DISCLAIMER: All characters (fiction, nonfiction, and other OCs) and lyrics used and/or mentioned here are properties of their respective owners. Ricardo Alvarez, Jr., Jesse Alvarez, Joshua Garza, Alpha & Omega, The Wolves, Kurt Hudson, Alyssa Parker, Lisa Weston, Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver, Clarissa Rivera, Mike Martin, Maria Lopez, and all referees (sans Marshal Eriksen) are created and owned by me.
Enjoy.
Welcome to the APEX Era.
Friday Night Ignition – December, Week 1
[TV-14]
Tonight's fallout episode for Homecoming and Night of Champions begins with a return to pyrotechnic glory post-intro and an ecstatic 8,000 attendees inside the Freeman Coliseum at San Antonio, Texas. Though APEX has stayed in its birthplace and host in a smaller arena, it is smart on their part to save as much as they can before they can decide to travel to the next town.
Ignition's entire stage has been thoroughly redesigned to match the changing times for APEX's ongoing new era. The IgnitionTron features a massive LED wall, stage and ramp all in one, similar to WWE RAW's 2019 stage design. However, off the sides, aside from further LEDs banners, there are four sets of giant pipes on each side spewing fire to resemble engines being ignited furiously. The stage is adjusted as an elevated platform with its ramp leading downwards to the ring, adding to the larger-than-life circle for any APEX Athletes making their signature entrances. At the bottom center of the stage is the entranceway itself between the arena and the Gorilla Position. Ignition's bold and shining silver colors remain with secondary shades being black and white. Meanwhile, the silver-laced ropes return, "APEX" are plastered upfront on the turnbuckles, and LED ring posts are here to stay to go with the whole new edition to APEX: a six-sided ring to replace the standard squared circle. It seems APEX is willing to try something new with Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. now in charge.
Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach, Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver, and Barney Stinson introduce themselves and greets the viewers to a whole new edition to Friday Night Ignition. Where? Why, located by the left side of the stage, of course! Only a week has flown by, and our favorite commentators are still left excited for more action despite getting so much two days in a row last weekend. Kenji had to calm his own half-brother down so they can get a move on with the show; many champions retained their belts while we have two newly crowned champions in Nero and the Gods of Darkness. On top of all of that, there is a brand-new regime to help guide APEX back to its former glory and get back on top.
Speaking of "on top", the first man to make his appearance of the night is the APEX World Champion himself, King Beowulf. Considering the fact that he is the face of the company, it shouldn't be considered a surprise for the King of APEX to greet his cheering public.
King Beowulf celebrates his regal retention
The King had it all yet again—brighter golden pyro, confetti and balloons surrounding the hexagon, and a dragon-themed throne in the middle of the ring with Beowulf sitting in it with a relaxed manner. Beowulf takes in the echoing cheers and nods to them, feeling so grateful to be here tonight with the APEX World Championship draped on his lap. After all is settled, Beowulf speaks his first words…
"I'm getting an interesting sense of déjà vu here," Beowulf laughs to the fans' cheers, referencing to his championship coronation many years ago.
The Beast of Geats gets the crowd more excited with the fact that not only Apex Caliber Wrestling is back in full force, but so is the very King of APEX himself after coming out of Night of Champions with the World Championship still in his grasp. Beowulf could not be more proud than to be here in the same place as the people that have rallied behind him since the beginning of his career. Though APEX is hosting within a somewhat smaller stage, it is enough for Beowulf to be with his people yet again, who respond favorably to their champion.
Now, there are topics to address for Beowulf moving forward as APEX World Champion: what challenges he'll face, who his opponents might be, and how he'll establish his status deep in the history books with his reign. He, too, was excited to think up the potential dream matches he can have with the likes of Dante, Yugi Mutou, Sasuke Uchiha, and many more. Bringing up Night of Champions, Beowulf had to admit it, Isaac Clarke pushed him to his limits. He'd been beaten down, had his leg brutalized, and endured the ferocious suffering of the Dead Space Devil…but even that wasn't enough to thwart the Beast of Geats. All the same, an amount of respect was nodded towards Isaac, even if some in the audience don't believe he deserves it for what he did to Naruto at Homecoming. Speaking of whom, Beowulf does agree with the few audience members and personally wishes Naruto a speedy recovery; he owes him a true third match, after all. By the end of it, Beowulf congratulates every champion who've either retained or had recently become new titleholders at Night of Champions…
…or at least, he would namedrop the few, but "I Come from Money" by S-Preme plays to jeers and an unenthusiastic Beowulf. "The Billion Dollar King" Kurt Hudson walks out with his "Billion Dollar Queen" Alyssa Parker in hand and Niko Bellic beside him as his new bodyguard, calling out Beowulf for being a "sappy world champion".
"You've got to be kidding me. This is how you start off the return of Friday Night Ignition?! With balloons and a tacky-as-hell throne to go with your mediocre retention, engaging with these godforsaken peasants?! Give me a break!" shouts the sneering Hudson.
The billionaire goes on a tirade to criticize King Beowulf's celebration when they should be commemorating the one true king in this company: Kurt Hudson. He has the money and loads of it sitting in his personal bank account. He has the hottest girlfriend standing beside him that puts Jessica Wilson's modeling career to shame. He's even hired one of the most dangerous criminals to be his bodyguard when his previous one couldn't cut the mustard.
"You know what you have to cling on to, 'King' Beowulf? Oh, right, I just said it! A title that's nothing but a relic of your past and bringing irrelevancy to your career!" Kurt Hudson states to enormous boos. "You may have slain Grendel and died protecting your kingdom from the firedrake long ago in those stories…and that's all they are. Stories. And where you should be, is dead and deep at the bottom of the ocean to rot until your bones are all that's left of you. Me, on the other hand? I'm the real deal around here, 'Your Highness'. I am the one true king that this company desperately needs and desires. Soon enough, I'm going to even have Old Man Alvarez realize that the future is right here with Kurt F—king Hudson. Not some glorified fairy tale hero clinging to his fictional past."
The Freeman Coliseum has been filled full of hisses and jeers as Beowulf stares Kurt down with an unchanging expression. When Kurt was done, Beowulf was given his time to speak.
"You know…you are onto something there, Hudson," Beowulf replies, slightly confusing Kurt. "The future is here. We are living in the now. We are in the twenty-first century. For nearly ten years, I have gradually grown accustomed to the modern life, but I still have so much to learn and that brings me nothing but anticipation. So, I repeat, the future is here! […] However, the future…isn't just with you. The future…isn't just with me, either. It's not just with Ricardo. It's not just with the APEX roster. The future…is also with them." Beowulf points to the fans, who let out a massive pop at the gesture and makes Kurt's eye twitch. "The future is with these people in this very city that this company was born at and stands on proudly. It is thanks to them that Apex Caliber Wrestling has been brought out of the darkness and back to the light! As they stand by us, we stand by them! I stand by them! When APEX shut itself down, I felt my world shatter! I was on a high after becoming the world champion for the first time in my career and it all went into ashes! You don't have any bloody idea how long I've waited to be back with this very title belt around my waist to be with these wonderful and amazing people that have awaited our return! I HAVE A SECOND CHANCE TO REFORM MY GLORY I LOST MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO! APEX HAS A CHANCE TO REDEEM ITSELF OF WHAT IT LOST! THESE PEOPLE GET A TRUE CHANCE TO SEE WHAT OUR NEW ERA IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT! AND AS LONG AS I WEAR THE APEX CALIBER WRESTLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, NOTHING IS GOING TO STAND IN MY PATH! NOT NARUTO UZUMAKI! NOT ISAAC CLARKE! NOT ANYONE I HAVE FOUGHT TO GET TO WHERE I AM NOW! SO DON'T YOU DARE LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND SHRUG ME OFF AS A FAIRY TALE JUST BECAUSE YOU LACK THE QUALITIES OF A REAL CHAMPION—ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M THE LIVING LEGEND THAT STANDS BEFORE YOU AS THE WORLD CHAMPION OF APEX!"
Pure applause. The fans have felt the fire and passion Beowulf has waited to express for so long since the company's unfortunate downfall and they chant his name proudly as Beowulf glares down Kurt.
"And if you believe you can stand alone with yourself, your fortunes, your woman and whatever your greed feeds your ego…then you will be sorely mistaken, BOY."
Amongst the cheers and chants for the champion's name, both Beowulf and Kurt stare each other down. Tensions were high and fans wondered who would strike first with how intense their glares are. Regardless, Kurt brings the mic up to retort. Seemingly, Kurt admires the passion Beowulf has shown…and can only hope to put out that fire as quickly as his title reign will be soon enough. He moves on to make his counterpoint…and that counterpoint involves Niko Bellic suddenly clubbing Beowulf from behind. Niko and Kurt are stomping on the downed champion while the crowd vocalizes their disapproval. Niko brings Beowulf up to his knees and Kurt snatches up the APEX World Championship to angrily boast in his face.
"THIS BELONGS TO ME, YOU FRIGGIN' DISGRACE! NOT YOU! I'LL MAKE YOU WISH THAT YOU'VE STAYED NOTHING BUT A BEDTIME STORY!" Kurt fumes.
In retaliation, when Kurt got too close, Beowulf headbutts Kurt's face and back elbows Bellic square in the cheekbone. The King of APEX is never one to go down so easily as he grabs Niko and Biel Throws him straight into his throne! And when Kurt tries attacking him with the belt, he gets a Big Boot for his troubles. Both men are down, and Beowulf stands tall with a bellowing roar to open cheers. However, Alyssa picks up the belt and attempts sneaking on him from behind to attack him with it, but Beowulf catches her in the act. Beowulf steadily walks up to her as she backs away from him and tries convincing him that she's only wanting to bring the belt to him, only to end up cornered against the turnbuckles. The APEX World Champion found her logic hard to believe, then reaches out…and takes his belt back from her. He can't be bothered to fight someone who won't be able to fight back, let alone a maiden. Out of anger, Alyssa slaps Beowulf across the face…and he chortles in amusement, commenting that women from his time hit harder than that. Alyssa gets absolutely pissed, poking Beowulf's chest and slapping him again. But in reality, it was nothing more than to stall him as Kurt Hudson returns to attack Beowulf's injured right leg with a steel pipe!
Nothing but hisses and jeers have been enunciated from the San Antonio residents towards Kurt's cheap tactics. Niko catches the pipe Kurt tossed him and the two are about to work further on the bruised knee…but Aerosmith's cover of "Theme from Spider-Man" cues with a siren echoing in the Coliseum to a massive pop! Kurt, Niko and Alyssa turn their heads to the stage, awaiting the Wall-crawler's arrival…and "The Spectacular" Spider-Man appears, by way of lowering himself upside-down and hanging from his web behind them! The song plays out for a minute before the trio realize Spidey is with them already and he waves at them nonchalantly. Niko moves in with a punch and Spidey swings his head about to avoid his fists, then catches one and flips Niko over on his back. He drops down on Niko's chest with a double stomp and leaps off to nail Kurt with a Jumping Knee Strike! Spidey successfully runs Hudson, Bellic and Parker out of the ring, three of which, Kurt especially, is not happy with the outcome. After making sure Beowulf was able to stand despite the beatdown, Spidey takes to the mic he picked up via web-shot.
"Hey, Kurt! Missed me, buddy~?" teases the Web-head and Kurt most likely shouts profanity at him. "Whoa, hey now, just because we're TV-14 doesn't give you an excuse to utter that garbage."
Spider-Man makes it clear he's not the type to stand by and let people like Kurt do whatever he wants just because Beowulf beat him once at Rebellion, which only ignites Hudson's resentment. All the same, he tells Kurt to stay in the back of the line…because Spidey believes to be the rightful challenger for the APEX World Championship. Hearing that brings intrigue to King Beowulf as Spidey continues on to propose a special match.
"But to make things fair for even you, Kurt, I'm gonna throw down the gauntlet. Tonight, me and you—one-on-one in the main event for a shot at Beowulf's belt! I've beaten you twice already, so I'm confident I'll do it again. How do I know? Here's the catch…to prove my point, I will put my mask on the line along with my identity," Spidey states to a surprised crowd. "That's right. You win, you get not only my mask, but my identity as a whole. The world will know who I am while you get a rightful title shot. […] And if you wanna put your money where your mouth is with all this talk about you being 'The Billion Dollar King'…do just that. I win, then the money you donate will go to any charity of my choosing. […] Then again…I bet you don't even have the balls to risk half of your bank account just to buy my mask off. Mask vs. Money, Kurt! All for the APEX World Championship! Stakes are pretty dang high~! So, what do you say?"
The Wall-crawler tosses the mic all the way to Kurt, and he catches it with surprising ease. Considering Kurt's manhood being insulted, the self-proclaimed king was rather unamused. It doesn't help especially as the fans started chanting "NO BALLS!" to a fuming billionaire.
"SHUT THE F—K UP, YOU UNDERPRIVILEDGED PHILISTINES!" Kurt screams at the fans, then turns to Spider-Man. "YOU WANT ME TO PUT MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS, SPIDER-MAN?! FINE! YOU'RE ON! I'LL ENJOY RIPPING YOUR F—KING MASK OFF AND RUINING YOUR LIFE!"
Kurt spikes down the mic and he gets escorted to the back with Niko and Alyssa pushing him as he continues shouting at Spidey. And Marvel's iconic hero couldn't help but smile under his mask, knowing he has caught Kurt hook, line, and sinker. With Beowulf, he was very curious to see what's in store for him by the end of the night.
"What a way to kick off the return of Friday Night Ignition! Spidey raises the bar of his rivalry with Kurt Hudson to where he'll actually put his mask on the line at the risk of getting Hudson's money!" Markiplier calls. "And it's all for a chance at Beowulf's golden world title belt! This is one main event no one should miss, ladies and gents!"
Ellie Langford addresses Isaac Clarke's loss at Night of Champions
As we settle the chaos down by moving on to our first interview segment, Robin Scherbatsky has the honor taking on the assignment as she stands backstage with Ellie Langford. The former teen pop idol brings up recent events with Isaac Clarke's ruthless persona and his loss at Night of Champions, questioning where he will go from here. Ellie does not take kindly to how Robin's questions sounded, but she is willing move past that…for now.
"As for Isaac's defeat at Night of Champions, it's but a lucky break for the so-called APEX Champion," Ellie scoffs. "He may not be the new champion, but Isaac still barreled through the likes of Scorpion and Naruto Uzumaki. The latter, especially. Though Isaac is not here tonight, I'm here to set the record straight for him. If Naruto does decide—who am I kidding? When he does decide to be stupider than usual enough to come back, Clarke will be waiting to send him back to the hospital. Until then, there's plenty of victims in the roster for Isaac to decimate on his path back to the APEX World Championship. The Dead Space Devil…" Ellie ceases her sentence midway, eyes turned to glower at someone off-screen. "What the hell do you want?"
The camera expands and enter: Hinata Hyuga, taking an appearance from The Last. And the former women's tag champion is not delighted to hear what Ellie has been spewing. She witnessed her husband being practically slaughtered in Clarke's hands without any mercy and this is what she has to listen to.
"Naruto…is in a hospital right now because of Isaac…and this is how you're taking responsibility, Langford?" Hinata grimaces.
Ellie scoffs in return. "Mrs. Uzumaki…I tried warning your dear 'Naruto-kun' the consequences of not backing down from the match when Clarke decided what's best for his own career. Meanwhile, he decided to become the bloody fool and proceed to fall victim to Isaac. If there's anything about 'responsibility' your husband learned…I'd say it was none."
Amid the sounds of disdain from the crowd, Hinata is growing more incensed towards Ellie. So much so, even her Byakugan was displayed by her bulging veins around her eyes. Nevertheless, Hinata closes her eyes to compose herself. She comes to a recognition that she may not get to Isaac…but it's not stopping her from getting to Ellie Langford.
"Tomorrow. Saturday Night RAMPAGE. You and me. Do you accept…or yield, Langford?" Hinata glares.
Ellie's responds…with a sneering chuckle. "Your funeral."
The Sprawl Survivor shoves her shoulder past Hinata as she leaves. Hinata can only watch with her Byakugan slowly reforming on her eyes.
[Commercial break]
APEX Hardcore Champion Sasuke Uchiha declares to elevate the Hardcore Division
"Misery Loves My Company" by Three Days Grace notifies the audience to the arrival of one Sasuke Uchiha, the current APEX Hardcore Champion. The Texan natives were letting Sasuke know of their antipathy towards him, but he has no care for what they think of him as his eyes were on the six-sided ring. For what reason would Sasuke have to make his public appearance, one may ask? That would be answered as Sasuke takes the microphone from Maria Lopez.
He pledges no lie when he brought up the humiliation he went through in his match at Night of Champions. From getting his face mopped up to being locked behind the custodial room, Sasuke endured the mortifying moments…and in the end, it was (supposedly) worth it to retain the very Hardcore Championship he carries over his shoulder. Still, though victory was bliss, it was for a moment. Sasuke says he realizes if he's stuck in the Hardcore Division after falling down hard from his feud with Naruto, the least he can do is raise expectations and elevate the "Godforsaken division" better than how Jason Krueger and Ichigo Kurosaki were handling it. In short, Sasuke is laying down an open challenge for anyone "brave and/or stupid enough" to face his wrath. And it won't stop there, because every week on Ignition and/or RAMPAGE, any match Sasuke is scheduled in, he'll put his Hardcore Title on the line. If it means it'll get him back on top of the card and in the world title scene, then he will do whatever it takes.
The gauntlet is thrown and set. Sasuke awaits in the hexagon for his next challenger, as fans are admittedly excited to see someone take on Sasuke's reign and dethrone him. It was a minute of staring towards the stage, audience members murmuring among themselves, and waiting…
…
…
…
…until "Radio" by Watt White hits the speakers to an involved reaction. The word "MIRAGE" is displayed over the IgnitionTron, bringing out the very challenger himself in a very similar entrance to John Morrison with photographers capturing flashes of him…and they all happen to look exactly like him. Very few people in the crowd cheer upon recognizing this individual as Elliott Witt a.k.a., Mirage of Apex Legends fame. His holo-clones disappear one by one as he walks past them with a wide grin that oozes swagger and charisma from every inch, winking and gesturing finger guns to the fans. While the reaction was somewhat favorable, Sasuke himself didn't seem all too impressed with a debuting rookie. Still, he was inquisitive of this new arrival to some extent.
Mirage stands in front of Sasuke with the same self-assured grin and all. Eventually, Sasuke speaks, "All right, I'll bite. Who the hell are you?"
With the mic leaned to the Apex Legend, he replies, "Name's Mirage, pal. And I'm the guy that's gonna kick your butt and win that sweet prize you got on your shoulder. How, you ask? Why, you won't even see it coming as I'm the master of the bamboozle."
As Mirage lingers his smirk, Sasuke stares blankly with a slow blink. "…You remind me of another idiot I know. Difference is, he's currently debilitated. […] But don't worry. I'll make sure he has company when I'm done with you; I'm certain you two will certainly get along…"
Mirage laughs it off as a mere empty threat, finding it as a joke…at least, he hopes Sasuke was joking. Unfortunately, Sasuke has never been one for jokes. Ever. After Sasuke demanded a referee to come out so the bell can be rung, Mirage is practically sweating bullets upon realizing he may have gambled for more than what he bargained for. The Holographic Trickster takes his moment to collect himself, trying to hype himself up in his corner for what could be his biggest match of the night. On his debut, right here, he can make history as the next Hardcore Champion. And against the likes of Sasuke Uchiha, no less!
Referee Kenneth Luger arrives to request Noah McQueen to perform his duty as timekeeper, Mirage hears the opening bell and runs into a Sharingan Impact! Sasuke hooks the leg: 1, 2, 3. "Misery Loves My Company" plays to boos after what is likely the shortest Hardcore Match ever. Under ten seconds, specifically. So, in a way…Mirage did make history. Everyone in the ring sans Sasuke was left bewildered of what to make of this sudden event while the APEX Hardcore Champion himself takes his strap and leaves the hexagon with it over his shoulder. Amusingly enough, this brief match actually helped Sasuke feel much better after Night of Champions.
Before Sasuke left completely, somewhere far up in the arena…there is a shining glimpse of lenses that seem to direct its stare towards the champion.
Nero's Intercontinental Championship reign is challenged
Changing the scene over backstage, Nero is found in his personal locker room sitting on his couch with his feet kicked up on the table as he watched the recent match with Sasuke and Mirage. After commentating how this match was hardly such, a knock on his door is heard. Not really willing to get up from his comfy sofa, Nero beckons for whoever is at the door to come in. The camera pans out…and two of the Erupting Eds, Edd and Eddy, walk in to an appreciating reaction from the crowd.
While Double D is dressed normally, Eddy is dressed sharply like a manager in sunglasses and a rather loose-wearing suit. He introduces himself as Mr. Eddy McGee, which Nero already knew who he was in a deadpan reaction. Still, "Mr. Eddy" congratulates Nero on his achievement as the first-ever APEX Intercontinental Champion of the new era, talking high on how he went through the hellish endurance in the Intercontinental Rumble and went on to fight in a vicious Ladder Match against the crafty Luke Smith. Nero tells Mr. Eddy to get to the point of what business he has here.
"Straightforward. I like that," Eddy grins. "Okay, champ, here's my proposal! You put your belt on the line tonight against an Ed of my choosing! And the Ed I chose is…THE BIG ED, EDBACK~!"
Double D whispers in his ear to alter that. "What do you mean we can't use the gimmick anymore?!" Edd whispers furthermore on the details, leaving Eddy to repeat after him. "Controversy with the actual Ryback? […] Wait, what did he say about Vince's mother? […] BLEGH! That's disgusting! Okay, you know what, Nero? How about we take a raincheck on the challenge and get back to you on it tomorrow night on RAMPAGE? You against Ed…in a whole new style like ya never seen him before! All for the belt! Whadda say?"
Nero strokes his chin in thought of Mr. Eddy's proposal…and shrugs in a nod, agreeing to have the match with his IC Title put on the line. Happy with the result, Eddy is eager to see Ed dethrone the Lone Devil Hunter by tomorrow. Nero, on the other hand, suggests Eddy to not get ahead of himself as he's not gonna hold back in his first title defense. After all, he'll want a challenge. So, it was set: twenty-four hours from now, Nero will face a rebranded Ed for the Intercontinental Championship on Saturday Night RAMPAGE.
"The Wanderer" Kenshin Himura vs. "The Synthetic Nightmare" Revenant
The night continues on with Kenshin Himura embarking his arrival for his first singles match in quite some time since APEX's hiatus. But who he's facing is what was unexpected for himself and the crowd. Standing across the ring from the ECW alumni is another Apex Legend by the name of Revenant. Compared to Kenshin's stature, Revenant was very tall, and his overall simulacrum reaper esque appearance is undeniably menacing.
Though the bell sounds to begin the match, Revenant only stares down at the valiant Kenshin and utters to him off-mic, "I'll see to it you don't die before you head to the nearest retirement home, skinsuit."
The match starts off well at first for Kenshin using his size and speed to his advantage to avoid Revenant's clutches. At first. Because Kenshin soon found out that Revenant is just as fast as he is, rapidly crawling up the top turnbuckle and brings him down with a Super Chokeslam, which Kenshin just barely manages to kick out at two. Revenant is showing to be an absolute monster in the ring, grasping tightly to Kenshin's throat as he has him against the ropes, but his eyes were not on Kenshin. His bleak, ominous eyes were on the crowd themselves, the hard camera, and the viewers watching from home as they lay witness to his horrifying stare. Referee Aiko Tanahashi warns Revenant to let go at the count of five…and at four, Revenant releases Kenshin's throat to snap his head towards the Japanese official. This scared her so much to back away in a corner while Revenant stalks after her very slowly. He warns the "skinsuit" to stay out of his way and returns to tormenting Kenshin.
Through most of the match, it's been all Revenant as he lays complete control over the ECW legend. He has the arm twisted in such pain to make Kenshin drop to a knee, but Revenant forces his opponent back on his feet so he can pull him for a sharp forearm across the face. And another forearm. And another, and another, and another until Kenshin falls limp on the mat. Later, he has Kenshin in a corner so he can run for the ropes and leaps for a giant Corner Clothesline…but Kenshin is able to move out of the way at the last second! Kenshin gets the momentum going with a bounce off the ropes and takes down Revenant with a Flying Back Elbow!
Kenshin slowly has the match back in his favor until Revenant kicks him in the gut and throws him over the ropes…but Kenshin hangs on and skins the cat back in the ring! Revenant turns around and finds Kenshin soaring across the hexagon via Moonsault, but lands on his feet…and lifts Revenant off for Way of the Samurai (Lifting DDT)! Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for to warrant a three-count. Regardless, Kenshin refuses to let this get to him as he decides to stalk the six-foot-eight simulacrum rise to his feet…and by rise, Revenant actually has his entire body and limbs jerk and flex to appear like he's possessed to stand up, terrifying the entire arena. Kenshin is wide-eyed at the sight of this demon in front of him as Revenant slowly looks over to Kenshin and tilts his head to ask, "Any last words? I must know." But Kenshin still refuses to quit. He kicks Revenant in the gut as he goes for the ropes and jumps off the mat…but Revenant brings him back down with a Big Boot to the face. Any last hope Kenshin had before has been quickly dwindled, especially when Revenant picks him back up over his shoulder, lifts him in a reverse crucifix hold…and drills him into the mat with the Death Totem (Inverted Crucifix Powerbomb) for the full three-count.
"Everybody Dies" by Tyler Sheasgreen plays to loud boos from the crowd, not finding any support in Kenshin's loss. After the pin, Revenant went from tombstone pin to sitting with legs crossed due to how his limbs can bend without difficulty as a robot. Revenant hears the spewing venom from the fans and couldn't help but let out a chuckle in mockery. The camera catches his words, "Oh, was this skinbag important to you people? As if he had any chance to begin with…"
Even though Revenant won…he didn't seem pleased with a simple victory. He looks at Kenshin being checked on by the referee…and grabs the referee to throw her out of the ring! Fans were offended at Revenant's ongoing actions to bring a steel chair and have Kenshin on his shoulder again for another Death Totem. However, as the Synthetic Nightmare was set to send him to the hospital…
…a mysterious figure wearing only a navy hooded jacket, regular jeans and black boots slides in the ring and pulls Kenshin out of Revenant's clutches! The man knees the robot in the gut and puts him in for a Full Nelson Facebuster, but Revenant slithers out of his grasp and out of the ring. Revenant chooses to fight another day as he's claimed his first victim, but he was left unhappy with the interruption by this man. And who was he? After pulling down his hood in anger towards Revenant's cowardice…the camera gets a good look at the man who saved Kenshin as Zeke Aries! Instead of his traditional brown hair, Zeke is donning blond hair—natural blond hair at that! Everyone in the entire building were losing their minds as to why Zeke is back and why he chose to save Kenshin Himura, the man he tormented back in APEX's previous incarnation!
And speaking of the Battōsai, he too was puzzled, if not more, about Zeke's intentions. Zeke seems legitimately concerned for Himura's condition…and the latter, absolutely baffled that this very same person that insulted his name for months is now worried, says nothing and leaves the ring. There was no looking back for Kenshin, unwilling to let go of what happened previously. And who can blame him? Zeke apparently couldn't, but all that mattered to him is that Kenshin is walking.
After that commercial break, Zeke is now found walking through backstage, the fans are heard with such mixed reactions on how to feel about the A-Lister. Robin Scherbatsky arrives the scene to ask Zeke a multitude of questions.
"Zeke Aries, I have to know—everyone has the right to know. Why come back now tonight to save Kenshin Himura, the same man you feuded through the course of the summer? You've done nothing but insulted him, everyone in the roster, and made it seem like you've burned bridges. I'm sorry, but I'm trying to understand about your goals here. Just…what are your true motives here?"
Zeke stares long in the distance…looks at Robin…and says, "…For so long, I've let my mouth run itself to no point of shutting up. No matter what I would bother saying here…no one is going to believe me. So instead…for these next few weeks…watch me."
Smosh mock Apocalypse Academy for their loss at Night of Champions
Somewhere in a Northern California household, Ian and Anthony are sitting on the couch in their living room watching an episode of Highschool of the Dead. Specifically, they were at the infamous "Matrix boob bullet dodge" scene. Anthony found it hot while Ian scoffs at how unrealistic this all is, how Saeko manages to avoid her breasts being shot off, let alone how "one bland protagonist" gets "all three beautiful babes" pining for him. Anthony points out that it's always like that for harem anime, but he does agree that it's the worst for this series. All the same, Anthony tells Ian how dumb it would be if the scenes they saw were actually realistic.
Cue the "If [Blank] Were Real" theme song as the subject of this special episode is for H.O.T.D. For the first scene, it brings up the "Matrix boob dodge" scene with Anthony cosplaying as Saeko to slash the zombies in front of her before making an attempt dodging the bullets, but "she" ends up shot dead. Ian, cosplaying as Takashi with a bad, oversized wig and wielding a Nerf sniper rifle, shouts, "Dang it!" before the zombies come in to eat him alive.
Next scene is a reenactment of "Takashi", this time played by Anthony, running in the classroom and telling "Rei", played by Ian, to come with him. "Rei" calls him crazy and "Takashi" slaps "her" so hard that "her" head is literally decapitated and broken through a window as an army of zombies catch the head to eat it. But apparently, "Takashi" is happy "Rei" is finally listening and drags the headless corpse out of the classroom while panic ensues in the background.
A new setting has "Kohta" played by "Atomic" Mari Takahashi with glasses, ache makeup and a literal pillow under her shirt to portray how obese the real Hirano is, currently running as slow as the zombies chasing him. It was so exaggerated to mock his weight until "Kohta" falls over. Though the zombies get closer, "Kohta" brings out an emergency kit that should contain his guns…and it's actually replaced with a plain cheese sandwich and an "I.O.U." note by "Takashi" that reads, "Sorry, bro, had to take your gun! Gotta go save the world with my sexy harem~ Thanks for everything." The fake Otaku screams in cursing "Takashi's" name as he gets swarmed and eaten by the undead.
The final enactment has "Takashi" (Anthony) have one last stand against the zombies with "Rei" (Ian) and the former has a confession to make. "Rei" confesses first that she's always loved "Takashi", even if he can be a massively unremarkable incel that was always jealous of her happiness with Hisashi. But "Takashi" actually confesses that he found Hisashi much hotter than Rei…and he wished he killed "Rei" instead. In anger, "Rei" pushes "Takashi" to the horde to be eaten off-screen…before she ends up being eaten as well.
By the end, Ian does agree that this series would be stupid if it was real, which he claims Highschool of the Dead to already be stupid enough as it is.
"Got that right," Anthony smirks. "But not as stupid as Takashi looked when you pushed him down outside the ring~"
"Oh, yeah! Or when Hirano got his head kicked in by Mari! Ohhh, that was a good laugh," Ian laughs. "Oh, and that time Saeko tapped out. Ha!"
"Now, that's not fair. She put up a fight…unlike Komuro and Hirano." Anthony then faces the camera with a sneering grin as Smosh stand up from the couch, "See, boys, at Homecoming…you decided to take us out of the game for a shot at the IC Title. So, we did the world a favor and took you out of the tag title picture."
"If we can't have gold, why let you get away with it?" Ian shrugs. "Sorry not sorry, just how it is in this business. We do what we want, when we want, where we want. If you know what's good for you…you stay the hell out of our way."
Mari steps in front of the duo and forebodes the rest in Japanese, "Sa mo nakuba…atama o butsuke rareru zo."
(For any curious viewer, that roughly translates to, "Or else, you're gonna get your f—king heads kicked in.")
Anthony and Ian stand by Mari as they make their final proclamation at a time.
"If you ain't down with that…"
"We got two words for ya~"
"SHUT UP," the duo utters in unison…before landing a Double Superkick to the cameraman and the camera goes out in fading static.
[Commercial break]
Misty vs. Revy
For the first time ever since she was signed with APEX as a head of the Women's Division (and since she was on maternal leave), Misty of Pokémon fame embarks her singles debut. And does one other female APEX Athlete arriving to the ring with "Kill Everyone" by Hollywood Undead playing from the speakers, Black Lagoon's Revy. Unlike Misty, who played to the crowd with passing high-fives on the ramp earlier, Revy glares at her surroundings in disgust, as if she hated being in the same building as everyone else in the stands. During her entrance, she actually pulled out her Cutlass pistols and shoots blanks up in the air, practically startling the fans out their seats. Though expressed curtly, Revy verifies that the bullets she fired were indeed blanks.
At the start, Misty…didn't even get one shot in when Revy cleared across the hexagon ring with a vicious High Knee. Two Hands was here on business, and that business usually includes killing her targets. Revy put up no hesitations to lay her fists on Misty's head in the corner, repeatedly striking her down to a seated position. She makes her way to the ropes, bounces off and hits her knee right through Misty's face. After pulling her out of the corner, Revy wraps her arms around her waist and slams her down flat with a Gutwrench Suplex, earning only a two-count.
Revy dominates the entirety of the match, making the former Toon Women's Champion appear as if she were a local jobber. She doesn't let up on the attacks at all, getting one snide insult in on Misty when she said, "You ain't SHIT compared to the Great Revy, bitch!" as she mudhole stomped her chest in. Revy seemed to have the victory with a Superplex, but Misty slides off and counters into an Electric Chair Drop that barely earns a two-count. Misty finally gets some offense in, shaking off the ring rust when she bounces off the ropes to take Revy for a spinning ride by way of a multiple Tilt-a-whirls and ending in a Headscissors Takeover.
Unfortunately, by the time Misty sets up for Superkick in loving tribute to her husband, Ash Ketchum, Revy ducks it and blasts Misty down with a brutal Lariat. Two Hands has the extremely groggy Misty on her feet to knock her out with a Pistol Whip (High-impact Elbow Smash) for the winning pinfall.
"Kill Everyone" is heard to resounding boos from the fans as Revy mockingly sticks her tongue out and pulls her bottom eyelid with her middle finger towards her detractors, returning the respect by tenfold. She tells off most of them that Misty is a "old hag that can't even be worth her time". To emphasize that, as Misty was stirring to all fours, Revy grabs her wrist from behind, spins her out and strikes the Pistol Whip yet again, appearing more ferocious than the last. The final shot of this post-scene bout is Revy pressing her foot on Misty's head and proclaiming that a change is coming to the Women's Division…and it sure as hell won't be having to do with the Queendom.
Jason Voorhees will prowl in the shadows to seek his next victim
In this special vignette, it starts in pitch black nothingness as rain pitters on the ground and thunder rumbles through the skies…until the whisper for Jason Voorhees is heard, bringing the Beast of Bad Luck out through the storm in what little of light there under the dim moon.
No words are uttered for the likes of Voorhees, who keeps his empty eyes locked on the camera that very slowly zooms in on his mask. During so, highlights of the Crystal Lake Monster's dominance in the Intercontinental Rumble are shown fading in and out from left and right, the screams of his opponents echoing and a rapidly strummed violin heightening in volume. Those highlights included especially Niko Bellic having his head caved in with a steel chair, Spider-Man being choked out in the corner, planting Eddy with a Reverse Chokeslam Facebuster, and pushing everyone off of him when they tried picking him up and out of the ring. The same features go on an endless loop, Voorhees' mask zoomed in so close, the violin becoming high-pitched…
…
…
…and blackout. A deep exhale leaves through Voorhees' mask to break the moment of silence. Then, with his iconic whisper echoing, the first and final words displayed are…
JASON VOORHEES
WILL RETURN…
[Commercial break]
Tommy Oliver responds to Ryan Mitchell's assault back at Homecoming
Taking place at Ignition's stage, Zack Carver is the special interviewer with a mic in hand and introduces the crowd to "The Ranger Legend" Tommy Oliver. Zack keeps it brief, recapping that after putting up a clinic with Scorpion at Homecoming, Titanium Ranger Ryan Mitchell attacked Tommy and declared he's going to "clean the filth clustering up the roster", including the Original Green Ranger himself, in the name of the Bullet Club.
Straight to the point as well, a rightfully upset Tommy Oliver expresses his disappointment to Ryan for committing an act of cowardice to attack him from behind. He calls him out for bringing shame to his duty as a Power Ranger, but this isn't the first time he's seen this, referencing to the likes of the Overdrive Rangers, the In Space Rangers (sans Andros) and especially his own Dino Thunder Ranger students. Regardless, Tommy won't back down from Ryan seeking to destroy what APEX has built just for Bullet Club's name recognition. So, he issues a challenge to settle the score and acts to stand in the way between APEX's roster and Ryan's mission to spread Bullet Club's poison within.
Ryan is man enough to show up…but he shows up with another attack from behind to Tommy, barraging his face in with closes fists. Tommy blocks enough to start fighting back, but the fight does not last long with security staff and referees coming out to break up the duo, much to the dismay of the crowd. "Let them fight!" chants ring throughout the arena in the midst of boos, Ryan and Tommy exchanging words as they're being separated.
While Tommy was being taken backstage…a man in white dressed in a Gothic themed suit with black accents, a monocle over right eye and a pocket clock in hand appears. Everyone's eyes were drawn to this mysterious character as the man in white smirks, puts his pocket clock away and pulls out a microphone to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name…is Aeon. Shall we begin the first trial~?"
The lights gradually dim with spotlight shining on Aeon alone as "Battle Cry" by Little V Mills plays to its piano introduction.
"IWAE! For the man you are about to witness, is a man once more on the rise! A man that the infamous Gore Machine has faced before Ultimate Impact Wrestling…but unlike last time, this night shall be the difference maker! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to reintroduce to you…making his return to Apex Caliber Wrestling…'The New Enigma' Hernaaaaaan Oooooorrrtiiiz~!"
[I HEAR A BATTLE CRYYYYY~!]
A new spotlight shines at the center of the stage, brightening over one Hernan Ortiz posing Ricochet style just as the song hits its chorus. In a whole new ring gear, Hernan donned tights and seemingly metallic boots that are stylized similar to Sin Cara's design while wearing a Kalisto-tailored mask with a fox motif, main color royal blue and secondary being silver. On top of that, he has a sleeveless mid-length double-breasted leather trench coat with a Japanese kanji reading, "時間 (TIME)" stitched in silver on the back and a clock-themed gloves. After embracing the welcoming cheers from the crowd, Hernan notices Ryan Mitchell still at the stage and gives him a glare before Aeon reminds him that he has a match to get to.
"The Gore Machine" Jason Kreuger vs. "The New Enigma" Hernan Ortiz (with Aeon)
To give interesting context for this match happening, the commentators explain that Hernan Ortiz is a close friend of Jesse Alvarez, even before APEX was created, and personally requested this match what went down at Homecoming between him and Jason Krueger. Despite the fact Hernan has a chance to avenge his loss back in UIW as previously mentioned, Hernan seeks much more to avenge Jesse by beating Jason for their brutal and bloody Unsanctioned Match and for the news drop that Jesse officially left APEX.
By the time Kreuger arrived, inciting such venomous boos from San Antonio…he seemed stoic. Unenthusiastic, even. Ever since Homecoming, Kreuger has been coming to terms with not only that he beat Jesse Alvarez clean (using that term loosely with how literal bloody it was), but he practically ran him out of the company. With all that…Jason hardly has an emotion to express. Nonetheless, he is in a match tonight, and if there's one thing Jason refuses to back away from, it's a fight.
The match starts…with a slap from Hernan across Jason's face. The New Enigma is understandably irate over Jesse's departure, criticizing Krueger for his actions and not letting go of Jesse's mistakes. Krueger simply shakes his head while still turned away from the slap, not having any of it. He turns to Hernan and says off-mic, "I can already tell you're going to be the least fun to fight." One punch thrown from Jason later and the two engage in trading fists.
Jason and Hernan now evaluate their strength in a highly aggressive collar-and-elbow lockup, bringing each other to a corner with the former shoving the latter in. Jason lands some body shots, then hits an Overhead Chop on Hernan's chest. Hernan reacts in stinging pain, then switches positions with Jason and returns the favor with an Overhead Chop of his own. With that, Hernan takes Jason to the ropes for an Irish Whip to the opposite end and baseball slides under through his legs. Hernan makes for the adjacent ring ropes and Jason bounces off his ropes to turn around into a Leg Lariat kick. Hernan faces away from Jason's side and performs a Standing Moonsault for the quick cover, but only earns a one-count. Hernan has Jason back on his feet for a Sitout Gourdbuster attempt, but Jason ensures his feet stay planted on the canvas. In a struggle to lift the other up, Ortiz and Krueger start exchanging knee strikes to each other's chest and abdomen areas until Kreuger wins it out with a few more knees and throws Hernan through the ropes get him out, but Hernan stays on the apron. Kreuger goes over to knock him down, only to earn a shoulder thrust to the gut and back body drops him over the ropes. After slingshot rolling himself in the ring, Hernan awaits Jason to rise on his feet, he hits the ropes behind him, clears across the ring and flies into his opponent with a Suicide Dive!
There's no doubting The New Enigma's agility and speed in the ring being quite tricky to catch up on. At first. Because as Hernan began to rely too much on his aerial abilities from the top turnbuckle, Jason Kreuger springs to his feet and snatches his opponent's legs from underneath, making Hernan fall back-first on the turnbuckle and his head knocked on the tip of the ring post. Hernan is checked on by the referee after that nasty plummet, some blood leaking from the mask…and Jason shoves the official out of the way to start stomping on Hernan's head. The blood is spilled in the water, and Jason enacts as the shark that smells it, targeting Hernan's weakness.
Jason is evident on wanting this match to be done and over with, doing what he can to concuss Hernan and put him away. At one point, after throwing Hernan through the ropes, Hernan hangs on, but barely. The New Enigma tries for a shoulder block, but Kreuger predicted it with a lifting knee across the jaw. As Hernan is draped over the middle rope, Jason holds on to the top rope and drives Hernan on the outside with Over the Edge (Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the ring apron)! However, that only gets Jason Kreuger a near-fall, annoying him further. The Gore Machine dictates this match in his favor at a methodical to damage Hernan's neck, mainly drilling his elbow and knees into the cited area. Ortiz remains as a stubborn individual, rebelling against Jason with his repeated kick-outs and attempts of reversing holds against his opponent. Just as Jason shouts at Hernan to stay down before he treats him worse than what he did to Jesse at Homecoming, Hernan gets a burst of adrenaline with a Sword of Justice (V-Trigger)! Aeon at ringside prematurely rejoicing for Hernan's victory as Hernan spams the Sword of Justice over and over after bouncing from each side of the ropes.
Hernan is reaching closer for the end of the match, climbing all the way on the top rope while Jason is sitting two corners away from him. He dives for the Rider Kick (Coast to Coast, but with one foot extended)…and crashes HARD on the mat with nobody home to eat the kick! The New Enigma nurses his hip as he stands before Krueger bashes the back of his head with a Roaring Elbow! Ortiz drops to his knees and then Jason snatches his neck in a tight-knit Bulldog Choke. Bringing down the fidgeting Hernan down at the center, Jason wrenches his around his neck…and despite Hernan's best efforts to fight the submission, he passes out in Jason's grasp and the official calls for the bell. Though Hernan lost, fans still appreciated him for fighting to the end.
By the time Hernan was being accompanied to the back by Aeon, Krueger stayed sitting in the hexagon with an aloof expression with boos raining down on him. No lenience from the Latino Kid's hometown crowd whatsoever for a full minute…and Kreuger finally moves to demand a microphone.
"So…a whole new era has arrived. APEX is back to broadcasting. Got ourselves a new ring and setup. There's a new chief in charge of the company. […] And Jesse Alvarez is gone," Krueger states, inciting another round of boos. "All right, I get it, you want him back. He made his decision to leave. GET OVER IT. […] Since Homecoming…since that match…I wasn't sure what to feel when I won. I…felt revenge accomplished…and yet…" Jason's tone rises in anger, hand clenching tightly onto the mic while the other balled up into a fist. But soon, he breathes in and out deeply, actually soothing his fury. "Nothing. I've had a long personal journey since…and none of that shit with Alvarez matters to me anymore. I've accomplished so much, I don't know what to do with myself other than one thing…and that's to FIGHT." Krueger looks straight into the camera lenses. "Tonight, I achieved doing what I do best: fight until either me or my enemy goes down. And I'm going to keep fighting, no matter how much I sweat, how much I shed tears, how much I especially spill blood all over this canvas. I don't care who I fight! So, Old Man Alvarez, send whoever you got right after me and I'll kick their asses all the same! Everyone in this roster is a TARGET! Dante, Yugi, Kenshin, Komuro, Spider-Man, Ash Ketchum—you're ALL MY victims to come! I don't care if it's your Hardcore Champion! I don't care of it's your Intercontinental Champion! I don't care if it's your APEX World Champion—I WILL BEAT THE PISS OUT OF THEM UNTIL THEY REALIZE WHO THEY REGRET STEPPING IN THE RING WITH! THAT'S MY ROLE FROM NOW ON! I AM A FIGHTER…and no one is going to stop me from doing what I do best."
[Commercial break]
APEX World Women's Champion Satsuki Kiryūin addresses her Night of Champions victory
After returning from commercial, Zack Carver was almost immediately back on the mic for another interview. This time around, it's in the hexagon with the APEX World Women's Champion, Satsuki Kiryūin, who arrived in the arena to rather massive cheers. The battle scars are shown on Satsuki's face with a few bruises around her right eye and left cheek, all for the world to see with the champion herself standing firmly and proudly with her belt around her waist. Zack couldn't help but admire her stature with glee and practical stars in his eyes before shaking it off to get into character to do his job.
Young Zack brings up Satsuki's championship bout and how she fought tooth and nail to retain her belt against Saeko Busujima, who fought just as well. Satsuki nods to that fact, acknowledging Saeko as certainly her toughest and her best…in only her first title defense. They may have done things to each other they were not proud of, but they both knew it was for the very belt Satsuki carries around her waist. From where Satsuki stands, she restated her challenge to all in the entire Women's Division of APEX, commanding them to watch very close if they wish to step up to her belt.
Interestingly, someone did decide to step up…as "Never Lost" by Decyfer Down plays for Rei Miyamoto's arrival to a surprised, yet cheering reaction. Rei stands across from Satsuki and brings up the fact despite Saeko's loss, she went all the way to ensure her status as someone that is championship material. Rei's reason for joining Satsuki in the ring is not only to let her know Saeko will be back for that belt…but until she does, Rei is stepping up to take her down. Kiryūin is fairly intrigued in Rei's proposal…
…but then "Pretty on the Outside" by Bullet for My Valentine plays for Mai Valentine, provoking the crowd to boo instantly upon her arrival. After stomping to the ring, Mai snatches the microphone from Zack and angrily tells off both Rei and Satsuki for even considering the idea of this story continuing. Mai insults Rei for Saeko's loss, telling her she never deserved it to begin with due to Ricardo "picking favorites". She then gets after Satsuki for entertaining the idea of Rei Miyamoto as a challenger when there's one in front of her, obviously referring to herself. Mai has business to settle with Kiryūin for cashing her briefcase in the middle of what should've been her night at Summer Wars. And it wasn't just vengeful war declared against Satsuki—everyone in the company is a target, from Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. to everyone involved in the match that destroyed the Four Horsewomen…
…and then "So Beautiful, So Evil" by Digital Summer plays for Kendra Daniels' arrival to a bit of surprising mixed reaction. Despite how the crowd may feel in the Dead Space character for recent events at Homecoming, Kendra pays no mind to them as she enters the ring. Kendra looks at Mai with a smug grin and asks if she was referring to her. Daniels tells both Rei and Mai that neither of them deserve a shot when she's the next contender, especially when she proudly states she's the main reason the Horsewomen are disbanded and tells the town to consider the name "Kendra Daniels" in heroism. Of course, despite the mixed reception, fans turned on Kendra almost instantly, which she couldn't care less regardless.
At this point, with how intense Rei, Mai and Kendra are bickering among themselves, Zack wisely picked this moment to gradually leave the hexagon ring and get back to the commentary table while Satsuki stands in the corner with an amused smirk. Mai shoves Rei aside to glare deeply at Kendra…and Rei simply boots Mai in the face, detonating an all-out brawl! Kendra and Rei trade fists, then Mai tackles them both down, mounting Kendra with a flurry of fists. As the two are going back and forth, Rei suddenly snatches Mai off in a Rear Naked Choke—the Miyamoto Clutch! Mai is trying to pry Rei off her back, but then Kendra takes them both down with a Running Dropkick! Both women are down for the moment, Kendra stands virtually victorious…and soon turns her attention back to the APEX World Women's Champion, who had just left the ring to walk back up the ramp. Satsuki declares, "Long as I have this, not one of you can hope to stand a chance with me."
But as Kendra kept her eye on the champion, iGeneration came out to bash Kendra down from behind! Mai joins in on the beat-down against Daniels, taking all their frustration out on her and Rei simultaneously. Though they are only three Horsewomen, the Queendom remains strong together in the organization. They were about to deal the finishing blow in putting both of them through tables, but then Saeko Busujima, Saya Takagi, Eliza Hart, and Allison Wilson came out at the same time to fight the remaining Horsewomen! It was a surreal sight to behold before it became every faction for themselves, nothing but absolute chaos in the hexagon to the crowd's delight.
However, it was not to last when Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. arrived with security staff to break up the anarchy, keeping each stable separated from the other while they're still yelling. The new owner of APEX states that it's obvious there's one way of settling who will be the rightful challenger for the APEX World Women's Championship…and if there's ever a chance of interference, the boss wants to make sure that nobody can get in or out.
"Next week," Ricardo declares, "Mai Valentine, Kendra Daniels, and Rei Miyamoto will fight to determine our new number one contender for the APEX World Women's Championship…BY BEING CONFINED WITHIN SIX SIDES OF STEEL!"
Big pop from the crowd as they get to witness three of APEX's most popular female athletes square off within a steel cage; Mai's eye was twitching, Kendra couldn't help but form a vile grin, and Rei simply nods to the challenge. And so, it was official for next week's Ignition; all there's yet to do now until then is wait for three women to torture each other inside Six Sides of Steel.
During the break, APEX caught backstage footage of iGeneration's promo where they declared that even if the Horsewomen are disbanded, the Queendom will remain unstoppable with the APEX Women's Tag Team Championship in their hands before being blindsided by Jewel Felines' Jessica Wilson and Lisa Weston. The Felines were rightfully irate after what happened at Night of Champions, wanting to return that assault to the champions tenfold before security managed to pull them away.
The Gods of Darkness (with PaniK) vs. The Naughty Dogs (with Coco Bandicoot)
People are still rather reeling back from the fact that the current APEX World Tag Team Champions are Yami Bakura and Marik Ishtar, collectively known as the Gods of Darkness. The atmosphere inside the Coliseum thickens with dread and apprehension the moment they made their entrance towards the ring with Emily Browning's cover of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" resonating behind them and PaniK following as their enforcer. To rebel this dread, "Crash" by Decyfer Down booms from the stage to mark the Naughty Dogs' arrival and give the fans a glimpse of hope.
Unfortunately, that glimpse of hope was merely that. Though the Naughty Dogs got off to a fast start with Crash Bandicoot jumping on Bakura with wild fists and flying dropkicks, Bakura quickly shuts him down with a Rapture, countering his Super Belly Flop (Diving Splash). Nathan Drake attempts to help his partner out, but Marik Ishtar blindsides him with a Jumping Double Foot Stomp. With him out of the equation for now, this match belonged to the World Tag Team Champions throughout. They could have made this contest quick and decisive, but that would just be granting mercy towards their opponents and that is not how the Gods of Darkness wish to present themselves as the dominant force of the tag division.
Crash is put through the worst torture possible with Yami Bakura applying the Sanctuary of Darkness (Malakai Black's Dragon Slayer) after hitting another Rapture and it's amazing he hasn't given up, which could prove to be a problem for the Gods in this first night of asserting their supremacy. Not even Marik's Spell of Pain (Arm-trap Single-leg Boston Crab) was enough to get Crash to quit, despite how cruel they were stretching out his body. But even so, that only plays into G.O.D.'s favor to relish in excruciating their adversaries.
The glimpse of hope rises up just as Crash avoids the Nightmare Wheel (Inverted Facelock spun out into a DDT) and rotates out of it to counter into a Wumpa Twist (Twist of Fate)! He tags out to Nate and leaps up the top rope for a Crash Landing so the Uncharted Hero can follow up with a Frog Splash…but before all that can commence, Coco is suddenly grabbed by PaniK from behind and he threatens to Chokeslam her if he doesn't get down. It gets Crash and Nate distracted long enough for Marik to recover and club Crash off the turnbuckles, then force Nate in the ring. Though Drake was fresh and gave a fight of his own, the Gods of Darkness remain their control as Marik counters The Adventurer's Welcome (Lifting Falling Inverted DDT) into the Nightmare Wheel. Marik tags in Bakura, who sets up Nate in a Vertebreaker while the former climbs on the top turnbuckle and the duo connect the Malevolent Nightmare in brutal fashion! One three-count pinfall later, and the Gods of Darkness are the winners of this match to antagonistic boos.
After practically tossing Coco aside, PaniK joins his Gods in the ring and takes a knee to them as they stand victorious with their belts given back to them and raised high. PaniK leaves the ring for a moment to take the microphone away from a terrified Maria Lopez, staring her down disturbingly before he returns to the ring and hands it to Bakura.
At the start of his post-match speech, Yami Bakura mocks the fact that their first opponents since becoming the champions were "ambitious fools" that never had a chance against them to begin with, non-title match or not.
"Despite this somewhat disruptive beginning, I assure you all…we will not stop. We will not grant mercy to any mortal pairs that dare to commit such cowardly acts by facing us in suicide just to take away our holy grail. Marik and I pledge to see that this sinful division is purged of its weaklings and its unworthy! So says I, a God of Darkness, as it was uttered before at Night of Champions—we've only just begun! I beseech you all to repent…and FOLLOW THE SHADOWS."
The unhinged Bakura begins to cackle…before being interrupted by the lights coming back on with "Party Up" by DMX booming through the loudspeakers to a shocked fan reaction…
…and those fans pop HARD and LOUD for the returning Tony and Adrian Blake riding up in their signature 1965 Impala vehicle! Out of all the people to make their presence known, no one could imagine it'd be the very duo that is the Blake Bros. 2.0! In spite of a mixed reaction, people were just happy to see another team brave enough to step up and interrupt the Gods of Darkness in their moment of vileness. Tony stands in his car with a wide grin, hearing the fans' responses loud and clear while Adrian nods with a stoic expression. Having the microphone in his hand, the Hot Flash speaks his first words back in APEX.
"WHAT IS UUUUUUP, SAN ANTONIOOO!" Tony greets, receiving a likely cheap pop. "Yeaaah, I knew y'all missed my voice~ Now…listen. Don't get me wrong, it took a bit for Old Man Alvarez to convince me and Adrian to stay on APEX after how we were treated in this company's first few months. Can't tell how much we hated it with his kid in charge. But hey, Grandpa knows his stuff. And what he knows…is that a long time ago, we fairly beat the first-ever tag champs…and we ain't ever since gotten our opportunity. I can tell you this, after Summer Wars, A and I were done…or at least, I thought we were. 'Cause, baby, we got a new opportunity in our hands!" Tony hops out of the car with Adrian following him towards the ring, both men staring down the Gods from the apron. "And that opportunity…is standing right in front of us. We cashing in on our rightfully deserved title shots, Yaoi Gods! It may not be against Altered Egos, but y'all will be good enough. You wanna tell us to 'follow the Shadows' or whatever the hell kind of edgy BS y'all are preaching to frighten us? That shit don't work on either of us, especially on my man, A. So whatever you wanna do to be spooky, bring it, 'cause by the time our match happens…we'll get our due. So, what do y'all say? You accept our challenge…or are y'all too damn chickenshit to even step up to the real champs?"
Statement made. The Blake Bros. are back and appear stronger than before, but there lies the question: what does G.O.D. say? Seemingly unfazed by the Blake Family members, Bakura soon forms a sneering grin and chuckles into his mic.
"All I am seeing…is two lambs that have decided to come home…to the slaughterhouse," Bakura states. "Worry not, we accept… However…though we allow this foolish bravery to occur against us, if your opportunity is wasted…I fear for your fate when you regret your decision tonight."
DEH!
In a flash, a still image of the sinfully grinning Cult of Shadows appears onscreen and cuts to black…
…and the lights return to find the Blake Bros. 2.0 alone and bewildered as to wonder where the hell the trio went. All they can do was look around for no traces of them and Tony eventually utters, "Aw, hell nah…"
It would seem the Blake Bros., Tony especially, might realize what they're getting themselves into…
[Commercial break]
The Wolves send out a message to their declared enemies…
In return from the break, an unlicensed camera within an undisclosed location turns on gives an awkward, leaning angled shot of four pairs of legs until a hand is shown picking the camera up, revealing the Wolves of justice—Erik Rollins, the charismatic speaker; Hannibal Ambrose, the impulsive, foul-mouthed wildcard; Damian Reigns, the enforcer of righteousness; and finally, Luke Smith, the cunning silver tongue.
"YO! This shit on!?" Hannibal calls, tapping the camera. "Good. 'Cause we got a bit to say before the old man gets his chance to speak."
Erik takes the camera from Hannibal's hands, asserting himself to speak with a fowl scowl, "The Wolves, as of late, have been disrespected by the likes of bloodthirsty maniacs with no respect for law and order—it's about chaos and mayhem as long as it benefits them. Quite frankly, it's disgusting."
"It's one thing we lose our chances at becoming the next World Tag Team Champions," Luke states, "but it's another to get screwed over by a half-demon suffering his midlife crisis when I had the Intercontinental Championship in my grasp!"
"Seems to me—to us…that we need to remind these people who the hell we are and what we represented back in the day," Damian chimes in.
"Then in the case of whoever is stupid enough to forget who we are—I am Erik Rollins."
"The Hannibal Ambrose, muthafu—"
"Damian Reigns."
"Luke. Smith. And here's something about justice and karma."
"Firstly, Karma is payback. And payback, in general, is a bitch," Hannibal says.
"Justice, on the other hand, is fair," Erik utters. "It's what sets right from wrong. Good and evil. There are rules that need to be followed for a foundation of a better society. Whether you like us or not—"
The camera cuts in Damian, "We're on a constant mission to establish IMPARTIALITY and EQUALITY. But we keep getting obstacles in the way of that."
"But why? Why get in the way when you're only going to suffer the inevitable?" Hannibal asks. "Mason Stone—"
"Marcus King," Damian names.
"Nolan Gates," Erik emits.
"Dante…" Luke growls under his breath.
"You four have made us go against each other when we should be united," Erik frowns. "My teammates pointing fingers at each other on who's to blame. You made my men doubt themselves and each other. I won't stand for it, not as the leader of this militia."
"So we're setting up a challenge for y'all. If you even got the BALLS," Hannibal urges.
"Six-man. The Wolves vs. the Trinity," Damian states. "We've named the challenge. Now it's your turn to set the date, boys."
"As for Dante, you're all mine for the time being," Luke says. "You cost me my chance at becoming the first-ever Intercontinental Champion in the new era. And for what, helping out that deadweight you call a nephew? You've made your grave the moment you interfered with my moment of glory—my chance to reestablish myself in this damn promotion."
"Oh, don't worry, Luke, you won't have to handle Dante alone eventually~" Hannibal smirks.
"Because once we're done with the Hardcore Trinity, you're our next target, son of Sparda," Erik glares.
"You mess with one of ours, you mess with us," Damian warns. "For now, just sit tight as we have three maniacs to throw in the asylum."
"After the Trinity, after Dante…don't think we forgot about you, G.O.D.," Hannibal scoffs.
"Those belts belong to us. That's not a false statement; that's a promise," Erik says. "So make sure to remember that."
"But there's especially one thing to remember, kids!" Hannibal cries. "…We are far more than who we were when we first began almost ten years ago. We've grown, and honestly, we're very…very excited to show you just how much."
"We are The Wolves, and by 2023, we promise you, justice will reign all in Apex Caliber Wrestling," Erik speaks.
"So…believe in Justitia and her beliefs, her virtues," Luke declares.
"OR FEAR HER WOLVES!" Damian roars, causing the camera to lag and Hannibal simply throws down the camera as it shatters the lenses.
Ricardo Alvarez hypes up special upcoming events in APEX's future
Sitting in his office at the desk, Ricardo Alvarez greets the viewer with a smile and asks if they've enjoyed the show thus far. He hopes they did, despite most victories going against their likely favorites. He also understands how much Jesse will be missed from APEX as he resigned from his duties for his personal reasons. Regardless, the new APEX chairman wishes to lift the spirits of everyone in the crowd that feels blue.
"I'm proud to announce that by the end of this year and afterwards, Apex Caliber Wrestling will be hosting three very special live events on both Ignition and RAMPAGE! By the day before Christmas Eve and during, we'll broadcast the first-ever live two-night special in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Then the week after, on New Year's Eve, we'll be having our Last Night on Earth~ And finally, into the beginning of 2023, we will arrive across a New Divide," Ricardo declares. "We'll be building up weeks of great pro-wrestling towards these spectacle events, championships will be put on the line to push my titleholders to their very best, and I'm taking no exceptions from everyone on my roster. I'll be watching close to see how you all fare on our journey to All Out Life. Let me also say that from the amount of title bouts being contested on a whim, I decided to allow King Beowulf to defend his belt against the winner of tonight's main event at The Nightmare Before Christmas, along with the World Women's Championship match and the World Tag Team Championship match.
"In the meanwhile, I have brought mention of the APEX Grand Prix, and I do sadly regret to inform some bad news that it will be pushed back into the middle of February. It turns out I have said and brought up dates that would've led to All Out Life that were contradictory to our current schedule, and I do apologize for that. However, when the APEX Grand Prix does premiere, I can promise you all, the wait shall be worth the wait," smirks the retired luchador. "Oh! I almost forgot one little detail about The Nightmare Before Christmas. We have a very special guest hosting the two-night event…you may happen to know him as a king. A king…that enjoys giving a good scare. Life's no fun without one…isn't that right, Mr. Skellington?"
Ricardo turns to his right, looking at someone offscreen with the camera panning out…and that someone happens to be the Pumpkin King him, the patron spirit of Halloween—Jack Skellington! The crowd gives an enormous pop to the surprise appearance of the Xtreme Crossover Federation legend in APEX Wrestling.
"Indeed, Mr. Alvarez!" Jack chimes. "I'm just as proud as you are to be hosting such an occasion, more so honored you chose me to do so. And let me say, as host, we also came to an agreement that on the night of Christmas Eve…I shall embark on my debut in the APEX ring! My challenge is open to whomever wishes to step in the ring with yours truly. My only hope…is that you're brave enough face the Pumpkin King~" Jack flashes a devious grin to the camera with red lighting coating the room…and instantly back to normal as if that didn't happen, waving to the viewer as he leaves. "Looking forward to The Nightmare Before Christmas!"
The camera pans back to Ricardo, who blinks twice after witnessing that display of horror.
"…So do I, Jack," Ricardo regains his composure with a simple chuckle. "So do I."
Main Event: Mask vs. Money, APEX World Championship #1 Contender's Match – Spider-Man vs. Kurt Hudson (with Alyssa Parker)
This match was for all the marbles: Kurt Hudson gambling half a billion dollars from his own account for Spider-Man's mask and identity. The winner of this main event gets to face King Beowulf for his APEX World Championship at The Nightmare Before Christmas live special and neither man wants to lose that opportunity. In fact, Kurt had a backup plan as he patiently waited in the ring with a haughty grin…and a decrepit, beaten Spider-Man is suddenly thrown through the entranceway, courtesy of Niko Bellic! It was extremely unfavorable in the eyes of the hissing fans, but it was undoubtedly smart on Hudson's part to earn himself a shot at Beowulf's world title. But even after Kurt took care of the rest in beating up a bruised Spidey, the Webhead himself refuses to stay down for any three-count.
Kurt throws Spidey to the ropes, inadvertently giving him a boost to slide under the Big Boot attempt. Spider-Man jumps at Hudson for the Wheelbarrow Bulldog, but Kurt quickly catches and reverts that into a German Suplex, slamming him hard on his spine against the unforgiving canvas! Spidey rolls to his feet and staggers in the nearest corner, where Kurt seized that shot in bouncing off the ropes and hitting the Billion Dollar Clothesline (Running Corner Clothesline while sliding his legs through the ring ropes). He throws down the Marvel hero, then removes himself from the ropes as he picks up his opponent by the neck and waistline and hurls him under the bottom rope, making him slide and crash to the outside. "YOU SUCK, HUDSON! YOU SUCK! (Clap, clap!)" chants were rung from the APEX Coliseum as loud as possible, but the smirking Hudson relishes in the hate, gesturing his hands like he's constructing an orchestra. Hudson goes for an exit, but referee Marshall Eriksen holds him as he wants him to give Spidey breathing room…but all it did was give Alyssa Parker an excuse to kick Spidey in the kidneys while he's down before backing away to avoid suspicion.
Spidey does eventually come back inside on his own merit, but the control of the match remains in Kurt's hands as the plan was evident: keeping the high-flyer grounded no matter what. A Vertical Suplex, Kurt Hudson succeeds, but it still doesn't guarantee him a three-count. Regardless, this doesn't throw Kurt's game one bit. He wants the young hero to suffer. He wants him to feel powerless, humiliated over tenfold for the amount of times Hudson has been on that other end of the spectrum. This was Kurt's night—the Billion Dollar King's night to be the next contender, and he refuses to let someone else like Spider-Man, a thorn on his side for a time before APEX's hiatus, take it away from him.
Hudson grabs Spidey's right leg and turns him over for a very painful Half Boston Crab, going as far as to kneel on his skull. The pressure from Hudson does not let up at all, but Spider-Man is undoubtedly resilient to the thought of giving up. Kurt is getting seemingly frustrated at his rival's endurance, trying to torque his leg and body further…but that only helps Spidey slip out of the hold and snatch him in an Inside Cradle—kick-out at a two! Both men stumble to their feet quickly, Hudson swings and misses the Running Clothesline as Spidey used that arm to flip over back in front of Kurt and strike him with a Jawbreaker! Then a forearm strike! And another! And a third, constant forearms leading Kurt to the ropes. Irish Whip by Spidey and Kurt reverses it. Kurt misses the punch, Spider-Man hits the ropes again and leaps over Kurt's Back Body Drop attempt with a Double Foot Stomp to the back of his head! Kurt stumbles and Spidey hits the ropes once more—sudden Belly-to-belly Suplex by the Fortune Emperor…
…and Spidey lands on his feet! Kurt turns in disbelief and goes for the tackle, but Spidey sidesteps the Money King to let him fall through the ropes! Now that the momentum is on his side for a change, Spidey can finally perform at his risk-taking abilities. He bounces from the ropes behind him, running fast as possible…but gets halted when he sees Alyssa Parker stand on the apron to prevent him from ever flying. Alyssa dares Spidey to hit her if he wants to get to Kurt…but Spidey smirks under his mask, knowing he doesn't need to, as he opts to the nearest corner, hops over the turnbuckles, and performs an elegant Moonsault on top of his opponent, Kota Ibushi style!
As the match draws closer to its conclusion, Spider-Man has Kurt on his shoulders and stands on the second turnbuckle, making way for the Iron Curtain, a tribute to his mentor, Iron-Man. But credit where credit is due, Kurt is refusing to back down as he repeatedly rams his elbow into Spidey's jaw, forcing him to release the Fireman's Carry. Now Kurt has Spidey on the top, bashing his fist across his skull. He stands on the middle rope, setting him up for a Superplex. However, Spidey remains rebellious, no matter how much Kurt hits him in the ribs for the Superplex. Kurt lifts Spidey, but the latter slips over and behind, traps his head against the turnbuckle and hits the Cheeky Arachnoid Kick (Will Ospreay's Cheeky Nandos Kick)! Kurt is knocked for a loop and Spidey keeps him from falling, sitting him on the top turnbuckle. He joins him there, wraps his arms around the waist and drills him with the Spider Suplex! The Webhead comes down after that and hypes the crowd up for the finishing blow. He eagerly waits for Kurt to stand up, then runs past him for the ropes, using that as a boost in speed for the Spider Bite…
…and Kurt Hudson uses it against Spidey to throw him into the official! Referee Marshall Eriksen is knocked down and out of the ring while Spidey stumbles to his feet and suffers a kick straight in the groin by Hudson! No referee to see that means no disqualifications. Kurt had enough of playing fair throughout and blatantly starts throttling him by the throat with heavy boos. As he's doing this, he shouts to the stage and calls for Niko Bellic for assistance. A minute passes…and Niko is nowhere to be seen for some reason. Kurt stops the punishment to walk up the corner and yells louder for Bellic, who finally shows up…by being suddenly thrown through the entranceway, courtesy of King Beowulf! Hudson is livid towards Beowulf for interfering, but the champion reminds him that his opponent is in the ring. Realizing the situation, Kurt turns around and eats the Spider Bite from a recovered Spidey! Not satisfied with just that, Spidey rolls out of the ring and stands on the apron as the official is right about to regain consciousness and return to the ring. Once then, Spider-Man springs from the top rope and connects the Spectacular Splash (Springboard 450° Splash)! One pinfall later and Spidey earns himself a world title shot at The Nightmare Before Christmas!
As Hudson is hyperventilating at ringside over the fact that he lost half a billion dollars with Alyssa trying to comfort him, Spidey is celebrating his victory and gesturing for the world championship belt to come around his waist. If he thought this was the biggest win of his career, then he has a lot to prove for what is at stake by The Nightmare Before Christmas as King Beowulf remains at the stage with a smirk, appearing rather eager to his upcoming clash against the young wall-crawler. It was now officially set at the upcoming Christmas Eve event: Spider-Man vs. King Beowulf, a David vs. Goliath contest for the Apex Caliber Wrestling World Championship.
Results for Ignition:
Hardcore Match – Sasuke Uchiha [c] def. Mirage via pinfall to retain the APEX Hardcore Championship
Revenant def. Kenshin Himura via pinfall
Revy def. Misty via pinfall
Jason Kreuger def. Hernan Ortiz (with Aeon) via submission
The Gods of Darkness (with PaniK) def. The Naughty Dogs (with Coco Bandicoot) via pinfall
Main Event: Mask vs. Money, APEX World Championship #1 Contender's Match – Spider-Man def. Kurt Hudson (with Alyssa Parker) via pinfall
Predetermined Card for The Nightmare Before Christmas:
Open Challenge – Jack Skellington vs. TBD
The Gods of Darkness (Yami Bakura and Marik Ishtar) [c] (with PaniK) vs. Blake Bros 2.0 (Tony and Adrian Blake) for the APEX World Tag Team Championships
Satsuki Kiryūin [c] vs. Winner of the Six Sides of Steel Match for the APEX World Women's Championship
MAIN EVENT – King Beowulf [c] vs. Spider-Man for the APEX World Championship
Hey, how's it going? Glad you made it.
Sorry it took a bit, but at least we're here now with a new update in two months time. Neat! Hope y'all like the recap format I'm still trying to work around in giving detail as I can while keeping it short and simple. It's hard to find a definite style, but with some help from my fellow writers, maybe it'll come sooner than expected.
The APEX Era continues with new challengers and new stories to unfold. What will happen by Saturday Night RAMPAGE? What other matches can we see by The Nightmare Before Christmas? Find out when I get around to writing and updating again.
I appreciate all readers.
Until next time, adios~