BTWF StarShow (Night 2 Part 2)
The camera panned back to the stage, where 'Head Hunters' by Dance Gavin Dance played, the crowd cheering as Nico came out of the back, pulling on his bright green hair while creepily smiling at the cheering crowd. Nico stuck his tongue out at the cheering crowd before slapping the center of the stage multiple times before jumping back up to his feet and screaming at the fans. Nico then began walking down the entranceway, running both his hands through his hair while talking to himself.
"The following contest is a 10-man gauntlet match. The rules of this match are as follows; two competitors will start in the ring. After one is pinned or submitted, the loser will be eliminated from the match while the winner remains in the match. This will continue until all opponents come out, and the last man standing will win, and become the #1 contender for the BTWF Cruiserweight Championship! Introducing first, from San Diego California, Nico!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to cheer as Nico began high-fiving fans in the front row, continuing to stick his tongue out, cackling at the camera.
"Nico is a bit…out there, but he's an extremely talented performer that can go with the best of them," Striker noted as Nico walked to the ringside area, hit himself in the side of the head several times, and jumped up to the apron. The crowd continued cheering as Nico climbed up to the top turnbuckle, raised both his pointer fingers up, and pointed at himself. He then looked down at the corner camera, smirked at the fans at home, and told the camera that he was going all the way tonight.
"Nico's also had his issues with the Hollywood Hooligan this past month, can he put those issues to bed tonight?" Kotoko asked as Nico jumped down from the top turnbuckle, and slithered his way to the middle of the ring, waiting intently on who his opponent was going to be. After a moment, the crowd booed as MNM's 'Paparazzi' theme played, with the red carpet being rolled down as Hooligan and Mandy came strutting out of the back. The crowd continued booing as they stopped at the center of the stage, and posed, allowing the paparazzi to take some quality pictures.
"And introducing his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Mandy DeRoyale, now residing in Hollywood, California, the Hollywood Hooligan!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to boo as Hooligan and Mandy walked down the aisle, with Mandy's arms wrapped around Hooligan's arm. Mandy told the booing fans in the front row to talk to the hand while Hooligan, through his sunglasses, told Nico that he was going to get embarrassed on the biggest show of the year. Hooligan continued ranting to a frothing at the mouth Nico that he wasn't going to forget what happened to him tonight.
"Hooligan and Mandy are confident that they're going to be the ones to end things with Nico, and become the #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship at the same time!" Bob exclaimed as Hooligan and Mandy stopped at the ringside area, with Mandy taking off Hooligan's black fur coat and his sunglasses. Mandy then walked over to the steel steps, walked up those steps, put the coat and sunglasses on the steps, and walked across the apron. Mandy glared at Nico before walking to the center of the ring, and doing the splits in the middle of the apron, creating an opening for the Hooligan, who was walking up the steel steps after his valet.
"Mandy showing off some of her flexibility, not taking her eyes off of the man who's been giving her trouble," Kotoko explained as Hooligan walked into the ring, glaring at Nico as he continued yelling at Nico that he was nothing and he was going to show that tonight. Nico simply responded by chuckling, patting Hooligan on the head, causing Hooligan to push him away. The referee got in between the two, making sure that they were both away from each other. The referee then checked to see if both Hooligan and Nico were ready for the match after a moment, giving them a chance to calm down. The two nodded their heads before the referee told the timekeeper to ring the bell, starting the match.
"And our Cruiserweight Gauntlet #1 contenders match is underway!" Bob exclaimed as Hooligan attempted to rush at Nico, but Nico ducked and hit him with a Jumping Knee Strike to the back of the head, sending Hooligan staggering. Nico then ran the ropes and turned Hooligan inside out with a Lethal Injection (Running Enziguri) before going for the pinfall, making sure to look an irate and screaming Mandy right in the face.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Hollywood Hooligan has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd cheering as Nico kipped back up to his feet, grabbed Hooligan, and threw Hooligan out of the ring. Nico jumped up and started beating on his chest in excitement while Mandy was screaming at a dazed Hooligan. Nico looked towards the stage, seeing who was coming out next while Mandy pushed Hooligan back down to the mat on the outside. After a moment, the Motor City Machine Guns' 'Motor City' theme song played, the crowd cheering as Chris Sabin walked out of the back, a confident smile on his face.
"And introducing the next participant, representing LWF, from Detroit Michigan, he is one-half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin!" Maya Ibuki announced as Sabin pointed at the center of his palm and closed his eyes for a moment before shooting his eyes open. Sabin then walked down the entranceway, giving several fans high-fives while continuing to walk to the ring, showing off his abs while Nico licked his lips in anticipation. Sabin made it to the ringside area, with Hooligan and Mandy still arguing, responding by rolling his eyes before sliding into the ring from underneath the bottom rope.
"The working relationship between the BTWF and the LWF is on full display, with one-half of one of the greatest tag teams of the 21st century Chris Sabin participating in StarShow!" Striker exclaimed as the moment Sabin got back up to his feet, Nico attempted to hit him with the Lethal Injection (Running Enziguri), but Sabin ducked. Before Nico could get up, Sabin attempted to hit her with a Kneeling Superkick, but Nico ducked. Nico then kipped back up to his feet and attempted to hit him with a Jumping Enziguri, but Sabin ducked out of the way and attempted to hit Nico with the Cradle Shock (Cross-Legged Samoan Driver), but Nico countered this into a Victory Roll.
Ref: 1…
"Chris Sabin is a record-setting ten-time X-Division Champion with TNA, so he's no stranger when it comes to winning gold and making history while doing it!" Kotoko exclaimed as Nico kicked Sabin in the legs several times before attempting to hit him with a Pele Kick. However, Sabin dodged out of the way and hit Nico with a Deadlift German Suplex, the crowd continuing to cheer as Sabin picked Nico back up and threw him into the corner. Sabin then ran the ropes, hit Nico in the side of the head with a Corner Back Elbow, ran the ropes again, and hit him with a Running Corner Forearm to the face. Sabin then ran the ropes once again, but the crowd cheered as Nico ran out of the corner after Sabin, and hit him with a Running Corner Dropkick to the side of the face.
"Nico and Sabin showing off some incredible speed there, almost like they're trying to out-pace each other!" Striker exclaimed as Nico began kicking Sabin in the chest several times, but Sabin was able to block one of Nico's kicks before hitting him with several forearms. However, when Sabin went for an Exploder Suplex, Nico hit Sabin in the side of the head with a couple of Back Elbows before jumping up to the middle rope and hitting a Diving DDT onto Sabin. The crowd continued cheering as Nico ran the ropes, hit Sabin in the chest with a Shooting Star Press, ran the ropes again, and hit a now seated Sabin with a Sliding Corkscrew Uppercut before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2.
"Nico doing pretty well against a legend of wrestling like Sabin! I'm sure Sabin has to be surprised that Nico's getting the better of him here!" Bob exclaimed as Nico picked Sabin up, and threw him out of the ring, the crowd cheering as Nico ran the ropes after him, and knocked him down with a Suicide Dive. Nico, however, slid back into the ring, ran the ropes again, and hit Sabin with a Suicide Rolling Thunder. The crowd continued cheering as Nico grabbed one of the nearby cameras and wagged his tongue at the fans at home before picking Sabin up. However, before he could throw him back into the ring, Sabin threw Nico into the steel ring post face first, sending him staggering.
"Sabin may have swung the momentum of this match right around, sending Nico's face crashing into the steel!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin jumped onto the apron, and hit a Sliding Kick to the side of Nico's head before jumping up to the top rope. The crowd continued cheering as Sabin pointed to the center of his palm, and when Nico got back up to his feet, Sabin dived off of the top rope, hitting Sabin with a Diving Crossbody onto Nico. The crowd cheered louder as Sabin rolled back onto his feet, and pounded the top of the commentary table time several times before picking Nico back up, and throwing him back into the ring. Sabin then ran the ropes and hit Nico in the side of the head with a Running Basement Dropkick.
"Sabin making sure that he doesn't give Nico any time to breathe, especially since he just saw how quickly Nico can take the pin from an opponent earlier!" Kotoko exclaimed Sabin picked Nico up, hit him with a Sidewalk Slam Backbreaker, and then picked him back up to hit him with a Spinning Sidewalk Slam Backbreaker. The crowd continued cheering as Sabin picked Nico up, and hit him with a Spinning Back Kick before picking him back up and planting him on the canvas with a Powerbomb. Sabin then climbed up to the top rope, clapping along with the fans, before balancing on the top turnbuckle, hitting Nico in the chest with a Diving Elbow Drop, and going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
"Sabin almost caved Nico's chest in with a Diving Elbow Drop, and Nico was still able to kick out at 2!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin picked Nico back up, and hit him with several Knife-Edge Chops to the chest before kicking him in the knee, sending him down to one knee. Sabin then blew Nico a kiss before hitting him with a Grounded Superkick, the crowd continuing to cheer as Sabin picked Nico up, and hit him with a Snap Suplex. Sabin then stomped on Nico a couple of times before hitting several Running Elbow Drops to the chest and picking him back up, putting him in a Fireman's Carry position, and slammed him face-first into the top turnbuckle. The crowd continued cheering as Sabin followed him up to the top turnbuckle, hitting him with several punches and forearms to the side of the head.
"What does Sabin have planned here!?" Bob asked as Sabin attempted to throw Nico off of him with a Superplex, but Nico countered by hitting Sabin in the gut and face with several punches. However, Sabin fought back with a headbutt to the side of the head before putting him in position for the Superplex. However, the crowd cheered louder as Nico started biting the side of Sabin's ear, allowing him to push Sabin down onto the canvas. Nico shook his head to get the cobwebs out before diving off the top rope, hitting Sabin in the chest with a Split-Legged Moonsault, and going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
"Nico may be what some people call insane, but he's as athletic as the day is long!" Kotoko exclaimed as Nico waited for Sabin to get back up before running the ropes and hitting Sabin with two Clotheslines, a Superkick to the side of the head, and a Backbreaker/Neckbreaker combination. Nico picked Sabin back up, hit him with a kick to the side of the head, and then ran the ropes, hitting Sabin in the face with a Handspring Back Elbow. The crowd continued cheering as Nico, looking shocked that Sabin was still on his feet, ran at Sabin, attempting to hit him with a Tijeras into the turnbuckles, but Sabin was able to keep his feet on the ground, allowing him to throw Nico into the turnbuckles face first.
"Sabin once again using his experience advantage to slow Nico down, sending his head bouncing off the turnbuckles!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin hit a Jumping Spin Kick to the side of the face before springboarding off the middle rope, hitting Nico in the side of the face with a Springboard Dropkick. Sabin then picked Nico up and hit him with the All Hail Sabin (Cross-Legged Fisherman's Driver) before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Sabin looked shocked that Nico kicked out, and he responded by stomping on the side of Nico's head multiple times before climbing back up to the top rope.
"I'm as shocked as Sabin is! I thought he had it there!" Bob exclaimed as Sabin looked ready for a Diving Leg Drop, but the crowd cheered as Nico pulled himself back up to his feet, and jumped up to the top turnbuckle, hitting Sabin with a Running Knee Strike to the chin. The crowd continued cheering as Nico threw Sabin off of the top rope with a Top Rope Spanish Fly. Nico wasn't done yet, as he springboarded off the middle rope, hitting Sabin in the chest with a Springboard Elbow Drop from the middle rope. Nico then picked Sabin up, wagging his tongue at the cheering crowd before hitting Sabin with an Argentine Neckbreaker, hitting him with a Springboard Arabian Press Moonsault, and going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Nico showing off his high-flying abilities in this match, but it hasn't been enough to put Sabin down!" Striker exclaimed as Nico ran his hands through his hair in frustration before picking Sabin up, and hitting him with a Discus Forearm. Nico picked Sabin up in a Fireman's Carry, but the crowd cheered as Sabin hit him with several Back Elbows to the side of the head before landing behind Nico. Before Nico could respond, Sabin planted him with a German Suplex, but rather than letting go, Sabin picked Nico back up, and attempted to hit him with a Dragon Suplex. Nico landed on his feet, and sent Sabin into the ropes with a Dropkick to the back, sending his head draped over the middle rope.
"Nico not backing down! And has Sabin all tied up in the ropes!" Bob exclaimed as Nico ran the ropes, and attempted to hit Sabin with a Tiger Feint Kick, but Sabin dodged, and springboarded off the middle rope, hitting Nico with a Springboard Leg Drop to the back of the head when he tried to get back into the ring. Sabin picked himself up, told the crowd that Nico was done, and attempted to lock him in a Crossface, but the crowd cheered as Nico was able to roll him up.
Ref: 1…2..
Sabin let go of the Crossface and attempted to hit Nico with a Superkick, but Nico caught the kick and hit Sabin with a headbutt to the chin before running the ropes, springboarding off the middle rope for a Springboard Tornillo, but Sabin was able to catch him in a Fireman's Carry. Sabin then hit Nico with a Corner Death Valley Driver, picked him back up to hit him with another Corner Death Valley Driver, ran back to the center of the ring, and hit him with the Cradle Shock (Cross Legged Fisherman's Driver) before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, Nico has been eliminated!" Mary Hughes announced as Sabin, while breathing heavily, raised his fist in the air, standing up and telling his next opponent to come out. After a moment, Riley Osborne's 'Engine' theme song played, the crowd cheering as Colt Grice jumped up after running out of the back, and spun in mid-air, landing in the middle of the stage. Colt then ran down the aisleway, high-fiving multiple fans in the front row while Sabin smirked and put his fists up, telling him that he was ready.
"Introducing next, from Liberio, Marley, Colt Grice!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to cheer as Colt jumped into the ring from the middle rope, kipped back up to his feet, and immediately began exchanging punches and forearms with Sabin. Sabin was able to seemingly win this brawl by hitting him with a Spinning Back Kick before throwing him into the corner. Sabin then attempted to hit a Running Corner Back Elbow, but Colt countered with a Corner Kick to the side of the head, with Colt putting Sabin in a Front Facelock and clubbing him in the back multiple times. Colt then attempted to hit Sabin with a Deadlift Vertical Suplex, but Sabin was able to counter by rolling Colt up into a pin.
Ref: 1…
"Sabin almost getting the second victory just like that!" Bob exclaimed as Colt got back up to his feet, and hit Sabin in the side of the head with a Jumping Enziguri, sending Sabin dazed into the ropes. Sabin bounced back off the ropes, and Colt responded with a Discus Chop to the chest, sending Sabin turning around, and holding his chest. Colt then hit Sabin in the back of the head with a Chop before running the ropes, and knocking him down with a Clothesline. Colt then hit Sabin in the chest with a Jumping Senton before grabbing the top rope and attempting to hit a Springboard Senton, but Sabin lifted his knees up, sending Colt crashing into Sabin's knees back first, allowing Sabin to roll Colt up with a Crucifix pin.
Ref: 1…2
"Sabin trying to end this match as quickly as he can so that he can have some energy for the rest of this Gauntlet!" Kotoko exclaimed as Sabin hit Colt with a hard punch to the side of the head, sending him staggering away. Sabin then knocked Colt down with a Big Boot before climbing back up to the top rope, balancing himself on the top rope. However, just as Sabin had balanced himself, Colt got back to his feet, grabbed one of Sabin's feet, and swept him off the top rope, sending the back of Sabin's head bouncing off the top turnbuckle. Colt responded by running the ropes, rolling Sabin up with a Running School Boy, lifting him up with one arm, and throwing him back into the corner with a One-Armed Powerbomb.
"That was some crazy strength by Colt, along with some crazier disregard for Sabin's health!" Striker exclaimed as Colt ran the ropes again, hitting Sabin with a Running Corner Clothesline, hitting him with multiple Standing Corner Lariats to the chest and throat. The crowd continued cheering as Colt threw Sabin out of the corner with an Exploder Suplex, which sent Sabin crumpled in the middle of the ring. Colt then waited for Sabin to get up before running the ropes, and attempting to hit him with a Liberio Special (Ilja Dragunov's Constantine Special Clothesline). However, Sabin saw this coming, and countered with a Superkick to the side of the head, the crowd cheering as Sabin hit Colt with another Superkick, sending him to his knees.
"Sabin showing Colt that he's not the only one who can hit hard, sending him down with two teeth-rattling Superkicks to the face!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin ran the ropes, attempting to hit Colt with a Running Basement Dropkick to the face, but Colt was able to duck out of the way, and when Sabin bounced off the ropes chest first, Colt immediately responded with a Snap German Suplex, bridging into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Colt looked surprised that Sabin had kicked out, and responded by picking him up and hitting him with multiple forearms to the side of the head. Colt then attempted to put Sabin into a Fireman's Carry position, but Sabin responded by sliding out of Colt's grasp, and pushing him into the corner chest and face first. Sabin then hit Colt with a Back Suplex before hitting him with a Standing Leg Drop across the throat. The crowd continued cheering as Sabin stomped on Colt's face before climbing back up to the top rope, and hitting Colt with a Diving Elbow Drop to the chest.
"Sabin was finally able to cave Colt's chest in with that Diving Elbow Drop! But it doesn't look like he's done yet!" Bob exclaimed as Sabin, despite the pain in his neck, picked Colt back up, and attempted to throw him into the corner with a Crucifix Powerbomb, but the crowd cheered as Colt was able to slide out of Sabin's grasp. Colt attempted to hit a Discus Chop to the back of the neck, but Sabin ducked, hit Colt with an Enziguri to the side of the head, picked him up again, and this time, was able to hit him with the Crucifix Powerbomb into the corner. Sabin then threw Colt out of the corner, jumped up to the middle rope, and hit him with a Diving Bulldog before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"I cannot believe Colt kicked out of that! He was thrown into the corner with enough force to almost break the turnbuckles!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin quickly picked Colt back up, and hit him with the Over Easy (Overhead Gutwrench Backbreaker Rack Flipped Sideways into an Implant DDT) before going for the pinfall again.
Ref: 1…2…
Sabin ran his hands through his hair in frustration before picking Colt back up and hitting him with several forearms to the side of the head. The crowd continued cheering as Sabin attempted to hit him with a Running Corner Back Elbow, but the crowd cheered as Colt caught Sabin out of mid-air in a Waistlock, and threw him into the corner with a German Suplex, sending the back of his neck bouncing off the top turnbuckle.
"Oh! And right back to the neck! I'm shocked that Sabin can even stand at this point!" Kotoko exclaimed as Colt threw Sabin out of the corner with a Half-Nelson Suplex. The crowd continued cheering as while Sabin was trying to pull himself back up to his feet, Colt ran the ropes, and hit the Liberio Special (Ilja Dragunov's Constantine Special Clothesline), turning Sabin inside out. Colt then picked Sabin up and hit him with a Buckle Bomb into the corner before running the ropes, and hitting him with a Corner Yakuza Kick, sending him falling into a seated position in front of the bottom turnbuckle.
"What a Yakuza Kick by the Liberio native! But what the hell does he have planned here!?" Kotoko asked as Colt walked to the corner across from where Sabin was sitting, and began climbing up to the top rope. The crowd cheered as Colt balanced himself on the top rope, and dived onto Sabin with a Coast-to-Coast Dropkick. Colt then dragged Sabin out of the corner and hit him with a Bleeding Stone (Forearm Drop to the Back of the Head) before turning him on his back, hitting him with another Bleeding Stone (Forearm Drop to the Face), and pinning him.
Ref: 1…2…
"Sabin is not human! How the hell could he have withstood all of that tonight!?" Bob asked incredulously as Colt looked just as shocked that Sabin was still in the fight. Colt went into the corner, preparing to hit him with the Liberio Torpedo (Ilja Dragunov's Torpedo Moscow). However, when Colt went to hit him with the move, Sabin was able to catch him mid-move, the crowd exploding into cheers as he hit Colt with the All Hail Sabin (Cross-Legged Fisherman's Driver) before picking him back up, immediately hitting him with the Future Shock (Cross-Legged Fisherman's Buster), and pinning him with his legs crossed back.
Ref: 1…2…
"Talking about Sabin's resiliency, Colt's not letting anyone forget his name tonight!" Striker exclaimed as Sabin pounded the mat in frustration. Sabin nodded to himself before getting back to his feet and climbing back up to the top rope, telling the cheering crowd that he was going to end this. Sabin attempted to dive off with a Diving Leg Drop, but the crowd cheered as Colt staggered back to his feet, attempting to go into the corner, but Sabin jumped down from the top rope, sending Colt crashing into the corner. Sabin then attempted to hit a Running Corner Clothesline, but Colt responded with a Corner Boot.
"Colt continuing to fight back despite barely having the energy to stand on his feet!" Kotoko exclaimed as Sabin once again attempted to run into the corner, but the crowd cheered as Colt threw Sabin into the corner with a Snap Powerslam. Colt then went into the corner and prepared for the Liberio Torpedo (Torpedo Moscow), however, Colt heard the crowd booing and turned his attention away from Sabin, and noticed TJ Detweiler being followed by three people in white robes. Colt left the ring and attempted to confront TJ, but the three robed people blocked Colt, and he responded by hitting the taller man with a punch to the side of the head. However, before he could brawl with the rest of TJ's goons, Sabin dove out of the ring, hitting Colt in the back and knocking him down.
"TJ hasn't forgotten Colt refusing his offer of mentorship, but who are these guys surrounding him!?" Striker asked as Sabin looked confused at TJ and his followers before throwing Colt back into the ring and springboarding back into the ring with a Springboard Dropkick to the side of Colt's head. Sabin then picked Colt up and hit him with the Cradle Shock (Cross-Legged Samoan Driver) before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, Colt Grice has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced. Sabin looked over at TJ and his goons before leaving the ring and telling TJ to back off. TJ refuses and instead offers Sabin a chance to join him, saying that this could help his career. Sabin couldn't hold his laughter, and pushed TJ away from him, prompting the rest of TJ's goons to attack Sabin. The crowd booed as Sabin attempted to fight back, but the smaller robed man slammed the back of Sabin's neck into the ring apron. The three then threw Sabin back into the ring and continued beating him down before leaning him against the ropes.
"I'm getting word that TJ's supposed to be the next participant in this Gauntlet match, but whoever these guys are that are following him are beating the crap out of Sabin!" Striker exclaimed as the skinniest member of the group ran, and hit Sabin with a Springboard Complete Shot. The two other men picked Sabin back up and hit him with an Uppercut to the back of the head/Swinging Neckbreaker combination onto Sabin. While Sabin was down on the mat, the three people looked over to TJ, who nodded and told them to unmask. The three unmasked, revealing themselves to be Miyuki Shirogane, Akira Tsubaki, and Dawn Riverfall, the crowd booing as the three rolled out of the ring, and hugged TJ on the outside.
"The former Vaudevillians and the newcomer Dawn have joined TJ!? When the hell did this happen!?" Bob exclaimed as TJ nodded at his three new friends before sliding into the ring, smirking down at a defenseless Chris Sabin as he pulled himself back up to his feet. While Sabin was pulling himself back up to his feet, TJ once again asked Sabin to join him so that he could take his career to the next level. Sabin glared at him, responding to TJ with a slap to the side of the head, the crowd cheering as Sabin hit several punches to the side of TJ's face, but an irate TJ pushed Sabin away from him, and hit him with a Spinning Leg Lariat to the throat.
"As we've talked about on Intensity, TJ, muck like Lucy, doesn't like being told 'No'!" Striker exclaimed as TJ then picked Sabin back up, slapping him in the head before hitting him with the Diving Intervention (Brian Kendrick's Sliced Bread #2) before pinning him with both his legs hooked.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, LWF's Chris Sabin has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced as TJ threw Sabin out of the ring, telling the rest of his new group to attack. Miyuki, Akira T., and Dawn responded by stomping on Sabin. Miyuki and Akira T. put Sabin on his knees, allowing Dawn to hit him with a kick to the chest. However, before Miyuki and Akira could hit him with a double team move, Colt got up from the floor, and ran off the top of the steel steps, knocking both Akira T. and Miyuki down with a Diving Double Crossbody. Dawn immediately responded by jumping on Colt's back, and hitting him with multiple punches and slaps to the side of the head.
"Colt's not letting Sabin become a victim of this new faction!" Bob exclaimed as while Colt was trying to get Dawn off of him, 'Defy' by Of Mice and Men played, the crowd cheering as Black Star ran down the ring, high-fiving fans on his way to the ring. Black Star stopped at the ringside area, with Miyuki and Akira T. coming back to their feet and brawling with Colt. Black Star looked conflicted, but realizing he has a chance to get a Cruiserweight Championship match, reluctantly leaves Colt to his own devices before sliding into the ring, kipping back up to his feet, and making a star shape with his fingers.
"Introducing the next opponent, from Death City Nevada, Black Star!" Maya Ibuki announced before he immediately began hitting TJ in the face with multiple punches before attempting to throw him into the ropes, but TJ stopped himself. However, when TJ attempted to hit him with a Running Knee Strike, Black Star dodged and attempted to hit him with a Back Suplex, but TJ was able to counter with a Tilt-a-Whirl Headscissors, sending him flying into the ropes. TJ then ran the ropes and attempted to knock him over the top rope with a Big Boot, but Black Star pushed the top rope down, sending TJ falling onto the apron. Black Star then jumped onto the top rope and began exchanging punches with each other before TJ attempted to hit him with a High Head Kick, but Black Star dodged and sent him staggering away with a Superkick to the chin.
"Black Star and TJ are fighting on the apron while Colt is fighting off TJ's goons on the outside!" Kotoko exclaimed as Black Star picked TJ up, and hit him with a Brainbuster onto the apron, sending him falling to the floor. The crowd continued cheering as Black Star ran to the middle of the apron and springboarded off the middle rope to hit him with a Springboard Asai Moonsault. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Sabin got back up to his feet and joined Colt in on brawling with Akira T. and Miyuki, sending them brawling up the entranceway.
"Sabin and Colt brawling with the former Vaudevillians, keeping them away from the ring while TJ is still battling Black Star!" Striker exclaimed as Black Star stomped on TJ's chest several times before jumping back up to the ring apron. However, before Black Star could hit TJ with a Running Apron Senton, the crowd booed as Dawn skipped in front of TJ's downed body, blocking Black Star. Dawn then outstretched her arms in an attempt to make a peace offering towards Black Star, but he chose not to accept it and attempted to dive over her. However, TJ was given enough time to raise his knees in the air, causing Black Star to smash his back onto TJ's knees.
"Dawn's attempt to save her leader worked, as TJ was able to counter Black Star's attempt at a dive!" Kotoko exclaimed as TJ picked himself back up, and hit Black Star with several European Uppercuts to the chin before attempting to throw him into the steel ring post. However, Black Star stopped himself from hitting the steel and hit TJ with a Back Elbow, causing him to stagger away. However, when Black Star attempted to run at TJ, he was able to send Black Star's face crashing into the fan barricade with a Reverse STO. The crowd booed as TJ glared at the referee before hitting Black Star with a Running Knee Strike, sending the back of Black Star's head bouncing off the barricade.
Ref: 1…2…3
"TJ able to take advantage, using the fan barricade to knock Black Star down!" Bob exclaimed as TJ mounted Black Star, and hit him with multiple punches to the side of the head while Dawn was applauding her leader. TJ then picked Black Star up and slammed his face into the ring apron several times before throwing him back into the ring. The crowd continued booing as TJ picked Black Star up in a Cravate, and hit him with multiple knee strikes to the head before hitting him with a Cravate Neckbreaker. TJ glared at the crowd before looking back down at Black Star and stomping on his chest several times, the crowd continuing to boo as TJ picked Black Star up, and threw him back into the corner. TJ ran into the corner, hitting Black Star with a Running Corner Forearm Smash before throwing him down with a Snapmare.
"TJ dominating Black Star. He must have a lot of faith that Miyuki and Akira T. can win the brawl they're involved in," Striker explained as TJ jumped up to the middle rope, and hit a Diving Uppercut to the back of Black Star's neck. TJ then turned Black Star on his stomach, ran the ropes, and hit him with a Jumping Leg Drop across the back of the neck before grabbing the top rope, and jumping on the back of Black Star's neck with multiple Jumping Stomps. The crowd continued booing as TJ dragged Black Star to the ropes by the hair, and draped his head over the middle rope, pressing his throat against the middle rope before the referee pulled him away from the ropes. While the referee was dealing with TJ, Dawn grabbed Black Star by the hair and hit him with multiple hard punches to the side of the head before TJ ran at Black Star, hitting him with a Leapfrog Body Guillotine.
"Dawn once again getting involved. It really makes me wonder what TJ said to her, Miyuki, and Akira T. to make them follow him," Kotoko wondered out loud as TJ jumped from the top rope to the apron, and hit him with a Running Knee Drop to the back of the head with enough force to send Black Star's face into the ring apron. TJ then pushed Black Star back into the ring before climbing back up to the top rope, hitting him with a Diving Splash to Black Star's chest, and going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
"TJ put his entire body weight behind that Splash, but it wasn't enough to put Black Star away!" Kotoko exclaimed as TJ picked Black Star up, and hit him with a Snap Vertical Suplex before running the ropes and hitting Black Star with a Jumping Knee Drop across the forehead. TJ then put Black Star back on his chest before pulling his head up and hitting him with multiple forearm shots to the face. TJ then picked Black Star back up, and hit him with a Headbutt to the face hard enough to send him staggering back into the corner, allowing TJ to run back into the corner, hit him with a Corner Backflip Kick, grab Black Star's arm, and hit him with a Ropewalk Frankensteiner.
"TJ showing some impressive athleticism there, and Dawn definitely approves on the outside!" Striker exclaimed as the camera panned to Dawn continuing to applaud her leader as TJ picked Black Star back up, and hit him with a Tornado DDT using the ropes on the side of the ring before going for another pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
TJ looked annoyed as he picked Black Star up by both his arms, and attempted to hit him with a Tiger Suplex, but Black Star was able to land on his feet. The crowd cheered as when TJ turned around, Black Star hit him with a Superkick to the side of the head.
"Black Star able to get the momentum back on his side, almost tattooing his footprint into TJ's cheek!" Striker exclaimed as Black Star ran the ropes, and hit TJ with a couple of Clotheslines, and a Kitchen Sink before running the ropes, and hitting him with a Seated Meteora to the face. The crowd continued cheering as Black Star deadlifted TJ up, hit him with a Powerbomb, and then put TJ on his knees before hitting him with a Bicycle Knee Strike to the face. Black Star then picked TJ up by both his arms, put TJ's feet on the middle ropes, and hit him with a Hanging Double Arm DDT before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"TJ kicking out here, but Black Star doesn't look done despite the pain going on in his neck!" Bob exclaimed as Black Star picked TJ up, put him in the corner, and ran into the corner to hit him with a Yakuza Kick. Black Star then threw TJ out of the corner before climbing up to the top rope, even hitting TJ with a Back Kick to the chest when he tried to push him off the top rope. The crowd continued cheering as Black Star hit a stunned TJ with a Diving Clothesline before running the ropes, and hitting TJ with a Curb Stomp to the back of the head.
"Black Star with a Curb Stomp that I'm sure the former United States Champion Shinji Ikari would be proud of!" Kotoko exclaimed as Black Star springboarded off the middle rope to hit a Springboard Corkscrew Elbow Drop to the chest. The crowd continued cheering as Black Star hit a Standing Double Knee Drop to TJ's chest before hitting TJ with a Standing Moonsault Double Knee Drop. Black Star then ran the ropes and hit a now-seated TJ with a Running Basement Dropkick to the face before going for another pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Dawn breathed a sigh of relief as her leader kicked out, but how much longer can he realistically last?" Striker asked as Black Star picked TJ back up, and threw him into the corner. However, when Black Star attempted to rush into the corner with a Jumping Stinger Splash, TJ was able to send him crashing back down with a Spinning Leg Lariat counter. The crowd booed as TJ smiled at Black Star's downed body before pulling himself back up to the top turnbuckle, balancing himself on the top, and hitting him with a Twisting Frog Splash before going for another pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"TJ twisting in mid-air, adding more pressure to that Frog Splash than normal, but it still wasn't enough to keep Black Star down!" Kotoko exclaimed as TJ immediately responded by picking Black Star back up, and hitting him with a Brainbuster. The crowd continued booing as TJ stood over Black Star's body, his boot on his head before asking the crowd why they won't listen to him. TJ then stomped on Black Star's head several times, yelling at both everyone else and himself as to why nobody else other than his stablemates listened to him. TJ then attempted to lock Black Star in the Euphoric Epiphany (Brian Kendrick's Captain's Hook), but Black Star rolled out of it and attempted to hit TJ with the Kalisto Kick, but TJ dodged and hit a Jumping Elbow Drop across Black Star's chest.
"Very nice counter by TJ, able to prevent the Kalisto Kick to the side of the head!" Striker exclaimed as TJ attempted to hit him with a Divine Intervention (Brian Kendrick's Sliced Bread #2), but Black Star countered by hitting TJ with a Snake Eyes before hitting TJ with a Snap DDT. The crowd began cheering again as Black Star climbed up to the top rope, attempting to hit him with the Falling Star (Alexa Bliss' Twisted Bliss). However, TJ raised both his knees up, sending Black Star's chest crashing into TJ's knees, the crowd booing as TJ picked Black Star up, and hit him with a Burning Hammer before locking him back in the Euphoric Epiphany (Brian Kendrick's Captain's Hook).
"TJ's got Black Star in the Euphoric Epiphany! And with no ropebreak in sight, this could be the end of Black Star's run in the gauntlet!" Striker exclaimed as Black Star attempted to crawl to the ropes, but the crowd booed as TJ pulled Black Star back to the center of the ring, pulling back on the hold. After another minute of trying to fight out of the hold, Black Star eventually tapped out, much to Dawn's delight and the fan's chagrin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Black Star has been eliminated!" Mary Hughes announced, the crowd booing as TJ walked over to the ropes, and gave Dawn a celebratory hug, thanking her for her help. However, while the two were celebrating, the crowd cheered as Miyuki, Akira T., Chris Sabin, and Colt Grice came back through the curtain, continuing their brawl with each other down the entranceway. TJ looked on at the brawl, telling Dawn to go and help her partners, which she agreed to do, sliding out of the ring, and jumping onto Colt's back, hitting him with multiple punches to the back of the head.
"Sabin & Colt are back, and they're still fighting TJ's henchmen! Dawn's even getting involved in the brawl!" Bob exclaimed as while TJ continued encouraging his charges, the crowd cheered loudly as Enzo Amore's 'SAWFT as a Sin' played throughout the arena. TJ smiled at this, yelling at Connie to come and fight him, but the crowd's cheers didn't stop as the camera panned to the top of one of the turnbuckles, where Connie had climbed up. TJ began looking confused as to why Connie hadn't shown up yet and turned around to ask what was going on, the crowd cheering as Connie dived off the top rope, hitting TJ with a Diving DDT before going for the pinfall, hooking both of his legs back.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, 'the Guru' TJ Detweiler has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd exploding into cheers as Connie kipped back up to his feet, and did a little dance in celebration. Dawn immediately got off of Colt, and pulled a dazed TJ out of the ring, while Connie ran around the ring, and shot his arms up and down, the crowd cheering louder. Once security came down to separate Akira T., Miyuki, Sabin, and Colt, 'MANTRA' by Bring Me the Horizon played, the crowd booing as Mercury Black came strutting out of the back, smirking at the brawl going on in front of him.
"Introducing next, representing the NWO, Mercury Black!" Maya Ibuki announced as Mercury chuckled at the security finally being able to separate the teams from each other, with Dawn yelling at the security while TJ recovered from the Diving DDT. Mercury ran to the ring and jumped up to the apron, attempting to hit an immediate Phenomenal Forearm onto Connie, but Connie ducked. The crowd began cheering as Connie and Mercury began exchanging punches in the middle of the ring, with the crowd booing and cheering accordingly. Connie then ducked one of Mercury's punches, hit him with a couple of right-hand jabs, and did a brief dance before attempting to hit Mercury with another jab. However, Mercury ducked and hit Connie with several Open-Palm Strikes and a Backfist before attempting to hit him with a Pele Kick, but Connie dodged and springboarded off the middle rope to hit Mercury with a Springboard Crossbody, rolling him into a pin.
Ref: 1…
"Connie not only ending TJ's run in the gauntlet but he and Mercury are going to war with each other in the middle of the ring!" Striker exclaimed as Connie ran the ropes, attempting to hit him with a Sliding Lariat, but Mercury countered with a Hip Toss before cartwheeling in front of Connie, attempting to hit him with a Seated Dropkick, but Connie was able to roll out of the way. Connie got back to his feet and kicked Mercury in the gut before running the ropes and hitting Mercury with a Running Knee Lift before pushing him into the corner. The crowd continued cheering as Connie ran into the corner, hitting Mercury with a Twisting Stinger Splash before throwing him out of the corner. Connie then jumped up to the top rope and hit a Diving Missile Dropkick to the back of the head before going for another pinfall.
Ref: 1…2
"Connie almost took Mercury's head off with that Missile Dropkick, but it's not enough to put the NWO mercenary away!" Kotoko exclaimed as Connie picked Mercury back up, and hit him with a couple more punches to the side of the head before attempting to hit him with a Gourdbuster. However, Mercury was able to remain on his feet, kneeing Connie in the gut before throwing him back into the ropes. Connie attempted to counter by jumping onto the middle rope for a Springboard, but Mercury ran up the ropes to meet him and hit him with a Reverse Spanish Fly onto Connie.
"Woah! What an impressive counter by Mercury! I don't even know how he was able to do that!" Bob exclaimed in shock as Mercury jumped onto the ring apron, and hit Connie with a Springboard 450 Splash before going for the pinfall, hooking both of his legs back.
Ref: 1…2.
Mercury immediately responded to Connie kicking out my mounting him, and hitting him with multiple punches to the side of the head before running the ropes, and hitting Connie with a Jumping Knee Drop straight to the face. Mercury then picked Connie up and hit him with a Pumphandle Gutbuster before picking him up in a Torture Rack and hitting him with a Torture Rack Bomb.
"Mercury almost sent Connie through the ring with that Torture Rack Bomb!" Bob exclaimed as Mercury picked Connie up, and threw him into the corner. The crowd continued booing as Mercury hit Connie with a Running Corner Knee Lift to the face before putting him on the top turnbuckle. The crowd began cheering again however as Connie tried to push Mercury away by kicking Mercury in the side of the head several times. However, while Connie was trying to balance himself on the top rope, Mercury hit him with a Pele Kick, stunning him. Mercury then jumped up to the middle rope and threw Connie off the top rope with a Springboard Top Rope Frankensteiner.
"Mercury showing just how quick he is on his feet, not only stunning Connie with a Pele Kick, but throwing him off the top rope with a Frankensteiner!" Striker exclaimed as Mercury climbed up to the top rope, hitting Connie in the chest with a Diving Double Foot Stomp before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
Mercury looked annoyed that Connie had kicked out, but he responded by picking Connie up and hitting him with a Shin Breaker/Dragon Screw Combination. The crowd continued booing as Mercury repeatedly smashed Connie's leg into the canvas before locking him in the Calf Crusher.
"Mercury trying to end this match with the Calf Crusher! Connie screaming out in pain as he tries to make it to the ropes!" Kotoko exclaimed as the crowd cheered and chanted for Connie as he began pulling himself towards the ropes. Mercury continued pulling Connie's leg back as Connie got closer to the ropes, but when he was about to grab the bottom rope, Mercury pulled Connie back to the center of the ring. The crowd continued booing and chanting 'Mercury Sucks!' while he continued pulling Connie's leg back, but the crowd began cheering as Connie hit Mercury in the sides with multiple back elbows. Mercury tried to maintain his grip on the Calf Crusher, but Connie didn't let up with the Back Elbows, finally able to break his grip.
"Connie is finally able to free himself from the Calf Crusher, but the question is has the damage already been done!?" Striker asked as Connie began pulling himself back up to his feet, but Mercury got back on Connie, hitting him with several kicks to the side of the leg. The crowd continued booing as Mercury springboarded up to the top rope and knocked Connie down with a Moonsault into a Reverse DDT before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Mercury stood back up and began arguing with the referee as Connie rolled out onto the apron to try and get some reprieve. Mercury noticed this, and smirked before running the ropes and hitting Connie with a Running Sunset Flip Powerbomb, sending Connie bouncing off the padded concrete floor. Mercury smirked at the booing crowd, stretching his arms out, seemingly basking in the negative reaction he was receiving before picking Connie up, dragging him towards the steel steps, and attempting to hit him with a Shin Breaker onto the steel. However, the crowd cheered as Connie was able to reverse the Shin Breaker mid-move, hitting Mercury with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb of his own, this time sending the back of Mercury's head crashing into the side of the steel steps.
Ref: 1…2…3
"What a counter by Connie! His back and his legs may be in rough shape, but he's telling Mercury that he's not done yet!" Kotoko exclaimed as Connie picked Mercury back up, and smashed his head into the top of the steel steps multiple times. The crowd continued cheering as Connie carefully made his way up the steel steps and back onto the apron before measuring his man and springboarding off the middle rope to hit Mercury with a Springboard Cannonball Senton. However, Connie wasn't done yet, as he climbed back onto the apron, once again trying to be careful of his knee, and springboarded off the top rope to hit Mercury with an Arabian Press Moonsault.
Ref: …4…5
"Connie shows Mercury how much pain he's willing to go through to win this match, which has to be respected, but at the same time, you have to worry about the long-term health of Connie, especially when he may have two other matches to compete in tonight," Striker explained as Connie picked Mercury back up by the hair, and threw him back into the ring. Connie then rolled back into the ring, hitting Mercury with a Rolling Clothesline from the middle rope before picking him back up, and kneeing him in the gut. Connie attempted to hit Mercury with another Running Knee Lift, but Mercury was able to dodge, grab Connie from behind, and attempted to hit him with a Wheelbarrow Facebuster. However, the crowd cheered as Connie was able to counter the Wheelbarrow Facebuster into a Victory Roll.
Ref: 1…2…
Mercury pushed Connie off of him, but the crowd cheered as Connie knocked him down with a Grounded Superkick to the side of the head.
"Connie almost kicking the taste right off of Mercury's mouth there, but what does he have planned next!?" Bob asked as Connie picked Mercury back up, and attempted to hit him with a Split-Legged Stunner, but Mercury pushed him away and attempted to hit him with a Frankensteiner when he rebounded, but Connie was able to counter with a Sunset Flip pin.
Ref: 1…2…
Mercury got back up to his feet and started hitting Connie with wild punches in a bout of frustration.
"Mercury's definitely getting frustrated by the fact he can't put Connie away yet, but he needs to be careful he doesn't get disqualified!" Kotoko exclaimed as an angry Mercury put Connie in position for the Styles Clash, but when Mercury picked him up for the move, Connie was able to counter, hitting Mercury with a Canadian Destroyer. The crowd exploded into cheers as Connie pushed Mercury into the corner, slapped the side of his leg to get the blood flowing back into it, and ran the ropes to hit a Running Corner Superman Punch to the side of Mercury's head. Connie then ran the ropes, attempting to hit Mercury with a Running Corner Clothesline, but the crowd booed as Mercury hit a Corner Kick right onto Connie's knee, sending him crumpling to the mat.
"Mercury going back to the leg that he damaged earlier in the match, and it may have secured him the victory!" Striker exclaimed as Mercury pulled himself onto the top rope, and hit Connie with a Frog Splash before springboarding off the middle rope to hit him with a Springboard Moonsault and going for the pin.
Ref: 1…2…
Mercury looked at the referee incredulously, not believing that Connie had kicked out of all that. Mercury then nodded before stepping over Connie's neck, the crowd booing as Mercury jumped onto the ring apron, pulling down his elbow pad, and yelling at Connie to get up. Connie staggered back to his feet, holding the side of his knee in pain, and Mercury attempted to respond with a Phenomenal Forearm, but Connie was able to dodge. When Mercury turned around to try and take Connie down, Connie countered by hitting Mercury in the chin with a Superkick and a Split-Legged Stunner.
"Connie coming back into this match, rocking the jaw of the NWO's mercenary!" Bob exclaimed as Connie wasn't done yet, running the ropes, and hitting Mercury with a Rolling Stunner. Mercury remained on his feet despite bring completely staggered, and Connie responded by finally falling Mercury by hitting him with the Eat Defeat. Connie, while grabbing his knee, fell to the mat, and pinned Mercury.
Ref: 1…2…
"Now it's Connie's turn to be shocked at his opponent's resilience!" Striker exclaimed as Connie picked himself back up to his feet, and began climbing back up to the top rope. However, due to the damage done to his leg, this took longer than he anticipated, allowing Mercury to begin making his way back up to his feet. Once Connie had finally made it to the top rope, Mercury ran into the corner, hitting Connie with a Running Jumping Forearm to the face. The crowd continued booing as Mercury pulled himself back up to the top turnbuckle, blowing a sarcastic kiss to the booing crowd before attempting to hit him with a Top Rope Frankensteiner. However, the crowd exploded into cheers as Connie grabbed Mercury's tights, and countered the Top Rope Frankensteiner into a Top Rope Powerbomb, throwing him off the top rope and onto the canvas.
"That was amazing by Connie, throwing Mercury almost halfway across the ring with that Powerbomb off the top!" Kotoko exclaimed as Connie, much to the crowd's delight, balanced himself on the top rope once again, and waited for Mercury to get back up to his feet, and when he did, Connie hit Mercury with the Diving DDT before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mercury Black of the NWO has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced before 'Just Don't Care Anymore' by the American Fangs played, the crowd booing as Floch Forster cane running down the aisleway, no black dress jacket, and no pyro. Floch was smirking while he was running to the ring, especially when he saw that Connie was having trouble standing on both his feet. Floch then slid into the ring from underneath the bottom rope, yelling at Maya to introduce him while he waited in the corner for Connie to stand up.
"Introducing next, from Wall Rose on Paradis Island, Floch Forster!" Maya Ibuki announced as Floch immediately exploded out of the corner, hitting Connie in the face with a Running Big Boot. Floch then picked Connie up and hit him with several hard chops to the chest before pushing him into the corner. Floch then grabbed Connie's leg and began pulling Connie's legs into the ropes, causing him to yell out in pain, clubbing Floch's back in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. However, Floch responded with several hard punches to the side of the head before throwing him out of the corner with a hard Dragon Screw.
"Floch immediately targeted the leg of Connie! He told Connie that he would get him at StarShow, and Floch is living up to that promise!" Striker exclaimed as Floch stomped on the side of Connie's knee before picking him back up, and hitting him with a Scoop Slam. Floch then ran the ropes and hit a seated Connie with a Big Boot, but the crowd booed as Floch continued hitting Connie with several Elbow Drops to the chest. Floch then grabbed Connie's right leg and locked him in a Single Leg Boston Crab, the crowd booing as Connie began screaming in pain once again.
"Floch with the Single Leg Crab, and Connie looks like he's on the verge of tapping out!" Kotoko exclaimed as Connie shook his head when the referee asked him if he wanted to quit. Connie pulled his chest off the canvas and began pulling himself towards the ropes. Floch responded by repeatedly punching Connie's knee while pulling back on the Single Leg Boston Crab, but Connie continued his way to the ropes, eventually grabbing the middle rope with both his hands, forcing Floch to let go. Floch didn't look annoyed at the ropebreak and responded by stomping on the back of Connie's leg before the referee pushed him away.
"Connie may have gotten the ropebreak, but Floch is still going after the leg!" Striker exclaimed as Floch picked Connie back up, and hit him with a Swinging Backbreaker before throwing him down with a Swinging Side Slam before going for the pinfall, hooking Connie's bad leg back.
Ref: 1…2…
Floch, despite Connie rolling his shoulder up, smiled, grabbing Connie by the ear, and telling him that he was nothing but a weakling. Floch continued talking, saying that Connie wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of the torture that he was going to inflict on him.
"Floch continuing to talk trash to Connie, but he needs to focus on going forward in this gauntlet!" Kotoko exclaimed as Floch grabbed both of Connie's arms and attempted to lock him in the Scum of the Earth Armbar (Rolling Omoplata Armlock). However, the crowd cheered as Connie was able to roll over, and put Floch in a pinning predicament.
Ref: 1…2…
Floch looked shocked that he was caught out there and responded by grabbing Connie and attempting to hit him with a Ripcord Lariat, but Connie was able to duck, and hit him with the S.O.S., pinning him once again.
Ref: 1…2…
"Connie almost got the victory twice from out of nowhere! Floch has to focus on the match and not his weird obsession with Connie's personality!" Kotoko exclaimed as Connie ducked an attempted back elbow by Floch before hitting him with several right-hand jabs, the crowd continuing to cheer as Connie did a little dance before hitting him with an Uppercut to the jaw. Floch attempted to hit him with a Lariat, but Connie ducked out of the way, ran the ropes, and hit Floch with two Clotheslines, a Flapjack, a Superkick, and a Rolling Neckbreaker. Floch staggered into the corner, holding the side of his head in pain, and Connie responded to this by running into the corner with a Running Corner Clothesline. However, Connie didn't let up as he climbed up to the top turnbuckle, and hit him with several punches to the side of the head.
"Adrenaline is taking over here! Connie may not feel anything now, but he's absolutely going to feel nothing but pain after this match!" Striker exclaimed as Floch grabbed Connie's tights, and attempted to hit him with a Powerbomb out of the corner, but Connie was able to counter with a Hurricanrana into a pin.
Ref: 1…2…
Floch looked outraged at the fact he was almost caught out again and attempted to hit him with another Lariat, but Connie responded by pushing the top rope down, sending Floch falling onto the floor.
"Connie sending Floch tumbling right in front of us!" Bob exclaimed as Connie slapped the side of his leg to make sure his leg would still work before running the ropes and hitting Floch with a Suicide Dive that sent him crashing onto the commentary table. The crowd continued cheering as Connie grabbed Floch by the hair, and hit him with multiple punches to the side of the head before climbing up onto the apron, and then the top rope. Connie yelled out 'How You Doin'!?' to the crowd, the crowd cheering back at him as he dived off the top rope, attempting to hit Floch. However, the crowd booed as Floch not only got off the table but sent Connie crashing into the edge of the table arm first.
"Oh! Connie has another target on his body!" Bob exclaimed while wincing as Connie yelled out in pain while holding his arm. Floch then grabbed Connie and hit him with a Hammerlock Back Suplex onto the steel ring apron. Floch then pushed Connie into the ring, ran the ropes, and turned him inside out with a Running Lariat before going for the pinfall, hooking both of his legs back.
Ref: 1…2…
"Connie is still in this! He's not going to say die!" Striker exclaimed as Floch responded by deadlifting Connie up, and hitting him with a Deadlift German Suplex. However, he wasn't done yet as he started stomping on Connie's right arm, the one that had struck the edge of the commentary table. The crowd continued booing as Floch looked down at a near-unconscious Connie with a smirk before grabbing both of his arms and locking him in the Scum of the Earth Armbar (Rolling Omoplata Armlock). The crowd chanted for Connie, trying to will him to get back into the match, but after a minute in the hold, Connie had to verbally submit.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Connie Springer has been eliminated!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd booing as Floch rolled back up to his feet, and pushed Connie out of the ring with his foot. The crowd continued booing as Floch yelled at the crowd that he had been right about Connie all along and that he was nothing but a fake and a fraud. However, while Connie was ranting, the crowd exploded into cheers as 'I Bring the Darkness' by Tommy Vext played, signaling the arrival of the last man in the gauntlet match, Kuro Sakuragawa. Kuro walked out of the back, threw down his entrance jacket, and shot both his fists in the air, the crowd continuing to cheer and chant 'Iceman'.
"And introducing the final competitor in this Gauntlet match, from Tokyo Japan, 'the Iceman' Kuro Sakuragawa!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to cheer as Kuro ran down the aisleway, with Floch ready for a fight. Kuro slid into the ring from underneath the bottom rope and began exchanging forearms and punches to the sides of each other's faces, with the crowd cheering and booing accordingly. Kuro won this brawl, turning his forearms onto multiple Chops to the chest, sending Floch staggering towards the ropes. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro knocked Floch out of the ring, sending him flying over the top rope with a Running Clothesline. Kuro then ran the ropes and hit Floch with a Suicide Dive that sent his back crashing against the top of the commentary table.
"Kuro-Senpai taking it to Floch! I know that's right!" Kotoko cheered as Kuro walked over to her, and planted a kiss on her lips, the crowd continuing to cheer as he rolled back into the ring from underneath the bottom rope. Kuro ran the ropes again, and hit Floch with another Suicide Dive, and then ran back into the ring and ran the ropes one more time, hitting Floch in the side of the head with a Suicide Forearm to the side of the head. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro grabbed Floch by the hair, and started smashing his head onto the top of the commentary table repeatedly before picking him up and hitting him with a Falcon Arrow on the top of the table.
"Kuro remembers how Floch cheated him out of a victory on Intensity, and is giving him a receipt!" Striker exclaimed as Kuro threw Floch back into the ring, the crowd continuing to cheer as he climbed back up to the top rope, and hit Floch with a Diving Crossbody before rolling him into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2
Kuro then mounted Floch, and hit him with multiple Open-Palm Strikes before rolling off of him, grabbing both of Floch's legs and attempting to lock him in the Texas Cloverleaf. However, Floch pulled himself to the ropes, the crowd booing as the referee was forced to let go. Floch responded to this by kicking Kuro in the knee a couple of times, pushing him away before attempting to hit him with a Ripcord Lariat, but Kuro ducked and hit him with a couple more Knife-Edge Chops to the chest.
"Kuro not giving Floch any breathing room here, and that's the strategy he has to have for someone as tricky as Floch!" Striker exclaimed as Kuro picked Floch up, and attempted to hit him with a Butterfly Suplex, but the crowd booed as Floch rammed Kuro into the corner. The crowd continued booing as Floch hit him with multiple punches to the chest before running the ropes, attempting to hit him with a Running Corner Forearm, but Kuro was able to dodge, and hit a Jumping Corner Kick to the side of the head, stunning him in the corner. Kuro then ran the ropes, attempting to hit Floch in the side of the head with a Running Corner Forearm, but Floch was able to dodge, sending Kuro crashing into the corner and hitting him with several Back Elbows to the side of the head.
"Floch trying to finally get some momentum going his way in the match, trying to stun Kuro-Senpai with some Back Elbows! He won't succeed, but A for effort!" Kotoko exclaimed as Floch attempted to put Kuro on the top rope, but he responded by punching Floch in the side of the head, sending him staggering away. Kuro then balanced himself up to the top rope, attempting to hit him with another Crossbody, but Floch was able to counter this with a Single Knee Gutbuster. The crowd continued booing as Floch threw Kuro into the ropes, and hit him with a Tilt-a-Whirl Gutbuster.
"Famous last words, Kotoko," Bob joked, trying to ignore the fact that Kotoko was glaring at him. Floch continued ramming his knee into Kuro's gut before hitting him with a German Suplex. Kuro staggered back up to his feet, and Floch responded by grabbing Kuro and hitting him with another German Suplex, this time sending the back of his neck crashing against the turnbuckles. Kuro fell in front of the bottom turnbuckle in a seated position, which Floch responded to by hitting Kuro with a Running Cannonball Senton before grabbing both of Kuro's legs, hitting him with a Pop-Up Powerbomb, and going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
"Floch showing off some impressive strength there, but Kuro is still in this match!" Bob exclaimed as Floch picked Kuro back up, and hit him with several Knife-Edge Chops before grabbing his arm and hitting him with a Ripcord Lariat. The crowd continued booing as Floch ran the ropes, and hit a Jumping Leg Drop across the back of Kuro's neck. Floch wasn't done, as he turned Kuro on his back, and ran the ropes before hitting a Double Leg Drop across Kuro's chest. Floch smirked at the booing crowd once again, playfully kicking Kuro in the side of the head several times before picking him up, and hitting him with a Rolling Forward Fireman's Carry Slam. Floch then looked towards Kotoko, blew her a kiss, ran over Kuro's body, springboarded off the middle rope, and hit him with a Springboard Moonsault to the chest.
"We don't see those types of moves from Floch every day, but it is StarShow, and people want to show off their best!" Bob exclaimed as Floch picked Kuro up, and hit him with several punches to the face before hitting him with a Gourdbuster. Floch then deadlifts Kuro back up and hit him with a Front Suplex onto the top rope, the crowd continuing to boo as when Kuro bounced off the top rope, Floch caught him again and hit him with a Swinging Suplex Neckbreaker. Floch kipped back up to his feet and playfully kicked the side of his head before picking him back up and throwing him into the corner chest first with enough force to send Kuro bouncing out of the corner.
"Kuro-Senpai almost got his chest crushed thanks to that Hammer Throw, but he'll come back! I know he will!" Kotoko continued cheering on as Floch grabbed Kuro's arms, and hit him with a Tiger Suplex before bridging into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2..
Floch immediately tried to lock Kuro in the Scum of the Earth Armbar (Rolling Omoplata Armbar), but Kuro rolled himself to the ropes, forcing the referee to pull Floch away from Kuro. Floch then kicked a downed Kuro in the side of the head before dragging him away from the ropes. Floch then jumped over the top rope, ran to the corner, and jumped back into the ring, attempting to hit Kuro with a Double Springboard Moonsault, but the crowd cheered as Kuro raised his knees up, sending Floch's chest crashing on his knees. The crowd cheered as Kuro got back onto his feet, and when Floch attempted to hit him with another Running Big Boot, but Kuro countered this by throwing him into the ropes with a Stun Gun.
"You were right there, Kotoko, as Kuro may have finally taken control of this match back!" Striker exclaimed as Kuro ran the ropes, and hit Floch with two Clotheslines, a Jumping Calf Kick, a Tilt-a-Whirl Lumbar Check, and a Queen's Suplex before bridging into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Floch rolled his shoulder off the mat, and the crowd continued cheering as Kuro picked Floch back up, and hit him with multiple forearms to the side of the head before attempting to lift him up for a Brainbuster. However, Kuro responded by pushing his feet off the ropes and hitting Kuro with a Tornado DDT, the crowd cheering as Kuro ran the ropes, and hit Floch with a Satellite DDT.
"Two straight DDTs, sending Floch's head bouncing off the canvas!" Striker exclaimed as Floch attempted to get some reprieve in the corner, but Kuro followed him into the corner and hit him with a Running Corner Single Leg Dropkick to the side of the head. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro hit him with multiple forearms to the side of the head, but when the referee pulled him out of the corner, the crowd booed as Floch raked Kuro's eyes, the crowd booing in response. Floch then ran out of the corner, hitting Kuro with a Discus Elbow hard enough to the side of the head, sending him falling onto his ass.
"That cheater had to rake Kuro in the eyes to take advantage! When it comes to Kuro-Senpai, Floch can't get an advantage over him unless he cheats!" Kotoko exclaimed as Floch ran the ropes, and hit him with a Running Knee Strike to a seated Kuro. Floch looked over at Kotoko and called her a loser for dating a loser before picking him up and attempting to hit him with a Spinning Powerbomb, but the crowd cheered as Kuro countered with a Tilt-a-Whirl Headscissors, sending him onto the apron. The crowd cheered as Kuro walked over to Floch, and began hitting him with multiple punches to the side of the head, but Floch was able to counter by hitting Kuro with a Reverse Hotshot, sending the back of his neck bouncing off the top rope.
"Floch using the ropes to his advantage, showing how smart he is when it comes to ring awareness!" Striker exclaimed as Floch pushed him down, ran into the corner, and hit a Double Springboard Moonsault back into the ring, hitting Kuro in the chest with it before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Floch glared at the referee but smirked as he picked Floch back up, and picked him up in a Butterfly Suplex position. The crowd booed as Floch kept Kuro in the air for a few seconds before hitting him with a Butterfly Suplex. The crowd continued booing as Floch rolled Kuro back up to his feet, hit him with a Double Underhook Powerbomb, ran the ropes, and hit him with a Sliding Forearm to the back of the head. Floch told the booing fans that it was too easy before picking Kuro up and attempting to throw him onto the apron. However, the crowd cheered as Kuro landed on his feet onto the apron, and when Floch attempted to knock Kuro down, Kuro countered with a Step-Up Enziguri to the side of the head, sending him staggering away.
"Kuro fighting back, but he looks like he's having trouble breathing!" Bob exclaimed as Kuro attempted to springboard back into the ring, but Floch backed himself into the ropes, causing Kuro to fall onto the top rope chest first. Floch then planted Kuro with a Rope Hung Swinging DDT before locking him in a Crossface, the crowd booing as Floch pulled Kuro's neck back as much as he could. Kuro shook his head before beginning to hit several Back Elbows to the side of Floch's head, loosening the grip enough to push Floch off of him. Kuro got back up to his feet and attempted to hit a Discus Forearm to Floch's head, but Floch responded with a headbutt to the chest and the throat, sending him staggering away. Floch then ran out of the corner, attempting to hit Kuro with a Running Clothesline, but he countered, hitting Floch with a Fireman's Carry Gutbuster.
"Kuro-Senpai almost shoved his knee right into Floch's chest!" Kotoko cheered as Kuro grabbed Floch's arm, and hit him with a Hook Kick to the face, sending him staggering into the corner. Kuro then ran back into the corner, hitting Floch with a Running Corner Knee Strike, jumping up to the top rope before hitting Floch with a Diamond Dust before going for the pinfall, hooking both his legs back.
Ref: 1…2…
Kuro immediately grabbed Floch's legs and attempted to lock him in the Texas Cloverleaf, but the crowd booed as Floch pulled Kuro's head closer to him, and hit him with several punches to the side of the head.
"Floch not letting Kuro lock in the Texas Cloverleaf! That's a good thing because if he did, Floch would've been guaranteed a loss!" Bob exclaimed as Floch pushed Kuro into the ropes, but when Floch rolled back to his feet for a Clothesline, Kuro hit Floch with a Headbutt to the face. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro attempted to hit him with the Fairy Tale Ending, but Floch pushed Kuro away and attempted to hit him with another Discus Forearm, but he dodged, and hit Floch with a Saito Suplex, bridging into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Floch's head bounced off the canvas thanks to that Saito Suplex, but Floch isn't going down that easily!" Bob exclaimed as Kuro picked Floch back up, and threw him into the corner. Kuro then picked Floch up, put him onto the top turnbuckle, and hit him with several Forearms to the side of the head. Kuro then began climbing up to the top rope and attempted to hit Floch with a Superplex, but Floch responded with multiple punches to the gut and attempted to push him off and onto the canvas. However, Kuro was able to land on his feet, the crowd exploding into cheers as Kuro jumped back onto the top rope, and attempted to hit him with a Top Rope Frankensteiner. However, the crowd continued booing as Floch countered the Top Rope Frankensteiner attempt with a Spinning Sit-Out Powerbomb from the top rope before pinning him.
Ref: 1…2…
"Phew! I was worried for Kuro-Senpai there! He's still in this, and he's still gonna win this!" Kotoko exclaimed in excitement before Floch pounded on the mat in frustration before grabbing Kuro, and hit him with multiple punches to the side of the head before throwing him into the corner. Floch told Kotoko that he was going to send Kuro to the hospital before putting him on the top rope with his back facing Floch. Floch clubbed Kuro in the back and the back of the head multiple times before climbing back onto the top rope and attempting to hit him with a Top Rope Back Suplex. However, the crowd exploded into cheers as Kuro countered the attempted Back Suplex with a Top Rope Reverse Frankensteiner, sending both men falling down into the middle of the ring.
"Holy God! Kuro could've broken Floch's neck there!" Striker exclaimed in shock as the crowd cheered and chanted for Kuro as both men began staggering back to their feet. Kuro and Floch, once they pulled themselves back up to their feet, began exchanging punches and forearms with each other, the crowd cheering and booing accordingly. Floch hit Kuro in the throat with a Knife-Edge Uppercut before attempting to hit Floch with an Olympic Slam, but Kuro was able to counter this with a Tilt-a-Whirl Reverse DDT. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro picked Floch back up, and hit him with Triple Rolling Vertical Suplexes before hitting him with a Patella Brainbuster and pinning him with both legs hooked.
Ref: 1…2…
"That knee may not have been exposed, but sending someone's head into the knee at that velocity is still going to hurt!" Kotoko exclaimed as Kuro picked Floch up, and hit him with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex, before rolling back to his feet and hitting him with a German Suplex. However, Kuro wasn't done, as he rolled Floch back up to his feet, and attempted to hit him with a Dragon Suplex, but Floch was able to counter with a couple of Headbutts to the nose. The crowd booed as Floch turned around, and hit Kuro with an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex. When Kuro made it back to his feet, Floch attempted to hit Kuro with a Float Over DDT, but Kuro countered by throwing Floch into the corner with a Northern Lights Suplex.
"Kuro and Floch exchanged quite the array of Suplexes, but Kuro was able to win that exchange!" Striker exclaimed as Kuro got back to his feet, and noticing that Floch was crumpled up in the corner, put him in the Tree of Woe. The crowd continued cheering as Kuro stomped on Floch's upside-down chest several times before running the ropes, attempting to hit Floch with a Hesitation Dropkick. However, Floch pulled himself back up to the top rope, sending Kuro sliding out of the ring, the crowd booing as Floch dived off the top rope, and hit a stunned Kuro with a Diving Crossbody. The crowd continued booing as Floch threw Kuro back into the ring, climbing back up to the top rope, and hitting Kuro with a Diving Back Elbow to the side of the head before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Floch has reached deep into his bag for this StarShow contest here, but he has to be frustrated that nothing's been working!" Bob exclaimed as Floch picked Kuro up, and attempted to hit him with the Impaler DDT, but Kuro pushed Floch away and attempted to hit him with a Superkick. However, Floch grabbed both his legs and attempted to hit him with a Spinning Sit-Out Powerbomb, but the crowd exploded into cheers as Kuro countered with a Sunset Flip, grabbing both his legs and locking him in the Texas Cloverleaf. Floch started yelling out in pain but tried to reach the ropes to try and break the hold, but Kuro was able to roll back to the center of the ring, continuing to stretch him out with the Texas Cloverleaf. After another minute in the hold, Floch tapped out, the crowd exploding into cheers.
*Bell Rings*
"Ladies and gentlemen, Floch Forster has been eliminated, therefore, here is your winner, as a result of a submission, 'The Iceman' Kuro Sakuragawa!" Maya Ibuki announced as Kuro shot both his fists in the air, the crowd continuing to cheer as Kuro ran up to the top turnbuckle, once again shooting both his fists in the air. Kuro let out a victory roar, beating his chest a few times and motioning around his waist that he was going to become the future BTWF Cruiserweight Champion. Kuro looked at the fans cheering for him, and turned his mouth into a small smile, nodding at all the support he was receiving from the sold-out crowd.
"Kuro-Senpai did it! He became the #1 contender for the BTWF Cruiserweight Championship, and he's going to win the BTWF Cruiserweight Championship regardless of whether Crona or Kazuma leaves StarShow with the championship!" Kotoko exclaimed while cheering on and clapping for her boyfriend. Striker and Bob looked at each other while chuckling before the camera panned back to the ring, where Kuro had jumped down from the top rope, went back to the center of the ring, and shot his fists up in the air once again. Meanwhile, Floch rolled out of the ring, holding his back in pain while pounding the floor in frustration while Kuro continued celebrating in the ring.
"Well, let's not count our chickens before they hatch, Kotoko, but I can see why you're happy as Kuro got what's possibly the biggest victory of his career!" Bob exclaimed as Kuro looked at Kotoko cheering from the commentary table, and smiled before rolling out of the ring from underneath the bottom rope. Kuro walked over to Kotoko and gave her a hug, the crowd continuing to cheer as Kotoko and Kuro kissed each other. Kuro thanked Kotoko for her support and said that he loved her before walking to the back, high-fiving fans in the front row.
"Kuro celebrating right now, but with Crona vs. Kazuma coming up, Kuro might want to get started on taking notes and researching his possible opponents if he wants to become the new BTWF Cruiserweight Champion!" Striker exclaimed as the camera began panning away while Floch walked away from the ring, telling the camera that this wasn't over. Kuro, meanwhile, continued walking to the back with his fists in the air, telling the crowd that the Iceman was going to become the next BTWF Cruiserweight Champion.
The camera focused on the backstage interview area, where Chris Sabin stood next to David Marquez, his hair a mess and a couple of bruises on the side of his head, looking irritated at the fact he had gotten assaulted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here with LWF's Chris Sabin, who had a good run in the Cruiserweight Championship #1 contenders gauntlet match. However, you ran into 'The Guru' TJ Detweiler and his new cronies," Marquez explained, with Sabin nodding before pulling the microphone closer to his face.
"When I agreed to come here for a StarShow cameo, I didn't expect to get attacked by some weird cult. Admittedly, that Dawn girl throws some good punches, but I'm still here, and I'm still up. Security may have finally separated us, but if those two freaks want another shot at me, I'm not a hard man to find," Sabin explained, cricking his neck before Marquez pulled the microphone back in front of his face.
"Are you inviting TJ and his goons to LWF Reborn?" Marquez asked.
"Firstly, I'm not on Reborn anymore. Me and Alex Shelley are going to be on LWF Velocity from now on thanks to the LWF's first draft. You can find us on Wattpad by the way," Sabin said with a wink before turning back to the interview. "Secondly, whether it's here in the BTWF or the LWF, I want to get my hands on those guys for ruining my first BTWF appearance. I got plenty of friends in the LWF, especially Shelly and Kushida, so I'm not scared of TJ or his weirdo cult," Sabin explained. However, before Marquez could say anything else, a disheveled Colt Grice stomped over to the interview area, giving Sabin a fist bump before grabbing the microphone.
"So, TJ, is this what we're going to do now!? I said that I didn't want your advice, and you responded by sicking several weirdoes on me and costing me a chance at becoming the BTWF Cruiserweight Champion!? TJ, trust and believe me, this isn't over by a long shot, and whether it's just me, or me and Sabin, I'm going to end this cult before it even starts!" Colt exclaimed, throwing the microphone down onto the ground before turning to Sabin, and shaking his hand as a thank you for helping him earlier before the camera panned away from the scene backstage.
The camera panned back to the center of the ring, where Gourry Gabriev was standing in the center of the ring with his wife, Lina Inverse, standing next to him with her hand in his. The crowd cheered, politely applauded, and chanted 'Gourry' and 'Thank You, Gourry' before Gourry took a deep breath, and began speaking into the microphone.
"Now, I know everyone was expecting a big and gaudy thing for my announcement tonight, but…I wanted to make it as short and sweet as possible. On Intensity, I lost a match against BTWF World Heavyweight Champion Katsuki Bakugo a couple of weeks ago. In that match, I made it so that my match with Bakugo was a title vs. career match, with my career on the line. And in the end, I…lost," Gourry explained, the crowd booing and chanting 'Please Don't Go!' as he teared up a little, with Lina running her hand up and down Gourry's arm to calm him down, which worked as Gourry took a deep breath and continued.
"When I came back from the injury that Bakugo had given me, I was ready to move on with my life and leave the wrestling to this new up-and-coming generation. Midoriya is ready, Zancrow is ready, and Bakugo, despite everything, is ready to take the BTWF to the next level. And when Bakugo beat me on Intensity, I was ready to retire. But then, something happened. Bakugo, rather than leave well enough alone, let the NWO attack me. Instead of doing the right thing, and leaving me to celebrate my last night in the BTWF with my fans, you let your minions in the NWO attack me!" Gourry exclaimed, the crowd cheering at the prospect of Gourry not retiring and continuing to fight the good fight against the NWO.
"Since that attack, my head has been full of conflict. Do I go back on my word and continue battling the NWO, or do I leave the BTWF and retire like I promised? I've been arguing with myself over this situation these past two weeks, and if it weren't for Lina, I'd have lost my mind over this war going on in my brain," Gourry said, looking down at Lina with a smile on his face, which Lina returned, much to the crowd's delight. The crowd continued cheering as Gourry seemed like he was going to stay, and once the crowd calmed down, Gourry nodded before he continued speaking.
"So I've finally made a decision, and that decision is-" Gourry attempted to explain before 'MANTRA' by Bring Me the Horizon played, the crowd booing as Duncan Maloney came walking out of the back with a smirk on his face. Gourry and Lina looked annoyed at being interrupted, but Duncan didn't seem to care as he grabbed a microphone from one of the ringside attendants, and walked into the ring, heading right in front of Gourry before beginning to speak, glaring at Lina before talking.
"Go on, Gourry. Tell all these people here that you want to retire. And tell them that it was all thanks to the NWO. And not just because of the absolute ass-whooping we gave you, but because we pushed you off your mountain top. You realized that with the NWO and especially Bakugo on top, you weren't going to be the star you once were again. You were going to go back to square one, and you couldn't handle that!" Duncan exclaimed, raising his voice as the disapproving jeers of the crowd increased in volume. Gourry and Lina looked at Duncan with glares that almost rivaled the hatred that the fans were giving the NWO member.
"They know it, you know it, and I know it. You're trying to run away from the fact that the NWO runs Intensity and that your time has come and gone. So go on, tell everyone that you're retiring because of the NWO!" Duncan exclaimed. The crowd chanted 'No!' as Gourry and Lina looked at each other for a brief second, with Lina nodding at her husband before Gourry returned his attention to Duncan.
"Duncan…you misunderstood me. Before you so rudely interrupted, I was going to say that I've decided to postpone my retirement," Gourry explained, the crowd exploding into cheers at the revelation, with Duncan looking absolutely shocked at the revelation.
"See, that attack by the NWO after my 'retirement' match with Bakugo made me realize that I'm not even close to done with wrestling yet. And yes, I know, I lost a retirement match, but if Bakugo isn't willing to give me the due respect after the match, then I don't have to give him any respect by following the stipulation. I owe Bakugo the ass-kicking of a lifetime, and I'm not going to rest until I give it to him!" Gourry exclaimed, the crowd continuing to cheer as Duncan, infuriated by this turn of events, attempted to hit Gourry with a punch to the face, but Gourry blocked the punch. The crowd cheered as Gourry hit Duncan in the face with several punches before hitting him with a Spinning Roundhouse Kick. The crowd continued cheering as Gourry hit Duncan with the Gourry Bomb (Gory Bomb) before climbing up to the top rope.
"Gourry said that he's not retiring, and he's giving us a demonstration that he still has it!" Kotoko exclaimed as Gourry hit Duncan in the chest with the Diving Headbutt before kipping back up to his feet. Gourry then walked over to Lina and embraced her while the crowd cheered and chanted for Gourry before the two left the ring, hand-in-hand. Gourry yelled at the crowd that he was going to retire on his time and that he still had some fuel in the tank. Gourry then looked into the camera and told Bakugo that he was coming for him.
"Gourry may not be willing to retire just yet, but given that the match was made title vs. career, he's going to have to have a long meeting with the BTWF Board of Directors about this," Striker admitted as the camera panned to the stage, where before Gourry and Lina could make their way to the back, Oney Lorcan's 'Combative' theme song played, the crowd cheering as Maka and Winry made their way out of the back. Before Gourry walked to the back, he wished both Maka and Winry good luck while shaking their hands, a sentiment which the two women appreciated. Maka then lifted her pointer finger up, while Winry raised the peace sign before beginning their march to the ring.
"The following contest is a Fatal-4-Way Tag Team Ladder match, and it is to determine the #1 contenders for the BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships of their brand! Introducing first, representing Intensity, they are the team of Maka Albarn & Winry Rockbell!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to cheer as Maka and Winry continued their march to the ring, giving high-fives to the fans in the front row, keeping their pointer finger and peace sign up respectively. Maka and Winry, once they made it to the ringside area, looked at each other and nodded before sliding into the ring.
"Now, with the announcement that we're getting Women's Tag Team Championships for both Intensity and Octane, it just makes this match mean all the more to these competitors, as being one of the first women to hold this new gold will be a big accomplishment in their careers!" Striker exclaimed as Maka and Winry raised their pointer finger and peace sign respectively, the crowd cheering louder before the two made their way to the corner, waiting for their opponents. While Duncan groggily made his way to the back, the lights in the arena went down, the crowd booing as Sanity's 'Controlled Chaos' theme song began playing. Multiple spotlights shone around the arena before settling on the center of the stage.
"And here comes the unsettling presence of the Cannonade!" Kotoko exclaimed as the camera panned to the front of the stage, where Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee appeared on the stage with glowing gas masks on their faces. Ty Lee seemed absolutely feral as she attempted to go after people in the crowd booing them, but Azula grabbed her by the back of her shirt, pulling her back to the stage, telling her to save her energy for the match. Ty Lee calmed down and nodded before she, along with Azula and Mai, made their way down the entranceway.
"Introducing their opponents first, from the Fire Nation, accompanied to the ring by Princess Azula, they are the team of Ty Lee and Mai, the Cannonade!" Maya Ibuki announced as Ty Lee continued jumping up and down, punching the air while Azula and Mai marched to the ring with military-style precision and focus. Ty Lee looked like she was going to go after some crowd members again, but Azula calmed her down by stroking her hair, continuing to lead her down the aisleway. When Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai made it down to the ringside area, the three raised their fists in the air, causing the lights in the arena to flicker on and off while they jumped onto different sides of the ring apron.
"The Cannonade, as they're now called, have been targeting the BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships since their debut! And tonight could be their chance to get another title match!" Bob exclaimed as, after a moment of staring around at the booing crowd, all three women threw their masks down to the ground, revealing war paint on their faces. Ty Lee jumped into the ring and began running around the ring while Mai and Azula marched into the ring and made their way right to the center of the ring. Ty Lee, noticing this, slid next to Azula, and raised her fist up along with her two stablemates.
"Ty Lee may be a few pancakes short of a full stack, but she can go once the bell rings!" Bob exclaimed as Ty Lee then ran into another corner, repeatedly slamming her head into the top turnbuckle, Azula smirking before nodding at Mai, and rolling out of the ring. With her good arm, Azula pounded on the mat, the crowd booing as she told Mai and Ty Lee to do whatever it took to win. After another moment, the crowd continued booing as Kay Lee Ray's 'Venom' theme song played, with Maki and Mai Zenin coming out with Jim Cornette following them with his trusty tennis racket in tow.
"And their opponents, accompanied to the ring by Jim Cornette, from Kyoto Japan, the team of Maki & Mai, the Zenin Sisters!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to boo as Cornette called his team to the center of the stage. The three then went over last-minute strategy for a minute before Cornette patted Maki and Mai Z. on the shoulder, telling them to kick some ass. Maki and Mai Z. nodded before they walked down the entranceway, with Cornette following them from behind, twirling the tennis racket in his fingers.
"Maki and Mai Z. have gotten along with Cornette recently due to their affinity for the old school and no-nonsense way of wrestling," Striker explained as when the two made it to the ringside area, Maki got on one knee, and stretched both her arms out while Mai did the same thing while standing behind her twin sister. Cornette applauded his charges as they got back up to their feet, and slid into the ring from underneath the bottom rope at the exact same time. Maki and Mai Z. kipped back to their feet in sync before going to the center of the ring, the crowd booing as Maki once again got on one knee and outstretched her arms.
"Maki and Mai, being together their entire lives, have an advantage when it comes to tag team chemistry," Kotoko explained as Mai Z. outstretched her hands out behind Maki, patting her shoulders before she kipped back up to her feet. Maki and Mai Z. then high-fived each other before going into another corner while Cornette continued applauding his team. Maki and Mai Z. walked to another corner of the ring, with Mai Z. insulting both the Cannonade and the team of Maka & Winry.
"Mai Z. definitely not making any friends in this match, but with how much confidence she has in herself and her sister, I doubt she really cares," Bob explained as while Mai Z. was continuing to argue with her opponents, 'Wargasm' by God of War played, the crowd cheering as Kohaku and Homura came running out of the back. Homura then slid down onto the center of the stage on her knees while Kohaku rushed behind her partner, and flexed her muscles. Pyro went off behind them before Homura rolled back up to her feet, and high-fived Kohaku before the two made their way down the aisleway.
"And introducing the final team, from the Kingdom of Science, the team of Kohaku & Homura Momiji!" Maya Ibuki announced, the crowd continuing to cheer as Kohaku and Homura high-fived fans on their way to the ring before Homura jumped up on top of the fan barricade, and began walking across it. Kohaku nodded with a smirk on her face before jumping onto the top of the fan barricade herself and racing Homura across the fan barricade. After a moment, Homura jumped off the fan barricade, rolling to the ringside area, the crowd cheering as Homura flexed and yelled into the camera that she just won.
"Even at StarShow, Homura and Kohaku can't help but compete against each other!" Bob exclaimed with a laugh as Kohaku and Homura bumped chests before they both slid into the ring. Kohaku and Homura then looked at each other and shrugged before charging at Maki and Mai Z, the crowd cheering as the two teams brawled on one side of the ring. The referee then started the match, resulting in Mai & Ty Lee brawling with Maka and Winry while the camera panned to the ladders around the ring that the ringside attendants placed during the entrances. Ty Lee attempted to hit Maka with a Superkick, but Maka pushed the kick away and nailed her with a Clothesline that sent her over the top rope. Winry then went up to the top rope, immediately hitting a Diving Crossbody onto a stunned Ty Lee, the crowd continuing to cheer as Maka and Mai brawled in front of the ropes.
"Ty Lee being sent right out onto the floor with Winry following close behind!" Striker exclaimed as on the other side of the ring, Homura hit multiple kicks to the chest and legs of Mai Z., but Maki stunned Homura with a Superkick to the face, sending her staggering into the corner. However, Kohaku grabbed Maki and hit her with several Back Suplexes in a row before throwing her out of the ring. Kohaku grabbed Maki by the hair and slammed her face into the top of the steel steps. However, when Kohaku attempted to hit Maki with another Back Suplex on the floor, Mai Z. ran through the ropes, and hit her with a Suicide Dive, sending Kohaku falling into a ladder, and causing it and her to fall over. Mai Z. then picked Maki up and sent Maki crashing into Kohaku's chest with an Aided Gourdbuster, the crowd booing as the two posed to the fans.
"Our first instance of the ladder being used, and Kohaku's back has to be painful!" Kotoko exclaimed as while Maki and Mai Z. were celebrating, Homura jumped onto the top rope and hit both Zenin Sisters with a Springboard Twisting Crossbody, the crowd cheering as she picked Kohaku up, grabbed the ladder, and threw it into the ring. Homura then threw Kohaku back into the ring with her before setting up the ladder and quickly attempting to climb up the ladder. However, Mai, who was still in the ring after stomping on Maka in the corner, ran over to Homura, and pulled her down from the ladder, kicking her in the chest as Homura fell. The crowd booed as Mai grabbed Homura, and hit her with a Spinning Kick to the gut before lining up a Tornado Kick to the back, but Homura was able to slip out of the way and hit her with a Basement Dropkick to the side of the face. Mai rolled to the outside onto the apron. The crowd continued cheering as Homura ran into the corner, and hit Mai with a Springboard Triangle Hurricanrana, sending Mai crashing into both Ty Lee and Winry on the outside.
"Homura with an impressive display of athleticism and strength, sending Mai falling to the outside and onto her partner!" Striker exclaimed as Homura then jumped back onto the top rope, and while all three women were down on the ground, Homura hit them with a Diving Double Rotation Moonsault, the crowd cheering and chanting 'Holy Shit!' as all four women writhed in pain on the ground. In the ring, Kohaku pulled herself back up to her feet and attempted to climb the ladder in the ring, but Maka got out of the corner, grabbed Kohaku by the arm, and threw her away from the ladder before hitting her with multiple forearms to the side of the head. Maka attempted to throw Kohaku into the corner, but she countered by jumping out of the corner and attempting to turn Maka inside out with a Running Lariat. However, Maka was able to dodge the Clothesline, and hit her with a Pele Kick to the back of the head, sending her staggering into the ladder.
"Ow! Kohaku's face landed right on one of the ladder rungs!" Bob exclaimed while wincing and while Maka climbed over Kohaku's stunned body, and began climbing up the ladder. The crowd cheered as Maka began reaching for the contract on a clipboard, but Kohaku was able to shake the cobwebs out of her head and pulled Maka away from the ladder in an Electric Chair position. Maka attempted to fight out of Kohaku's grasp with some punches to the side of the head but Kohaku rammed Maka into the corner, dropping the back of her head into the corner with an Electric Chair Drop. The crowd continued cheering as Kohaku hit a Standing Discus Forearm to the side of Maka's head before running the ropes, and hitting her with a Running Discus Corner Clothesline.
"I've never seen someone perform an Electric Chair Drop in the corner before, but it worked!" Kotoko exclaimed as Kohaku put Maka on the top rope, and followed her up there, attempting to hit her with a Top Rope Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex. However, Maka responded by hitting Kohaku in the face with several headbutts to the face before pushing her off the top rope and onto the canvas. Kohaku landed on her feet, but Maka responded by hitting her with a Diving Forearm Smash to the side of the face.
"Maka almost took Kohaku's face off with that Diving Forearm from the top!" Striker exclaimed as Maka pushed Kohaku into the corner, putting her in a seated position in front of the bottom turnbuckle. The crowd continued cheering as Maka ran into one corner, and attempted to hit Kohaku with a Sliding Forearm Smash into the corner, but the crowd booed as Mai Z. slid back into the ring, and knocked Maka down with a Spinning Heel Kick to the side of the face. The crowd continued booing as Mai Z. stomped on Maka's chest multiple times while Maki rolled into the ring and hit a Running Face Wash to the side of Kohaku's head. The crowd continued booing as Maki and Mai Z. high-fived each other before Maki picked Maka up off the ground.
"Maki and Mai Z. are back in this match, and they're taking advantage of the numbers advantage they have!" Kotoko exclaimed as Maki and Mai Z. hit Maka with a Double High Head Kick before running the ropes and hitting her with a Double Jumping Knee Strike. The crowd continued booing as Maki and Mai Z. hit Maka with an Aided Snap Swinging Neckbreaker before pushing her out of the ring and onto the apron. Mai Z. attempted to go and grab Kohaku, but the crowd cheered as Kohaku fought back with several punches to the side of the head before attempting to hit her with an Exploder Suplex. However, Maki saw this go down and hit Kohaku with a Superkick hard enough that Mai Z. was able to escape Kohaku's grasp.
"Kohaku trying her best to fight back, but no matter how strong you are, a two-on-one disadvantage is hard for anyone to fight back from!" Striker exclaimed as Mai Z. and Maki hit Kohaku with a Double Snap Brainbuster. The crowd continued booing as both Mai Z. and Maki climbed up on both sides of the ladder, inching closer and closer to the #1 contenders contract. However, the crowd cheered as Ty Lee and Winry climbed up different corners, and knocked both Maki and Mai Z. off the ladder with simultaneous Springboard Dropkicks to the sides. Ty Lee then attempted to knock Winry down with a Roundhouse Kick, but Winry grabbed her foot, picked her up, and attempted to hit her with a Buckle Bomb. However, Ty Lee was able to counter into a Hurricanrana, sending Winry's face bouncing off the middle turnbuckle.
"Ty Lee and Winry literally flying back into this match, knocking Maki and Mai Z. off the ladder!" Kotoko exclaimed as Ty Lee ran the ropes, and hit Winry with a Running Basement Dropkick to the back of the head. The crowd continued booing as Ty Lee stomped on the back of Winry's skull multiple times before running up the ladder. However, when Ty Lee was about to make it to the top of the ladder, Homura got onto the apron and jumped onto the middle of the ladder, the crowd exploding into cheers. Ty Lee, noticing this, quickly tried to grab the contract, but the crowd cheered as Homura hit a High Head Kick to the side of the head, stunning Ty Lee. Homura then climbed up further and attempted to grab the contract, but the crowd booed as Ty Lee grabbed Homura and locked her in a Triangle Choke.
"Oh my God! A Triangle Choke on the top of the ladder! Homura has nowhere to go!" Bob exclaimed as Homura attempted to punch Ty Lee in the gut to break the hold, but Ty Lee continued keeping the Triangle Choke locked in. After another moment, Homura picked Ty Lee up off the ladder and dropped her from the top of the ladder with a One-Armed Powerbomb. Homura then quickly pulled herself back up to her feet and attempted to climb back up the ladder, but Mai came running back into the ring, and kicked Homura in the back multiple times, pulling her off the ladder.
"This match has been non-stop chaos since the beginning! I can't even tell who's going to win this one!" Bob exclaimed as Mai picked Homura up, and hit her with a Detonation Kick before running the ropes and knocking her back out of the ring with a Running Wheel Kick. However, while Mai posed to the crowd, Winry grabbed her from behind and hit her with a Dragon Suplex. The crowd cheered as Winry picked Mai back up, hit her with multiple punches to the side of the head, and put her in a Vertical Suplex position. However, Mai escaped the hold, jumping down to the floor and grabbing another ladder from the bottom of the ring, but the crowd cheered as Winry dove over the top rope with a Vaulting Somersault Senton. The crowd continued cheering as Winry grabbed the ladder and slid it back into the ring before following the ladder back in.
"Winry's taken out Mai, and is going to try and make it up the ladder!" Striker exclaimed as Winry put the ladder up, and started climbing up to the top. However, Kohaku started running to the ladders and got on the ladder next to Winry. The crowd continued cheering as Kohaku and Winry began exchanging punches on the top of the ladders, neither woman letting up. However, Maki came climbing up the ladders, much to the crowd's chagrin and smashed Winry and Kohaku's heads together. Maki attempted to reach for the contract, but Kohaku countered with multiple punches to the side of the head, attempting to push her off. However, Maki countered with a headbutt to the side of the head, and once again attempted to reach for the contract.
"The chaos hasn't stopped in the ring, as it's spread to the top of those two ladders!" Kotoko exclaimed as Ty Lee pulled herself back up, rolled back into the ring from underneath the bottom rope, and started climbing up to the top of the ladder. While this was happening, Maki was able to knock Kohaku off the ladder with a kick to the side of the head, the crowd booing as she turned her focus onto Winry, hitting her with multiple forearms to the side of the head. However, while Maki and Winry continued striking at each other, Ty Lee kicked Maki in the back of the head before pulling herself to the top of the ladder. However, the crowd began cheering as Kohaku grabbed hold of both the ladders, and pushed them over, sending Ty Lee, Maki, and Winry falling onto the ropes, with Maki falling out of the ring.
"The strength of Kohaku is crazy! She threw three women off their ladders without breaking a sweat!" Striker exclaimed as Kohaku grabbed one of the ladders, and hit Mai with it when she tried to interfere. Kohaku then hit Maka in the gut with the ladder, sending her falling down back into the corner before hitting Mai Z. in the face with it. The crowd continued cheering as Kohaku threw the ladder out of the ring and onto both Maki and Ty Lee. Kohaku flexed and beat her chest multiple times before climbing up the other ladder in the ring. The crowd cheered as Kohaku was close to the contract, but the crowd booed loudly as Azula rolled into the ring, and despite her bad arm, grabbed Kohaku's leg, trying to pull her down.
"Azula trying to make sure that her team doesn't lose the match, but she may lose use of her other arm too!" Bob exclaimed as Kohaku sighed before kicking Azula off of her. The crowd cheered as Azula backed herself into the corner while Kohaku made her way into the corner, the crowd booing as Azula attempted to hit her with a kick to the side of the head. Kohaku blocked the kick, the crowd cheering louder as she punched Azula in the side of the head multiple times before Mai came up from behind, and hit her with a Tornado Kick to the back of the head. The crowd booed as Mai grabbed Kohaku and threw her into the steel ring post arm-first hard enough to send her falling to the outside.
"And thanks to Mai, Azula lives to fight another day!" Striker exclaimed as Mai quickly checked on Azula before climbing up the ladder. However, Mai Z. ran over to the ladder, grabbed Mai's leg, and pulled her off the ladder, hitting her with several punches to the face. However, Azula once again got involved, pulling on Mai Z.'s hair, but Mai Z. countered by hitting Azula with a Pele Kick hard enough that it sent her falling through the ropes and out of the ring. Mai attempted to counter with a Roundhouse Kick to the back of the head, but Mai Z. countered, attempting to hit her with a Pele Kick. However, Mai dodged the Pele Kick attempt, but when she tried to hit Mai Z. with a Tornado Kick to the back, Mai Z. rolled out of the way and kicked her in the knee.
"Mai Z. and Mai exchanging some kicks with each other, showing how well-versed they are when it comes to striking!" Kotoko exclaimed as Mai Z. attempted to throw her into the side of the ladder, but Mai was able to slide under the ladder and hit Mai Z. with a Savate Kick to the side of the head and through the ladder. The crowd continued booing as Mai quickly began climbing back up the ladder, but Mai Z. staggered over behind him and clubbed her multiple times in the back. Mai kicked her away, hitting her with a kick to the chest before continuing to climb back up the ladder. However, Mai Z. springboarded off the top rope, landing on Mai, and locking her in a Rear Naked Choke, the crowd booing as Mai Z. roared as she tried to knock Mai out.
"A Rear Naked Choke onto the ladder! Trying to make the quick-footed Mai pass out!" Bob exclaimed as Mai continued trying to climb to the top, but she was losing consciousness. However, the crowd exploded into cheers as Kohaku propped back up, and put Mai on her shoulders in an Electric Chair position while Mai Z. still had her in a in a Rear Naked Choke. However, rather than a standard Electric Chair Drop, Kohaku dropped them both with an Electric Chair Drop Facebuster, sending Mai Z.'s jaw and face crashing against the back of Mai's head. The crowd continued cheering as Kohaku picked Mai Z. and Mai right back up, and hit them with a Double Fireman's Carry Slam.
"Kohaku once again showing some crazy strength, hitting double moves onto both Mais like it was absolutely nothing!" Striker exclaimed as Kohaku flexed for the crowd again, though Ty Lee snuck into the ring, attempting to hit her with a Handspring Kick. However, Kohaku caught her in a German Suplex, attempting to send her out of the ring, but Ty Lee was able to counter with a Stundog Millionaire. Meanwhile, on the outside, Maka was brawling with Maki, attempting to hit her with a Discus Backfist, but Maka ducked and hit her with a Back Suplex onto the ring apron. The crowd booed as Maki smirked at the audience, but the crowd cheered as Homura dived off the top of the steel steps, throwing Maki into the fan barricade with a Running Diving Hurricanrana.
"Homura almost sent Maki through the fan barricade with that Hurricanrana!" Bob exclaimed in shock as Homura went underneath the ring, and grabbed a table and another ladder. The crowd continued cheering as Homura put the ladder across the apron and the commentary table. As Homura slid the table into the ring, Winry grabbed her from behind, and attempted to hit her with a German Suplex, but Homura landed on her feet, and hit a Running Reverse Sling Blade onto Winry, sending her crashing onto the top of the ladder face first. The crowd continued cheering as Homura repeatedly smashed Winry's face into the ladder before leaning her over the ladder.
"Don't tell me Homura's planning what I think she's planning!" Kotoko exclaimed as Homura began climbing back up to the top rope, focusing on sending Winry through the ladder. However, the crowd booed as Ty Lee, after sending Kohaku onto all fours with a Spinning Corner Roundhouse Kick, jumped up to the top rope, and hit her with a Top Rope Spanish Fly back into the ring with enough force to send the ladder in the ring bouncing onto its side. Ty Lee jumped back up to her feet and hit a stunned Kohaku with a Running Shotgun Dropkick into the corner with enough force to send Kohaku into a seated position in front of the bottom turnbuckle. Ty Lee then grabbed the overturned ladder and put it in front of Kohaku before running the ropes and hitting a Hesitation Dropkick onto the ladder, sending it crashing into Kohaku's face.
"Ty Lee may have broken Kohaku's face with that one! That ladder almost crushed her nose!" Bob exclaimed as a bleeding Kohaku rolled out of the ring, holding her nose while Ty Lee set the ladder back up. While Kohaku was trying to recover, Mai got back up to her feet, hitting Kohaku in the back of the head with a Running Basement Dropkick, sending her crashing into the fan barricade. Mai and Ty Lee high-fived each other before they both made their way up the ladder. However, much to the crowd's delight, a bloodied Winry came rolling back into the ring and started clubbing both Mai and Ty Lee in the back. However, Ty Lee dived off of her ladder, attempting to hit Winry with a Moonsault, but the crowd cheered as she was able to catch Ty Lee mid-Moonsault.
"Woah! Talk about Kohaku's strength, but look at Winry, catching Ty Lee mid-Moonsault!" Striker exclaimed as Winry threw Ty Lee into Mai with a Lawn Dart into the chest, sending Mai falling down. Winry then hit a Swinging Side Slam onto Ty Lee before kicking both women out of the ring, attempting to start climbing up the ladder. However, Homura was able to come back to her feet and begin pulling herself up the ladder, the crowd cheering as Homura ground her teeth in pain. Winry noticed this and tried kicking Homura off the ladder, but Homura dodged, one of the kicks, and kicked Winry in the back of the leg, sending her falling with her leg trapped in the rungs of the ladder.
"Winry is hanging perilously upside down! And Homura has a clear path to the #1 contendership contract!" Kotoko exclaimed as Winry tried pulling herself back up while Homura made it to the top of the ladder. The crowd continued cheering as Homura got her hands on the contract, but the crowd booed as Mai Z. climbed over Winry, and poked Homura in the eye, allowing Mai Z. to throw Homura off the ladder with a Top Rope Gourdbuster. Mai Z. then dived off the top of the ladder, hitting a still-dangling Winry with a Diving Leg Drop across the throat. Mai Z. then went back to climbing back up to the top rope, with the crowd booing all the while. However, the crowd exploded into cheers as a bloodied Kohaku rolled back into the ring, this time with a steel chair in hand.
"Kohaku's back in the ring, and she looks ready to kill!" Bob exclaimed as she jumped up, and hit Mai Z. in the back with the steel chair multiple times. The crowd continued cheering as Mai Z. fell from the ladder after the fourth shot, but Kohaku wasn't done yet, hitting her in the gut with the chair multiple times while kicking her down, and smashing the chair into her back. Maki, seeing her sister getting destroyed, attempted to dive back into the ring with a Crossbody, but Kohaku responded by throwing the chair in her face mid-dive. Kohaku then hit both Mai Z. and Maki with the steel chair repeatedly while Cornette looked on in horror.
"Mai and Ty Lee were the ones that bloodied Kohaku up, but she's so furious, that she just wants to hit anything that moves!" Striker exclaimed as, much to the crowd's chagrin, Cornette jumped onto the apron, pleading with Kohaku to stop what she was doing. Kohaku looked at Cornette in disgust, and while Cornette was still trying to beg her off, the crowd cheered again as Kohaku whacked Cornette in the chest and midsection with the steel chair, sending him falling back onto the floor. Kohaku picked up the now mangled chair and threw it at Mai Z.'s back before picking Maki up and hitting her with a Spin-Out Powerbomb.
"If Maki's back wasn't already messed up, that Spin-Out Powerbomb might have done it!" Kotoko exclaimed as Kohaku made her way towards the ladder, but Maka came running back into the ring. Kohaku attempted to hit her with the steel chair, but Maka ducked and hit Kohaku with the Van Daminator before hitting Kohaku in the back of the head with a Spinning Backfist. Maka then ran the ropes and hit a Sliding Forearm Smash to the side of Kohaku's head before grabbing the mangled chair that Kohaku dropped, raising it above her head to the delight of the fans, and began climbing up to the top rope. Maka then balanced herself on the top rope and put the chair underneath her arm before hitting Kohaku square in the chest with a Soul Drain (Kairi Sane's Insane Elbow Drop) with the chair under her elbow for extra force.
"Maka making sure that Kohaku won't be a factor in this match, caving in her chest with that chair-assisted Soul Drain!" Striker exclaimed as Winry, on the outside, hit Ty Lee with a Gourdbuster onto the announcers' table while she threw Mai throat first into the ladder still balanced over the ring apron and the commentary table. Winry then took Mai down with an Overhead German Suplex that sent Mai crashing into her chest. However, before Winry could go into the ring to help Maka, the crowd booed as Megumin and Darkness stormed the ringside area, and began clubbing on Winry's back and head.
"What the hell are these two doing out here!? I know they have beef with Maka and Winry, but now is not the time!" Kotoko exclaimed as Darkness grabbed Winry, and hit her with a Uranage onto the floor. The crowd continued booing as Megumin put Winry on her knees and hit her with multiple Kneeling Superkicks to the side of the face before throwing her into Darkness' arms. However, before Megumin could instruct Darkness on what to do, the crowd cheered as Maka ran through the ropes, and connected with a Suicide Dive, taking Megumin down. Maka and Megumin brawled on the ground while Winry began to wake up, and hit several Back Elbows to the side of Darkness' head.
"Maka and Winry have wanted these BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships since they joined the BTWF back in August! They're not going to let Megumin and Darkness' jealousy of their success get in the way of their dreams!" Striker exclaimed as Darkness was quickly able to turn the tides with a headbutt right to Winry's chin. The crowd continued booing as Darkness dropped Winry right on Maka with a Wheelbarrow Facebuster, freeing Megumin from the onslaught of punches she had just received. The crowd continued booing as Megumin grabbed Winry by the hair, and hit her with a Snap DDT before placing her on the horizontal ladder. Megumin picked Maka up, and Maka once again made an effort to fight back with multiple forearms to the side of the head, but Megumin knocked her out cold with a Spinning Roundhouse Kick. Darkness then grabbed Maka and hit her with a Uranage that sent her bouncing off of Winry's chest.
"Darkness and Megumin have sent a message to the entire BTWF Women's tag team division that they are not to be messed with, but why do I have a feeling this attack isn't over yet?" Bob asked as Megumin began climbing up to the top rope while Darkness made sure Winry and Maka stayed on the overturned ladder. The crowd booed as Megumin flipped them all off, repeating that she and Darkness weren't second place before diving off the top rope with an Ultra Explosion (Shooting Star Press), sending both Maka and Winry through the ladder. Megumin and Darkness then threw the broken pieces of the ladder on top of Maka and Winry, burying them underneath the rubble before finally leaving.
"Darkness and Megumin sending a destructive message to not only the BTWF but the DFW, and thankfully, they're finally leaving!" Kotoko exclaimed as while Megumin and Darkness continued yelling out insults at the downed Maka and Winry, Ty Lee quickly made her way back into the ring, and attempted to begin climbing up to the top of the ladder, but the crowd cheered as Homura slid into the ring, and began pulling her away from the ladder, attempting to hit her with a Superkick. However, Ty Lee caught the Superkick and hit Homura with a Superkick of her own, much to the crowd's chagrin.
"Ty Lee almost knocked some teeth out of Homura's mouth, and with Kohaku down for the count thanks to Maka, Homura's the only chance they have for the titles!" Striker exclaimed as Ty Lee picked Homura up and attempted to hit her with a Brainbuster, but Homura was able to bounce her feet off the ropes and hit her with a Tornado DDT. The crowd continued cheering as Homura ran the ropes, and hit Ty Lee with a Hurricanrana DDT before rolling into the corner, grabbing the table and trying to set it up. However, Mai ran into the ring and began clubbing Homura on the back before throwing her away from the table. The crowd booed as Mai went over to Ty Lee, helped her up, and finished setting the table in the corner. Ty Lee and Mai then grabbed Homura and attempted to hit her with a Double Falcon Arrow into the table. However, the crowd cheered as Homura was able to use her legs to bounce off the table, flip over Ty Lee and Mai, and smash their heads together.
"Homura once again able to escape disaster by avoiding crashing through the table!" Kotoko exclaimed as Homura climbed halfway up the top rope, and while Ty Lee and Mai were staggering in front of the table propped in the corner, the crowd exploded into cheers as Homura dived off the ladder, hitting both Ty Lee and Mai with a Diving Cannonball Senton, sending both members of the Cannonade crashing through the table. The crowd continued cheering and chanting for Homura as she noticed that Azula was trying to get into the ring again, but Homura knocked her off the apron with a Corner Springboard Dropkick. Homura then ran the ropes and knocked Cornette down with a Suicide Dive before rolling back into the ring and climbing up the ladder. However, what she didn't notice was that Maki had snuck over to the prone body of Cornette, and grabbed his tennis racket.
"Homura's so close! She's fingertips away from her and Kohaku becoming the #1 contenders for the BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships of their brand!" Striker exclaimed as Homura made it to the top of the ladder. However, Mai Z. ran into the ring and up the ladder, attempting to throw Homura off the ladder, but Homura was able to kick Mai Z. off the ladder by kicking her in the side of the head repeatedly. However, just as Homura was about to reach the contract, Maki hit Homura in the back with Cornette's tennis racket, the crowd booing as Maki kept hitting Homura in the gut before dropping the tennis racket, hitting Homura with a Piledriver onto the racket, and throwing her out of the ring. Maki then pushed Kohaku out of the ring with her foot before climbing back up to the top rope, the crowd continuing to boo as Maki grabbed the contract, and pulled it down.
*Bell Rings*
"Here are your winners, the team of Maki and Mai Z., the Zenin Sisters!" Maya Ibuki announced the crowd continuing to boo as Maki slid down the ladder while continuing to show off the title contract to the booing audience. Maki rolled out of the ring, pulling Mai Z. out of the ring and putting her back on her feet, raising the contract over her head once again, telling the fans 'We Told You So!' while leading Mai Z. over to a downed Cornette, helping him back up to his feet as well.
"Maki and Mai Z. have said they wanted to show that their way of wrestling is the right way, and what better way than potentially taking the BTWF Octane Women's Tag Team Championships from Zero Gravity?" Kotoko asked as multiple ringside attendants checked on Maka and Winry, who were still buried in the rubble of the broken ladders. Maka and Winry were helped back up to their feet, barely conscious and still coughing thanks to the damage done to their midsections. Azula, meanwhile, glared at Maki and Mai Z. while checking on her own charges, who were still in the rubble of the table that Homura had put them through.
"All the destruction that these women have gone through, all for the chance at the BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships of their respective brands! If that doesn't show how much the BTWF Women's Tag Team titles mean to the women in this company, then I don't know what does!" Striker exclaimed as Kohaku rolled out of the ring, coughing up blood after the chair assisted Soul Drain (Kairi Sane's Insane Elbow). Homura, meanwhile, followed her partner out of the ring, holding her back in pain while making sure that her partner was OK. Homura turned to glare at the celebrating Zenin Sisters.
"You got that right, Striker, but with Ochako Uraraka and Zoey Hanson being the polar opposite of the Zenin Sisters, you have to imagine it's going to be extra sweet for Maki and Mai Z. to take the belts from the two Zero Gravity members before their reign really starts!" Bob exclaimed as the camera panned to Cornette raising the arms of the Zenin Sisters, with Maki still holding the contract for the Women's Tag Team Championships. Cornette told the camera that he and the Zenin Sisters were going to change the BTWF one way or another, starting with bringing the BTWF Octane Women's Tag Team Championships to a real tag team, and not a bunch of dramatic stuntwomen.
"Cornette's running his mouth again, but I promise you he's going to come to regret that when he's standing face-to-face with Zero Gravity!" Striker exclaimed as the camera panned away from the celebrating sisters/manager trio and towards an advert. The ad started by showing off a BTWF ring, an invisible crowd chanting 'BTWF!' as ten different shadowy silhouettes of various sizes stood and posed in the ring.
"It has been the dream of many to become the biggest part of the biggest company Fanfiction Wrestling Multiverse, but it's not an easy road to get there. Many wrestlers who want to become a part of Octane or Intensity have to hone their craft in BTWF Evolve, and even when they make it to the big two, title opportunities aren't a guarantee in the early goings," a deep voice explained over the footage being shown. However, the silhouettes disappeared, instead the screen showed a BTWF main roster contract. "But…what if there was an easier way?"
"10 potential future superstars, 5 men, and 5 women from around the independent scene from all sorts of backgrounds show us whether they can make it in the biggest company in the game. What are the rules? Show your stuff! Not only will these wrestlers be competing in various matches to show their skills in the ring, but they will compete in a series of challenges for the competitors to showcase their charisma, promo ability, strength, cardio, and much more!" the voice-over exclaimed as the footage showed silhouettes running across empty roads, lifting weights, talking into a microphone, and wrestling each other. The camera then panned to the backstage area of this empty arena, where more silhouettes were taking note of what was going on in the ring.
"Their performance will also be evaluated by several main roster BTWF superstars! The winners of this tournament, one man and one woman, will not only sign to the brand of their choosing but also have a title match for the world championship of their brand that they can cash in for an entire calendar year from the moment they debut!" the voice-over exclaimed as the silhouette was now shown holding the BTWF World Heavyweight Championship, raising it over his head as the crowd chanted 'Yes!' and 'BTWF!' The footage then ended with the chants echoing as the words 'Coming Soon' appeared on the center of the screen.
See you in Part 3…
