The show opens with GM Davius Mortis filling out some paperwork beside a tape recorder, which is recording. "Project Vibe failed in his match against James Black, which was to be expected. Rose has proven to be a successful tool to control Cole even further." Davius says as he continues writing. "Project Butterfly and Project Nightshade will be released in two weeks. Their success is expected, especially Project Butterfly's. Tonight, however, the door will open for Project FREE DR-'' Before Davius can finish, his door is opened angrily. He quickly turns off the tape recorder and looks up.
Storming into the room is a 6'1" man with pale skin and two different colored eyes. His right eye is dark brown and his left is light blue with no pupil. He has a black pompadour that forms a perfect circle on the top of his head. He has a painted half smile on his face. He is wearing a Ringmaster outfit with a bullwhip attached to his belt. He is the Ringmaster of The Serendipity Cirque, Edgar Noose.
"Mr. Mortis, I hate to be a nuisance," Edgar starts out, forcing a smile, though it is clear that he is boiling with rage, "but I see that you accidentally put one of my stagehands in the Women's Tournament instead of my Serendipity Starlet, Belle Widow. I'm sure it was just a mistake, right? Just an honest mistake. I assume you'll be fixing it quickly, yes?" Edgar smiles down at Davius, who sits calmly in his chair.
"It was not a mistake, Mr. Noose. I meant to put Luna Lucifina in the tournament. While she may not be my particular style, she has shown more potential than Belle Widow." Davius states.
"You're wrong!" Edgar snaps, screaming. "Belle is the single most talented women's wrestler on this entire planet! She could beat Sofia Reynoso, Erin Frost, and Natalia Rodriguez at the same time!" Edgar boldly claims as Davius looks at him with disbelief.
"Look Edgar, I understand being proud of your talents, but you can't be so blatant in your lies." Davius takes a sip of his tea.
"You have to replace that skank with Belle-!" Edgar yells.
"I don't have to do anything. Luna Lucifina will remain in the match. If it is any consolation, the first Pay-Per-View will be in a few weeks. If you and Belle would like to pick your opponents, you can prove to me that Belle is so extraordinary in singles action." Davius offers. "Now, begone. I have a show to run." Davius narrows his eyes and, despite Edgar wanting to protest, he just forces a smile again.
"Of course, good sir. You won't be disappointed when Belle debuts!" Edgar bows dramatically before leaving the office. Outside the office are two women. The first is 5'4" and has pale skin and an athletic lean physique. She has dark blue eyes. She is currently brushing out her long black hair.
"Did you get the situation settled?" The first woman asks as she checks her hair in a handheld mirror.
"I got something even better, my darling Belle!" Edgar smiles brightly. "You will have your marvelous debut at the first Pay-Per-View!"
"Splendid." Belle smiles before her and Edgar look over at the second woman. She stands at 5'0" and has a french bob cut that is half purple and half black. Her skin is pale. Her eyes are pink with heart shaped pupils. She has porcelain doll face paint with a few cracks. She has a pear physique (think Toni Storm). Unlike Belle, who is wearing an elegant blue halter dress, the second woman is wearing ragged clothes.
"And you…" Edgar looks at the woman with disdain. She slowly looks up at Edgar in fear. "You will not win tonight. If you dare try and selfishly steal Belle's spotlight, I will make you regret it. Do you understand me, Luna?" Edgar asks as Luna is too scared to respond. Edgar suddenly throws her to the floor. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" He screams, filled with rage.
"Yes, Mr. Noose." Luna quickly responds, cowering.
"Good. You wouldn't want to ruin the show, would you?" Edgar places his hand on his bullwhip.
"No, Mr. Noose." Luna whimpers.
"Good." Edgar smiles before he and Belle walk away. Luna slowly gets up and follows.
The camera pans around the small, but rowdy crowd for a few moments before landing on the commentary booth, where Izzy Jones and Merle Garnet sit.
"Hello everyone and welcome back to NHW!" Izzy excitedly says. "We have been informed that in four weeks, NHW will be having it's first Pay-Per-View: Emergence!"
"I have a question. How are we having a Pay-Per-View if we air on YouTube?" Merle questions, annoyed that no TV Network picked the show up.
"I believe Emergence will actually be a Pay-Per-View on TV." Izzy informs.
"Incredible. We are going to get all time lows for a Pay-Per-View." Merle grumbles.
"Ye of little faith." Izzy responds. "But Emergence is four weeks away. We have to focus on tonight first. Kicking off this jam-packed episode is a World Tournament match, pitting 'The Gravedigger' Seth Sullivan against 'The Welsh Warrior' Ironheart!"
Nevermore by Symphony X plays to loud boos as Seth Sullivan emerges out from the back with his trench coat and shovel. He looks around in disgust as the fans start an unsavory chant.
"CJ beat you! CJ beat you!" The fans chant, making Seth angry. Seth glares at the crowd before storming down to the ring, ready to take his anger out on his opponent.
"Seth Sullivan is one of the most intense and unique wrestlers in this business. These people need to show him more respect." Merle calmly states.
"Seth deserves everything he has coming to him! Remember what he did to CJ? And that's not even mentioning his backstage issues!" Izzy responds in disbelief.
"Personality aside, he is a great athlete and that deserves respect." Merle condescendingly replies.
"You need to check your morals." Izzy sighs.
I Stand Alone by Godsmack plays to decent applause as Ironheart walks onto the stage. He stands at 6'0" and has short dirty blonde hair, pale green eyes, and a semi-muscular build. He sternly stares down at Seth Sullivan from the entryway, like a warrior staring into battle. Ironheart storms down the ramp as some fans slap him on the back in appreciation.
"Ironheart is an intense wrestler with a strong moral code. He is like an ancient warrior, born for battle." Izzy informs.
"Oh. So it's fine for you to compliment a boring sack of potatoes like Ironheart, but I can't compliment a fine example of wrestling like Seth Sullivan? Your generation is very judgemental." Merle judges as Izzy lets out an annoyed sigh. "Ironheart is an incredible talent, yes, but he is out of his depth tonight. Seth Sullivan is the best, even the General Manager called him number one."
Ding Ding!
As soon as the bell rings, Seth tries to storm towards Ironheart. Ironheart, however, runs towards Seth, catching him in the middle of the ring with a massive front dropkick, sending Seth to the mat. Seth quickly rolls out of the ring, caught off guard. Ironheart immediately bounces off the opposite ropes and takes out Seth with a smooth spaceman plancha. Ironheart lands on his feet and quickly picks up Seth, wasting little time, and throws him back into the ring (One). Ironheart slides into the ring as Seth crawls to the ref and gets behind him.
"Do your job and tell him to get back!" Seth screams. The ref reluctantly has Ironheart back up. Seth slowly steps out from behind the ref and takes a deep breath before dropping down and rolling out of the ring. Ironheart is in disbelief as Seth Sullivan walks over to a little girl wearing a La Rebelion shirt and rips a water bottle away from her, taking a sip (One).
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Izzy yells, appalled by Seth's actions.
"What? He was thirsty." Merle calmly responds.
Seth takes a couple more sips as he glares at the little girl, who threatens to punch him (Two). As Seth is doing this, Ironheart slides out of the ring and storms over. He grabs Seth by the hair and throws him back into the ring before patting the little girl on the head nicely (Three). Ironheart slides into the ring and is immediately rolled up by Seth.
One!
Kickout!
Seth quickly gets on top of Ironheart and starts stiffly punching him in the head. As he does this, the crowd begins chanting again.
"CJ beat you! CJ beat you!" The crowd chants.
"SHUT UP!" Seth screams before pulling Ironheart to his feet. Seth steps back before going for a rolling koppu kick, but Ironheart dodges and immediately hits a soccer ball kick to the back of Seth. As Seth arches his back, Ironheart bounces off the ropes in front of Seth before hitting a stiff penalty kick to Seth's chest. The crowd cheers for Ironheart, no longer mocking Seth. Ironheart plants a hand on Seth's chest, making sure he is grounded, before hitting a smooth standing shooting star press. He covers.
One!
Tw-Kickout!
Ironheart isn't fazed by this, locking in a side headlock immediately. Slowly, Seth begins to get to his feet, pulling Ironheart up with him. Seth tries to break free by bouncing Ironheart off the ropes, but Ironheart holds on, dragging Seth with him. Ironheart drops to one knee as Seth remains on his feet. Seth manages to wrap his left arm under Ironheart's farthest one, locking in a half nelson. Surprisingly, Seth begins to apply pressure to a pressure point on the collarbone. When Ironheart tries to stop him, Seth frees himself from the headlock and hooks the other arm, nailing a stiff bridging dragon suplex.
One!
Two!
Kickout!
Seth gets to his feet quickly as Ironheart rolls onto his knees. Seth rushes and hits a Headshot (Running knee strike) to the head of Ironheart. Seth picks up Ironheart and goes for the Dead Center (Leapfrog transitioned into a one-handed bulldog), but Ironheart catches him in Coat of Arms(Straight Jacket German Suplex). Seth struggles before managing to get his shoulder under Ironheart's jaw. Then, Seth stomps on Ironheart's foot, causing Ironheart to hit his jaw against Seth's shoulder. As Ironheart faces away, Seth bounces off the ropes and hits Dead Center.
Seth decides to make sure Ironheart is done for, picking him up for Frozen In Time (One-Handed Electric Chair Driver). Just as he lifts Ironheart onto his shoulders, however…
"CJ beat you!"
"Jason Sabre!"
"Sofia! Sofia!" The fans antagonize Seth Sullivan. He lets Ironheart slide down his back as he grits his teeth. His anger gets the best of him and he forgets about the match. Ironheart regains his strength and hits the Coat Of Arms. He covers.
One!
Two!
Three!
The bell rings as the crowd pops for Ironheart. Ironheart rises to his feet and stoically allows the ref to raise his hand. Ironheart looks down at the fallen Gravedigger, seemingly feeling pity for him. Ironheart then leaves the ring and heads to the back.
"Looks like Seth isn't number one. I don't know what Davius meant by that last week, but clearly, he was wrong." Izzy states.
"Even the best can have off days, Clarissa." Merle grumbles as Seth begins to stir. He immediately demands a mic.
"Do… Do you think you are funny?!" Seth screams into the mic, glaring at the crowd. "After all I've done for you, you treat me like this?! This was supposed to be my fresh start! This was supposed to be my moment! I'm the best!" Seth yells, seeming to have a mental breakdown in front of the crowd. "I'm the best! I'm number one! I'm the ace! I am the WFA! If it wasn't for me, the WFA wouldn't have made it! I'm the best! I'm number one!" He continues his rant before noticing something. Coming out of the crowd are a bunch of people, all wearing black robes and sheep masks. Seth is confused, as is the crowd, by the appearance of these people.
"What the hell..?" Izzy mumbles.
"Is...is this some kind've cult..?" Merle asks.
Seth looks around as the sheep masked people surround the ring, staring up at him with unseen eyes. Seth then notices another person walk onto the stage. This one is clearly a woman, despite her long black dress and sheep mask. Her's is different from the others', however. Her sheep mask is mangled and bloody. She slowly falls to her knees on the stage, staring down at Seth. From behind Seth, a man slides into the ring. He is wearing a black robe as well, but like the woman on the stage, his mask is different. His sheep mask has the eyes stitched shut and blood stains around the mouth.
The 6'4" man slowly reaches up and removes the mask, revealing his face. He has long messy black hair, a black beard, wide gray eyes, a lanky physique, and unnervingly pale skin. He stares at Seth from behind with an emotionless expression before slowly raising one finger. Seth begins to notice that the cult is staring behind him now and turns around. The man immediately wraps both his hands around Seth's throat, strangling him!
"Jesus christ!" Izzy screams as the man pushes Seth to the ground and puts his body weight on top of Seth, pushing the air out of his lungs as he continues to choke him. Seth desperately tries to fight out, scratching and clawing at the man, who continues to stare coldly down at Seth, showing no emotion whatsoever. Finally, Seth loses consciousness and the man releases his grip. Slowly, the man rises up and holds up one finger once again as he stares down at Seth.
"It appears that Davius Mortis wasn't wrong… Whoever or...whatever this man is, he has made one thing clear… Seth Sullivan is number one." Merle mutters.
At the gorilla position, Street Dreams and Matt Lopez are seen. Shay Sykes' ring gear is based off of Super Mario.
"This is so cool! I get to team with Matt Lopez!" Shay excitedly says.
"This is such bullshit." Niko Tuala crosses his arms.
"Shay, we have to focus. The Rainbow Warriors are a skilled team and they undoubtedly have a stronger connection then us." Matt calmly states.
"You know how you can solve that?" Vai Tuala asks.
"How?" Shay raises an eyebrow.
"Cheat!" Niko screams.
"Niko!" Shay yells back.
"Hold up, this is just a suggestion." Niko raises his hands before casually continuing, "You could, and I'm not saying do it, but you should fucking do it… FUCKING KICK THEM IN THE DICK!"
"Absolutely not." Shay shakes her head.
"That is a poor idea." Matt agrees with Shay.
"They would get disqualified, Niko." Kitty Yim calmly adds.
"Yeah, Shay probably would. She's a fucking idiot." Niko nods before Shay stomps on his foot. "GODDAMMIT!"
"Be a star, Niko." Shay crosses her arms and turns away.
Meanwhile, two men walk into the gorilla position. The first is a 5'10" caucasian male with short light brown hair, brown eyes, a clean-shaven face, a muscular build, 6 pack abs, and thick muscular thighs. He is Ethan Love, one half of The Rainbow Warriors.
The second is a 6'0" Mexican male with tanned skin, brown shoulder-length hair, emerald green eyes, a muscular build, a light amount of brown chest hair, washboard abs, and long legs. He is Carlos Sánchez, the other half of The Rainbow Warriors.
"Hey Carlos! I found them!" Ethan excitedly says, carrying a box. He rushes over to Shay. "I heard you were a gamer."
"Yeah!" Shay exclaims.
"Do you wanna trade?" Ethan sets the box down and opens it. Inside are a bunch of video games.
"Oh shit! You've got some hella good games!" Shay smiles brightly as Street Dreams, Matt, and Carlos watch the two nerds of the groups fangirl over video games.
"Shay?" Kitty speaks up, but Shay doesn't react.
"Shay?" María Barrera tries, but gets no response.
"Dumbass?" Niko says.
"JD?" Vai attempts to get her attention.
"Uhh, Shay?" Matt calmly says.
"Honey?" Carlos tries to get Ethan's attention.
"I have a solution." Vai says before walking over and picking up the box.
"No!" Both Ethan and Shay whine.
"Stop being children. You have a match. Next." Vai glares at the two. "Fucking idiots." He grumbles as he walks back to Niko.
"I'm pawning this shit." Niko says as he looks through the box.
"You do and I'll beat the shit out of you." Carlos warns. Niko and Vai look over at him in mild shock. Then, Shay stands up before her and Matt approach The Rainbow Warriors.
"Good luck, guys!" Shay smiles brightly, offering her hand.
"Should be fun!" Ethan shakes Shay's hand.
"Let's have a good match." Matt offers his hand as well, giving a friendly smile.
"Count on it." Carlos offers a calm smile as he shakes Matt's hand.
"I hate it here." Niko crosses his arms.
"Stop being a bitch." María punches him in the arm.
The camera returns to the ring before Never Back Down by Nine Lashes plays to cheers. Matt Lopez walks onto the stage and calmly smiles out at the crowd. He begins to walk down the ramp.
"One of the best wrestlers in the world. Our General Manager specifically chose him to be one of NHW's veteran wrestlers." Izzy informs.
"It's horrible that he is on babysitting duty tonight. Normally, he has to babysit his little brother. He traded one nerd out for another." Merle states as Matt stops at the end of the ramp and looks back.
Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia plays to polite applause as Shay Sykes runs onto the stage, wearing a white bandana with a circle drawn onto the center of where the mouth would be, as well as tinted round glasses with white frames. She pulls down the bandana and raises the glasses, smiling brightly at the crowd. She rushes down the ramp, high fiving fans, before meeting Matt at the bottom. She offers a fist bump, which Matt calmly reciprocates. Then, the two enter the ring.
"What a child." Merle grumbles.
"Let her have fun. She's not even twenty and she's already in the WFA. She has her whole life ahead of her." Izzy scolds.
"Wrestling isn't a game, Clarissa. It's an artform. I feel terrible for Matt Lopez, who has to carry her to a decent match." Merle responds.
Golden Lovers by Yonosuke Kitamura plays to decent applause from BLOW fans. The Rainbow Warriors both walk out on stage with Ethan Love on the left and Carlos Sánchez on the right. They walk to the ring while high fiving the fans. When they get to the ring, they climb the apron and stand on opposing turnbuckles, raising their arms in the air before pointing at each other. They hop off the turnbuckles and hug each other to cheers.
"So… Merle…" Izzy starts out.
"Yes, Clarissa?" Merle responds.
"You usually criticize good guys…" Izzy continues.
"Yes?" Merle replies, not sure what Izzy is getting at.
"I just want to make sure you aren't going to criticize their sexu-" Izzy says before getting interrupted.
"I may not be the most charming man, nor the friendliest, but I am not a homophobe. Let them love whoever they want." Merle calmly says.
"Okay goo-" Izzy lets out a sigh of relief.
"Even if both are talentless hacks who should stay behind the commentary desk." Merle grumbles.
Ding Ding!
Matt Lopez and Carlos Sánchez start off the match, circling one another. They lock up and struggle for control. Matt pushes Carlos back against the ropes before pushing him away. Matt rushes at Carlos, who goes for a leg lariat. Matt slides underneath. Carlos turns around as Matt attempts a discus elbow smash, but Carlos catches it and pushes him away before going for a release german suplex. Matt lands on his feet and goes for a soccer ball kick, but Carlos not only moves out of the way, but front hand-springs to his feet. In a swift motion, both men go for a superkick, kicking each other in the back of the heads. Both men go down, holding their heads as the crowd cheers. Matt and Carlos both get up and lock up once again. Carlos gets the advantage and hits a russian legsweep to Matt.
Carlos picks up Matt and throws him into The Rainbow Warriors' corner. Carlos tags Ethan before turning and running at the opposite corner, coming up just short of Shay Sykes. Carlos then goes for a running big boot on the cornered Matt as Ethan goes for a rope assisted enzuigiri. Unfortunately, Matt gets out of the way and Carlos big boots Ethan's foot. Ethan holds his foot in pain as Carlos looks worried about him. Matt allows Carlos to check on his boyfriend, watching closely to make sure that this isn't a trap. Once Carlos is sure Ethan is okay, he leaves the ring and Ethan enters.
Ethan goes to lock up, but Matt grabs Ethan and throws him over the top rope and onto the apron. The landing seems to hurt Ethan's foot even more. Matt quickly hits a superkick to the chin of Ethan, sending Ethan to the outside. Matt watches and waits for Ethan to stand up (One). Once he does, Matt bounces off the opposite ropes and hits a tope con hilo. Matt quickly grabs Ethan, picking him up and rolling him back into the ring before sliding in himself. Matt pulls Ethan to his feet before Ethan suddenly hits a Pele Kick, catching Matt off guard. Matt quickly gets up and is immediately dropped by a sling blade from Ethan. Ethan goes for a second, but Matt catches him with a basement dropkick, taking out Ethan's leg. Matt goes to tag in Shay, but Ethan grabs his foot.
When Matt reaches down to grab him, Ethan kicks him in the head before repositioning himself. When Matt reaches down again, Ethan hits a kip-up hurricanrana, sending Matt to the outside. Ethan quickly tags in Carlos before hitting Matt with a suicide dive (One). Carlos runs and takes Shay off the apron with a big boot before noticing Matt getting up. Carlos takes a deep breath (Two) before bouncing off the opposite ropes and hitting a wrecking ball hurricanrana on Matt.
Ethan helps Carlos up before both pick Matt up (One). Shay slides into the ring as Ethan and Carlos set up for a double suplex on Matt (Two). Ethan and Carlos go for a double suplex on Matt, who rolls through and lands behind the barricade, just as Shay bursts through the ropes with a heat seeking missile, taking both out (Three). Matt leaps over the barricade and slides into the ring as Shay hops back onto the apron. Matt tags in Shay before going back to the outside. Matt picks up both Carlos and Ethan and holds them in place as Shay hits a springboard moonsault (Four), taking everyone out. Shay gets up first and rolls into the ring, followed soon after by Carlos. Shay goes for Deviant Behavior (Stunner), but Carlos pushes her away before hitting the Superkick, followed by the Falcon Arrow. Carlos covers.
One!
Two!
Kickout!
Shay gets her shoulder up, but Carlos uses this as a way to get Shay to her feet quicker. Carlos goes for the Pride Bomb (Storm Zero/Tiger Driver), but Shay rolls over his shoulders. Shay goes for the SG Insta Kill (Tyler Bate's Slingshot Clothesline), but Carlos reverses into the Pride Bomb! He covers!
One!
Two! (Matt climbs the turnbuckle)
Thre-Broken!
Matt breaks the pin with the Storm Landing (Diving Corkscrew Moonsault)! As Matt stands up, Ethan enters the ring and goes for a hurricanrana, but Matt reverses into a powerbomb. Matt quickly picks up Carlos and calls to Shay.
"Shay! Let's end it!" Matt yells before Shay groggily nods.
Matt sets up for the Stormmaker (Wrist lock transitioned into a short-arm bicycle high knee) as Shay raises her hands in the air before the two hit the Storm Killer (Stormmaker [Lopez]/SG Insta Kill [Sykes] combo). Shay covers.
One!
Two!
Three!
The bell rings as Shay smiles softly. Matt helps her to her feet and pats her on the back. As they celebrate, Ethan helps Carlos to his feet. The two teams come to a stand off before The Rainbow Warriors offer their hands. The Storm & Game Connection accept the handshake before the two teams bow to one another, showing tremendous respect.
"What a fast paced match! We saw The Rainbow Warriors give a very impressive showing, as well as Shay Sykes making her WFA debut!" Izzy cheers.
"Her debut? She barely did anything! It's like I said- Matt carried her!" Merle yells.
"In her defense, she was nailed with two signatures, followed by a Pride Bomb. That's some stiff offense." Izzy defends Shay. "The Storm & Game Connection are moving on to the second round of the Tag Tournament!"
The camera shows the interviewing set, where Kathleen Milmore sits along with her guest. Sitting across from her is a 6'2" caramel skinned man with long dark brown hair, a muscular toned body, trimmed brown chest hair, and green eyes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, joining me at this time is…" Kathleen reads her small cue card and blushes, "Damien-"
"No, Kathy. You can say it." The man smirks.
"'The Pussy Destroyer' Damien Dynamite." Kathleen states, face red.
"Adorable. You know, Kathy, I would show you why they call me that, but I am a loyal man with a fucking smoking girlfriend." Damien states. "So if you could stop staring and begin the interview…"
Kathleen stares at him for a couple more seconds before shaking her head, "Yes, of course. Tonight, you take on Angelo Santos in a Television Tournament match. How do you plan to combat his unique style of offense?"
"Simple, I have a genius way of beating unique opponents. It's foolproof, honestly." Damien clears his throat before continuing, "It's called being better than them. See, I'm pretty fucking great. I'm a great wrestler, a great lover, a great looker, great everything. Angelo is...okay. He's okay. He clearly doesn't have a way with words, judging by his lack of an interview."
"Actually, he gave me this earlier." Kathleen pulls up a note. "It says: Dearest Pussy Destroyer, use your sweet words and mock me. While you use words, I shall make the ring my spotlight. You will remember my name. -Angelo Santos." Kathleen reads off.
"Angelo," Damien looks into the camera, "I won't remember your name. I will only remember two things: One, to beat the flamboyant guy in the ring. And two, to fuck my hot girlfriend afterwards. See you out there." Damien smirks before walking away.
The camera returns to the ringside area. "Up next is a Television Tournament match, as 'The Pussy Destroyer' Damien Dynamite takes on 'The Gorgeous One' Angelo Santos." Izzy informs.
I Came To Play by Downstait plays to small boos as Damien Dynamite walks onto the stage. Damien raises his arms in the air and has a cocky smirk on his face. He looks around at the crowd and flips them off as he walks to the ring. He gets in the ring and walks to the corner, climbing the second turnbuckle. He raises his arms in the air again before getting down.
"What an incredible man." Merle calmly states. "Truly an inspiration for young boys all around the world."
"That is strongly debatable." Izzy responds. "He may be a good looker, but his personality leaves much to be desired. He is quite the egomaniac."
"Most people desire him." Merle says.
"Are you okay?" Izzy asks.
"He's pretty great." Merle ignores her.
Starboy by The Weeknd plays to decent cheers as the arena lights turn pink and purple, and purple smoke begins to envelop the stage as Angelo Santos makes his appearance, being raised from a lift under the stage. He is a 6'2" Afro-Latino with caramel toned skin, a lean and lithe yet toned build, black hair dyed blond styled in a high fade with short curls, and purple eyes (contacts). He walks to the ring and poses flamboyantly as the lights turn back on.
"Now this man is quite the interesting person. He carries himself with grace and elegance." Izzy notes. "I was talking to a backstage hand earlier and he used one phrase to describe Angelo- You could turn off all the lights and Angelo would still be in the spotlight. He commands it."
"Are you sure Damien is the egomaniac? Angelo seems self-obsessed." Merle comments.
"Angelo may be a bit arrogant, but he is incredibly charming and charismatic. Honestly, he is just as thrilling to watch as he is to listen to." Izzy responds.
Ding Ding!
Damien Dynamite and Angelo Santos walk to the center of the ring and Angelo, surprisingly, offers his hand. Damien goes to shake it before opting to flip off Angelo instead. To his shock, Angelo plants a small kiss on the crude gesture. As Damien takes a couple steps back, demanding a towel to clean his hand with, Angelo leans back into his corner and climbs up, laying on the top rope. With a calm, but flirtatious gesture, Angelo does a 'Come Hither' gesture with his index finger. Damien wipes his hand down with a towel before throwing it at the ref. Damien then rushes towards Angelo, going for a running forearm smash, but Angelo slides down the ropes and onto the apron. Damien runs into the corner before Angelo delivers a rope assisted enzuigiri, sending Damien into a back somersault to the center of the ring.
Angelo poses briefly, throwing his hands in the air, before going for a slingshot somersault neckbreaker, but Damien catches him with a monkey flip. Damien quickly gets on top of Angelo and, making sure he is obscuring the view of the ref, begins raking Angelo's eyes. After several seconds of this, Damien pulls Angelo up and grabs him by the back of the head, slamming Angelo's face into the turnbuckle pad. Angelo leans forward against the pad for a moment before Damien does a back rake, extracting boos from the crowd. As Angelo holds his back, Damien grabs his head again and smashes it against the turnbuckle once more. Damien turns Angelo around and sweeps his legs, causing Angelo to sit against the corner. Damien turns around and storms towards the opposite corner. He leans back against it and looks at Angelo with a cocky smirk before going for a running bronco buster, but Angelo swiftly slides under the bottom rope and to the outside.
Angelo takes a moment to regain his composure before Damien reaches through the middle rope and tries to grab him (One). Angelo quickly responds with a stiff back elbow, catching Damien in the mouth (Two). Damien falls against the middle rope, hanging from it. Angelo gracefully climbs the apron before taking a couple steps back (Three). He poses with his arms spread high and open before running and hitting a Famouser [Leg Drop Bulldog] onto the apron, causing him and Damien to fall to the outside floor.
Angelo gets to his feet first (One). Angelo walks over and grabs Damien, pulling him to his feet (Two). Angelo goes to throw Damien into the ring, but Damien lifts his foot, blocking it (Three). Damien breaks free from Angelo's grip and grabs him, throwing Angelo into the ring steps head first (Four). Damien hears the ring count and quickly sits Angelo up so that he is practically hugging the ring steps before hitting his Superkick to the back of Angelo's head (Five). Damien rolls back into the ring, accepting an easy win, and climbs the turnbuckle, posing for the booing crowd (Six). Angelo begins to stir, but he isn't even on his knees (Seven). Angelo hears the count and begins crawling towards the apron (Eight). Angelo uses the apron to get to one knee as Damien notices him, climbing down from the corner (Nine). Just as Angelo is about to slide into the ring, Damien hits a running baseball slide, sending himself out of the ring in the process, but sending Angelo crashing into the barricade.
"Stay down!" Damien screams before kneeling down beside Angelo (One). Damien begins raking Angelo's eyes again, but the ref sees this time.
"HEY!" The ref yells, getting Damien's attention. Damien looks at the ref like a deer in headlights. Damien quickly rushes into the ring as the ref prepares to call for the DQ. Damien begs and pleads, not noticing Angelo getting up with the help of the barricade.
"It was the angle! I swear!" Damien lies. "You just saw wrong!" As Damien says this, Angelo climbs the apron. With the flick of Angelo's wrist in the air, the crowd cheers loudly. Damien looks over confused, just as Angelo goes through the middle ropes with a slingshot somersault neckbreaker, catching Damien perfectly.
"In the palm of his hand! The fans are in the palm of his hand!" Izzy yells.
"The fans are idiots!" Merle surprisingly raises his voice.
Angelo rolls backwards, going over Damien and pulling him up at the same time, showing impressive strength. Angelo stands up, Damien on his shoulders, before hitting the Cherry Bomb (Cartwheel Death Valley Driver). Angelo covers.
One!
Two!
T-Kickout!
Angelo chuckles before standing up, grabbing Damien's hand. Angelo slaps Damien a couple times, making sure Damien is completely conscious, before kissing Damien's hand! The crowd cheers as Damien just stares at Angelo, who takes a couple steps back and poses once more. Damien, enraged at the disrespect, gets up and goes for a running dropkick, but Angelo dodges with a smooth cartwheel before hitting a jumping reverse bulldog. Angelo then climbs to the top rope and stands up, steading his balance. He goes for the Beautiful Experience (Diving Cartwheel Flip into an Elbow Drop) and connects! Angelo covers.
One!
Two!
Three!
"NO!" Merle screams as the lights go purple again and Angelo rises to his feet. Angelo poses, allowing the ref to raise his hand as he does. Angelo looks over at Damien before blowing him a kiss, clearly still playing mind games, even after the match.
"Love him or hate him, Merle, Angelo is going to the second round. Him and Damien both had impressive showings tonight, but Angelo's spotlight was just too blinding for Damien." Izzy says.
Backstage, La Reynoso is seen talking with Cole Monroe. "So what I'm thinking is a flannel designed for The Rebellion." La Reynoso pitches.
"I'm down. Does it come in a size larger than my size?" Cole lazily asks.
"Why?" La Reynoso questions, confused.
"It's warmer." Cole deadpans.
"I'll see what I can do...but it might be expensive." La Reynoso points out.
"I think They have a credit card." Cole responds before La Reynoso's phone goes off.
"Hola?" La Reynoso answers.
The camera then cuts to a Walmart, where Ava Knight is seen walking around. "Hey, La Reynoso, right?" Ava responds as she looks through the aisles.
"Sí. Who is this?" La Reynoso asks.
"This is Ava Knight, from Revolution. I have a question for you. In a couple weeks, Sai has another match. If he forgets, can you be his backup again?" Ava inquires.
"Can I keep the Television Championship when I win it for him after that?" La Reynoso responds.
"We can discuss shared custody." Ava looks out into the tire aisle, where Sai Russo stands, just staring at a tire.
"Works for me! Adios!" La Reynoso hangs up as Ava walks over to Sai.
"Ava, I have made a startling discovery." Sai says without looking at her.
"What?" Ava raises an eyebrow.
"You might want to sit down for this." Sai requests.
"I'm good." Ava crosses her arms.
"This…" Sai tilts his glasses down, staring at Ava, "...isn't Hot Topic." Sai says before pushing his glasses back up.
"I…" Ava rubs her temples. "Yeah, it's definitely not."
"I was wondering when they started selling tires...and groceries...and stopped playing music...and got better lighting…" Sai trails off as Ava sighs.
The camera returns to the ringside area. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our main event. We shall see 'The Dollmaker' Blaire Hendrix vs 'The Broken Doll' Luna Lucifina in a first round match for the Women's Tournament." Izzy informs.
Carnival Of Rust by Poets Of The Fall plays as Blaire Hendrix walks out slowly onto the stage and down the ramp in a dark red spotlight. She slowly walks up the steps and enters through the middle rope. As she removes her lacy bandana, she covers her lower face with her hands nervously.
"Hailing from Bloody Falls, Canada, Blaire Hendrix is one of the allies of a man by the name of Amadeus Crowley." Izzy states.
"Be honest with me, Clarissa: Have you ever taken any wrestler seriously when it looks like they are on the verge of an anxiety attack?" Merle mocks.
"That's not fair-" Izzy starts.
"In case you didn't know, Clarissa, life isn't fair. Blaire looks like she is going to start shaking at any moment. What a disgrace." Merle grumbles.
The Jester's Dance by In Flames plays as Luna Lucifina walks onto the stage, followed by Edgar Noose and Belle Widow. Luna Lucifina walks down the ramp slowly with a scared expression on her face as she tries not to look at the fans. She rolls into the ring and pulls at her hair as Edgar and Belle approach two fancy chairs at ringside and sit down.
"So we went from an anxious wrestler to a straight up scared one? This is ridiculous! Why the hell is this the main event?" Merle yells.
"In Luna's defense, if you have paid attention to the Serendipity Cirque, it seems like Edgar-" Izzy starts out.
"Edgar shows appreciation for the beauty that is Belle Widow. I mean, look at her! She is ravishing! You wish you looked like her, Clarissa." Merle insults his broadcast partner.
Ding Ding!
As the bell rings, Blaire's face turns a bit less nervous and more focused. She crouches down slightly and holds her hands out, ready to lock up, when Luna walks to the center of the ring and drops to the mat.
"Is she...throwing the match?" Izzy questions as Edgar and Belle applaud Luna.
"Good. I can't wait till these two get out of my sight." Merle says.
Blaire looks down at Luna with confusion before pulling the smaller woman to her feet and attempting to lock up. Blaire begins to whip Luna around, as Luna puts up no resistance. Finally, Blaire lets go and stares at Luna, who just lays down again.
"Bravo!" Edgar applauds.
"Pin her!" Belle demands to Blaire.
Blaire stares at the two before sitting Luna up. "Fight me!" Blaire yells, confused. When Luna doesn't look at her, Blaire kicks her in the side of the head. Luna falls to the side before looking over at Blaire with wide eyes. When Luna sits back up, Blaire kicks her in the side of the head once again. "If you don't want to fight, I'll force it out." Blaire says before grabbing Luna's arm and locking in a fujiwara armbar. Luna immediately tries to tap, but Blaire lets go.
Blaire suddenly grabs Luna by the hair and forces her onto her knees before slapping Luna in the mouth. At this, something seems to change in Luna's eyes. Blaire slaps her again and Luna's eye twitches. Blaire goes for a third smack, but Luna blocks it with her forearm before headbutting Hendrix. Hendrix stumbles back into the ropes and Lucifina runs and hits the Rag Doll Crossbody (Cactus Crossbody), taking both out of the ring. Luna lets out an angry scream before yanking Blaire to her feet, only to throw Blaire into the barricade (One). Belle and Edgar glare at Luna from the other side of the ring, but Luna is too angry to notice. Luna slides into the ring and pulls at her hair as she waits for Hendrix to stand up (Two). When Hendrix stands up, Luna bounces off the ropes before going for a suicide cannonball senton, but Blaire catches her!
Blaire lifts Luna onto her shoulders before powerbombing her into the ringpost (One). Blaire grabs Luna by the hair and goes for a german suplex, but Luna stomps on her foot (Two). Luna slides behind Blaire and goes for a german suplex of her own, but Blaire jams her thumbs between Luna's arms, breaking the grip (Three). Blaire gets a hold of one of the arms and locks in an armbar (Four). Luna remains standing, but Blaire begins kicking Luna in the head (Five). Luna clasps her hands together and manages to lift Blaire up, powerbombing her onto the barricade (Six). Luna rolls back into the ring and immediately bounces off the opposite ropes, diving through the ropes with a suicide cannonball senton, sending Blaire crashing into the barricade. Luna picks up Blaire and throws her into the ring before climbing the turnbuckle.
Luna goes for a diving elbow drop, but Blaire rolls out of the way before quickly grabbing Luna, locking in a fujiwara armbar. As Luna struggles, Blaire repositions before flipping over Luna, locking in a bridging fujiwara armbar. Luna struggles for a moment before managing to roll over onto her back. Luna wraps her legs around one of Blaire's arms before rolling her backwards into a crucifix pin.
One!
Two!
Kickout!
Blaire keeps hold of one of Luna's legs, rolling Luna over and locking in a single leg boston crab. When Luna begins to crawl towards the bottom rope, Blaire breaks her own submission before dragging Luna back to the center of the ring. Then, Blaire locks in a seated fujiwara armbar, continuing her onslaught on Luna's arm. Luna begins to try and crawl to the ropes, but when she gets close, Blaire breaks the hold and drags her back to the center. This time, however, Luna stands up and headbutts Blaire once again. Blaire stumbles back into the ropes before going for a running yakuza kick, but Luna ducks under and hits an overhead kick to Blaire's temple. Blaire falls to a seated position as Luna runs to the ropes, bouncing off of them. Luna hits a running cannonball senton to the seated Blaire, but Blaire wraps her arms around the waist of Luna, catching her. Blaire rolls over and deadlifts Luna into a sit-out powerbomb. Blaire covers.
One!
Two!
Kickout!
Blaire takes a deep breath before pushing Luna away enough to lock in an armbar, attempting to take out the arm. Luna struggles for a moment before getting to her feet. Luna clasps her hands together once again, but this time lets out a cry of pain when she tries to lift Blaire, unable to do so with her hurt arm. Luna, improvising, stacks Blaire up before stomping on her head until Hendrix lets go. Luna retreats to the corner, holding her arm while still ignoring Edgar and Belle's anger. Luna rubs her arm as she grits her teeth. While she does this, Blaire begins to get up in the opposite corner. The two stare at each other before both rush forward. Blaire goes for a running yakuza kick, but Luna slides under. Luna goes for the overhead kick again, but Blaire catches it and rolls Luna onto her stomach before grabbing her, lifting Luna into a deadlift german suplex with a bridge.
One!
Two!
Kickout!
Luna quickly gets up and runs at Blaire. Blaire pops Luna up, allowing Luna to hit a falling dropkick that sends Blaire to the apron. Luna goes for a rope assisted enzuigiri, but Blaire blocks it with her forearm before hitting the Blood Cutter (Slingshot cutter). Blaire covers.
One!
Two!
Thr-Kickout!
Blaire takes a deep breath, remaining calm. Blaire grabs Luna and pulls her to her feet. Blaire then goes for The Doll Breaker (Cradle DDT), but Luna fights out with vicious punches. As Luna and Blaire return to equal footing, Luna hits Blaire with a stiff forearm smash. Blaire stumbles back before hitting a loud knife edge chop. Luna hunches over, trying to catch her breath, before headbutting Blaire in the stomach. Blaire is now the one hunched over, allowing Luna to go for a kick to the head, but Blaire dodges and hits a spinning back fist, turning Luna around. Blaire quickly grabs Luna and locks in The Last Hydrangea (Ground Manjikatame; Adopted from Hana Kimura). Blaire arches the arm back as far as she can, causing Luna to let out a scream of pain. Luna tries to fight out, managing to turn The Last Hydrangea into a rollup.
One!
Two!
Thre-Kickout!
Blaire gets up first and calls for Luna to get up. When Luna does, Blaire delivers a yakuza kick to the hurt arm, causing Luna to drop to one knee as she holds her hurt arm. Blaire quickly capitalizes, locking in the Dollhouse Choke (Cobra Clutch Crossface). Luna begins to struggle, her cries of pain blocked out by her own arm. Luna crawls towards the ropes, but as she gets close, she finally notices Edgar Noose, who is glaring into her eyes. As soon as she sees this, she taps. The ref calls for the bell and Blaire immediately releases the submission. Blaire notices the look of fear in Luna's eyes as she stares at Edgar, causing Blaire to look at Luna with sympathy and pity.
"A high intensity match that ended so suddenly." Izzy notes.
"I wish it ended sooner. Jesus, I hate these snowflakes. Belle Widow should've been in here." Merle comments as Edgar and Belle pull Luna out of the ring and let her fall to the mat, not even trying to catch her. The ref raises Blaire's hand while she tries to keep her eye on Luna, concerned.
"Snowflakes or not, I think that was an excellent match." Izzy smiles.
"What a mark." Merle scoffs.
Blaire Hendrix gets to the back, where Tyson Burke is waiting with a towel and a water bottle. "Good match, B." Tyson hands her the towel and bottle.
"Thanks Tyson…" Blaire mutters.
"You okay? You seem...off. Well, more off than usual." Tyson says, getting a side eye from his best friend. "Twas a joke. What's going on?"
"I… I didn't like the look in Luna's eyes when she looked at Edgar. It was...worrying…" Blaire informs.
"What do you mean?" Tyson leans against the wall, his smile leaving.
"She looked afraid… Afraid of what he would do…" Blaire crosses her arms.
"What do you think we should do?" Tyson asks, wanting to help Blaire.
"I think we should ask Amadeus if we can try and help her… Not everyone is lucky enough to have a savior like you and me. We need to be the ones to save her…" Blaire has a less nervous look in her eyes.
"Yeah… Savior." Tyson sighs. "Alright. We'll ask him. Let's get going." Tyson pats Blaire on the back as they leave.
Elsewhere backstage, Seth Sullivan stumbles out of the trainer's room, shaken up and walking on unsteady legs. As he bumps into a wall, he hears slow clapping.
"Incredible." Davius Mortis says as he approaches Seth.
"What the fuck was that?!" Seth screams, his voice cracking from exhaustion.
"That, my friend, is The Abomination, Draven Hemlock. You are number one on his list." Davius smiles. "Draven is one of my top projects and he...is a bit different from many of the wrestlers you have fought in the past."
"No kidding…" Seth rubs his throat. "What the hell do you mean I'm number one on his list?"
"Stay home next week." Davius says softly, though a wicked smile is on his face. "Watch the show from home. You will have your answers then."
"And if I don't..?" Seth questions, glaring.
"Then you will meet an even worse fate at the hands of The Abomination. Take care, Seth." Davius pats him on the shoulder before walking away.
Next Week-
Wade Walker vs Kevin Shamrock (Television Tournament First Round)
Valerie Valentine vs Liona Luvlux Claymoore (Women's Tournament First Round)
Santiago Sisters vs Sisters Of Rebellion (Tag Tournament First Round)
George Rogers vs El Segador (World Tournament First Round)