BTWF StarShow (Night 2 Part 4)
The camera panned around the cheering crowd before panning away and focusing on the road, where a blue and black Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 came speeding down the roads of Las Vegas. The camera panned inside the car, revealing the driver to be Bickslow, who was wearing some blue sunglasses and a black leather jacket. Bickslow, rather than the usual smirk he normally wears on his face, wore a focused frown, driving while 'Cry of Achilles' by Alter Bridge played. As the song continued, Bickslow drove through the streets before the Allegiant Stadium came into view. Bickslow drove into the parking lot and parked right into a 'Reserved' parking space. Bickslow then came out of the car, closed the door, locked the car, and looked up at the stadium. Bickslow's frown turned into a smirk before taking a good look at the stadium where the biggest match of his career would take place.
"Let's do this," was all Bickslow said to himself before psyching himself up with a couple of smacks to the face before entering the arena. The camera panned back to the stage, where the song turned to 'Addicted to Pain' by Alter Bridge, the crowd cheering loudly as Bickslow ran out of the back, his leather jacket and sunglasses still on. Bickslow ran across both sides of the stage, beating his chest in anticipation while prompting the crowd to cheer louder. Bickslow then ran back to the center of the stage and started beating the steel stage before jumping up and flexing to the delight of the crowd.
"The following contest is a Three Stages of Hell match! The first stage will be a No Disqualifications Match, the second stage will be a First Blood match, and the final stage, if necessary, will be a Last Ride match! Introducing first, from Magnolia Fiore, Bickslow!" Maya Ibuki announced as Bickslow walked to the center of the entranceway, smacking the steel entranceway while pyro went off behind him. The pyro continued going off as Bickslow beat his chest with his right fist before raising that fist in the air. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow high-fived some of those fans on the outside while he continued his trek to the ring.
"Bickslow and Zancrow have been at each other's throats since Bash at the Beach last year, and since then, these two, mainly Zancrow, have tried to destroy the other in the most insane ways!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow, once he made it to the ringside area, jumped onto the ring apron and shook the ropes before jumping over the top rope. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow jumped onto the top rope, and raised his fists in the air before flexing, much to the delight of the audience. Bickslow then jumped back down to the ring, where he went to the center of the ring, and flexed once again, telling the cheering crowd that he was ready for whatever Zancrow had up his sleeve.
"Bickslow has tried to move past that incident at Hardcore Heaven that prompted this feud, but Zancrow refuses to let it go as he wants nothing more than to permanently injure the man who almost ended his career!" Kotoko continued as Bickslow turned his attention to the stage, and told Zancrow to get the hell out here. After a moment, the lights in the arena went down, the crowd cheering as multiple druids came out with flaming torches in their hands. The druids lined up from the ringside area to the stage, surrounding the entire path to the ring while raising their torches in the air. The lights in the arena then turned purple as 'Shatter' by Code Orange began playing, the crowd cheering louder as purple lasers appeared on the stage, turning into a portal on the ground.
"This is quite the entrance for Zancrow, who has put more mind games into his arsenal since returning at Bash at the Beach!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow began rising from the portal on the ground, looking down at the ground, his face covered by his black hat. After being raised onto the stage, Zancrow began walking down the entranceway, his face only lit up thanks to the flames of the druids. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow continued making his way to the ring while not taking his eyes off the ground.
"And his opponent, now residing on Tenrou Island, Zancrow!" Maya Ibuki announced as Zancrow stopped at the center of the ringside area. Zancrow took off his hat, raising his head at the same time he raised his hat, his eyes rolled back into the center of his head as black flames shot out of the corners of the ring posts, causing Bickslow to slightly jump from shock. However, that shock turned to anger as Bickslow yelled at Zancrow to quit fucking around and come into the ring. However, Zancrow responded by raising his arms up again, causing the flames of the druids to turn black, and once he shot his arms back down, the druids lifted their torches above their heads, allowing the flames to shoot out higher.
"These mind games already getting into Bickslow's head, which is exactly what Zancrow wanted!" Bob exclaimed as Bickslow, having lost his patience for his former tag team partner, ran the ropes and vaulted over the top rope, hitting Zancrow with a Vaulting Crossbody. The crowd continued cheering as the referee told the timekeeper to ring the bell, starting the match while Bickslow mounted Zancrow, and hit him with multiple forearms to the side of the head. Bickslow then grabbed Zancrow by the hair, and threw him into the side of the steel steps face first with enough force to send the top part of the steps falling off. Bickslow then picked Zancrow back up and hit him with a Gourdbuster onto the steel steps, the crowd continuing to cheer as Bickslow jumped onto the top of the steel steps, and flexed for the fans.
"Bickslow coming out of this match guns blazing, and Zancrow may regret all those mind games at the start!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow jumped off the steel steps, hitting Zancrow in the face with a Diving Fist Drop. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow grabbed Zancrow by the hair, picked him up, and hit him with several punches to the side of the head before throwing his head into the top of the fan barricade. Bickslow continued clubbing Zancrow on the back before Zancrow finally mounted some momentum, pushing Bickslow back first into the steel ring apron. The crowd chanted for both men as Zancrow hit multiple punches and jabs to the chest and the face before attempting to Irish whip Bickslow into the steel ring post. However, Bickslow was able to reverse this, sending Zancrow crashing into the steel ring post head first instead.
"These two aren't even interested in having a wrestling match! They just want to kick each other's asses! And who can blame them!?" Bob exclaimed as Bickslow looked at Zancrow with his tongue wagging in anticipation. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow attempted to Spear Zancrow through the corner of the fan barricade, but Zancrow was able to dodge out of the way, sending Bickslow himself crashing through the corner of the fan barricade. The crowd chanted 'Holy Shit!' as Zancrow grabbed a piece of the broken fan barricade, and hit Bickslow in the back with it multiple times, causing Bickslow to scream out in pain.
"Zancrow using the fan barricade itself as a weapon! Bickslow's back has to be killing him thanks to those shots with the fan barricade!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow picked Bickslow back up by his hair, and hit him with several punches to the side of the head, sending Bickslow staggering away and in front of the Spanish commentary team. Zancrow then grabbed Bickslow and threw him face-first into the Spanish commentary table, the crowd continuing to cheer as Zancrow continued slamming Bickslow's face into the table. Zancrow then pushed Bickslow down onto the floor before throwing the cover of the commentary table off of the table and throwing it in front of Bickslow's face.
"Zancrow is using whatever he can get his hands on to torture Bickslow!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow put Bickslow's head on top of the table before climbing back up to the top of the fan barricade. However, while Zancrow was balancing on top of the fan barricade, Bickslow grabbed one of the fallen monitors from the Spanish commentary table, and threw it right into Zancrow's face, sending him falling into the audience. The crowd cheered as Bickslow began cricking his neck before going towards the fan barricade, jumping up to the top of the fan barricade, and deadlifting a dazed Zancrow over his shoulders.
"That is some crazy strength by Bickslow, but what the hell does he have planned here!?" Bob asked as Bickslow licked his lips in anticipation before hitting Zancrow with a Rolling Fireman's Carry through the Spanish commentary table. The crowd chanted 'Holy Shit!' once again as Bickslow picked Zancrow back up, grabbed one of the wires from the monitors, and began choking Zancrow with it. Bickslow then hit Zancrow with a Big Boot to the side of the head while he was seated in front of the broken remnants of the commentary table. Bickslow then grabbed Zancrow by the hair and threw him into the ring before going underneath the ring to get some weapons.
"Putting him through the announce table isn't enough for Bickslow, as he wants some more toys to play with!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow grabbed a couple of steel chairs, a couple of wooden boards, a table, and several kendo sticks. Bickslow began sliding the weapons into the ring, but when he attempted to climb into the ring, Zancrow got back to his feet and responded by hitting Bickslow with several punches to the side of the head before draping his head over the middle rope. Zancrow then climbed back up to the top rope, and hit a Diving Leg Drop across the back of Biclslow's head, sending him falling back into the ring before going for the first pinfall of the match.
Ref: 1…2..
"Zancrow almost sliced Bickslow's head off with that Diving Leg Drop!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow grabbed one of the steel chairs that Bickslow had brought into the ring, and hit him in the back with the chair multiple times. The crowd continued chanting for both men as Zancrow wedged the chair in the corner, picked Bickslow back up, and attempted to throw him into the corner, but Bickslow was able to stop himself from hitting the corner. Zancrow attempted to hit Bickslow with a running corner move, but Bickslow rolled out of the way. However, Zancrow was able to jump onto the top rope, the crowd exploding into cheers at the sight of Zancrow's athleticism, and hit Bickslow with a Whisper in the Wind.
"Holy shit! Zancrow with a Whisper in the Wind! How did he pull that off!?" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow picked Bickslow up, threw him into the corner, and ran after him, hitting Bickslow with a Running Corner Knee Strike to the face before grabbing his arm, pulling him out of the corner, and wringing his arm. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow began climbing up the ropes and walking on the top rope, but before he could hit Old School, Bickslow pushed Zancrow off the top rope, sending him falling onto the fan barricade below face first. Bickslow cricked his neck before going onto the apron, and when Zancrow pulled himself back to his feet, Bickslow ran off the apron and hit him with a Diving Shoulder Tackle.
"Back to the outside we go, and Bickslow takes Zancrow right down!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow picked Zancrow up in a Fireman's Carry, and dropped him face-first onto the top of the fan barricade again. Bickslow then lifted Zancrow over his shoulders with a Military Press, and threw him over the top rope and back into the ring. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow climbed back up to the top rope, waiting for Zancrow to get back to his feet, and when he did, Bickslow hit Zancrow with a Diving Clothesline, turning him inside out. Bickslow then grabbed the other steel chair and the kendo sticks before picking Zancrow back up, and hitting Zancrow's gut with the kendo sticks a couple of times before lining the kendo sticks in front of Zancrow's knees and chest.
"Bickslow trapping Zancrow in the corner with those kendo sticks! What does the big man have planned!?" Kotoko asked as Bickslow slapped Zancrow a couple of times, yelling at him that he should've just let it go. Bickslow then grabbed the belt that the referee was wearing and began whipping Zancrow's chest and midsection in the corner multiple times, with a couple of those whips even hitting Zancrow in the side of the face. Bickslow then pushed the belt back into the referee's hands before running the ropes and hitting multiple Running Corner Clotheslines to Zancrow's throat. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow ran into the corner again, hitting Zancrow with a Running Corner Big Boot, sending Zancrow falling to the front of the bottom turnbuckle in a seated position.
"Bickslow taking full advantage of Zancrow in the corner, and he looks like he's down for the count!" Kotoko exclaimed as Bickslow ran the ropes again, attempting to hit him with another Running Corner Big Boot, but Zancrow grabbed one of the kendo sticks used to trap him, and threw it right into Bickslow's face, stopping him in his tracks. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow pulled himself back up to his feet, and hit Bickslow with a Big Boot to the side of the face. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow attempted to hit Bickslow with a Jumping DDT, but Bickslow responded by catching Zancrow in mid-air and hitting him with an Exploder Suplex.
"Bickslow and Zancrow haven't given each other an inch in this match! They both want to make a major statement in this match!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow picked Zancrow up, attempting to hit him with an early Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb), but Zancrow responded with multiple elbow strikes to the top of the head, allowing him to throw Bickslow into the ropes with a Hurricanrana. Zancrow then went over to the pile of weapons, grabbed one of the wooden panels that Bickslow had brought into the ring, and leaned it against another corner. Zancrow then picked Bickslow up and attempted to ram him through the door with a Lawn Dart, but Bickslow was able to slide out of Zancrow's grasp and attempted to push him into the wood. However, Zancrow stopped himself, and when Bickslow attempted to Spear Zancrow through the wood, Zancrow leapfrogged over Bickslow. However, Bickslow stopped himself from going through the door, which Zancrow responded to by grabbing his throat.
"Zancrow and Bickslow trying to put the other through the wood, but Zancrow may have this in the bag!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow attempted to hit the Flame God's Penalty (Damian Priest's South of Heaven) through the wood. However, Bickslow grabbed Zancrow's hand, pulled it away from his throat, and began headbutting Zancrow in the chest several times. Zancrow fell to his knees, but when Bickslow attempted to hit him with the Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb) again, Zancrow used one of the kendo sticks to free himself. However, once Bickslow put Zancrow down, Zancrow continued wailing on his opponent with the kendo stick, one of his strikes even hitting him in the face.
"Zancrow with the kendo stick, but Bickslow's trying to stay on his feet!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow hit Bickslow in the neck with the kendo stick with enough force to break it. Zancrow then picked Bickslow up, putting him in position for a Crucifix Bomb, but Bickslow was able to wiggle free from Zancrow's grasp. Bickslow then grabs Zancrow's arm and attempts to hit him with a Short-Arm Clothesline, but Zancrow ducked, and hit Bickslow with a Big Boot, sending him staggering into another corner. Zancrow then attempted to run into the corner with a Running Corner Spear, but Bickslow moved out of the way, the crowd cheering louder as Zancrow rammed his head into the steel chair he had placed into the corner earlier with enough force to send himself and the chair flying out of the ring and onto the floor.
"Oh, God! I almost forgot about the steel chair Zancrow placed in the corner! It came back to bite him in the ass, however, and Bickslow sends his tormentor out of the ring!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow, while staggering a little, began climbing up to the top rope. Bickslow then dived off the top rope, hitting Zancrow with a Diving Crossbody that sent both him and Zancrow crashing into the broken pieces of fan barricade that they had broken earlier in the match.
"Seeing Bickslow and Zancrow pull all the stops in this match before we're even done with the first Stage of Hell is truly something to behold!" Kotoko exclaimed as Bickslow pulled himself back up to his feet, grabbed the bent steel chair, and nailed Zancrow right in the face with it when he tried to get back up. Zancrow staggered away as Bickslow continued hitting him in the back with the chair until the chair broke. Bickslow wasn't done, as he used one of the legs of the chair as a weapon, hitting Zancrow in the side of the ear with the chair leg. Zancrow staggered with his knees buckling, but Bickslow didn't let up, running at Zancrow and hitting him with a Big Boot to the side of the face, sending him falling down to the mat.
"And a Big Boot grounds Zancrow, who's holding the side of his head in pain!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow grabbed the steel steps, pulling the top portion of the steps off of the bottom portion. Zancrow began staggering back to his feet, but when Bickslow attempted to hit Zancrow in the face with those steps, Zancrow used another steel chair to hit the steel steps with enough force to push them down onto Bickslow, flooring him. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow continued hitting Bickslow in the chest and midsection with the steel chair, the steel steps continuing to hold Bickslow firmly in place on the floor. Zancrow then turned to the commentary team, giving them the cut-throat taunt before turning his attention back to Bickslow.
"The eyes of Zancrow tell the whole story, and that story is that Bickslow hasn't received close to enough punishment for Zancrow's liking," Striker noted as Zancrow kicked the steel steps off of Bickslow's head. Zancrow then picked Bickslow up, and put him in position for a Crucifix Powerbomb, this time, able to throw Bickslow into the side of the steel steps with the Crucifix Powerbomb, the back of his head bouncing off the steel steps. The crowd chanted 'Holy Shit!' once again as Zancrow ran into the steel steps, hitting Bickslow with a Running Cannonball Senton, sending the back of Bickslow's head bouncing off the steel.
"Pretty sure this is the 3rd time that the crowd's chanted 'Holy Shit!', and you can't blame them either! Bickslow and Zancrow have been absolutely destroying each other since the bell rang!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow grabbed Bickslow by the throat, picked him back up with only one arm, and hit him with a Chokeslam on top of the bottom portion of the steel steps. While Bickslow screamed out in pain, Zancrow grabbed Bickslow and pushed him back into the ring before climbing back up to the top rope. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow balanced himself on the top turnbuckle, hitting Bickslow with a Diving Leg Drop across the throat before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Zancrow with another Diving Leg Drop onto Bickslow, but the blue-haired beast was still able to kick out!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow looked furious that Bickslow had kicked out, immediately grabbing Bickslow's arm, and locking him in the Hell's Gate, the crowd exploded into cheers as Bickslow immediately tried to push Zancrow off of him, but the grip on the Hell's Gate only tightened. Bickslow, not wanting to be rendered unconscious by the hold, Bickslow pulled himself back up to his feet, the crowd cheering as he lifted Zancrow up with him as well. Zancrow maintained the pressure on the Hell's Gate, but this didn't stop Bickslow from throwing Zancrow into the corner with a One-Armed Buckle Bomb.
"Bickslow almost sent Zancrow through the corner with that Buckle Bomb, but Zancrow has crumpled to the mat!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow picked Zancrow back up onto his feet, and hit him with a Running Powerslam into the corner before slamming him onto the mat. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow grabbed one of the chairs he had brought in earlier, climbed up to the top rope, and hit Zancrow with a Diving Elbow Drop with the chair assist, sending not only Bickslow's elbow, but the chair, crashing into Zancrow's chest. Bickslow, rather than go for the pin, picked the chair back up, and started smashing it into Zancrow's chest multiple times.
"Bickslow giving Zancrow a taste of his own medicine, caving his chest in with the chair!" Bob exclaimed as Bickslow sat the chair down in an upright position before picking Zancrow up, slamming his face into the seat of the chair a couple of times, ran the ropes, and hit a Jumping Stomp to the back of Zancrow's head, bending the seat of the chair. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow trapped both of Zancrow's arms in the Bickslow Bite (Batista's Beast Bite), using one of the legs of the broken chair as a ligature, putting it in Zancrow's mouth, and pulling back.
"Zancrow's trapped in the middle of the ring, trapped in the Bickslow Bite, and with steel pressing against his mouth!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow began rolling to the ropes, which didn't ease the pressure Bickslow was putting in the Bickslow Bite (Batista's Beast Bite). Zancrow decided to roll out of the ring, sending both him and Bickslow crashing onto the floor, allowing Zancrow to free himself from Bickslow's grasp. Bickslow punched the padded concrete in frustration before grabbing Zancrow by the legs and catapulting him into the corner of the fan barricade face and chest first. Bickslow then pulled himself back up to his feet, the crowd exploding into cheers as Bickslow sent Zancrow through the fan barricade with a Spear.
"Holy shit! Bickslow, after failing to send him through the corner of the fan barricade earlier, was able to send Zancrow crashing through the steel!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow grabbed Zancrow by the hair, and dragged him to the English commentary table. Bickslow, not even moving the monitors and the table cover from the commentary table, put Zancrow in position for the Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb). Zancrow, however, fell to his knees and out of position, prompting Bickslow to pull him back up, but this gave Zancrow a chance to hit Bickslow with a low blow.
"Zancrow willing to do whatever it takes to inflict pain onto Bickslow, even if it means going below the belt!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow turned Bickslow around, put him in position for a Powerbomb, and sent him crashing through the table with the Last Ride Powerbomb. The crowd cheered loudly as Zancrow did the cut-throat taunt before picking Bickslow back up, throwing him into the ring, and pinning him.
Ref: 1…2…
Zancrow looked furious that Bickslow had kicked out, and responded by picking Bickslow up and throwing him through the wooden board that was put into the corner earlier with a Corner Crucifix Bomb.
"Zancrow sending Bickslow through the wooden door! That has to be it for the first fall!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow dragged Bickslow out of the corner, picked him up, and hit him with the Leaping Tombstone Piledriver in the middle of the ring before going for the pinfall, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Ladies and gentlemen, Zancrow has won the first fall! Now the second fall, the First Blood match, will start!" Maya Ibuki announced as Zancrow immediately went to the corner, grabbed one of the broken pieces of wood, and attempted to jam it into Bickslow's head, but the crowd cheered as Bickslow was able to kick Zancrow's hand away despite being unable to get up off the ground. Zancrow responded by hitting multiple Elbow Drops to the chest and multiple Leg Drops across the throat.
"Zancrow has pinned Bickslow in the middle of the ring! Now it's time to make him bleed!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow grabbed Bickslow by the throat, and attempted to hit him with a Chokeslam, but the crowd cheered as Bickslow hit Zancrow with several Back Elbows to the side of the head before hitting him with a Reverse STO. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow hit multiple stomps to the back of Bickslow's head before telling the referee to check if he was bleeding. The referee confirmed that there was no blood, and Zancrow responded by rolling out of the ring, and going under the ring to look for some weapons. Zancrow then grabbed a table from underneath the ring and set it up in front of the broken commentary tables, giving the commentators and the fans a slit-throat taunt.
"Zancrow and Bickslow have caused so much destruction around us, but Zancrow plans on causing even more!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow climbed up to the ring apron, but the crowd exploded into cheers as Bickslow ran at him, and hit him with a Suicide Spear through the ropes, sending both men crashing through the table. Once again, the crowd chanted 'Holy Shit!' as both Zancrow and Bickslow writhed in pain on the ground in the wooden rubble of the broken table. After a moment, Zancrow and Bickslow picked each other up and began exchanging punches with each other, the crowd cheering for both men. The brawl only intensified as Bickslow and Zancrow didn't stop punching each other, with Zancrow attempting to hit Bickslow with another Reverse STO. However, Bickslow responded by pushing Zancrow away and hitting him with a third Spear that sent him crashing into the rubble of what was the English commentary table.
"Bickslow sending Zancrow crashing into the rubble in front of us! But neither man is bleeding!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow grabbed Zancrow, and threw him back into the ring before grabbing the plastic table liner from the broken table. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow wrapped the table liner around his throat, and began choking him, throwing him over the top rope, essentially hanging Zancrow while continuing to choke him. Zancrow, while losing consciousness, turned around and hit Bickslow with several headbutts before taking the table liner off his throat, going back into the ring, and hitting him with a Running Jumping DDT. Zancrow then tied Bickslow's hands behind his back with the table liner before trapping him in the ropes.
"Zancrow now has Bickslow trapped! What does he have planned now!?" Bob asked as Zancrow went out of the ring, and grabbed another kendo stick from underneath the ring. Zancrow then rolled back into the ring, pointed the kendo stick at Bickslow, and told him that he shouldn't have agreed to this match. Bickslow responded by spitting in Zancrow's face, the crowd going 'Oooooh!' as Zancrow began hitting Bickslow in the chest and the face with the kendo stick until it broke. Bickslow, nearly losing consciousness and with welts forming on his chest and the side of his face, tried to pull himself free from the table liner. However, Zancrow responded by hitting Bickslow with multiple right-and-left-handed jabs to the sides of Bickslow's face before hitting him with multiple knees to the gut.
"Zancrow torturing Bickslow with not only strikes but weapon shots!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow ran the ropes, attempting to hit Bickslow with a Big Boot, but the crowd cheered as Bickslow raised his own boot, causing Zancrow's face to crash into the boot. The crowd cheered louder as Bickslow was finally able to free himself from the table liner, pulling his hands out of the makeshift handcuffs. Bickslow then ran at Zancrow, hitting him with two Clotheslines, an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex, a Running Big Boot to a seated Zancrow, and a Jumping Splash to the chest.
"Bickslow coming back into this match, but he has to remember that he can't pin Zancrow. He has to make him bleed," Kotoko explained as Zancrow staggered back to his feet, heading into the corner, which Bickslow responded to by hitting him with a Running Corner Back Elbow. When Zancrow staggered out of the corner, Bickslow hit him with an Air Raid Crash before rolling him back up to his feet and hitting him with a Running Death Valley Driver into the corner. Bickslow continued keeping Zancrow on his shoulders, hitting him with a Fireman's Carry Slam.
"Bickslow displaying his amazing power, almost sending Zancrow through the canvas with that Fireman's Carry Slam!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow mounted Zancrow, and began hitting him with multiple punches and forearms to the head, trying to bust him open. However, Zancrow responded by gouging at Bickslow's eyes, causing him to get off Zancrow to tend to his eyes. Zancrow responded to this by pulling himself back up to his feet and sending Bickslow crashing into the corner with a Big Boot. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow ran the ropes, and hit a Running Corner Clothesline onto Bickslow, and when he staggered out of the corner, Zancrow picked him up and sent his head bouncing off the top turnbuckle with Snake Eyes.
"Zancrow coming back into this match as well, showing Bickslow that anything you can do, I can do better!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow ran the ropes, and hit a dazed Bickslow with a Leaping Clothesline. However, Zancrow's energy was seemingly depleted as he fell next to Bickslow, the crowd giving both men respectful applause as both men began pulling themselves back up to their feet. Bickslow and Zancrow, while pulling themselves back up to their feet, glared at each other, the crowd's cheers growing as the two once again began exchanging forearms. Bickslow seemed to get the upper hand, hitting Zancrow with multiple forearms to both sides of his head before dazing him with a Discus Back Elbow. Bickslow then ran the ropes, attempting to hit Bickslow with a Clothesline, but Zancrow countered with a Roundhouse Kick to the side of the head.
"I've never seen Zancrow using kicks like that before, but when it comes to StarShow, now is the best time to pull out all the stops!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow ran the ropes, attempting to hit Bickslow with a Big Boot, but Bickslow was able to counter with the Black Hole Slam. Bickslow then rolled out of the ring, went underneath the ring, and grabbed a toolbox. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow pulled out a screwdriver from the toolbox, but when Bickslow attempted to walk back into the ring, Zancrow knocked him back onto the floor with a Big Boot to the face. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow ran the ropes, and hit a stunned Bickslow with a Springboard Tope Con Hilo.
"Zancrow stopping whatever Bickslow has planned with that screwdriver! We talk about Zancrow and Bickslow's destructive power a lot, but we should also talk about the surprising amount of risk-taking we've seen from both these big guys!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow picked Zancrow up, and attempted to put him in position for the Chokeslam onto the ring apron, but Bickslow was able to keep his feet on the ground and smash the side of Zancrow's head into the steel ring apron several times. The referee checked Zancrow's head, confirming that there was no blood, and Bickslow responded by hitting Zancrow with a Big Boot to the side of the head before picking him back up in a Military Press. Bickslow then dropped Zancrow face and chest first onto the steel steps, though the referee once again confirmed that there was no blood.
"Zancrow's getting thrown around like a rag doll, but he's still not bleeding yet!" Bob exclaimed as Bickslow put Zancrow's head into the hole between the steel steps and the steel ring post. The crowd cheered as Bickslow backed away, and attempted to hit the steel steps with the Big Boot, but Zancrow was able to free his head, causing Bickslow to hit the steel hard with his foot. While Bickslow was trying to get the blood flowing back into his foot, Zancrow balanced himself onto the top of the steel steps, and hit Bickslow with a Diving Bulldog, sending his face crashing onto the padded concrete floor.
"Shockingly, neither man is bleeding yet, but that does go to show just how tough both men are!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow began pulling the padding off of the concrete floor, revealing said concrete. Zancrow then gave the crowd the cut-throat taunt before picking Bickslow up and attempting to hit him with another Leaping Tombstone Piledriver. However, Bickslow responded with several elbow strikes right to the nose, allowing Bickslow to escape Zancrow's grasp, and hit him with a DDT right onto the concrete floor. Bickslow, noticing that Zancrow wasn't bleeding yet, decided to go back to the toolbox, and pick up the screwdriver he had pulled out earlier.
"Zancrow's near unconscious thanks to that DDT on the concrete, but he's still not bleeding! But he might be if Bickslow uses that screwdriver!" Kotoko exclaimed as Bickslow mounted on Zancrow, and began hitting Zancrow in the side of the head with the screwdriver. Bickslow didn't stop until blood began spilling out of a wound on top of Zancrow's right ear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Bickslow won the First Blood stage of the Three Stages of Hell match! The winner of the final stage, the Last Ride match, will win the Three Stages of Hell Match!" Maya Ibuki announced as the hearse came backing down to the stage, the crowd cheering as Bickslow grabbed the toolbox, and hit Zancrow on the side of the head with it. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow picked Zancrow up over his shoulders, and began walking over to the stage where the hearse was. However, when Bickslow made it to the stage, Zancrow began to hit Bickslow with multiple elbow strikes to the top of the head, allowing him to slide out of Bickslow's grasp and push him into the hearse.
"We're now tied! The first man to put their opponent in the hearse wins this Three Stages of Hell match!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow stopped himself from hitting the side door of the hearse. Zancrow attempted to hit him with a Big Boot through the back window, but Bickslow dodged, sending Zancrow's foot through the glass. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow grabbed Zancrow by the head, and hit him with multiple punches to the face while his foot was still in the window. Bickslow then pulled Zancrow's leg out of the window, picked him up, and attempted to hit him with a Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb) through the car door, but Zancrow stabbed a piece of the glass he had picked up from the broken window and jammed it into Bickslow's head.
"Oh, God! Zancrow piercing Bickslow's head with that glass!" Kotoko exclaimed while wincing as Bickslow let go of Zancrow while holding the side of his bleeding head. Zancrow responded by grabbing Bickslow by the hair and throwing him into the giant BTWF logo on the side of the stage. However, Zancrow wasn't done yet as he went behind the logo, and began pushing it, the crowd looking on in shock as the logo began to loosen. Zancrow was finally able to push it down, sending it crashing onto Bickslow, the crowd chanting 'Holy Shit!' once again as Zancrow walked on top of the overturned logo, giving the amazed crowd a slit-throat taunt.
"I think the referee might have to check on Bickslow because having that heavy logo being pushed onto him cannot be good!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow walked over to the overturned logo, pulled an unconscious Bickslow out from under the logo, and picked him up in a Tombstone position. The crowd continued cheering as Zancrow walked over to the hearse, but Bickslow responded by hitting several knee strikes to the nose. Bickslow was able to escape Zancrow's grasp before pushing him into the car, sending his side and his hip crashing against the car door. Bickslow took a breath before hitting Zancrow with a hard punch to the side of the head before picking him back up and hitting him with a Jackhammer onto the steel stage.
"And Bickslow almost sends Zancrow's back crashing through the steel stage with that Jackhammer! I don't even know how he was able to do that after having the BTWF logo pushed on top of him!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow and Bickslow, after another moment, pulled themselves back to their feet. Bickslow hit Zancrow with a Big Boot to the side of the head before attempting to put him in place for the Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb). However, Zancrow pushed Bickslow away and attempted to hit him with a Roundhouse Kick to the side of the head. Bickslow dodged and attempted to hit Zancrow with the Spinebuster, but he bit Bickslow's nose, allowing Zancrow to escape.
"Zancrow and Bickslow's pure hatred of each other has given them adrenaline on a level I haven't seen before because, after everything they've done to each other, they should not be fighting at this level!" Kotoko exclaimed as Zancrow grabbed Bickslow by the throat, attempting to hit him with a Chokeslam. However, Bickslow hit Zancrow with multiple forearms to the side of the head, but Zancrow maintained his grip around Bickslow's throat, hitting him with a Chokeslam onto the hood of the hearse. Zancrow then grabbed Bickslow by the hair and dragged him to the back of the hearse, the crowd cheering as he threw Bickslow into the back.
"All Zancrow has to do is close the back of the hearse, and he wins!" Bob exclaimed as Zancrow attempted to close the door, but Bickslow used his hands to block the door from closing. After a minute, Bickslow was able to throw open the doors, pushing Zancrow back before diving out of the back of the hearse with a Diving Clothesline. Bickslow then grabbed a crowbar from the back of the hearse and began hitting Zancrow in the arm multiple times before picking him back up and hitting him with a Spinebuster onto the steel floor. Zancrow let out a grunt of pain before Bickslow picked Zancrow back up and leaned him against the back door of the hearse. Bickslow backed away slightly before attempting to run at him with another Spear, but Zancrow responded by ducking out of the way, sending Bickslow crashing back into the hearse.
"Zancrow dodging Bickslow's oncoming Spear, but the damage done to the arms may have prevented Zancrow from winning this thing!" Striker exclaimed as Zancrow grabbed his arms, and hissed in pain before turning around and attempting to close the door once again. However, Bickslow responded by kicking one of the doors open, attempting to jump out of the back, hitting him with multiple punches to the side of the head before knocking him back into the hearse with a Big Boot. However, when Zancrow jumped onto the back of the hearse, the crowd exploded into cheers as Bickslow jumped out of the hearse, knocking him out of the back with a Spear, sending both men crashing onto the steel floor.
"Oh, dear God! Bickslow almost sent Zancrow through the steel stage with that Spear!" Kotoko exclaimed in shock as Bickslow tried to pull himself back up to his feet, though he had to grit his teeth to avoid screaming out in pain. When he finally got back up to his feet, Bickslow attempted to pick Zancrow back up and push him into the hearse, but the crowd exploded into cheers as when Zancrow was placed on the back of the hearse, Zancrow trapped Bickslow in the Hell's Gate.
"Bickslow's trapped in the Hell's Gate! Not only can Zancrow knock Bickslow out here, but it's keeping him from being completely put into the hearse!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow attempted to forearm his way out of the Hell's Gate, hitting Zancrow with multiple forearms to the nose, but Zancrow maintained his grip on the Hell's Gate. Bickslow, rather than continue with the forearms, picked Zancrow up off the back of the hearse, the crowd continuing to cheer as Bickslow turned himself around with Zancrow still in his grasp. The crowd cheered louder as Bickslow ran towards the mini-LED TitanTrons, and sent Zancrow crashing through one of the star-shaped mini-LED TitanTrons with a Running Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb), causing pyro to shoot out of the broken LED screens with Zancrow being buried in the rubble.
"Holy shit! Zancrow was sent through the LED mini-TitanTrons with a Bickslow Bomb! Zancrow has to be out for the count at this point! What the hell else could these behemoths do to each other!?" Kotoko asked in horror as Bickslow looked up at the cheering crowd with a smirk on his face before picking an unconscious Zancrow by his hair, but rather than put him in the hearse, Bickslow threw Zancrow on top of the hearse. Bickslow followed him up the hearse, and roared, much to the delight of the crowd before picking up the bloodied and unconscious Zancrow. Bickslow gave the crowd chanting his name a cut-throat taunt of his own before picking Zancrow back up, and hitting him with another Bickslow Bomb (Batista Bomb) that sent him crashing through the top of the roof and into the hearse.
Bell Rings*
"Ladies and gentlemen, Bickslow has put Zancrow into the hearse, winning the Last Ride fall! Therefore, here is your winner of the Three Stages of Hell match, Bickslow!" Maya Ibuki announced as Bickslow shot both of his fists and let out a victory roar while the crowd cheered as loud as he roared, with chants of his name ringing out through the stadium. Bickslow then jumped off the hearse, and ran over to one side of the stage, raising his fists in the air, much to the delight of the fans on that side of the stadium. Bickslow then ran to the other side of the stage, and did the same thing, causing the volume of those cheers to grow.
"Bickslow has finally done it! He's finally put all his beef with Zancrow to bed! Now, he can focus on what he's come back for; the BTWF World Heavyweight Championship!" Striker exclaimed as Bickslow ran back to the center of the stage, sitting on the front of the hearse with a smirk on his face. Bickslow then looked at the camera and told the fans at home that he was going to be keeping a close eye on the Hell in a Cell main event tonight. While stretching his back, Bickslow continued talking, saying that whether Bakugo or Midoriya walked out of the Cell with the BTWF World Heavyweight Championship, he was going to be their next challenger.
"Bickslow not wasting any time, laying down the challenge to Bakugo and Midoriya, saying that they're going to have to deal with him after they finish dealing with each other!" Kotoko exclaimed as Bickslow jumped off the hearse's hood, and stepped into the driver's side door of the hearse. The crowd continued cheering as Bickslow honked the horn a couple of times before looking back and next to him, driving the hearse off the stage, onto the concrete floor, and to the back. Bickslow gave the crowd one last thumbs up as he drove the hearse into the back and began making his way to the garage.
"I don't know where Bickslow plans on taking Zancrow, but what a way to end this month's long blood feud!" Bob exclaimed as the camera followed Bickslow as he drove out of the garage and down the road with the hearse. Bickslow continued driving before turning to the right, a sign showing that he was heading to the hospital, a way to show Zancrow that despite what happened to him, he was still human and that he wasn't this invincible and undead monster. As Bickslow headed towards the hospital, the camera panned away and made it back to the backstage area of the stadium.
The camera focused on the backstage interview area, where Miwa Kasumi was standing next to Megumin and Darkness, who were surrounded by referees, a precaution by Kokonoe to make sure that they didn't go and attack Maka Albarn and Winry Rockbell again as they did during the Fatal-4-Way Tag Team Ladder Match earlier.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here with Megumin and Darkness, who many say cost Maka and Winry their opportunity to become the #1 contenders for the BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships of their brand. Why did you take it upon yourselves to attack Maka and Winry?" Miwa asked. Megumin and Darkness looked up at each other and rolled their eyes at each other before Megumin glared back at Miwa and responded.
"That's a stupid question, Miwa. We've been wanting to get Maka and Winry back in the ring with us to show them that them squashing us was nothing but a fluke. But they thought that had more important things to do than wrestle us!" Megumin exclaimed, breathing in and out heavily before Darkness patted her shoulders, calming her down as Megumin took a couple of deep breaths. After calming down, Megumin looked back up at Miwa with a smirk on her face, Darkness giving her a supportive pat on the shoulder.
"But…they don't have anything else to do, do they?" Megumin asked cockily, with Darkness nodding in response before pulling the microphone towards her so that she could talk as well.
"That's why we're laying down the challenge; Darkness and Megumin vs. Maka Albarn and Winry Rockbell on the Intensity after StarShow! We're going to prove not only to the BTWF, but the fans and Maka & Winry themselves that we're not just stepping stones, we're a threat to those BTWF Women's Tag Team Championships!" Darkness exclaimed, Megumin looking up at her taller tag team partner, nodding in agreement before turning back to face Miwa.
"And when we beat them, we're going to be keeping an eye on who wins those Intensity Women's Tag Team Championships. So, whoever Sunny decides to give that title match to, you better have eyes on the back of your head because you're going to have the new and improved Megumin & Darkness on your ass!" Megumin exclaimed before pushing the microphone back into Miwa's chest before she and Darkness stomped away. Miwa sighed before attempting to walk out of frame, but she was stopped by BTWF backstage interviewer Lamy, causing Miwa to sigh again, this time out of annoyance.
"Wait, wait, wait! Before you head back to the ring, I have a special announcement myself!" Lamy exclaimed excitedly, not noticing how hard Miwa was cringing at merely hearing Lamy's voice.
"Oh, I don't think we have enough time to-" Miwa attempted to say, but she was once again cut off by Lamy, who grabbed Miwa's hand and pulled the microphone closer to her mouth.
"Well, I'll make time! Anyway, speaking of the Intensity after StarShow, I've finally got the tag team that I've been talking about signed with the BTWF, and they're going to debut this Saturday!" Lamy cheered, jumping up with her fist in the air and a huge smile on her face. However, the annoyed look on Miwa's face caused Lamy to look up at her with a glare before rolling her eye with a 'tsk'.
"Whatever, Miwa, you're all just jealous that I'm more than some nobody backstage interviewer now. Anyway, I have to put the finishing touches on my team's debut. Toodles," Lamy responded, waving goodbye at her former broadcast colleague, prompting Miwa to shake her head and mumble something about Lamy being an 'annoying little midget'.
The camera panned back to the stage, where Bray Wyatt's 'Good Friendship Song' played throughout the arena, the crowd giving a mixed reaction of cheers and boos as a giant Jack in the Box appeared on the center of the stage. It was red and purple with a black background and golden outlines, with the crank to the Jack in the Box being golden, though it had a red blob in the middle of it that seemed to represent blood. The crowd continued giving a mixed reaction as the Jack in the Box began moving towards the ring while the crank began turning.
"Well, this is…interesting. I have a feeling I know who's inside that box, but…it's still bizarre," Bob noted as once the Jack in the Box made it to the ringside area, the crank stopped. The lights in the arena then went down, turned red, and the song turned to 'Blood' by In this Moment, the crowd continuing to give a mixed reaction as the Jack in a Box opened, revealing Minatsuki Takami slowly rising up from the inside of the Jack in the Box. Minatsuki was wearing red and black face and body paint, conveying the image of a demon while also having gold outlines around her eyes and mouth. Minatsuki's mouth also had painted sharp teeth on it, and she was also wearing dark red and black tights with gold trimming. Minatsuki opened her eyes, revealing golden contacts in her eyes, looking at the crowd with her eyes widened. Minatsuki also wore black and red tassles around her wrists and ankles, looking all around at the fans giving her a mixed reaction before walking to the edge of the open Jack in the Box, and jumping onto one of the top turnbuckles of the ring.
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the BTWF Women's Championship! Introducing the challenger, from Tokyo Japan, she is the BTWF Women's Battle Riot Winner, 'the Demon' Minatsuki Takami!" Maya Ibuki announced as Minatsuki grabbed both sides of the top ropes before bending down. After a moment, Minatsuki shot her head back into the air, outstretched her arms, and looked up at the ceiling while taking in the reaction from the crowd. Minatsuki then looked down at the ring, and flipped down to the ring, crawling to the center of the ring while shaking her head. Minatsuki then jumped up to her feet, outstretching her arms again while sticking her tongue out at the fans.
"Minatsuki has won the Battle Riot, and since then, she's been playing all sorts of mind games with the BTWF Women's Champions, getting in her head and making sure she has a mental advantage heading into this title match," Striker explained as Minatsuki swayed into the corner, waiting for her opponent to come out, her tongue still out and licking her lips. After a moment, 'Bulletproof' by Diamante played, the crowd exploded into cheers as Luna came rolling out of the back with the BTWF Women's Championships over her shoulder. Luna kipped back up to her feet, and raised the BTWF Women's Championship over her head with her right hand, causing pyro to shoot out from the stage.
"And introducing the champion, from New York City, New York, she is the BTWF Women's Champion, 'Amazing' Luna Collins!" Maya Ibuki announced as Luna put the BTWF Women's Championship belt back around her shoulder and walked down the entranceway, focusing her gaze completely on Minatsuki. Minatsuki looked back at Luna from the corner while the champion continued to make their way to the ring. Luna, though she did high-five several fans in the front row while making her way to the ringside area, continued staring at Minatsuki, showing the challenger that she wasn't afraid of the mind games Minatsuki had been using on her this past while.
"Luna Collins has been BTWF Women's Champion since October, and she's defended that championship with pride these past six months. Luna has said that she's going to make sure that Minatsuki doesn't come near the BTWF Women's Championship and that it stays at her side," Kotoko explained as when Luna made it to the ringside area, she took the BTWF Women's Championship off of around her shoulder and raised it above her head with her right hand. Minatsuki's focus then moved from the champion to the actual championship belt, which didn't go unnoticed by Luna, who told Minatsuki that she would have to pry this title from her cold dead hands.
"Luna approaches every single match she's in with the mindset that she's defending not only the BTWF Women's Championship but the respect and the prestige of that championship with every title match she wrestles in. She's made it clear that her match with Minatsuki is no different," Striker continued explaining as Luna rolled into the ring from underneath the bottom rope before kipping back up to her feet, raising the BTWF Women's Championship above her head while keeping an eye on Minatsuki through her peripheral vision. Luna immediately gave the BTWF Women's Championship to the referee before going into her own corner, keeping her eyes on Minatsuki while stretching. The referee raised the BTWF Women's Championship over her head while Minatsuki and Luna continued staring each other down.
"This Demon form of Minatsuki doesn't seem to care about that, and cares more about causing chaos to people she feels wronged her," Bob explained as the referee handed the BTWF Women's Championship to a ringside attendant. Minatsuki and Luna continued staring at each other while telling the referee that they were ready before the referee told the timekeeper to ring the bell and start the match. Luna and Minatsuki approached each other, with the Demon tilting her head to the side, Luna not showing any intimidation, glaring back at the challenger before attempting to hit her with a High Head Kick. However, Minatsuki rolled back, dodging the kick, and prompting Luna to follow her, attempting to grab her by the hair, but Minatsuki pushed her away before getting on her stomach and smirking at her.
"This match is underway, but that doesn't mean that Minatsuki isn't going to continue the mind games to give herself the mental edge!" Striker exclaimed as Luna attempted another kick, but Minatsuki slid out of the way, attempting to hit Luna with a kick of her own. However, Luna blocked the kick, and while still holding Minatsuki's leg, hit her with multiple Knife-Edge Chops to the chest before throwing her into the corner. The crowd continued cheering as Luna ran the ropes, hitting her with a Corner Yakuza Kick, swept her feet out from under her which put her in a seated position in front of the bottom turnbuckle, and then ran the ropes before hitting Minatsuki with a Hesitation Dropkick. The crowd continued cheering as Luna picked Minatsuki up with a Snapmare and ran the ropes to hit her with a Penalty Kick to the chest before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…
"Luna almost kicking the air right out of the Demon's chest!" Bob exclaimed as Luna picked Minatsuki back up by the hair, and hit her with multiple punches to the side of the head before attempting to throw her back into the corner. However, Minatsuki countered by throwing Luna into the corner hard enough for her to bounce off the corner chest first. Minatsuki then ran the ropes and hit Luna with a Sling Blade before rolling back to her feet and attempting to hit her with a Basement Dropkick to the side of the head. However, Luna was able to roll out of the way, kip back up to her feet, and hit Minatsuki with a Back Kick to the gut before sending her back in a seated position with a Pele Kick.
"Luna with those educated feet, sending Minatsuki falling back into a seated position!" Kotoko exclaimed as Luna ran the ropes, and attempted to hit her with another Penalty Kick, but Minatsuki ducked, and when Luna attempted to run back at the Demon, Minatsuki hit her with a Rolling Thunder Codebreaker, sending Luna staggering into the ropes. The crowd began booing again as Minatsuki stomped on Luna's gut and legs multiple times, sending her falling into a seated position in front of the ropes. Minatsuki then screamed at the booing crowd before running the ropes and attempting to hit her with a Hesitation Dropkick, but Luna kipped back up to her feet and turned her inside out with a Single Leg Dropkick to the chin.
"What a kick by Luna, spinning Minatsuki around like she were a tornado!" Striker exclaimed as Luna picked Minatsuki back up, and hit her with several Knife-Edge Chops to the chest before attempting to hit her with a Snap Vertical Suplex. However, Minatsuki was able to jump down behind Luna and attempted to put her in a Waistlock, but Luna responded with multiple Back Elbows to the side of the head before turning around and hitting her with a Scorpion Kick. The crowd continued cheering as Luna hit Minatsuki with a Snap Vertical Suplex, but rather than let go, picked her back up to hit her with a Falcon Arrow before pinning her, hooking both of her legs back.
Ref: 1…2
"Luna almost sent Minatsuki through the ring with that Falcon Arrow, but Minatsuki isn't going to go down that easily!" Striker exclaimed as Luna jumped up to the top rope, waiting for Minatsuki to get back to her feet, and when she did, Luna dived off the top rope, hitting her with a Diving Hurricanrana, sending Minatsuki crashing into the steel ring post arm first. The crowd continued cheering as Luna jumped over the top rope and onto the apron and ran the ropes to hit a Running Drive-By Single Leg Dropkick to the side of Minatsuki's head, sending her falling off the corner and onto the floor. The crowd continued cheering as Luna grabbed Minatsuki and hit her with multiple forearms to the side of the head before picking her up, and hitting her with a Gourdbuster to the chest, sending her into the top of the fan barricade. Luna kept Minatsuki dangling by her chest on the top of the fan barricade, grabbing her hair and hitting her with multiple Kawada Kicks to make sure she stayed in place before going up onto the apron.
Ref: 1…2…3
"This is unfamiliar territory for Luna here! What does she possibly have planned!?" Striker asked himself as Luna went to one side of the apron, and while Minatsuki was still prone over the top of the fan barricade, ran to the middle of the apron, and jumped off with a Diving Apron Leg Drop across the back of Minatsuki's neck, sending her falling off the fan barricade and onto the floor. The crowd chanted 'That was Awesome!' as Luna shot her fist up as a thank you to the crowd before picking Minatsuki back up and hitting her with multiple stiff forearms to the side of the face.
Ref: …4…5…6
Luna, acknowledging the referee's count, slid back into the ring for a second, before sliding back out of the ring.
"That was very smart by Luna, making sure that she can not only continue punishing Minatsuki on the outside, but prevent herself from getting counted out as well," Kotoko noted as Luna grabbed Minatsuki by the head, and slammed her face into the top of the steel steps several times before keeping her face on top of the steel steps. Luna then climbed up to the top of the steel steps and placed her foot on top of the back of Minatsuki's head, the crowd cheering as Luna looked to be preparing for something big. However, before Luna could do what she was planning, Minatsuki grabbed Luna's leg and swiped them out from under her, sending Luna falling and the back of her head bouncing off the edge of the steel steps before she crumpled down onto the floor.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Oh God! Luna just hit the sharp edge of the stairs with the back of her head! I can already see the blood coming out!" Bob exclaimed while wincing as the camera panned to the back of Luna's head, which had begun to bleed, before Minatsuki crawled over to a still-dazed Luna, grabbed her by the hair, and told her that Luna made her do this before smashing the back of her head into the side of the steel steps multiple times. The crowd booed as Minatsuki backed away from the steps, and backed to the front of the Spanish commentary table, smirking at a bleeding and dazed Luna before running at her, hitting the champion with a Running Hesitation Dropkick of her own that sent the back of her head bouncing off the back of the steel steps.
Ref: …4…5
"Minatsuki taking control of this match, and in the most brutal way possible, using the steel steps to go after the head of Luna! Luna has had plenty of concussion issues in the past, most notably when Lucy Heartfilia made her the victim of multiple Con-Chair-Tos at last year's Bash at the Beach!" Kotoko explained as Minatsuki picked Luna back up, and threw her against the freshly-rebuilt corner of the fan barricade. The crowd continued booing as Minatsuki backed away once again, licking her lips and smiling devilishly as she ran at Luna, hitting her with a Shotgun Dropkick to the chest that sent her crashing into the corner of the fan barricade back first, also sending the back of her head bouncing off the padded steel.
Ref: …6…7…8
Minatsuki grabbed Luna by the hair, and threw her back into the ring, but not before jumping onto the apron and hitting her with a Springboard Elbow Drop to the chest.
"Luna is bleeding all over the ring canvas already, and Minatsuki's looking at Luna like a shark!" Bob exclaimed as Minatsuki mounted Luna, and hit her with multiple punches to the side of the head, and didn't stop until the referee pulled her off, resulting in Minatsuki screaming at the referee. Minatsuki then ran the ropes and hit a Jumping Double Stomp to the back of Luna's head when she tried to pull herself back up on all fours. Minatsuki then ran the ropes, hitting Luna with multiple Sliding Leg Drops across the throats, the crowd gave a mixed reaction as Minatsuki ran her hands through her hair while smiling down at an ailing Luna. Minatsuki then picked Luna back up, and hit her with a Knife-Edge Chop to the back of the head, sending her staggering.
"Oh! That Chop hit the already wounded skull of the champion! You can see the blood and sweat flying off that strike!" Striker exclaimed while wincing as Minatsuki ran the ropes, and sent Luna crashing back onto the apron with a Running One-Handed Bulldog. The crowd continued giving a mixed reaction to the Demon as she stomped on Luna's gut multiple times until she was pushed into the corner. Minatsuki then ran the ropes and hit a Running Corner Spinning Roundhouse Kick to the face before throwing Luna out of the corner, climbing up to the top rope, hitting the champion with a Missile Dropkick to the back of the head, and going for another pinfall.
Ref: 1…2.
"Minatsuki has been aggressively targeting the back of Luna's head, and she doesn't even seem that upset that she didn't get the pin!" Kotoko exclaimed as Minatsuki picked Luna up by the hair, and hit her with multiple punches to the face before picking her up, and hitting her with a Discus Forearm that sent her staggering. Minatsuki then began cackling in a dazed Luna's face before running the ropes, attempting to hit her with a Running Discus Forearm. However, the crowd cheered as Luna was able to dodge, and when Minatsuki rebounded the ropes, Luna hit her with a Snap German Suplex. However, as Luna tried to get back to her feet, the crowd gave a mixed reaction as Minatsuki stood up immediately from the German Suplex, looking at Luna with rage.
"Luna tried to get some reprieve with that German Suplex, but it looks like all it did was make the Demon even angrier!" Striker exclaimed as when Luna finally stood up, Minatsuki grabbed Luna and hit her with a Sidewinder Back Suplex. The crowd continued booing as Minatsuki began pulling on her own hair before grabbing both of Luna's arms and stomping on her chest and face multiple times. The referee once again had to pull Minatsuki off, resulting in the challenger screaming at the referee before hitting one more hard stomp to the side of Luna's head. The referee knelt down to check on a dazed and still bleeding Luna, but before he could render any result, Minatsuki grabbed Luna by the arms and picked her up before throwing her back down to the ground with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex and screaming at the referee to count.
Ref: 1…2..
"Minatsuki showing a stunning lack of remorse for what Luna is going through! Another rough head injury like the one she suffered at Bash at the Beach, and her career could be over!" Kotoko exclaimed as Minatsuki shook her head while chuckling at Luna kicking out before picking her up, and putting her in a Canadian Rack before ramming Luna chest-first into the corner. The crowd continued giving a mixed reaction as Minatsuki ran into another corner, ramming Luna into the turnbuckles chest-first again. Minatsuki then laughed at the fans before sending Luna crashing back to the ground with an Over-the-Shoulder Swinging Sit-Out Side Slam. Minatsuki then ran the ropes, and springboarded off the middle rope, hitting her with a Springboard Twisting Splash.
"Minatsuki showing some high-flying there, which isn't what I expected given how vicious she's been to Luna!" Bob exclaimed as Minatsuki put Luna back in a seated position before running the ropes, attempting to hit her with another Penalty Kick, but the crowd cheered as Luna was able to duck. When Minatsuki attempted to stomp on Luna, she rolled out of the way and began hitting her with multiple punches to the gut, sending her staggering away. Minatsuki attempted to hit her with a Roundhouse Kick to the side of the head, but Luna ducked and hit her with a Back Elbow to the side of the face. Luna, while holding her head in pain, ran the ropes, and attempted to hit her with a Spinning Wheel Kick, but Minatsuki was able to counter with a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker before picking her back up in the Canadian Backbreaker position. The crowd continued giving a mixed reaction as Minatsuki dropped Luna with a Double Knee Gutbuster before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Luna kicking out again, showing just how much that BTWF Women's Championship means to her!" Bob exclaimed as Minatsuki looked down at Luna in disgust before picking Luna back up, and hitting her with multiple knee strikes to the face. Minatsuki then picked Luna up and threw her into the corner with a Scoop Slam before running into the corner and putting her in a Tree of Woe position. The crowd continued giving a mixed reaction as Minatsuki stomped and kneed on Luna's gut multiple times and choked her with her foot. Minatsuki then let go of the choke, ran the ropes, and hit a Basement Dropkick to the face. Minatsuki then picked Luna up and hit her with a Backstabber out of the corner.
"Minatsuki almost cracked Luna's back in half with that Backstabber!" Striker exclaimed as Minatsuki began climbing back up to the top turnbuckle, the crowd continuing to give the challenger a mixture of cheers and boos as she balanced herself on the top rope. However, Luna picked herself back up and ran into the corner, hitting a Running Big Boot to Minatsuki's chest, stunning her, and allowing Luna to begin her climb up to the top rope. When Luna got back to the top rope, Minatsuki began countering, hitting the champion in the side of the face with multiple forearms to the side of the head. However, Luna responded with several headbutts to the face, stunning Minatsuki before the champion threw the challenger off the top rope with a Top Rope Spanish Fly.
"Luna with a Spanish Fly from the top turnbuckle, sending both women crashing back down to the mat!" Striker exclaimed as, after a moment, Luna and Minatsuki began pulling each other back to their feet. When they turned to see each other, Luna and Minatsuki began hitting each other with hard punches and forearms to the sides of their head. They didn't let up until Luna blocked one of Minatsuki's forearms, and hit her with multiple headbutts to the side of the head. Minatsuki shook her head and screamed in Luna's face, which Luna responded to with a Jumping Knee Strike to the side of the head, sending her staggering into the ropes. The crowd continued cheering as Luna ran the ropes, and hit Minatsuki with two Clotheslines, a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker, a Spinning Wheel Kick, and a Springboard Japanese Arm Drag. Minatsuki rolled back up to her feet and attempted to hit Luna with a Spinning Leg Lariat, but Luna jumped out of the way and knocked Minatsuki to her knees with a Roundhouse Kick to the side of the head.
"Luna coming back into this match, putting all the hatred she has for Minatsuki behind that kick to the head!" Kotoko exclaimed as Luna ran the ropes, and hit Minatsuki with a Shining Wizard before going for the pinfall, hooking both her legs back.
Ref: 1…2..
Luna immediately responded by stomping on Minatsuki's gut hard enough to send her in a seated position before Luna ran the ropes, and hit a Jumping Double Foot Stomp to Minatsuki's chest.
"Luna trying to cave in the chest of the Demon, but it's going to take more than that to take the Demon out for the count!" Striker exclaimed as Luna picked Minatsuki back up to her feet, but the crowd gave a mixed reaction as the Demon hit her with a Sit-Out Jawbreaker, stunning the champion. However, when Minatsuki ran the ropes in an attempt to hit Luna with the Sling Blade, the crowd cheered as Luna caught the Demon, hit her with a Backbreaker Drop, threw her down to the mat with an Olympic Slam, and then rolled her back to her feet to plant her with a Brainbuster. The crowd continued cheering as Luna jumped up to the top rope, waiting for Minatsuki to get back to her feet, and when the Demon pulled herself back up to her feet, Luna hit her with a Diving Wheel Kick to the face.
"Luna almost kicked the paint right off of Minatsuki's face there!" Bob exclaimed as Minatsuki rolled onto the apron to try and get some reprieve. However, Luna wouldn't offer this reprieve as she followed her onto the apron, and began hitting her with multiple punches to the side of the head. However, Minatsuki responded by hitting a Jumping Enziguri Kick, stunning her before backing away to the other corner. Minatsuki screamed out once again before attempting to hit her with a Running Shotgun Dropkick onto the apron, but the crowd cheered once again as Luna countered the oncoming attack into a Jumping Double Foot Stomp to the chest, sending Minatsuki's back crashing onto the steel ring apron.
"Oh, dear God! What a counter by the champion, sending Minatsuki crashing against the steel!" Bob exclaimed while wincing as Luna told the cheering fans that she wasn't done yet, picking Minatsuki up, and hitting her with a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron. The crowd continued cheering as Luna kicked a near-lifeless Minatsuki off of the ring apron before climbing up to the top rope, the crowd exploding into cheers as she waited for the Demon to get back up to her feet. When Minatsuki did, Luna dived off the top rope, hitting Minatsuki with a Diving Crossbody, much to the crowd's delight. However, Luna wasn't done yet as she picked Minatsuki back up, and hit her with a Backdrop Driver, sending the back of Minatsuki's head bouncing off the commentary table.
Ref: 1…2…3
"Luna pulling out all the stops to make it clear to the Demon that she's not going to give the BTWF Women's Championship up without a fight!" Striker exclaimed as Luna quickly threw Minatsuki back into the ring. Luna then jumped back into the apron and hit Minatsuki with a Step-In Rolling Thunder Flatliner before climbing back up to the top rope. The crowd continued cheering as Luna hit Minatsuki with a Frog Splash before going for the pinfall, hooking both of her legs back.
Ref: 1…2…
Luna looked shocked that Minatsuki had kicked out, and responded by stomping on her chest several times before going into the corner.
"Luna has to be getting frustrated at the surprising resiliency of the Demon!" Kotoko exclaimed as Luna attempted to hit Minatsuki with the Amazing Kick (Meiko Satomura's Scorpio Rising Kick). However, Minatsuki was able to catch Luna mid-kick in a Powerbomb position, threw her into the corner with a Buckle Bomb, and when she bounced off the turnbuckles, Minatsuki caught Luna and hit her with a Spinning Sit-Out Powerbomb. The crowd gave a mixed reaction as Minatsuki jumped up onto the middle rope, and when Luna got back to her feet, Minatsuki hit a Middle Rope Missile Dropkick to the back of her head.
"Minatsuki giving Luna a taste of her own powerful string of moves!" Bob exclaimed as Minatsuki picked Luna back up, and hit her with several Knife-Edge Chops to the chest. Luna, however, didn't back down and instead hit her with multiple kicks to the chest. Minatsuki shook her head and screeched in Luna's face before hitting her in the face with a Superkick, grabbing her in a Front Facelock, and attempting to hit her with a Tornado DDT. However, Luna was able to stop Minatsuki's Tornado DDT attempt, and hit her with a Northern Lights Suplex, bridging into a pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
"Luna almost caught Minatsuki in a surprise pin, but the Demon is still in this match!" Striker exclaimed as Luna glared down at Minatsuki, picked the challenger back up, and attempted to hit her with a Brainbuster, but Minatsuki responded with multiple knee strikes to the top of the head, allowing her to escape Luna's grasp. Minatsuki then hit a stunned Luna with a Running Pump Kick to the face, but when Luna rebounded off the ropes, she knocked Minatsuki into the ropes with a Rolling Koppu Kick. Minatsuki rebounded off the ropes and hit a stunned Luna with a Jumping Corkscrew Roundhouse Kick, but when Luna turned around, she hit Minatsuki in the face with a Pele Kick, sending her crashing into the corner while Luna fell to the ground.
"What an exchange of kicks between champion and challenger!" Kotoko exclaimed as after a moment, Luna kipped back up to her feet, the crowd cheering as she attempted to hit a Handspring Corner Back Elbow onto Minatsuki, but the Demon countered with a Corner Pump Kick to the back of the head. While Luna was stunned, Minatsuki knocked her down in a seated position with a Full Nelson Bomb before climbing up to the middle rope and hitting Luna in the back of the head with a Diving Middle Rope Forearm. Minatsuki then went back into the corner, this time climbing back up to the top rope, the crowd giving a mixed reaction as she gave them a cut-throat taunt.
"Minatsuki's looking to end this, going up top for that Diving Double Foot Stomp to the back of the head!" Striker exclaimed as Minatsuki attempted to hit the Diving Double Foot Stomp, but Luna rolled out of the way. Minatsuki was able to roll back to her feet, but when she turned around and attempted to hit Luna with a Running Clothesline, the champion was able to take her down with a Rolling Dropkick to the chest. The crowd continued cheering as Luna hit a stunned Minatsuki with a Death Valley Driver in the center of the ring before putting the Demon in a seated position, running the ropes, and hitting Minatsuki in the back of the head with a Sliding European Uppercut.
"Luna almost took the Demon's head off with that Uppercut!" Bob exclaimed as Luna picked Minatsuki up, and locked her in the Octopus Stretch, the crowd exploding into cheers as the Demon began screaming out in pain. Minatsuki immediately began walking to the ropes while Luna continued pulling on her arm and head back, but Luna was able to shift her weight, allowing her to keep Minatsuki from reaching the ropes. The crowd cheered as Luna let go of the hold briefly, hit Minatsuki with more Kawada Kicks to the face, dragged her back to the center of the ring, and locked her back in the Octopus Stretch.
"It's been a while since we've seen the Octopus Stretch, but Luna has put away several women in the BTWF with this hold! Can she retain her coveted BTWF Women's Championship at the biggest event in Fanfiction Wrestling with the Octopus Stretch!?" Striker asked as Minatsuki fell to one knee, the crowd cheering as Luna continued to stretch her out. After another moment, Minatsuki was able to pull herself back to her feet, and run back into the corner, ramming Luna's back into the turnbuckles. However, the crowd cheered as Luna shook her head, and continued wringing her in the Octopus Stretch, but Minatsuki continued ramming Luna back first into the turnbuckles three more times before she finally stunned Luna. The crowd gave a mixed reaction as Minatsuki hit Luna with a Samoan Driver before going for the pinfall, hooking both of her legs back.
Ref: 1…2…
"Minatsuki survived the Octopus Stretch, but it also looks like she's still trying to regain her breath!" Kotoko exclaimed as Minatsuki glared down at Luna before rolling away from the champion, and screeching at her to get back to her feet. Luna staggered back to her feet, and Minatsuki responded by kicking her in the gut and attempting to hit her with the Bloody Sunday DDT, but the crowd cheered as Luna was able to keep her feet on the ground, and hit the Demon with multiple punches to the gut. However, when Luna attempted to hit her with another Northern Lights Suplex, Minatsuki countered by hitting her with a Facebreaker Knee Smash. Minatsuki then ran the ropes and attempted to hit her with a Wheelbarrow Facebuster, but Luna stopped this and attempted to counter with an Olympic Slam. However, Minatsuki was able to counter with a Tilt-a-Whirl Facebuster before locking Luna in a High-Angle Fujiwara Armbar.
"Minatsuki's got Luna in a Fujiwara Armbar right in the middle of the ring! Look at how far back she's bending the arm! Can she get the tap out here!?" Striker asked as Luna shook her head 'No!' when the referee asked her if she wanted to give up. Minatsuki continued pulling back on her arm, but Luna continued trying to fight back, attempting to pull her arm out of Minatsuki's grasp, but the Demon simply screamed in her face. Luna then responded by beginning to crawl to the ropes, and despite Minatsuki's best efforts, the crowd cheered as Luna was able to grab the middle rope, prompting the referee to pull Minatsuki off of Luna when it became clear that she was going to use the entire 5-count on her arm. Minatsuki growled at the referee before hitting a Jumping Double Stomp to the arm of Luna before picking her back up and throwing her into the steel corner post arm-first.
"Minatsuki, despite the clear issues going on in her mind, knows that the best way to take out a championship-caliber wrestler like Luna is to take away a body part!" Kotoko exclaimed as Minatsuki climbed up onto Luna's back, and put her in another armbar, pulling her arm back until it touched the steel turnbuckle. The referee once again made her break the armbar at 5, but Minatsuki didn't seem too bothered as she jumped off of Luna and onto the apron. Minatsuki then backed to the other side of the apron, and then ran at Luna, attempting to hit her with a Drive-By Kick, but Luna moved out of the way, sending Minatsuki crashing onto the apron. Luna, while slapping some feeling back into her arm, grabbed Minatsuki by the hair, and threw her back into the ring from the apron with an Exploder Suplex before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
The crowd gave a mixed reaction as Minatsuki kicked out before grabbing Luna and putting her in a Kimura Lock.
"Minatsuki has Luna's arm trapped once again, and the Kimura Lock has broken the arms of many wrestlers in the past! Luna may have to submit here if she doesn't want to suffer the same fate!" Bob exclaimed as Luna yelled out in pain while shaking her head, telling the referee that she wasn't going to give up. Minatsuki continued bending the arm back, screaming at Luna to give up or else she was going to put her arm in the Happy Place as a trophy. Luna responded by pulling herself back up to her feet, the crowd cheering as Minatsuki continued wringing her arm in the Kimura, which Luna responded to by lifting Minatsuki up in a Suplex position before dropping her with a Brainbuster. While holding her arm, Luna hit a Running Single Leg Dropkick to the back of Minatsuki's head before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…
Luna immediately responded by picking Minatsuki up, hitting her with the Amazing Driver (Swerve Strickland's JML Driver), and going for another pinfall, hooking both of her legs back while twisting them.
Ref: 1…2…
"Luna may realize that she has to end this match now, especially since she's losing function in her right arm, which didn't allow her to fully provide the necessary force in the Amazing Driver!" Striker exclaimed as Luna ran the ropes, and hit a Cartwheel Knee Drop to the back of Minatsuki's head before picking her back up, hitting her with a Gourdbuster, and then ran the ropes to hit her with a Shining Wizard. Luna, despite her arm being in pain, shot her fist up in the air before going into the corner, waiting for Minatsuki to get back up to her feet. However, when she did, Luna attempted to run at her with another Amazing Kick (Meiko Satomura's Scorpio Rising Kick), and Minatsuki responded by rolling out of the way, causing Luna to inadvertently collide with the referee.
"Oh! Luna accidentally took down the referee! This doesn't bode well for the champion!" Kotoko exclaimed as Luna tried to help the referee back to her feet, but Minatsuki grabbed Luna from behind and hit her with a Reverse Bloody Sunday. Minatsuki smirked at her downed opponent before throwing her out of the ring, running the ropes, and hitting Luna with a Suicide Dive that took her down to the floor. Minatsuki kipped back up, noticed her Jack-in-the-Box was still at ringside, and decided to grab Luna by the hair, attempting to throw her into the giant decoration. However, Luna blocked her head from going into the Jack-in-the-Box, and smashed Minatsuki's face into it several times, sending the Demon staggering away.
"Luna preventing Minatsuki from taking advantage of her entrance decoration, using it to her own benefit!" Bob exclaimed as Luna grabbed Minatsuki, but the Demon grabbed the ring apron, trying to get out of Luna's grasp. While Luna was wrestling with Minatsuki, the Jack-in-the-Box opened, and after a moment, a figure came crawling out of it, silently creeping up toward an unaware Luna. The figure had her hair in pigtails, which was dyed dark purple with pink highlights, with a navy blue puffy dress with pink strings and magenta buttons, light purple boots, and socks that were striped and the same color as her hair.
"Who…who the hell is that?" Striker asked quietly, not sure what exactly he was seeing. Luna finally pried Minatsuki from the ring apron and threw her back into the ring. However, before Luna could turn around, the figure grabbed Luna by the hair and slammed her face into the steel ring apron multiple times. The crowd continued booing as the figure put Luna in a seated position, and began hitting her with multiple punches to the side of the head before hitting her with a hard Knee Strike to the face.
"Matt…I think…I think that's Lauren Gacy! She's been frightening the fans in BTWF Evolve, but that doesn't explain what the hell she's doing here!" Kotoko exclaimed as Lauren picked Luna up, and hit her with the Murder She Wrote (Hammerlock Cradle DDT) onto the padded concrete floor. Minatsuki, meanwhile, looked on from the ring with a smile on her face, which Lauren seemed to notice as she picked an unconscious Luna back up, and threw her back into the ring. Minatsuki picked Luna back up and hit her with the Bloody Sunday DDT before climbing up to the top rope. Lauren applauded Minatsuki on the outside before the Demon dived off the top rope, hitting Luna in the back of the head with a Diving Double Foot Stomp before going for the pinfall.
Ref: 1…2…3
Bell Rings*
"Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, and the NEW BTWF Women's Champion, 'The Demon' Minatsuki Takami!" Maya Ibuki announced as the Demon rolled back up to her feet with a sinister smile on her face. Lauren, meanwhile, walked over to the timekeeper's area, frightened a ringside attendant away, and grabbed the BTWF Women's Championship from the timekeeper. Lauren then rolled into the ring and handed the BTWF Women's Championship to Minatsuki, who accepted it before raising it over her head.
"Thanks to the interference of, what appears to be her new ally in Lauren Gacy, Minatsuki has ended the 6 month reign of Luna Collins!" Striker exclaimed as Lauren glared down at Luna, kicking her unconscious body out of the ring before she turned back to her ally with a smile, hugging her. Minatsuki quickly returned the hug, telling Lauren that she did an amazing job and that she was welcome in the Happy Place anytime. Lauren responded by jumping up and down, clapping her hands in excitement while Minatsuki once again raised the BTWF Women's Championship over her head.
"I don't know how this relationship between Minatsuki and Lauren formed, and quite frankly, I don't want to know, but it's already paid off for the Demon," Bob noted as Minatsuki handed Lauren the championship belt, telling her to fasten it around her waist. Lauren nodded enthusiastically before wrapping it around her waist while outside the ring, several ringside medical personnel checked on Luna, who hadn't gotten up since the match ended. Back in the ring, when Lauren finished fastening the belt on Minatsuki, the two raised each other's arms in the middle of the ring.
"The Intensity Women's Division has been taken over by two of the most frightening members of the roster, and they're going to have to walk through the deepest and darkest depths of Hell if they even want a whiff of that title!" Kotoko exclaimed as outside the ring, the medical personnel picked Luna back up and helped walk her up the aisleway. While they headed to the back, Lauren laughed at the pain that Luna was going through, only stopping when Minatsuki patted her on the shoulder, and once again told Lauren that she did a good job, brightening the pale blue eyes of Lauren.
"Hopefully Luna is OK, as she was rendered unconscious by these two new allies," Striker noted as Minatsuki and Lauren continued celebrating in the middle of the ring.
The camera panned to the backstage area, where the new BTWF Hardcore Champion Eren Jeager was shaking hands and talking with Octane General Manager Arthur Morgan. While the two were discussing Eren's big win, Kokonoe Mercury came walking by with a small smile on her face, putting her hand out.
"Congratulations, Eren," Kokonoe said, which Eren responded to with a firm handshake and a nod.
"Thanks, Kokonoe. You know, when Arthur told me about this idea to get the Hardcore title back to Octane, I didn't think it was going to work, but hey, look at me now," Eren said with a smile on his face while showing off the BTWF Hardcore Championship for the camera.
"That's nice, but you need to keep the NWO in your mind for now, especially since Jellal is going to cash in his rematch clause soon," Kokonoe explained.
"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure that the NWO doesn't get their hands back on this title. Arthur Morgan, when I lost my BTWF Evolve championship match, brought me back up when I was feeling down. He made me realize that there's always another chance around the corner, and I'm not going to waste the chance that you and he gave me," Eren explained, with Arthur patting his newest signee on the back while Kokonoe nodded in approval.
"I'm glad to hear you're taking this seriously. That championship has been kept off Octane for too long, and once you're done with all this NWO business, it's time for us to re-establish this as the tertiary title of Octane," Arthur responded before Eren nodded in response as the two walked away. Kokonoe looked to head back to her office, but a woman with her brown hair tied up in a long ponytail, combat boots, camouflage pants, and a collapsible nightstick came walking in front of her.
"You're Kokonoe, right? I heard you made some enemies tonight," the woman said, confusing the new BTWF PPV GM.
"Well I'm always making enemies, so this is nothing new," Kokonoe responded with a polite shrug.
"Names Axel. Axel De La Renta. I'm something of a problem solver, and if you need any of these guys taken care of, I can take care of it for you, for the right price of course," Axel explained, twirling the nightstick in her hands while Kokonoe continued looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Ummm…I'm going to have to say thanks, but no thanks. I may not look it, but I can take care of myself, Mrs. De La Renta," Kokonoe responded, which Axel responded to by grabbing a card from her pocket and putting it in Kokonoe's hand before walking away.
"Well, when you change your mind, you know where to find me," Axel said before walking away, leaving Kokonoe to read the card, which had Axel's name above the phrase 'Bounty Hunter', along with her email and phone number. Kokonoe then walked back to her office, mumbling about all the crazy people in the BTWF. However, while Kokonoe walked away, Courtney Flores walked by the BTWF PPV GM, heading in the direction that Axel had headed in.
One more chapter to go…and one more match to go…up next is the much anticipated BTWF World Heavyweight Hell in a Cell match between Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya.