, keeping his grip on the arm and his pressure on the shoulder. Mason manages to work his way to his feet, but MDE transitions, wringing the arm and placing his foot behind the knee to force Mason off his feet. MDE then drives a knee into the arm and forces Mason to the mat, locking in a Fujiwara arm bar. Mason scrambles towards the ropes but MDE quickly transitions again, rolling into a front facelock before lifting his knee and driving it into the point of the shoulder.
MW: That has to hurt.
SD: It does. A knee into the shoulder like that can really do damage. MDE is in his element now, picking apart a body part like this. Mason has to find a way to tag out.
MW: How will this work on the shoulder affect Mason later in the match?
SD: Not as much as working a back or a knee probably would, but it’ll soften him up for the Simply Great Stretch. That’s what MDE will have in his mind right now. A submission victory over Jace Mason is a rare thing, but it’s what he’ll want.
MDE transitions again, pulling Mason up and into a snap suplex, before rolling back and locking in a grounded guillotine, which he quickly transitions into a Kimura lock. Mason reaches out for the nearby ropes, but he’s not quite close enough, and MDE has his body weight perfect so that Mason can’t move. Back in the corner, Aaron Williams leads a rhythmic clap to help Mason to get back into it, and he manages to shift MDE’s weight just enough to reach over to the bottom rope. MDE breaks the hold and reaches up to tag in Jerry.
Jerry enters the quickly pulls Mason off the ropes, forcing him into the enemy corner. Jerry pulls the left arm over the top rope and yanks on it hard, the official counting to four before Jerry releases the grip. Mason pulls his arm towards him but Jerry doesn’t let up. He tags in MDE, who drives a shoulder into Mason’s gut while Jerry backs up and connects with a running dropkick. Mason staggers out of the corner and MDE pulls him in for a belly to belly suplex before making the cover.
One…
Two-
Mason manages to kick out. MDE grabs the left arm again and grips it with his feet before twisting suddenly. Mason pulls his arm away, cradling it so that MDE can’t go right back to it. MDE reaches down for the arm but Mason aims a right hand up at him, forcing him to stagger slightly. Mason uses the time to get to his feet and head towards his corner, but MDE grabs him by the waist and pulls him in for a bridging German suplex.
One…
Two…
T-
Mason kicks out again. MDE this time pulls Mason up and scoops him up onto his shoulder before dropping him shoulder-first over his knee. Mason tries to roll away but MDE comes in quickly, dropping a knee onto the shoulder blade before grabbing the arm and stretching it out. He reaches out to Jerry and makes the tag. Jerry climbs up onto the middle rope and comes down with a well-targeted stomp right to the upper arm. Mason pulls it into his body as Jerry tags MDE straight back in. MDE pulls Mason up into another attempted German suplex, but Mason manages to elbow his way free. MDE reels away and then quickly turns back to Mason, only to be caught with a superkick to the gut. Mason scampers across the ring and a big cheer comes up as he makes the tag to Aaron Williams.
Williams comes in and allows MDE to come at him, taking him down with a mid-kick. MDE scrambles to his feet but Williams takes him down with another before performing a standing moonsault and holding for a cover.
One…
Two-
MDE kicks out. Williams pulls him up and whips him into the corner before backing away and building up for a big splash. However, as he sets off, Jerry trips him from outside the ring, and he staggers. Williams turns to Jerry and this allows MDE to come in for a German suplex. He takes Williams down but Williams rolls through, making the tag to Mason. Mason comes in and lands a series of hard chops to MDE, backing him into the ropes. Mason then takes him down with a parallel snapmare and hits the ropes, but he’s cut off by Jerry coming in with a rolling elbow. The official grabs Jerry and forces him out of the ring, but the damage is done.
MW: That was a dirty move by Jerry Bishop.
SD: He saw Jace Mason about to steal his move- again- and wasn’t putting up with it. I think that was perfectly fine.
MW: He wasn’t the legal man.
SD: So? Have you watched tag team matches recently? Who cares?
MW: The rules-
SD: Oh… the rules… we’d better not break any of them Mr. Clean Living.
MW: There’s no need-
SD: There’s every need and you know it.
Mason manages to get to his corner and tag Williams back in just as MDE tags Jerry back in. Williams comes in quickly, aiming a running lariat at Jerry, who ducks, hits the ropes, and catches them, stopping just as Williams jumps up for a dropkick. Williams hits the mat hard and Jerry swoops in, grounding him with a chinlock which immediately leads to boos and a ‘Fuck you, Jerry’ chant from the fans. He keeps Williams grounded before eventually switching his position, pulling Williams up and then dropping him with a Russian leg sweep. He makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Williams kicks out. Jerry pulls Williams up again and hooks him for a DDT, walking up the ropes and turning it into a tornado DDT, only for Williams to block it, catching him into a fireman’s carry position and dropping him over the top rope. Jerry reels away and Williams catches him with a discus clothesline. He pulls him up and sets him in a powerbomb position before delivering a powerbomb backbreaker and rolling into an immediate cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Jerry kicks out. Williams pulls him up again and hooks an arm over him, lifting him into a vertical suplex position. Jerry, however, drops down behind Williams and pulls him in for a running bulldog. He quickly gets back to his feet and hops up onto the middle rope. Williams stands and Jerry comes down with a middle-rope blockbuster, making another cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Williams kicks out this time. Jerry stands and looks down at Williams before shaking his head. He pulls him up and locks him into a front facelock again, walking up the ropes again and this time connecting with the tornado DDT. Instead of making the cover, Jerry stands, pulling Williams with him, and he looks to trap his arms for Last Laugh. However, Williams drives him back into the corner and frees himself, turning to scramble over for the tag to Mason. MDE, however, quickly gets into the ring and pulls Williams back with a snap German suplex. The official admonishes MDE as he leaves the ring, but Jerry reaches up and MDE tags himself back in.
He quickly heads over to Williams and drags him back into their corner. He reaches down and drives a knee into Williams’ back before lacing his fingers under Williams’ chin and pulling back as hard as he can. Williams cries out in pain and MDE continues to pull back even harder. Williams continues to grimace and groan with the pain as MDE yanks back further and further. Jerry reaches down and tags himself in, MDE turning Williams as Jerry hits the ropes and comes back with a hard penalty kick just as MDE releases his grip. MDE then lands a quick cheap shot to take Mason off the apron and Jerry makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Th-
Williams kicks out. Mason tries to slide into the ring but the official comes over to stop him, the fans booing loudly as Jerry and MDE take the chance to put the boots to Williams. MDE quickly leaves the ring as the official turns and Jerry tags him back in. He pulls Williams up and whips him hard into the corner, following up with a big splash. Williams staggers out of the corner and MDE pulls him in for a German suplex into the turnbuckles. Williams rolls away but MDE quickly grabs him again, pulling him up and going for a gutbuster. He lands it and then pulls Williams into a gutwrench suplex. As he floats over to deadlift Williams to complete the Triple Gutwrench, Williams manages to force him over further and they end tangled in the ropes.
MW: Aaron Williams may have just saved this match for he and Mason there.
SD: But MDE is still on top here. It won’t take much more to put Aaron Williams out of his misery.
MDE drags Williams away from the ropes and towards his and Jerry’s corner. He reaches up to make the tag, but Williams pulls him away at the last minute. MDE turns and Williams lands a hard kick to the side of the head. MDE staggers and Williams turns, dropping to his knees as he tries to go and make the tag. He’s about to make it when MDE catches up with him, pulling him up into a deadlift German, only for Williams to land on his feet just like Mason did earlier. He staggers backwards and Jerry grabs hold of him, only for Williams to elbow Jerry off the apron. He then ducks under an MDE clothesline and scrambles for the tag, leaping to make it just as Jerry pulls Mason off the apron to loud boos.
Jerry aims a forearm at Mason, but Mason blocks and lands several of his own before dropping Jerry with a DDT. In the ring, Williams blocks a suplex attempt and drives MDE into the corner. Mason jumps back up and finally makes the tag, entering the ring to loud applause. Williams drops down to the mat and MDE comes at Mason, who lands a spinning kick to the gut before kicking out the knee and landing a low dropkick. MDE rolls onto the apron and pulls himself up on the ropes but Williams jumps up onto the middle ropes and lands a springboard dropkick to send MDE to the floor. He lands on his feet but Mason takes him down with a wrecking ball dropkick and then Williams hits the ropes and comes off with a somersault senton to take MDE, Jerry and Mason to the ground. Williams springs back up and the fans cheer loudly.
MW: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams are back in this match!
SD: But Williams took Mason out as well. Mason is the legal man.
MW: Now you care about the legal man?
SD: It matter with pinfalls. Williams can’t make a cover at the moment.
Williams grabs hold of MDE and sends him into the ring he pulls Mason up and the two of them roll back in. Mason drives MDE back into the corner and Williams charges at him for a big splash. As Williams heads back to the corner, Mason comes in with a high knee. Williams lands another splash and Mason another high knee before one more splash and knee combination drops MDE to a seated position. Mason nods to Williams and steps through the ropes as Williams charges at MDE and lands a hard cannonball before Mason leaps off the top with a shooting star press. Mason rolls away just in time as Williams connects with a swan-ton bomb. Mason then makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
MDE just gets his shoulder up as the fans groan with disappointment. Williams rolls out of the ring as Mason lifts MDE. He whips him into the ropes and looks to catch him with Extra Credit, but MDE blocks it and pulls Mason in for another belly to belly. MDE then sees Jerry getting back onto the apron and he crawls over to him, making the tag. Jerry pauses on the apron and waits for Mason to make it to his feet before leaping up and connecting with a springboard forearm. The impact sends Mason rolling backwards and Williams manages to stretch out for the tag. He enters the ring quickly, but Jerry catches the mid kick and throws the leg back, catching Williams with a DDT.
Jerry then quickly pulls Williams up and traps the arms. He’s about to drop him with Last Laugh when Mason leaps onto the middle rope and breaks it up with a disaster kick! Mason drags Williams over to the ropes and makes the tag as MDE tags himself back in. Mason takes him down with a clothesline, and then another. MDE scrambles to his feet and Mason lands a hard kick to the side of the leg. Mason then grabs the leg and pulls MDE in for a dragon-screw leg-whip. He quickly grabs the leg and turns MDE, locking in the half-crab. The fans cheer loudly as Mason sits as deep as he can. Jerry enters the ring to break it up but Williams comes and blocks him off, only for Jerry to drive a knee into the gut and take Williams down with a float-over neckbreaker. Jerry then hits the ropes and, with Mason sitting deep in the half-crab, lands a hard penalty kick to break it up.
MW: This is descending into chaos!
SD: As every tag match eventually does.
MW: The official has to get a handle on it.
SD: These two teams have been battling each other for over half an hour. They’re fed up of going one-on-one. Let them fight is what I say.
Williams gets to his feet and Jerry clotheslines him over the top rope. He follows and drives his head into the guardrail. In the ring, MDE is gingerly getting to his feet. Mason is pushing up too, but MDE comes in quickly and pulls him into a snap German. He then quickly traps Mason’s right arm and looks to pull back the left one to lock in the Simply Great Stretch. Mason tries to resist, but MDE drives his elbow into the shoulder and Mason can’t keep holding out. MDE manages to extend the arm and he drapes his leg over it, torqueing the shoulder at an unimaginable angle. The fans urge Mason not to give up, but there seems no way to escape. As the official checks on Mason, the crowd suddenly gasp, and MDE looks up to see Aaron Williams coming off the top rope with a shooting star press. MDE absorbs the impact, losing his grip on Mason, and Williams rolls away, desperately trying to get into position to make a tag.
MDE rolls slowly over to the corner and reaches out to Jerry, who tags himself in. He enters and grabs Mason by the leg, trying to stop him from making the tag. Mason turns and looks at Jerry, who tries to pull him in like he did with Williams earlier. Mason, however, ducks down and drops Jerry, grabbing hold of the leg for the half-crab. However, his arm struggles to grip and he’s forced instead to turn and dive to Williams, making the tag. Williams comes in and stalks Jerry before landing a hard mid-kick. Jerry drops to the mat before scrambling to his feet. Williams lands another hard mid-kick and Jerry scrambles to get to his feet again. This time, Williams kicks him in the gut and drapes an arm over him, lifting him up before dumping him over the top rope. He tags in Mason, who hits a sliding dropkick to force MDE out of the ring and then moves back over to Jerry. As Williams climbs up onto the top rope, Mason grips Jerry with his right arm. Williams leaps off and lands a 450-splash as Mason drops Jerry with a top-rope rope-hung DDT. He makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Jerry just gets a shoulder up. The fans hold their hands on their heads, as does Jace Mason. He rolls over to Williams and tags him back in, aware that his left arm is basically useless at this point. Williams comes in and lifts Jerry. He traps his arms and looks to plant him with A Triple Plus, but MDE pulls him away and into another snap German suplex. Mason enters the ring and engages with MDE, landing more chops and forearms to send him into the corner. Mason then lifts MDE onto the top rope and climbs after him, landing more hard chops. As this is going on, Jerry makes it to his feet and kicks Williams in the gut as he stands. He traps the arm and drops him with Last Laugh. He makes the cover, the fans desperate for Williams to kick out.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! The cover is broken up as Mason takes MDE down with a top rope Extra Credit right onto Jerry and Williams! The four men lie motionless in the ring for a few moments as the fans stand and give Mason and Williams a rousing ovation. ‘A Plus Stu-dents’ rings around the arena again as Mason and Williams begin to stir, along with Jerry. MDE, however, has rolled to the outside and is seemingly totally out of it. Mason forces himself up to his feet and helps Williams up. They look across the ring to Jerry, who eyes the two of them, knowing that he’s without his partner. The fans begin to cheer as Mason and Williams advance.
MW: This is what these fans have wanted to see for a long time!
SD: Don’t bet against Jerry Bishop. Not now. Not ever.
MW: He’s in a two-on-one situation against two of the best wrestlers FPW has ever seen. Surely he can’t find a way to escape this.
SD: It looks bleak, but Jerry can pull through.
MW: These fans don’t seem to think so. Listen to these cheers. They’re certain that The Joker is about to get what’s been coming to him since… well, since before I can remember.
Mason lunges at Jerry, but he rolls under his arm. Jerry tries to get back to his feet, but Williams catches him. He drives a knee up into Jerry’s sternum and Jerry reels away towards Mason, who lands a hard superkick to the gut. Williams then traps Jerry’s arms and lifts him before planting him with A Triple Plus! The fans cheer loudly as Williams makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! MDE reached up and pulled the official out of the ring just as he was about to count the three. The cheers turn to loud, angry boos. Mason quickly leaves the ring to engage with MDE, but MDE ducks the forearm and shoves Mason shoulder-first into the ring post. Mason cries out in pain and drops to a knee. MDE then turns only to be taken out by an Aaron Williams suicide dive! Williams forces himself back up to his feet and gives a primal roar before rolling back into the ring. He moves over to Jerry, who is up to one knee, and takes him down with a hard buzzsaw kick. He makes another cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Jerry just forces a shoulder off the canvas. Williams wastes no time in pulling Jerry back up to his feet. He forces him into the corner and lifts him up. Williams climbs after him, kicking MDE off the apron as he gets up and, without Williams knowing, makes the blind tag. Williams drapes an arm over Jerry and looks like he’s going for Denouement, only for MDE to quickly get back into the ring and pull Williams down into a deadlift German. Jerry drops off the apron and he and MDE stalk Williams. As Williams gets to his feet, Jerry lands a rolling elbow. Williams staggers into MDE, who begins the Triple Gutwrench, landing the gutbuster, hitting the gutwrench suplex and floating over, lifting Williams and planting him with a gutwrench powerbomb. He makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Mason dives in to make the save at the last possible moment. Jerry immediately moves over to Mason, pulling him up and landing a series of forearms. He forces Mason into the corner and then backs up, running at him and looking for a running dropkick. Mason, however, manages to move out of the way. As Jerry staggers out of the corner, Mason takes him down with Extra Credit! Jerry rolls out of the ring and Mason, seeing Williams struggling, quickly steps through the ropes so he can make the tag. Williams stretches out and tags him in and Mason enters quickly. He pulls MDE up and whips him into the ropes, looking for Extra Credit again, but MDE blocks it, grabbing the left shoulder and wrenching it hard. Mason cries out with pain and MDE quickly lifts him into a vertical suplex position. He then brings him back down, holding him up and is about to finish the move with a flatliner when Aaron Williams comes off the ropes with a springboard forearm. MDE staggers backwards and Mason quickly gets to a standing base. MDE comes back at him but Mason catches him with Extra Credit! Williams flies out of the ring with a suicide dive to Jerry as Mason makes the cover and the fans chant along.
One…
Two…
Three!
Winners: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams (44:51).
MW: They did it! They did it!
SD: How on Earth did Jace Mason and Aaron Williams come through that match?
MW: What a victory! Jerry Bishop and MDE have been beaten. Mason and Williams advance. What a win. What a moment!
Jace Mason stands and has his arm raised. Williams rolls back into the ring and pushes up to his feet with difficulty. He too has his arm raised before he and Mason embrace, Mason’s left arm dangling to his side. The two men climb to the top turnbuckles and acknowledge the crowd before they drop down and slap hands with as many fans as they can on their way back up the ramp. In the ring, Jerry and MDE begin to push themselves up as a loud ‘Fuck you, Jerry… Fuck MDE’ chant goes up again.
MW: Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was one of the best tag team matches I have ever seen. Jerry Bishop and MDE did all they could to win that match, including a few things the rules don’t look too kindly on, but Jace Mason and Aaron Williams were able to give that little bit more. We have maybe seen the first chink in Jerry Bishop’s armour, and I’m sure Mason and Williams will see this as a chance to claim a shot at him again.
SD: They may well get a shot, but they’re not beating him one-on-one.
MW: Maybe they will and maybe they won’t. But that’s about all we have time for ton- Wait… what’s this?
The lights in the arena cut out for a few moments, the chanting subsiding as a low chatter fills the arena. Suddenly, wild music begins to play and strobe lights fly all over the place.
MW: We haven’t heard this music since…
SD: He can’t be here!
The lights converge on the ramp and the arena goes wild as Super Che Junior stands there, eyes staring at Jerry in the ring. The cameras show Jerry Bishop, eyes wider than ever. The fans cheer again as Missy comes onto the ramp with a microphone in hand. She stands next to Che.
“Welcome, beloved citizens of the world. May I introduce you to the light who will conquer the darkness, the sparkle of life, the shining bullet of justice. May I introduce you to the true Friendmigo, the first Argentine Superhero, the unique and unrepeatable Super Che Junior.”
Jerry continues to stare up at Che and Missy as the arena goes dark once again. The fans buzz again. This time it’s blue and grey lights which shower the crowd and ‘Never Gonna Stop’ blares out as Matt Dwyer walks onto the ramp. The fans cheer loudly again and Jerry once again stares with wide eyes at the three people who stand before him. As the music dies down and Che, Dwyer and Missy walk down the ramp, a ‘Friend-mi-go’ chant begins. Dwyer smiles as he encourages the chant. The three of them enter the ring and stand across from Jerry and MDE, neither of whom have been able to say a single word since the lights first went out. Missy raises the mic to her lips again.
Missy: Jerry Bishop… we witnessed what you said on Sixty Minutes of Freedom. Your cruel taunting joke. Before then, we believed, all three of us, that you could come back to the light. That you could once more don the mask and wear the ring. We did not wish to interfere. We wished for you to find us yourself. But now we see that that is not possible. You have allowed yourself to become corrupted. The devil himself sits on your shoulder. The FPW Championship. Your pursuit of that title has turned you away from your true self and into this... this monster. The League of Friendmigos fights against evil… and the evil which now pervades FPW… is you. There is only one way to rid FPW of this evil and to show you the true path. The real path. The path back into the light. For you to see that The League of Friendmigos is stronger than The Joker alone. Now that you are no longer in the All Star Tag Team Classic, Super Che Junior will step up and exorcise your demon by taking the FPW Championship from you. In four weeks’ time, Joker, you will be rid of the demon that has consumed you, and you will be ready to move back into the light. All Star Tag Team Classic. Joker versus Junior. FPW Championship.
Missy holds the mic out to Jerry, who simply stares back and forth at her, Dwyer and Che. He wipes his eyes and looks at the FPW Championship in his hand and then back at his former brothers. MDE places a hand on Jerry’s shoulder and leads him away. He takes one last look back at Missy, Dwyer and Che before turning and moving towards the ropes. However, at the last moment, he turns back and levels Che with the belt. Dwyer lunges for him but he drops down and rolls out of the ring. The fans boo loudly as Jerry and MDE back away up the ramp, Missy and Dwyer crouching over Che as he lies on the mat.
The feed then cuts to Mike Watson and Steven Deville at the announce desk.
MW: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to what has always traditionally been one of the biggest times of the FPW calendar, the All Star Tag Team Classic.
SD: And this tournament is sure to be bigger and better than ever. The Queendom, Death Squad, The Dogs of War, Jerry Bishop and MDE, Berry Bishop and Botiatus, Russ Bolt and Danica Jane, Revolution-X and Jace Mason and Aaron Williams. What a line-up.
MW: One team will stand tall and will be crowned All Star Tag Team Classic III winners. They will go on to face The Guardians of Strong Style for the FPW Tag Team Championships, a title which previous All Star Tag Team Classic winners have never failed to win.
SD: Tonight’s half looks great. My personal favourites are both in this half of the bracket. The Queendom face Russ Bolt and Danica Jane, who are Clutch-less for the first time ever and Jerry Bishop and MDE, the team I expect to end victorious, take on Aaron Williams and Jace Mason.
MW: That match could main event any show and would be a worthy final in itself, but it will be a brilliant first-round match-up. In addition to that, we see both members of the Suplex Sweethearts in action tonight, as Bobby O looks to regain some momentum following his loss to Aaron Williams and Liz Karlson looks to push herself back up the FPW ladder.
SD: But we start it all off with one of my favourites- and I don’t mean Bobby O.
MW: This matchup has been building for some time, as Tommy Saxon of the Suplex Sweethearts has been getting under the skin of Bobby O for weeks now, and it's time for these two technicians to face off mano-a-mano.
SD: That doesn't mean what you think it means. Literally translated, it means hand-to-hand.
MW: ...well, that's not usually the modern parlance, sure, but that actually applies more than the present-day usage in this case.
SD: ...shut up, Watson.
Dasha Banks takes the middle of the ring.
DB: The following contest is scheduled for ONE FALL!
Carpenter Brut's "Turbo Killer" fills the air and the crowd begins to boo. Tommy Saxon saunters onto the stage and holds his arms out to the crowd with a wide smirk, slowly turning in a circle before walking coolly down the ramp, too-slowing some children along the barricades. He climbs into the ring and turns to Dasha with a wink and quick "smooch" of his lips before leaning against the ropes towards the hard camera, checking his "watch" with an almost bored expression.
DB: Ew- Introducing first, from Hammersmith, London, The Hammer, TOMMY! SAXON!
MW: The power-half of the Suplex Sweethearts has been egging on Bobby O about his at-times contentious relationship with longtime partner CJ Holmes, bragging about his own romance with Ella Ripley who we'll be seeing in action later tonight as well, turning this bout into a battle of pride between the two men.
SD: They could've settled this in the parking lot with some white gloves and pistols at twenty paces if that's all this is about!
MW: Steven, that's definitely illegal here.
SD: Fine, then let them get it out of their systems in the ring! Saxon's had Bobby's number ready and waiting, we all know the Suplex Sweethearts are the strongest pair of lovebirds in this company, apart from possibly-
"This Means War" cuts in and the crowd begins to cheer loudly. Bobby O takes the top of the stage in his bomber jacket and looks out into the crowd with a smile. CJ Holmes joins him and the two share some quiet words. We hear her say "stay in control, okay?" and give him a peck on the cheek before they separate. Bobby strides confidently down the ramp, arms wide, high-fiving as many people as he can. He makes it to the ring and looks up at Saxon in the corner, who gives him a mocking round of applause before flipping him the V. Bobby shrugs it off and climbs into the ropes, giving Dasha a quick fist-bump before leaning against the ropes and hollering to the fans to fire them up.
DB: And his opponent, he is the one and only MR. F! P! W!, BOBBY! OOOOOOOOOOOOO!
MW: Bobby's looking to wipe that smug grin off Saxon's face and restore dignity and decency to this promotion here tonight.
SD: If he wanted to do that, he could've just stayed in Stamford and joined Right to Censor!
MW: That wouldn't have been possible, Bobby would've barely been in grade school.
SD: He could've revived it! We all know how that company feels about revivals!
Match 1: Bobby O vs. Tommy Saxon (written by Jerry):
The referee calls for the bell. Bobby and Saxon size each other up. Saxon waves Bobby in, calling for a lockup. The two hook their arms around each other. Bobby gains the upper hand, grasping Saxon's wrist and leveraging him down to one knee. Saxon rolls through, reversing the pressure, and keeps hold of Bobby's wrist. Saxon wraps Bobby's arm around his own waist, ripcording him out and looks to pull him back in for a lariat. Bobby has the move scouted and ducks underneath, keeping Saxon's arm trapped, and catching his other arm behind, lifting him up into a straightjacket suplex. Saxon crashes hard to the mat. Bobby kips up and runs the ropes, smashing Saxon in the face with a sliding clothesline as he starts to his feet. Bobby pulls Saxon back up and whips him into the ropes and scoops him into a picture-perfect powerslam. Bobby hooks Saxon's leg.
MW: Bobby looking to end this one early!
SD: Not a chance!
ONE!
NO!
Saxon kicks out. Bobby nods, acknowledging he may have gotten ahead of himself. As the two men get to their feet, Saxon shouts "your brother does it better anyway." Bobby clenches his fist and swings blindly backwards at Saxon. Saxon dodges aside and lunges forward and takes Bobby's arms, tucking his own head underneath and hoisting Bobby up into a Northern Lights suplex. Saxon bridges for a cover.
ONE!
NO!
MW: Saxon also looking to make this a quick encounter!
SD: He's showing turnabout is fair play.
Bobby kicks out. Saxon waggles a finger at him as Bobby starts to his feet. Bobby grits his teeth and leaps up. Saxon tries to grab Bobby and throw him over, but Bobby maneuvers his arm around Saxon's neck and swings himself back down into a DDT, planting Saxon headfirst into the mat. Bobby gets his footing and pulls Saxon up and throws him into the ropes and looks for another powerslam as he rebounds. Saxon catches Bobby's arm and plants his feet, blocking the lift, and quickly jabs Bobby in the face. Bobby reels, and Saxon hip tosses him to the mat. The referee warns Saxon to keep it clean, Saxon backs off, saying that was perfectly legal.
MW: That didn't look very pleasant.
SD: What do you expect this to be, Watson? Another Pleasant Valley Sunday? This isn't Status Symbol Land, this is wrestling!
Saxon laughs at Bobby as he rises to one knee. He drapes an arm around Bobby's neck and pulls him to his feet, wrapping his other arm over his shoulder. Saxon looks for a Fisherman's suplex, but Bobby strikes Saxon hard in the midsection, buying himself some time. He lays in more punches, eventually freeing himself and pulling Saxon in for an exploder suplex, throwing him across the ring. Bobby stalks towards Saxon, putting the boots to him in that inimitable Orton style. Saxon drags himself into a corner while Bobby continues to stomp. The ref gives Bobby the count to let Saxon out, which Bobby breaks at 3. Saxon pulls himself up with the ropes as Bobby runs to the opposite corner. He springs up and pushes his feet off the second turnbuckle, using the momentum to charge back in to Saxon and connect with a running dropkick. Saxon staggers out of the corner, holding himself up with the ropes. Bobby yanks Saxon off the ropes and towards the opposite side, clacking him across the jaw with a superkick on the way back. Bobby covers.
ONE!
TW- NO!
Saxon kicks out. Bobby lifts Saxon back up sends him into the ropes once more. He looks for a pop-up powerbomb, but Saxon manages to leapfrog over Bobby, landing back to back between him and the ropes. Saxon quickly hooks his arms through Bobby's elbows before he can turn around, hoisting him up onto his back. Saxon takes hold of Bobby's feet and wraps them around his thighs, locking in a Gory Special.
MW: Someone's been doing their homework!
SD: When you've got a study partner like Ella Ripley, you pay attention!
Saxon applies pressure to Bobby's limbs as the referee checks if Bobby submits. When Bobby refuses to give in, Saxon releases the pressure, dropping Bobby hard face-first to the mat. Saxon turns around and clasps his hands around Bobby's waist, gutwrenching him up and over into a suplex, throwing him towards a corner. Bobby pulls himself with the turnbuckles. Saxon comes up behind and lifts Bobby's arms up into a full nelson position before suplexing him back towards the center of the ring. Saxon makes a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
T- NO!
Bobby kicks out. Saxon slams the mat and yells at the ref to pay better attention. Bobby struggles to one knee, but Saxon spots him and pulls him into a snap suplex towards the ropes. Bobby pulls himself up slowly with the ropes, Saxon swaggers over and nonchalantly puts a knee against Bobby's head, choking him out on the second rope. He blows a kiss to a woman in the front row as the referee calls for the break, finally letting Bobby out at 4. As Bobby catches his breath draped across the top rope, Saxon snares him around the waist, heaving him up and bouncing his legs across the top rope, slingshotting Bobby back towards the center of the ring with a thunderous suplex. He pulls Bobby up by the chin before unleashing his Tommy Gun strike combination. He jabs Bobby in the gut twice, kicks him in the midsection, spinning back elbow to the jaw, and a roaring clothesline to the throat to drop him to the mat. Saxon covers.
ONE!
TWO!
THR- NO!
MW: Bobby O digging deep to stay in this fight!
SD: He should let that pride of his go and just give up already!
Saxon kneels down in Bobby's face and calls out "looks like CJ takes it to the face better than you, Bobby", to a wave of boos. Bobby's eyes flash furiously and he unleashes a huge punch to Saxon's jaw, throwing him off balance. Bobby lets loose a torrent of punches to Saxon's face, rolling him over and pummeling him against the mat as the crowd cheers. The referee steps in, telling Bobby either to pin Saxon or let him up. Bobby lets up, fuming, running his hands through his hair, staring at the dazed Saxon on the canvas, while the crowd chant "KICK HIS ASS! KICK HIS ASS!" Bobby slowly stalks towards him, Saxon begging off and scooting backward towards the corner. Bobby looms over Saxon and stomps a mudhole in him against the bottom turnbuckle. Again, the referee counts Bobby to let him out, this time Bobby steps away at 4.5. Saxon pulls himself up to his feet only to be met with a tornado DDT from Bobby. Bobby keeps hold of Saxon, pulling him up and setting him back up in the corner, seething. Bobby pushes Saxon up onto the top turnbuckle, climbing up after him, positioning himself for a superplex. The crowd build up an "ohhhhhhhhhh" in anticipation followed by a chant of "OH SNAP! OH SNAP!" as Bobby powers Saxon up off the turnbuckle, slamming him hard into the mat and locking on the Anaconda Vise.
MW: O-Snap indeed! Bobby's got Saxon right where he wants him!
SD: Not quite! Look!
Bobby has the hold cinched in tight, but he unwittingly dropped Saxon closer to the ropes than he intended. Saxon claws toward the bottom rope, grabbing hold for dear life. The ref makes the count, Bobby letting go at 4.7. Bobby stands up, breathing heavily, holding his hands to his head as Saxon rolls himself over to catch his breath. Suddenly, almost unconsciously, Bobby whips himself around and down onto the mat, staring at Saxon. Bobby slams the mat several times, the crowd clapping along with each slam before building up on their own to a fast pace. Saxon stumbles to his feet as Bobby stands back up. He hurtles Saxon towards the ropes, catches him on the rebound, and pops him up into an RKO. The crowd erupts as Bobby makes the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Winner: Bobby O (13:38).
Bobby rolls off Saxon and starts to take deep breaths, calming down and starting to smile as Dasha calls the finish.
DB: Here is your winner, MR. F! P! W! BOBBY! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
*The crowd copy Dasha with a long "OHHHHHHH" of their own. Bobby turns back to the crowd and leans against the ropes, pointing out into the stands as a wide smile glows across his face.
MW: Absolutely amazing show of endurance and willpower from Bobby O tonight!
SD: Are you kidding me? He's a lunatic! He could've killed Saxon in there!
MW: Before this match even started you suggested pistols at dawn.
SD: That would've at least had some honor to it!
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Backstage, Aaron Williams and Jace Mason are taping their wrists in the locker room.
AW: You seem a little… distant. You ok?
JM: I lied to you.
AW: What?
JM: I lied to you. I said that my focus was one hundred percent on winning this tournament. But all I can think about right now is that once again I’ll be walking out there without the FPW Championship. A belt I worked so hard to earn- and I did earn it, no matter what some people might say. Unlike Evans, Jerry beat me fair and square and I accept that. I hate everything about it, but I accept it. And tonight I get the chance to square off with him again, the chance to pin him and get another shot. All of that is racing through my head when I should be thinking about us and this tournament.
AW: I get it, man. I get it. Did I ever tell you about YGW?
JM: YGW?
AW: You probably wouldn’t have heard of it. It’s a small company in Ohio- it was anyway. It was the first place that really went with me. I was green as shit but they saw something in me that no other company had seen yet. They strapped a rocket to my ass and I rode that rocket to their title. The fans loved me. But I lost the title in my first defence. I was a lot like you back then. I told the fans that I’d work my way back, earn a second chance and that time I’d be the champion they all wanted me to be. So I did that. I won match after match and chased down that champion until I got my rematch. I won that title back. I vowed to be the best champion that company had ever seen. I was just getting hot in some other places at that point and I vowed to put YGW on the map. I was going to pay them back for believing in me. So when I had my first title defence on a big show in this massive circus tent outside of Columbus, I made sure everyone knew about it. We drew twice as many people as we usually did. And you know what I did? I stunk up the place. I wrestled one of the worst matches of my life. I lost that title on my first defence again. I vowed to come back for it, but I had to miss a bunch of shows because I was booked in other places. And it turned out the promoter was putting all of his eggs into getting big coverage for his next couple of shows and it didn’t happen. Before I could come back, the place went to the wall and I never got the chance to put it right. So, yeah, I get it.
JM: Still hurts, huh? After all this time? After all that success?
AW: Yeah. It does. Even after everything I’ve done and everything I’ve won, that’s a loose end I’ll never get to tie up. But you? You’re in a place which isn’t going to the wall soon. You’re in a place where you can earn another chance and you’ll take that chance and you’ll be that champion you wanted to be. That’s not a thought that’s going to drop out of your head just because I wanted to team with you for this tournament and I wouldn’t expect you to forget all of that for me. Use it. Use that anger. Don’t be scared of it. Anger is only bad when you let it take over who you are. Stay in control of that anger and parcel it out when you need it and it’ll make you stronger. Cut a bit of it off and wrap it up for tonight. Use it to give yourself that little extra. Use it to pin Jerry and earn a rematch against him. And use it to advance to the next round of the All Star Tag Team Classic. If you feel that us losing last year was your wrong to write, then use that anger to help put it right. But never apologise to me or anyone else for being ambitious. Never.
JM: Thanks, Aaron. Let’s both use that anger. I know you can’t be happy with how things ended with you and Jerry either.
AW: Damn right. Tonight let’s take the chance to not just advance to the semi-finals but to prove that his way isn’t the best way. Then we can focus on winning this tournament and then we can focus on you taking back that title.
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MW: “Our next match on the card features Tommy Saxon’s partner Ella Ripley in action against Elizabeth Karlson.”
SD: “I still don’t fully understand why the Suplex Sweethearts aren’t competing in the Tag Team Classic. They haven’t been a part of the tournament before, surely we could take out a team that’s previously been a part of the tournament and give someone new a chance. Death Squad maybe? They’ve won the tournament before after all, why do they need to take a slot again?”
MW: “I don’t know how Houston makes his decisions, but if I had to hazard a guess, it might be because Death Squad has the better record as a tag team. That might be what gives them a spot in the tournament over the Suplex Sweethearts.”
SD: “I’m annoyed at how much sense you just made.”
As Watson rolled his eyes over his partner’s comments, ‘Gonna Get Mine’ began to play, and Ella Ripley strode into view, where she was greeted by a torrent of boos from the crowd. She laughed at them before sauntering her way to the ring as Dasha began the introductions.
“The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Colby, Kansas, she is One Bad Bitch, Ella Ripley!” Ripley sat posed on the top turnbuckle as the crowd continued to boo before dropping into the ring as her music faded out.
‘Turn it on’ started playing, and as it did so, the noise of the crowd switched to cheers as Karlson appeared amidst the flickering lights at the top of the ramp. She looked at Ripley in the ring before she began making her way down the ramp, slapping hands with the fans on either side of the ramp. “And introducing her opponent,” Dasha said. “From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Renegade, Elizabeth Karlson!” Karlson launched herself over the top rope and landed in the ring, staring down her opponent, who gave her a dismissive once-over before they both settled into their corners.
Match 2: Ella Ripley vs Elizabeth Karlson (written by Mason)
:
Both wrestlers locked eyes and advanced into the center of the ring. Karlson was tense, ready to engage, while Ripley was more relaxed, confidently approaching her opponent. Karlson went for a lockup, but Ripley shoved her face aside, laughing as Karlson glared back at her. Karlson swung a punch, but Ripley caught her wrist and made to whip her into the ropes, only for Karlson to reverse and send her across the ring. Ripley held onto the ropes to prevent the rebound, causing Karlson to come up short on her attempted dropkick. Karlson rolled over and sat up into a defensive position to see Ripley smirking at her from the ropes. Karlson began to rise, and Ripley darted in, pulling Karlson to the mat with a schoolboy roll-up!
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Karlson kicked out and shot to her knees as Ripley stood up, holding her finger and thumb just inches apart to show how close she’d come to victory.
MW: “Ripley seems to be taking Karlson a little too lightly for my liking in the early stages of this match.”
SD: “I hate to agree with you, but I will in this case. We’ve all seen how dangerous Elizabeth Karlson can be, and it would be unwise to push her the way Ripley is right now. They don’t call her the Mistress of Fuckery for nothing.”
Karlson rose to her feet and the two women began circling each other. Both of them were waiting for the other to make the first move, but when neither did so, Ripley began to smirk. This was all the invitation Karlson was waiting for, and she charged in, faking a clothesline before connecting with a kick to the midsection. Ripley doubled over, allowing Karlson to drop her with an elbow to the head. She collapsed, only for Karlson to lift her back up and whip her into the ropes, connecting with a hard lariat as she rebounded. Ripley was down again, but before Karlson could capitalize, she rolled to the outside, ignoring the boos from the crowd as she caught her breath. Karlson didn’t give her the chance though, running across the ring to build momentum before delivering a baseball slide dropkick under the bottom rope, driving Ripley into the barricade. Karlson sat on the apron and soaked in the crowd’s cheers for a moment before she hopped down and advanced towards Ripley. Grabbing her by the hair, she pulled Ripley upright, exposing her chest for the knife-edge chop she followed up with. Ripley staggered away, and Karlson let her go for a few steps before she grabbed her again and threw her up against the ring post. She went to deliver another knife-edge chop, but Ripley ducked out of the way, causing Karlson to connect with the ring post. Karlson winced and held her wrist as Ripley rolled into the ring to break the count, then rolled back out to continue the offense. She grabbed Karlson’s wrist and went to whip her into the ring steps, only for Karlson to reverse and drive her into the steel! Ripley cried out as Karlson stood over her, shouting “Did you think that would be enough?”
She lifted Ripley’s limp body and rolled her into the ring before she started climbing the turnbuckles. She paused at the top, lining up her target before launching into a double stomp, driving her feet into Ripley’s chest! She rolled over and hooked a leg for a cover.
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
Ripley powered out, and Karlson nodded as she did so, pulling her upright and setting up an Irish whip into the corner, only for Ripley to reverse and send her into the corner. Ripley took a moment to catch her breath before she charged in after her. But Karlson brought her knees up, driving them into Ripley’s chest as she approached and lifting herself to the middle turnbuckle in the same movement. She waited for Ripley to stagger back a few steps, and then launched herself into a missile dropkick that sent her crashing to the mat as Ripley sidestepped. Before Karlson could get up, Ripley dove in, hooking the leg and bridging into a pin.
...1!..Kick-out!
Ripley sprang to her feet and connected with a roundhouse kick to Karlson’s head as she sat up. With Karlson still dazed, Ripley pulled her up before driving her back to the mat with a snap suplex. She maintained her grip on Karlson’s wrist, extending her arm and repeatedly driving her knee into the bicep before she began twisting the wrist. Karlson struggled, but Ripley continued to apply pressure, only pausing occasionally to connect with an elbow to the head if Karlson started to fight her way out. She eventually switched her grip, standing and pulling Karlson up with her, dragging her over towards the corner. She twisted Karlson’s arm behind her back and then drove her shoulder-first into the turnbuckle, catching her as she staggered back and pulling her to the mat with an arm wringer. With Karlson facedown on the mat, Ripley stepped on her shoulder before driving her heel into the back of karlson’s hand. Karlson cried out, and the ref pulled Ripley back to make sure Karlson could continue.
MW: “Ripley focusing on the arm and hand of Karlson, possibly inspired by Karlson driving her hand into the ring post earlier.”
Karlson shoved the ref aside and was about to beckon Ripley forwards, but Ripley was already advancing, driving her boot into Karlson’s shoulder again. Karlson went down, only for Ripley to lift her back up and connect with a jumping shoulder breaker. Karlson went down, clutching at her shoulder, as Ripley turned to the corner and began to climb. She took a moment on the top turnbuckle to insult the fans, prompting another wave of boos, before launching into a shooting star press and holding for a cover!
...1!...2!.Kick-out!
SD: “Ella Ripley nearly scoring the win off of the Lucky Star Press, and now we’re getting to see where some of that ego we saw comes from, and that’s because Ripley is an extremely talented wrestler.”
“It’s only a matter of time.” Ripley taunted as she grabbed Karlson by the hair, pulling her up to her knees. She started pulling her fully upright, but Karlson shoved her away and spat in her face. Ripley looked shocked, but the crowd cheered, and they got louder as Karlson smiled and rose to her feet, gesturing for Ripley to bring it. Ripley charged in, but Karlson kicked her leg out as she did, sending her tumbling to the mat. Karlson bent down and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her up and planting her with a deadlift German suplex. Ripley rolled onto the apron to recover, but Karlson reached over the ropes and grabbed her, setting her up to suplex her back into the ring. Ripley broke free with a knee to the head however, then connected with a kick when Kalson approached again. Ripley took a deep breath and gripped the top rope, launching into a springboard seated senton that Karlson caught into a powerbomb! The crowd exploded as Karlson bent down and lifted Ripley back up and onto her shoulders in a torture rack position. She gave the crowd a devious grin before spinning Ripley out into a cutthroat neckbreaker!
MW: “Elizabeth Karlson connects with the Baker Buster, and that’s gotta be it- what’s this!?”
Tommy Saxon was running down the ramp, greeted by a cavalcade of boos. Before she could make the cover, Karlson turned to greet Saxon as he leapt onto the apron and shouted at her. Saxon shouted a challenge to Karlson, who raised her eyebrows and spread her arms, stepping closer. But behind her, Ripley began to recover, rising to her knees.
SD: “Saxon’s buying time for his partner, but this still might not go the way he thinks. We know Kalrson isn’t going to back down from anyone.”
And Karlson proved this, interrupting Saxon’s tirade with a punch to the face that sent him crashing to the floor. Karlson shouted down at him as the crowd roared their approval, but this time she would be interrupted as Ripley turned her around and planted her with a jumping cutter!
SD: “Ella Ripley hits the Stargazer!”
Ripley wasted no time, rolling Karlson over and hooking both legs for a cover.
...1!...2!...3!
Winner: Ella Ripley (13:55)
.
‘Gonna Get Mine’ played as Ripley sat up and threw her hands in the air. On the outside, Tommy Saxon massaged his jaw, a smile on his face in spite of the discomfort. Ripley beckoned him into the ring, and he obliged, giving her a hug before raising her hand in victory.
But the celebration was cut short as ‘This Means War’ began to play and Bobby O came out, angrily marching down to the ring.
MW: “Bobby O out here after tempers ran high during his match with Tommy Saxon earlier, and he doesn’t look happy about what he just saw.”
Bobby reached the ringside area and aggressively pointed at Saxon, shouting “You can’t just do whatever you want!”
Saxon laughed at him. “And who’s going to stop me?” he said before Karlson shoved Ripley aside and attacked him from behind, dropping him to his knees and laying into him with a series of vicious strikes. Ripley grabbed Karlson and pulled her off of Sazon, holding her arms behind her back as Saxon recovered and stood, running to the ropes for the Knuckler, only for Bobby to grab his legs, tripping him and pulling him to the outside. The two of them began to brawl as back in the ring, Karlson broke free of Ripley’s grip and connected with an elbow to the head. Karlson turned around and unloaded on Ripley connecting with strike after strike until Ripley was basically out on her feet, requiring Karlson to hold her upright. As Bobby and Tommy continued to brawl around the ringside area, Karlson’s face split into a wicked grin as she whipped Ripley into the ropes. But Ripley held on, and then dropped down, rolling to the outside. At the same time, Saxon kicked the ring steps into Bobby’s legs and hurried to his partner, helping her walk as they retreated through the crowd. Bobby rolled back into the ring to stand with Karlson as they glared at the escaping Suplex Sweethearts.
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Backstage, Dasha Banks stands with Clutch McCloud, the Freedom Championship over his shoulder.
DB: I’m joined by the newly-minted Freedom Champion, Clutch McCloud. Clutch, how does it feel to finally be walking around with some gold?
CM: Finally? Yes, it’s been a long time coming, but I think I deserve a bit more respect than that. I hope you’ll remember that I’m fighting for the fair and just treatment of women all over the world. Maybe you ought to show me a bit more appreciation than sly digs in the form of questions. But you’re right, I am Freedom Champion and I see this belt not as a title, but as a platform. I can use that platform to spread my message further and wider. And that feels better than anything else ever could.
DB: Last week it seemed like you won a title, but lost two long-time relationships. Do you have any comment on Russ Bolt and Danica Jane?
CM: It’s unfortunate. It’s not what I wanted to happen, but sometimes sacrifices must be made to attain a goal. Russ Bolt has been uncomfortable for some time. If truth be told, I’m not sure he ever truly returned to the fold after the unfortunate events of last year. You see, Russ knows that he has me to thank for being here, and he doesn’t like having to rely on others. He got to the NBA on talent alone. He succeeded in the NBA because of that talent. He followed me here out of friendship and, dare I say, respect. But look at what he’s done here? Do you think anyone else with a record like his would still be here? No. He’s here because of me. And after all the support, guidance and friendship I’ve given to him, he won’t stand behind me and support my crusade against the evils of man-on-woman violence? When it is as just a cause as any other in the world? He disappoints me, Dasha. He disappoints me just like he disappoints the fans every time they hear his music.
DB: Strong words. But words which didn’t tell us about your reaction to Danica Jane choosing Russ over you.
CM: Danica… she made a… mistake. She’ll see it soon. She’ll be back.
DB: It seems like that decision really hurt you.
CM: Let’s move on.
DB: Okay. Well, you’ve been booked to face Aaron Williams in two weeks’ time. He beat you in the Wrestlemania weekend tournament and has to be seen as a big threat to take the Freedom Championship from you. Is he someone you would have chosen for your first defence?
CM: Well, Dasha, the Freedom Championship is a men’s division belt. Therefore, any man on the roster is in theory eligible to challenge for it. Aaron Williams did beat me and then he went on to beat Bobby O. I see why he’s been given the opportunity and I look forward to retaining my title over him.
DB: You do know that the Freedom Championship, like all others in FPW, is not just intended for men?
CM: As champion, I dictate match stipulations, right? And I vow that this title will never be defended against a woman. I have the freedom to choose that and I have made my choice.
DB: I’m not sure that’s a choice you get to make. Jim Houston still sets the challenger.
CM: I’ve told you where I stand and I’m sticking to it. The Freedom Championship will represent the same level of competition that it always has done and I fully intend to be a fighting champion. However, I will not allow this title to continue to be used to allow and, in fact, to promote violence against women. This championship, and I as champion, will stand as a beacon of hope to every woman who lives in fear of returning home and receiving a beating because of insecure and frankly barbaric men who hide in every country, every city and every street. They fill our arenas show after show. I will not allow this to continue. I will make a difference. And whether you like it or not, you will appreciate me in the end.
Clutch straightens the Freedom Championship and walks off as Dasha gives a raised eyebrow to someone behind the camera.
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Backstage, Bobby O knocks on a door as CJ Holmes stands beside him. After a few moments, Thea Donovan opens it.
TD: And what exactly do you want?
BO: I want to speak to Liz Karlson.
Donovan gives a dismissive snort and closes the door. A few second later, Karlson opens it again.
EK: You didn’t have to do that. I could have taken both of them.
BO: But I’m fed up of them thinking they can do whatever they like. Saxon goes around provoking everybody he can. You’d have thought Marcus giving them both an ass kicking would have shut him up, but his mouth doesn’t seem to know how to shut. Ripley isn’t any better. That’s twice she’s won matches because of Saxon.
EK: So what are you here for? Are you going to stand at the door and bitch at me for much longer?
BO: I have a proposition. Houston has okayed it. For the next Road To show, we team up and face them. I’d take them on by myself but I’ve been advised against it and I’m sure you’d like to get your hands on them again.
EK: Team with you? Why shouldn’t I just face them both by myself?
Bobby breathes deeply and CJ quickly cuts in.
CJ: Look, Bobby is making you an offer. If you want to get your hands on Ripley and Saxon, you can team with him and do it. Otherwise, he’ll take the match against both of them and you won’t get the chance. You haven’t exactly been pulling up trees around here, lately. A win would help you.
Karlson gives CJ a look but then breaks it and runs a hand through her hair.
EK: I do want to get my hands on them. Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal. But don’t expect this to be the start of a beautiful friendship. I’ve seen what you do people. I’ll be watching my back.
BO: You don’t have to. We take care of The Suplex Sweethearts and then we move on.
Bobby extends a hand and Karlson shakes it, neither looking entirely comfortable.
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MW: And now All Star Tag Team Classic III is about to begin with our first quarter-final match. Steven, before we get into this specific match, give me a run-down on your thoughts on this tournament.
SD: The All Star Tag Team Classic is always an interesting tournament. We see a mix of established tag teams and teams which come together specifically for this tournament. I think there’s no doubt that this is our strongest field yet. Our established teams like The Dogs of War, Death Squad and The Queendom all have a lot to prove. We have a young team like Revolution-X looking to make their mark and we have the likes of Russ Bolt and Danica Jane trying to break out of their association with Clutch McCloud. Our big three teams which have come together for this tournament all interest me too. Williams and Mason entered last year and have teamed on and off since. Botiatus and Berry have trained together but never teamed before and the FPW Champion is entering for the first time, alongside MDE to make the team I believe have to be favourites for this tournament. All in all, there’s a lot to get excited about.
MW: You mentioned the two teams in this match. The Queendom are the established unit while Russ and Danica will be looking to prove something. I presume you think The Queendom take this match?
SD: I do. They came within a whisker of defeating The Guardians of Strong Style and becoming Tag Team Champions at Uprising. I respect Russ Bolt and Danica Jane for stepping out on their own, but they’re coming up against a strong unit tonight and I don’t think they have the experience to come out victorious.
MW: What do you think Russ and Danica can do to increase their chances in this one?
SD: I think they need to gel very quickly as a team. They need to frequently tag in and out and not allow the more experiences team to cut one of them off. They need to be wary of The Queendom’s expertise in utilising the rules of the match like the five seconds for double teams. In short, they need to have put a lot of work in in the past week or two, and even then I don’t know if they’ll be able to pull off what would be quite the upset.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following is the first quarter-final of All Star Tag Team Classic III. Introducing first, representing The Queendom, from Puebla, Mexico and San Diego, California respectively, ‘The White Queen’ Myra Lopez and ‘The Black Queen’ Thea Donovan.”
The fans boo as ‘Checkmate’ rings out around the arena before ‘Hammer to Fall’ takes over. Lopez and Donovan step out from the curtain and look around at the booing fans. Donovan taunts the fans on her side of the stage as Lopez makes her way down the ramp, ignoring the boos and abuse that the fans throw at her. Donovan continues to talk trash to the crowd as she moves down the ramp after her partner. Lopez slides into the ring as Donovan reaches the bottom of the ramp, signalling that The Queendom will be taking the Tag Team Championships before long. She follows Lopez into the ring and the two of them climb to the middle turnbuckles, extending their arms and tipping their heads back, just like Artemis Evans does.
“And their opponents, from Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California respectively, Russ ‘Thunder’ Bolt and Danica Jane!”
‘Jumpman’ begins and the fans give a mildly positive reaction as Bolt and Jane come through the curtain. Bolt stands with his arms out and dips one way and the other before doing a fade away as the song picks up. Danica nods and the two bump fists before making their way down the ramp. Bolt slaps hands with a few fans and Danica gives a strange look to a fan wearing a homemade ‘I Stand with Clutch’ shirt shouting that Russ Bolt is woman-beater. The two of them climb onto the apron and step through the ropes, looking across to Lopez and Donovan, who regard them contemptuously.
Match 3: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter Final 1: The Queendom vs. Danica Jane and Russ Bolt:
The bell rings with Myra Lopez and Danica Jane in the ring. Danica looks across at Lopez, who shakes her head and looks down her nose at her. Danica comes forward and the two lock-up, Lopez quickly taking the wrist and wringing the arm. She kicks Danica’s leg out and maintains control over the arm. She looks derisively at Danica again before forcing her shoulder to the mat with her foot and applying pressure to the arm bar. Danica pushes up and rolls through to alleviate the pressure, taking Lopez’s wrist and wringing her arm, but Lopez quickly twists free and sweeps the leg. She takes the ankle and twists painfully, Danica carefully watching to make sure Lopez doesn’t do too much damage.
Lopez looks down dismissively again at Danica before dragging her over to the corner and tagging in Thea Donovan. Lopez keeps her grip on the ankle as Donovan enters the ring and drops a leg on Danica. She stands and pulls Danica up, throwing her into the corner and extending a leg to choke her. The official begins to count and Donovan releases her grip after four, pushing the official away as he tries to admonish her. Danica drops to a knee as she holds her throat and Donovan lifts her and hooks an arm over her. She pulls her up for a vertical suplex and holds her up for a few moments before dropping her to the mat. She then drags Danica back over to the corner and tags in Lopez, who traps Danica’s neck between her legs and performs a scissor twist.
MW: Danica Jane looks in trouble here.
SD: The Queendom showcasing their excellent tag team wrestling. I said that Danica and Russ couldn’t afford for one of them to get isolated and they’ve already failed. I don’t know if Russ Bolt will even get into this match.
MW: Danica Jane is easily the least experienced wrestler in this match. Perhaps it was a mistake for her to start it off.
Lopez pulls Danica up and then takes her down with a neckbreaker before lifting her again. She traps both of her arms and lifts her up, looking for a butterfly backbreaker, but Danica wriggles free and drops down behind Lopez. Lopez turns and Danica lands a Pele kick before heading over to the corner and tagging in Bolt. He comes in but Lopez also managed to make the tag, and Donovan comes to meet him. The two eye one another for a moment before coming forward into a powerful lock-up. Bolt forces Donovan back a few steps before releasing his grip and whipping her into the ropes. He leaps up and connects with an impressive dropkick, making the cover.
One…
Two-
Donovan kicks out. Bolt pulls her up quickly and lifts her into a scoop slam. He reaches over and tags in Danica, who slingshots over the top rope into a leg drop. Danica makes a cover.
One…
Two-
Donovan kicks out again. Danica lifts her up and forces her back into the corner, landing a quick flurry of kicks to the midsection and then taking her out of the corner with a snapmare. She runs past Donovan, looking for the shining wizard, but Lopez reaches into the ring and trips her. The fans boo and the official admonoishes Lopez, but she just looks past him as Donovan looks to capitalise. She connects with a forearm to stagger Danica and then aims for a superkick, but Danica ducks it, leaps onto the ropes and comes off with a springboard cross body. She rolls off Donovan and makes the tag to Bolt.
MW: That could be a big moment. We know how dangerous that superkick is.
SD: I’ve been impressed with Danica Jane’s athleticism. She’s starting to use that raw talent and converting it into in-ring prowess. She’s a long way from being as good as I think she could be, but I’m seeing more than I thought I might.
MW: And now Russ Bolt is pulling Donovan up. These fans seem to be getting behind Bolt and Danica now.
Bolt sends Donovan into the corner and follows in with a running clothesline. Donovan staggers out of the corner and Bolt pulls her in for a German suplex, bridging for a cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Lopez comes into the ring and sweeps Bolt’s legs to break up the cover. She quickly grips Bolt’s left leg between her own legs and twists, causing him to cry out in pain. Danica looks to enter the ring but Donovan catches her with a superkick as she steps through the ropes and she falls to the floor. Donovan stomps hard on Russ’ leg as the official forces Lopez back to the outside. She drags Bolt over to the corner and places his leg on the bottom rope, leaping up and coming down hard on it. Bolt grabs his leg and calls out in pain as Donovan tags in Lopez, who quickly lifts the leg and drives her knee down on the inside of the knee, wrenching hard as Bolt grimaces in pain. Lopez pulls Bolt up and pulls him in for a Northern Lights suplex, bridging for a cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Bolt forces a shoulder up and Lopez quickly repositions herself to lock in a knee bar. Bolt cries out in pain and reaches out towards the ropes, but he can’t grab them. He looks over to Danica, but she’s not made it back onto the apron yet. He raises a hand to tap out, but the fans come alive with a ‘No… no… no’ chant. Bolt looks around the arena and grimaces, making a big effort to get to the ropes and grabbing the bottom rope to force the break. Lopez releases the hold and she reaches up, tagging inn Donovan. Donovan comes in and quickly pulls Bolt to his feet. She whips him into the ropes, but Bolt’s knee gives out and he drops to the mat.
Donovan laughs, moving over to him and tauntingly slapping him in the face. After a few slaps, Bolt looks up at her with fire in his eyes and begins to get to his feet, but Donovan kicks his knee out and he drops again. She quickly backs into the ropes and comes back with a hard penalty kick. She drops into a cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
Bolt kicks out again. Donovan stands and watches as he tries to get to his feet. He manages to get up, but he can’t put much weight on his left leg. Donovan quickly tags in Lopez and she comes in with a hard chop block. Bolt drops to the mat, both hands instinctively going to his knee. The fans boo as Donovan taunts Bolt before the official forces her out of the ring. Lopez grabs Bolt by the legs and drags him over to The Queendom’s corner before stepping through and locking in the inverted figure-four leg-lock. Bolt cries out in pain and reaches out for the ropes, but he’s too far away. As the official checks on him, Lopez reaches up and Donovan grabs her hands, pulling her up to apply even more pressure. The fans boo, but those boos turn to cheers as Danica jane yanks Donovan off the apron and hits Lights Out. Danica then climbs slides into the ring and breaks up the hold just as Bolt looks about to tap.
MW: Perfect timing from Danica Jane!
SD: She can’t attack Thea Donovan like that!
MW: Donovan did exactly that to her.
SD: No she didn’t. Donovan hit a superkick when Danica Jane was trying to come into the ring. Attacking her on the outside is wrong.
MW: While Donovan was helping Lopez to cheat by-
SD: Danica and Lopez going at it!
Danica and Lopez exchange forearms in the ring before Danica ducks under one and lands a spinning kick to the gut. She takes Lopez down with a swinging neckbreaker before dragging Bolt over to their corner and tagging herself in. She comes in and stalks Lopez before going for Lights Out again. Lopez, however, manages to duck, grabbing Jane by the head and pulling her down into the middle turnbuckle. Lope rolls away and collects herself before standing and turning to Danica, who is slowly getting to her feet. Lopez stalks her before pulling her up into a vertical suplex position, which she turns into a falcon arrow. She then maintains her grip on Danica, locking in a rear naked choke.
Danica flails her legs as she tries to get to the ropes. She looks about to get to the bottom rope, but Donovan, just recovered, pulls the rope away and Danica’s leg hits the mat instead. The fans boo as Lopez shuffles back towards the middle of the ring. The official checks on Danica, who looks about to pass out when, suddenly, Russ Bolt comes flying through the air with Thunderbolt! Lopez’s grip releases and Danica rolls away, struggling to breathe. Bolt struggles to his feet, limping as he steps towards Donovan as she enters the ring. He ducks a slap and lifts Donovan for an Alabama slam, but Lopez gets him from behind with a chop block and he falls to the mat, clutching his knee. Donovan forces him out of the ring and turns as Lopez pulls Danica up. Donovan comes in with a hard superkick and Lopez catches Danica, lifting her onto her shoulders for a GTS. She makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Three.
Winners: The Queendom (15:56).
Lopez stands and she and Donovan order the official to raise their arms. They look down at Danica with a smirk before climbing onto the top turnbuckles and telling the fans that they’re going to be the next Tag Team Champions.
MW: Well those two might not be popular, but they could be right.
SD: That was an impressive win for them. Danica Jane and Russ Bolt gave them a good match- better than I expected- but The Queendom were in control for the majority. I think they probably fall to Jerry and MDE, but they’re proving why they ought to be considered among the upper echelons of the FPW tag division.
MW: And let’s take a moment to recognise the effort from Russ Bolt and Danica Jane. For an inexperienced team made up of two inexperienced wrestlers, they gave an established team a very tough contest. I think they’ve shown tonight that moving away from Clutch was the right move. They had the crowd behind them too.
SD: That’s hardly relevant, but yes, they did give a good performance and it was fairly impressive. Whether or not they made the right move, we won’t know for some time, but it was a positive start as they stepped out on their own.
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Backstage, MDE and Jerry Bishop emerge from the locker room ready to make their way to the ring. They start walking down the corridor but MDE pauses as he sees Robert D. Jackson stepping out of Jim Houston’s office. He puts a hand on Jerry’s shoulder and then walks over to Jackson.
MDE: If it isn’t the mercenary himself. You’re not on the show tonight. What are you doing here?
RDJ: I was just signing a contract for our next match. The one Houston gave you to see if you could get back some of your credibility after losing to the guy who you said you were so much better than. I guess we’ll see if that’s true- again- in a couple of weeks.
Jackson goes to walk on but MDE steps in front of him.
MDE: You know you got a lucky break. You caught me with a roll-up. I’ll give you credit for that, but its’ hardly a dominant victory, is it?
RDJ: You know in amateur wrestling, a pin is only for two seconds, right? I’d say pinning for three is pretty dominant. But have it your way. Tell yourself whatever you like. The record books say I beat you and I’m fairly confident I can do it again.
MDE: And this time will it be another lucky roll-up or will you try to beat me properly?
RDJ: I’m pretty sure you’re no stranger to a roll-up either. I don’t remember hearing much in the way of saying you got lucky after that ridiculous Bourbon Street Street Fight I made myself endure.
MDE: That’s different. You didn’t even try to beat me properly. You had a good plan, I’ll give you that. You knew you couldn’t beat me with anything more than a lucky break and you wrestled to try and get one. You got it, so maybe you deserve it. But next time we meet, it won’t be the same.
Jackson smiles at MDE.
RDJ: Maybe not. But maybe it will be. I’ve watched a lot of your matches. For two reasons actually. Firstly, because I was facing you but secondly because I actually respect your wrestling ability. I don’t respect the way you act, talk, lord it over everyone or make yourself sound so much better than you are, but I respect your wrestling ability. It’s a shame that ability was given to you and not to someone more deserving. Maybe you should start to watch yourself too. You’ll find plenty of flaws to patch up. I’d wager that most top-level amateur wrestlers could beat you. You only claim to be this great technical wrestler because a lot of us don’t choose this path and therefore can’t show you up.
MDE: You’re far too arrogant for a man who’s wrestled one match. You should show some-
RDJ: Maybe I am, but that one match was a win and it was against you. So forgive me for not bowing down and kissing your feet like you have this puppet do over here.
Jerry walks up to Jackson and stares at him.
JB: The FPW Champion is no-one’s puppet. For your information, you should have accepted his offer. I think I’d have enjoyed training with you. But this little talk will have to come to an end. Unlike you, he and I are important enough to be involved in a match tonight and it’s high time that we showed up Jace Mason and Aaron Williams once again.
MDE: I’d stay around to watch. Maybe you’ll learn something.
RDJ: I’ll watch. Probably tomorrow. Mason and Williams are two guys I’d love to learn from.
Jackson walks off, leaving MDE staring after him, an intense look in his eyes.
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MW: And now it’s main event time. This is one of the most hotly-anticipated tournament matches I can remember in a long time. New FPW Champion Jerry Bishop teams with former FPW Champion and… mentor? Coach? Training partner? Whatever he is to Jerry, Jerry teams with MDE tonight to face the man Jerry defeated for the FPW Championship, Jace Mason, and his long-time friend Aaron Williams, who has also had quite the series of matches with Jerry this year.
SD: The winners face The Queendom in the semi-final and, as much as I hate to say that Thea and Myra won’t win this tournament, I think we’re about to see the winners of All Star Tag Team Classic III right here.
MW: A lot of people have picked the winner of the tournament to come from this match. But this is more than just a tournament quarter-final, isn’t it, Steven? This is going to have many more repercussions than just who makes it to the semi-final.
SD: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams will certainly hope so. A win for them will put them back in contention for a shot at the FPW Championship, but a defeat- another defeat- could see them slip right to the back of the line.
MW: We’ve seen Williams and Mason team before. They were losing semi-finalists last year… to Jerry and Berry by the way… what a change a year makes… but we haven’t seen Jerry and MDE teaming up. How do you expect their team to work?
SD: I think they’ll be like a well-oiled machine. They’ve been training together for the best part of a year now. They’re both among the best in the world at this sport and their intelligence for wrestling is second to none. I expect them to be fully prepared for this match. My question will lie over Mason and Williams. They know that if they can pin Jerry, or even MDE, they might earn a shot at that title. Mason will be desperate to get another shot to finally do a title run the way he imagines it and you know Aaron Williams will be desperate to get his chance at dethroning the Clown Prince. When it comes down to it, will they put the team goal of advancing over their personal goal of being the win to pick up the victory? I’m not sure they will.
MW: I don’t think they’ll let their own personal agendas get in the way of victory tonight. Of course they want the FPW Championship, but they entered this tournament to win it. If they get to take some form of revenge on Jerry and MDE on the way, all’s the better. They both know that they’re good enough to earn an FPW Championship match when that time comes, but a shot at the All Star Tag Team Classic doesn’t come around too often, and I think they’ll put that first.
SD: Don’t be so sure.
MW: Well let’s find out as we get down to Dash- no, to Thalia Columbina…
Thalia Columbina stands at the top of the ramp and the fans boo the instant they see her being hit with a spotlight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for a combination like no other. On the one hand, THE greatest technical wrestler in the world today, THE genius trainer who gifted you the Joker we are about to welcome, THE greatest trans-Atlantic export in the history of America… MDE! On the other hand, THE FPW Champion, THE man who will break every FPW Championship record, THE man making his first in-ring appearance since fulfilling all of your wishes, THE greatest man to come out of Kansas City, Missouri, THE Joker, THE single most enticing, exciting and engaging man in all of professional wrestling, Jerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry Bishoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop”
‘Sine My Shoes’ begins to play but it’s barely audible over the boos and the duelling ‘Fuck you, Jerry’, ‘Fuck MDE’ chants. MDE walks out into the arena first, followed by Jerry Bishop, the FPW Championship slung over his shoulder. Each of them look around the arena for a moment before Jerry turns and bows deeply to Thalia Columbina. MDE leads the way down to the ring, ignoring the abuse of the fans. Jerry follows, stopping at points to conduct the chanting and further insight the ire of the crowd. As they reach the ring, MDE climbs the steps and steps through the ropes while Jerry slides into the ring. They bump fists before MDE turns and looks directly at Dasha Banks while Jerry completely blanks her as usual. Dasha stares daggers at MDE before stepping forward and raising her microphone.
“And their opponents in this second quarter-final match of All Star Tag Team Classic III, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a former two-time Ring of Honor Champion and the holder of many championships from all over the world and from Seattle, Washington, the only ever two-time former FPW Champion, ‘A Plus’ and ‘The Eternal Student’… Aaron Williams and Jace Masoooooon!!”
‘Afterlife’ plays and the crowd begins to build their anticipation. As the intro ends, Jace Mason steps through the curtain, pyro going off around him as he stands in his usual pose. He steps forward and Aaron Williams follows him. The two men look at one another and nod before looking out all around the arena and pumping up the fans on either side of the stage. They come back together at the top of the ramp and point down to Jerry and MDE in the ring before heading down the ramp and slapping hands on either side of the aisle. When they reach the ring, they each go around one side slapping hands and hen cross over in the middle. Williams pulls out his marker and hands it to a young girl at ringside, who instantly writes ‘Flip you, Jerry’. Williams laughs before joining Mason and climbing onto the apron. Mason steps up onto the top turnbuckle in his usual pose while Williams enters the ring and shakes hands with the official and with Dasha, his eyes locked on Jerry as he pulls back. Mason drops down and Jerry smiles, raising the FPW Championship as the two stare one another down for a few moments.
Match 4: All Star Tag Team Classic III: Quarter-Final II: Jerry Bishop and MDE vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams:
The official calls for the bell and Jerry and Mason step forward. A loud ‘A Plus Stu-dents’ chant fills the arena but Mason barely seems to notice, giving Jerry a serious stare while Jerry merely raises an eyebrow, pointing out at the FPW Championship. Mason claps his hands and begins to circle Jerry, who watches him intently. The two finally lock-up, jockeying aggressively for position. Mason looks for a headlock but Jerry slips out and locks in a hammerlock. Mason twists himself free and takes Jerry’s wrist, wringing the arm. Jerry rolls through to escape and takes Mason’s wrist, wringing his arm instead. Mason grabs the top rope and uses it to support a front flip to escape the pressure. He pulls Jerry towards him and connects with a hard forearm that staggers Jerry. The fans cheer as the two men stare each other down across the ring.
Jerry backs away and makes the tag to MDE, while Mason also tags out. MDE and Williams circle one another before coming together to lock-up. Williams ducks it, looking for a waistlock, but MDE quickly performs a standing switch, lifting Williams and dropping him to the ground. He maintains the grip around the waist and looks to transition to take an arm, but Williams keeps his arms tight to his body and MDE has to keep the waistlock in. Williams fights his way back up to his feet and frees himself with a couple of back elbows. MDE reels away and then turns into a hard mid-kick which sends him staggering back into the ropes. Williams grabs him by the wrist and sends him across the ring, taking him down with a dropkick and then making the first cover.
One…
Tw-
MDE kicks out.
MW: Williams impressive in the early going.
SD: I don’t know how impressive that was. He resisted- he held off MDE for a time, but if he tries to go for a technical exchange with MDE, it’s not going to end well.
MW: He and Mason have clearly been working on their technical wrestling.
SD: As any team would who goes up against these two. You’d have to.
Williams wastes no time and pulls MDE up to his feet. He drags him over to the corner and makes the tag to Mason. Mason keeps MDE in the corner and lands a series of hard chops before dragging him out and draping an arm over him, looking to lift him for a falcon arrow. MDE, however, drops down behind Mason and pulls him in for a German suplex, but Mason drops down, pulls MDE’s arms through his legs and flips him over, hooking MDE’s legs with his own for an unconventional cover.
One…
Tw-
MDE kicks out, grabbing hold of Mason’s waist as his shoulder comes up and quickly standing, before going for a German suplex. Mason, however, over-rotates and lands on his feet. He quickly hits the ropes and comes at MDE, but MDE drops down and Mason jumps over the top of him. MDE stands but Mason leaps up onto the middle rope and comes back with a disaster kick. MDE is sent rolling back into his corner and Jerry reaches down to make the tag. He eyes Mason across the ring and Mason calls for him to get in, eager to resume their hostilities after Uprising.
MW: These fans really want to see these two men going at it.
SD: And why wouldn’t they? They had one of the best matches FPW has ever seen at Uprising.
MW: And Mason will be aching for a chance to get one over on the man who robbed him of the FPW Championship.
SD: Robbed him? He won it fair and square.
MW: He did. But Mason will still be feeling aggrieved.
SD: That he wasn’t good enough to hold the belt for long on both times that he won it? That’s on him; not on Jerry.
Jerry slowly steps through the ropes and Mason calls him forward. The two lock-up again and Mason quickly locks in a headlock. He takes Jerry over and maintains his grip, really wrenching on the hold. Williams bangs the top turnbuckle in encouragement as a ‘Let’s Go, Mason’ chant rings out. Jerry fights back to a knee but Mason quickly releases the hold, kicking out the leg and hitting the ropes, taking Jerry down with a low dropkick. He makes the cover.
One…
T-
Jerry kicks out. Mason then pulls Jerry to his feet and looks to bring him over to his corner for another tag, but Jerry elbows him hard in the gut and brings him back into the middle of the ring. He whips him into the ropes and takes him down with an arm drag before ducking an attempted right hand after Mason scrambles to his feet. He pulls him in for a running bulldog and then reaches up to tag in MDE.
MDE enters the ring and immediately grabs the left arm. He brings it up Mason’s back and wrenches painfully on the shoulder. Mason grimaces in pain but tries to work his way free. He begins to twist his way out but MDE twists with him, keeping his grip on the arm and his pressure on the shoulder. Mason manages to work his way to his feet, but MDE transitions, wringing the arm and placing his foot behind the knee to force Mason off his feet. MDE then drives a knee into the arm and forces Mason to the mat, locking in a Fujiwara arm bar. Mason scrambles towards the ropes but MDE quickly transitions again, rolling into a front facelock before lifting his knee and driving it into the point of the shoulder.
MW: That has to hurt.
SD: It does. A knee into the shoulder like that can really do damage. MDE is in his element now, picking apart a body part like this. Mason has to find a way to tag out.
MW: How will this work on the shoulder affect Mason later in the match?
SD: Not as much as working a back or a knee probably would, but it’ll soften him up for the Simply Great Stretch. That’s what MDE will have in his mind right now. A submission victory over Jace Mason is a rare thing, but it’s what he’ll want.
MDE transitions again, pulling Mason up and into a snap suplex, before rolling back and locking in a grounded guillotine, which he quickly transitions into a Kimura lock. Mason reaches out for the nearby ropes, but he’s not quite close enough, and MDE has his body weight perfect so that Mason can’t move. Back in the corner, Aaron Williams leads a rhythmic clap to help Mason to get back into it, and he manages to shift MDE’s weight just enough to reach over to the bottom rope. MDE breaks the hold and reaches up to tag in Jerry.
Jerry enters the quickly pulls Mason off the ropes, forcing him into the enemy corner. Jerry pulls the left arm over the top rope and yanks on it hard, the official counting to four before Jerry releases the grip. Mason pulls his arm towards him but Jerry doesn’t let up. He tags in MDE, who drives a shoulder into Mason’s gut while Jerry backs up and connects with a running dropkick. Mason staggers out of the corner and MDE pulls him in for a belly to belly suplex before making the cover.
One…
Two-
Mason manages to kick out. MDE grabs the left arm again and grips it with his feet before twisting suddenly. Mason pulls his arm away, cradling it so that MDE can’t go right back to it. MDE reaches down for the arm but Mason aims a right hand up at him, forcing him to stagger slightly. Mason uses the time to get to his feet and head towards his corner, but MDE grabs him by the waist and pulls him in for a bridging German suplex.
One…
Two…
T-
Mason kicks out again. MDE this time pulls Mason up and scoops him up onto his shoulder before dropping him shoulder-first over his knee. Mason tries to roll away but MDE comes in quickly, dropping a knee onto the shoulder blade before grabbing the arm and stretching it out. He reaches out to Jerry and makes the tag. Jerry climbs up onto the middle rope and comes down with a well-targeted stomp right to the upper arm. Mason pulls it into his body as Jerry tags MDE straight back in. MDE pulls Mason up into another attempted German suplex, but Mason manages to elbow his way free. MDE reels away and then quickly turns back to Mason, only to be caught with a superkick to the gut. Mason scampers across the ring and a big cheer comes up as he makes the tag to Aaron Williams.
Williams comes in and allows MDE to come at him, taking him down with a mid-kick. MDE scrambles to his feet but Williams takes him down with another before performing a standing moonsault and holding for a cover.
One…
Two-
MDE kicks out. Williams pulls him up and whips him into the corner before backing away and building up for a big splash. However, as he sets off, Jerry trips him from outside the ring, and he staggers. Williams turns to Jerry and this allows MDE to come in for a German suplex. He takes Williams down but Williams rolls through, making the tag to Mason. Mason comes in and lands a series of hard chops to MDE, backing him into the ropes. Mason then takes him down with a parallel snapmare and hits the ropes, but he’s cut off by Jerry coming in with a rolling elbow. The official grabs Jerry and forces him out of the ring, but the damage is done.
MW: That was a dirty move by Jerry Bishop.
SD: He saw Jace Mason about to steal his move- again- and wasn’t putting up with it. I think that was perfectly fine.
MW: He wasn’t the legal man.
SD: So? Have you watched tag team matches recently? Who cares?
MW: The rules-
SD: Oh… the rules… we’d better not break any of them Mr. Clean Living.
MW: There’s no need-
SD: There’s every need and you know it.
Mason manages to get to his corner and tag Williams back in just as MDE tags Jerry back in. Williams comes in quickly, aiming a running lariat at Jerry, who ducks, hits the ropes, and catches them, stopping just as Williams jumps up for a dropkick. Williams hits the mat hard and Jerry swoops in, grounding him with a chinlock which immediately leads to boos and a ‘Fuck you, Jerry’ chant from the fans. He keeps Williams grounded before eventually switching his position, pulling Williams up and then dropping him with a Russian leg sweep. He makes a cover.
One…
Tw-
Williams kicks out. Jerry pulls Williams up again and hooks him for a DDT, walking up the ropes and turning it into a tornado DDT, only for Williams to block it, catching him into a fireman’s carry position and dropping him over the top rope. Jerry reels away and Williams catches him with a discus clothesline. He pulls him up and sets him in a powerbomb position before delivering a powerbomb backbreaker and rolling into an immediate cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Jerry kicks out. Williams pulls him up again and hooks an arm over him, lifting him into a vertical suplex position. Jerry, however, drops down behind Williams and pulls him in for a running bulldog. He quickly gets back to his feet and hops up onto the middle rope. Williams stands and Jerry comes down with a middle-rope blockbuster, making another cover.
One…
Two…
T-
Williams kicks out this time. Jerry stands and looks down at Williams before shaking his head. He pulls him up and locks him into a front facelock again, walking up the ropes again and this time connecting with the tornado DDT. Instead of making the cover, Jerry stands, pulling Williams with him, and he looks to trap his arms for Last Laugh. However, Williams drives him back into the corner and frees himself, turning to scramble over for the tag to Mason. MDE, however, quickly gets into the ring and pulls Williams back with a snap German suplex. The official admonishes MDE as he leaves the ring, but Jerry reaches up and MDE tags himself back in.
He quickly heads over to Williams and drags him back into their corner. He reaches down and drives a knee into Williams’ back before lacing his fingers under Williams’ chin and pulling back as hard as he can. Williams cries out in pain and MDE continues to pull back even harder. Williams continues to grimace and groan with the pain as MDE yanks back further and further. Jerry reaches down and tags himself in, MDE turning Williams as Jerry hits the ropes and comes back with a hard penalty kick just as MDE releases his grip. MDE then lands a quick cheap shot to take Mason off the apron and Jerry makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Th-
Williams kicks out. Mason tries to slide into the ring but the official comes over to stop him, the fans booing loudly as Jerry and MDE take the chance to put the boots to Williams. MDE quickly leaves the ring as the official turns and Jerry tags him back in. He pulls Williams up and whips him hard into the corner, following up with a big splash. Williams staggers out of the corner and MDE pulls him in for a German suplex into the turnbuckles. Williams rolls away but MDE quickly grabs him again, pulling him up and going for a gutbuster. He lands it and then pulls Williams into a gutwrench suplex. As he floats over to deadlift Williams to complete the Triple Gutwrench, Williams manages to force him over further and they end tangled in the ropes.
MW: Aaron Williams may have just saved this match for he and Mason there.
SD: But MDE is still on top here. It won’t take much more to put Aaron Williams out of his misery.
MDE drags Williams away from the ropes and towards his and Jerry’s corner. He reaches up to make the tag, but Williams pulls him away at the last minute. MDE turns and Williams lands a hard kick to the side of the head. MDE staggers and Williams turns, dropping to his knees as he tries to go and make the tag. He’s about to make it when MDE catches up with him, pulling him up into a deadlift German, only for Williams to land on his feet just like Mason did earlier. He staggers backwards and Jerry grabs hold of him, only for Williams to elbow Jerry off the apron. He then ducks under an MDE clothesline and scrambles for the tag, leaping to make it just as Jerry pulls Mason off the apron to loud boos.
Jerry aims a forearm at Mason, but Mason blocks and lands several of his own before dropping Jerry with a DDT. In the ring, Williams blocks a suplex attempt and drives MDE into the corner. Mason jumps back up and finally makes the tag, entering the ring to loud applause. Williams drops down to the mat and MDE comes at Mason, who lands a spinning kick to the gut before kicking out the knee and landing a low dropkick. MDE rolls onto the apron and pulls himself up on the ropes but Williams jumps up onto the middle ropes and lands a springboard dropkick to send MDE to the floor. He lands on his feet but Mason takes him down with a wrecking ball dropkick and then Williams hits the ropes and comes off with a somersault senton to take MDE, Jerry and Mason to the ground. Williams springs back up and the fans cheer loudly.
MW: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams are back in this match!
SD: But Williams took Mason out as well. Mason is the legal man.
MW: Now you care about the legal man?
SD: It matter with pinfalls. Williams can’t make a cover at the moment.
Williams grabs hold of MDE and sends him into the ring he pulls Mason up and the two of them roll back in. Mason drives MDE back into the corner and Williams charges at him for a big splash. As Williams heads back to the corner, Mason comes in with a high knee. Williams lands another splash and Mason another high knee before one more splash and knee combination drops MDE to a seated position. Mason nods to Williams and steps through the ropes as Williams charges at MDE and lands a hard cannonball before Mason leaps off the top with a shooting star press. Mason rolls away just in time as Williams connects with a swan-ton bomb. Mason then makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thr-
MDE just gets his shoulder up as the fans groan with disappointment. Williams rolls out of the ring as Mason lifts MDE. He whips him into the ropes and looks to catch him with Extra Credit, but MDE blocks it and pulls Mason in for another belly to belly. MDE then sees Jerry getting back onto the apron and he crawls over to him, making the tag. Jerry pauses on the apron and waits for Mason to make it to his feet before leaping up and connecting with a springboard forearm. The impact sends Mason rolling backwards and Williams manages to stretch out for the tag. He enters the ring quickly, but Jerry catches the mid kick and throws the leg back, catching Williams with a DDT.
Jerry then quickly pulls Williams up and traps the arms. He’s about to drop him with Last Laugh when Mason leaps onto the middle rope and breaks it up with a disaster kick! Mason drags Williams over to the ropes and makes the tag as MDE tags himself back in. Mason takes him down with a clothesline, and then another. MDE scrambles to his feet and Mason lands a hard kick to the side of the leg. Mason then grabs the leg and pulls MDE in for a dragon-screw leg-whip. He quickly grabs the leg and turns MDE, locking in the half-crab. The fans cheer loudly as Mason sits as deep as he can. Jerry enters the ring to break it up but Williams comes and blocks him off, only for Jerry to drive a knee into the gut and take Williams down with a float-over neckbreaker. Jerry then hits the ropes and, with Mason sitting deep in the half-crab, lands a hard penalty kick to break it up.
MW: This is descending into chaos!
SD: As every tag match eventually does.
MW: The official has to get a handle on it.
SD: These two teams have been battling each other for over half an hour. They’re fed up of going one-on-one. Let them fight is what I say.
Williams gets to his feet and Jerry clotheslines him over the top rope. He follows and drives his head into the guardrail. In the ring, MDE is gingerly getting to his feet. Mason is pushing up too, but MDE comes in quickly and pulls him into a snap German. He then quickly traps Mason’s right arm and looks to pull back the left one to lock in the Simply Great Stretch. Mason tries to resist, but MDE drives his elbow into the shoulder and Mason can’t keep holding out. MDE manages to extend the arm and he drapes his leg over it, torqueing the shoulder at an unimaginable angle. The fans urge Mason not to give up, but there seems no way to escape. As the official checks on Mason, the crowd suddenly gasp, and MDE looks up to see Aaron Williams coming off the top rope with a shooting star press. MDE absorbs the impact, losing his grip on Mason, and Williams rolls away, desperately trying to get into position to make a tag.
MDE rolls slowly over to the corner and reaches out to Jerry, who tags himself in. He enters and grabs Mason by the leg, trying to stop him from making the tag. Mason turns and looks at Jerry, who tries to pull him in like he did with Williams earlier. Mason, however, ducks down and drops Jerry, grabbing hold of the leg for the half-crab. However, his arm struggles to grip and he’s forced instead to turn and dive to Williams, making the tag. Williams comes in and stalks Jerry before landing a hard mid-kick. Jerry drops to the mat before scrambling to his feet. Williams lands another hard mid-kick and Jerry scrambles to get to his feet again. This time, Williams kicks him in the gut and drapes an arm over him, lifting him up before dumping him over the top rope. He tags in Mason, who hits a sliding dropkick to force MDE out of the ring and then moves back over to Jerry. As Williams climbs up onto the top rope, Mason grips Jerry with his right arm. Williams leaps off and lands a 450-splash as Mason drops Jerry with a top-rope rope-hung DDT. He makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Jerry just gets a shoulder up. The fans hold their hands on their heads, as does Jace Mason. He rolls over to Williams and tags him back in, aware that his left arm is basically useless at this point. Williams comes in and lifts Jerry. He traps his arms and looks to plant him with A Triple Plus, but MDE pulls him away and into another snap German suplex. Mason enters the ring and engages with MDE, landing more chops and forearms to send him into the corner. Mason then lifts MDE onto the top rope and climbs after him, landing more hard chops. As this is going on, Jerry makes it to his feet and kicks Williams in the gut as he stands. He traps the arm and drops him with Last Laugh. He makes the cover, the fans desperate for Williams to kick out.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! The cover is broken up as Mason takes MDE down with a top rope Extra Credit right onto Jerry and Williams! The four men lie motionless in the ring for a few moments as the fans stand and give Mason and Williams a rousing ovation. ‘A Plus Stu-dents’ rings around the arena again as Mason and Williams begin to stir, along with Jerry. MDE, however, has rolled to the outside and is seemingly totally out of it. Mason forces himself up to his feet and helps Williams up. They look across the ring to Jerry, who eyes the two of them, knowing that he’s without his partner. The fans begin to cheer as Mason and Williams advance.
MW: This is what these fans have wanted to see for a long time!
SD: Don’t bet against Jerry Bishop. Not now. Not ever.
MW: He’s in a two-on-one situation against two of the best wrestlers FPW has ever seen. Surely he can’t find a way to escape this.
SD: It looks bleak, but Jerry can pull through.
MW: These fans don’t seem to think so. Listen to these cheers. They’re certain that The Joker is about to get what’s been coming to him since… well, since before I can remember.
Mason lunges at Jerry, but he rolls under his arm. Jerry tries to get back to his feet, but Williams catches him. He drives a knee up into Jerry’s sternum and Jerry reels away towards Mason, who lands a hard superkick to the gut. Williams then traps Jerry’s arms and lifts him before planting him with A Triple Plus! The fans cheer loudly as Williams makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! MDE reached up and pulled the official out of the ring just as he was about to count the three. The cheers turn to loud, angry boos. Mason quickly leaves the ring to engage with MDE, but MDE ducks the forearm and shoves Mason shoulder-first into the ring post. Mason cries out in pain and drops to a knee. MDE then turns only to be taken out by an Aaron Williams suicide dive! Williams forces himself back up to his feet and gives a primal roar before rolling back into the ring. He moves over to Jerry, who is up to one knee, and takes him down with a hard buzzsaw kick. He makes another cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Jerry just forces a shoulder off the canvas. Williams wastes no time in pulling Jerry back up to his feet. He forces him into the corner and lifts him up. Williams climbs after him, kicking MDE off the apron as he gets up and, without Williams knowing, makes the blind tag. Williams drapes an arm over Jerry and looks like he’s going for Denouement, only for MDE to quickly get back into the ring and pull Williams down into a deadlift German. Jerry drops off the apron and he and MDE stalk Williams. As Williams gets to his feet, Jerry lands a rolling elbow. Williams staggers into MDE, who begins the Triple Gutwrench, landing the gutbuster, hitting the gutwrench suplex and floating over, lifting Williams and planting him with a gutwrench powerbomb. He makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Thre-
No! Mason dives in to make the save at the last possible moment. Jerry immediately moves over to Mason, pulling him up and landing a series of forearms. He forces Mason into the corner and then backs up, running at him and looking for a running dropkick. Mason, however, manages to move out of the way. As Jerry staggers out of the corner, Mason takes him down with Extra Credit! Jerry rolls out of the ring and Mason, seeing Williams struggling, quickly steps through the ropes so he can make the tag. Williams stretches out and tags him in and Mason enters quickly. He pulls MDE up and whips him into the ropes, looking for Extra Credit again, but MDE blocks it, grabbing the left shoulder and wrenching it hard. Mason cries out with pain and MDE quickly lifts him into a vertical suplex position. He then brings him back down, holding him up and is about to finish the move with a flatliner when Aaron Williams comes off the ropes with a springboard forearm. MDE staggers backwards and Mason quickly gets to a standing base. MDE comes back at him but Mason catches him with Extra Credit! Williams flies out of the ring with a suicide dive to Jerry as Mason makes the cover and the fans chant along.
One…
Two…
Three!
Winners: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams (44:51).
MW: They did it! They did it!
SD: How on Earth did Jace Mason and Aaron Williams come through that match?
MW: What a victory! Jerry Bishop and MDE have been beaten. Mason and Williams advance. What a win. What a moment!
Jace Mason stands and has his arm raised. Williams rolls back into the ring and pushes up to his feet with difficulty. He too has his arm raised before he and Mason embrace, Mason’s left arm dangling to his side. The two men climb to the top turnbuckles and acknowledge the crowd before they drop down and slap hands with as many fans as they can on their way back up the ramp. In the ring, Jerry and MDE begin to push themselves up as a loud ‘Fuck you, Jerry… Fuck MDE’ chant goes up again.
MW: Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was one of the best tag team matches I have ever seen. Jerry Bishop and MDE did all they could to win that match, including a few things the rules don’t look too kindly on, but Jace Mason and Aaron Williams were able to give that little bit more. We have maybe seen the first chink in Jerry Bishop’s armour, and I’m sure Mason and Williams will see this as a chance to claim a shot at him again.
SD: They may well get a shot, but they’re not beating him one-on-one.
MW: Maybe they will and maybe they won’t. But that’s about all we have time for ton- Wait… what’s this?
The lights in the arena cut out for a few moments, the chanting subsiding as a low chatter fills the arena. Suddenly, wild music begins to play and strobe lights fly all over the place.
MW: We haven’t heard this music since…
SD: He can’t be here!
The lights converge on the ramp and the arena goes wild as Super Che Junior stands there, eyes staring at Jerry in the ring. The cameras show Jerry Bishop, eyes wider than ever. The fans cheer again as Missy comes onto the ramp with a microphone in hand. She stands next to Che.
“Welcome, beloved citizens of the world. May I introduce you to the light who will conquer the darkness, the sparkle of life, the shining bullet of justice. May I introduce you to the true Friendmigo, the first Argentine Superhero, the unique and unrepeatable Super Che Junior.”
Jerry continues to stare up at Che and Missy as the arena goes dark once again. The fans buzz again. This time it’s blue and grey lights which shower the crowd and ‘Never Gonna Stop’ blares out as Matt Dwyer walks onto the ramp. The fans cheer loudly again and Jerry once again stares with wide eyes at the three people who stand before him. As the music dies down and Che, Dwyer and Missy walk down the ramp, a ‘Friend-mi-go’ chant begins. Dwyer smiles as he encourages the chant. The three of them enter the ring and stand across from Jerry and MDE, neither of whom have been able to say a single word since the lights first went out. Missy raises the mic to her lips again.
Missy: Jerry Bishop… we witnessed what you said on Sixty Minutes of Freedom. Your cruel taunting joke. Before then, we believed, all three of us, that you could come back to the light. That you could once more don the mask and wear the ring. We did not wish to interfere. We wished for you to find us yourself. But now we see that that is not possible. You have allowed yourself to become corrupted. The devil himself sits on your shoulder. The FPW Championship. Your pursuit of that title has turned you away from your true self and into this... this monster. The League of Friendmigos fights against evil… and the evil which now pervades FPW… is you. There is only one way to rid FPW of this evil and to show you the true path. The real path. The path back into the light. For you to see that The League of Friendmigos is stronger than The Joker alone. Now that you are no longer in the All Star Tag Team Classic, Super Che Junior will step up and exorcise your demon by taking the FPW Championship from you. In four weeks’ time, Joker, you will be rid of the demon that has consumed you, and you will be ready to move back into the light. All Star Tag Team Classic. Joker versus Junior. FPW Championship.
Missy holds the mic out to Jerry, who simply stares back and forth at her, Dwyer and Che. He wipes his eyes and looks at the FPW Championship in his hand and then back at his former brothers. MDE places a hand on Jerry’s shoulder and leads him away. He takes one last look back at Missy, Dwyer and Che before turning and moving towards the ropes. However, at the last moment, he turns back and levels Che with the belt. Dwyer lunges for him but he drops down and rolls out of the ring. The fans boo loudly as Jerry and MDE back away up the ramp, Missy and Dwyer crouching over Che as he lies on the mat.