Team Work chapter 244
July 31st, 2020
Stephanie closes her eyes and hums, enjoying the quiet intensity of those around her as she leans up to put the evening's match card in place on the wall. She turns and eyes those wrestlers scattered around, muttering and waiting to see what's on tap for them this evening. "Have a good show, boys," she calls out to them before walking past, shoulders held high as she breezes past her office and heads outside for some air, lips pressed tightly together, hands trembling ever so slightly, the memory of the phone call she'd just gotten still replaying in her mind.
"Dammit," she breathes out, tilting her head to absorb as much of the warmth of the late summer sun as she can, desperate to ease how cold she feels in this moment.
Kicking the night off, Io Shirai and Bayley only just get along in tag team competition against Deonna Purrazzo and Hikaru Shida to defeat them, Io reluctantly taking advantage of Bayley's brutal attack on Deonna, sending her sharply into the turnbuckle post to defeat her. Orange Cassidy beats Joaquin Wilde, and Luchasaurus only just barely gets the upperhand on Mox. Eddie Edwards partners with Chuck to defeat Trent and Kenny Omega, and Jungle Boy's stubbornness leads to a win over Raul Mendoza.
Lashley defeats King Corbin, and Fabian Aichner partners with Isaiah Swerve Scott to victory against Buddy Murphy and Dexter Lumis. Naomi beats Tegan Nox, and Marcel Barthel wins against Big E.
Luke Gallows and Cody beats AJ Styles and Johnny Gargano. Sasha Banks defeats Mercedes Martinez, and Karl Anderson teams successfully with Hangman Page against Darby Allin and Andrade.
The main event pits Drew McIntyre against Angel Garza. Drew is as focused and determined as ever, but Garza is confident and smug, dismissive of the world champion. He eyes the screens surrounding them with some amusement, only bothering to pay some attention when the bell rings and the referee starts instructing them to begin. Drew, frustrated by Garza's lack of interest, tries to make quick work of things, but despite Angel's beginning attitude, it's clear he is paying some attention because he meets Drew head on with an elbow to the jaw, rocking the man. A dropkick follows, and Drew staggers further, completely flabbergasted by the turn this has suddenly taken.
Garza's offense, however, only lasts for so long before Drew reclaims control of himself and sidesteps, landing a solid boot across Angel's jaw, downing him immediately. McIntyre, eyes blazing, grips Garza by the jaw and drags him upright, about to finish him off with a Glasgow kiss when Garza fights back, again, kicking Drew at just the right angle that makes his knee buckle, twist uncomfortably, and forces him to release his grip. Garza then gets ahold of him, managing a rebound sit-out piledriver, trying to pin him.
Drew kicks out at 2, to Garza's annoyance, and this revives him enough to start fighting back once more. Garza, however, has also found a new streak of determination and he meets Drew blow for blow, only just avoiding the Claymore and twisting Drew into the wing clipper, scrambling immediately for the pin, digging his heels in until he hears that incredible three, and the bell ringing to confirm he'd won. He'd beat the Universal Champion.
The grin that spreads over his face is all-encompassing and incredibly smug. "Next time," he says, pointing at a disoriented Drew. "Will be for your belt."