(The filtered guitar notes of "Enemies" by Shinedown ring out as an industrial CCW RAW logo slowly invades its way onto the screen with sparks to usher its way in…
…and when the filtration dissipates, the drums kick in, and onscreen appear quickdraw clips in which Kratos Bike Kicks Mega Man, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor Gold Rushing Inez, Paul Rabil and Brett Queener whack Tony the Tiger simultaneously with their lacrosse sticks, Soda Popinski and Bald Bull give Max a Natural Disaster, the Cereal Killers give Matt Quinlan the Snap Crackle Pop, Liu Kang and Zoe Payne throw respective pairs Roundhouse Kicks at the air in a momentary split-screen occurrence, and Michael Phelps poses in the ring with arms raised and gold medals in hand.)
[Listen up!
(Tony Delvecchio, in the ring, throws up a "V" sign at the crowd.)
There's not a moment to spare
(Odd Della Robbia and Ulrich Stern trigger their green X-pyro in the ring via crotch chops; Barry and Kenny perform side-arching flexes, Kenny sticking out his tongue while Barry shakes his head and laughs.)
It's quite a drop
(Max and Enrique perform a Jetpack Dive to the outside onto Soda Popinski.)
From the top
(Max and Enrique both point out to the crowd from adjacent corners on the top turnbuckle.)
So how're you feeling down there?
(Sportacus and Stephanie Meanswell stand over a bloody Enrique, the former smirking and the latter sneering down at him.)
Where did you think you could go?
(Aran Ryan beats his chest savagely; Yumi Ishiyama throws her head back and shrieks to the ceiling near the ropes, prepping for a Boma Ye.)
'Cause everyone already knows
(Aelita Schaeffer holds out four fingers for a Horsewomen symbol, leaning outwards from the ring apron; Tobey McAllister taps his temple with a single finger, signifying his superior intellect.)
It's twenty to one!
(Annie Frazier throws her arms open wide on the entrance ramp as flowers descend from the ceiling; the Cult of Gwen surrounds Zoe Payne, sizing her up before they swarm upon her.)
Yeah, so you better run!
(Ben Tennyson throws up a Legend Killer pose from atop the corner; Emmy stares down at the ring from atop the DisneyTron, her visage stony and steely.)
You got the world on its knees!
(Kai Green is on her knees on the entrance ramp, arms splayed wide as pyro goes off behind her; Ares ominously raises his arms to light up the darkened arena from the corner.)
You're taking all that you please!
(Gwen Tennyson Kennelly's Kisses Reggie Rocket; Gwen raises her CCW Females Championship in one hand; Liu Kang points to the CCW Zenith sign from the middle rope in the corner.)
You want more (You want more!)
(Aran Ryan gives Ben Tennyson a Kick of Fear; Tommy Pickles brushes off his shoulder.)
But you'll get nothing from me!
(Zoe Payne TANs Annie Frazier; Zero Kazama chortles and smirks on the stage.)
You like the burden we bear!
(Tom Brady PATs Shun Kazami; Sportacus opens his arms in a Phenomenal pose, chest-bumping the ropes.)
You love the hate that we share!
(The Powerpuff Girls Triple Powerbomb Jenny Wakeman; Wolf Hawkfield triggers his machine-gun pyro from the ramp with a beastly roar.)
You want more (You want more!)
(Psymon Stark Psymonizes Deathstroke; in the next cut, Psymon points a pair of "hand guns" to his head and cackles to the skies from the stage.)
But you'll get nothing from me
(Ben Tennyson Intergalactics Wolf Hawkfield; Chell chokes out Lisa Simpson with the Silent But Deadly.)
We're enemies!]
(Liu Kang makes a Shaolin victory pose (akin to his MK9 winning animation) as the CCW RAW logo incinerates its way onto the screen, aided by the Kombatant's fiery aura effect.)
Following the video package, the RAW stage is ignited with upward jets of blue pyro, lateral jets of yellow and downward jets of white from above the IrisTron DisneyTron; these fireworks are joined a moment later by a side-strip of blue and white pyrotechnics that pace back and forth on the stage, yellow streams up and down from the sides of the 'Tron, diagonal jets of blue, more upward jets of white, a smorgasbord of blue all around and, finally, three meteor-like firework shots that meet supernova-style at the stage in a collision of blue, yellow and white to leave behind an entire platform of fiery pillars to conclude the display. That is how the viewing audience is introduced to the program—and cameras soon pan around to show off every inch of the entirely remodeled set, from the ring to the announce tables…to the personnel behind said tables…
"…Okay, I understand the premise, but…isn't it still a good four, five years early for that song?" Al Michaels has to ask, sweat-dropping partially.
"Maybe…" Jeremy Ellis shrugs, "but I'd call it a symbolic allegory for who's ahead of the times and who's behind the DeLorean around here—WELCOME, EVERYBODAAAAY!" The Black Mamba spins around in his chair. "Yes, you are watching Monday Night RAW, but it's not the RAW you're used to, and that, my friends, is a very good thing. It's your boy 'The Black Mamba' Jeremy Ellis right here, putting my feet up on this lovely table that's been left behind for me…" Jeremy puts his hands behind his back and sighs contentedly. "And over to the left, to the left with everything Animated owns in a box is Al Michaels and, regrettably as always, Cris Collinsworth. You feeling good, guys?"
"Your presence notwithstanding, I am feeling SPLENDID, thank you for asking," Cris replies. "Forget Monday Night Football; this right here is where it's at, am I right, Al?"
"It's certainly a hotbed for the world's attention, although, to that end, I have to wonder—or at least vocalize wonder over as much—how the rest of this building is feeling after what they've just witnessed minutes ago," Al speaks, adjusting his headset.
"What you NEED to be wondering, Al, is how they're going to feel after what they're about to witness—this is the TRUE finale of Monday Night RAW on the regular Fiction Wrestling milieu and calendar," Cris comments. "THIS is how Monday Night RAW is getting sent off from the minds and hearts of the Fiction Wrestling Multiverse. WE get to close that chapter—WE get to close the book! You know the saying 'history is written by the winners'? Well, tonight, CCW's holding all of the pens!"
"…Suppose that means we should get to writing then, in that case, because it is, after all, our obligation to provide play-by-play for the viewing audience, whomever that viewing audience happens to consist of," Al asserts, "and we are coming off of the heels of our first Fiction Wrestling Award for Commentary Team of the Year, so…that's a title we've got a responsibility to defend. With that said, for those who haven't been following their mobile alerts, two contests have been confirmed for this CCW RAW program, both of which are…Championship contests…" Al slowly comes to a pause…and partly widens his eyes…as he notices the fans behind and around him loudening, first with general din…which then becomes BOOS…
…as Max and Enrique start walking down the Barclays Center entrance ramp towards the ring.
The Dragon Kids Speak Out
As noted on commentary by Al Michaels, never had the Dragon Kids' appearance been received so negatively by an arena of wrestling fans…until this fateful evening in Brooklyn. From the Animated faithful's chants of "YOU SOLD OUT! YOU SOLD OUT!" to one fan in the third row even going so far as to RIP UP his "I Came to RAW to BELIEVE" sign, the reaction of the crowd brings Max in particular to many a wince…while Enrique stays teetotal and abstemious in the face of the ireful audience. Max requests and is given a microphone by Blader DJ…but is too overawed by the booing crowd to even get a word out obliquely, putting the mic to his face and formulating the intention of words with his mouth sans any actual sound. Eventually, Max slowly and cringingly passes the microphone to Enrique (which causes the boos to get even LOUDER), figuring that the Colombian would be more equipped to handle this environment and merited first word anyway. Enrique, in contrast to Max, doesn't think twice, accepting the microphone and giving a thirty-second GLARE at the Animated fans…before raising the mic to his own mouth…to actually make words…
"I think…that someone needs to refresh your memory on why exactly things have happened the way that they have. Everybody who's still in this building right now has his or her own story to tell—his or her own reasons…especially me."
Max, sensing a hot emotiveness from his partner, spots him as he speaks…
"When Digital Generation X set their feet onto a CCW program, it was a whole lot more than una 'invasión' o una 'intrusión'. Zero Hour was…—…" Enrique breathes, running his free hand through his hair, scratching and clawing at it, almost a metaphor for his emotions… "…Zero Hour was…—…Zero Hour was…la noche más humillante de mi vida…but it wasn't SUPPOSED TO BE that; it wasn't SUPPOSED to be the most humiliating night of my life—I-…I-I took on Sportacus in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, and I put myself through more punishment and pain and discomfort than ever, went to a more vengeful place than anyone like me has any business going to—ALL OF THAT more than ever before because I was fighting for not just myself…but for a girl." A lingering bitterness hangs off of his tone there. "A girl that I admired. A girl that I respected. A girl that I LIKED, a girl…that I…I treated to a dance afterwards to celebrate, thinking I was making her the happiest person in Buffalo, New York. I WON that night…I beat Sportacus…and doing it all was so breathlessly satisfying that for a little while I forgot all about the pain…and then…she sang her song…and she reminded me. She slapped me across the face…and she showed me how she really felt.
"Then and there, that whole dream…the two of us being happy…it turned into a nightmare that I wouldn't wish upon anyone, knowing how it feels… I thought that I was doing something right…but it turned out that the joke was on me…" Enrique runs a hand over his face… "…and it wasn't the only thing…that ended up on me. Before I knew it, I was laid out on the mat…face-deep in proverbial egg, but really, the mixture of my own blood…and her vomit. That image…that picture by itself is enough to make me a laughingstock. That lasting shot alone would give anybody looking for something to mock until the end of its days the PERFECT MATERIAL—what are they called: 'memes'? …But THAT…that…that wouldn't have been enough for the hienas known as Digital Generation X, now would it?
"So as Max was locked in his room backstage, Takeru Takaishi and Davis Motomiya attacked me before I could even bother picking myself up. And that attack wasn't done to 'send a message'; i-it wasn't done to show how bitter they were that the Dragon Kids were better Tag Team Champions than they were. I didn't get Pedigreed under the backdrop of Takeru and Kari kissing just because the Dragon Kids were Tag Team of the Year and they weren't. KARI KAMIYA, A GIRL WHO'LL TELL YOU HOW 'HURT' SHE IS AND HOW YUNO GASAI 'PUT HER ON THE SHELF', DIDN'T DEFINITELY-DT ME THROUGH A TABLE JUST BECAUSE THE DRAGON KIDS ARE BETTER THAN DIGI-X. What Digi-X did to me at Zero Hour was BEYOND a WWE team attacking a CCW team. It was BEYOND anything having to do with Ozone 50 OR the FWAs. What Digi-X did to me at Zero Hour was more personal than any of you will know because it's more personal than I can explain. And they didn't even GO FOR Max; they just found me all alone in a compromised condition and jumped on it. And as livid as that ending made Zero Kazama, I didn't exactly have much faith in him sticking up for us in defense. He didn't stick up for us BEFORE then when we beat the Super Mario Brothers, and he hasn't made sticking up for us a priority after everything we've done to prove ourselves, so why would he stick up for us then? HE was only upset that his namesake special show had its final scene marred by invaders; that's ALL he was steaming about—it had NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. …But that's…actually…where Mrs. Briefs comes in." Cue the piqued curiosity of the Barclays audience, hearing that name leave Enrique's lips, knowing what they'd seen minutes ago.
"Hearing her talk so highly of us, hearing her hail us as the CCW guests she wanted to see the most? It made the both of us feel pretty special," Enrique divulges. "Max and I were…surprised but, at the same time, hugely honored. It was certainly a change of pace from what Zero would normally say about us on a show for a company we're actually SIGNED TO. And when Mrs. Briefs said that she was going to take disciplinary action against Digi-X for what they did, that also was a surprise; we didn't see that coming…but it meant something too because if this were just your average attack from behind on ANY OTHER NIGHT, I would've—…I wouldn't have wanted anything more than a match between the two of us and the two of them, which, if you ask me, we were due for anyway on account of the cute little thing they did to two of our FWA trophies last year. But this…was ANYTHING BUT an average attack…and the idea that another company's boss was willing to go out of her way to exact consequences—it almost seemed…too good to be true…
"…and I guess that's because it WAS too good to be true."
The Animated fans take unkindly to that proclamation from the elder Dragon Kid, but that doesn't deter him from continuing…nor does it afflict him in doubling down.
"I'm not sure any of you know this…but Digital Generation X was going to be SUSPENDED from Monday Night RAW after Zero Hour. That was the word Max and I got just hours after the show in the middle of my attempts at piecing together everything that'd just-…just happened to me, and…" Enrique forces a humorless snigger… "…and much like Henry Wong's 'punishment' that we're all still waiting on for the Stone Cold Podcast and for what he did at In Your House: Broken Hope, Shattered Courage, that suspension…didn't happen. Instead, Henry showed up on RAW like nothing happened…and Digi-X showed up on RAW like nothing happened, cost Tom Brady his Dragon Ball, and took that opportunity for one more little dig at CCW's expense, one more little dig at OUR expense. Now, we're all too used to trash talk, especially from the both of them; it's literally half of their truco, after all. But the thing that struck us more than anything, more than anything they had to spew…was the way you all reacted." Enrique's eyes scan the audience with a…unique kind of scorn. "The way every single one of you CHEERED and CHANTED and ATE UP that stupid call-and-response shtick. And maybe you just enjoyed watching Tom Brady get robbed, and I guess I can't really fault anybody for that…but half an hour later, you same people were SCREAMING YOUR LUNGS OUT for these two niños right here," Enrique gestures to himself and Max. "And there was Mrs. Briefs, raising our hands and encouraging the crowd to get louder and louder with their chants in our favor…and you even had Hall of Famer TJ Dettweiler patting our heads—everything around us to make us forget that those same people who were cheering for us were minutes ago glorifying and encouraging the EXACT SAME COCHINADA WHO REVELED IN MY HUMILIATION AT ZERO HOUR. …But here's something important that you should know about me. Here's something important that you should know about the Dragon Kids: we're YOUNG…but we're not DUMB.
"Zero Kazama doesn't make it any secret that he can't stand us; he doesn't shy away from that one bit…so we know what we're getting when it comes to him. But ask yourselves this, and se honesto – who would you rather have: a counterintuitive boss who openly hates our guts and regularly puts us against the world, rubbing his hands, waiting for us to fail…or una figura de autoridad who insults our intelligence, flattering us with false promises and thinking we're gullible enough to let it slide—thinking I'M gullible enough to let it slide, to be okay…? I already HAD a girl lie to me, right down to a kiss on the lips, and LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I BOUGHT THAT! YOU THINK I WOULD BE OKAY WITH YET ANOTHER BROKEN PROMISE?!" Enrique's risen voice startles Max even further, the younger boy extending a calming hand…or one that tries to be calming at least. It at least brings Enrique back to a normal volume again, although the Colombian's hands are quivering.
"…Mrs. Briefs took the most embarrassing night and most embarrassing moment I've ever gone through…and left it as an unresolved JOKE…and she thought that that was okay. She thought we'd be okay with it…but we WEREN'T. Or at least I wasn't. I don't always spill my guts like this…but for once…FOR ONCE…I had to show Bulma herself EXACTLY how that made me feel." Enrique says those words almost fastidiously, normally characteristic repression giving way to young wrath. "But before I did…what I did…there was one, if ONLY one, true thing that Bulma said…and that's that Max and I could handle this riña with Digi-X ourselves without her getting involved. That was 100% the truth…because she had no intention of getting involved in the first place. So really, we have NO CHOICE but to do this ourselves, and guess what? Tomorrow night on SmackDown!, we ARE going to do it ourselves. This was just the beginning—this isn't even a FRACTION of what both of us have to do. Some people are going to like it…and some people won't. Motomiya and Takaishi? That ramera called Kari Kamiya? They're part of the people who WON'T…for every imaginable reason. And if they don't already know by know…they're all gonna find out exactly how personal this is."
With all of that off of his chest, Enrique lets Max have a turn with the microphone…
…and Max is initially cautious with his words, saying, "I'm not going to say that I…expected what Enrique did…'cause I didn't…and even if I were in his shoes, I…don't think I would have done THAT…but…but we're both from a company where if we walk weird, make funny faces, talk too much in Spanish, take too long in the bathroom or, worst of all, win wrestling matches, Zero gets mad and decides to up the ante of making our lives more of a living heck…and yet meanwhile, HERE, two bigmouths who claim to be the best at using an act that isn't theirs—'the best ripoff in history'—get to smile, wave and sweet talk their way out of even a timeout for something like what THEY DID to my best friend while I was locked up in the back unable to do anything…?" Max shakes his head. "…No. No, no, I'm sorry; none of that junk sits well with me either. So, I AM going to stand by Enrique on this…in case you couldn't tell from when I flew onto of an angry Vegeta. And besides…even outside of that…" Max allows himself a quasi-modest chortle… "…it felt really goodshowing Animated and Showdown what kind of leaders Enrique and I are." Reading the crowd, Max knows he has some explaining to do after that one.
"I mean…when TJ patted us on our heads, don't get me wrong and please don't think that we were ungrateful—we APPRECIATED the acknowledgement; we APPRECIATED the fact that one of the pillars of the WWE's past gave us some kudos…but…in that minute…do you think he truthfully looked at us as the Team Ozone leaders? The same way he'd look at an Ash and Gary or a Tai and Matt?" Max poses the query. "Do you think that he genuinely felt like he was rubbing the heads of the Team Ozone leaders as opposed to the heads of, well, just…two adorable little kids happy to be on his show…? Maybe—maybe the answer to that question is 'yes'; it's entirely possible that the answer to that question is 'yes', but then, do you think that Mrs. Briefs looked at us as the Team Ozone leaders…? Maybe that question gets a 'yes' too; I'm sure that's possible as well." (Enrique, judging from the incensed grimace on his face, begs to differ.) "And maybe, against whatever my brain wants to tell me right now, Tarble and Iroh really looked at us as Team Ozone leaders too. Maybe Calvin and Hobbes saw us as Team Ozone leaders; maybe guys like Truman and El Tigre and Scott Pilgrim looked at us as Team Ozone leaders—I KNOW that guys like Binky, Miguel and Maya saw us as Team Ozone leaders…and I'd like to think that Dan saw us as Team Ozone leaders too…but notice the fact that for everybody else I just mentioned, I had to say 'MAYBE'—MAYBE they looked at us that way, because you can't tell me that VEGETA looked at us as Team Ozone leaders. You can't tell me that HENRY WONG looked at us as Team Ozone leaders. You can't tell me that World's Toughest Tag Team looked at us as Team Ozone leaders. You know you can't tell me that the Game Grumps looked at us as Team Ozone leaders. You certainly can't tell me that DIGI-X looked at us as Team Ozone leaders. …And considering past history that Enrique and I know all too well, there's not a single person who can convince me that NARUTO looked at us as Team Ozone leaders…"
That comment spurs some gasps and "ooooohs" of intrigue, along with a few jeers and hisses at the Dragon Kids' expense. "YOU KNOW WHY I'M SAYING THAT. YOU KNOW WHY—I betcha didn't think I remembered, did ya?" Max says, speaking over a few fans…
…fans who are sparking a "YOU DESERVED IT! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap) YOU DESERVED IT! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap) YOU DESERVED IT! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap) YOU DESERVED IT! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap)"
"…You're right – Enrique and I deserved a night to march in on Animated and let them know EXACTLY who Team Ozone's captains were," Max responds with nods, playing off of that chant (or perhaps sincerely believing that that was the rationale behind the chant). "And tonight was the prime night to do it. Everybody who asked amongst themselves, 'How do these two little munchkins expect to be a realistic threat and credible leaders against us?' got their answer louder and clearer than ever. NOW, I can say that every single person tied to WWE and WCW knows that Enrique and Max, these two little boys, the DRAGON KIDS, are the REAL DEAL Team Ozone leaders…and 'maybe' is officially no more."
With all of that out in the open…Max directs the spectators' attention to the CCW RAW set around them—the ring, the skirts, the announce desks, the newly-annexed DisneyTron, et cetera—and he proclaims to the borough of Brooklyn, New York that "[CCW] didn't do this just for the psychological decoration to end the USA Network broadcast. There is GOING to be a show tonight. It is way past my bedtime right now, but I'm staying wide awake because there is GOING TO BE a CCW MONDAY NIGHT RAW program tonight!"
That declaration prompts a reaction that, even amidst scattered protesting jeers, is somewhat agog…something Max happens to notice, on both accounts. The younger Dragon Kid is given small pause by this…as he looks around at a crowd that, by technicality, was being held hostage within the Barclays Center thanks to Kazama and company locking the doors. Maxito's nigh-uncontainable hyperactivity and excitement about the show could only briefly belie that truth.
…and then, after an ephemeral conference between his chin and his hand, Max says, "You know what, everyone? …I'll be right back…"
Max starts to exit the ring and is about to hand Enrique the microphone to hold for a moment and a half, but has a second thought and says, "Actually, I'll…just bring it with me; it's no big deal. I'll meet you back here in a minute, though!" Max wouldn't say it aloud…but he was concerned over what Enrique might say with the mic in his hand in front of a crowd bearing the potential to shower him with extra bile and push him to more than just a pair of quailing fists. Enrique, though, has enough acrimony to go around to his own credit…and as Max is away backstage, Enrique remains shakily stoic in the middle of the ring, maintaining a silence that would unsettle the average viewer as he looks out at the crowd á la 2008 Chris Jericho…figure twitching a slight iota…
…
…
…
…and when Max returns, he returns with a proposition for the audience (whom he takes a moment to thank for being patient, PBS-imbued manners kicking in). "I don't know how much Enrique here holds against all of you…but even if he sees a crowd full of people who made what happened to him at Zero Hour feel like it didn't matter…if it doesn't offend my good friend…(hey, a rhyme, heh-heh)…I'm willing to look at you all tonight and see a crowd that wants to see quality WRESTLING. And there are NOOOOO BETTER PEOPLE to give you exactly that than the ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls who are back there—and FOR SURE the two of us standing here in this ring. I don't know if it'll be three hours because we're ALREADY pushing it when it comes to curfew, but we'll give you something EXTRA SPECIAL to go to bed thinking about if you stay in here with us…
"…At the same time…some of you might have actually come for 'sports entertainment' and have already gotten your fill of that for the night…or you just didn't expect to be out this late and you have a long trip waiting for you back home, or whatever the reason happens to be that you just wanna get out of this building, even if it's something personal…" Max interprets. "WELL…it turns out that amidst all of the sieging fracas, Carmen Sandiego managed to steal a plot hole from Deadpool. And I KNOW this because I found her (with some help from Rock Solid and Polly Tix along the way) and I just talked to her. It took some convincing…but…she's agreed at my request to leave the plot hole open and available near the concession stand of this building so that anyone who wants to freely exit the Barclays Center without any threat of harm whatsoever…can do so safely. You won't be able to get back in here once you go, though; the plot hole's strictly one-way. There's going to be some majestic action taking place here in a few minutes unlike anything seen by any of your eyes on this show…but even with that, I do think you deserve the option either way to stay…or to leave. And you deserve to have that option available to you at ANY GIVEN MOMENT tonight, ESPECIALLY…if anybody in the back happens to get any ideas…" Max doesn't even have to fill in that blank with a name; the implication is more than enough.
"So…if any of you want to leave right NOW, you can go right ahead; the plot hole awaits. …Buuuut you'll never know what you're missiiiiiing…" Max tells the crowd melodiously.
What follows for the next five minutes is a mixture of some people immediately taking Max up on the plot hole exit and departing, some people giving the proposition a good ponder and leaving a few minutes of pondering later…and, surprisingly, some people actually electing to remain in their seats (albeit with some assorted debating amongst a few of them). Nothing like this had ever graced Monday Night RAW before in its multi-decade history, and because of it being the send-off for Animated on the Monday night program, it was heavily unlikely that anything like this would ever grace RAW again. And to some fans, that was worth enough of the intrigue. Max evaluates the remaining percentage of the crowd—slightly below half…
…and after sensing that those who'd wanted to leave had already done so, Max clears his throat…and proclaims to the world, "WELCOME EVERYBODY TO CCW MONDAY NIGHT R—"
"Are You Ready?" by Age Against the Machine cuts Max off in mid-exclamation…
…and out walk the X-Factors, Odd Della Robbia and Ulrich Stern, neither of whom appearing particularly gladdened—not even by Max's waggish question of, "How was the cereal?"
Odd, taking the inquiry in stride, replies that the cereal was decent, but "all of the sugary toast crunch in the galaxy couldn't quite remove the bad taste [he had] in [his] mouth OR [his] ears thanks to [the Dragon Kids]." The driving force behind such comments? Odd refers back to Max bringing up how it was highly likely that the vast majority of WWE and WCW didn't look at the Dragon Kids as credible Team Ozone co-captains…and the Lyoko Feline Warrior asserts that there was nothing "maybe" about it because Animated DIDN'T look at the Dragon Kids as dependable leaders…Showdown didn't look at the Dragon Kids as leaders either…but CCW itself didn't—or at least SHOULDN'T—even look at the Dragon Kids as dependable leaders. The unified siege that had taken place moments ago was certainly cathartic, but it wasn't some sort of neuralyzer meant to wipe clean the memories of everybody who was at the FWAs. Odd and Ulrich were still remembering the Dragon Kids' loss of the CCW World Tag Team Titles to the Severance Package in Paris, their own hometown…and Ulrich takes SPECIAL exception to what he perceives as a blatant, bigheaded disregard of affairs from the Dragon Kids, Max and Enrique still having the chutzpah to think themselves fit to lead Team Ozone after such a monumental mistake.
"You took the Championships I NEARLY BROKE MY NECK TRYING TO KEEP against the Forces of Nature, and you SQUANDERED THEM to a team that couldn't even give half of a sh*t about where they came from!" Ulrich rages. "And you think I'm gonna be on board with YOU leading the team that's gonna represent CCW Ozone against Animated and Showdown on the second night of the fiftieth episode?! You think that ANYONE a part of the Tag Team Division here would let alone SHOULD be on board with that?! …I never thought that a pair of kids who relish, almost EPITOMIZE the underdog role could be so arrogant to think that."
"I understand that the tone of Ulrich's voice might lead you both to the impression that he wants you to relinquish—ooh, SAT word; who says we have a below-average reading level?—your spots as Team Ozone co-captains and as members of Team Ozone altogether," Odd says. "But rest assured from good ol' Odd, that is absolutely not the case. Neither one of us is here to do that. We're not here to ask you to step down at Team Ozone co-captains. …We're here to TAKE that co-captainship FORCIBLY FROM YOU." Odd and Ulrich's mutual temper flares at the Dragon Kids, who stand their ground regardless of the X-Factors' gripes…
…but as if tensions aren't growing high enough… "We're Coming Down" by Jim Johnston featuring Pete Blast plays, and The Runaway Guys make an appearance! Before Proton Jon can speak into a microphone, however –
"HEY EVERYBODY, IT'S CHUGGAACONROY!"
"…Glad you got that out of your system…" a sweat-dropping Canadian video gamer sighs at a toothily-grinning Chuggaaconroy. Jon agrees with Ulrich and Odd's sentiment on Dragon Kid removal and replacement for Team Ozone—"We were the first three to LEAVE Team Ozone before the FWAs even ENDED," Jon notes—…but disagrees wholeheartedly on the suggested new captains. "Team Ozone deserves better than the Dragon Kids, but it also deserves better than eliminated team #1 from Slaughterhouse Survival / the team that spent Zero Hour under four steel cage wall blankets thanks to the POWERPUFF GIRLS." That declaration BURROWS under the skin of the Lyoko Warriors, who wanted to do anything to FORGET that happening…but that was no let to Proton Jon bringing it up.
Chuggaaconroy takes the mic, bringing up TRG's run in Trios Madness, making it all the way to the Semifinals before falling to the eventual runner-up Sony Saints. Team Ozone needed a team that knew how to survive, knew how to be in it for the long haul…and Trios Madness was the proof that the Runaway Guys fit that billing, Emile argues. "We left the team, but Jon didn't say we didn't want any part of Team Ozone; he said…that we didn't want any part of a DRAGON KIDS' Team Ozone. So if there's a debate on who should be running the ship in five nights, weeeeell…kiiiinda think the debate ended the second our music hit." NintendoCapriSun, the quietest of the three, lets a shrug and smirk do the talking for him in concord with all previous statements by his gaming comrades…
…but two more individuals NOT in agreement come out next, to "Omen in the Sky" by CFO$, bringing out Kai Hiwatari and Tyson Granger of the Bladebreakers. Their presence is initially the source of raised eyebrows, but soon they proceed to make their own case—a case heavily based in what the two of them had to put up with courtesy of the aforementioned Zero Kazama. It was because of his skullduggery that the Bladebreakers missed out on Slaughterhouse Survival entirely. It was because of Kazama that the Bladebreakers coming out to enter this discussion was such a bemusing thing to the other tag teams in the ring. In Tyson's words, the Bladebreakers were "tired of being dicked around." On the topic of CCW RAW in general being a thing, Tyson says, "Even right now, Zero Kazama wants to sit back there with his hands behind his back and bask in what he calls HIS glory with a show that isn't getting made by HIM…"
Kai, on a related point, notes that all Zero did was bark directives to various roster folk when it came to the siege; he didn't raise a finger THEN and he isn't raising any right now wherever he's sitting. However…contrary to what fans most likely presumed…not every member of the CCW roster participated in the siege. In fact, Kai and Tyson were two of the individuals who took no part in any of it…whereas the Dragon Kids, X-Factors and TRG all did. "What you all proved right then…all seven of you, whether you want to admit it aloud or not…is that if given the opportunity, you'd be more than happy leading KAZAMA'S Team Ozone," Kai says coldly. "And if you're going to stand here and trade cases on who should be leading KAZAMA'S Team Ozone, then by all means, go around in circles on that…but take that discussion outside where it belongs, because CCW'S Team Ozone needs captains who are going to stand for OZONE, not for Zero. And if there requires a tag team to step up into that position, TYSON AND I will be more than happy to be there while none of you teams will." The Bladebreakers' words give all three teams in the ring a modicum of pause…along with some fans who process the information…
"…Well, that's a load of bulls**t," Ulrich deadpans after twenty seconds. That brusque reply brings Kai to seethe, the similarly austere Stern adding that everyone who partook in the raid had his or her own Kazama-independent reasons. Odd says that, while he understands the Bladebreakers wanting to be a part of something important just ahead of the biggest episode of Ozone in history, "this ain't it, chiefs." Multiple voices start chattering over one another amongst Odd, Ulrich, Jon, Emile, Kai and Tyson…
…
…until ENRIQUE speaks up…and makes a bold proposal in light of all of these sentiments: the Dragon Kids…versus the X-Factors…versus The Runaway Guys (any two of them)…versus the Bladebreakers in a Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match with one fall to a finish—winners lock up the captains' seats for Ozone 50. Max blinks twice at Enrique, seemingly floored by this audacious proposal…but then says that he likes Enrique's suggestion so much, he wants to do it RIGHT NOW, something that heightens the crowd's sense of fascination even MORE…
…and something that prompts satirical derision from Odd Della Robbia. "Look at these high rollers! Putting up the Tag straps LAST year at the FWAs, calling out Digi-X, now putting up their co-captainship so brazenly (OOH, ANOTHER SAT WORD; I'M ON A ROLL AND NOT EVEN THE BRAIN TRUST CAN STOP ME)—TELL ME, little Max and little Enrique: who are you gonna run to for juice boxes to drown your sorrows when you find yourselves out of your Belts AND your captains' quarters? HOW MANY EGGS are gonna be on your collective faces, I wonder?"
"YOU'RE the one who wanted to take the spots from us—ALL of you wanted to. All we're doing is giving you the opportunity…to fall on YOUR faces when we show you that we're better than one setback," Enrique retorts.
"…Can we just get a referee down here, please?!" Proton Jon calls out, all but solidifying TRG's acceptance of the match…and as Austin Bradley hastily makes it into the ring, the Bladebreakers claim their corner, confirming that they are taking part in the bout as well. Just like that, the opening match of CCW Monday Night RAW was born…
Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match for co-captainship of Team Ozone: The Dragon Kids [c-c] vs. The X-Factors vs. The Runaway Guys (Proton Jon and NintendoCapriSun w/ Chuggaaconroy) vs. The Bladebreakers
The X-Factors take immediate command of the ring, clearing ring and apron of both Bladebreakers and both Runaway Guys after the bell…leaving the Dragon Kids all to themselves for offense: Ulrich catches a leapfrogging Max on a rope rebound and drops him with a Fisherman's Buster; Enrique attempts a Corner Springboard Arm Drag but Odd runs up the same corner himself step-for-step, waves "Hi!" in Enrique's face, and scores with a Super Corkscrew Arm Wringer, followed by a Shooting Star Splash! When action goes outside of the ring, Max's Diving Hurricanrana off of the steel ring steps is countered by Ulrich resetting him down and Gutwrench Suplexing the four-year-old into the stairs; Odd follows this up with a Hesitation Dropkick to an upside-down Maxito…and this leaves Enrique for the X-Factors' pickings inside the ring with a Tornado Elevated Sleeper Slam (Odd) combined with a Spinning Saito Suplex (Ulrich)!
Della Robbia and Stern, however, were not the only ones in it for a fight, for leadership, for a message and for Tag Team Divisional standing. Proton Jon and NintendoCapriSun weren't to be outdone themselves…which is shown by Jon's Inverted Snapmares to Max, Odd and Tyson, piling all three of them on top of one another. Jon would tag in Tim after this, arms open to the pile as he declared, "Look what I got you for Christmas!"…
…and NCS would meet the fallen threesome with a huge Senton Backsplash! And TRG had their own exchanges with the Dragon Kids in particular, being formerly a part of Team Ozone prior to the Seventh FWAs – Max tries a Sunset Flip…but Tim remains unmoved and unbudging, even tanking Enrique's two Running Dropkicks to Tim's face! A perturbed Colombian Kid hits the ropes…and goes for a Cross Body, but Tim CATCHES Enrique while still standing over Max…holding him in Front Slam position, picks up Max by the throat with both hands, and performs a Double Choke Suplex to Max AND a simultaneous Fallaway Slam! "GO TIM!" Chuggaaconroy cheers from ringside…
…and NCS, following this ENORMOUS display of power, tags in Jon, declaring, "Look what I got YOU for Christmas!" And Jon delivers a Diving Leg Drop to BOTH of the two-time World Tag Teams Champs' necks, one leg apiece! The Runaway Guys were making themselves a more than palpable argument as to why THEY deserved to lead Team Ozone.
However, the Bladebreakers' own stake in affairs wasn't to be ignored in all of this. They had indeed been, in their own words, "dicked around" by Zero Kazama in recent weeks, including what led to their exclusion from the Slaughterhouse Survival Match, and that was driving them to make their case known and clear. Kai blocks a Tornado DDT from Max, running him into a corner for a CHARGING Tyson's Forearm Shiver to the mouth; after this, Kai and Tyson place Max onto the top turnbuckle…Kai takes Odd off of the apron with a Uranage Slam that drops him straight onto Tim at ringside…and the Dranzer Bit Beast utilizer pops Enrique up into an Electric Chair, leading to Tyson climbing up the corner and Avalanche Arm Dragging Max's body directly into Enrique's off of Kai's shoulders, a multi-personal self-inflicting modification on the Doomsday Device! Later on, Ulrich tries a Springboard attack, but Kai, at ringside at this moment himself, grabs and disrupts the top rope, causing Stern to lose his footing and fall onto the rope NECK-FIRST in a worrisome way! Kai doesn't appear worried, however…because he takes Ulrich up in a Butterfly Clutch to deliver what becomes a SPIKE KNEELING TIGER DRIVER '91, aided by Tyson Granger vaulting over the ropes from inside the ring for the spiking assist! And later still, Jon runs into the ring and Spears Enrique…Tyson rushes into the ring and Spears Jon…and Max darts into the ring and—gets sidestepped by Tyson, hitting the middle turnbuckle skull-first instead! Tyson throws Max backward, feeding him to Kai for a catch and HIGH-ANGLE Full Nelson Slam! Kai then grabs his partner Tyson…and CRASH LANDING SUPLEXES HIM onto Max's supine frame, constituting a pin! It could have ended things, but Enrique's Valderrama to the back of Kai's head sends Hiwatari crashing onto the pin, inadvertently breaking it up and keeping the bout in progress! The Dragon Kids' co-captainship was being threatened at EVERY TURN…
…but that only invited the luchadores response. Both Max and Enrique would give as good as they got – a La Quebrada into a Headscissors Takedown by Max to Odd; an Inside-Out Salida del Sol by Enrique to Jon that sent the Colombian Kid over the ropes into a Fall-Back Senton Plancha onto Tyson; a Max Tilt-a-Whirl on Ulrich landing in prime position to perform a Back Suplex aided and abetted by Enrique's timely Springboard Neckbreaker for Never-Ending Battery…after which Max backward rolls through, holding onto Ulrich and adjusting the grip into an Argentine Clutch…leading to Enrique running up the corner and SCORING WITH A MOONSAULT KNEE DROP TO COMPOUND MAX'S BURNING HAMMER! The Dragon Kids were en fuego…and Max kept the entire scene alight with a Suicide Diving spree—one for Kai…one for Jon…and it was going to be one for Ulrich, but Odd skids in front of Max and shouts, "STOP!" with a hand in his face, before convincing and cajoling Max to dive at one Timothy Bishop instead, seeing as NCS was arguably the biggest man and biggest individual threat in the match: "He's the big one!" Odd persuades. Max…shrugs, finding it all the same anyhow…and hits the ropes—to get Low Dropkicked in his left knee and FLIP RIGHT BACK ONTO HIS FEET THROUGH IT. Odd thinks he's the smart one here, but gasps when Max turns the ordeal into a Running Springboard Tornado DDT! And "just for THAT…" Max hits the ropes immediately and Suicide Dives the other X-Factor Ulrich! Odd's cheek had come back to bite him…
…but it also frees up Tim to run back into the ring and CANNONBALL PLANCHA OVER THE ROPES…right into Ulrich as he compresses the Lyoko Samurai into the barricade, Max being fortunate enough to move out of the way, wide-eyed! Tim realizes what he hit…and while still on a knee, Max bursts back into action and Tilt-a-Whirl Hurricanrana Drives NintendoCapriSun's skull into the ground! With Tim momentarily incapacitated, Max sends Ulrich back into the ring…and Springboard Diving Headbutts him for a pin attempt! He gets one…he gets two…but he doesn't get three as Ulrich kicks out and rolls away RIGHT INTO A PSYCHO LEG DROP TO THE BACK OF HIS NECK FROM A DIVING ENRIQUE! Max pins Ulrich again…and THIS TIME…gets a near-fall again!
Fast-forward some moments into the match, Enrique, Proton Jon, Kai Hiwatari and Odd Della Robbia are the legal men for their respective teams…
…and Enrique is going for an Olé Kick to Jon…but the "Eggcellence of Execution" rears up, catches Enrique's foot and leans back over the ropes for a Rope-Hung Cross Legbreaker! Due to the Fatal Four-Way one-fall-to-a-finish rules, there were ZERO rope breaks, something the Calgarian was taking full advantage of…much as Tyson would take advantage of Jon's precariously vulnerable position with a Sliding Single-Leg Dropkick to the face! That causes Jon to fall to ringside, unhanding Enrique's leg…which leaves the Colombian ripe for the plucking for Hiwatari to grab him by the armpits, carrying him away from the ropes…for a Black Dranzer Bomb—that Enrique reverses into a Hurricanrana Pin, hooking the right leg! Enrique has Kai folded…but Odd breaks it up by LEAPING AND DOUBLE FOOT STOMPING the back of Enrique's skull! That disorients the Bogotá native enough for the legal X-Factor to follow up with a Spin Cycle…after which point MAX Springboard Low-Angle Meteoras the sitting Odd into the canvas, keeping the Lyoko Wildcat from capitalizing thereafter! Max guides his partner subtly towards the Dragon Kids' designated corner of the ring, working his own way back to the apron and urging, coaxing his partner to get to his outstretched hand for the tag…but before said tag can be made, Tyson Backdrop Suplexes Max straight onto the ring apron! Referee Austin Bradley reaffirms for the audience, competitors and timekeeper that no tag was made, leaving Enrique still legal…much to Tyson's benefit as the #1 Beyblader Slingshot Oklahoma Rolls Enrique…into a Deadlift One-Armed Powerbomb Lift that sets Enrique onto Kai's waiting shoulder…setting up for a YOKOSUKE CUTTER / BOOT OF DOOM COMBINATION THAT CONNECTS FLUSH! Kai pins the Colombian Kid, and Tyson DROPKICKS the diving Proton Jon out of the air to keep him from breaking it up, leaving the referee to count—SHORT OF THREE AS ULRICH'S STERN WARNING SHOOTING STAR ELBOW DROP TO KAI'S HEART BREAKS UP THE PIN! Tyson internally snarls at himself, realizing not all of the bases were covered…
…and engages in a fistfight with Ulrich from his knees, punches traded for 22 seconds…until Ulrich busts out a Kesagiri Chop that leaves Tyson open for a subsequent LOW-ANGLE Laser Arrow from Della Robbia, which is then followed by an Ulrich Shuffle Side Kick to the jaw and Deadlifting Fisherman's DDT! Odd, meanwhile, takes Jon up into a Double Leg Lift, spins him around and delivers a Waterwheel Slam that feeds the open legs to Ulrich's clutches; Odd then backs up to the corner…heads for the top rope…
…and—Tim BUM-RUSHES Ulrich with a Striking Shoulder Block that sends him across the ring, and Odd's Diving Headbutt for X Marks the Spot IS CAUGHT AND COUNTERED INTO A TRIANGLE CHOKE BY JON, WHOSE LEGS REMAIN SAVVY OF THE FALLING INDIVIDUAL THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH! Jon TIGHTENS the Triangle, knowing once again that rope breaks are futile…and Ulrich, also knowing as much, tries to break it up…only to get blocked off by Tim…and LIFTED UP…into a BOWSER REVOLUTION ONTO HIS OWN PARTNER ODD'S SPINE! Odd FLATTENS OUT from his friend's weight coming crashing down upon him with such a fury…and Jon KEEPS THE TRIANGLE CINCHED IN…
…and as referee Austin Bradley checks on Odd's status, it becomes clear to the other members of the match that the end could soon be near! Tyson and Kai both ran to attempt breaking up the fall, but they would each apiece run into the wall known as NCS and get BATHROOM BROKEN on sight! Max rushes, feeling his and Enrique's captainship of Team Ozone slipping away…
…
…and Tim grabs him for a Package Piledriver as well—but as Max is doubled over and Tim is grabbing at the legs, ENRIQUE RUNS OFF OF BOTH OF THEIR BACKS and jumps to Tornillo Splash Proton Jon! Now, Tim's Bathroom Break attempt gets turned into Max holding onto the big guy's left leg to keep him from lunging for any say in the pin! And referee Austin Bradley counts 1…2…2.9875 JON KICKS OUT, much to the shock and awe of all witnesses, especially the South Am six-year-old himself!
Max evades Tim's looping lefts and rights and responds with sternum punches and leg kicks…but NCS responds with a BURP right in the Dragon Tales child's face! That would appall almost ANYONE, and it DOES appall Enrique…but Max responds with a burp right back of his own…that PALES in comparison to Tim's. NintendoCapriSun was known for his nigh-unmatchable gaseousness, after all. Shrugging off the return belch, Tim grabs Max and—gets his Thrust Spinebuster COUNTERED into a Max Drive! Tim stumbles backward into an Inverted HURRICANRANA by Enrique…THAT TIM IS TOO STRONG TO FALL BACKWARD FOR, HOLDING Enrique and MUSCLING HIM BACK UP into an Electric Chair! But Max gives Tim a SECOND Max Drive, leading into a COMPLETED INVERTED RANA that causes Tim to roll out of the ring! Tim appears out of it on all fours, much to the concern of Emile…while the Dragon Kids take to the skies as Enrique climbs onto Max's back in a corner and the Dragon Kids JETPACK DIVE ONTO KAI HIWATARI! Max, though, after the maneuver, wriggles against the security barricade, clutching his back and kicking at the air, evidently feeling something awry…and Enrique's facial expression tells the story, eying his partner in horror at his state. Max could hardly do much from his disposition…but he does urge his partner and pal to return to the ring and close the match out for the both of them, sensing that they could win if he acted fast enough…
…and Enrique obliges on this urgency, going to the top rope and delivering an Over Castle to Proton Jon…which he rolls into a Vertical Suplex that becomes the Three Amigos—which Jon ABSORBS AND STANDS UP WITH ENRIQUE FROM, lifting him up for Something Awful…but Enrique lands behind Jon, kicking to his feet, grabs Jon by the wrist and waist and LEVELS THE ALBERTAN WITH THE ESPADA TIJERA!
"THAT'S ONE WAY TO TELL SOMEONE THAT THEY SHOULD'VE STAYED ON TEAM OZONE!'" Jeremy calls at the announce desk.
"And I don't think that it's the ONLY way Enrique intends to get that message across…!" Al adds…as Enrique is on the top rope…
…
…and he Colombian Splashes JONATHAN WHEELER'S KNEES! The Canadian Runaway Guy has his patallae up, and Enrique is in DIRE amounts of pain…
…which leads to Jon getting up…setting Enrique onto his shoulder…and running across the ring to SCORE WITH AN ANVIL FLATTENER, RIGHT OUT OF THE HIGHLIGHT REELS OF JIM NEIDHART! Jon points to the sky as he pins Enrique…
…
…but his tribute to the Hart Foundation muscle is rendered fruitless by ULRICH STERN, who pulls Jon out of the ring and drops him with a Kadic Shot onto the arena floor! MOTIONLESS is Proton Jon from that…and EMOTIONLESS is Ulrich…
…as he reaches under the ring and extracts a steel chair. With a steely gaze that rivaled the metal weapon in his hands, Stern looks around ringside…looks at Enrique…and rolls back into the ring with chair in hand. Sudden Death flashbacks are playing in Ulrich's head…the moment the X-Factors opted to help Max out of his rigged pod rather than pin the helpless Colombian Kid…a helpless Colombian Kid he is measuring…a helpless Colombian Kid who is starting to stand, clutching his ribcage…
…
…
…and Ulrich…continues holding the chair…watching Enrique find his footing…and eventually, Enrique looks up, sees Ulrich with the chair…and is bemused first by the chair, second by Stern's inaction in utilizing it. Perhaps Ulrich was having second thoughts…? Cris Collinworth questions this theory, as he points out that "IT'S NO DISQUALIFICATION—HE WOULDN'T EVEN BE BREAKING ANY RULES!"…but Ulrich still remains immobile with the chair…
…
…AS ODD DELLA ROBBIA KIPS UP BEHIND ENRIQUE AND DROPS HIM WITH THE ODDITY! Ulrich KNEW THE ENTIRE TIME that Odd was behind Enrique…AND THAT ODD WAS THE LEGAL MAN…
…
…
…
…
…and Odd hooks both of Enrique's legs: 1…2…2.999 Enrique kicks out! Odd jumps up in absolute INCREDULITY, mouth agape and trying to formulate words of wonder, unable to even achieve THAT! ("WHEN DO THESE DRAGON KIDS LEARN THAT STEEL CHAIR PLUS X-FACTORS EQUALS TRICKERY?!" Cris exclaims.) Ulrich's own disbelief manifests itself in a face…of ANGER…
…that he TAKES OUT ON TYSON GRANGER BY CLEANING HIS CLOCK WITH THE STEEL CHAIR AS THE BLADEBREAKER IS ON THE APRON! The INSANELY WICKED chair shot BUSTS OPEN the Beyblader's forehead…and it shows just how done with all of this Ulrich Stern truthfully is. Ulrich sets up the chair on the mat…and he motions to Odd that it's time for the real finale. Odd throws up an "X" symbol…as he sends Enrique into the ropes, Ulrich behind…
…
…and—Max interrupts the XYZ try with a Max-Plex to Ulrich, sending him flying out of the scene! Enrique, as he's picked up by Odd, kicks his momentum the other way…and has help when Max CHAIR-AIDED CHOP BLOCKS Odd to combine into an Enrique FRONT-FLIP DDT! If the Lyoko Wildcat wasn't already on Mars, HE IS NOW…
…
…and Enrique and Max pick Odd up…wrap the chair around his neck (upon Enrique's behest specifically)…
…to deliver a DOUBLE S.O.S. INTO THE CHAIR AROUND ODD'S NECK! The impact is EVERY BIT AS NASTY AS INTENDED…and 100% LEGAL…
…
…
…
…
…as Enrique achieves the pin on Odd, Max cutting off an intruding Timothy Bishop as ref Austin Bradley counts 1…2…3! Kai can't get back in the ring to break things up in time either, meaning that the Dragon Kids are the victors—and STILL, emphatically, co-captains of Team Ozone.
After the match…
Before he can even completely catch his breath, Max asks for the microphone once again…because shortly after co-captainship retention, he, on behalf of the Dragon Kids, has something to say, something to make known to more than just the CCW (and Animated) fans.
Between pants, the Dragon Tales preschooler says, "…If it wasn't…perfectly clear before…it's perfectly clear now—the Dragon Kids…are SPEARHEADING Team Ozone at Madison Square Garden…
"…
…and they're spearheading Team Ozone as THREE-TIME World Tag Team Champions."
"This…is 100% official: …the night before the Men's eight-on-eight match…" Max pushes himself up to his feet after a few seconds… "…Enrique and I…are invoking…our…rematch clause. So Taichi Yagami…Noah Maxwell…you two better make sure…that those Championships you took from us at the FWAs are in tiptop shape, because there is NO WAY Ozone 50 is going on without them. Come this Friday night, those Tag Team Championships are coming back to OUR ROOF and they are STAYING under OUR ROOF. They're coming back where they belong—they're coming back to CCW…and YOU'D better Believe they're coming back to us."
Max sets the microphone down, and "Solace" by Triphon plays on that note and announcement. Max checks to make sure Enrique is alright himself, and the Colombian Kid does rise on his own power, relieving the four-year-old…
…
…and as the Dragon Kids find a mutual vertical base, Chuggaaconroy, the spectating Runaway Guy of the previous match, slides into the ring. Max and Enrique lock eyes with the video gamer—one of their own Team Ozone ex-teammates…
…
…and Emile…offers his open hand to the PBS Kids. He knew that TRG weren't rejoining Team Ozone—not only would it not be the best of looks to walk back on such a lurid flaking, but Jon likely wouldn't have had any of it regardless—but at the very least…Emile, as well as Tim most likely, wanted to give the Dragon Kids a blessing and support ahead of their Ozone 50 campaign. Enrique, seeing Emile's hand, is…partially dubious…but Max is more accepting of the sentiment from the Metropolitan Mutant of Ark, and he accepts the handshake, which alleviates Enrique's skepticism enough for the Colombian to do likewise. Chugga nods, redirecting his attentions to his fellow Runaway Guys…
…and Kai recovers at his own pace, the next to make eye contact with the Dragon Kids. He too knows who the better team was on this occasion, grimacing at the truth…yet equally coming to terms with it, giving Max and Enrique a nod…along with a stony warning before he leaves to help the bleeding Tyson on the outside: "After all of THAT…God help you both if you don't beat Digi-X tomorrow." Max nods back at the Bladebreaker, vowing that he and Enrique will do exactly that too.
Conspicuous in the post-match proceedings, however, is that the X-Factors are in no hurry to stick around and wait for an opening to extend their own blessings. Odd and Ulrich are making their way up the ramp, not even waiting for a chance to snub the Dragon Kids face-to-face. Ulrich is shaking his head, fists clenched in a deep red choler…and Odd would have been doing the same but for the state of his neck. The Lyoko degenerates speak not a word as they head to the back…all unseen by the Dragon Kids who soon make their own trek backstage, vitalized by their victory…and from the looks of things, ready for their bumpy roads ahead.
Backstage…
"Tyson Granger pointed out the not everyone participated in the Monday Night RAW takeover. Well…he and Kai aren't the only examples," mentions Misty May-Treanor. "And they CERTAINLY aren't the WORST example…"
The enquiring minds known as Milly Solovieff and Tamiya Diop try to get further elaboration on this point, but Kerri Walsh Jennings simply tells the tots to stay tuned…and watch the ring…because that's where the Olympic Entourage is heading…
{Commercial Break…?}
"…Is it just me, or did that commercial break seem…rather truncated?" Al Michaels states perceptively as CCW RAW returns after approximately forty-two seconds.
"It did, didn't it? Huh. Guess that means a little less ad revenue for this WWE Network production," Cris Collinsworth sardonically says with a cheeky shrug. When Al points out the rather gross unethicality of this, Cris's response is, "Oh, don't fret—we'll make up for whatever financial impairments this causes with the highest ratings Monday Night RAW has ever seen; I find that a MORE than fair enough trade, hahaha!"
"You know what, Cris? Sometimes you say things, and they don't actually suck; this is one of those moments," Jeremy backhandedly compliments his fellow color commentator with a smirk.
"Thank you and shut the hell up," Cris grins.
"…Welcome back, everyone," Al sweat-drops and sighs, getting back to play-by-play.
Backstage…
"Feel better?" Max asks Enrique backstage post-Fatal Four-Way Tag bout victory…an inquiry that is met with a small nod. It was but a small piece of positivity considering other affairs, but it was enough to momentarily brighten the Colombian Kid's expression, and that's all Max cares about then and there. He and his friend were beyond ready for one of the biggest weekends of their career: Tag Championship rematch on Friday, leading Team Ozone on Saturday…
…but Max's psyched banter comes to a halt…when he sees "The Tenth Wonder" Ben Tennyson eying him and Enrique down. Ben, Magnus Championship around his waist, claps thrice in a slow cadence…and he tells the Dragon Kids that they "at the very least, to [their] credit, got [his] attention" this evening between their words, their actions (Ben specifically peers at Enrique on that one) and their match…but the part where they brought up "spearheading Team Ozone" struck him as odd because "…what Team Ozone?" Ben reminds the Dragon Kids that in spite of their second Tag Team of the Year FWA, Team Ozone currently consists of only the two of them and Tommy Pickles "who stayed aboard for reasons I'm sure make sense to HIM at least", and "unlike some people, [Tennyson] doesn't need to count on [his] fingers to know that that makes three people on a team of EIGHT. Even if [they cloned themselves, they'd] still be two bodies short. THAT is the condition of the 'Team Ozone' that [they're] 'leading' right now. And if you're standing there thinking that the fact that we as a roster made all of THIS [CCW RAW] a thing is indicative of the willingness of five self-respecting individuals to listen to you kids, well…allow me the honor of bursting that bubble before you even get to blow it. But I'm glad you two can still afford to share some laughs! That's great! I'm happy YOU think that everything's perfectly cheery here. Accountability? What's that, right?! Hahaha…!" Ben's laugh is equally as scathing as his remarks.
Enrique frowns…and Max actually speaks back up to Ben, saying that the Dragon Kids are 100% aware of the circumstances and the task and hand, and that Ben Ten should be focusing on his match with Assassin Wot rather than trying to play "babysitter" with him and Enrique when neither one of them need it.
"I wouldn't talk about not needing a babysitter considering who here left their babas behind in Paris at the FWAs," Ben fires back, something that got under the skin of both PBS Kids. "I'm sure you two would want nothing more than to have me off of your backs so you can sip your Sunny Delights in peace, but I'm the Rex Elite of CCW. I didn't let KUSO have any peace; I had no problem grilling HIM, and I have even LESS of an issue grilling YOU…but you know what? Just like I gave him a fair and just chance, I'm gonna give YOU a chance TONIGHT to prove that you deserve to be leaders of MY brand's team at Ozone 50. See, I'm not gonna wait until Saturday for you to miraculously pull a team out of your asscracks. I want to see EXACTLY what I'm to expect. So how about this: if you two are so certain, SO assured that you can reassemble a Dragon Kid-captained Team Ozone…then search around, find at least three guys back here who are gonna knowingly, WITHOUT DURESS, team up with you in the Sixteen-Man—and Tommy doesn't count in that, by the way; I'm talking THREE NEW MEMBERS, and bonus points if the three guys you round up are already in their ring attire, because they're gonna need it in about an hour or so…when they receive the Rex Elite's judgment."
"What's THAT mean?" Enrique inquires with a pair of furrowed brows that show his discontentment with, among other things, Ben's tone of voice.
"It means that I'm gonna see how much we should really 'BELIEVE' in the team that's gonna be representing MY SHOW on its 50th episode," Ben replies, his answer further elucidated by the challenge/statement that the Dragon Kids' three picks would be uniting to wrestle the Best in the Universe himself…"and two guys who are almost, ALMOST more disappointed in you two screwups than me…"
…and into the frame walk the Twinleaves, who spare zero ounces of condescension in their greeting to their fellow tag team. Kenny asks them if they were "so deathly scared of wrestling the smexiest tag team on the planet that they decided to just leave the Belts out in the open for some illegal immigrants to pick SHAME, Dragon Kids. I thought you were better than tha—actually, no. No, that's a lie; I pretty much expected it from you."
Barry urges Kenny not to be so hard on them because, after all, "not everyone can be the shining beacons of hawesome, ROLE MODELS and ultra super megadeath mother-Fletchling rockstars that WE are, right? It's okay…" Barry says that tonight is the "Latino World Order's chance to be inspiring"…and it's THEIR chance to show who REALLY should be in charge of Team Ozone.
"Guardarlo—we just beat three other teams who wanted to take that role away," Enrique scowlingly defends…
…to which Kenny replies smirkingly, "You didn't beat us."
"Here's hoping you children are good at talent scouting," Ben snidely says as he marches off with Barry, Kenny blowing mocking smooches towards Enrique which prompts a SWIPE at Kenny's face that the Twinleaf Coordinator BARELY dodges in time with a cackle, spinning away from Enrique to follow the rest of his RR mates. And Max holds Enrique back from a possible pursuit of Omni-Lite, telling him that while he liked the messaging as much (or as LITTLE) as the Colombian did…they still had a task to do…and ticking time to do it.
The Olympic Entourage Question Someone's Loyalty…
Post-"Patriot" by CFO$, Misty May-Treanor has the Olympic Entourage's flag on her shoulder sans flagpole, inside the ring a pace anterior to Kerri Walsh Jennings, who is in possession of a mic.
"For an absurd amount of time, people have had the audacity to question how 'unified' the talent of CCW is. Numerous people, ESPECIALLY from WCW and WWE, have had the temerity to point to us and claim we've too incohesive to be anything like a team…" Kerri sneers at those words. "Well, those same people are out on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan right now trying to figure out which subway'll take them back to wherever they came from, as they all wonder what the hell hit them tonight. And what's currently on display before you is all the proof you need that suspicions and doubts on our solidarity are a complete load of crap. This was a FULL-FLEDGED, FULLY COLLABORATIVE TAKEOVER; friends and enemies alike had a hand in this. Kratos and Mega Man, Ben Tennyson and Tom Brady, the Twinleaves and the X-Factors, The Cult of Gwen and the rest of us… Michael threw the brainy Ellis off of a ferryboat during Zero Hour, yet both Mike AND Jeremy partook in this without stepping on each other's toes once. (Jeremy: "Thank you so much for reminding me of that.") Here's the reality: like it or not? CCW Ozone and CCW Double X aren't only on the same page – they're in the same freakin' paragraph, baby." Kerri has a smirking self-adulation umbrella to counteract the freezing rain shower of boos from the audience.
Kerri's smirk does crack, however. "But…there actually IS one question that deserves to be asked. There's one diminutive exception to what I just affirmed. Because you all know how much the BOY Dragon Kids contributed to this…but what about a certain Dragon GIRL? Where was SHE during the elite storm? I was traipsing through the bits or broken equipment backstage and wedged within my right set of bootlaces…was THIS…" Kerri reaches inside of her volleyball shoe…and extracts a black feather that she twirls between her fingertips, while the audience recognizes the item and its source…and its source's vessel. "So we KNOW that she was in the arena…" Kerri deduces… "…and the only people who went out the exits were WWE and WCW personnel, which means…she's still in the arena as we speak…and she's hearing every…single…word that I'm saying."
Kerri's tone is hardly patronizing—rather, it's firm and direct. "Before Misty and I hurled the trash known as Ashley Spinelli off of that very stage, going back to Zero Hour, we went after ANOTHER obnoxious little chick too tiny to be tough, Lucy van Pelt. Before Kuso opted to follow her lead, she took it upon herself to slight the company that made her relevant again and declare her allegiance to WWE. That prompted my and Misty's presence to set her ass straight…by turning her ass inside-out. And right as we were about to render her a feeble husk of crabmeat in OUR squared circle, down from the rafters came the Dragoncrow. Logic would tell you she'd join right in on the attack…but Emmy and logic have never really had a good history of mixing, which explains why she went after the two of US instead. She claimed she did it for the sake of making Lucy answer to her 'real sins'. But the way I see it from where I'M standing…she just wanted Lucy for herself and couldn't stand to let more accomplished women, Misty and me, do the honors." That statement receives a more unequivocal amount of boos than much of anything else spoken so far.
Kerri's diction, in spite of such, grows more and more accusatory: "Ozone 50 is about CCW vs. WWE, but far be it for Emmy, the 'PIONEER OF XX', to give a hoot about that. She just wants a place to get her hands on Lucy. Feh…heh…" Kerri chortles in reminiscence… "…My first ever CCW XX match was a Six-Female Tag Team Match where me, Misty and Dora the Explorer teamed up with Emmy, Reggie Rocket and Annie Frazier…and I'll go far enough to say that the Emmy that pinned me to win that match…SHE was a girl who'd do anything in the name of CCW. SHE was a girl who, TO A POINT, could actually back up that locker room presence bestowed upon her. But now that that girl's slipped into darkness, THIS is the result: an Emmy who's forgotten the definition of 'company loyalty'. And unlike Lucy van Pelt and Dan Kuso, she's NOT SIGNED to WWE…
"…or is she?"
Cue assorted murmurs (and a few dismissive scoffs) amongst the audience, who themselves are realizing that, indeed, Emmy was noticeably absent amidst the proceedings of the entire RAW siege…but if the bird was in the building…then…
"…Or IS SHE?" Kerri repeats. "I mean, her boyfriend's over there. It's the only other place that would viably take in a PBS Kid like her, or, hell, a PBS Kid in general. And since she wants the full credit for dispatching of Lucy van Pelt, she can do it as many times as she wishes over there without Zoe or Bella to get in the way! It's a PERFECT PLOY. …But if I'm even the slightest bit wrong about it, if I'm SO FARFETCHED AND OFF-BASE…maybe the horse should come out of her stable and open her mouth to me herself…?"
The crowd—along with the commentators—wonders what kind of response is to come of such words from Six Feet of Sunshine…and a few spectators do look around the premises for any ponytails…
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…but after fifteen seconds of nothing, Kerri goes from shrewd coaxing to summon the mysterious Dragoncrow…to vituperative ordering in order to do so. "…Or maybe…she wants to give CCW another scare? Keep us guessing one more time because it was such a BLAST with our Universal Champion—WHAT'S THE STORY? ARE YOU OR AREN'T YOU, EMMY?! COME ON OUT HERE AND ANSWER!"
Even more eyes roam around the Barclays Center, including Misty May-Treanor's, whose have the potential to be a lick away from bloodshot status…
"THIS ISN'T A SCOOBY-DOO EPISODE; WE'RE NOT SPENDING THE ENTIRE NIGHT DECODING THIS—GET DOWN HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY GUTS!" Kerri hollers up towards the ceiling and support beams above…
…but Misty decides that her Olympian partner isn't doing enough to rouse the Daughter of the Dead. So, the Turtle seizes the microphone…and says, "It's a really good thing your parents are dead already because they'd wish they were if they could see how much of a coward you're being right now."
The fans RECOIL from that remark, Kerri reclaiming the microphone and yelling, "You hear that? YOU HEAR THAT, EMMY? GET OUT HERE! GET OUT HERE!"
The Olympic Entourage start trampling around the canvas, waiting for Emmy to appear, DEMANDING her to show herself…and the fans even start an "EMMY! EMMY! EMMY! EMMY!" chant…
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…and yet…there is a distinct lack of Emmy that appears.
"WOW…wow…color me impressed," Misty says, taking the microphone a second time. "You're doing the impossible—you're actually managing to out-pussy Charlie Brown."
ANOTHER round of mass recoil ensues, and Kerri Walsh Jennings screams even louder – "GET OUT HERE, EMMY! COME ON OUT! SHOW ME I'M WRONG! TELL ME I'M WRONG! GIMME SOMETHING! I DESERVE SOMETHING! I DID MY PART! MISTY DID HER PART! MICHAEL DID HIS PART! YOU WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! WHAT ARE YOU, 'PIONEER OF XX'?! COME ON!" Kerri grows so impatient from this…that she grabs her partner Misty by the shoulder and asks her to GO UP into the rafters, physically locate Emmy and bring her downstairs. If Emmy wasn't going to come to the Olympic Entourage, the Olympic Entourage would find her, Liam Neeson-style…
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…or so they figured they would. However, Misty reaches the rafters—even climbing up onto the DisneyTron itself—and still finds no sign of Emmy whatsoever. A frustrated shrug is what Misty communicates down to Kerri…
…who laughs. "…Heheheheheh…heheheheheheh…hahahahaha… You reeeeeally wanna milk this, don't you? Wow, GEEZ…you want to make US wait…want to make THEM wait…want to make your little brother wonder if it's WORTH waiting on yo—"
CAW!
The crow's cawing sound stops Kerri's words right in their tracks…as do the completely dimmed lights…
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…and "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'Em Up)" by Fall Out Boy starts to play within the entirely darkened arena. The Barclays Center is covered in the shroud of blackness…save for periodic flashes of white on the DisneyTron itself on the double guitar-riff pauses within the first verse, complete with a crow's image on the screen to accompany the flashes…
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…but there is a consistent source of light that appears on the chorus – a spotlight that shines…behind Kerri, on one of the corners of the ring. Kerri's eyes are on the DisneyTron itself, expecting Emmy to be on top of there…but Misty, who is atop the DisneyTron, tries to point behind Kerri to direct the blonde's attention to what SHE sees from above…
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…and it takes a moment…but eventually, Kerri Walsh Jennings does turn around AND SEES EMMY STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. The Dragoncrow had appeared atop the turnbuckle from the spotlight and hopped down to confront the prolixly persecuting volleyballer, and her presence has the Barclays Center ELECTRIC with chants of "DRAGONCROW! DRAGONCROW!"…
…and the luchadora does have a microphone with her, one that she puts to calculating use: "…If you're so uncertain on where the Dragoncrow stands because of what you saw and what you didn't see her do…well, you can see her now…and you can hear her… She's standing right here…but you won't like her answer to your questions…"
A detectible chill courses through Kerri on those words…but that chill is counteracted by a heat that is exuded via Walsh Jennings' impassioned snarl of a response: "You know what? I didn't come here to conduct an interview; I came here to expose you…and I'm still gonna do that, but I'm gonna do it in a way HISTORY BOOKS can corroborate—get me a zebra in here RIGHT NOW…"
Misty from above makes her voice heard on behalf of that…Emmy herself raises nary an objection, remaining still and convicted…
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…and so requested, so received – referee Cory Boyd makes it down to the ring, assessing the matter at hand…and seeing that both wrestlers are prepared to throw down, Kerri expressing such far more fervently than the fatalistically-inclined Emmy, whose eyes never leave the multi-time gold medalist…
Singles Match: Emmy vs. Kerri Walsh Jennings (w/ Misty May Treanor)
…but then, the second the bell rings, Emmy SPRINTS at Kerri with a Crucifix Headscissor Takedown! And the entire opening minute features Walsh-Jennings seemingly paying penance for the goading words of earlier – if it isn't a Sliding Lariat to the front, it's one to the back of the neck; if it isn't that, it's ground and pound punches! Kerri's attempt at offense in this minute—a Back Suplex—ends up thwarted as well when Emmy backflips onto her feet and Spinning Heel Kicks Kerri between her shoulders; that sends Kerri into the ropes and leads directly into a Tumbling Dragon from the PBS Kid! Kerri leaves the ring for refuge THAT DOESN'T LAST LONG because Emmy hits the ropes and Step-Up Springboard 630 SENTON PLANCHAS onto the blonde volleyballer!
Misty, witnessing her partner getting overpowered by the Dragoncrow's bite, does try intervening on Emmy's behalf (once she's found her way back to ringside from the trek back down from the DisneyTron), but her effort to yank Emmy off of the apron ends with Emmy FLIPPING INTO A DRAGONRANA onto May-Treanor outside of the ring! Misty was far from innocent in the dark eyes of Emmy either for all remarks…but while The Turtle pays for her involvement, Kerri grabs Emmy as she returns to the apron and BIEL THROWS THE PBS GIRL INTO THE STEEL RING POST! Emmy bounces off of the pole…right into a Pop-Up American Uppercut from Walsh Jennings that sends Emmy descending to ringside again where the back of her head nails the steel ring steps!
That major dosage of whiplash would linger throughout the contest…thanks in more than part to Kerri's superior strength that came with her tremendous height advantage: inside the ring, a Karelin Lift and Spinning Gutwrench Toss, a Deadlift Prawn Lift and Buckle Bomb, an INSANELY HIGH Back Body Drop that sends Emmy borderline KISSING the lights and OVER-ROTATING ONTO HER FACE, and a CLOTHESLINE TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD that flips Emmy inside-out and all the way onto her posterior all await the youth. Kerri later holds onto a Delayed Vertical Suplex for nearly FIFTY-FIVE FULL SECONDS, absorbing every single knee to the top of the skull thrown by Emmy, who is too dazed to act upon her freedom…resulting in getting MILITARY PRESS THROWN OVER THE ROPES AND ONTO AL MICHAELS AND CRIS COLLINSWORTH'S ANNOUNCE TABLE, body BOUNCING off of the desk upon impact!
As Emmy is trying to piece herself together outside the ring, Kerri makes that task additionally challenging by grabbing her and applying a Torture Rack…then JUMPING up onto the apron and reentering the ring between the ropes whilst holding onto Emmy the entire time! Kerri WRENCHES AND WRENCHES at the six-year-old, bent on bending HER…
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…but after a cumulative minute and a half, Emmy's refusal to capitulate leads to Kerri changing plans, setting Emmy down for an Ace-Plex—out of which Emmy flips and lands onto her feet! Kerri turns around and is met by an ONSLAUGHT of strikes, Forearm Smashes, Low Kicks, jabs, hooks, crosses, et aliud from the Daughter of the Dead; Emmy's Irish Whip try is reversed though, and her Springboard Cross Body is CAUGHT in Kerri's arms…and Kerri takes a few backward steps so she can Fallaway Slam Emmy through the ropes and out of the ring—except Emmy HOLDS ONTO THE MIDDLE AND TOP ROPES and rests there Tranquilo-style! Kerri, on her knees, turns her head and gets CLOCKED with a kick to the back of the skull, leaving her prone for a subsequent Sweet Spot Elbow to the back! Later, Emmy follows up…with the Three Amigas—but Kerri doesn't let Emmy let her go on the last one, instead rolling herself and lifting Emmy for a Delayed Suplex again…that this time she cuts short with an OPEN HAND as she hoists Emmy up and (after twenty-one seconds) executes a One-Armed Jackhammer that would put NORMAL young ladies down…but Emmy is clearly not a normal young lady as she kicks out of the ensuing pinfall at 2 and change! Kerri subsequently sets Emmy up onto the top rope, running back and forth from corner to corner with drive-by American Uppercuts straight to the chin: ONE Uppercut…TWO Uppercuts…THREE—except the third one is CAUGHT and reversed into a ROPE-HUNG ARMBAR in which Emmy utilizes the entirety of the five-count, letting go at 4.9…and while Kerri holds her arm, Emmy relocates the ring apron…Springboards, TURNS AND JUMPS onto the top turnbuckle, and Moonsaults into a grab of Kerri's head in an Inverted Facelock, leading to a Z.O.Z.! Emmy assumes FIRM AND FULL CONTROL…
…until minutes later when she lands on NOTHING BUT KNEES on a Frog Splash try…
…which leads to Kerri using her own feet to LIFT EMMY UP INTO THE AIR…and FLING her backwards into the turnbuckles, rocking the six-year-old to her absolute core…and rendering her vulnerable for a connecting Kerri Bomb! The Olympic medalist pins Emmy, hooking her leg…but Emmy kicks out just a few hairs off of 3, to the absolute SHOCK of Walsh Jennings! Six Feet of Sunshine feels SO CLOSE to putting Emmy away…and if the Kerri Bomb wouldn't do it, the Olympic Slam would if it connected…
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…but therein laid the issue as Emmy REVERSES the impending Olympic Slam into a Backslide attempt…which the superiorly strong Kerri flips Emmy up and out of, over her body—and into a DOUBLE KNEE JAWBREAKER from the Dragoncrow on the way down, which Kerri takes, bumbling back into the ropes…and retorting with a DOUBLE FOOT STOMP TO THE CHEST, keeping her feet firmly in-ground so as to pin the six-year-old thusly! Emmy, however, manages to sit herself up, causing Kerri to backward roll…and grabs Emmy's legs, leading into an OLYMPIC SWING with one revolution…two revolutions…three revolutions…four revolutions…five revolutions…six revolutions…seven revolutions—until Emmy SITS UP within the Swing and OPEN PALM SLAPS Kerri's face, freeing herself and stunning the former GPW Women's Tag Team Champion…whose reply upon Emmy's return to her feet is a BIG BOOT THAT TURNS EMMY INSIDE-OUT ONCE AGAIN—but ends up setting Emmy BACK ONTO HER FEET OUT OF THE FLIP! Kerri turns around, not realizing this, and eats a DOUBLE DOSE OF PELÉ KICKS…followed by a Springboard Cutter off of the middle rope that, after delivery, Emmy rolls back into the Dragon Slayer (or also Owari Death Clutch for Tommy End fanatics) submission, her Modified Dragon Sleeper that Jeremy calls on commentary as the Quetzal Clutch! It's the same submission she used at Zero Hour to coax a symbolic submission out of Gwen Tennyson…and it earns a tap-out from Kerri Walsh Jennings as well, giving the Dragoncrow the decisive victory!
After the match…
Emmy's eyes SNAP towards Misty May-Treanor as the brunette of the Olympic Entourage slides into the ring, her face landing INCHES away from Emmy's as her intentions too are frozen in their place…and both six-year-old and (as of press time) 41-year-old have a brief yet concentrated staring match…
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…that soon dissipates with the Dragoncrow telling her in a low voice, "No further questions." Emmy reaches her feet, and as Misty slowly redirects her attentions to the condition of her partner Kerri—who is holding her throat and back from the Quetzal Clutch—Emmy walks back up the ramp…locks eyes with the CCW statue that is on the stage…and climbs upon said statue, using it to obtain a higher view of the entirety of the Barclays Center fans…as well as a perch for her to reapply her harness to her back, for her to be retracted back into the rafters, chants of, "EMMY! EMMY!" and "DRAGONCROW! DRAGONCROW!" following her all the way there.
Backstage…
Even after tracking them down near a section of production crates, Tamiya is leery on approaching the X-Factors…but either for the scoop or the opportunity to connect with a friend(/one-time dream prom date), Milly insists that as long as the two of them take care, there is no harm and there will be no foul…even though their young eyes were seeing Stern and Della Robbia like they'd never seen them previously. Swallowing their apprehension, they march…and it is Milly who speaks up with her inquiry: while the other two teams in the Fatal Four-Way—TRG and Bladebreakers—gave the Dragon Kids their blessing for their Ozone 50leadership venture, why didn't the X-Factors? Ulrich's response is preceded by a few steamed breaths, partially crouching to Milly's face: "You two girls want a real scoop here? Fine. Then how about instead of asking US why we didn't give those two a pat on the back, you find the Runaway Guys and the Bladebreakers and you ask those guys why they DID? Because that is a far, FAR bigger mystery way I'm looking at it after EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID out there." The Lyoko Samurai expounds upon his lividity, bringing up that as much as he couldn't stand them, the Twinleaves were fired without right weeks ago for Barry's failure to win the FUSION Title within MINUTES of that match happening…but Max and Enrique, for something that UNEQUIVOCALLY deserves that consequence and worse, are not only still walking the CCW halls, but getting the red carpet of forgiveness rolled out for them with every step. "And WHY? Because they're Tag Team of the Year? Good for them—nice to see them following in the Orange City Dragons' footsteps."
After THAT knife-edged jab, Odd speaks up, holding Ulrich back a bit with an arm…and then brings up that the Dragon Kids are wrestling Digi-X tomorrow night, and the whole Ozone Tag Team Division had better have their eyes glued to that match because if the Dragon Kids LOST, he and Ulrich were going to make sure they were "on [Max and Enrique's] asses like pedophiles for it." Tamiya and Milly BOTH go completely wide-eyed from that comment, the latter even growing abashedly roseate just hearing it…and the former being brave enough to pose a follow-up theory behind the camera…that part of the X-Factors' acrimony was stemming from mounting frustrations amidst Sudden Death, Zero Hour and right now—frustrations that were being taken out on the environment around them…and Tamiya asks Odd and Ulrich what's enraging them worse right now: the Tag Team Title situation…or suffering another loss, specifically one to the Dragon Kids themselves…
Odd's reply: "…Don't make us choose."
Pushing Diop's camera away, Odd stomps past the Kadic Newscasters, Ulrich giving a farewell grimace before following suit…or at least before he's ABOUT to follow suit…
…because before both he and Odd can make it off-screen, they both come across a familiar face: …the 5BW Platinum Champion William Dunbar, Championship Belt over his shoulder as he expressionlessly receives the X-Factors' presence and attention. No words are spoken amongst Odd, Ulrich, or William…but the moment is tense…tenser than even Milly and Tamiya were expecting. After nearly a half-minute, William ambles past the X-Factors—towards the Gorilla Position, in fact—and Odd and Ulrich finally take their leave, both of them (especially the latter) somehow in a worsened disposition from that occasion. That leaves Milly and Tamiya both visibly concerned for their fellow Code Lyoko characters…before Solovieff slaps herself back into impartiality for the sake of journalism. The smack causes an eyebrow quirk and double-blink from Tamiya…who quietly declines Tamiya's gracious offer of a similar slap for the "greater good".
{"Commercial Break"}
Backstage—in catering, to be exact…
While the CCW hostile takeover of WWE Monday Night RAW was a coup of colossal proportions with mass participation, that isn't to say that the entirety of the CCW roster was exultant over the appropriation. Two such examples of the contrary? May and Dawn, the Poké-Coordinators, who are in the Barclays Center's mess hall talking things out between themselves, for the sake of (attempted) palliation. After all, the former's boyfriend and the latter's husband were on the other side of the Barclays' doors, and neither of them were in necessarily positive condition. Annie Frazier, captain of Team XX for Ozone 50, knew this, which is why she approached the Hoenn/Sinnoh pairing. Annie tries to provide succor for the two, even going far enough to apologize for the siege and her own part in it—she did try to call a halt to things before, and she was put off by what happened to Toph Bei Fong courtesy of MuTiNy in particular…but emotions ran high for her too, just like everyone else. "I'm the leader of Team XX; I…probably should have done more for myself to prevent something like this…" Annie sighs, sounding almost unsure of herself in her dialogue.
"…Maybe…but you're still just one girl. It was a lot more than just some of Team XX in that assault. It was Double X, Ozone…pretty much everyone—almost everyone…" Dawn mentions. "And after Dan made his decision…" Dawn pauses, looking at May, careful not to send her into a deeper despondence… "…like you said, emotions were high…"
Annie, filling the pit of her stomach with courage, swallows down and asks the Blue Beauty and Wingull-Haired Warrior if they intend to still stay on Team XX—not an inquiry born from pressure, but rather born from nervousness; Annie brings up not just the events of tonight, but also the state of Team Ozone caused by the FWAs and her own semifinal loss in the Universal Queen Tournament, wondering what bearing that may happen to have on either or both of the Poké-Coordinators minds. Frazier also adds that Lucy van Pelt is another female signed to both WWE and CCW, and she made her choice abundantly clear, giving this question even more credence…but after a fifteen-second contemplation between the two Poké-Girls, May is the one who speaks up for the two, saying that they'll stay, something that Annie is openly relieved to hear.
However, as the Granola Girl levels with May and Dawn on how anxious this leadership role was admittedly making her now that she sees the extent to which tempers have flared, she is approached by Boots, Dora Marquez, Alicia Marquez and Kai-Lan, who find a quasi-paradoxical irked amusement in Annie's demeanor. Boots asserts that if Annie is so "nervous", she should be grateful for what Dora and company did to Toph Bei Fong, weakening the Strike Force to a point where they're at a level that even a rattled, feverish Backyard Girl could handle. Alicia laughs and even questions if Annie even knew what she was getting into when she signed up to lead The Greatest Show on Canvas. Annie, however, glowers at them with a frown, saying that she signed up to lead her brand to a victory over another skilled octet of fighters to celebrate how great Double X is and, to a different extent, how great she was as a presence on the best women's wrestling program in Fiction Wrestling. What she DIDN'T sign up for was uncivilized guerilla warfare where cheap shots are being taken before the match even happens—Annie contends that Toph didn't deserve what happened to her…and Dora steps right into Annie's face and asks, "What are you going to do about it? …Actually, let me ask somebody else: what is Annie going to do about what MuTiNy did to Toph?" Dora stares at the face behind the television/computer screen…
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…and concludes, "Nothing at ALL? Huh…that's what I thought too." Dora smirks…
…and Kai-Lan chimes in with observations of her own: Dora actually is on Team XX (Boots winks at Annie, feigning an air of cuteness that Annie abashedly blanches at)…and there's one empty spot on the team that's still remaining. "Don't you think that one of US deserves to take the eighth spot for ourselves and for MuTiNy considering what we did on Team XX's behalf?"
"That eighth spot ISN'T FOR YOU…" Annie grumbles…
…but Kai-Lan asks, "Then who is it for, huh? You intend to tell anyone? Maybe fill in your own teammates? You shouldn't withhold information from your team, you know; that's not very nice…" The Chinese girl is having far too much fun here…
…but Dawn speaks up and reiterates what Annie said before: "She SAID it isn't for you; that's all you need to know. Now BACK OFF."
Alicia's reaction is one of smarmy mirth, claiming that it was just a harmless question and nothing was meant by it…something it's more than evident May, Dawn and Annie do not buy in the slightest. Boots chuckles, "I think you have a little too much of your brother in you to make that work, Alicia…" That prompts Dora to propose something Annie – considering how affronted the EnvironMENTAList appeared to be with what MuTiNy did to Toph, it would be a prime opportunity for her to not only express that discontent personally, but also show that she's (somehow) actually fit to lead XX into Ozone 50. "Don't worry; unlike the Ozone side, I'm not going to threaten your captainship…but I AM going to threaten that eighth spot. After all, since whomever you had in mind for that spot isn't important enough to let your team know about, I suppose it wouldn't be that big of a deal if one of my MuTiNy pals were to take it instead…so that they'd ALL know who they're dealing with, heh-heh…"
Outraged, Annie makes it known that she AND Team XX don't want or need any more of MuTiNy on the team than there already were…to which Dora challenges, "Then how about you and two of those teammates of yours try to keep us from taking it?" With minimal hesitation, Annie says they Dora and MuTiNy were ON, even adding to make sure that the conspicuously absent Tasha and Uniqua got the message as well.
That mention, incidentally, prompts May to ask boldly where Uniqua and Tasha were, noticing they were separated from the rest of the group…to which Kai-Lan leeringly retorts, "Where's Zoey?" Dora, Boots, Alicia and Kai-Lan take their sudden leave on that note…and Annie, turning back to May and Dawn, gives them her word that there would be NO WAY any of MuTiNy would see Team XX—Dora on her own was more than enough. Dawn asks Annie what possessed the blonde to give Dora a spot at all…to which Annie starts going into an elaborate primate-related story…
…that gets interrupted by Dawn bursting from her place to the back of the catering room, where she notices Tasha and Uniqua assaulting Zoey with a fire extinguisher! Tasha BASHES the item over the skull of the Snowpoint City native as said Coordinator is held by the arms by Uniqua, which is only the most recent of what has noticeably been an ONGOING assault! Dawn's sight and presence, however, call a stop to it as Tasha and Uniqua leave Zoey lying on the ground as they reconvene with the rest of the departing MuTiNy contingent, Kai-Lan cackling offscreen, "這是否回答你的問題?!" May and Anni scurry over to where Dawn is kneeling over the groaning Zoey, checking on her friend…and growing increasingly INCENSED with MuTiNy for this attack, now more than ever. The newly-arranged Six-Female Tag had just taken an extra meaning now…and Annie, well aware of as much, reasserts that there would be NO WAY MuTiNy was getting off the hook for this.
Singles Match for the 5BW Platinum Championship: Pablo Sanchez vs. William Dunbar [c]
One of the two pre-announced matches on this CCW Monday Night RAW card features the surviving two members of Team 5BW from the 6th FWAs in their Seven-on-Seven Elimination bout. The challenger, Pablo Sanchez, recounted the rivalry between himself and Dunbar in 5 Borough Wrestling in a pre-match interview at the curtain with Alex Trebek (whose presence raised an eyebrow on the faces of a discreetly eavesdropping Milly and Tamiya in the background) – amidst all of the challengers Dunbar had faced an vanquished, Pablo was the one who had given him the most trouble, to the point where it took a pinfall with rope-abetted leverage for the Code Lyoko outcast to retain the gold in their last meeting at the event 5BW MetroBrawl. Pablo knew that William was uncomfortable when it came to competition against someone who'd pushed him that far; it was what provided an extra dose of tension at the FWAs a year ago when Sanchez was the one hoisted on the shoulders of the 5BW roster for scoring the final pin JUST BEFORE Dunbar could get eliminated, something he was certain William, despite his best efforts, remembered. It was one more thing looming over the Platinum Champion heading into this match…but what was looming over Pablo's head is that it had been YEARS since the last time he'd held the 5BW Platinum Title. People have called him the franchise of Backyard Sports and even the franchise of 5BW as well…but that Platinum Championship, now more than ever, was a solidifier and validator of those things. And with William setting his sights on the Toon Championship in his very first dustup against an Ozone talent, victory meant more now than ever. He wasn't going to let Dunbar move up to Ozone and go after a World Title as though the Backyard Kid was an afterthought. William was a grappler who liked to think many steps ahead…but tonight would prove that he was too far ahead for his own good. So if William was going to vie for the Toon Championship, it was an earned prerogative given his 536-day Platinum Title reign, the matches therein, and even his NWA exploits that predated his 5BW tenure…but he wasn't going to take the Platinum Championship to Madison Square Garden with him—not if Pablo could help it.
Onto the match…when dealing with an adversary as many times as Pablo Sanchez and William Dunbar have had to deal with each other, one tends to be quite attuned to and aware of the opponent's tactics—an observation made in the early goings of this contest via chain wrestling exchanges: William's Wrist Lock and Arm Wringer; Pablo turtle spinning on his back Marty Scurll-style and performing a Spinning Leg Sweep into a lateral press and near-fall; Pablo controlling William's wrist, stepping over it and applying an Over-the-Shoulder Tequila Sunrise submission—Leg-Trap Key Lock combined with a Stretch Muffler of sorts; William freeing his foot and using his knee to choke Pablo against the mat, altering the wrist control and rolling into a Gogoplata attempt—that Pablo counters with a Jackknife pinning combo for a near-fall, after which William pushes Pablo off and up into the ropes, off of which Pablo recoils into a Schoolboy Pin…that Pablo backward rolls through, holding William's arm for an Armbar between his legs…although William rolls through that and lifts Pablo into a Back-to-Back Clutch, almost a Modified Argentine Rack…that he turns into an INVERTED version of his Match Killer signature—that Pablo reverses into a Wheelbarrow Victory Roll! Pablo scores another near-fall off of such, but upon the kick-out, William stands and ties up Pablo's legs, then sits down with a Cloverleaf Stump Puller pin! Pablo kicks out of this, but William maintains the Inverted Cloverleaf Hold, forcing the challenger to crawl to the bottom rope. Pablo grabs it, but William responds to this by tossing Pablo up by his legs, forcing him upside-down handstanding on the bottom rope, which leaves him open for a STEP KICK BETWEEN THE EYES! Pablo falls back downward, and William catches his legs on the way down to reapply an Inverted Cloverleaf—that Pablo REVERSES with a backward roll into a unique INVERTED GOGOPLATA submission! Both men's offense and defense gradually grew more and more sundry, particularly on the ground game level…and Dunbar is forced to muscle himself out, standing up and attempting a HARD facial stomp, but Pablo blocks the stomp and pushes William backward by his foot, prompting Pablo to spin on his back, forward roll and LEAP into the air for a Jumping Elbow Drop—that the Code Lyoko male catches in his own grip, rolling up into a Zweihänder try…but Pablo Northern Lights Suplexes William to get free, returning to his feet for a Low Front Dropkick to the face! Pablo hits the ropes, William ducks under, and Pablo counters an impending Sidewalk Slam on the return with a Tilt-a-Whirl Guillotine Choke! Pablo even includes a Bodyscissors for extra good measure…but William runs up a neutral corner with Pablo in his clutches, answering from the top turnbuckle with a Deadlift Superplex OUT OF WHICH PABLO LANDS ONTO HIS FEET BEHIND THE PLATINUM CHAMPION! Pablo, taking full and firm advantage of the recovery, MOONSAULT ELBOW DROPS onto William, folding him up for a pin…that only achieves one more near-fall!
Out of all of William Dunbar's 5BW Platinum Championship challengers, Pablo was the thorniest in the Champion's side by way of his persistence, gutsiness, and ability to respond more than in kind to a heavy bulk of the dark Lyoko Warrior's attacks…such as landing on his feet onto the apron from William's Hip Toss, vaulting inside the ring and then performing a Rope-Aided Outside-In Inverted Hurricanrana that spikes Dunbar onto his head at ringside! Pablo, with William dazed, adds to the assault with a Diving Hurricanrana from the apron seconds later that sends William shoulder-first into the nearby security barricade! Later, Pablo Samoan Drops onto the floor…then headstands purposefully onto the ring apron behind him, pushing himself off into a 450-DEGREE SENTON ("That's a move so mathematical it ought to make gravity's BRAIN hurt!" Jeremy quips)! Back into the ring Pablo sends William…and, returning to the apron, he somersaults in through the ropes and jumps up into a Jumping Neckbreaker—that William blocks with a sudden snatch into an Inverted Headlock…which he lifts into a Kneelift Facebreaker, followed up by a PERNICIOUS Discus Lariat! That brings Pablo's momentum to a nasty halt…and it only gets nastier courtesy of the former XANA vessel's four consecutive tosses of Pablo Sanchez's body straight into all four ring posts shoulder-first! Pablo, to his tenacious credit, TIGER FEINTS around the ring post on the fourth throw, landing onto the ring apron but exerting his arms in doing so, wincing as a result; William, growing even less amused by Pablo's resolution, pursues him at the ropes only for Pablo to fight back with his better arm, that singular arm throwing all of the punches…but Pablo's Outside-In Shoulder Block only permits Dunbar to grab the arm that drilled the steel ring post moments earlier…and William steps up off of the ropes to REVERSE HOTSHOT Pablo's arm onto the ropes, the resultant recoil planting Pablo VICIOUSLY onto his face! William, outside the ring now, watches Pablo crawl back towards the center of the ring with one brachial limb to aid him…or at least, that's what Pablo would be doing were it not for the Platinum Champion grabbing Pablo's leg, pulling him away and closer, spinning him such that he is subsequently able to take Pablo's bad arm…and slip it inside the ring apron skirt, trapping it there. Pablo urgently tries to get his arm free, but alas it isn't urgent enough to keep William from STEP KICKING PABLO'S IMPRISONED ARM REPEATEDLY, THROWING OVER A DOZEN BOOTS AT IT—FOURTEEN, TO BE PRECISE! It isn't until those dozen Step Kicks that William allows Pablo's arm to be extricated…for his own gain, however – William takes the arm and ELEVATED DDTS PABLO'S HAND DIRECTLY ONTO THE RINGSIDE FLOOR! These and other attacks permit William to enjoy the benefits of joint manipulation once the action returns to the ring minutes later, a Bridging Rings of Saturn variant á la Nigel McGuinness compounded by a bending of Pablo's fingers being the most prominent of examples! Pablo manages to just BARELY roll William into a Crucifix Pin attempt, but William kicks out with wrist in hand, lifts Pablo up and delivers a Wrist Lock Pop-Up Dropkick straight to Sanchez's injured shoulder ("There's a reason why Vinnie the Gooch warned me about this guy in conversations long prior to this bout when we spoke," Cris states. "This is the first match of his I've been so privileged to call, but if he is not the most skillfully violent technical wrestler under the CCW umbrella, he's certainly in the conversation")! The arm assault that follows even makes referee Vincent Perry cringe, an official who knows a thing or two about broken arms and hands…
A Cutthroat Russian Leg Sweep rolled into a Cutthroat Camel Clutch…lifted into a Cutthroat Wrist Lift Spinebuster, the arm maintained for an Irish Whip…then a Big Boot straight to Pablo's arm—William is intent on making Pablo rue the second he ever decided to enter Dunbar's life. When he takes aim at finality via Zweihänder, though, Pablo drops to his bottom in order to keep Dunbar from driving the Backyard Kid's skull into the canvas. This just adds one more aggravating impediment between Dunbar and decisive victory…so William, forgoing the Zweihänder for the moment, deadlifts Pablo back up to his feet, scores with three hard air-expending Kneelifts to Pablo's chest…and Butterfly Suplexes the challenger—right back onto his feet where Pablo is adept enough to land! Pablo hits the ropes, William—realizing Pablo's recovery, snarls as he ducks under and whiffs on a Clothesline…and Pablo…runs into a THROWING Spinning Side Slam by William that sends him hurtling into the ring ropes! Pablo rebounds…into a Hammerlock Side Slam—that Pablo COUNTERS with a One-Armed Stunner on the way down! Pablo holds onto William's head in the Seated Three-Quarter Facelock, throwing Clinch Up-Kicks directly to the top of Dunbar's dome! Pablo hits seven, twelve, FIFTEEN such Up-Kicks…that William is able to partially absorb, Inverted Facelock Lifting Pablo into a Suplex attempt, only for Pablo to land onto his feet again and get throttled with both hands by William, grabbing his neck…and Tree Lifting the Hispanic child—into a Double Knee Smash to the jaw, Pablo backing William into the ropes…and then speeding at the Code Lyoko character for a Cactus Leg Lariat that takes both men to the outside! It takes close to a solid minute for both men to retrieve their respective bearings from that spill…but as William eventually gets up, Pablo runs into the ring and hits the ropes to score with an Over-the-Top-Rope No-Hands Forearm Suicida to the back of William's cranium, momentum of the smash sending the present Platinum Champion flying over Michaels and Collinsworth's announce table! The created distance between Champion and challenger allows Pablo to nurse his arm, trying to regain some vigor in it…but when Pablo pursues William again after his respite and climbs onto the announce desk, William, having made his own recovery in that time, shoves Pablo's legs out from underneath him, abruptly causing Sanchez to fall prone onto the table! The dark-haired Code Lyoko loner cricks his neck, rubbing the back of his head…climbs onto the announce table himself…and tries to apply the Ultimatum submission on the announce table, his Grounded Modified Wrist Lock akin to Nigel McGuinness's Thames Barrier/London Dungeon…but Pablo, before the hold can be locked in, bear crawls backward between William's legs, stands up, grabs William from behind, and hits an INVERTED SPANISH FLY that deposits William hard and heavy onto his face!Much like the earlier Sanchez Enzu Forearm Suicida, the move is an exertion for BOTH competitors…but as the crowd sounds off on its wonder, Pablo this time is able to work William back inside the ring, follow suit himself, and, with Dunbar away from the ropes, enter a pinfall…and ALMOST achieve a three-count, but the Platinum Champion manages to kick out just before three!
Pablo not only had to restore himself from the near-fall realization, but also had to do so from the still resounding Inverted Spanish Fly off of the announce table, the wind having been knocked out of him just as much as from William…but the acclaimed face of Backyard Sports fights on, resetting his breathing…and picks up Dunbar for his Cradle DDT…but in mid-clutch, William counters the grip with a Bodyscissors Kimura Lock, capturing Pablo's injured arm! The sheer AGONY of the Arm Lock forces Pablo off of his feet, dropping forward to the canvas…and William TWISTS and TWISTS that infirm limb…eventually forcing Pablo…to retaliate with his free arm via FOREARM SMASHES STRAIGHT TO WILLIAM'S NOSE! Pablo throws these Forearms for DEAREST LIFE, using them to lessen William's ability to follow through on his desire to rend Pablo's arm from its socket…and THIRTY-SEVEN SUCH FOREARMS is what it takes to force William to adjust, spinning Pablo around in his arms as he relinquishes the Kimura in favor of a Rear Waist Lock; William rolls backward and stands…then rushes forward into the ring ropes and CHAOS THEORY GERMANS Pablo onto his head—OR RATHER, ONTO HIS FEET as Pablo lands safely and ROUNDHOUSE KICKS THE SIDE OF WILLIAM'S SKULL AS THE LATTER IS SITTING DOWN! Pablo falls into a back lateral press, pinning William Dunbar: 1…2…2.96 William kicks out, keeping the contest alive! The growingly desperate Pablo turns his attentions to the top rope, ideally thinking of the Secret Weapon, his Corkscrew Shooting Star Press…only for the recovering William to grab Pablo's arm and FLING him off of the top turnbuckle with an Elevated Marabounta Arm Wringer DDT! Following that BRUTAL placement of Pablo's carcass onto the cold-as-a-graveyard ring mat, William shoves Pablo's cadaver towards the squared circle's center…and takes his ownjourney to the top rope, something noted by Al Michaels on commentary as a relative rarity for the Code Lyoko antipathetic fighter…
…
…and…before William can act upon his ascent, Pablo springs and sprints up the corner, grabs William by the head and CLANKY CUTTERS HIM TO THE CANVAS—except that's what William was EXPECTING Pablo to do, so he's able to reverse the Avalanche Ace Crusher on the way down, turning it into the Ultimatum! William HOLLERS IN BARBARITY as he wrenches SUPREMELY on the submission, while Pablo screams in TORMENT as he has his arm borderline hoven clean from his body! Pablo SURVIVES AND SURVIVES…and survives…but William KEEPS ON PULLING ON THE INJURED LIMB…until Pablo has no choice…but to try bear crawling backwards through William's legs, much like he did to prevent the Ultimatum in the first place outside the ring atop Al and Cris' announce table, but Dunbar matches Pablo step-for-step, backpedaling with Sanchez and HIP DROPPING PABLO'S SHOULDER BLADES TO KEEP THE BOY FROM GETTING A TOE ON THE BOTTOM ROPE! William takes away any of Pablo's chances to achieve a rope break…and that means Pablo…has to start crawling forward…and William matches those steps too…but then Pablo goes backwards again…then forwards…then backwards…then forwards, then backwards, then forwards, forcing William to go back and forth with Sanchez, who is just a few paces faster—enough to perform a Lady of the Lake Takedown, transitioning into an Omoplata Sleeper Hold! Even with one arm plaguing him, Pablo puts BOTH arms to use in SQUEEZING THE VIOLENT LIFE OUT OF WILLIAM DUNBAR…FOR THIRTY SECONDS…FORTY SECONDS…FIFTY SECONDS…until William grabs Pablo's bad arm's wrist, pries it away from his head…and BENDS PABLO'S HAND BACKWARD IN A ONE-ARMED JIM BREAKS ARMBAR, USING THAT SUBMISSION TO COMBAT PABLO'S NOW ONE-ARMED OMOPLATA SLEEPER! Both men scream in a combo of exertion and exhaustion, pain inflicted and pain absorbed…for FORTY-FIVE STRAIGHT SECONDS…until William Dunbar SLAMS PABLO'S BENT HAND INTO THE CANVAS, JAMMING IT INTO THE MAT IN A WAY IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE JAMMED! Pablo rolls away from William, holding in an aggrieved yell of arm-based anguish as he clutches his own hand…and William, emitting four coughs…recovers from the Sleeper variation…and lets out a DIFFERENT KIND OF YELL, one of VEHEMENCE…as he picks Pablo up and DRILLS him with the Match Killer for an eventual 1…2…NOT 3-count because William lifts up Pablo's shoulder…so he can deliver a SECOND Match Killer on the spot! William pins Pablo this time…and ONCE AGAIN lifts Pablo's shoulder, picking the Backyard Kid up YET AGAIN…so he can—have his third Match Killer COUNTERED VIA SOMERSAULT HURRICANRANA TAKEDOWN! William gets to his feet in a surprised daze and Pablo hastily steps up onto the middle turnbuckle and THROWS HIMSELF AT DUNBAR'S STERNUM WITH A DIVING LANZA! The Spanish-speaking boy's Spear connects, and it connects with AUTHORITY…but Sanchez's injured arm inhibits him from achieving an immediate pin! Pablo holds his arm and kicks about on the canvas, trying to find it in him to get a limb, get any body part onto the 5BW Platinum Champion…and after forty-one seconds, Pablo leans his head onto William's chest, constituting the pinfall he needed! Referee Vincent Perry counts 1…2…2.99 William kicks out, much to the dejection of Sanchez and the fans who had banked on a Championship change! Pablo uses the ropes to pull himself up by his one good hand…and he further uses the support of the ropes to not only hold himself upright…but aid in his climb to the top rope. Pablo, presumes Jeremy, wants the Secret Weapon…
…
…
…and William snaps up and grabs Pablo's arm, YANKING HIM—INTO AN WRIST-CLUTCH INVERTED STOMP BULLDOG that bashes the back of William's cranium into the mat! Pablo climbs up the corner a second time…a FINAL TIME…
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…
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…and he HITS the Secret Weapon…onto nothing but canvas as Dunbar rolls out of the way at the last possible second! Pablo holds his stomach…AND THEN HOLDS HIS ARM as the risen William SWIFTLY SOCCER KICKS the injured limb as it's resting on the canvas for him! Then William drops down…and pulls Pablo out of the ring…hooking both arms…and scoring with a Zweihänder onto the scarcely-protected concrete floor! Every atom of Pablo's body COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN the instant his skull hits the ground…and that makes it all too easy for William to take his time, roll Pablo back in…and roll in himself to pin Pablo Sanchez for Perry's count of 1…2…3.
After the match…
William Dunbar receives his retained Platinum Championship back…and stands over Pablo, putting his foot on Sanchez's bad arm and standing upon it to establish painful superiority on this night. The reign of the darkest of the Lyoko Warriors would continue…and it was ready for an addendum come Ozone 50 at the expense of the Pyrus Brawler. "If William can drive his Zweihänder through the heart and soul of Backyard Sports…I've got a good bet he can do the same against Mr. Fighting Spirit," Cris Collinsworth declares. "WWE, wherever you are, prepare yourselves… Get ready for a new guy to call 'The Man'."
Backstage by a monitor…
"Mind if we have a word with you on things?" asks Tamiya of…Shun Kazami, the Ventus Brawler who is standing beside a monitor watching the scene of William Dunbar raising his 5BW Platinum Title. Shun turns to the Kadic kid duo…
…and judging from the plain rigidity of his face, he appears to regret doing so seconds later…because the first question thrown his way is, "You've gotten a glimpse of what your friend Dan Kuso is going to have on his hands on Ozone 50; what do you think Dan possesses that'll carry him to somehow overcoming this challenge that's proven to be more than formidabl—"
"Dan will be FINE," Shun cuts Tamiya off. "…He usually is, after all, isn't he?"
"…" Tamiya takes a small step backward…and it is Milly who poses a follow-up inquiry of sorts, asking about the condition of Kuso in light of the RAW siege that took place, referencing the ruthless way in which Dunbar assaulted the Toon and Universal Champion. These points…don't seem to be received much better…but Shun, remaining relatively composed, simply answers once more that Kuso would be fine.
"You'll see him on Friday. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer your questions then." The reply is a simple one…but not enough to satiate the Kadic questioners, the camera girl Tamiya courageously noting thereafter that Shun's responses appeared somewhat blasé and…unruffled…compared to, for example, Dan's girlfriend May…
"…and also compared to how we know Dan was when it came to your condition after the FWAs when Los Ingobernables de Ficción j—"
"When you have a question for me," Shun curtly interrupts Solovieff, "you can find me and we'll pick this interview up then."
Leaving that terseness to hang, Kazami leaves the scene, disquieting the red-haired scoop-getter and eliciting a wince from the African-American youth, who wonders what and how much was done wrong to upset the Bakugan male…
…and Alex Trebek, from behind, walks by Tamiya and Milly with a martini in his hand, taking a sip of it and saying as he passes by, "Smooth work, girls." The mordantly honeyed words of the Jeopardy! host catch the gasping Milly and Tamiya off-guard…and as Trebek keeps walking, Milly voices her incredulity breathlessly, pointing between the ambling Alex and her still journalistic companion, wondering under her breath who exactly Trebek was thinking he was – "Does he even actually WORK here?!" Milly squeaks in dissent as Tamiya only shrugs in her own parallel disbelief.
And elsewhere…
A split-screen – on one side, the GAIA Openweight Champion Tina Armstrong, shadow-boxing with elbows and stretching her arms as she heads down the hallway; on the other, the defending CCW Females Champion Gwen Tennyson, her twitching eyes performing their own calisthenics. The second of the previously announced RAW bouts and the second Championship tilt of the evening…is coming up next.
{(something masquerading as a) Commercial Break}
Singles Match for the CCW Females Championship: Tina Armstrong vs. Gwen Tennyson [c]
("Whoawhoawhoawhoa, hold the phone here; wait a minute…" Cris blinks profusely on commentary. "We're back live on Monday Night RAW and we're having a MATCH? No backstage segment right now? No interview? No legend cameo, no nostalgia ejaculation…? Are we in the right zip code right now, guys?"
"I'm actually wondering the same thing, Collinsworth—I mean, it's…it's WEIRD; you'd think that all of a sudden, Monday Night RAW was a wrestling program…" Jeremy says in an "aghast" fashion…while Al Michaels has to sigh once again.)
Questions on whether or not Gwen was ready for a match—a Females Championship defense, no less—on a night where she had to address the FWA Streak ending circulated about amongst the commentary group prior to the contest…but what was not a question was the readiness of her challenger, one Tina Armstrong. Being one of the few individuals who had managed to "get one over" on the Alpha Bitch and specifically her Cult's Messenger Kai Green on XX 27 A.G. was part of what merited her opportunity to unseat the First and Only on this night. Additionally, her work as the GAIA Openweight Champion made her more than a commendable match and foe for the self-professed goddess. And if there were any further queries on whether Tina deserved the bout, they were answered in kind and in full within the first five minutes…
…which are ALL TINA ARMSTRONG. Gwen attempts a Cross Body? Tina turns it into a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker and lifts that into a transition to an Over-the-Shoulder Cutter (known colloquially as Big E's Big Ending). Gwen wants a Jumping Enzuigiri to go with her Arm Twist counter to the Irish Whip? Tina ducks it, holds Gwen's wrist, and performs a Bridging Pumphandle Suplex…which earns a near-fall and leads directly into Tina backward rolling into a PICK-UP of Gwen in an Argentine Clutch that Tina spins and pops Tennyson out of into a Bridging Back Suplex that earns another near-fall! Tina even pulls off a splendiferous Rolling Chaos Theory version of her Double Break pair of German Suplexes, the second of which hurls Gwen over the ropes and out of the ring! And even at ringside, Tina's offense continues – a Diving Hurricanrana to send Gwen's face into the post; an Apron Step-Up Discus Elbow Smash to Gwen's mouth; a Double Leg Slam grip CATCH to counter a desperation Gamengiri…leading into two SWINGING HEAD SLAMS into the steel ring post behind Tina and a subsequent Sit-Out Alabama Slam onto the floor! Gwen is being given ZERO REPRIEVE by the beyond-savvy Texan…who CATAPULTS Gwen from ringside floor back through the ropes and into the squared circle…and is even able to catch Gwen's sudden Superkick upon reentry to the ring, performing a Capture Suplex to counter instead! Gwen pulls herself together in a neutral corner—only to earn a Crash Knee to the spine…and a Dragon Suplex! Right after that, Tina signals for the Stardom Bomb—but Gwen suddenly trips Tina up onto her bottom and KENNELLY'S KISSES TINA WITH AUTHORITY, TWICE IN A ROW, THRICE IN A ROW, FOUR TIMES IN A ROW! In what seems like a SPONTANEOUS burst of events, Tina is suddenly on her back…and Gwen is getting some of her energy back, panting heavily…before SCOWLING and STEWING deeply as Tina sits up…which leads to a FIFTH SUPERKICK DEAD TO THE CHIN! Gwen covers Tina: 1…2…Tina kicks out AND RECEIVES A BRUTAL GOUGE OF THE EYES FOR HER TROUBLES! Illegality aside, the move shows that there is still a tank chockfull of reserves for the Females Champion of the World, who still appeared INCENSED ever since the Dragon Suplex connection.
Gwen further manifests this fury with a series of Leg Drops to the neck, both front and back but mostly the latter: Standing Leg Drop (front and back), Running Leg Drop (back), Slingshot Leg Drop (back), Somersault Leg Drop (back), Diving Leg Drop (back)…all of which set up for a Gwen Ten Muta Lock, the Inverted STF. Tina is brought to winces, but manages to free herself via Low-Angle Bell Claps to the sides of Gwen's head, forcing her to relinquish the hold—and resort to STOMPING the nape of Tina Armstrong, then BOOT RAKING the back of the neck repeatedly and violently! SEVERAL BOOT RAKES occur for nearly fifteen whole seconds, leading to a Jumping Knee Drop in which the knee of Gwen remains burrowed deeply into the DoA gal's neck. Handstand Knee Drops come next, some with hesitation to truly savor the pain being administered…then a run of the ropes and a—DODGED Basement Dropkick…that Gwen responds to by GOUGING THE HALF-KNEELING TINA'S EYES! Tina stands up holding her ocular nerves PROFUSELY after this assault…and Gwen, having no care for the referee's scoldings, kips up and delivers a Jumping Neckbreaker for a near-fall. The back of Tina's neck became a consistent target going onward – Arm Twist into an Inverted Stomp Neckbreaker, leading into an Inverted Triangle Choke…then a Rolling Headscissor Mat Slam…which Gwen almost transitions into the Skull F**k…but Tina LIFTS Gwen up Electric Chair-style…and Gwen, acting fast, aborts mission and changes course by hopping off of Tina's shoulders, landing on the apron, and giving Tina a Twisting Hotshot, HOLDING ONTO Tina's head…to issue THREE MORE HOTSHOTS, choking Tina with the rope on each one! Tina COUGHS GRAVELY in Gwen's Three-Quarter Facelock…which is transitioned into THREE STRAIGHT CONNECTED HANGMAN'S NECKBREAKERS ON THE TOP ROPE, each one adding its own variety of rope burn to the back of Tina's neck! Gwen eventually Forearms the swell of Tina's back and Slingshots into a Leg Drop Bulldog to her challenger! And Gwen's focus on Tina's nape only increases…as she delivers Grounded Hair-Pull Lariats, irritating Forearm Rakes…and even DUG HER NAILS DEEP INTO THE BACK OF THE NECK AND SCRATCHES IT DOWN, TAKING OFF SKIN AND DRAWING BLOOD!Gwen uses the blood to paint freckles onto her face, earning copious "YOU SICK F**K! YOU SICK F**K!" chants that endure even during Gwen's Russian Leg Sweep and Double Hammerlock spun into a Northern Rainmaker to the back of the neck! However, Tina would battle back with an impactful momentum shift of her own, sidestepping a Kneecapitation and Wagon Wheeling the second-rope perched Gwen in the back…before taking her by the arms and running forward to score with a Running Splash Mountain in the middle of the ring for a thunderous count of 2!
Tina's comeback is solidified with Superwoman Elbow Smashes that send Gwen stumbling and bumbling about all four sets of ropes…but on the sixth such Elbow, Gwen PENDULUMS in the ropes and—has her Lariat COUNTERED with a unique Elbow Smash STO by Armstrong! An Inverted Head and Arm Suplex follows…and upon taking the action to the top rope, Tina executes a DROP Superplex, hurling Gwendolyn down to the canvas AND FOLLOWING IT UP WITH A PHOENIX DOUBLE KNEE DROP to Gwen's sternum! Hooking both legs, Tina leans all the way back with the pin…but Gwen HEADBUTTS the back of Tina's neck to kick out! Pain lingers on the All-American Beauty as she regains her vertical base…and she tries to reclaim the upper hand with a Texas Explosion, but the maneuver's similarity to Kai Green's Faith Healer aids in Gwen's ability to reverse it with a Snap Northern Lights Suplex…which is the lead-in to Shining Wizards to the face AND the back of the neck! Gwen, flashing one of few smirks throughout the match, ascends to the top rope, hands raised…and dives with a Double Sledge to the neck—that Tina prevents by tripping Gwen onto her back, grabbing the legs, and applying a Texas Cloverleaf! Tina puts her back and all into the submission with of home state's namesake, bending Gwen Ten in a manner that would make pretzels cringe…but Gwen, from her belly, grabs Tina's feet, pushes them, adjusts her own weight distribution…and leans down and backward so as to REVERSE THE HOLD INTO HER OWN CLOVERLEAF, Kennelly's Klasp! Now it's GWEN'S turn to see how far Tina's body can bend, as SHE wrenches on the submission…only for Tina to mimic Gwen's reversal with one of her own, adjusting the weight to put HERSELF on top and standing over Gwen with the Cloverleaf applied! The crowd oscillates between vociferous cheers and mighty boos as Gwen and Tina EXCHANGE CLOVERLEAVES for close to four minutes…but it is ARMSTRONG whose grip turns out to be the stronger as Gwen is forced to—GRAB THE BOTTOM ROPE to achieve a break! Minutes later, the fight is taken to the top turnbuckle…Gwen and Tina exchanging fists…
…until Tina CORRALS Gwen's arm on a right hook attempt and jumps down to SIDE SLAM the Females Champion onto the top turnbuckle! Gwen weakly rolls off of the corner and to the arena floor…which frees the corner for Tina to climb…pick her spot…and deliver a Diving Senton to Gwen on the arena floor! Tina, however, isn't done…as she quickly rolls Gwen into the ring, climbs up the corner once again…and scores with a SECOND Diving Senton, hooking Gwen's leg on the pin! The count: 1…2…2.9 Gwen gets her shoulder up! But Tina KNOWS how close she is…she KNOWS that she is closing in, being the more prepared of the two, the one with the high-percentage gameplan…a gameplan that would COME TO FRUITION IF THE MARVELOUS DREAM TOMBSTONE CONNECTED…but Gwen's timely rake of the eyes would put a halt to that, leading to an escape behind into a Sleeper Hold that Gwen cinches in with ALL of her frame behind it! Tina flails, feeling some of her strength waning in the Sleeper, the perfect hold needed to sap the challenger's momentum, slow her down before she can act…and Armstrong, aware of the dangers of the Sleeper's prolonged application, backs into a corner to get Gwen off of her…only for Gwen to follow her out of the corner and transition into a Throwback! The Alpha Bitch backward rolls from here, seamlessly applying a Camel Clutch that she uses to take even MORE of Tina's strength and fight out of her…and upon feeling Armstrong's defiance, her refusal to stay down and yield, Gwen jumps up and DOUBLE FOOT STOMPS THE BACK OF TINA'S NECK, compounding with BOOT RAKES across Tina's bleeding, swollen nape! And Gwen puts the Camel Clutch back in even TIGHTER…leading to Tina, after a minute and three seconds—STRUGGLING UP…grabbing Gwen by the hair…and pulling her down into an MDT-conducive position…which, upon Gwen's recognition, the Females Champion blocks with a BELL CLAP, using her feet to clap Tina's eardrums, disorienting her into going down…and setting things up for a VILE SKULL F**K INTO THE MAT, THIRTY STRAIGHT PUSH-UP FACEBUSTERS! Gwen, after breathing away the momentary scare, goes for the Alakazam…but Tina twists an arm, traps both of them, and throws Gwen from the Double Arm-Trap for a Bolt Suplex—out of which Gwen LANDS ON HER FEET, answering back with a STEP-UP ENZUIGIRI to the back of Tina's neck! Tina is DOWN…prone…and Gwen comes from the top rope…to MOONSAULT DIRECTLY ONTO THE BACK OF TINA'S HEAD AND NECK! Gwen rolls Tina over with sadistic confidence, the Dead or Alive character looking COMPLETELY UNCONSCIOUS…but the ensuing pin ONLY GETS TWO AND A FRACTION FROM THREE! Tina kicks out on TOTAL INSTINCT…and Gwen has had enough. She wants the SPEAR…she wants to FINISH THIS and move onto Ozone 50…
…but TINA SPRAWLS AND DOUBLE OVERHOOKS GWEN'S ARMS, holding the Ben 10 youth and HOISTING HER UP for the Stardom Bomb—that Gwen counters with a fortuitous Frankensteiner! Gwen, realizing her luck, DROPKICKS the back of Tina's neck out of WIDE-EYED FURY…and picks Tina up to scream, "YOU LIKE TEXAS?! HUH?! YOU LIKE TEXAS?! HERE'S A SLIVER OF TEXAS!" And Gwen TEXAS PILEDRIVES TINA ARMSTRONG—or rather she WOULD HAVE but for Tina's Up-Kick to block! Tina holds her neck…and Gwen TRIES AGAIN…but Tina rams Gwen into a corner to prevent it this time…following up with an ECHOING DISCUS BACK ELBOW in the corner right to Gwen's cheekbone! Tina initiates machine-gun mode with BACK ELBOWS GALORE, LEFT AND RIGHT…and after SEVEN FROM EACH ARM, Tina gives Gwen a Throwing Cravate Suplex…and climbs to the top rope…for a Diving Lou Thesz Press—that Gwen SEES COMING AND RECEIVES WITH A SUPERKICK THAT TINA CATCHES IN MID-AIR, TURNING IT INTO A DIVING DRAGON SCREW! Amazingly, Tina EXPECTED Kennelly's Kiss the entire way and acted accordingly! But Gwen is LIVID…as evidenced by the grab of Tina's hair and ALPHA BITCH SLAP TO THE BACK OF TINA'S NECK! Down goes the All-American Beauty…whose fate from her is to be CURB STOMPED BY THE ALPHA BITCH—except Tina RISES FROM THE MAT, thusly causing Gwen to BACKFLIP from off of Tina's cranium…
…AND GET CAUGHT ON THE WAY DOWN WITH A TEXAS PILEDRIVER BY TINA ARMSTRONG! Gwen BOUNCES off of the mat, landing in starfish position…and Armstrong goes for the pin – ONE…TWO…THR—GWEN GETS HER WRIST ON THE BOTTOM ROPE! The pin count is BROKEN, much to the shock and despair of Brooklyn! Tina, even now, though, maintains her composure…if only barely. She knew going in how resilient the Ten-Year-Old Tyke was…and she knew she would have to match that resilience AND go beyond to net the CCW Females Champion. So she keeps her cool…as action continues on the ring apron…
…and Gwen Clotheslines Tina over the ropes and back into the ring, but Tina lands on her feet and vaults back to said apron, grabbing Gwen in a Waist Lock! Gwen sees what Tina wants, and takes a firm hold of the ring ropes to circumvent…but Tina's core strength is more notable than credit previously provided…so Gwen grabs the NEARBY OFFICIAL to keep grounded! Gwen's desperate actions obscure the referee's vision…which is PERFECT FOR THE BACK KICK LOW BLOW THAT GWEN ADMINISTERS TO HER FOE! The fans see the Low Blow live and in living color, however, HISSING AND JEERING VENOMOUSLY at the LAUGHING Alpha Bitch…
…who laughs not much further when she realizes…that Tina's still holding onto her waist. In spite of the Low Blow, Tina KEPT HER GRIP, and Gwen Karate Chops at the hands, fingers and wrists to break free…BUT NOTHING CAN SAVE GWEN TENNYSON FROM GETTING A BRIDGING GERMAN SUPLEX ONTO HER HEAD ON THE APRON! Amidst the collective GRIMACE from the fans and commentators, it is wondered though why Tina employed a BRIDGING German in a place where pinfalls could not be counted…
…and that is when Tina ARCHES HERSELF BACK UPWARD, BREAKING HER OWN BRIDGE TO STAND WHILE CARRYING GWEN TENNYSON UP WITH HER. Brooklyn is ABSOLUTELY AWESTRUCK…and it's time to grimace again as A SECOND GERMAN ONTO THE APRON CONNECTS! And Tina…STILL BRIDGES with it…and ARCHES HERSELF BACK UPWARD A SECOND TIME, CARRYING GWEN TENNYSON UP WITH HER A SECOND TIME…so she can GERMAN SUPLEX GWEN ONTO THE APRON A THIRD TIME! This time, it's a RELEASE, so the limp Gwen Tennyson falls to the floor at ringside…while Tina clutches her back, feeling the aftereffects of her feats of strength. It takes nearly a HALF-MINUTE for her to recapture herself…but she knows she can't spend too much time resting. She rolls to the floor…sends Gwen back into the ring…nurses her back once again…
…and slides into the ring—where Gwen LUNGES AT HER with manic Hammerfists to the back of the neck, leading to a lightning-quick stand back up, hair grab and CURB STOMP! Champion and challenger are BOTH DOWN after this turn of events, the Barclays Center fans displaying THEIR immaculate respect for the athletic showing before them, the identities and representations of those providing it notwithstanding. Fifty-one seconds later…Gwen is up first…and she wants the Hocus Pocus…
…but Tina blocks Gwen's Back-to-Back Double Underhook lift…and after thirty more seconds of struggle, Tina SWITCHES the grips…so now SHE has the superior hold on Gwen's arms. Gwen tries to get her own grip back…but Tina, with an Inverted Double Overhook of sorts…uses this hold…to muscle Gwen up an inch…an inch and a half…testing her capabilities, perhaps…
…before POWERING GWEN UP FROM BEHIND HER FOR AN INVERTED DOUBLE OVERHOOK BRIDGING ELECTRIC CHAIR DROP, AN INVERTED STARDOM BOMB! Tina puts HER ENTIRE WEIGHT DOWN on the pin, feet kicking and all: 1…2…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…2.999 GWEN KICKS OUT! And at THAT moment, Tina is in TRUE DISBELIEF! Jeremy on commentary queries if Tina had even performed a maneuver like that in GAIA before as Openweight Champion, emphasizing just HOW MUCH OF A STOP HAD JUST BEEN PULLED. Tina almost beckons for the referee to reconsider, but he sticks to his call…
…and now Gwen wants OUT OF THE RING. Tina, seeing this, doesn't want to accommodate the Devil's Favorite Daughter in any capacity, grabbing the foot to pull Gwen back. Gwen, however, pushes Tina back with a kick DIRECTLY to Armstrong's left eye! That creates enough distance and separation to take Gwen to the ring apron…
…where Tina CHARGES INTO HER AND SPEARS THE ALPHA BITCH FROM THE RING INTO THE BARRICADE—
—but Gwen HOLDS ONTO TINA'S HEAD, ricochets off of the security wall, and takes the Front Facelock a step further with an ALAKAZAM ONTO THE FLOOR! The combined spill and impact renders BOTH women supine for a good moment…but it is the First and Only Females Champion who uses the barricade to prop herself up…before sending the groggy Tina back inside the ring—and receiving a CRASH KNEE TO THE FACE…that sends Gwen into the ropes AND RETURNING WITH A PENDULUM LARIAT! Gwen SCREAMS TO THE CEILING AND THE SKIES…as she picks Tina up and DRILLS HER WITH A KNEE BRAINBUSTER! Gwen covers: 1…2…TINA ARMSTRONG KICKS OUT JUST A SMIDGE BEFORE THREE, WHICH PROMPTS GWEN TO TURN TINA OVER AND THROW COPIOUS AND RELENTLESS HAMMERFISTS AND CLUBBING BLOWS TO HER BLOODY NAPE! Blood from the back of Tina's neck starts pouring down her shoulder blades and spine as well…
…as Gwen pulls Tina up onto her knees…
…KENNELLY'S KISSES THE BACK OF HER NECK…
…and picks Armstrong up for a SECOND KNEE BRAINBUSTER! Gwen covers this time…
…
…
…and it is HERE that Gwen Tennyson earns the three-count and RETAINS the CCW Females Championship.
After the match…
The First and Only CCW Females Champion remains such for another day, in spite of an on-point Tina Armstrong's challenge…and Gwen Tennyson is in no real hurry to stick around in Brooklyn following the defense, but she does, naturally, take a moment out of her exit to emphasize her victory by pointing to her Championship and proclaiming, "It's the one that everybody wants… Problem is…it's MINE." Gwen heads up the ramp, affixing the gold around her waist as she walks…
…and at the top of the stage, she is met by Alex Trebek, who chugs down the rest of his martini, sets down the glass, and has a microphone set for a post-bout interview of the Alpha Bitch. Gwen gives Alex a "What do YOU want?" glower…but Alex remains composed enough to deliver his question: did Young Gwen have anything specific she wanted to say to Older Gwen considering the words the latter had for and regarding the former earlier in the night? However…as soon as the question is presented, Milly Solovieff and Tamiya Diop appear on the stage, challenging Alex Trebek's authority to conduct this impromptu interview of the Females Champion. Milly feels that she and Tamiya were more qualified; Alex scoffs and derides the Kadic youths for "NOW [having] the bravery to approach the most evil Champion in the industry", to which Tamiya retorts, "Milly and I were locked in a sacrilegious RV with her for an hour; don't you talk to US and be skeptical on our 'bravery'!" Alex, Milly and Tamiya all bounce remarks and digs off of each other, the Females Champion of the World stuck in the middle…
…until Gwen snaps her fingers, and both Milly and Alex's mics light up with a bright blue aura, then emit a SHARP FEEDBACK that resonates through and nearly ruptures both the interviewers' and the audience's eardrums! The work of an off-screen Super Saiyan Gwen, Cooper Daniels, was much appreciated by Gwendolyn (and much loathed by everyone else)…
…and seconds later, Gwen puts a hand on both Milly and Alex's microphone heads…as Tennyson puts the mics together to her lips, the entire floor being hers…
…
…
…
…
…so that she can say into both mics, "…I'm better than Emmy."
Unhanding both microphones, Gwen takes her leave with the Females Championship…
…and Trebek lets the oxygen do the head-scratching for him while he asks, almost needing personal confirmation here, "Did I ask anything about h—"
"No, none of us did," Tamiya answers on his behalf and her own.
"…Well, there goes THAT scoop," Milly deadpans. "…This is all your fault, you filthy undead Santa Claus-looking game show host!"
The interviewer argument continues to the back…while Tina is left in the ring, gripping the back of her neck, swelling and slice ailing her…along with the gradual realization of the match's result. However, as Tina uses the ropes to help herself to her feet whilst grabbing her nape, the crowd in Brooklyn meets her with a round of rousing applause, thoroughly won over by the Texan's athletics. Even in her defeat, she had stood up to the CCW Females Champion as GAIA's Openweight Champ and come out of the bout perhaps not the victor, but arguably an equivalent in the eyes of many. Recognizing this, Tina observes the clapping, cheering audience and manages a small chuckle, momentarily belying the sting of the loss. She affirms verbally to fans that which she had affirmed physically: that GAIA contract aside, she was in CCW to be a true player. Boosted a touch by the reception, she exits the ring—AND GETS GRABBED BY THE HEAD AS SHE'S ON THE APRON BY TRIXIE TANG, who yanks her down to ringside with a SHEERDROP Touch of Tang! Tina goes from holding her neck to holding her JAW, feeling some of her lower set of teeth being possibly impacted by the sudden descent from apron to ringside! The crowd's previous reception of respect turns into a backlash of bile as Trixie stands over Tina's prostrate figure, shaking her head in maleficent hauteur. The Shoulder Jawbreaker from apron to the ground was visibly painful enough…
…but the Asian-American gal from Dimmsdale doesn't appear satisfied, as evidenced by her procuring of a steel chair from ringside. Trixie walks back over to Tina, who is barely retrieving her bearings, a paucity of limb movement…and momentarily putting down the chair, Trixie grabs Tina, pulls her up and ties her arms between the second and bottom ropes from the ring's exterior, Tina's back against the apron as she's unable to move herself freely! Tina, her catalepsy working against her reaction time, tries kicking at Trixie for freedom, only to be foiled by Chops to the chest and Elbow Smashes to the mouth. With Tina tied up, Trixie glares into the DoA girl's face, GRABS HER ACHING JAW…and growls at her a four-word, five-syllable command: "TELL ME I'M PRETTY." Tina, using whatever dental mobility is being allowed to her, manages to mouth a REFUSAL to such, even when Trixie REPEATS THE QUESTION WITH A SHRIEK JUST INCHES FROM ARMSTRONG'S FACE—"COME ON! TELL ME I'M PRETTY! SAY IT NOW! TELL ME I'M PRETTY RIGHT NOW BEFORE I DESTROY YOU! SAY IT! SAY IT! TELL ME I'M PRETTY!"…
…so Trixie, her dangerous mandates ultimately fruitless in the face of Tina's defiance, steps back, reclaims the chair…and RAISES IT HIGH TO SEND IT CRASHING OVER TINA'S SKULL…but pauses…
…
…and instead adjusts her grip…to JAB THE UPPER PART OF THE CHAIR STRAIGHT INTO TINA'S MOUTH, RIGHT AGAINST HER TEETH! THE SOUND OF METAL HITTING (now indubitably chipped) DENTICLES IS LOUDER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED…and the end result is a bleeding mouth at which Trixie glowers, internally deeming it a worthy punishment for not uttering the requested words. Tina can't even reach for her face due to her tied-up arms, which is further distressing due to the pain in her mouth AND EVEN HER NOSE from the shot…and Trixie coldly states, "Well, YOU certainly aren't pretty…"
And then she TOSSES THE CHAIR STRAIGHT INTO TINA'S FACE, THE KNOCKOUT BLOW JUST AS RESONANT AS THE PRIOR MOLAR-MASHING ATTACK! Trixie watches Tina's head and face droop, her deadweight eventually able to slip free from the ropes. Tang sneers at the sight, taking pride in what she feels is a meritorious surgical removal of a smile via steel chair. "No more supermodel smile for you…" Trixie murmurs as she proceeds up the ramp, passing by referees now speeding down to the All-American Beauty's aid…
…while Al Michaels remarks, "We've seen Trixie go manic before, but I'd love to have a little insight on just WHAT THE HELL GOT INTO HER to warrant this assault after THAT MATCH…!" Cris recalls that Tina Armstrong is the girl who eliminated Trixie from the XX Regal Rumble, and points out that the two hadn't exactly been comrades before or afterward…and THIS…marked a new level of that antagonism on the Fairly Odd side.
{(now that's what I call a) Commercial Break}
Backstage…
Leaning against an unmarked locker room door is Tamiya, who is hearing out her reporting pal Milly who is BESIDE HERSELF…due to what she saw Trixie Tang do moments ago before the commercial to Tina Armstrong…but, more importantly, due to Alex Trebek's endeavors to steal scoops away from the Kadic News duo. Milly and Tamiya were the crème de la crème of CCW reporting; they didn't win the FWA for Interview Team of the Year in Paris, France but, in the words of the red-haired girl, "you know what? We SHOULD HAVE. And I STAND BY THAT—and I'm not going to let that condescending Canadian pilfer OURexposés! We need to stick up for ourselves. We need to show HIM—we need to show this roster what expert journalism looks like!"
Tamiya, agreeing with this, actually supplies Milly with an idea: she refers to the Olympic Entourage pointing out that Emmy didn't participate in the RAW siege, and the Bladebreakers stating that they didn't participate in the RAW siege…and connects these points by noting that there's another individual she happens to know of who ostensibly played no visible part in the siege…and it was an individual numerous fans would likely love to hear from. Milly at first is confused…but seconds later, she picks up what Tamiya has thrown down, per se…and urges for them to find this wrestler posthaste, because they were going to conduct this interview in the ring, right before the show's main event. Ergo…the two dash off to find the talent in question…
…while, back at the ring, the night's semi-main event is about to begin…
Six-Female Tag Team Match – If MuTiNy wins, one of them seizes the eighth spot on Team XX: MuTiNy (Alicia Marquez, Tasha and Uniqua w/ Dora "The Explorer" Marquez, Kai-Lan and Boots the Monkey) vs. Annie Frazier and the Poké-Coordinators
…but before it can do so, "All About Us" by t.A.T.u. plays…and the CCW Women's Tag Team Champions the Powerpuff Girls appear, mystifying Annie and the Poké-Coordinators, especially the former in that trio. Buttercup calls out Frazier for her facial expression of puzzlement in particular, asserting that it shouldn't be an astonishing thing to see the PPG moments ahead of a Six-Female Tag Team Match…much less one with such serious consequences surrounding it for The Greatest Show on Canvas at Ozone 50. Buttercup says that Team XX isn't going to befall a similar fate to that of the undesirably Dragon Kid-led Team Ozone; for the good of tag team wrestling, there needed to be regimented STANDARDS put in front of Annie Frazier's team, especially since the PPG have been inexplicably left off of the team entirely.
Blossom takes the microphone from Buttercup, taking time to assure Annie, Dawn, and May that the PPG were not there to pitch a fit over their exclusion from Team XX nor were they there to compulsorily annul the Six-Female Tag bout altogether á la Zero Hour with the then-scheduled Steel Cage Match and X-Factors/L.T.L. tilt—on the contrary, the Women's Tag Champs had a vested interest in the match about to take place, as well as its end result. Buttercup and Bubbles being left out of the lineup for Team XX was perfectly fine – "When you're the Mothers of Tag Team Wrestling, sometimes, on rare occasions, it's okay to let your offspring spread its wings. And THIS…is a wing-spreading moment for you," Blossom states. "You're responsible for what happens to Team XX on Ozone 50—you're responsible for what happens to Team XXTONIGHT…and we're here to uphold the accountability that you palpably require, accountability that would be absent from other parties."
Bubbles ebulliently takes the mic from Blossom, and the Joy and Laughter proclaims on Blossom's note that since the upcoming bout was so important…the PPG were going to go beyond just watching the match. Buttercup was going to serve as the special timekeeper…Blossom was going to be on commentary…and Bubbles herself was going the place of Alonzo Holland as the contest's newreferee, an impetuous set of statements that nonplus Frazier, May, Dawn, the commentators, and most of all Alonzo Holland himself (and current timekeeper Mickey MacElroy) who inquires on the validity of any of this. Buttercup, however, is forceful in her SHOVING ASIDE of MacElroy, and that causes Holland to gulp in unease as Blossom is allowed a seat next to Collinsworth… and Bubbles cooingly and courteously asks for his zebra's shirt, tugging at his ankle from ringside…
…
…
…
…but then, without even a slight warning as any of this is going on, MuTiNy assails Annie, Dawn and May from behind! All five Nick Jr. products exhibit nothing but MALICE AND DISORDER – a Double Hammer Throw from Tasha and Uniqua that sends Annie HARD into the turnbuckles; Alicia Double Wrist Clutch Inverted Curb Stomping Dawn into the turnbuckles; Dora Giant Swinging May into a Basement Dropkick by Kai-Lan; Alonzo Holland getting CHUCKED INTO THE STEEL RING POST by Dora the Explorer amidst the fracas; and Uniqua holding Dawn in a Front Chancery as Tasha HEADBUTTS the top of her skull repeatedly from her own knees, leading into Kai-Lan Double Foot Stomp / Uniqua Facebreaker DDT combination and a Single Underhook Lifting Snap Swinging Neckbreaker! Annie tries to fight back with punches to all five preschool program characters, but Dora CROSS BODIES ANNIE SUCH THAT SHE FALLS BACKWARD ONTO MAY'S FACE AND SKULL! Alicia pries Annie off of her Team XX partner…and hooks her in a Lifting Hammerlock Cradle Hold…leading into a Gloria Sit-Out Side Powerslam combined with a Kai-Lan Diving Elbow Drop! Annie gets thrown out of the ring…Tasha pushes Dawn out from underneath the rope with her boot…and Dora plucks May off of the canvas for an Inverted Gutwrench Swinging Side Slam! Eventually, it is BOOTS who actually is able to talk some order into the girls, convincing Dora and Kai-Lan to go to the outside…while Tasha, Uniqua and Alicia Marquez all clamor for the match to start. "Referee" Bubbles, having acquired Alonzo Holland's shirt from outside the ring, is pressed by Buttercup to enter the ring and control things…though upon doing so, she is far too occupied with Annie, Dawn and especially May's condition to even ENTERTAIN calling for any bells—bells were ringing in May's head foremost at the moment. Bubbles wants to know if May (or ANYONE) could even compete, for the sake of this tag team match's integrity, after all…and May does lift up her head…and murmurs…something…
…but as Bubbles is evaluating her and Annie and Dawn's conditions, SUDDENLY THE BELL RINGS…because of BUTTERCUP doing the honors…
…
…and that prompts Alicia to DRILL May with a Running Big Boot! One ascent to the top rope later…and Alicia pulls out of the playbook of her brother Diego with a Frog Splash! Alicia hooks a leg…
…
…
…and Bubbles counts to three—BUT DOESN'T MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THERE due to a speeding Dawn making a speeding yet still languished save! Dawn's attempt to protect her fellow Coordinator by fending off the interloping Tasha and Uniqua with Dropkicks is thwarted by a Dropkick smack-dab to Dawn's face by Alicia! Tasha picks Dawn up…and holds her up for a Powerbomb while Alicia clutches Dawn's wrists to keep the Blue Beauty from throwing fists at the yellow hippo to free herself; this permits the Backyardigans to complete their Powerbomb (Tasha) / Jumping Reverse Bulldog (Uniqua) combination! Dawn is thrown out just as quickly from the ring as she was brought in…and as Bubbles' attention is on Dawn and May, Kai-Lan REPEATEDLY REVERSE HEAD SLAMS Annie into the side of steel ring steps! Jeremy on color commentary remarks that since Blossom can clearly see and hear the outside interference, Bubbles should have wind of it herself and call for the DQ; however, Blossom's response is, "She's simulating what the referee will be like on Friday. He might not see or hear everything either. So these girls are going to have to account for that, now aren't they? That's at least what ABOVE-AVERAGE tag teams should be capable of doing."
Alicia, Tasha and Uniqua all take turns tagging in and out and picking apart May down to her bones – Alicia with a Shake, Rattle & Roll Neckbreaker and Ushigoroshi; Uniqua with an Over-the-Shoulder Gutbuster followed by a Backwards Running Stun Gun abetted by a Rope-Aided High Kick to the face by Alicia from the apron; Uniqua whipping her fellow Backyardigan into a Corner Body Avalanche, followed up by Tasha hurling Dawn with an Inverted Full Nelson Overhead Suplex, followed up in turn by a Deadlift Vertical Suplex by Uniqua, followed up even further by Uniqua popping Tasha up into a Finlay Press Senton! May was getting preyed upon endlessly by the MuTiNy contingent…but she is able to defend herself, as evidenced by her Hurricanrana counter to Tasha's Sit-Out Doctor Bomb, jump up and CRUCIFIX DRIVER counter to Uniqua's Unique STO (a Space Tornado Ogawa akin to that of Takaaki Watanabe), and Wheelbarrow Bodyscissor Facebuster counter to Alicia's Al Rescate (Half-and-Half Wheelbarrow Emerald Flowsion)! Dawn holds out her arm from the apron, yearning for a tag…and May forward rolls over Alicia's body—right into an Electric Chair lift from the rising Marquez…who gets SPIKED ONTO HER HEAD from May's spin and counter into a DDT! May is FREE AND CLEAR to tag…
…but Boots is concerned about Alicia's condition, so much so that he slides into the ring, screeching in fright, which garners Bubbles' attention as she tries to tell the cute little monkey to am-scray WHILE MAY TAGS OUT TO DAWN, who quickly vaults into the ring and scores with Drapion Rising to Alicia! Dawn tries to cover for the flash victory, but when Boots exits and Bubbles turns around, the latter questions the former's presence in the ring, having not seen the tag!
"This is tough love," Blossom defended her sister while Jeremy on commentary chided the Joy and Laughter for her obliviousness to what was a crucial tag…and Bubbles and Dawn get into an argument over this while Dora reaches inward and pulls Alicia by the arm towards the MuTiNy corner! As soon as Bubbles turns around, Tasha tags herself in, and THAT is counted as a legal tag, which only INCREASES Dawn's raising ire…to the point where she PUSHES Bubbles to the canvas—INCIDENTALLY OUT OF THE WAY OF TASHA'S STRIKING SPEAR WHICH HITS DAWN INSTEAD…or would have hit her if not for Dawn's FLYING GOGOPLATA COUNTER! From out of NOWHERE, Dawn ensnares the hippopotamus into a grisly submission hold, one that she couldn't attain victory with due to not being the legal woman herself, but that doesn't make the crowd any less impressed by the perspicacious counter! Dawn scoots with Tasha through the ropes and to the apron, letting go of the Gogoplata and Step Kicking Tasha to ringside, leaving her out of it on her feet…which permits Dawn to TAG MAY WITHIN FULL SIGHT OF BUBBLES and dive off of the apron with a Corkscrew Shoulder Block! The Twinleaf Town native engages the proverbial spotlight by trying to turn out the lights of Tasha with myriad Head Slams onto the apron…but as Bubbles is looking at Tasha, DORA GRABS DAWN FROM THE APRON AND POWERBOMBS HER ONTO THE FLOOR, then Fallaway Powerbombs her back through the ropes and into the ring! Jeremy asks Blossom with a displeased expression, "Is Bubbles ALWAYS this oblivious, or is she going above and beyond the call of cluelessness?" Buttercup CROSSLY scolds Jeremy, shouting that no one gets to tell Bubbles she's clueless or otherwise insult her but the Toughest Fighter herself.
"…All part of the game," Blossom remarks with a shrug. Al Michaels is the one to note that, in spite of Bubbles'…questionable attentiveness, the members of MuTiNy had indeed been creatively bending the rules for the majority of the match more so than an average malfeasance, not to mention even BEFORE the match by way of the pre-match assault.
And MuTiNy is reaping EVERY SLIVER OF REWARD for their veiled transgressions: with Tasha holding Dawn on her shoulders Electric Chair-style, Uniqua hits a Diving Clothesline out of the corner for the Doomsday Device…and Tasha holds onto Dawn's legs, using her own strength to pull Dawn back up into Electric Chair position! That permits the now-tagged-in Alicia to echo Uniqua with a Clothesline of her own for a SECOND Doomsday Device…and Tasha hoists Dawn back into Electric Chair position a SECOND TIME, keeping hold of the legs! With Tasha holding Dawn in position, Alicia and Uniqua both head to the top rope—exchanging another tag in the interim…and deliver STEREO CLOTHESLINES for a TRIPLE-TEAM DOOMSDAY DEVICE from which Tasha FINALLY lets Dawn fall! Uniqua, the legal MuTiNy member after this, covers Dawn…and Tasha STRIKING SPEARS the oncoming May as Bubbles counts 1…2…2.9 AS DAWN AMAZINGLY KICKS OUT! That puts a FROWN on Uniqua's face…but the Unique Backyardigan cheers herself up by placing Dawn in a Tree of Woe…and sitting in the corner with her to perform an ELEVATED UPSIDE-DOWN SLEEPER HOLD, cinching it in whilst dangling upside-down, letting blood rush upwards to Dawn's cranium while controlling just HOW MUCH of that blood gets to flow freely! Bubbles, however, only permits this for a 4.875 count before Uniqua bridges back upward with Dawn sitting in front of her. Then, Uniqua applies an Elevated Full Nelson…and Spider Dragon Superplexes Dawn ONTO HER FEET AS DAWN FLIPS THROUGH TO LAND! Dawn speeds at Tasha and Alicia and Spotlight Kicks them both off of the apron…then rushes back up the corner with Uniqua, who brings herself back up out of the Tree of Woe JUST IN TIME TO GET AVALANCHE REGALPLEXED! Dawn is down…Uniqua is down…
…BUT ANNIE FRAZIER IS UP AT RINGSIDE. After spending the entire contest out on the floor courtesy of MuTiNy's pre-match (and mid-match) devastation, the Granola Girl is ALIVE…but Kai-Lan is holding onto her feet, leaving her in place for Dora to—RUN HERSELF RIGHT INTO THE STEEL STEPS AS ANNIE LEAPFROGS OVER HER, FREEING HERSELF FROM KAI-LAN'S PEDAL CLUTCHES! Annie Crane Kicks Kai-Lan away and goes to the apron…but seconds later, Kai-Lan pulls Annie down and goes for a Somersault Inverted DDT (akin to Tetsuya Naito, what he calls Destino but what she refers to as Mìngyùn), but Annie keeps Kai-Lan elevated and gives her SNAKE EYES ONTO THE RING STEPS! And that finally FREES Annie to get onto the apron and GET THE TAG FROM DAWN TO A POP! Annie runs in and becomes a one-girl momentum shift, first with Clotheslines and a Scoop Slam, then with a Bear Hug and running Uniqua into all four sets of turnbuckles! Tasha, running into the ring, Double Sledges Annie from behind and applies a Waist Lock, but Annie Standing Switches and pushes Tasha towards Uniqua—who lifts Tasha, runs forward and pushes her into a Flying Hip Attack right back at Annie! Blossom is quick to cast judgment upon Frazier for being caught off-guard…but almost on cue, Annie reverses Tasha's Wheelbarrow lifts with an Arm Drag and rams her backwards into Uniqua…before HOLDING THEM BOTH UP AND RAMMING THEM BOTH INTO ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE RING! Annie backward rolls from the corner—right into a Tiger Suplex from Alicia Marquez! Blossom, again, is swift to chide and critique the EnvironMENTAList for a failure to keep eyes in the back of her head at this stage…but almost on cue AGAIN, Annie counters Alicia's Snap Tiger Driver with a surprise Prawn Lift, freeing her arms and subsequently delivering a BATISTA BOMB ("Well, he DOES call himself 'The Animal'; I guess it makes sense!" Jeremy laughs)! Annie then grabs Alicia's legs and CATAPULTS her into Tasha in the corner…who CATCHES Alicia's legs and willingly gets Monkey Flipped back towards Annie, going for a Flying Shoulder Block, but Annie CATCHES TASHA ONTO HER SHOULDERS IN A FIREMAN'S CARRY! Annie then AIRPLANE SPINS such that Tasha's feet clip the domes of the incoming Alicia and Uniqua trying to intervene…and then COMPLETES the Happy Valley Driver! Moments later, all three MuTiNy members are in differing corners…and ALL THREE OF THEM GET RESPECTIVE BRONCO BUSTERS! "ANNIE! ANNIE! ANNIE! ANNIE! ANNIE!" chants are ABUNDANT in the Barclays Center…
…and the namesake of those chants soon plants a Kiss of Death upon Uniqua the Backyardigan…FOLLOWED BY A LIGHTNING-FAST PEACEMAKER! Annie goes into the pin, and Bubbles makes the count: 1…2
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…2.99 TASHA AND ALICIA BOTH BREAK IT UP, BATTERING AWAY AT ANNIE TOGETHER! Cheers turn immediately to BOOS as MuTiNy's intrusive ways keep the match going ONCE AGAIN! Annie's attempts to fend both illegal members off are foiled by an Alicia THUMB TO THE EYE ("SOMEONE'S been taking after her brother, haven't they?" Al comments) and an Arm-Twist Overhead Head akin to Ruby Riott's Riott Kick! Alicia kips up with wrist control still maintained, Irish Whipping Annie towards Tasha for a Tilt-a-Whirl Oklahoma Stampede that gets augmented by a Leaping Side Lungblower from Alicia! Tasha and Alicia then drag Uniqua towards Annie with the intention of creating a pinfall—something Al Michaels notes should not be occurring due to the OUTRAGEOUS disregard for the customary five-count for illegal members of the match getting involved in the ring…something MuTiNy visibly care not for BUT SOMETHING MAY AND DAWN CLEARLY DO, as evidenced by a Hoenn Hangover from May to Tasha! Alicia goes for a Big Boot to May, but May catches the foot and throws it Dawn's way for the feed, the Blue Beauty cradling it and transitioning into a lift and PIPLUP DRIVER! Then both of the Poké-Coordinators grab Tasha…and deliver a Double Suplex Facebreaker…into a Grounded Double Wrist Clutch and DOUBLE KAMIGOYE KNEE STRIKE TO THE FACE! Tasha rolls out of the ring on that note…but as the Poké-Coordinators are basking in their knockout blow, Uniqua leaps over them and delivers a DOUBLE THROWBACK STUNNER! Then Uniqua tosses May out to the apron between the ropes…AND TOSSES DAWN SECOND, SENDING HER CRANIUM-FIRST INTO MAY, PURPOSELY MAKING THE TOPS OF THEIR HEADS COLLIDE WITH A DISCONCERTINGLY AUDIBLE CLASH! May and Dawn's sensibilities are indubitable compromised, much to Uniqua's boon as she rids the ring of them both…
…and with Uniqua and Annie in the ring alone, the Backyardigan mounts the Backyard Sports girl with punches in bunches, fists in bundles…and Annie returns the favor, rolling over into her own Full Mount position to throw punches! Uniqua and Annie both go back and forth with rolling and punching, trading the upper hand for a minute…until Annie PUTS A SMOOCH ON UNIQUA ON THE LIPS, A GROUNDED KISS OF DEATH…and postures up, hoists Uniqua up by the ears—AND RECEIVES A SUDDEN UNIQUE STO FROM UNIQUA THE MOMENT SHE'S ON HER FEET! Uniqua covers Annie, and Bubbles counts: 1…2…2.999 ANNIE JUST NARROWLY GETS HER SHOULDER OFF OF THE CANVAS, AND BUBBLES CORROBORATES AS MUCH BY HOLDING UP TWO FINGERS…or at least she would have held up two fingers if she could have—either way, IT WAS A NEAR-FALL! And Uniqua is IN SHOCK. Boots is in his own shock, even screeching at Blossom that "WE COULD COUNT TO THREE BETTER THAN THAT!" and CURSING Buttercup for not ringing the bell. Buttercup sneers at the monkey, replying that she knows a primate just like him whom she regularly eats for breakfast…and while these verbal spats are going on, Uniqua, searching for a finish, is on the top rope…
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…AND SHE JUMPS OFF WITH A SUPERFLY HEADBUTT—THAT ANNIE COUNTERS WITH A CATCH OF THE HEAD AND AN APPLICATION OF THE AL-GORE-ITHM! Annie PUTS HER ALL INTO THE LAST CHANCERY…UNIQUA NEVER EXPECTING IT ON THE WAY DOWN UNTIL IT WAS LOCKED IN…
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…AND UNIQUA HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO TAP OUT—BUT NOT BEFORE KAI-LAN SLIDING DROPKICKS THE FACE OF ANNIE FRAZIER, PROMPTING BUBBLES THIS TIME TO CALL FOR A DISQUALIFICATION! ("OH NOWCAN YOU RING THE BELL!" Boots snaps at Buttercup, who scoffs once again.)
After the bell…
Despite Annie's best efforts to ward off the Nickelodeon Jr. reprobate et al, the remounting numbers catch up to her; a Tasha Back Club from behind leads her to fall victim to a VILE Shining Wizard from Kai-Lan! With Annie barely able to move, and May and Dawn still strewn outside the ring in hardly mobile condition themselves, Dora turns to Boots…
…and La Exploradora tells him, "It's time for Plan B." She enters the ring…
…Boots slides a steel chair in after her…and after moving the chair to the center of the ring, Dora EXPLORATION DATES Annie onto the laid-down steel weapon, devastating the Backyard Girl's spine! Bubbles, seeing MuTiNy start to accumulate in the ring and encircling Annie Frazier's motionless form, discreetly dips from the squared circle, reuniting with her Tag Titlist siblings near the announce table…
…and as the three of them appear to be conversing indiscernibly…Boots passes another steel chair into the ring…and Dora instructs Tasha and Uniqua to take their pick between May and Dawn on whom to bring into the ring. The Backyardigans have a discussion…and on account of Dan Kuso's actions earlier in the night, the two find it all too fitting to bring in MAY, feeding her into the ring before picking Dawn up and DOUBLE BIEL THROWING DAWN ONTO AL AND CRIS' ANNOUNCE TABLE, the Powerpuff Girls just NARROWLY avoiding a collision with the unceremoniously flying bluenette! Blossom's eyes noticeably twitch from the close call…but Tasha and Uniqua aloofly return to the ring. Alicia and Kai-Lan, in the interim, pick up the steel chairs…and Tasha and Uniqua grab one of May's arms apiece, pinioning her in their grasp. The scene, as Jeremy points out, looks eerily familiar…
…and Dora, after a VICIOUS Low-Angle Machacar Kick to the side of Annie's head, takes the microphone…and says that she's making a "slight change in plans" – "if you don't want us to have that eighth spot on the team…that's okay. We won't take that eighth spot on your team… We'll just take away HERS…" What is implied is powerful and, to the audience, frightening…because the imagery revealed everything they needed to know about Dora the Explorer and company's intentions. If Annie refused, they were going to do to May what they did hours prior to Toph Bei Fong. "Of course, that is…unless you wanna change your mind…?"
Dora holds Annie's hair in her hand…waiting for an answer, Annie's ached, overwhelmed state notwithstanding…
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…but before Dora can give the official word for Alicia and Kai-Lan to ruin May's skull, the Powerpuff Girls all mount the ring apron. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup all stare down the Backyardigans and other MuTiNy members, who themselves pause out of dared and daring curiosity on what the PPG intend to do…and Jeremy vocalizes his own perplexity and curiosity on the moment, something shared among crowd members also…
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…but the lengthy ocular exchange between the PPG and MuTiNy turns their backs long enough for Mileena, Skarlet and Sansa Stark to speed down to the ring, catching the Nick Jr. contingent off-guard! Stark-Blooded's arrival not only forces Tasha and Uniqua to unhand May, but it also leads to the entire MuTiNy clan making their hasty exit through the crowd, prevented from doing any further, more sinister damage to anyone in or around the ring! Stark-Blooded, hunting for a measure of payback from Zero Hour, actually FOLLOW MuTiNy into the audience, Skarlet shouting, "You're playing in the wrong sandbox, little girls! You may be toddlers, but you're ALL gonna bleed! We GUARANTEE YOU THAT!" Dora, Boots, Kai-Lan, Tasha & Uniqua, Alicia, Skarlet, Mileena and Sansa all disappear into the seats…
…while Annie starts to slowly raise her head…then push herself from all fours to a somewhat dazed vertical base as she pieces the events around her together. Immediately, she checks on May's state, the Petalburg Town native still responsive, much to Frazier's relief…and then, the EnvironMENTAList looks up and sees the Powerpuff Girls…the leader of whom, Blossom, telling the Team XX captain, "Tell her [May] we said she's welcome."
Blossom then drops down from the apron, Buttercup and Bubbles following suit for the three of them to head to the back…while Annie checks on Dawn as well, making sure both Poké-Coordinators are okay. They're banged up…but otherwise they're decent, again to Annie's allayment. Annie, however, is puzzled by the Powerpuff Girls' departing words…not to mention what it was that they did to begin with…and it can be told on her face that she was having intentions to figure such things out…once she got Dawn and May assuredly safely to the back as well. The result of the match, as Blader DJ affirmed, was indeed a victory for Annie Frazier and the Poké-Coordinators by way of a disqualification…and, in the words of Al Michaels, that has to mean that Annie had more than proven her mettle as captain. Cris…is less than willing to suffer such compliments, but does acknowledge the win at the least. "Though who am I to be a skeptic? Frazier's surprised me before…" Cris admits.
Coming up next…
Milly is urging Tamiya to hurry up behind her, because they've got an interview to conduct in the ring…
…and after that…the main event. Ben Tennyson gave the Dragon Kids close to two hours to find three ready, willing and able wrestlers for Team Ozone…and Omni-Lite are awaiting those three individuals…provided that Max and Enrique were competent enough to procure them. Much like the prior bout entailed ramifications on Team XX's state, this can make or break the state of Team Ozone…and it is NEXT.
{Commercial Break (for real this time; I promise)}
Backstage…
Annie's first priority? Ensuring that May and Dawn are still in working order (or, at the least, on course to be) after being ushered to the sanctuary of the back. Her second? Thanking Stark-Blooded for their part in running off MuTiNy from the ring at the bleakest possible hour…but Stark-Blooded were difficult to find and likely still giving chase to the nefarious Nick Jr. marauders. So that takes Annie to the third item on the list: …tracking down the Powerpuff Girls backstage. The Granola Girl was cognizant enough to know that the PPG, in their standoff from the apron, indeed had a part in MuTiNy's schemes being foiled…but that is the very thing that befuddles the Backyard Sports gal, not exactly expecting anything even of that kind from the Cartoon Network products…
…in spite of Buttercup's "reminder" to Annie from around the corner that the Powerpuffs are the "superior heroines" of the Multiverse. Blossom emphasizes that statement's validity, but also makes it clear to Annie: the Powerpuff Girls' timely salvation came from a place of purpose. Having watched the Six-Female Tag Match from three different angles, the sisters came to an agreement that Annie, May and Dawn meant more to the overall welfare of Team XX than any extra member of MuTiNy. They interjected for the good of the unit and its Ozone 50 prospects. "So basically, what Blossom is saying is that once again, The Greatest Show on Canvas is saved…thanks to the Powerpuff Girls," Bubbles quips cutely, crumpling Annie's ill-placed overnice benefit of doubt.
"Should you fill her in or should I?" Buttercup asks the Commander and Leader…who gives the Toughest Fighter the nod. Buttercup, on this cue, lets Annie know that just like the PPG watched the Six-Woman Tag, they will be watching the match with Team XX on Ozone 50…to make sure the three of them don't end up regretting saving May's skin and Frazier's piece of credibility. "NOBODY makes the Powerpuff Girls, the greatest heroes on this earth, look like fools," Buttercup warns, "so if, come Friday, you end up giving the impression that we made the wrong call here…then the only person who's going to have 'regrets' is YOU…because we will HAPPILY make sure that the mistake is fixed. SWIFTLY."
"…Good luuuuck!" Bubbles pinches Annie's cheek singingly before the Powerpuff Girls walk off, leaving Annie with those words to gulp upon.
"…I'm not going to fail… I WON'T…" Annie says through optimistically gritted teeth. She doesn't appreciate the PPG's veiled threat…but she knows that there's a reason for the pressure. It was pressure she was already placing upon herself…but the EnvironMENTAList knew how to be full of surprises…and she would load up on ALL OF THEM come Friday evening.
In the ring…
Jeremy, Al and Cris are expecting Milly and Tamiya for their in-ring special interview…
…and end up taken by surprise by Alex Trebek, who ambles to the ring himself with a microphone in hand…because, as he declares, HE has an interview to conduct, one he promises will be an attraction for everyone in Brooklyn, New York. With that miniature advert, Alex welcomes…Liu Kang to the squared circle, the sound of "Exploding Helmets" by Daniel Holter and William Kyle White bringing the crowd to loud, multitudinous cheers! Liu Kang comes out, acknowledging and pointing out some fans in the audience who are voicing their fancy for seeing him, his company alignment notwithstanding at the moment. Alex Trebek thanks and welcomes Liu Kang for his presence…and his indulging of the first edition of a brand-new interview style. "See, I could stand here and give you the usual humdrum questionnaire that you'd get from—God bless her—my fellow Canadian Renee Young for instance…but I've got a new technique. The late Roddy Piper once said, 'Just when they think they have all of the answers, I change the questions.' Well, what happens when it's the INTERVIEWER giving the answers and the interviewee giving the questions…?"
Trebek points to the DisneyTron…and a blue table of monetary values appears, ranging from $200 to $1,000 in three columns. Above these three columns appear, upon Trebek's behest, three categories: "Siege-Mund Freud"…"Test Your Fight"…and "The Kalendar". Liu Kang tilts his head at this…but figures that he's indulged weirder things, so why not? Alex asks him to select a category and a dollar amount…so arbitrarily, Liu Kang selects "Siege-Mund Freud" for $600.
"Mortal Kombat's most adept high-flying wrestler is no stranger to realm-collision and warfare, yet for these reasons he abstained from the deposition of WWE from Monday Night RAW," read the clue on the DisneyTron, spoken aloud by Trebek.
Before Liu Kang can start addressing the besieging of RAW, however, Trebek intervenes to remind him that he must register a response in the form of a question. Again, Liu Kang is bemused…yet partially amused as well, so the Shaolin Monk clears his throat…and "asks" with honesty, "What is…'because his focus has been in other places than the CCW/WWE conflict'?" At Sudden Death, Ares captured the Infinity Championship from him…at Zenith, he was going to wrestle for the CCW Magnus Championship…and there had been a multitude of questions amidst the Ozone Regal Rumble winner's friends, allies and acquaintances—as well as outsiders—on how Liu Kang's Journey to Zenith was going to look. Answering such things took up more space in the fighter's mind than the ongoing company quarreling that had exploded since XX 20.
Trebek nods in comprehension…and urges Liu Kang to pick another category. With a raised brow of intrigue, the Kombatant selects "The Kalendar" for $400. As Trebek explains, the category operates thusly: a date appears on the DisneyTron as an "answer", and Liu Kang gives his plans for that date in question. So when the answer "Metamorphosis", CCW's first birthday, pops up…
…Liu Kang responds, "…What is the invocation of my Infinity Championship rematch clause?" which elicits a hefty pop from the crowd. The Infinity Championship, its youth notwithstanding, had an aura and a prestige that was built on the shoulders of Liu Kang himself, and the inaugural Champ would REFUSE to allow it to be compromised by "a deformed deity aided and abetted by a gang of the devil's children"—the way that that Title was rent away from him in Washington, D.C. prohibited him from allowing Ares' reign to exist.
Trebek asks for another clue selection, and this time Liu Kang picks "Test Your Fight" for $200. The answer: "A former Infinity Champion's defense to the possibility of his previous prize clouding his attention to otherwise be placed on his date with the Tokyo Dome."
Liu Kang replies, "What is, 'Principle is NOT a distraction.' Being a two-time Hero of the Year, being hailed as the paragon and beacon of Ozone not by myself but by the individuals around me and by those loyal CCW fans – …it isn't superficial, and it goes far and well beyond a Toyko Dome marquee. Representing that honor and representing those people's faith in it is an interminable commitment. That might not matter to SOME people who call themselves 'heroes' and wish to express their representation of this company differently…but it matters to me, and it will ALWAYS matter. And we can address that talking point further when it's high time for the two of US to come face to face."
With discussions on Metamorphosis and Zenith established, Liu Kang picks "The Kalendar" for $1,000. Answer: "Ozone 50". Adds Trebek, "If the man's goal and aim are to be the shining example of what CCW needs, surely the Kombatant can't be on the sidelines…"
"What is…that I will NOT be on the sidelines…?" Liu Kang speaks. The Shaolin attests that, for a war he said himself he hadn't placed as much attention to as other affairs, at Zero Hour, he found himself running off Digi-X in their attack on Enrique at the conclusion of the evening. Within that moment, it became patently clear to Liu Kang that there was going to be an added stop on the Journey to Zenith that demanded his attention, because, going along what Trebek himself stated, if Liu Kang wanted to represent Character Championship Wrestling as its accepted apotheosis and example, where better, when better and in front of whom better to do so than Madison Square Garden and Ozone 50 in front of both a CCW and WWE/WCW crowd?"
With another nod, Trebek says, "Excellent—we have just a minute to go…which might be enough time for one last clue…so choose wisely…" After a pause for thought (amidst "LIU KANG! LIU KANG! LIU KANG! LIU KANG!" chants), Liu Kang picks "Test Your Fight" one final time for $800…and receives the answer of, "Liu Kang's opponent at Ozone 50". Liu Kang takes a moment to point out "what the fans already know, I'm sure": the fact that there is a certain former Shaolin he happens to know in WCW…and the insinuation scores an IMMEDIATE rumble and pop…as opposed to the wave of boos that ensues upon Liu Kang bringing up the foe said former Shaolin had been warring against… Both of those individuals, both implications, stand out…
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…
…and Liu Kang says, "Who is—"
—and doesn't get any further than that due to Milly and Tamiya storming onto the stage in UTTER PROTEST of the entire interview's occurrence; Liu Kang was supposed to be THEIR interview according to the Kadic girls, something Trebek sneers at, saying, "You snooze, you lose, young ladies!" Liu Kang blinks at the game of interviewer tennis going on before him…
…a game that would have continued further were it not for "Hero" by Skillet playing, signaling the appearance of Ben Tennyson…along with Barry and Kenny flanking him on either side. The Tenth Wonder and the Twinleaves take to the ring…and Barry commends Alex Trebek for "coming back to the dead to do something innovative with this interview…although I feel like you could have picked a better guinea pig personally…" (Kenny winks and snickers at this, thumbing at the Interim RR President in particular…) "…No matter, though, because the Real Blonde Bomb Suck It Kennelly is hereby decreeing that this interview has officially CONCLUDED, hahaha!" The dig at the Wagstaffer irks the audience, not that the Twinleaf Trainer cares…
…and Ben takes to the mic himself, eying the former Infinity Champion and his prospective Zenith adversary. Ben tells Liu Kang that he's "glad Liu Kang will be joining us on Ozone 50; I was concerned that your crossover track record would spook you out of having any part of it." This leads Ben into mentioning Liu Kang's unsuccessful NWA World's Heavyweight Championship bid as well as his elimination from the Hellfire Invitational Battle Royal at the FWAs…which beg the subsequent inquiry from Ben: "…Do you ACTUALLY expect to beat me in Tokyo? I mean…if you can't beat the most insignificant World Champion in the industry, are your chances that enviable against the most important, most consistent one? And if you can't confidently clinch a Battle Royal to earn a match against a company's SECONDARY Champion—because that's what he is, their SECONDARY CHAMPION—…how do you even PRETEND to hold up against this TWO-TIME World Champion of the Year? You got eliminated from that Battle Royal, by the way, by Dwight McCarthy, a guy who was in the 5BW vs. NXT match at the FWAs a year ago—he was A HOT MINUTE OUT OF NXT and he bested you. And you think, you believe in your heart of hearts…that you can get your Infinity Championship back, then march into the Tokyo Dome and take the Magnus Championship too? Tell you what, Liu: how about instead of THAT cockamamie plot, you do this – you invoke your rematch clause…you channel me as best as you can and you muster up SOME kind of a miracle against Ares—I'm sure you'll figure one out…and then, instead of going into the most feta compli of matches in Japan, you stick with the Infinity Title, and you take me up on what OUR Secondary Champion was stupid to spit in the face of. Because while I might not exactly appreciate things like your adorable little 'on call' stunt as a way to satirize MY deal with MY Title, and I could do without the talk on 'bearing standards' like you're satirizing Tai Kamiya at the same time, I'm man enough to level with you and say that you were an impressive Infinity Champion. That's not nothing, you know? That is VALUABLE. I'm serious—when you have the Best in the Universe commending your reign, you know you're doing something right…and that you should keep on doing it and not rock any boats. So once you get that Infinity Championship back like I'm certain you're capable, you can take that legacy of the gold even HIGHER—so high in fact…that I'd have no problem electing YOU my real number two. You could leapfrog CLEAN over the Universal Title and its status (and it's disloyally dunderheaded holder at the moment)…and you'll be publicly exulted as the hero behind the hero. Doesn't that sound a whole lot better than embarrassing yourself one more time on a stage that's far too big for your grade?"
While the Twinleaves nod and bellow out in approval, the crowd in attendance is repulsed by Ben's unambiguous superciliousness…and Liu Kang looks a moment shy of draconic transformation and Ben 10 protagonist incineration the longer Tennyson is in possession of a microphone…which is no let to Ben saying, "Now, I suggest you deeply, DEEPLY mull over all of that as you exit this ring, because my boys and I have a match…or at least we're supposed to have a match; we'll find out in a few moments if there's actually gonna be a match. But either way…I think we're done here…right?"
The fans are clamoring for the response to this to be Liu Kang kicking Ben's head in, with Barry and Kenny as additional victims for a bonus…
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…but instead…
"…Yes, Ben. We are done here," Liu Kang says calmly, borrowing Alex Trebek's mic to speak. "And there IS going to be a main event in a few moments, so yes, I should leave…but there's something that I want YOU to mull over, and I'll make it brief just for your convenience." Ben scoffingly says that he's listening…
…and Liu Kang says, "You say you're the Best Wrestler in the Universe. …I say you're not the best wrestler in this ring. And in due time…I'm going to prove that. Then again, depending on who you ask…I already have."
On that edgily earnest note, one that has fans whistling in keenness, Liu Kang does take his leave…and Ben puts his arm out in front of Kenny and Barry to keep them from going after the Kombatant to make him pay for such words. That payment would come when the time was amenable for it…but for right now…it's time for the CCW Monday Night RAW main event of the evening…
MAIN EVENT – Six-Man Tag Team Match: Omni-Lite vs. TBA
Milly and Tamiya are still on the stage grousing over Alex Trebek robbing their scoop from them, Trebek is enjoying a faraway chuckle over their bitterness…and Ben Tennyson is in the ring shouting for the three new Team Ozone acquisitions to show themselves. "TIME'S UP, dragon children! I gave you the entire night to show me THREE GUYS for Team Ozone, and now I'm giving you no more than a few extra seconds for me to see 'em. It's litmus test time, and I don't give a damn if you twerps don't end up in bed until 4:00 in the morning—YOU WANTED TO BE TEAM OZONE LEADERS…so show me your responsibility's worth. WHO'S COMING DOWN THAT RAMP TO WRESTLE US? I'm waiting to see 'em RIGHT NOW…"
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"Exactly as I thought—I knew this was gonna happen! I TOLD YOU, Ben!" Kenny sneers. "Those two couldn't lead a troop of BOY SCOUTS never mind Team Fletchling Ozone of all things!"
"Yeah, and you know what? Stringing us along, talking all tough-like and not delivering? Wasting our time like this deserves one HERACROSS of a fine!" Barry exclaims, eying his Pokétch intensely and proceeding to initiate a rapid countdown.
"Trust me, Barry—a fine is the absolute LEAST of the things they need to worry about because I'm thinking that whatever they make for an allowance is gonna be put to better use covering all of the medical work that'll be necessary when I find them…" Ben darkly says. "Maybe the behind-the-scenes beating I gave them in Paris after they lost the Titles wasn't heavy enough; maybe…we need part two…" Benjamin is reaching the end of his patience… "…and MAYBE, this time, we make that part two happen RIGHT HERE IN THE RING—the TRUE main event since we're apparently not getting the scheduled one…"
"Ooh! Ooh! Can we join in?! Can we join in?! Can we?! Can we?!" Barry eagerly jumps up and down with a raised hand.
"You sure as hell can!" Ben permits. "As a matter of fact, since there aren't any teammates for them to bring on out, anybody back there who's APPALLED by the Dragon Kids being Team Ozone's 'leaders' can gladly pool together while we beat the crap out of them!" Cris Collinsworth is on board; Al Michaels is wondering if Liu Kang's parting words got Ben so heated previously that it's fueling the current remarks on Max and Enrique…
…and Ben resolves that he's done talking about it and is ready to move on to DOING IT, ready to make a trek to the back and drag the Dragon Kids by their collars for a public massacre…
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…but before he can act upon this—
AAAAAAAAAWWWWESSSSOOOOOOOOME!
"I Came To Play" by Downstait plays, making Ben Ten do a double-take—along with Collinsworth, along with Jeremy, along with fans…
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…and "The MVMVP" Tom Brady confirms his presence, walking onto the stage with a knowing smirk crossing his face upon sight of Ben's befuddlement. Milly and Tamiya, still on stage, are also surprised to see the quarterback, who mouths in Ben's direction, "Happy to see me?"…
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…and adds to the shock by saying on the mic, "For the record…the Dragon Kids didn't keep you waiting; I kept ya waiting, Champ. I just wanted to watch you dig your hole deeper a few extra furlongs, hahahaha…"
"…WAIT A MINUTE… Are YOU TELLING ME…? …ARE YOU TELLING ME…?!" Jeremy connects the dots behind Brady's words.
"I normally would take offense to being picked for this team FOURTH—technically being picked NINTH considering the five drops—…but hey, I got drafted in the sixth round back in 2000, so maybe I'm just used to getting picked late. I won't hold THAT many hard feelings!" Brady, by those words, verifies that he is indeed one of the three new add-ons to Team Ozone. Milly and Tamiya, right beside him, figure that this would be a perfect opportunity to ask the New England Patriot why, making up for the scoop that Trebek stole from them. Brady, indulging this inquiry, says that he despises Digital Generation-X as much, if not MORE, than the Dragon Kids (in no small part augmented by what they did earlier that very night, verbal excrement included)—he was the first to approach the PBS duo post-Zero Hour, in fact, with an offer of his own services to the ORIGINAL Team Ozone. Now that Team Ozone 2.0 is coming along, who better to be on forefront than the Most Valuable Most Valuable Player? Moreover, who better to represent CCW in that Sixteen-Man Tag contest than the former Universal Champion who put the promotion on the map and put the Fiction Wrestling circuit on notice? He was the first real-world athlete in Fiction Wrestling to create and shatter his own mold…and on Ozone 50, he was going to "unleash a Tom Brady that the WWE should have never pissed off".
Ben, to answer the previous rhetorical question, is NOT happy to see the MVMVP, but "commends" him for "swallowing enough of [his] pride to work on a team being captained by Vivian Lake's classmates"—a comment that Brady receives with a laugh… a very unpleasantly foreboding laugh. "Dare I ask…WHO ELSE?" Ben asks. "Because at first I was wondering who'd want to team up with Max and Enrique, but now I've gotta add an addendum on who's okay with teaming up with YOU—I don't think you can bring Gronkowski with you, and even if you could, he'd probably be questionable by Friday and doubtful by Saturday." Brady motions for Ben to keep talking…and keep talking Ben does…
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…and then, "Medal" by Jim Johnston plays! Ben looks up at the ceiling and jeers at it in anti-humor…while Barry and Kenny look at each other…
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…as Michael Phelps appears on the stage…and the fans burst into obligatory chants of "YOU SUCK! …YOU SUCK! …YOU SUCK! …YOU SUCK!" in tune with his music.
"Who'd want to team up with Tom Brady, you ask? …Well, I sure would!" Phelps answers into Milly's microphone. "When it comes to heroes in American athletics, or just heroes in America in GENERAL, there's a short list of guys who can touch the likes of me…but my friend Tom over here? He might just come close enough, heh-heh…" Phelps and Brady exchange a fist bump on the stage, ostensibly a sign of camaraderie between them. When asked by Tamiya why he was on Team Ozone now, Phelps answers by referencing how the Dragon Kids were lied to, played with, and ultimately taken for fools by the "authority" known as Bulma Briefs – "Hmmmm…getting screwed with by someone who has no business in power—where has THAT happened before? If you said 'GPW for an entire SIX MONTHS of my and the Olympic Entourage's careers', you're right! Because the Anything But Justice League had me jumping through more hoops than Superman had to fly through in 1999 before I could become its rightful AND official king. So suffice it to say, I think I can relate to those two boys pretty well right now…so much so that I'm willing to overlook the girl from their show and her issues with Misty and Kerri. Now…the only screwing there's going to be is the greatest Olympian of all time screwing the ankles of Team Animated/Showdown right off of their legs. And if there are any COMMENTATORS who happen to have a problem with that, haha…well, I've got something special for them too. After all…I have a knack for putting legends into the Hall of Lame, right,Jeremy?"
"…" Jeremy doesn't speakon that quip, simply remaining po-faced…
…and Ben "gives credit" to the Dragon Kids for finding two admittedly talented ("if not significantly irritating") wrestlers "who are firmly game to lend their time to your cause in spite of the most DUBIOUS Title loss in CCW history…but I only see TWO…and I BELIEVE that I asked you to find three." Ben demands that there be no more waiting, no more suspense, no more games, no more ballyhoo about it – who is the third acquired member of Team Ozone?
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Ben Ten's time tolerance has just about waned. "What, are they rummaging around for someone at the last minute back there? I gave them almost TWO HOURS…!" Barry looks at Ben's Omnitrix, checking to see if Ben's watch can tell better time than his Pokétch…and Kenny mocks the Dragon Kids' perceived inability to count, counting on his fingers: "Oooooone…twooooooo…thr—"
"Just Close Your Eyes" by Waterproof Blonde plays! Ben's fury turns into DUMBFOUNDED SKEPTICISM, certain that he COULDN'T BE HEARING WHAT HE WAS HEARING…
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…and Brady smirks…
…Phelps chuckles and makes space…
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…and Barry nearly FALLS OVER, Kenny having to catch him…
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…as Jimmy Neutron deliberately walks onto the stage, confirming Ben's surprise along with the Twinleaves' additional awe! Jimmy peers around the equally-stunned audience that is endorsing this revelation with NOISE…
…and the moment the music ceases and Ben's shock wears off, the Tenth Wonder SCREAMS at Neutron for answers…and Milly Solovieff has her microphone ready for the Boy Genius…
"…I've owed PBS a favor ever since Regal Rumble… I've owed PBS sundry favors since Regal Rumble…" Jimmy says. "The condition of the Public Broadcasting Service Kids…has been middling on its best days yet ghastly on its worst, and that is not wholly because of me but it is partly because of me, and that is a quantity too mammoth for my conscience to bear. And maybe, Benjamin, Kenneth, and Barry, that is something that none of you well feel a concern about…and that's perfectly amenable. However, I do care. Moreover to that, psychosomatically…I've been in an unconventional place since World Wrestling Television, the sixth Company of the Year, reached its conclusion. That, I understand, is ALSO going to mean much more to me than it will to you, and that, too, is amenable…" Jimmy has himself a gulp, some emotion showing on his face. "…World Wrestling Television was my home. …World Wrestling Television is where the Fiction Wrestling circuit pointed when the individual standing before you occurred in conversation – THAT was their point of reference with respect to me. …However…with WWT's doors closed…I needed to think acutely about what I wanted the Fiction Wrestling devotees to think when they heard the name 'James Isaac Neutron'. Moments like THIS are what make the decision…so that's why I am making the decision to align myself with PBS's best tag team when they most need me…and more importantly…when they most…want me." Jimmy's tone takes on an air of humility on that line that the audience recognizes…
…before the Boy Genius looks at the ring and says, "There's my elucidation for you, gentlemen. Now…without further cessation…I think we have a match. Thomas…Michael…let's do this." Jimmy returns the microphone to Milly. "Thank you. …Gotta blast."
With that, Boy Genius, Olympian and MVMVP make their way to the ring…and Ben immediately affirms that he will start for Omni-Lite, pushing the Twinleaves to the corner…while the Team Ozone opposition reach the opposite corner, and upon seeing Ben starting for Omni-Lite, Brady immediately volunteers for his squad…and Noguchi Goro takes a DEEP BREATH…
MAIN EVENT – Six-Man Tag Team Match: Omni-Lite vs. "The Boy Genius" Tom Brady, Michael Phelps and "The Boy Genius" Jimmy Neutron
It doesn't take long for the Tenth Wonder and the MVMVP to reprise their rivalry to kick this main event Six-Man Tag off, going at each other right from the opening bell! What starts with condescendingly unclean Collar-and-Elbow breaks against the ropes (Brady to Ben) and even a hand kiss upon releasing a post-Arm Drag Armbar by the ropes (Ben to Brady) soon evolves into a Tom Brady Buckle Bomb try (countering a Back Body Drop from Ben following an Irish Whip), but Ben counters free from Buckle Bomb and answers with an Alien Act try—that Brady gets out of to attempt a Personal Foul—that Ben counters via Victory Roll, transitioning to his feet and aiming to apply a Cloverleaf Quasar to the supine quarterback—who flips Ben onto his back for a Sunset Pin—that Ben reverses into a Jackknife Pin—that Brady backward rolls from, going for the Buckle Bomb a second time—only for Ben to reverse with a Hurricanrana! Ben gets up and goes for the Intergalactic, but Brady pushes Ben off, and both New England Patriot and Magnus Champion take each other down with stereo Clotheslines…then jump back up and take each other down with ANOTHER pair of stereo Clotheslines…then jump back up and take each other down a THIRD time with stereo Clotheslines! The third time they both rise, they enter a minute's worth of trading punches like the most pugnacious of merchants until they both poke each other in the eyes! That ultimately forces Tennyson and Brady backwards into their own corners, holding their afflicted eyes and snarling contemptuously at each other, even as they are effectively forced to tag out to partners. The interchange, however, gets the audience fairly amped up from the get-go.
Barry tags in, as does Michael Phelps…and Barry feels beyond amped up when he sprints in and Dropkicks Phelps in the knee immediately! The Twinleaf Trainer performs crotch chops galore and even climbs a neutral corner to raise his arms in preemptive triumph…but, in Michael Phelps' words, "Who the hell do you think I am: Julius Caesar?!" Phelps snatches Barry as he hops from the corner, Exploder Suplexing the Pokémon character! The Olympic gold medalist controls Barry with Fujiwara Armbars to both arms, a Karelin Lift and a Gutwrench Suplex—that Barry actually blocks by issuing a frantic flurry of Hammerfists to Phelps' thigh. The swimming legend gets cut down—but smirks, proclaiming he's "just kidding" as he SNAP Gutwrench Suplexes Barry to the canvas regardless! Phelps rolls into a Seated Half-Hatch application, kneeing Barry in the face six times…and then deadlifting the blonde boy and driving him down with a Front Half-Hatch Drop Suplex! Michael hits the ropes and jumps 180 degrees, rolling over Barry's back to get behind him for an ANKLE LOCK—but Barry actually prevents this from being his fate by hobbling in a miniature panic towards his corner…and forward rolling such that it breaks the grip on his foot and sends Phelps towards the ropes where Kenny grabs his head and brings it across the top rope with a Hotshot! Barry tags Kenny in, and Kenny vaults from the apron into a Slingshot Body Press that leads to a Side Mount and punches directed at Phelps' face! The Twinleaves then execute a double-team, Double Irish Whipping Phelps and receiving him with a Double Hip Toss and subsequent Double Dropkicks to the sides of his skull…and then both Kenny and Barry pick Phelps up via Double Wrist-Clutch Wheelbarrow, turning that lift into a Double Argentine Backbreaker! Kenny, kneeling holds onto Phelps, and Barry leapfrogs over both his partner and his Olympian foe to dash at Tom Brady and Dropkick him off of the apron! As Brady falls, Barry meets visages with Jimmy Neutron…and while Kenny flips the Argentine into a Fireman's Carry and Samoan Drives Phelps to the mat, seamlessly catching him in a Lotus Lock (the prime position for Kenny to next perform Seated Dabbing Forearm Rakes to the back of Phelps' head, eliciting an arena-wide cringe), Barry poses once more the inquiries thrown Jimmy's way by all of Omni-Lite: what is Jimmy doing and why is he there? As Barry attempts to talk Jimmy away from the Dragon Kids' Team Ozone, though, Jimmy points away from Barry's attention to Michael Phelps, who has backward rolled from the Lotus Lock into an Inverted Prawn Hold Pin! Kenny is able to, fortunately for Barry, kick out—fortunate because Barry was being held back from the outside by Tom Brady as the pinfall was occurring. In fact, Brady KEEPS Barry down by the foot post-external tripping, all of this in front of Neutron's eyes. Barry shouts up to Jimmy now for him to "tell [Brady] to let [him] go"…but as Michael Phelps lifts Kenny up into an Elevated North-South Choke, Neutron remains but a witness…as Phelps walks with Kenny upside-down in his clutches…and deposits Kenny's body onto Barry's back via Delayed Inverted Drop Front Suplex! Brady then pulls the aching Barry out of the ring and Fisherman Suplexes him onto the ground…
…while Michael Phelps tags in Jimmy Neutron, finally legalizing him in this match to the crowd's intrigue. Jimmy grabs Kenny's left arm, twists it in the Wrist Lock…and deals out a Middle Kick to the chest, a sequence he repeats almost unremittingly even as Kenny is trying to breathe out more insistences for Jimmy to rethink the Dragon Kids' Team Ozone. The fans, catching on, even start "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"-ing in anticipation of each of Jimmy's unfailing kicks to the torso! Kenny eventually falls onto his posterior, leading to a Neutron Neck Snap…and an Infinite Spinning Toe Hold that works towards compromising Kenny's right leg—presumably, mentions Jeremy on commentary, for an eventual Neutron Lock. Kenny, knowing this even more so than the Black Mamba, recognizes the urgency of freedom and grab the ropes to a break. Once again, he tries to talk Jimmy down…but Jimmy replies with a Clothesline over the ropes, a running of the ropes…and a FEIGNED Suicide Dive, noticing Kenny ducking in expectation for the flight; Jimmy Springboards off of the middle rope into a somersault on the canvas, points to his head, and rushes for a TRUE Suicide Dive—that Ben Ten interrupts by rushing into the ring and following Jimmy all the way through the run, tossing him between the ropes and maintaining him the entire way…setting the Boy Genius up for a Hangman's DDT—that Jimmy prevents by getting his feet off of the rope and Backdropping Benjamin over the ropes and onto the apron. Jimmy, back to autonomy, runs to the adjacent ropes and Triangle Dropkicks—no one, becauseBen interrupts this by running and PUSHING Jimmy off of the ropes, causing him to SPLAT onto the outside floor with his ENTIRE SPINE bouncing off of the ground!
The sickening sound of Jimmy hitting the ground ECHOES in the ears of Kenny and Barry, who express their concern over their fellow Rookie Revolutionary and his dreadful condition. Crowd members actively cover their mouths in empathetic horror, seeing Jimmy Neutron convulsing on the floor and wriggling statically. Kenny, the currently legal man for Omni-Lite, checks on Jimmy…but Ben yells to the Twinleaf Coordinator that he wants to be officially tagged in. Kenny obliges from the outside, tagging Ben on the apron…and Ben hops down, picks Jimmy up, rolls him into the ring…and sees Jimmy sluggishly—if not completely out of instincts only—manage his way to his knees—only for Ben to BIG BOOT the brainiac in the back of the head! The Twinleaves and the audience go from shocked and worried to AGHAST as Ben stomps onto Jimmy's back over and over! The appalled sentiment only increases as Ben BODY SLAMS Jimmy squarely into the turnbuckles, then clobbers away at him with a Short-Arm European Uppercut and Wrist-Clutch Stomps here, a Fake Irish Whip into a Drop Toe Hold Middle-Rope Stun Gun there, and a Cross Body onto the roped Neutron's spine elsewhere! Barry and Kenny both try to calm Ben to a form of his senses, reminding him that Jimmy is a member of the RR…but Ben retorts with a point of his own to his teammates: "He's the Boy Genius, right? So he should KNOW BETTER than to be doing this. I don't know about you, but I'M gonna be his hero here. I'm gonna show him the mistake he's making…" The Tenth Wonder's words are rather chilling…
…but both Barry and Kenny are successfully coaxed thusly into taking turns SUPERPLEXING JIMMY TO THE MAT HARD ONTO HIS SPINE! Jimmy's eyes glaze over in his spinal torment, and the Twinleaves and Ben all keep Brady or Phelps from running into the ring to do anything on Neutron's behalf—although Phelps is able to, on one occasion at least, counter Kenny's Cactus Clothesline by holding onto the Coordinator all the way through getting flipped out of the ring, landing onto his feet and Belly-to-Belly Overhead Suplexing Kenny onto the floor; however, this is shortly replied to by Ben Ten Suicide Diving at Phelps into a Tilt-a-Whirl Inverted Facelock that leads into a BKT onto the arena floor! "How ironic is it right now that the 'hero' and his cronies are preventing Neutron from potentially being saved by HIS partners?!" Al remarks…to which Cris Collinsworth, also contemplative over this turn of events, susurrates something to the effect of this being a form of tough love…"tough love that's even tougher to watch…but Prez knows best as far as I'm concerned here." And so after Barry's Superplex…and Kenny's Superplex…Ben takes Jimmy to the top rope…and AVALANCHE ALIEN ACTS HIM TO THE CENTER OF THE RING! Jimmy is BARELY MOBILE by this point, hardly able to even lift his head to look up and swat at the air before him, something Barry gathers from the Omni-Lite corner with a returning concern that borders on fear…and Ben, evaluating the state of the Nicktoon, crouches over him and says, "I know what a bad back feels like…so I'm telling you now: you've got one last chance here, Jimmy. You go towards their corner…and this really gets ugly, man. Make the better choice…or you won't leave me with a choice…" Jimmy…is cognizant enough to hear this proviso…and look at the Omni-Lite corner in which Barry is standing (Kenny still down from Phelps' Suplex of earlier)…
…but Jimmy still uses his fists and knees to make a play for the corner with Brady awaiting a prospective tag. Ben, having reached an end of wits, pulls Jimmy back, hauls him up and—DOESN'T get the Intergalactic, Jimmy managing to counter by grabbing Ben's superior arm and spinning the Wrist Lock into a Q.E.D.! That creates the distance necessary for Ben to be unable to stop Jimmy from tagging out…but Tennyson is aware enough of this to tag out to Barry…who sees Jimmy's struggle towards his corner…and stands still watching him inch closer and closer, much to certain folks' bemusement…but Jeremy decodes that Barry, thinking for the Boy Genius, mercifully wants Jimmy to make it for his very own sake…and Jimmy Neutron—is denied the tag to Brady by KENNY, who pries Brady away from the apron and POWERBOMBS HIM onto Al and Cris' announce table! Kenny, on his feet again, runs back to the Omni-Lite corner…and Too Sweets a SMIRKING Barry, who runs in and drops Jimmy with a Deadlift Rolling Reverse Bulldog onto the back of his head! Ergo, Jeremy, on color commentary, realizes that Barry knew where Kenny was the entire time and was in on the whole plot. The fans realize as much too, and their resultant boos echo as loudly as the initial spine-to-floor collision from Neutron that began this entire situation. The Twinleaves, however, work through these boos by double-teaming the Boy Genius – a Tilt-a-Whirl Gutbuster by Barry plus a Swinging Neckbreaker by Kenny; a Sit-Out Wheelbarrow Facebuster by Barry compounded by a Complete Shot by Kenny, transitioned into a Two-Man Cavernaria with Kenny arching up into an Inverted Side Headlock stretching Neutron over Barry's knees…and with the Twinleaves trapping Jimmy in this manner, Ben Ten ascends to the top rope himself…
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…and Diving Elbow Drops Jimmy's nigh-broken body, nailing him right in the heart!
"COTTON CANDY CHRIST, Jimmy got folded up like a damn note being passed around in class!" Jeremy calls. More convulsions come from Jimmy's supine frame…and as the Twinleaves take their twin leaves away from James' body…Ben grabs Jimmy's legs and LOCKS IN THE CLOVERLEAF QUASAR. Jimmy appears to be passing out from the sheer, unspeakable pain…pain that is unable to be relieved by a savior as the returning Phelps gets Double Speared by both Twinleaves! Referee Noguchi Goro checks on Jimmy…and is a half-second away from calling for the bell…
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…but both he and Ben are left in indescribable disbelief when Jimmy grabs at Ben's calf in an effort to bend it behind his head and apply a Neutron Lock from his stomach! Ben, realizing Jimmy's ploy, feverishly relinquishes the Cloverleaf Quasar to leap his legs away from Jimmy's prying hands! Leaning against the ropes, he glowers at Jimmy THUNDERSTRUCK…and then strikes back with the force of thunder, positioning and pushing Jimmy into a neutral corner and Back Clubbing him incessantly and wildly, astonishment turning into exception and offense! Then Ben sets Jimmy up onto the top rope…climbs up himself…issues MORE Back Clubs…applies an Elevated Standing Headscissors…LIFTS UP JIMMY…and—has his Superbomb REVERSED IN MID-AIR BY JIMMY via a Flying Avalanche Yoshi-Tonic that drops Ben Tennyson 85 degrees to the canvas, nearly directly onto his head! The remarkable counter incites the Barclays Center crowd, and it takes away Ben's sensibilities as to knowing where he is…but Jimmy knows just enoughabout where he is…TO MAKE THE TAG TO A ZEALOUS THOMAS BRADY! The MVMVP's first act upon entering the ring? A BUCKLE BOMB to Ben Ten, followed by a Running Knee Lift to the face off of the ropes! After knocking down Barry and Kenny from the apron—a favor returned—Brady then performs a Running Bear Hug Waist Lift…into a Side Spinebuster that's close enough to a corner for TB12 to follow right up with a Touchdown Splash!
"THIS TIDE ISN'T CRIMSON, BUT IT'S A-TURNING, ALRIGHT!" Al Michaels quips as Brady beats his chest!
"We've got us a Miracle in Barclays—people are ACTUALLY LENDING SOME CHEERS to Tom freakin' Brady!" Jeremy notices, of course adding that Jimmy Neutron had more to do with it than Brady himself…
…but Brady is indeed the legal man, and said legal man wants the Personal Foul…but Ben backs into the Omni-Lite corner to break Brady's Cobra Clutch, aided by a recovering Barry and Kenny climbing up the corner and punching at the face of the quarterback! The Twinleaves then grab each of Brady's arms, keeping him pinioned against the turnbuckles…long enough for Ben to charge into his stomach with a Corner Spear that Barry and Kenny abet with dual Rope-Aided Enzuigiris! Ben tosses Brady through the ropes and maintains an Elevated Front Facelock…pulling Tom partially into the ring from here, and then tagging Barry…so Ben can Hangman's DDT Brady while Barry executes a Topé Atómico onto Brady's back to add to the impact! Barry grabs Brady himself…and Kenny tags in while Barry lifts Brady up, Wrist-Clutch Fisherman's Style…for the Twinleaf Trainer to SCORE with the Platinum Blonde while the Twinleaf Coordinator Diving Front Dropkicks the back of Brady's head! All of that cranial offense renders Brady a woozy mess…and Kenny, knowing this, pins the man! Phelps, running in, ducks a Clothesline from Barry and German Suplexes Barry—right into Ben Ten's arms, the Magnus Champion CATCHING Barry to prevent him from falling onto Kenny's pin on Brady as intended! Barry lifts his feet up and Ben rams him ahead for an Aided Front Dropkick to send Phelps back…
…
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…while Kenny scores the three-count—or, rather, WOULD HAVE SCORED IT absent Jimmy Neutron flying out of nowhere from the top rope onto Ben and Barry with a Cross Body Block, the whole pile falling onto Kenny and Brady to break the pin! Incredulous as everybody is down, fans in Brooklyn find themselves chanting, "JIMMY NEUTRON! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap) JIMMY NEUTRON! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap) JIMMY NEUTRON! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap)"
Speaking of the genius, he's the first one to his feet…followed by all of Omni-Lite…and Jimmy issues Knife Edge Chops to the chests of all three: Ben, Kenny, Barry, Ben, Kenny, Barry…Ben, Kenny, Barry…Ben, Kenny, Barry…Ben…Kenny…Barry…Ben…Kenny…Barry…Ben—cuts Jimmy off with a Discus Elbow…Kenny—fires back with a Spinning Dab Fist…Barry—NEARLY TAKES JIMMY'S HAIR OFF OF HIS HEAD via MMMBop Superkick, complete with a spinning taunt of "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…" and a point down at Jimmy on "BOP!" With Jimmy out of the way, Ben gives Barry and Kenny the directive to end things, reminding them that Brady is the legal man…and with that reminder, Barry sets Brady up in Belly-to-Belly Reverse Piledriver position, Kenny going to the apron…and Ben keeping Phelps at bay…
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…but as Kenny Springboards for the Somersault, Phelps suddenly makes an adjustment and OLYMPIC SLAMS BEN RIGHT INTO KENNY'S FLIGHT PATH, causing both the Ben 10 and Pokémon characters to unceremoniously collide into each other in the air! Barry's exclamation of "OH SHINX OH SHINX OH SHINX!" tells the story…and to make matters worse for him on that front, Brady slinks behind Barry's grip, applying a Sleeper Hold…using it to wear down the "Real Blonde Bomb Suck It Kennelly"…before turning Barry around twenty-nine seconds later…to execute what Cris christens the GOST-STYLE PILEDRIVER, a Gotch-Style Piledriver retitled after Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski! Following this, Brady and Phelps guide each other up, so THEY can double-team on the legal man Kenny…and as Brady applies the Cobra Clutch, Phelps gets a hold of the Twinleaf at an angle…and the two athletes perform a High-Angle Personal Foul / Olympic Slam combination that deposits Kenny onto his own head! Brady enters a pre-victory lap on this, declaring things just about FINISHED…but just before a pin can be registered, Jimmy Neutron, grave backache and all, has his own hand outstretched from his team's corner. The Boy Genius wants to be the one to put the exclamation point on things…and to the normally selfish Brady's credit, it's something he considers…
…
…
…
…and after a fifteen-second think, Brady GIVES BEN A POINT-AFTER TOUCHDOWN, returning him to unmoving procumbency before tagging in Jimmy, who puts Kenny in the Neutron Lock! Phelps grabs Barry at the same time and puts him in the Olympic Rings, his Rings of Saturn variation that hinders one Twinleaf from coming to the aid of the other…
…
…
…and Kenny goes from stretching an arm out to his partner for assistance…to slapping the canvas in capitulation, victory sealed for Neutron, Brady and Phelps!
After the match…
Jimmy, Brady and Phelps, in a mutualistic acknowledgement and respect of their victorious efforts, raise each other's arms after the match. It was a tough outing for all three of them – Omni-Lite were an interconnected trio with the Twinleaves and Ben Ten, World Champion and multi-time Tag Team Champion in copious organizations; Brady and Phelps were established singles competitors teaming up; Neutron, uniquely, was a singles wrestler with numerous WWT Tag Team Championship reigns under his Belt, adding a versatile synergy to the threesome (and Team Ozone entirely) that would make a difference on Saturday night. Phelps checks on Neutron, making sure his back is holding up…and the brainiac sustains that he is fine, though he does use partial assistance to walk, a hand on Brady and Phelps' shoulders apiece. The three head up to the stage…
…where they are met by Max and Enrique, wearing smiles on their faces – their three recruits had proven their mettle right in front of Ben Ten, right in front of Omni-Lite et al…and judging from the five-way exchanges of handshakes amongst them all, the team is on the right page. Ben, pulling himself up from the ropes with CCW Magnus Championship in a limp hand, manages to shout up the ramp, "YOU STILL NEED TWO MORE, YOU BRATS! YOU STILL NEED TWO MORE!" Jeremy calls out Ben's sour grapes…Cris tells Jeremy to shut up…
…and backstage, cameras show a stoked Tommy Pickles applauding his Team Ozone mates, both captains and new additions…
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…and new cameras show Brad Carbunkle and Carver Hawke in a locker room watching Team Ozone on the stage via television…a hand on Carbunkle's chin…
…Mega Man watching the proceedings from his locker room…along with Toon Link, Captain Falcon and Little Mac behind him…
…Kurtis Stryker watching, baton in hand being twirled…
…Tony Delvecchio watching, smirking with a lollipop in his mouth…
…Slider watching…his own reflection in his Squak Pad…but sparing a peek at the television here and there…
…and Tobey McCallister watching…with a very…discontented look on his face…
"Did any of YOU know about this?" Tobey points to the television as he looks at the rest of the members of the Brain Trust…who all shake their heads and adjust their glasses in unison. Tobey, logging this, narrows his eyes…his pupils almost seething on their very own…
On the stage, however, the Dragon Kids have one more raise of their, Brady, Neutron and Phelps' hands…before Max, a ball of hype, motions to the RAW audience and yells, "WE'LL SEE YOU ALL AT THE GARDEN, GUYS! PLOT HOLE EXIT'S STILL BY CONCESSIONS! HOPE YOU LIKED OUR SHOW… IT'S ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF OUR WEEK!"
And thusly, one commentary sign-off later (complete with Jeremy shouting, "YOU SAID IT, MAXY!" and Cris laughing over how fun this all was), CCW RAW concludes…
Results for CCW Monday Night RAW:
Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match: The Dragon Kids [c-c] def. The X-Factors, The Runaway Guys (Proton Jon and NintendoCapriSun w/ Chuggaaconroy) and The Bladebreakers via pinfall to retain co-captainship of Team Ozone
Singles Match: Emmy def. Kerri Walsh Jennings (w/ Misty May-Treanor) via submission
Singles Match: William Dunbar [c] def. Pablo Sanchez via pinfall to retain the 5BW Platinum Championship
Singles Match: Gwen Tennyson [c] def. Tina Armstrong via pinfall to retain the CCW Females Championship
Six-Female Tag Team Match: Annie Frazier and the Poké-Coordinators def. MuTiNy (Alicia Marquez, Tasha and Uniqua w/ Dora "The Explorer" Marquez, Kai-Lan and Boots the Monkey) via disqualification; per the stipulation, MuTiNy does not seize the eighth spot on Team XX
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Jimmy Neutron, Michael Phelps and "The MVMVP" Tom Brady def. Omni-Lite (Kenny, Barry and Ben Tennyson) via submission
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The WWE Network feed begins to get fuzzy, and while people file out, the picture on The TitanTron turns into a video. The video features the head of The WWE Animation Division, Commander Duke. Crowd cheers (of whoever is left) come through while the Chairman of The Animation Board just begins to slowly clap.
"...*Clap*...*Clap*...*Clap*...Congratulations, CCW. The WWE has suffered setbacks and defeats before. But nothing on this magnitude of demoralizing. This may be the most embarrassing defeat in wrestling history. Belts can be stolen and pride can be taken...but the show? The biggest weekly show in wrestling history? Monday Night RAW was STOLEN and PARADED AROUND LIKE A JOKE on a national stage by Character Championship Wrestling. You think UWE ever had Brawl stolen? Or WWT ever had Monday Night Program stolen? Think the Fox would ever get to see Flame be taken from his hands by a company? This is unprecedented...and I almost have to commend you for it. I could also have you arrested for this...but instead, I'll just clap. Because we were caught off guard, and we were taken advantage of. Bulma, even when I was weary of Zero Kazama coming on the show with The CCW roster, wanted you on the show. Now I am disappointed in a lot of things right now, but I cannot say I'm not impressed. I'm proud of at least one person. You were right, Zero. With the right words and cause, you could get The CCW roster to follow your orders. You ARE the undisputed lead of CCW, and your roster will unify under your cause. ...You're the one person I'm proud of, in case that wasn't obvious."
Duke sighs heavily and looks down, "Of course, I could also ban you from coming to SmackDown...and we'll see you this weekend on YOUR turf. ...I won't do that. Instead, I actively ENCOURAGE CCW to come tomorrow. WCW will get the spotlight tomorrow. Ken Anarchy will have his turn to govern while TW gets a night of rest. I want CCW to come to SmackDown, because the worst thing WWE could do right now is not respond." Duke said, "We could pull out of CCW Ozone 50 and let some OTHER company handle your insanity. We could say, 'We lost...we can't do this...let another fed cross over with CCW. MAYBE a CCW-UWE rematch show!' ...But that would be a disservice to the fans who bought tickets to see a WWE-CCW showdown AFTER ALL THE HYPE! No one in the company will run...but if anyone not on the card does not want to go to Ozone 50, I will allow them a free pass to go back home for a paid weekend off. But for those who WANT to go, they will go to Ozone 50 KNOWING that this is not longer a show about cooperation and friendliness. I'll see you all tomorrow for SmackDown. And Zero...I want you to especially be there. I want to talk to you in front of the entire world. The battlelines have been drawn. And New York HAS been split down the middle between us. JERSEY has been split. LONG ISLAND has been split. We can't pretend this isn't what it truly is...what it always was, even when Vince was the run hassling Gordon and Paige..."
Duke looks dead at the camera...at CCW...a stillness overcoming his body...
"...a battle ...If it wasn't known then...then let the takeover of RAW be known as the official call to action. Let it be known that the state of war between Character Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment is hereby formally declared. And by GOD...there will be retaliation. See you tomorrow, Ozone and Double X...and I'll be seeing you personally, Mr. Kazama."
The feed ends, and The CCW hold on the feed begins going fuzzy as WWE technicians begin trying to take the entire network back.
Tuesday, May 28th: SmackDown card
Tomoko Kuroki vs Winry Rockbell
Kung Lao vs Joshua Graham
Trunks Briefs vs Bart Allen
Mix Tag "Warm Up": Android 17 and Android 18 vs. ?
Yuna Kamihara sit down interview about her match with Chell
Broly 3 Minute Challenge
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez vs. Julius Caesar
Annie Frazier vs. Blank Scootaloo
Dragon Kids vs Digi-X (If Digi-X win they are added to the CCW Tag Title Match)