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Zephyris vs The Virgin Rose:
“Her weight is none of your fuckin’ business!” LOL. But damn this chick ain’t messin around. Potty mouth. I actually liked the exchange with the commentary, it’s something I could see being done in real life, it was different. I like different. It was a squash match that oddly didn’t feel like a squash match. Rose just seemed to be super opportunistic and swift. Strange, but nice start to the surprise Pre-Show.
Silent Sorcery interview:
Oh my the puns on the names. I didn’t realize Kira was an ADD like child. Got a little history on the team here and a nice breakdown through them about their opponents. Mentioned Hazel and her stip. Funny little ending, this whole pre-show is making me wish I’d have found time for some kind of damn segment…..
MVP of the night:
Virgin Rose! I liked what I read in her first outing.
Kinda a quick review, haven't had a lot of time lately. I wanted to get something up while I could.
Former 4CW Champion
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2019
4CW 2019: Champion/Wrestler/Moment
Thanks for reading, and thanks for the review! 🙂
~☆~☆~Pronouns: she/her/hers~☆~☆~
~☆~☆~4CW Grand Slam Champ~☆~☆~
AND THE FULL SHOW IS UP EVERYONE!!!
Thanks Taker_2004 for the banner!
Epic.....EPIC!!!!! You’ve outdone yourself Rhys. Just awesome matches. Amazing story telling and personally, being inducted into the hall and recapturing the title that literally goes back 14 years when I won it(or any title) for the first time was just fantastic.
We may not have the numbers on the roster side that we use to. But this was easily one of the best, if not the best, Revivals I’ve ever been apart of. Full review later. Thank you for the induction. Thank you for the show. And honestly sorry I couldn’t help out this time around.
Former 4CW Champion
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2019
4CW 2019: Champion/Wrestler/Moment
I wrote the Revival Pre-Show, so I'll skip that and move right on to the main show.
Lightning in the Bottle match
- I like Miss Moxie. Nothing to expand on there really, I just like her!
- Hazel got some good licks in there, too. I'd have liked to see her monkey her way around the cage a bit more, though.
- What can be said about the tables spot that the fans didn't already? HOLY SHIT! Poor Phil. And poor Camera Man, because he's the one who's gonna have to deal with McGroin in the wake of that chaos!
- Fisherman's Suplex onto steel is a wild mental image for me, 'cause I love that move and it sounds like a bad ride for Tommy!
- Supreme picks up a big win that could propel him back into the limelight and any title scene he'd like, at any time he'd like to!
The Janiturs vs The Supergroup
- Not much of a match, but that's to be expected from this sort of thing. We do get some fun post-match battling, though.
Umbra Maxima vs Synth City Thrillers, Tag Titles
- Solid little tag bout here, and I quite liked the opening exchange between Kojo and Simtul. Just two big, hard-hitting guys in a strikefest.
- The big story here, though, is that S&M are back! Things continue to heat up in our little tag division.
- Speaking as a Canadian myself, I got a kick out of the "polite enough to wait 'til post-match for a beatdown" bit.
Liberation vs Silent Sorcery
- This one's a pretty straight-forward tag team contest. There's some good moves shown off here, though, and it's nice to see Tsukiko's frog splash at the end there. Just a nice little switch-up for Silent Sorcery match finishes.
Brian White vs Jack Valentine, Uni Title
- I'm a fan of both these guys and their chemistry, they really contrast with each other in a lot of ways, but they each have their own vicious, unpredictable characteristics as well.
- McGroin! Ha. Good stuff, I got a kick out of that bit.
- Honestly, I'd be disappointed if Mad Dog DIDN'T go after Teri as a tactical ploy, heh.
- Superkick + Flea Shot kick-out was a nice little surprise/pop moment.
- Limb targeting is good in this, too. It kinda reminded me of HBK vs Bulldog at One Night Only, right down to the finish.
- And Mad Dog claims Universal gold! Fun one, this.
Rhys Cain vs Willow the Widow
- Co-wrote it.
- I've been plotting the big reveal for almost a year! Feels good to finally get there.
Sery announces Rumble in the Storm card
- RitS '19 is shaping up to be quite the show in its own right.
- Let's see if I can survive that Rumble with both self and title intact! 😮
Pilgrim Paige vs Jacob Scharff, World Title
- There's a lot here to break down. This was a very competitive match/series of matches (call it however you like) in which both competitors look so good and take each other to their limits—what's not to like?
- Reading the strap match was a very visceral experience—it felt quite realistic and taxing. It's one of those stipulation matches where you get a very "one step forward and two steps back" kind of progression—just a gruelling process for the competitors in it. I loved the bit where Scharff was carrying a dazed Paige around the ring and thinking he was clearing a path to victory, only to find Paige had been doing the same in her own right! Really cool stuff. Scharff unsurprisingly picks up the V in this hand-picked first stage.
- Then we get to the second stage, and into the moonlit graveyard we go! I like how instantaneously the change of atmosphere and pace comes on. There's some brutal bumps in this portion, though nothing that would knock down the believability of both competitors having enough left in the tank for stage three. The V here goes to Paige, of course.
- Then we get into the straight-up singles match. This plays like a greatest hits for these two, and in the best of ways: Lots of signature moves; floor and table spots; old moves being pulled out of the past and into the present; big near-falls; and, of course, that epic finish! The third and final stage is over, and Paige is handed her title, still champion. The purple pyro going off above the arena was a real nice touch, too.
- And to cap it all off, we get that awesome retirement speech. This is just great, heartfelt stuff and it really came off effectively. Gotta respect that. I'll close this by simply adding: THUN-DER-BOLT! THUN-DER-BOLT! 🙂
Match of the Night
- Paige vs Scharff for the World Championship.
MVP of the Night
- Jacob "The Thunderbolt" Scharff! What a match, what a career, and what a speech!
Moment/Spot of the Night
- The damnedest Lunar Eclipse you'll ever see, bah gawd! Though the table spot comes in at a close second.
Graphic of the Night
- Revival World: The Wrasslin'est Place on Earth!
Last edited by Pilgrim Paige (Tue-23-Jul-2019 20:25:04)
~☆~☆~Pronouns: she/her/hers~☆~☆~
~☆~☆~4CW Grand Slam Champ~☆~☆~
Review:
I wrote the majority of this show, so here are just some general thoughts:
-First of all, huge thanks to everyone who RP'd for this show, and to Paige and Stingmon for helping with the matches, but also thanks to RD and anyone else who gave me a creative idea/plot/spot/story for this show. Also thanks to Paige for writing the entire pre-show by herself, and doing a great job. Finally, thanks to every single one of you who together makes it possible for us to still do this three years after I took over. I love 4CW for the creative ideas we share and the community we've formed.
Now we got that sappy shit out of the way:
-Lightning in the Bottle was fun to write, but the real fun will come from the winner Supreme and what he can do with the prize. Looking forward to seeing that unfold.
-Tag teams were really highlighted on this show. Umbra Maxima have dominated the scene for an age, and we have Liberation, Silent Sorcery, Murder of Crows, Synth City, The Supergroup, The Janiturs and now S&M to give us some variety for the future. It's looking strong.
-Jack Valentine has had a great run since returning and this win, along with the HOF induction, capped it off nicely. Can't wait to see him continue his progression as champ. White is still around though, and not going anywhere til he gets that belt back, one would assume.
-Cain's heel turn is something I've been planning for a long time, but I needed the perfect feud to do it. It was almost Carstein - but that went tits up because of 4CW going under. However, Willow the Widow, or her true identity, Madeline Phoenix, has provided a fantastic adversary for Cain and working with Paige for way longer than you guys have seen "on screen" on this has been so much fun. And arguably, the fun is only just now really beginning.
-The main event was superb and Stingmon deserves massive credit for providing us with a fantastic show closer, and not for the first time. There was everything I could have hoped for. Storytelling, excitement, intensity, great spots and moments, and a truly great way to end the show with Scharff's farewell. I remember when Scharff first came into 4CW way back when and to see him go out after a wonderful character arc has been really satisfying.
Overall, this was a longer Revival than last years, and while that doesn't really mean anything, I would even go on to say we topped last years Revival, which was pretty damn good in it's own right. So thanks again to everyone involved, and here's to another year of late shows and wonderfully twisted made-up wrestling!
Match of the Night
Willow vs Cain
MVP of the Night
Jacob Scharff/Jack Valentine
Moment/Spot of the Night
Avada Kedavra from the top of the barricade to the floor
Graphic of the Night
RevivalWorld. Super proud of it and I think it looks awesome, even if I do say so myself.
Thanks Taker_2004 for the banner!
Rhys I told you when I came back. I like when you’ve run things in the past. It was a reason I decided to give it another try. But Jesus man you’ve out done yourself here and in general really. You’re a crazy writer. The quality is there with all the quantity. Stingmon and Paige really pullin there weight with this one. This is going to be memorable compared to so many others. At least I feel that way. I swear if some of the old timers could see some of these shows and storylines they’d have to seriously consider coming back. Hey S&M is back, so there’s something right there!
Again full review coming!
Former 4CW Champion
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2019
4CW 2019: Champion/Wrestler/Moment
Rhys I told you when I came back. I like when you’ve run things in the past. It was a reason I decided to give it another try. But Jesus man you’ve out done yourself here and in general really. You’re a crazy writer. The quality is there with all the quantity. Stingmon and Paige really pullin there weight with this one. This is going to be memorable compared to so many others. At least I feel that way. I swear if some of the old timers could see some of these shows and storylines they’d have to seriously consider coming back. Hey S&M is back, so there’s something right there!
Again full review coming!
Thanks! A lot of old timers have come back in these three years. We had Wolfbaine, Bonham, yourself, among others at different times.
And, maybe, just maybe, I have a few aces in the hole for the future 😉
Thanks Taker_2004 for the banner!
And, maybe, just maybe, I have a few aces in the hole for the future 😉
*Shakes uncontrollably*
Former 4CW Champion
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2019
4CW 2019: Champion/Wrestler/Moment
I'm just gonna join in on the sap-fest and say I love all you wrasslin'-lovin' nerds! The shows may come late, but the feels are all here! xD
Seriously, though, this PPV ruled, we've got a good crew, and seeing a good show come together is one of the most consistent little joys of my life. 🙂
4-C-DUB! 4-C-DUB!
~☆~☆~Pronouns: she/her/hers~☆~☆~
~☆~☆~4CW Grand Slam Champ~☆~☆~
S&M may ne back but we are keeping the fucking moose! Also I am STILL your reigning... defending... undisputed... 4CW Canadian Three Handled Moss Covered Family Gredunza CHAMPION!!!
S&M may ne back but we are keeping the fucking moose!
Marquis stays? Woot! Hazel has long felt that 4CW is in dire need of more quadrupeds that aren't squishy unicorns! 🙂
Last edited by Witch Hazel (Fri-26-Jul-2019 01:51:01)
~*~So says Hazel~*~
Former Custom Cup Champion
Winner of 2018 Soul Survivor
Damn that was a good show! And well worth the wait! SO let's try and review this monster! First the preshow.
- Zephyris vs The Virgin Rose
I enjoyed this match, good fun and some big spots. I particularly enjoyed Rose taking a bit of time out to chat with the commentary team! She just does not give a shit sometimes and it's great! She's got some serious potential methinks, and prety much crushing Zephyris only goes to show that!
- Silent Sorcery interview
This was actually quite nice and relaxed, and Crowe even got to do a who,e interview without being verbally of physically assaulted! (well, much anyway! :-P ) Some nice character stuff for Silent Sorcery that helps to build for their match against The Liberation.
- MVP of the night
Gotta be Virgin Rose!
Good work Paige! Now for the main show...
-Lightning in the Bottle match:
This was a really interesting stip, something that might have been seen in WCW at the height of the Monday Night Wars. Everyone got a good amount of action and there was some good tension building towards the end as everyone was getting close to falling off the plank! So of course, it has to be McGroin to go! :-P Good showing by Supreme too, looking forwards to seeing what he does with the contract.
-The Janiturs vs The Supergroup:
I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually getting invested in this story! I just want to know what the actual fuck is going on with MONST... I mean JANISTAR and how Skywolf is gonna take it! Not much of a match, but it was never meant to be, so moving on to...
-Umbra Maxima vs Synth City Thrillers, Tag Titles:
These guys are champing at the bit foe some real competition and they certainly got it! I wasn't sure on the Synth City Thrillers if I'm honest, I keep getting Dexy's Midnight Runners vibes from them for some reason! But they delivered and it was a good match up. As has been said before, this tag division is seriously good, and it just might have gotten better! Let's see if S&M can knock Umbra Maxima off their pedestal.
-Liberation vs Silent Sorcery:
Was a decent match, some good tag work from both sides and a good win for Silent Sorcery. Honestly, this would be considered the weakest actual match (I'm not counting Supergroup vs Janiters...! ) in the show, but it's in a situation where it could be the strongest in any other show. Just goes to show the quality of the writing happening here!
-Brian White vs Jack Valentine, Uni Title:
This was a match I was looking forward to. Some really good action throughout with both competitors showing their mean sides. Mad Dogs tactic was absolutely on point, going for the leg like that. Some great competition and Mad Dog really deserves the win. My only slight comment is that White would certainly allow Teri to help him up the ramp, she's also not a docile, follow behind her man kinda girl. For instance, if Mad Dog actually did go for her, he would've been looking for his taste buds!
-Rhys Cain vs Willow the Widow:
Ok, wow, this was a hard hitter! Cain's brutality was definitely showing here so it just goes to show how tough Willow the Widow is to have lasted so long. Ultimately, Cain keeps his job (isn't it weird that one keeps their job for beating their colleague to a pulp, strange times) and we lead into a massive plot twist and reveal as Scott Phoenix actually takes centre stage. The fallout is going to be interesting to watch/read.
-Sery announces Rumble in the Storm card:
This is gonna be good. Time to get some revision done for some good Ultimate X spots! :-P
-Pilgrim Paige vs Jacob Scharff, World Title:
What a way to end the show. This was a very well written match with great pacing and action. You didn't lose the immersion as both competitors worked their way through three gruelling matches. The action was on point, the story telling fantastic and the ending ultimately satisfying! And to top it all off with a fantastic retirement speech, Stingmon should be very proud of this match. Fantastic work.
Match of the Night: This is a toughie! But I think I'm gonna let my bias guide me, so I'll say The Universal Title match.
MVP of the Night: Jacob Scharff, without a doubt
Moment/Spot of the Night: Too many to count!
Graphic of the Night: I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon and say Revival World too. It tickled me!
As I said at the top, well worth the wait, this one! Topping this will be a challenge :-D
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Triple Crown Champion 2020. 2 times Universal, 2 times Tag team and 1 Time World Heavyweight Champion.
Wrestler of the Year 2017, Champion of the Year 2017, Most Improved 2017
My only slight comment is that White would certainly allow Teri to help him up the ramp, she's also not a docile, follow behind her man kinda girl. For instance, if Mad Dog actually did go for her, he would've been looking for his taste buds!
You may have misinterpreted this bit. White was fighting off the EMTs as he didn't want *them* to help him. Teri following him behind was just because he sort of stormed up the ramp.
Also, I have no doubt Mad Dog would have met his match with Teri, but White wasn't even going to let it get that far. At least that's how I was trying to put it across.
Thanks Taker_2004 for the banner!
Heh, fair enough, yeah I may have misinterpreted it a bit. And White would definitely not want any EMT's at that point! :-P
4CW Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Triple Crown Champion 2020. 2 times Universal, 2 times Tag team and 1 Time World Heavyweight Champion.
Wrestler of the Year 2017, Champion of the Year 2017, Most Improved 2017
Full review and more coming later, but I wanna thank everyone for their words about the match I wrote, and to explain that yes I'm still gonna be here. Umbra Maxima will serve as my only source of participation for awhile though. As I started thinking about this match and the myriad of ways it could go, not to mention, the promos and story I'd had running in the background, I realized I wasn't sure where Jacob could go from here. I was really unsure at first of how to do this match. I had all kinds of ideas, including having the people who picked the first two stips actually lose their stips in surprise fashion. I didn't even have a plan for the strap match initially, I just asked myself what hasn't been seen in a long ass time as far as I can remember and it was a strap match, though my initial idea was the convoluted "Lightning Cable" concept where I was gonna have them hooked together with electric collars and they would have allies on the outside that would control the shocks...I'm so glad I threw that idea away lol. Once I remembered that I wanted to tell a story I realized that Jacob's could come to an end here and it would make sense. Then everything started falling into place. I didn't have to write a match with two different endings, I could just focus all on the story of Paige overcoming a significant disadvantage and Jacob's heart where it took something completely unexpected to put him away. And then the speech. I wrote it like how I would want to go out if given that sort of opportunity as a competitor. Not outstay my welcome, hopefully, but retire this character with dignity and the emotional weight that he deserved, for allowing me to express my creativity through him for 13 years. I don't know if Umbra Maxima will end up showing the same longevity, and I'm still working out their story and where it can go.
Working 40 hours a week is another thing that made me consider retiring Jacob. I haven't had the fire lately to really give him my all. I don't have a lot of time off and when I do there's other things I need/want to do. Like play Fire Emblem Three Houses lol. All that being said. I plan on becoming more regular with Umbra Maxima. And who knows what the future holds.
I wanna thank everyone once again for your words. I am humbled.
4CW Revival: The Pre-Show
Live from AT&T Stadium - Dallas, Texas
April 28, 2019
Opening camera focus is on the commentary desk. Ray Jeffrey, Scott Phoenix and James Roberts stand side-by-side, looking well-dressed and well-groomed.
Phoenix: Hello folks, and thank you for tuning in to the 4CW Revival Pre-Show! Gabriel Crowe will be speaking with mischievous tag team Silent Sorcery, and if I understood Zephyris' angry ramblings earlier as he headed to the Black Flame locker room, he'll be issuing an open challenge here tonight!
Roberts: He's clearly still pissed about the humiliating, voyeuristic journey Kira and an unknown camera operator—suspected by many to be the elusive 4CWTron hacker—went on last month.
Jeffrey: Yeah, he was really the butt of the joke! Ahaha!
Phoenix: Wasn't that, ya know - highly illegal? That sort of thing isn't taken lightly by the courts.
Jeffrey: Not in 4CW Land.
Phoenix: Why's that?
Pitch Guy: Because!
Studio Exec: That works.
Bury Tomorrow's "Black Flame" drills through the PA system. The crowd—which is not yet the full house we can surely expect for the main show—is unanimous in booing. Shortly after it starts, Zephyris appears on stage, looking miffed. Michael Carson gets on the mic, barely able to muster any volume or enthusiasm for the man on stage.
Carson: Making his way to the ring, please welcome at this time... representing Black Flame... Zephyyyris!
In the ring, Michael Carson looks mildly annoyed. Zephyris, meanwhile, stomps down the ramp at a brisk pace and slides into the ring. He gestures to ringside for a mic and receives one in short order.
Zephyris: Right. Simply put, I'm pissed off and looking to teach a hard lesson to any brave soul backstage tonight. I hope it's the little punk that sneaked into the Black Flame locker room back in Omaha!
"Touch Like Angel of Death" by Children of Bodom hits the speakers to a very mild pop. Some of the crowd has come to recognize the red-mohawked woman striding confidently down to the ring from her frequent appearances on the house show circuit. Tonight, she's headed to the ring with a smirk plastered on her face, clearly amused by Zephyris' ranting and raving.
Zephyris: Who the hell is this twat?
Rose's expression changes with that. As if on cue, Michael Carson steps back into the middle of the ring, crowding Zephyris' space.
Carson: And his opponent... she hails from Richmond, Virginia. Her weight is NONE OF YOUR FUCKIN' BUSINESS! She stands at an impressive "Who Gives a Flustered Fuck?" *the crowd chuckles* She is the inimitable... VIRGIIIN... RRROSE!
Rose breaks into a jog at the bottom of the ramp and slides into the ring, quickly rolling herself to a vertical base a few feet from Michael Carson, who gives her an amused nod before he exits the ring.
Phoenix: Oh here we go! Zephyris wants to teach a hard lesson? Well our dear Rosie is a student of the game, and a hard one to teach anything else to besides kicking ass.
Roberts: No doubt about it, he's gonna have his hands full with this madwoman.
Jeffrey: And he's antagonized her!
Zephyris gets right up in Rose's face with only the mic to distance them.
Zephyris: So you think you have what it takes to—
*THUD/CRRKKK!* — The microphone feeds back as Rosie yanks it from Zephyris' hands and bashes it squarely into his forehead! Zephyris reels away and falls against the bottom rope. The crowd comes alive.
Rose raises the mic to her mouth.
Rose: What are ya doin' down there?! C'mon, let's have some fuckin' fun.
Zephyris is having a hard time shaking the cobwebs out; The Virgin Rose has no patience for this.
Rose: Get off your ass, c'mon!
She hands the mic off to referee Anna Molly, who in turn passes it to a ring attendant and calls for the starting bell.
DING-DING-DING!
Jeffrey: Hahahahaha! THAT'S how you start a match, boys!
Roberts: The Virgin Rose is no joke!
Zephyris wobbles back toward Rose, stunned.
HEADBUTT FROM ROSE! Zephyris hits the mat, his eyes rolling around in his head like marbles. He shakes his head again, trying to regain some sense. but Rose quickly grabs her living bobble-head toy and pulls him up off the mat. A hard irish whip sends Zephyris bouncing off the ropes and receiving a big back body drop for his troubles! Rose stomps toward her downed opponent, but Zephyris scrambles out of the ring to catch a break and collect himself.
Roberts: I guess that's what happens when you mouth off to Rose!
Phoenix: It was a dumb move on Zephyris' part. Getting out of harm's way is the only smart thing he's done tonight!
No sooner has Phoenix finished saying this than The Virgin Rose runs to the far rope, bounces back with a full head of steam and sends Zephyris crashing into the announce table with a suicide dive!
Jeffrey: Whoa! Looks out boys! It's getting—
Phoenix: Wait for it...
Not done yet, Rose climbs onto the apron and situates herself near the ring post. When Zephyris pushes himself away from the desk, he wobbles right into Rose's path—she runs the apron—dives, and... CANNONBALL!
Phoenix: The Virgin Suicides! Toldja to wait for it.
Jeffrey: Yep, you called it. I keep forgetting you know her indie work. I also keep forgetting to call James' mom. Hmm. Fuck it—James, call your mom after the show and ask her if Tuesday night works for her.
Roberts: Yeah, I'll be sure to do that, Ray.
(James rolls his eyes.)
Zephyris is down and the arena has filled with the sound of the collective enjoyment of the Dallas crowd. Rose soaks this in and nods her head, causing her mohawk to sway about as she soaks it all in. Pleased with her handiwork, she chuckles loudly. With a shrug, Rose grabs a spare wheelie chair and propels herself over to the commentary table, bashing her chair into Ray's and nearly bowling him over.
Jeffrey (flustered): Thefuckareyadoin'?!
*Rose plunks the spare/guest headset on. She playfully jams an elbow into Ray's ribs, apparently hurting him.*
Jeffrey (pained/through gritted teeth): Why?!
Rose: Oh come on, I barely touched ya. *To all*: How's it goin' boys?
*The ref's count reaches 4; Zephyris begins to stir*
Phoenix: Hey Rosie.
Rose: 'Sup Scott? Good to see ya.
Phoenix: Having fun out there tonight?
Rose: Fuck yes I am! What it's all about, y'know?
Phoenix: Indeed it is.
Rose: Yepyep! And how're you, James?
Roberts: Diligent.
Rose: Ha! Diligent. Classic James!
*The ref's count reaches 8, and Zephyris finds his feet with the help of the ring apron*
Rose: Well I'll tell ya what—so am I! 'Scuse me, gents.
The Virgin Rose stands and approaches the ring, casually bashing Zephyris' head off the ring apron along the way to sliding into the ring at the count of nine. Zephyris woozily flops onto the apron and rolls in under the ropes at nine-and-a-half.
Roberts: Well that was.. something.
Phoenix: She's unique, alright. *To Ray*: You okay, Ray?
Jeffrey: I AM SO TURNED ON RIGHT NOW!!!
Phoenix: RAY!
In the ring, Zephyris finds himself being whipped into a corner by Rose. She charges in and eats a boot as Zephyris gets it up in the air at the last second. Zephyris rushes Rose with a clothesline attempt, but she ducks under, catching his arm along the way. Rose places Zephyris into a pumphandle setup, ducks her free arm under his and overhooks it, pressing her hand into his neck. Rose bends at the knees, hoists Zephyris up on her shoulders while twisting and spikes him into the canvas with a pumphandle death valley driver!
Phoenix: A Darker Shade of Red!
Roberts: Zephyris is laid out cold!
Rose crawls into a cover...
One...
Two...
Three!
DING-DING-DING!
Carson: Here is your winner... THE VIRGIN ROSE!!!
"Touch Like Angel of Death" kicks back up, and Rose's decisive victory garners a decent pop from the near-full crowd.
Roberts: What an outing for the fiery upstart from Virginia!
Phoenix: Rose has got some sharp elbows on her, no question.
Jeffrey: Yeah she does! Literally. Ugh, I want more!
Phoenix: You're a sick man, Ray.
Jeffrey: Uh-huh. Y'know, jealousy isn't a good look on you, Scotty.
Phoenix: Don't call me that.
Jeffrey: *(light sigh)* Must we dance this tired dance, old friend?
The camera feed focuses on our familiar trio of commentators at their desk. Roberts addresses the viewers.
Roberts: Thanks again, folks, for tuning in to the 4CW Revival Pre-Show! Now, if I'm not mistaken, Gabriel Crowe is standing by with Tsukiko Mizuno and Oki-Kira. Gabriel?
In Silent Sorcery's locker room, Gabriel Crowe sits on a leather loveseat beside Tsukiko Mizuno, who's casually dressed and sipping on her patented Anti-Bitch Juice™. Beside and between Tsukiko an Crowe, Oki-Kira sits cross-legged on a tatami mat, sewing up a small hole in one of his well-worn kneepads. On the low table beside him, a bowl of lit incense sends a thin plume of smoke into the air. In the background are what seem to be floral arrangements and other indistinct objects, blurred by the camera operator's use of depth of field.
Gabriel: Thank you, James. Yes, I'm here with both members of Silent Sorcery, who are gearing up for their match against The Liberation later tonight.
He turns to Kiko.
Gabriel: Since debuting as a duo in July of 2018, you and your partner have been making a real impact in 4CW's tag division—
Tsukiko: Making a real splash, if you will? YEEEAAAH WATER PUNS!
Tsukiko shoots her left arm up in the air and receives an awkwardly completed high five with Gabriel, who's never been known for having great coordination. Kiko then brings her arm down for a well-oiled low five with her BFF. There's a long, uncomfortable moment where no one does much of anything; Crowe seems thrown off. Tsukiko gestures for him to continue.
Crowe: Is that.. sign language?
Tsukiko wins a battle against her physical instinct to facepalm and instead takes a quick gulp of her mysterious fizzy drink.
Tsukiko: Carry on, Gabriel.
Crowe: Right! Uhh.. oh! Yeah. *ahem* Silent Sorcery's fast rise to the top has been widely noted for quick, unique communication and how smoothly you two work as a team. What's the secret to your success?
Tsukiko: No big secret, really. This prick—
(She sticks a thumb out at Kira, who sticks his tongue out and waggles it in return.)
Tsukiko: (...) has been with me through thick and thin for eight years now. He's the one showed me the ropes in the first place, so there's some natural overlap in our styles. Similar style comes with a degree of similar approach. Couple that with how in-sync we are in pretty much every aspect of our friendship, and you get a team of ready-made partners. We train together; we live together; we learn together; we grow together. Oh yeah—and the sign language doesn't hurt, either!
Gabriel Crowe nods and begins to reply.
Crowe: (indistinct)
He fiddles with the microphone and seems to resolve the issue quite easily. Meanwhile, Kiko glares at Kira. Crowe spots this and does the same.
Crowe: Hey! Not cool.
Somehow, while Crowe was listening to Tsukiko's response, Kira apparently sneakily switched his wireless mic off. Kira briefly feigns ignorance, but he quickly bored of this, heaves his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug, and moseys off to entertain himself otherwise. Tsukiko sighs.
Tsukiko: Sorry! He does stuff like that sometimes.
Crowe: No worries, I guess. *ahem* Recently, things have been heating up between Silent Sorcery and The Liberation. What do you think of this rival team?
Tsukiko chuckles at this.
Tsukiko: Think? Well that's just the thing, isn't it? Me and Kira, we think! Rigg and Fischer follow. As for the boys' ringwork, well, we've done our homework. They're a good team. Rigg is.. well, he's big. A big rig, if you will. Strong, mean and resilient... but kinda slow and has no chill. Silent Sorcery doesn't do slow, and we always keep our cool. And then there's Garret Fischer. Fischer is a springy little hard case; an impressive young talent for sure. The little flaw I picked up on is that he isn't exactly a master strategist in the ring. I guess I'm saying that Fischer is no Bobby Fischer, if you'll indulge the nerdy reference. But us? We're always thinking ahead: we plan; we adapt when plans go wrong.
Crowe: Ha. Bobby Fischer reference is a win in my book. Well Tsukiko, you sound quite confident heading into tonight's match. And that leads me to my last question: In your new contract, Sery has stipulated that you can't say a single on-air word outside the confines of your locker room.
Tsukiko: Unless Hazel says otherwise. Which she hasn't.
Crowe: My question, then, is two-fold: What effect has this restriction had on you, and how do you feel about that power being placed in the hands of Witch Hazel?
Tsukiko heaves a sigh, then smiles.
Tsukiko: From where I am now, honestly, I think it's the best thing that could have happened. I earned my punishment, and Hazel deserves to preside over my contract stipulation. In turn, it's humbled me. I'm also a much more focused competitor. Of course, a swig or two of the ol' medicine helps keep me in line, too.
Kiko downs some more Anti-Bitch Juice™, exhaling afterwards with a satisfied "ahhh" sound. Gabriel Crowe raises an eyebrow.
Crowe: Okay, I gotta ask a bonus question: Just what the hell is in that stuff, anyway?!
Tsukiko shrugs.
Tsukiko: Fucked if I know. It's some crazy Sery Lab concoction. I only came up with the idea.
Kira taps Kiko on the shoulder; she turns her head toward him as he signs in JSL, and the two chuckle. (Kira does this silently, somehow.)
Crowe: What did he just say?
Tsukiko: Kira's working theory is that it's a blend of grape soda, chamomile, turmeric, lavender oil, and concentrated human patience. Oh—and purple food colouring!
Crowe: Ha! Concentrated patience! Can you imagine?
Tsukiko laughs.
Tsukiko: That's Kira for ya.
Crowe: Well that's all I've got for now, I'll get out of your hair. Thanks for your time! *he turns to the camera* And now it's back to you, boys!
The feed takes us back to ringside with James, Ray and Scott.
Phoenix: Thanks for that; good work, Gabriel.
Jeffrey: Are you kidding?! The guy's a dork.
Roberts: Oh come on, Ray! We're wrapping up the pre-show! Is this really the note you wanna close the show on?
Jeffrey: Your dad shoulda wrapped it up! Ahaha! Oh—wait—shit. Actually, I'm damn glad he didn't. Because for every contemptible breath you draw in this world, if it weren't for your father's cavalier attitude towards safe sex, I would never have had so much of it with your mom! BOOYA BAY-BEE!!! And that is the note I wanna close the show on! WOOHOOOHOO!!! Seeya on the main stage, fuckers!
Phoenix (exasperated): Thanks for joining us for this first-ever 4CW pre-show event! And now, it's onward to Revival!
Quick result(s)
- The Virgin Rose defeated Zephyris
Writing & graphic credit
- Pilgrim Paige
Review sheet
- Zephyris vs The Virgin Rose
- Silent Sorcery interview
- MVP of the night
4CW PRESENTS... REVIVAL XIII
Live from AT&T Stadium - Dallas, Texas
April 28, 2019
Att: 100,001
PYRO
PYRO
PYRO
"Unleashed" by Killswitch Engage plays through the arena. The camera pans the raucous crowd and the sea of noise they make drowns out the theme of the show.
Phoenix: Ladies and gentlemen, WELCOME TO REVIVAL XIII!! I'm Scott Phoenix, and I am joined tonight by the ever-present James Roberts and Ray Jeffrey! Boys, can you believe it? We're here!!
Jeffrey: It's like a tsunami of people here! One hundred thousand and one strong, it is an absolutely insane atmosphere! If this place had a roof, it would be in the stratosphere by now!
Roberts: And fellas, tonight is going to be one for ages! We have a card that would rival all of Revival's history.
Phoenix: Absolutely! In our main event this evening, the Lunar Pilgrim and the reigning 4CW World Champion Pilgrim Paige will go Three Stages of Hell with the 4CW Hall of Famer, Jacob "The Thunderbolt" Scharff!! Pilgrim Paige won the title at Gallows End in a triple threat match with Scharff and Wolfbaine, and then retained the title at WAR in triple threat against McGroin and Scharff. The thing those two matches have in common? Jacob Scharff was never pinned. So tonight, he gets his one on one opportunity, in Three Stages of Hell, and three falls, to decide the undisputed victor!
Jeffrey: That's gonna be absolutely crazy, but if we're talking about crazy, we have to talk about the FIRST-EVER Lightning in a Bottle match! Five competitors will duke it out in a domed chamber to fight for the Lightning in the Bottle, which will guarantee them a 4CW Championship match of their choosing, at any time, at any place! It's Erica Moxie vs Witch Hazel vs Tommy Young vs Supreme vs Phil McGroin!!
Roberts: Last month, we saw Jack Valentine make history as he defeated Tommy Young in the 2019 Stormchaser Tournament Final! That victory secured him a 4CW Universal Championship match tonight against Young's mentor, Brian White! Nobody has held that Universal Title for more days through all their reigns than Brian White! But Jack Valentine has been on an absolute tear lately! He defeated Rhys Cain at Gallows End and his team defeated Cain's team at Storm Front: WAR II. He then went on to the Stormchaser Tournament and won the whole thing to earn this shot!
Phoenix: Speaking of Rhys Cain, as much as it disturbs me to do so, tonight Willow the Widow will seek retribution for his horrific attack in December, as they go one on one! But the stakes couldn't be higher in this match. If Willow the Widow loses, her true identity will be revealed. If Cain loses, his career is over. It's Mask vs Career! Willow the Willow vs Rhys Cain!
Jeffrey: The Supergroup will take on The Janiturs in a twelve man tag team match! The winners will become number one contenders to the Tag Titles. There's stakes. There's a ton of people and there's even a moose!
Roberts: And last but not least, The Liberation will be in tag team action against Silent Sorcery! Silent Sorcery has been a pain in the side of The Liberation for a while, and The Liberation's tempers have often gotten the better of them. Tonight, both tag teams clash to settle their difference and try and earn a huge victory on the grandest stage!
Phoenix: And if all that isn't enough, I'm getting word that tonight we will honour MULTIPLE inductees into the 4CW Hall of Fame tonight, with the Class of 2019. Who will be chosen to become part of the annals of history?! But first, it's time for some in-ring action! Take it away, Michael Carson!
The ring is surrounded by a domed chamber with two levels. On each corner of the lower level, there is a rope ladder that reaches the upper level. The upper level has a plexiglass tube with a bottle inside hanging down from the roof, while there are also four keys hanging down. At the side of the chamber, on the top level, there is an opening in the wall, with a plank. Underneath this plank at ringside are four sets of triple stacked tables.
Carson: The following contest is the first ever Lightning in a Bottle match! The rules are as follows: The five competitors must fight it out, to climb to the upper "deck", retrieve the correct key and open the plexiglass tube and remove the Bottle to win the match. There are no pinfalls, submissions, disqualifications or countouts! If a competitor falls into the sea of tables, they are eliminated!
"Numb" by Linkin Park hits the PA system. The crowd are fired up for this first ever match, so even Phil McGroin has a few cheers scattered in with his usual boos.
Carson: Introducing first, from Helston, England, weighing in at 14 stone, he is the man who once made a cow tap out and a TEN TIME 4CW Hardcore Champion... PHIL ... MCGROOOIN!!
McGroin strolls down to the ring full of confidence, with Camera Man lagging behind, filming from the back to get the scope of the full arena.
Phoenix: Phil McGroin feels like his escapades as Hardcore Champion have primed him for this type of match! I think we can all agree that McGroin likes foreign objects, and will appreciate this match more than most!
Jeffrey: And if he wins, he's allowed an opportunity at ANY 4CW Championship at ANY time for the next year! That kind of power could excel McGroin to new heights!
McGroin approaches the chamber with an awe he tries to hide, and enters through the door, sliding in under the bottom rope and into the chamber. He looks up and around to take in his surroundings, as the next entrant's music hits.
"Inked In Blood" by Sigh hits the PA system. The crowd pops loudly as Witch Hazel steps out on to the stage!
Carson: Introducing next, from everywhere... and NOOOOWHERE ... weighing in at 128lbs... WITCH ... HAAAAZELLL!!
The frenetic atmosphere from Witch Hazel's music and movements only raises further when she jumps up on to the barricade and runs down the top to the ring.
Phoenix: Witch Hazel just came off the third-longest Custom Cup championship reign in history, behind only Pilgrim Paige and Rhys Cain! Tonight, she has an opportunity to open a new path in her career - one that could lead her to ANY of the 4CW Championships!
Roberts: And the thing about Hazel is she's a complete wildcard! And she has proven in the past that she can win matches in structures like this.
Phoenix: Well, we've never had a structure quite like this one before, but I get your point.
Hazel stares up and around at the structure with a fascinated expression on her face as she enters through the door and into the ring. She and McGroin exchange glances; each of them well versed with each other at this point, but they don't do anything else as they await more competitors.
"Good Times" by Finger Eleven hits the PA system. The crowd cheer as the latest competitor, and 4CW Hall of Famer, Supreme, arrives on to the stage.
Carson: Introducing next, from Supremeville, USA, weighing in at 240lbs, he is 4CW Hall of Famer ... SUUUPREEEME!!
Supreme stands at the top of the ramp, looking down at the structure with his hands on his hips, and taking it all in. He nods slowly before lightly slapping himself in the face and heading down to the ring with a determined gaze at the chamber.
Phoenix: Supreme is a 15 year 4CW veteran, 4CW Hall of Famer, Second-ever 4CW World Champion, two-time Custom Cup Champion, multiple time Hardcore Champion, Tag Team Champion, two-time winner of the WAR match, his illustrious achievements speak for themselves! However tonight, he has a new goal, a new achievement and Supreme has his sights set on being the first ever Lightning in the Bottle match winner.
Jeffrey: And for what it's worth, I'd say he's my favourite. He's got a legit claim of the best wrestler in the world, and tonight, in this historic match, he has the opportunity to further cement his already glorious career.
Roberts: That was actually really well put, Ray.
Jeffrey: You should see where I put myself in your mother, James.
Roberts: ....aaand there it is.
Supreme goes to a corner once inside the ring and used to his surroundings. The music changes as "Break and Dominate" by The Charm The Fury hits the PA system. The crowd boo as Erica Moxie marches out on to the stage and down the ramp.
Carson: Introducing next, from Omaha, Nebraska, weighing in at 147lbs, ERICA .... MOOOOOXIE!!
Phoenix: Erica Moxie is the type of wrestler who thrives in this environment! She has to be considered a dark horse here!
Jeffrey: Absolutely, she is! It's time for some Moxie Madness!
Moxie reaches the bottom of the ramp and looks around at the structure. It seems she is trying to memorise everything about it as she walks through the door and steps into the ring.
"Aces High" by Iron Maiden hits the PA system. The crowd pop huge as the only competitor with a championship comes out on to the stage. The main riff hits and Tommy Young comes flying out from behind the curtain, pulling off a perfect 3 point landing. Standing, Young does his target lock pose before quickly throwing open his jacket to reveal the custom cup belt tied around his waist.
Carson: Finally, from Barry, South Wales, weighing in at 195lbs, he is the 4CW Custom Cup Champion ... "TOP GUUUUN" ... TOMMYYYYYY YOUNG!!
Phoenix: And what an opportunity this is for Tommy Young tonight! If for argument's sake, he walks out the winner of this match, he could challenge for ANY championship in 4CW, and potentially become a DOUBLE champion, much like his mentor Brian White did a couple of years ago!
Roberts: Well, Young certainly learned a lot from the Hall of Famer, and tonight, he has the opportunity to cement himself with iconic status if he can become the first ever winner of the Lightning in the Bottle match!
Young arrives at the door of the chamber. He takes off his belt and hands it to a ref, before walking through the door and getting into the ring. The five competitors scatter around the ring, McGroin hanging out by the ropes on one side while the other four linger around the corners. The referee stands in the middle top side of the ring with a locked chest, against the ropes. It’s about six foot wide and a foot deep. The referee unlocks the chest, lifts it open, and that’s a signal for the bell to ring. As all five competitors scramble to get the chest with an array of weapons inside, the referee slips out of view and exits through the door, which is locked shut after.
Jeffrey: HERE WE GO!
Inside the ring there is a mass of arms and legs flailing. Supreme decks McGroin with an elbow across the face that sends him reeling to the ropes. Young takes out Hazel with a standing dropkick and Erica Moxie finds herself with an opening and pulls a kendo stick out of the chest.
Roberts: Moxie is armed!
Moxie swings to the nearest opponent and cracks Young across the head with said kendo stick, and then she swiftly turns around and takes out Supreme and a recovering McGroin with the stick as well!
Phoenix: Kendo stick chaos!
Erica Moxie spins around as she senses someone behind her. She meets Hazel, who has a steel chair in her hands. Hazel throws the chair at Moxie, who drops the kendo stick and catches the chair, only to eat a running dropkick to the face with the chair from Hazel!
Phoenix: And Hazel is here to prove she can get as wild as the rest of them, though I think we know that already!
Jeffrey: And Hazel isn't done!
Hazel then picks up the kendo stick that Moxie dropped and goes to town on her with four or five swift shots. As Moxie writhes around, Supreme comes back into the action, heading straight for Hazel, but Hazel sidesteps him and launches Supreme into the chamber wall! Supreme hits the mesh and falls onto the ropes, before falling to the mat.
Phoenix: Flesh fought the steel and the steel won!
Roberts: Supreme will feel that in the morning!
Hazel wastes no time in continuing her offense. As Supreme uses the ropes to get back to his feet on the apron, between the chamber and the ropes, Hazel hits a shotgun dropkick! Supreme slumps down into the gap again.
Phoenix: Boomstick by Hazel!
Hazel turns on the spot, hyped up from all the offense, when suddenly Moxie is back up her feet. She and Hazel stare at each other for a split second, and then Moxie slaps the taste out of Hazel's mouth! The crowd gasp and Hazel takes the brunt of it pretty well, and then, with breakneck speed, she returns the slap, twofold, to Moxie, who stumbles from the shot and the crowd exclaim loudly. Hazel follows up with a few brutal elbows that land Moxie in the corner, and then she runs up and takes out Moxie with another Boomstick!
Roberts: The Hedge Witch is unstoppable right now!!
Hazel gets back up and turns to find another opponent - but he finds her first! Phil McGroin grabs Hazel and DDT's her into a steel chair!!
Jeffrey: That'll stop her! What a brutal landing!
Suddenly, Tommy Young flies off the top rope and hits McGroin with a diving crossbody! Young lifts up McGroin for a suplex, but McGroin knees Young in the head and lands back on his feet. He then grabs Young, and hits a T-Bone Suplex! McGroin gets up and realises he has an open field. Supreme is still stuck between the ropes and the chamber, Moxie is laid out in the corner, and Hazel and Young on the mat. He stumbles over to the corner, climbs the turnbuckle, then uses a dangling rope ladder to climb up to the second floor of this structure!
Phoenix: Phil McGroin is the first competitor to make the ascent! The problem now is he has four keys hanging above him. I don't think he's tall enough, so he's going to have to climb the roof of the dome! He needs to grab the correct key and open the plexiglass tube that has the Lightning in the Bottle! But the question is, which key is it?
Roberts: And look at that sea of tables over there! I'm telling you, I kinda hope this match ends quickly, because I'm not sure I'll ever stop having nightmares about anyone falling through that!
Realising his predicament, McGroin gives a "fuck it!" shrug and starts to climb the curved dome roof! He makes slow progress at first, but ends up at the top, hanging like spiderman, and he yanks off the key. Hanging down, McGroin lands on his feet on the top floor again and walks over to the middle of the ring, where the plexiglass tube hangs, lower than all the keys and reachable.
Phoenix: McGroin has the key and the tube! But is it the correct key?!
McGroin inserts the key and is about to turn it - when Tommy Young runs in with a brutal clothesline, knocking McGroin down on his ass. Young turns the key in the tube - but it doesn't unlock! Wrong key! Disappointed, Young pulls out the key and throws it away, then eyes up the remaining three keys hanging above. He spots the closest to him and nods to himself. McGroin stumbles back up to his feet, but Young grabs him, and takes him out with a suplex on to the top floor, which is simply plates of steel acting as a roof to the lower floor.
Phoenix: Suplex on to the steel!
Roberts: And it looks like Young is going for a key!
Young takes the same route McGroin did and climbs from the same side of the wall, to get the next key over from the one McGroin did. As he climbs, someone else climbs up through from the bottom floor - it's Witch Hazel! As Hazel crawls on to the top floor, below Supreme and Moxie are brawling in the middle of the ring. Supreme gets the upper hand with his strikes and whips Moxie to the ropes. Moxie ducks his clothesline, spins him on the spot, and unleashes a combo of knife edge chops and right hands repeatedly, before following it up with a spinning back elbow!
Roberts: THERE'S the Moxie Madness!
Supreme stumbles to the ropes and Moxie advances to the corner, deciding to make the climb. Before she gets to the turnbuckle though, Supreme has started running to the opposing ropes. He shouts "hey, bitch!" and when Moxie turns around, he takes her out with the ROARING ELBOW!!
Jeffrey: SUPREME ANNOYANCE! Moxie is lights out!
Moxie crumbles to the mat as Supreme advances to the chest. Above the ring, on the top floor, both Hazel and Young are climbing for separate keys on opposing sides of the roof. Supreme grabs a selection of weapons from the chest, then throws up to the top floor a steel chair, a kendo stick and a stop sign. Finally, he foes back to the chest, pulls out some brass knucks, slips then on his hand and then proceeds to climb the turnbuckle, the rope ladder and to the top floor!
Phoenix: Supreme is here, and he's brought some friends with him! This match is heating up fast! Moxie is the only person on the lower floor!
On the roof, Young grabs his key and jumps down. Hazel is still climbing for hers. Supreme picks up the stop sign and smashes it across Tommy Young's head, bending it in half with ease as Young falls to the steel floor, clutching the key in his hand! Supreme bends down and rips the key out of his hands, then puts it into the plexiglass tube lock and turns - NOPE! Wrong key! Supreme discards the key and kicks Young once again, just for the gall of pulling down the wrong key. He then remembers Hazel and spins on the spot - just in time for Hazel to come down from the roof at a 45 degree angle and take out Supreme with a crossbody!
Witch Hazel stumbles to her feet and puts the key in the tube, and turns - there is a notable shift! SHE HAS THE CORRECT KEY! But before Hazel can pull out the tube, McGroin comes out of nowhere with the steel chair and SMASHES Hazel across the head! Hazel crumples!! McGroin turns to get the tube, but he is also blasted out of nowhere, as Supreme is suddenly up again, and takes out McGroin with a German Suplex! Supreme gets back up and roars furiously!!
Phoenix: The adrenaline is pumping in Supreme! But I'm not sure he realises that the CORRECT KEY is in the lock!
Supreme grabs McGroin and shifts his position, moving closer to the ominous plank and sea of tables on one side of the chamber.
Jeffrey: What's Supreme thinking here?!
Roberts: OH NO!
McGroin wakes up suddenly and fights back frantically with lefts and rights. The two of them ominously sway near the plank, sending lefts and rights to each other in quick succession. Finally, Supreme hits an elbow to the face which stuns McGroin! Supreme embraces McGroin, almost like a big hug, then flips him up and over - WITH A BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX!! MCGROIN FALLS INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA OF TABLES!!
Phoenix: OH MY GOD!!
Roberts: NOO!!
Jeffrey: AAAHHHHH!!!
McGroin breaks through at least five tables, each looking worse than the last!! The crowd are screaming and gasping in horror but also buzzing with intensity. A deafening "HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!!" chant breaks out, and the commentators are barely audible as they rant about the destruction caused!
Phoenix: - believe what we have just seen -- dreadful impact -- help out here now!!
"HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!"
Carson: Phil McGroin has been eliminated!
Jeffrey: Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! Thanks for that, Carson! You fucking moron!
Supreme stumbles away from the now collapsed structures of tables, removing himself from the area so as to not meet the same fate. It is at this point, that he hones in on the tube, and sees a key hanging there. He marches towards it, but misses the appearance of Tommy Young!! Young charges at Supreme and takes him out with a sling blade!! Supreme is up quickly, but Young continues his attack with an Enziguri!! Supreme falls to his knees! Young approaches him, near the tube, to finish the job - but Supreme lifts his arm up and hits Young with a BLATANT LOW BLOW!!
Phoenix: Well, ANYTHING GOES in this match!
Jeffrey: You're damn right!
Young falls and collapses - and it seems there is nothing between Supreme and that tube, as he reaches up, but a boot from Erica Moxie kicks his hand out of the way! She then mounts Supreme and unleashes lefts and rights!
Roberts: And Moxie isn't giving up without a fight! But with all those EMTs surrounding McGroin, she can see what Supreme is capable of! She needs to make sure she doesn't end this match the same way as McGroin!
Supreme throws a wild right hand from his position on the mat and luckily catches Moxie, allowing himself to shimmy and kick Moxie off of him. The two of them stumble to their feet, but Supreme hits first - a right hand - with the BRASS KNUCKS - knocks Moxie down to the floor! Supreme then picks up the steel chair! He thwacks Moxie with it in the back, then follows up with shots to Witch Hazel. Finally, he reaches Tommy Young!
Young rolls out of the way of the chair shot, and kicks Supreme in the knee! Young rolls up back to his feet, slightly hindered due to the earlier low blow, but still fighting! He runs at Supreme and hits a dropkick! Supreme stumbles back on to the plank!!
Phoenix: NO! NOT AGAIN!!
Supreme seems like he is going to fall, but after a second of fighting for balance, he steps back to safety and moves forward, but Young has him in his sights! Young takes out Supreme with a clothesline and then he climbs the dome!! As Supreme jumps back up, Young dives down at Supreme with an attempt at the flying forearm smash! BUT SUPREME CATCHES YOUNG! Supreme takes out Young with a back suplex on to the steel! Supreme then grabs Young and takes him out with a picture perfect Fisherman's Suplex!!
Phoenix: And there's SUPREME COMPROMISE!! Young is down and out!
Supreme stumbles back up to his feet, and, almost giddy with excitement, he pulls at the unlocked tube and the Lightning in the Bottle FALLS INTO HIS HAND!!
Carson: Here is your FIRST EVER WINNER of the Lightning in the Bottle match, SUPREEEEEME!!!
Phoenix: Supreme is victorious, tonight here in Texas! What an opening contest tonight, and what a brutal affair! As you can see, Phil McGroin has been whisked away to a medical facility after his plunge into the sea of tables! But the big story here is SUPREME holds the Lightning in the Bottle! Any time between now and Revival 2020, he may request one championship match, for any title, at any time, in any place!
Jeffrey: And as a 4CW Hall of Famer, it's not at all surprising that he has won tonight! I told you he would!
Phoenix: And that ladies and gentlemen, was only a taste of what we have to come tonight! So imagine what's coming up! We'll get this place all cleaned up for the next match, and meanwhile, here's Marie Dubois backstage with two superstars!
Supreme holds the bottle in the air, celebrating his victory, as the referees and EMTs invade the now open chamber to see to all the competitors. In the meantime, we cut backstage to an interview area. Marie Dubois is standing by with the 4CW Tag Team Champions Umbra Maxima. Neither of them look very happy, with scowls on their faces.
Dubois: Ladies and gentlemen, I am here live with the 4CW Tag Team Champions Umbra Maxima! Elfan, Maximillian, we are here at Revival! How does the atmosphere feel to you tonight?
Simtul: ...
The two of them stand there, furiously and awkwardly silent. Marie presses on.
Dubois: OK, um... you two are not in action tonight (Simtul glares at her) but there is an array of Tag Team competition going on tonight! What are your thoughts on the rest of the division?
The two refuse to respond. Elfan Simtul exhales loudly through his nose and walks off screen. Yesgill glances at Dubois, looks like he is on the edge of saying something, then storms off with his partner.
Dubois: Alright. Um... back to the arena!
"Ding Dong Song" by Gunther hits the PA system. The crowd pop loud for the arrival of THE JANITURS! The whole weird, masked medley of people come out, along with their furry antlered friend, Marquis.
Carson: The following contest is a 12-person elimination tag team match! The winning faction will receive a 4CW Tag Team Championship match for any two members! Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring my Marquis the Moose! The team of Janitur, Swifter, JANISTAR, The Canadian Geek, The Moose Guy and JaniHer ... THE JANITURS!!
They all come down to the ring, and a few kids feed Marquis a carrot on the ramp, which he gratefully takes. The parent looks horrified of a moose's mouth being so close to his child's hand, but luckily, the kid gets out of it with ten fingers still and the group move on to the ring. The group enter the ring, with Marquis hanging out at ringside, terrifying several children at ringside, but also fascinating several others. Eventually, some handlers come down to the ring, with Sery at the top of the ramp, signalling for them to remove Marquis from ringside. The crowd start to boo.
Phoenix: It seems for safety issues, Marquis isn't going to be here during the match itself.
Roberts: Can't say I'm not relieved. Twelve wrestlers fighting with a moose in the area seems like a recipe for disaster!
The Janiturs don't seem happy but since it's out of their control, they let Marquis go. A "Thank You, Marquis!" chant breaks out as he heads out the side exit at the ramp and then "Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco hits the PA system as the opponents make their way through gorilla.
First comes Zak E Justice, flanked closely by Nik Waverly. Both have their signature cornrows, shades and arrogant swagger. Rane ruins the "cool" factor as she lumbers out, in a full blue suit and mask, with Myback only solidifying this change, with a cane in his hand (yes, really). Finally, Tony Rock and Carlos Starr step out, looking the most "normal" of the bunch, Rock in black trunks, boots and kneepads and Starr in blue and black star tights and boots.
Carson: And their opponents... the team of Zak E Justice, Nik Waverly, Rane, Myback, Tony Rock and Carlos Starr ... THE SUUUUPERGROUP!!
The six of them stroll down to the ring, chatting among themselves excitedly, especially with the absence of the moose now a factor in this match. As The Supergroup enter and surround one corner, the Janiturs take the opposite side. Both groups discuss among themselves the opening tactics, and eventually the two starters from each team are established: Janitur for the Janiturs and Zak E Justice for The Supergroup!
Phoenix: We're starting this match hot! Leader vs Leader!
Roberts: We're starting this match tepid at best.
Ding ding!
Janitur and Justice inch forward and begin to circle each other. Slowly, they rotate, each man looking to make a move but never actually doing so. Eventually, they realise that they've turned in a full circle and ended up back where they started.
Jeffrey: Only the world's best wrestling here in 4CW!
Janitur looks over to his team on the apron. Then he shrugs, and tags in JANISTAR! The towering masked behemoth climbs over the top rope and into the ring. Justice freezes on the spot with fear and gulps. JANISTAR runs forward and takes out Justice with a clothesline that flips him in the air before he crashes face first into the mat! Justice groans and scrambles, trying to get to his feet. He manages to lean on a turnbuckle, away from his team, but JANISTAR stalks him and hits him with a clubbing blow to the back!
Roberts: I mean... this match is over, right? None of The Supergroup are gonna put a dent in JANISTAR, and he's only one of the six opponents!
Jeffrey: OK, so we're just ignoring the fact he's clearly MONSTAR's corpse reanimated, yeah?
Phoenix: What?
Roberts: What?
Jeffrey: Right. Just checking.
Inside the ring, JANISTAR grabs Justice and lifts him up into the air with both arms outstretched, before dropping him with a military press slam! JANISTAR runs to the ropes and comes back, diving on Justice with a big splash! He hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO ... NO?! Waverly runs in and breaks up the fall! He rolls out of the ring as JANISTAR follows to the ropes, furious. He doesn't get to Waverly, but the distraction is enough to allow Justice to tag in Tony Rock!
Rock gets in and attacks JANISTAR from behind with a right hand to the back of the head - but JANISTAR doesn't react! He simply turns on the spot, grabs Tony Rock and headbutts him! Rock rolls backwards into his corner and tags in Starr. Starr looks shocked at this sudden turn of events! He's still wearing his shades, even! He gets into the ring, and hands shaking, removes the shades. Then, arm shaking wildly, he offers it forward to the masked gargantuan.
Jeffrey: What a nice guy! Carlos has some shades for JANISTAR!
Roberts: I think he's just trying to find ways to delay his own demise.
Jeffrey: Shut your pie-hole, asshole.
JANISTAR takes the shades, raises them in one hand and crushes them into plastic and dust with one clench of his giant fist! Starr puts his hands together, pleading and begging, as JANISTAR grabs him by the throat. It looks like JANISTAR is going to hit some kind of chokeslam, when suddenly two men run into the ring!
Phoenix: What the hell?
It isn't any member of The Supergroup though, or The Janiturs, it's 4CW Tag Team Champions UMBRA MAXIMA! And they've come prepared with steel chairs! Dual hits to JANISTAR's back forces him down to his knees and the referee calls for the bell! And then, pandemonium. The remaining members of The Janiturs invade the ring and Umbra Maxima unleash seven levels of hell with both the steel chairs! Yesgill whacks Jani-Her with a head shot that knocks her down instantly. The Moose Guy is hit by Simtul's chair, who then takes out Janitur with the same chair! Yesgill moves on to Swifter and swats him away with the steel chair. The Canadian Geek punches the steel chair out of Yesgill's hands and grabs him, but Simtul throws his chair which hits Geek in the face and sends him toppling!
Jeffrey: It looks like Umbra Maxima are pissed!
Roberts: Yeah, but what issue do they have with any of these guys?
Jeffrey: You really are a slow twat, aren't you James?
JANISTAR is starting to recover so Simtul picks up his chair that he threw and Yesgill advances too. Together, they take turns bashing JANISTAR in the back repeatedly with the steel chairs until he stops trying to get up. This takes at least a minute, and the crowd gasp along with every shot. Eventually, JANISTAR is still and the Tag Champions kick him out of the ring, and he falls on top of Geek on the outside.
Carson: Here are your winners by disqualification, The Janiturs.
The Supergroup are still all standing on the apron, maybe somehow hoping if they keep really still Umbra Maxima won't notice them. Elfan lunges forward with a steel chair that hits Myback, and he topples to the floor. The other five topple with him, if only to move out of the way. Together, the five members of The Supergroup pick up Myback by his arms and legs, and run up the ramp, carrying him away. Inside the ring, Umbra Maxima are livid. Yesgill grabs a mic from ringside.
Yesgill: The moon shines brightly on to this arena tonight, but we are cast in the shadows. We are the 4CW Tag Team Champions, and we deserve more respect! We are not leaving this ring until a team - ANY TEAM - comes out here, so we can annihilate them and retain the 4CW Tag Team Championships!
Yesgill slams the mic down and the two champions wait, chomping at the bit.
Phoenix: The tag team champions are here for a fight - and the issue has been challenged! While we wait to see if anyone accepts this challenge, we have some news on the first inductees into the 4CW Hall of Fame, Class of 2019 - and yes, I said inductees.
Phoenix: Congratulations to Lords of Salem, Carstein and Inferno! Lords of Salem are the first inductees into the 2019 Class! This also makes both Inferno and Carstein two-time Hall of Famers! One of the longest-reigning and greatest tag team champions of all time, honoured at last. And now, let's go back to the ring and see who will accept Umbra Maxina's challlenge to continue the legacy of those same belts tonight!
The camera pans back to the arena. Umbra Maxima are waiting. The entrance ramp is imposing but empty. A few moments of silence follows, but the crowd are awake with anticipation, and then -
"Roadgame" by Kavinsky hits the PA system. The crowd pop loudly at the music, knowing what's to come. When the beat drops, Devon Drummond and Reuben Kojo come out on to the stage, grooving along to the music, dressed in pink and black 80s disco theme trunks.
Roberts: It's the Synth City Thrillers! I love these guys!
Phoenix: Well, I'm getting word that it's official! This match is going ahead!
Jeffrey: Umbra Maxima vs Synth City for the 4CW Tag Titles? Hell yeah, let's do it!
Drummond and Kojo only stop dancing to their theme music when they reach the bottom of the ramp. At which point, they stop the fun and games, stare at their opponents in the ring, and roll in. The champs are still holding the steel chairs in their hands. Kojo has a mic in hand.
Kojo: Listen up, fellas. I'm not stupid enough to say that I'm immune to steel, but you guys want a fight? A *real* fight? Then put your toys away and let's dance. Because I am smart enough to know that when flesh hits flesh, King Kojo wins every time. And Drummond here is the Keeper of the Keys, and lemme tell you something, brothers, when he's got you locked in a submission - he don't share his keys, bruv. So put your titles where your mouth is, innit, and let's settle this in the ring and see if you two are really deserving of those belts, or just a placeholder because until now, there was no-one better around.
Umbra Maxima say nothing in response to this, though the crowd "oooh" suggests they should be irate. Instead, they simply throw the steel chairs out of the ring and motion for the announcer to get on with it.
Carson: The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the 4CW Tag Team Championships! Introducing first, the challengers, residing in London, England, weighing in at a combined weight of 454lbs, DEVON DRUMMOND ... REUBEN KOJO .... THE SYNTH CITTYYYYYYYYYYYYYY THRILLERS!!
The intensity between the two teams is thick and Synth City stare out the champions as their names are called.
Carson: And their opponents, residing in New York, New York, weighing in at a combined weight of 485lbs, they are the 4CW Tag Team Champions! MAXIMILLIAN YESGILL ... ELFAN SIMTUL ... UMBRAAAAAAAA MAXIMAAA!!
The intense stare down continues. Eventually the ref motions for them to take their corners and they break eye contract, with both teams going to their respective corners. Synth City discuss quietly between themselves before Kojo steps forward while Drummond goes to the apron. On the other side of the ring, Maxima follow a similar train of thought as they match the bigger man of Synth City with the bigger man of Maxima and Simtul steps forward. The referee calls for the bell.
Ding ding!
Kojo and Simtul approach each other in the middle of the ring until they are nose to nose. Simtul is slightly taller than Kojo, but Kojo is by no means any less intimidating. And then, out of nowhere, the strikes begin. Kojo comes to life with a neck chop and a chest chop. Simtul steps back and Kojo advances with another chop, but Simtul blocks it with his forearm. Simtul throws his other forearm forward and hits Kojo, sending Kojo stumbling backwards. Kojo shakes the cobwebs after a second though, and retaliates with a brutal swinging uppercut!
Simtul falls back and even lands on the rope for support, but within a moment, he gets back up to his feet, holds his chin with an impressed look on his face and then surges forward and knocks Kojo to the mat with a brutal clothesline!
Phoenix: Well that was an intense battle! And Simtul came out on top of that early exchange!
Roberts: He certainly felt those strikes from Kojo, though!
Somewhat amusingly, members of The Janiturs are still scattered around the ring. They don't interrupt the match as they start to come to, though, and instead decide to watch what is going on. At least The Canadian Geek and The Moose Guy do. The rest of The Janiturs decide to head up the ramp, having decided they've had enough and their night is over. The two moose handlers remain to watch though, while resting against the barricades due to the earlier assault.
Inside the ring, Simtul continues to dominate Kojo. He takes him to a corner and hits a few elbows, then sends him to the opposing corner and takes him out with a running clothesline. Simtul then takes out Kojo with a good old fashioned body slam. He hooks the leg! 1... 2... no! Kojo kicks out!
Phoenix: Simtul seeing what Kojo is made of and will probably be pleased he at least has some level of competition as Kojo isn't going down that simply!
Roberts: These guys may act like their all dances and disco, but they are tough, and superb at both striking and submissions! So I wouldn't be underestimating Synth City if I were the tag champs.
Jeffrey: And why the hell would they take advice from you of all people, fuckwit?
Simtul grabs Kojo and throws him into the Umbra corner. He then stomps at Kojo's gut several times, before tagging in Yesgill, who swiftly jumps in and continues the assault. He throws a few stomps of his own, causing Kojo to fall to a seated position in the corner, and then he tags back in Simtul. Simtul pulls up Kojo so that he's standing again in the corner. He then takes a few steps back, and makes a running start for the Stinger Splash - but Kojo swiftly moves out of the way. Simtul turns and gets hit directly in the face with a spinning back fist! The shot stuns him and he falls to the mat in the corner.
Roberts: Wow! What a strike!
Jeffrey: They don't call The Knockout King for nothing!
Kojo steps back a few steps, much like Simtul did moments earlier, then runs at Simtul and takes him out with a corner Cannonball!
Phoenix: Kojo hits the Disco Ball!
Kojo stumbles over to his corner and tags in Drummond. Devon Drummond marches towards the Umbra corner. He runs at Yesgill and punches him off the apron. He then kneels down to the cornered Simtul and starts unleashing elbow strikes!!
Phoenix: Devon's Demons have been unleashed! Look at those strikes!
Roberts: He needs to be careful! The referee will count him out otherwise!
Drummond relinquishes the strikes on the refs four count, but then pulls Simtul out of the corner and drags him to the middle of the mat. He then runs to the ropes, springboards off and hits a beautiful Moonsault!!
Phoenix: Rage Against The Dying Light! This could be it!
Drummond hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO .... NO!! Yesgill runs in and breaks the fall!! Kojo joins the chaos and chases away Yesgill, clotheslining him over the top rope with such force that Kojo stumbles over the rope and to the outside with Yesgill! Outside the ring, The Canadian Geek and The Moose Guy are now back on their feet. They each grab a steel chair, and then open them, plant them and sit down to continue watching the match.
Phoenix: These two have gotten into this match, huh?
Jeffrey: Maybe the beating they took earlier gave them amnesia and they think they just got really good tickets.
Inside the ring, Drummond gets up and drags the heavier Simtul to his feet.
Phoenix: I'm not sure how wise this is! He should want Simtul to stay on the mat!
Drummond doesn't though, he wants Simtul standing. Once Simtul is on his feet, Drummond unleashes a savage European Uppercut!
Phoenix: There's the Beat of the Drummond!
Drummond smashes Simtul with another Beat, and then, showing significantly impressive strength, LIFTS the 280lber on his shoulders!
Roberts: Wow!
Jeffrey: Impressive strength! Simtul has about 60lbs on Drummond!
Drummond sways a little but holds firm and then throws Simtul into a cross-legged SAMOAN DRIVER!!
Phoenix: Drummond hits it! IT'S COMING HOME!
Drummond hooks the crossed legs and the referee counts! ONE ... TWO .... TH--NO!! SIMTUL KICKS OUT!!
Phoenix: NO! Simtul fights to live another day! That was close!
Roberts: Synth City are bringing it tonight!!
Exhausted from that feat of strength, and frustrated that it wasn't enough, Drummond looks around to find his partner stumbling back to his corner. He sees Simtul getting back to his knees and takes him down with a DDT! Then he goes back and tags Kojo back in.
Kojo steps back into the ring and surges forward, clubbing Simtul with a clothesline in the corner! Simtul stumbles out and walks right into a spinebuster from Kojo!
Phoenix: Synthbuster!
Kojo hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO ... NO! Simtul kicks out. Kojo punches the mat in frustration and jumps up to his feet! He arrives at the ropes and shakes them vigirously. Then he steps back with a slick slide, lifts his head and yells "IT'S PARTY TIIIIIIME!!"
Phoenix: If Kojo says it's party time, then it's time for his Reubenage!
Roberts: Yeah and if you've ever seen it, you know you want to avoid it!
Kojo turns and grabs Simtul, setting him up for the uranage finisher. Before he can do anything however, Simtul seems to have found a second wind. He elbows repeatedly to the side of Kojo's head until Kojo is forced to release the hold. Kojo stumbles away and Simtul runs to the ropes. On his return, he simply barges Kojo with full force and sends Kojo toppling across the ring!
Phoenix:[ Elfan Simtul, ladies and gentlemen! Pure POWER!
Simtul returns the favour to Drummond, who earlier knocked Yesgill off the apron, with a Big Boot that sends him crashing to the outside! Simtul then turns to Kojo, who is back on his feet. Kojo goes for a his Kojo Kick (spinning head kick) but Simtul swiftly avoids it by mere inches and lifts Kojo up on to his shoulders with alarming pace! Simtul then crashed Kojo down with the Shadow Hammer!!
Phoenix: SHADOW HAMMER OUT OF NOWHERE!
Jeffrey: This has got to be it!
Simtul doesn't pin his fallen opponent. Instead, he walks over to a now recovered Yesgill and tags him in. Simtul says something to Yesgill, then he picks up Kojo to his feet and pushes him forward. As Simtul rolls out of the ring, the legal man Yesgill springboards off the top rope and flies in - TAKING OUT KOJO WITH A SUPERMAN PUNCH!!
Phoenix: BOOSTER DESCENT! NOW it's over!!
Phoenix's words ring true, as Yesgill hooks the leg of Kojo! ONE ... TWO ... THREE!!
Carson: Here are your winners and STIILLL THE 4CW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.... UMBRAAAA MAXIMAAAAA!!!
Simtul and Yesgill celebrate together in the ring as their music plays. The ref rolls in and hands them both their tag titles, which they raise high in the air.
Phoenix: This monumental domination of the Tag Division that Umbra Maxima has had for the past year cannot be denied or ignored, and Umbra Maxima made sure of that personally tonight!
Roberts: And Synth City gave them a hell of a battle, but experience won out in the end.
Jeffrey: This is why 4CW has the best tag team division in the world! And the greatest - hey, wait a minute! Look!
Behind Umbra Maxima, sliding into the ring, are The Canadian Geek and The Moose Guy! They both swing the steel chairs they were sitting on, attacking the champions!
Jeffrey: What the hell is this?
Phoenix: Turnabout's fair play! They were even polite enough to wait until the match ehded!
Umbra Maxima drop the belts and the masked pair grab them and throw them both out of the ring. The Moose Guy picks up the belts and hands one to The Canadian Geek.
Jeffrey: Get your dirty mitts of those belts! They don't belong to you!
Then, The Canadian Geek lifts his other hand behind his head and RIPS OFF THE MASK!
Roberts: HEY! It's SENECCA!
Phoenix: Well, if he's Senecca.. does that mean...
The Moose Guy makes the same motion with his own hand and RIPS OFF THE MASK!
Phoenix: It is! DIRK MEYER! S&M are here!
Jeffrey: YES! THIS IS AWESOME!
Roberts: The tag division just got even hotter!
Jeffrey: Well, no, dipshit, they were already here!
Umbra Maxima are irate on the outside at the reveal of the tag team in the ring, holding their belts. Inside the ring, Meyer grabs mics for both him and Senecca.
Senecca: That's right! S&M ARE BACK, BAY-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
The crowd pop at this and S&M eats it up.
Meyer: And since Umbra Maxima had to come and spoil our little game of dress-up, we're going to have to cut short that little venture and instead jump-start our next one!
Meyer and Senecca lift up the 4CW Tag Team Championships. Then, Meyer takes the belt from Senecca and heads over to the ropes, throwing the two belts back to the champions, who catch them, furious.
Meyer: We're challenging you at Rumble in the Storm for the 4CW Tag Team Championships. You wanted competition? REAL competition? How about the greatest tag team in 4CW history?!
The crowd love this idea and Meyer throws the mic to Simtul on the outside. Simtul is seething and furious, but too exhausted to get into another fight tonight and thinks better of it.
Simtul: We... accept!
Simtul keeps it short and simple, then drops the mic as he and Yesgill head to the back. Inside the ring, Senecca and Meyer celebrate their return by interacting with fans and even re-creating their cream pie spot from their feud a couple of years ago.
Phoenix: That's right, ladies and gentlemen, next year ... we're going to REVIVALWORLD! The biggest wrestling and fandom extraveganza event in history! Live from the Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Florida! Revival XIV comes to you April 26, 2020!
"Black Flame" by Bury Tomorrow hits the PA system. The Texas crowd show their disgust for The Liberation as Bruce Rigg and Garret Fischer come out, dressed in their all-black attires, a singlet for Rigg and tights for Fischer.
Carson: The following contest is a tag team match scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, representing The Black Flame, weighing in at a combined weight of 530lbs.... BRUCE RIGG ... GARRET FISCHER ... THE LIBERAAATIOON!!
The heavy Scot Rigg and the agile Dutchman Fischer make their way down to the ring, moving with purpose, and muttering tactics to each other as they go, nodding in agreement.
Phoenix: Well, The Liberation have had a bit of an issue with Silent Sorcery lately.
Jeffrey: Yeah, Silent Sorcery are no good, dirty, rotten thieves!
Roberts: This one hit you personally, Ray?
Jeffrey: You don't take a man's stash, ok? It's just not cool!
The Liberation members both roll into the ring and jump up, taking their corner and continuing to discuss while their opponents music hits. "Forever Lotus" by RUDE hits the PA system and the crowd turn into quite a cheerful bunch, a complete transformation from the acidic boos of moments ago. The warm atmosphere is only magnified when Tsukiko Mizuno and Oki Kira step out on to the Revival stage!
Carson: And their opponents, from Osaka, Japan, weighing in at a combined weight of 332lbs, the team of Tsukiko Mizuno ... and Oki-Kira ... SILEEEEEENT SOOORCERY!!
Making their way down to the ring, Silent Sorcery are honoured by the adulation from the crowd and try to repricate it with acknowledgement, before getting to the ring and becoming focused on their opponents.
Phoenix: Well, Oki-Kira may like a joke now and again, but tonight is no joke. Tonight is the most important night of the year. It's Revival. And a win at Revival is what people dream of when they start their careers. A victory tonight, though it has no special prize, would certainly put the winning team in a spotlight in regards to future challenges to the titles, of which Silent Sorcery, have already captured of course, becoming champions last year for a month.
Jeffrey: Yeah that, and they also want to beat the crap out of each other!
Silent Sorcery are ready in their corner and The Liberation in theirs. So after the referee is satisfied everything is fine, he calls for the bell.
Phoenix: And tonight's official Jude O'Cater rings the bell!
Oki-Kira starts the match with Garret Fischer. The two of them lock up, and Fischer swiftly moves into a headlock. He wrenches the head, trying to punish Kira for his misdeeds, but Kira pushes Fischer away and sends him to the ropes. When Fischer returns, Kira takes him out with a Japanese arm drag. Fischer and Kira jump back and Kira takes him out with a second arm drag. On the third time of asking, Kira instead takes down Fischer with a dropkick!
Fischer takes a moment to reel from the kick, but Kira doesn't let up. Kira throws some vicious kicks to Fischer's back, who recoils on impact and tries to move away. After the fourth kick, Fischer swiftly spins on the spot and leg sweeps Kira knocking him down. Fischer then kips up impressively, though he does hold his back after. A moment later, Kira kips up and the two stare each other down!
Phoenix: Very evenly matched in agility, these two!
Kira throws a spinning heel kick, which Fischer avoids, and retaliates with a knife edge chop, that hits Kira square in the chest! Fischer hits two more vicious chops, before taking down Kira with a snap DDT! Fischer covers! 1 ... 2 ... no! Kira kicks out!
Roberts: Fischer tried to catch Kira off guard there but it's not enough!
Fischer grabs Kira and whips him into the Liberation corner. He then goes over and tags in Rigg. Rigg comes in and delivers some right hands to Kira, before pulling him close and hitting a suplex! Rigg moves back to continue his assault on Kira, but Kira has smartly rolled away to his corner, and Tsukiko kneels down and tags herself in.
Phoenix: And now The Sea Witch is entering the match!
Tsukiko and Rigg lock up, with Rigg winning the grapple with ease, simply throwing Tsukiko away. She rolls through, jumps back to her feet and sprints at Rigg. Rigg throws a clothesline, but Tsukiko ducks and runs to the ropes. Upon Tsukiko's return, Rigg spins around and takes a forearm smash to the face! Rigg holds firm and grabs Tsukiko, headbutting her and sending her to the mat!
Phoenix: If Tsukiko tries to match power with Rigg, I don't think she'll come up very successful.
Tsukiko reels from the headbutt, trying to gather her bearings. Rigg picks her up by the hair and pulls her around the ring. He then grabs her by the waist and takes her out with a German Suplex!
Rigg then runs to the ropes and comes back WITH A RUNNING SPLASH! Tsukiko gasps as over 300lbs squeezes all the air out of her! Rigg hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO .... THR---NOO!! TSUKIKO KICKS OUT!
Phoenix: Wow!
Jeffrey: How the hell is she even still breathing, never mind kicking out?!
Rigg smirks, almost in amused disbelief. He picks up the almost lifeless Tsukiko to deal more damage but she suddenly starts to fight back. She sends a forearm that hits Rigg in the temple and sends him to the ropes, groggy.
Phoenix: Maybe I was wrong! Maybe Tsukiko can match power with Rigg!
Tsukiko approaches Rigg, grabs him by the head and SCREAMS directly into his ear canal!
Phoenix: SIREN SONG! It's a bitch to listen to, but it's a hell of a move!
Jeffrey: WHAT?! I THINK I'M DEAF IN ONE EAR!
Rigg pie-faces Tsukiko away to get a few seconds of relief, and stumbles away from the ropes. Tsukiko runs at him and takes out Rigg with a hurricanrana! Then she rolls over and hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO ... NO! Rigg kicks out! Tsukiko then gets back up to her feet, not even giving Rigg a chance to work out what she's doing, then jumps in the air and TURNS IT INTO A SPIN! STANDING 450 SPLASH!
Jeffrey: How the hell did she do that?!
Phoenix: The Sea Witch produces the Whirlpool! This could be it!!
Tsukiko covers Rigg! ONE ... TWO ... TH--NO!! Fischer jumps in to break the count! Kira runs in to even the odds but Fischer slides out of the ring. The referee, seeing Fischer is already out of the ring, turns to Kira. This is exactly what Fischer wanted, as he rolls back in and punches Tsukiko repeatedly in the face while Kira protests furiously and the referee sees nothing!
Phoenix: And of course, The Liberation had to resort to these tactics! I'm sure Cain's influence had something to do with it!
Jeffrey: Scott, you know I love ya, but it's not cheating if you don't get caught!
Fischer rolls back out of the ring as Kira eventually decides the best thing to do is get out. The referee turns to find Tsukiko and Rigg lying on the mat. Seeing them both down, he starts to count... 1...2...3...4... Tsukiko uses the ropes to help herself up and turns to see Rigg is on all fours. Tsukiko gets in position, and puts Rigg into a headscissors, before smashing his face down with a facebuster! Then she does it again!
Phoenix: It's the Motion of the Ocean! It's choppy out there, folks!
On the third attempt at a facebuster, Tsukiko has some trouble. She quickly realises that Rigg has found some inner strength and started to overpower her. He stands up and lifts up Tsukiko high in the air as he does so, in a powerbomb-esque position, before slamming her down awkwardly on her shoulder with a Powerbomb!
Phoenix: FREEDOM BOMB! That's gotta be it for Silent Sorcery!
Rigg pins! ONE ... TWO ... NO!! This time Kira runs in, returning the favour from earlier, and breaks the fall! Rigg immediately jumps to his feet and approaches Kira, but Kira dives down, pulling the top rope with him and Rigg topples over to the outside!! Fischer comes in and Oki-Kira hits a Spinning Heel Kick, knocking him down to the mat. Kira leaves the ring and Fischer rolls out. Tsukiko starts to come to and gets to her feet, looking to the outside where Rigg is getting back up to his feet. She stands up, and runs to the ropes, then DIVES OUT WITH A SUICIDE DIVE RIGHT ONTO RIGG!!
Phoenix: Tsukiko risks it all and it paid off! What a dive onto Rigg! But can she take advantage?!
She certainly intends to as Tsukiko grabs Rigg and, with some considerable effort, hoists him back under the bottom rope and pushes him into the ring. Then, she goes straight for the turnbuckle! She climbs all the way to the top and looks down at Rigg. And then, she jumps off, soaring into the air and hitting a Five-Star Frog Splash!!
Phoenix: TSUKIKO'S TSUNAMI! IT'S ALL OVER!!
Tsukiko grabs her gut in agony on impact but pushes through and covers Rigg! ONE ... TWO ... THREE!!
Carson: Here are your winners, SILEEEEENT SOOORCERY!!!
"Forever Lotus" by RUDE blasts through the PA again, as Kira gets into the ring to help his partner up to her feet. Together they hug and celebrate their victory, as the crowd cheer their approval for this great tag match.
Phoenix: Like I said before this match started, a win at Revival is a career achievement! Tonight, Silent Sorcery pick up their first Revival win together!
Roberts: It means the world to them and it puts them in the running for a future Tag Title match for sure, in my eyes!
Jeffrey: It was a great match! Tsukiko really is a crazy bitch, and I LOVE IT!
Phoenix: That's right! The latest inductee into the 4CW Halll of Fame! Clyde Bonham! He joins the ranks of 4CW's most iconic, and the achievement is well deserved and long overdue!
A bell echoes around the arena. And again. The arena is dark, with dry ice flooding the darkened stage. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica hits the PA system. A large, animatronic dragon slides on to one side of the stage, roaring. It breathes fire into the air with a big gasp from the crowd. Five knights come from the other side of the stage, and the titantron shows rolling hills and mountains. The knights use their shields to cover their faces from the strong winds blowing towards them.
Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
On the fight, for they are right, yes, by who's to say?
For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test there their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
They fight some black-clad faceless enemies, with some impressive sword skills and choreographed battling. They take out the enemies and the dragon roars, gaining their attention.
Take a look to the sky just before you die
It is the last time you will
Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
The men arrive at the dragon's section of the stage. They all make attempts to attack, but the dragon is a formidable foe. A few of them are blasted back by strikes from the dragon's huge claws.
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
The knights all gather together to make a united attack, but the dragon unleashes an almighty stream of fire. They all fall and scream dramatically as the fire engulfs them. The music cuts out. The screen and stage fade to black. A few moments of eerie silence and then "As I Am" by Dream Theater blasts through the PA system. Black and white images of burning flames fill the surrounding LED screens. To a momentous chorus of rancid venom and hatred from the crowd, Rhys Cain steps out through the curtain. He is trench coat-clad, with his signature left-handed black glove. He is alone, and stands at the top of the ramp, with his arms outstretched, as he breathes in the energy from the AT&T stadium.
Carson: The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is a Mask vs Career match! Introducing first, staking his career, from Wales and now residing in Tampa, Florida, weighing in at 225lbs, 4CW Hall of Famer... THE BLACK FLAME ... RHYS CAAAAAIN!!
Cain walks down the ramp with purpose, eyes fixed on the ring. The fans on either side of the ramp are animated with viscous disdain for the former World Champion, but this does not deter or distract him, if anything, it fuels him.
Phoenix: For nearly a decade, Rhys Cain was the face of honour in 4CW. He always had high-standing morals, he was a family man, and he always did what he thought was right. Now... well, this is a very different Rhys Cain.
Jeffrey: You say all that like his stance has changed, Scott. The man still believes he imbues all of those values. He sees himself as a man of great honour and he is very much a man who fights for his family. And he still thinks everything he's doing is right... as always, he's wrong, but at least nowadays he's finding a whole ton of success. Like him or hate him, this transformation has elevated him to a new level.
Roberts: To be honest, I think the opposite: this transformation has sunk him to a new low.
Jeffrey: Yeah? Well that new low is triple crown champion, so I'm sure Cain doesn't give a shit what you think, Roberts.
Phoenix: I have to stand by James on this one. Cain has become a monster - and Willow the Widow, despite her appearances, seems like a genuinely creative and interesting person, and she has always held herself to a standard of honour and integrity since debuting here in 4CW.
Jeffrey: With all due respect, Scott, honour and integrity won't save her against Rhys Cain.
Cain reaches the bottom of the ramp and slides under the bottom rope, before climbing the turnbuckle. He beats his chest three times, and looks out to the sea of people that now detest him. He then jumps down, removes his coat, and turns his attention to the stage, with a cold, dead stare, as he awaits his opponent.
The 4CWTron's video feed cuts out, as do the house lights. Darkness overtakes the arena once again, and the eerie keyboard intro to "Nocturnal Strains" by Eternal Tears of Sorrow takes a trip around the PA system. The blackness is overtaken by the dancing of pale blue spotlights as the rest of the instrumentation kicks in, forming a heavy, brooding build. One spotlight holds steady at centre stage as dense black smoke billows across the entire stage area. It begins to rise rapidly, obscuring some of the video feed as the 4CWTron starts back up; what we can see on the visible parts of the screen are scenes from the various mysterious promo videos that aired in late 2018. The song picks up somewhat, though still building up, as the hooded, masked woman comes crawling out through the smoke, keeping low to the stage floor.
Roberts: And here comes Willow!
Jeffrey: Hope you've got a fresh diaper ready, James; it's getting spooky-scary up in here!
As she crawls out of the most dense region of smoke, something odd begins to become clear: the woman appears to have cords—or "strings", as it were—attached to to her wrists and the back of her gas mask. All at once, she collapses face-down onto the stage—but is pulled up onto her feet with an unseen "tug" of the cables. Another vertical tug raises her lowered, inert head enough to make it face forward, and the build of Nocturnal Strains gives way to a moody, mid-tempo metal verse.
Carson: And his opponent, staking her mask and making her way to the ring from Widow's Hill... weighing in at 130lbs... WILLOOOW THE WIIIDOW!
Willow tries to take a few steps down the ramp, but is pulled back to the top of it by her arms. With a frustrated howl, she produces a pair of scissors from a hidden pocket in her unusual hooded coat and hacks away the strings on her arms and head. Free to move of her own accord, she takes off down the ramp at a clip, slides into the ring and rises up off the canvas.
Phoenix: I really can't imagine what must be going through this young woman's mind tonight; what hell she's been through these past 4 months; or what exactly has possessed her to get back in the ring with this—this—
Jeffrey: Midget?
Phoenix: Bastard! This bloody "Black Flame" bastard, Cain. I've met a lotta fearless competitors in my day, and I commend a fierce fighting spirit.. but this looks an awful lot like walking straight into a lion's den to me.
Roberts: Well there's no turning back now. Godspeed, I say.
Jeffrey: So much for impartial commentary, huh fellas?
Phoenix: Impartiality for the likes of this animal? No thank you, Ray.
The lights go back to normal. Willow then removes her coat and gas mask as her theme song cuts out, left with only her multi-tied fabric mask to cover her face. Senior referee Jason Trent calls for the bell.
Ding ding ding!
The masked Willow stares down the dastardly Cain as the people all around the arena buzz in anticipation. Cain grins and shouts loud enough for the camera to pick up “Well, here we are, little girly! What now?”
Willow cocks her head to the side, as if curious, and then points, with one finger, to her neck. Then her arm drops and she just waits. Cain’s smirk turns into a scowl as he mutters something like “stupid bitch” and sprints towards his opponent. Willow swiftly takes two steps back, then slips to the mat and pulls the top rope down with her, sending Cain flying over the top rope and to the outside!
Phoenix: And there goes Cain! That has to be embarrassing!
Roberts: Cain looks irate at himself!
Cain gets straight back up on the outside and stares incredulously at Willow, who repeats the finger-to-her-neck motion, much to a huge pop from the crowd. Cain roars in frustration and slams him hands down on the announce table repeatedly, before sliding back into the ring and running at Willow again.
Willow sidesteps, and Cain spins on the spot, walking into a knife edge chop from The Widow. Willow slaps Cain with a few more chops to the chest before he throws a wild punch. Once again, she swiftly sidesteps Cain and creates some distance. Cain chases after Willow with a clothesline attempt, when suddenly she Matrix-bends out of the way and before Cain can react, Willow spins sidelong out of her bridge and sweeps Cain's legs out from under him with her own. She backs off, he rises to his feet and cracks his neck side to side, trying to re-center himself.
Phoenix: Well, Willow the Widow has done a great job of frustrating Cain in the early going! She's kept a level head and been one step ahead of him this whole time!
Jeffrey: Yeah, but I'm not sure how wise it is to anger a midget!
Willow and Cain finally clash in the middle of the ring and Willow attempts to whip him into the corner, but Cain reverses and sends Willow into the corner. He runs after Willow but Willow lifts a boot, which hits Cain in the face and sends him stumbling backwards. She then lifts herself up into a seated position on the top turnbuckle, before jumping off with an elevated clothesline, knocking down the 4CW Hall of Famer!
Both competitors are quickly back to their feet and Cain eats yet another knife edge chop. His chest starts to redden at this point as he eats two more chops, before Willow whips him to the ropes. On his return, Cain tries to attack but Willow ducks and runs to the ropes herself. Cain comes back from the opposing ropes and the two clash in the middle of the ring with joint-clotheslines, knocking each other down to the mat!
Roberts: And both competitors are down! Who can take advantage here and swing the match in their favour?
Both Willow and Cain try to shake off the cobwebs and get back to their feet. They reach their knees at almost the same time. For a moment, they find each other's glances, before jumping back up to their feet. Cain pushes forward, and Willow again attempts to swiftly move out of the way, but this time, Cain is too fast for her and he grabs her by her hair and pulls her down, slamming her hard to the mat with the back of her head!
Phoenix: And Cain slams Willow down! Now he has a hold of her, this may go badly quickly for the Widow!
Phoenix seems to know how these things go as Cain mounts Willow and starts laying quick lefts and rights, blasting her in the face several times before the referee decides to get involved with the five count. Cain relinquishes the strikes at the count of three, and Willow rolls away, a bloody nose staining her mask as evidence of Cain's brutality. Willow tries to get to her feet but Cain grabs her by the hair and drags her along with him to the corner. Then, he helps get her to her feet - before slamming her face repeatedly into the turnbuckle corner! The crowd gasp and groan as Willow takes several brutal shots and when Cain finally relinquishes, she stumbles away groggily, before falling face first into the mat.
Jeffrey: He may be an annoying midget, but he's got a nasty streak! Willow may be down for the count!
Cain has the same thought and gets down to his knees, hooking Willow's leg as the ref slides in to count. 1... 2.... no! Willow is hurt, but she's not done yet, as she kicks out with a fair amount of authority. Cain half-chuckles, half-growls at the fact that Willow has decided to give him a fight. He lifts her up to her feet and grabs her by the chin, muttering nasty unheard insults at her.
Willow comes to life suddenly with a slap to Cain’s face. He lets go of her chin and recoils from the hit - but then retaliates with a much harder and much louder slap that sends Willow down to her knees. The crowd fester their anger in a chorus of boos and a huge chorus of “Fuck You, Cain!”.
Cain then grabs the kneeling Willow, roughly lifts her back up, sets her up and executes a picture perfect suplex! Upon landing, he keeps the hold on Willow, flips around, gets back up to his feet and executes a second suplex!
Phoenix: Not many people can deliver a suplex like Cain - and you know Cain likes his suplexes in threes!
Cain does indeed flip around and lift Willow up for a third and final suplex, but this one has a little tweak as he drops her on to the top rope first for the slingshot effect before landing! Cain hooks the leg, confident of his victory! 1... 2.... NO! Willow kicks out!
Roberts: Cain is pulling out all the hits - but Willow is not someone who will go down easily! The secrecy she holds so dear is on the line here!
Phoenix: That’s true but don’t forget, Cain’s career is also on the line here! I can’t see either person giving up until their bodies have literally given up on them!
Cain sends Willow to the ropes with authority. She comes back at a quick speed and Cain stops her dead with a crushing clothesline! Willow somehow, perhaps due to pure instinct, immediately gets back up to her feet, but she is vulnerable and falls victim to a Side Effect! Cain covers! ONE .. TWO ... NO!! Willow kicks out!
At this point, Cain screams out loud and slaps the mat repeatedly in frustration. He then gets up to his feet, screams “stay down, bitch!” and cruelly stamps on Willow’s face, right in the already bleeding nose!
Phoenix: Come on! Not that Cain cares, but I should remind you folks this is a regular match and disqualification IS a possibility!
The referee jumps in again and warns Cain that he is on very thin ice and will get disqualified if he continues but Cain laughs in the refs face and dares him to call for a DQ. The referee, begrudgingly, does not do so.
Jeffrey: It seems like the referee knows how personal this is, and is letting things go for now! And that's just how I like it!
Roberts: And that's all well and good but when it comes to a constant and blatant disregard for the rules -
Jeffrey: James, James...
Roberts: ...yes?
Jeffrey: SHUDDUP!
Cain brushes off the referee like an annoying fly and sets his sights back on Willow. The momentary distraction was enough for Willow to recover some of her energy though, and she throws a boot forward from her laying position, catching Cain right in the knee!
Cain recoils, hopping on his good knee while holding the one that got hit. Willow swings her whole body back - and KIPS UP back to her feet like a ninja! She then runs at Cain and throws all her weight into a clothesline that takes him RIGHT OVER the top rope and sends him crashing to the outside! Willow catches herself on the apron and rolls back into the ring to the sounds of the hot Dallas crowd!
Roberts: Cain is down! Willow has an opening here.
Cain grumbles and rants to himself as he gets back up to his feet and turns his attention back to the ring - but Willow is already on her way as she DIVES through the middle ropes and SMASHES into Cain with a devastating SUICIDE DIVE!! She takes out Cain as her flailing forearm smashes him in the jaw, much to the joy of the raucous crowd!!
Phoenix: Willow the Widow soars! And she takes out Cain with an almighty crash! Everything on the line here at Revival, and I didn't expect anything less!
Jeffrey: I love a good underdog story!
Roberts: Except when Rhys Cain himself has been the underdog in the past.
Jeffrey: 'Cause he is and always has been an insufferable midget. Keep up, Roberts!
Willow gets her feet under her and turns to the commentary table with a crazed look in her eyes. The trio of commentators stand and back off as she removes the table cover, discarding it nearby. She then gives the monitors the old heave-ho and brushes away anything else in her way. Referee Jason Trent drops down to ringside to try to dissuade Willow from taking things over the edge, but she's in a world of her own. She turns her attention back to Cain, who's managed to get up onto his knees. Willow approaches and Cain dazedly lashes out, throwing a haymaker that Willow dodges and meets with an enzuigiri so fast, the sound of the impact registers before anyone's eyes can tell them why they heard it. The Widow then turns toward the table and again cocks her head to one side, seemingly deliberating on what to do next. After a long moment, she shrugs and nods to herself. And with that, she climbs up onto the table, standing on the far end in relation to Cain's position.
Phoenix: Oh no. What the hell is this now?!
Jeffrey: Stay back, boys!
Without a moment's hesitation, The Widow runs the length of the table, leaps sidelong off of it, and hooks Cain's neck on the way down, spiking him into the floor with a diving DDT! The AT&T Stadium erupts in a cacophony of "oohs", cheers and a "HOLY SHIT" chant. Cain absently slumps onto his side as his eyes roll back in his head. Willow, meanwhile, nurses her lower back.
Roberts: Daaamn. I mean, what else can you even say to that?
Jeffrey: Plenty! Don't lump me in with your monosyllabic ass, Caveberts.
Roberts: Alright, go ahead then.
Jeffrey: Uh... DAAAYUUUM! See? Two syllables!
Phoenix: From where I sit, The Black Flame's odds just went up in smoke! Serve that man his walkin' papers!
With the count now at three, The Widow is back on her feet. She repurposes the front facelock she'd previously reserved for destruction, now using it to control Cain's upper body while dragging him near to the apron. Once there, with some effort, she gets him hoisted onto the apron and rolls him into the ring. Willow immediately slides in and puts body to body, hooking a leg for good measure...
ONE!
TWO!
THR–!
Cain's lifeless body reanimates long enough for the instinctive roll of a shoulder. Willow, determined, shoves Cain's arm away and hooks him up tight once more...
ONE!
TWO!
THR–!
Jason Trent's middle and index fingers confirm the near-fall, and the fans are frustrated by this. Beyond the mask, Willow the Widow finds herself unable to hide her own disappointment—her eyes seem to plead with no one in particular, and she slaps the mat as she rises onto her knees, considering her next course of action. As Cain weakly shakes his aching head, Willow elects to pinion his arms, putting a stop to his busy shoulders' activity. Locking her hands together in a double overhook, she rolls the former Bruiser onto his chest and sets her feet at either side of his waist. From here, Willow bridges forward and pulls on Cain's arms, making him suffer in a bridging double chickenwing! The Black Flame is in agony!
Phoenix: The Wing Ripper! Cain is in big trouble here!
Cain struggles in the submission hold for a while, writhing and gritting his teeth. His relentless squirming eventually finds him turned somewhat onto his side, throwing Willow's leverage off. She struggles to re-centre herself, but Cain has gotten one of his legs pulled up close enough that he can get up onto one of his knees. He manages one and then the other, and with a great show of resilience and determination, deadlifts his shocked opponent! The arena turns silent in tension. Cain has a sick grin on his face as he stands to his full height. The Black Flame takes a few running steps, still sneering madly, and takes a calf kick to the back of the head courtesy of Willow! Cain crashes forward, falling into the middle rope. The crowd finally exhales.
Jeffrey: Well that was intense! I thought Willow was a goner on that one.
Roberts: Interesting that Cain came very close to winning this match with a Vertebreaker, which is how Jack Valentine got the win over Witch Hazel in the Stormchaser tournament. Just as he was unsuccessful in quashing Valentine's second 4CW run, Cain was unsuccessful in hitting a maneuver that helped keep Jack's momentum high.
Phoenix: Very astute, James.
Willow awkwardly tumbles off Cain's back, but is quick to regain her feet. Seizing the opening, she steps out onto the apron, grabs Cain's left wrist with both hands and leaps to the floor—a vicious armbreaker that has Cain suffering once more! He reels away, nursing his sore arm. The Widow slides back into the ring and silently stalks up behind her adversary. A stiff kick to the kidneys gets Cain's back arched in her favour—she swiftly grabs a fistful of hair; pulls back; crosses Cain's wounded arm over his own neck; and then falls forward, driving The Black Flame down with a hammerlock falling reverse DDT!
Jeffrey: Whoa!
Phoenix: Stonecaster DDT!
Willow shimmies into a lateral press and cradles the far leg...
ONE!
TWO!
TH–NO!
Indeed, Cain's right shoulder rolls off the canvas just enough to meet the referee's count at two-and-a-half. Willow elects to drag Cain over to the nearest corner, where she sets about propping him up against the bottom turnbuckle. She then chokes him with her boot until the count of four. The atmosphere in the packed arena is full of tension.
Roberts: Willow has to be frustrated as hell trying to put Cain away so many times and never getting to hear the bell ring for her, but she's not letting it slow her down one iota—she's relentless!
Jeffrey: Yeah but dishing it out for too long takes a toll on the human body. Stamina has limits!
Phoenix: It's true. Something's gotta give here!
Willow backs off from the corner and runs to the opposite one, turning to face her tormentor once there. From across the ring, she takes off running and charges at Cain, sliding into him with a big forearm smash! The Black Flame shakes his dizzy, aching head—to little apparent effect. Willow grabs Cain by the legs to pull his upper body down onto the mat, but he comes to life all at once and pulls his legs inward, throwing Willow off-balance and stumbling forward into a forearm smash of his own! Willow staggers back as Cain rises to his feet. He charges in for a clothesline, but is ducked. Willow turns to face Cain but as she does, he's one step ahead and blindsides her with a slick superkick that rocks The Widow to her core! The jeers from the crowd make a return as Cain looks to be mounting an offense.
Roberts:What a shot! Willow the Widow may be out on her feet!
Stunned, Willow's legs momentarily give way and she winds up on her knees. Cain measures his target takes a few running steps and hits a lightning-quick enzuigiri! Cain—who's not yet on his feet and catching a quick breather—measures his next move. With cat-like quickness, Cain lunges forward and twists in the air, catching Willow round the back of the head and driving her face into the mat with a short-hand cutter! Cain shoots the half...
ONE!
TWO!
TH–NO!
Jeffrey: Close one! This "Willow" is a fighter.
Phoenix: Like I said, these two won't stop til one or both of them physically can't keep going.
Gaining a second wind, Cain scoops Willow up off the mat, carries her over to the nearest corner and hooks her up in a tree of woe. His sick enjoyment is apparent as he measures his helpless prey and drills a stiff superkick into her bare abdomen. Jason Trent wants Cain out of that corner, but gets his wish granted in a less-than-desirable way when the former Bruiser bears down on him, forcing Trent to back off to the opposite corner. Cain turns his attention back to Willow the Widow, who's still trapped and hurting. He takes off like a bullet and slides in with a low dropkick that catches Willow square in the forehead!
Phoenix: Oh and of course, the "Whomping Willow". Oh, bravo, Cain. How apropos.
Jeffrey: Something on your mind, Scott?
Phoenix: Nothing I wish to verbalize on-air if I can help it.
The vitriol rising through the stands reaches a boiling point, and Cain thinks that's just the damnedest thing he's ever heard of, shaking his head and chuckling in mock disappointment at the sea of fans who once adored him. He stands there eating it all up as the ref pulls Willow out of the upside-down.
Jeffrey: I think he likes it!
Phoenix: Of course he does. He likes everything about the rage and disdain he's spurred on here in 4CW. Hell, he says it fuels him, the bastard!
Roberts: Easy, Scott.
Phoenix: Easy? For what? Will Cain teleport in front of me if I speak ill of him? Is he the damn boogeyman? I don't think so.
Jeffrey: Far from, Scotty. Boogeyman's not even on of our alumni.
Roberts: Helpful as always, Ray.
At this point, Cain starts mouthing off to no one in particular, effectively saying he's got this one in the bag. He hoists Willow onto her feet (and facing him), stands to one side and slings her near arm over his own, uranage-style.
Roberts: Cain wants to whip up his killing curse!
He bends at the knees for the leap back, but receives a flurry of reverse elbow strikes to the back of his head that forces him off-balance and ultimately breaking the hold. Cain fires off some clubbing blows to Willow's back in return, only to have her drop to the mat for a spinning leg sweep—fast-reacting Cain has it scouted, and he hops in place to avoid contact. Cain twists around and grabs Willow's legs and somersaults over her, hooking her up in a modified jackknife hold for the...
ONE!
TWO!
T–NO!
Willow rolls a shoulder up.
Phoenix: Hate the bastard may we all, that was crafty. Willow almost got beat right there.
Cain turns Willow over and pulls her onto her feet. On the way up, she breaks his grip and (*SLAP*)—smacks him upside the head with a hard palm strike! The Black Flame has been rocked! Willow closes the gap and wraps one of Cain's arms around his own neck, setting to hook it there with both hands for a Regal Cutter—Cain desperately wriggles her grip loose—breaks out—spins away—and short-arms Willow into a forearm smash, knocking her back! Maintaining his grip on her arm, he reels her in again, spins her away and sends Willow up and over with a bridging German Suplex! Referee Jason Trent slides in for the count, but Cain rolls backward out of his bridge and takes Willow up into a dead-lifting hell-ride that ends in yet another spine-crushing German! Trent is right there with a bird's eye view of the result, but it doesn't matter a single iota because Cain keeps his hands locked round Willow's waist and rolls his hips out to one side, fighting his way onto his feet for the trifecta. Cain bends at the knees, pops his hips and takes Willow up for a–victory roll reversal by Willow and the count is on!
ONE!
TWO!
THRE–
With this near-fall, every held breath in the arena is exhaled at one time. The flustered fans then hungrily suck the air back into their lungs to raise their tired voices once more, currently torn between fury for Cain and a "THIS IS AWESOME" chant.
Phoenix: —
Before commentary can even collect their thoughts and put voice to them, Cain and Willow are somehow back up and facing one another! They both look ready to pass out at any given moment. They begin to drunkenly approach one another—Willow looking worse for wear and stumbling right into Cain's sudden berserker charge and
!!!DRAGON RAGE!!!
Phoenix: DAMMIT!
Roberts: WILLOW THE WIDOW IS OUT!!!
Phoenix: Oh that may be so, but Cain's not moving either!
Willow the Widow careens to the canvas and lands awkwardly, unmoving. The tension in the arena is palpable, and lasts a while as time passes by. The referee again foregoes the usual ten-count, with the match stipulation demanding a clear winner. At what might have otherwise been the count of seven, Cain crawls close enough to drape an arm across Willow's chest...
ONE!
TWO!
THRE–
The Widow's shoulder jerks suddenly off the canvas at the last possible chance before the count of three can fall. This movement looks more like a convulsion than a purposeful action taken, acted out on pure instinct. Adding more to Willow's woes, the impact of Cain's knee has her nose bleeding again, worse this time; her fabric mask is stained through, and fresh blood now drips down her cheeks of her face as she lays supine on the canvas.
Exhausted, Cain raises his weary head to check the ref's fingers, drawing an unsatisfactory result. The entire audience (it would seem) is rallying behind the tenacious young woman who just won't quit, chanting "WILL-OH! WILL-OH!"
Phoenix: The state Willow is in and she's still in this! I mean, what can you even say about that kind of drive? That kind of heart? It's just astonishing.
Jeffrey: Awesome stuff.
Cain's level of frustration is clearly through the roof. Muttering angrily to himself, he returns to a vertical base and stares down at Willow, seething. She comes to, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. Soon, she begins a slow crawl toward the ropes. All the while, Cain just clenches and unclenches his fists, glaring. By the time Willow reaches the bottom rope, his face is a mask of rage. When she finally tries to pull herself onto her feet, Cain dashes straight at her and slides forward, viciously driving her out onto the floor with a baseball slide to the small of the back! Willow ends up sailing off the apron, landing at ringside with a sick thud. Every sympathetic soul in the arena has a visceral reaction to this, and Rhys Cain is soon swimming merrily in a sea of sweet hate. Stoking the flames, he mockingly wipes away imaginary tears from his eyes. The fury raining down upon Cain from the crowd is a wall of dissonant noise. Referee Jason Trent hurls pointless warnings at Cain, perhaps knowing it'll do him no good but needing to let out some of his own anger.
Roberts: In turn, I mean.. what can you really say about this level of callousness?
James receives no response to this. Rather, Cain rolls out to ringside and as he approaches Willow, Scott Phoenix gets up out of his chair. He raises his voice, shouting to carry it over the din and into Cain's ears.
Phoenix (to Cain): BASTARD!!
With a sick smile taking over his lips, Cain lazily turns his head in Phoenix's direction.
Phoenix (to Cain): A SOULLESS BASTARD! THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, CAIN!!
Jeffrey (to Phoenix): Whoawhoawhoa—calm down, Scott! I hate the little fucker too, but we've gotta keep it together—me, you and Dickberts over here—we've got a job to do, y'know?
Cain calmly shrugs, wipes some blood from Willow's face and—quicker than Phoenix can react—flicks it from his fingers, splattering Phoenix's jacket. Ray Jeffrey holds Scott back while he rages; Cain just laughs it off and turns his attention back to Willow. He picks her up by the head and begins setting her up for Avada Kedavra when some brave idiot in the crowd actually spits on him! Cain lets go of Willow, who crumples to her knees without Cain supporting her up, and seeks out the offending fan. A skinny guy in the front row nearby proudly (and loudly) takes responsibility. All things considered, this actually goes about as well as possible, with Cain simply strolling right up to the guy and mouthing off to him. Once he's bored of this, Cain turns back round in Willow's direction and eats a running dropkick that knocks him into the barricade, right in front of the guy he just told off!
Roberts: A little karma right there, if you like.
Jeffrey: That's what he gets for taking his eye off the ball!
Willow takes a few steps back from where she landed off the dropkick, then charges straight on for Cain. She leaps along the way, arm extended and bent at the elbow, only to be swung spine-first into the barricade as Cain ducks low and uses Willow's momentum against her for an improvised belly-to-belly throw!
The fans barely have time to react to this before Cain hurriedly hoists Willow into a seated position on the barricade. He then hops up onto the barricade himself, hauls Willow up so they are standing side-by-side with their feet planted in opposite directions.
Phoenix: No.
With the devil's own sneer, Cain drapes Willow's near arm over his own—bends at the knees—flips backward off the barricade and SMASHES Willow into the unforgiving floor with the killing curse to end them all!!! The crowd noise is cacophonous!
Roberts: AVADA KEDAVRA!!!
Jeffrey: Un-fucking-real.
At the commentary desk, Scott Phoenix tosses his headset on the desk and steps away, shaking his head and muttering inaudible curses of his own. He sits back down as Cain wearily drags Willow closer to the ring.
Jeffrey: I mean... that has to be it, right? It's all been just.. waaay too much, so.. small mercies, right?
Roberts: Not only is that "it", but that's probably gonna knock her out of action a while longer.
Phoenix: And may The Black Flame burn to ashes for it.
With what little energy he has left, Cain dumps Willow's limp body onto the ring apron and clambers up beside her. He ducks in under the bottom rope and blindly grabs an arm, dragging The Widow to the site of her own burial, dead centre in the ring. Cain crawls into a lateral press, and with a scowl on his face, senior referee Jason Trent counts...
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!!
DING-DING-DING!
Carson: Here is.... "your" winner.... RHYS ... CAAIN!!
Carson ends the announcement as quickly as he can, as if the words are turning him physically sick. Cain is already ripping and tearing at the knots on the back of Willow's mask, looking for all the world like a sugar-fuelled mean kid on Christmas. Sitting in the middle of the ring, he has her upper body propped up against his left leg, her head resting against his knee. Being as he's facing the commentary table anyway, he takes a moment to give the trio a thumbs up and a big cheesy grin, then returns to savagely working his way through the knots.
Phoenix (glowering at Cain): Oh, yeah. Make a big show of it. It's all just fun and games, isn't it?
Jeffrey: Hey Scott, my man—talk to me. Seriously.
Phoenix: What's to say? Everything Cain has done to this girl, from the first, has been utterly heinous. And all of it for what? For some perceived offense? For the hell of it? Nothing excu—
Cain—now done with the last knot—tears the mask away from Willow's face. He stares down at the unfamiliar, blood-stained face beneath his own and absently gestures for a microphone. A ring attendant simply slides one into the ring from where he's standing on the floor, not wanting to get within ten feet of The Black Flame. Cain picks the mic up.
Cain: THERE SHE IS, EVERYONE!!! Your beloved, masked underdog, exposed for all to see. WILLOW THE WIDOW!!! Just a name. A name... and a knack for burrowing under the wrong skin. She just brazenly marched right on through the smoke, right up to the flame. It was inevitable she'd only get burned.
Phoenix (on mic): ENOUGH!!!
Scott Phoenix now heads up the steps from ringside with a mic in his hand, staring a hole through Cain. Ray Jeffrey is up on his feet and approaches Scott, speaking calmly (without a mic) to him. Scott responds without ever breaking eye contact with Cain.
Phoenix: Sit down, Ray. Please.
Ray sits down, and Scott Phoenix enters the ring. Cain's facial expression is hard to discern; he seems to be caught between befuddlement and amusement. His tone, however, clearly favours a cruel form of the latter. He pipes up again...
Cain: HELLO, SCOTT!!!
He waves in an exaggerated fashion with a shit-eating grin plastered over his smug mug. He then looks back and forth between Scott Phoenix and the crowd, occasionally pointing at Phoenix while addressing the crowd in a chipper, conversational tone.
Cain: Look at ol' Scotty Phoenix, an unsung hero of the business behind the business! Scott doesn't seem to like me very much these days, does he, folks?
Scott's expression is bitter. As Cain continues his cruel taunts, Scott's eyes fall on The Widow's face.
Cain: Aw! You seem upset. What's the matter, Scott? Getting all mushy in your old age?
Willow is now conscious—somewhat, anyway. Her eyes are open, but unfocused and her head lolls against Cain's knee.
Phoenix: Get the fuck away from her, Bruiser.
Cain: Who's that, then? Hmm? Only bruises around here on this silly girl's face, Scott!
Scott isn't listening.
Phoenix: Get the fuck away from my daughter.
A ripple of oohs, OH's and chatter permeates the tense atmosphere in the stands.
All of Cain's Christmases have come at once. Above his cruel smirk, Cain's eyes bug out his head and within it, a million evil thoughts take root and sprout like weeds. He just sits there, taking in this invaluable piece of information and laughing his ass off all the while. When Cain ceases laughing, he wipes away a single tear of joy come from the corner of his eye. He looks down at his defeated foe.
Cain: Madeline Phoenix, all grown up and in the flesh! And you didn't even know, did you Scott? Oh, you may have suspected—but you just didn't know for sure.
He looks from father to daughter and back again.
Cain: Oh, this—this is so touching. A heartwarming family reunion at Revival! Dear old mum's nowhere to be seen, of course, but that's to be expected.
The crowd is hanging on every word. Cain sees this and clears his throat.
Cain: Oh, you didn't know? Scott and his little girl, our dear Madeline here.. they had a falling out a few years back. And even before that, Scott's wife filed for divorce and fucked off back to Japan.
He addresses Scott, who keeps muttering "Maddie" to himself.
Cain: Phew! Those damn divorce proceedings, am I right? Two peas in a pod, you and I. The difference, Scott, is my skeletons are already out of the closet. And now... now yours are, too.
He sneers.
Cain: You, me and Maddie? We're going to have a lot of fun together!
Cain unceremoniously dumps Madeline Phoenix onto the canvas; she ragdolls on the way down. And with one last cruel laugh and a drop of the mic, Cain grabs her face mask, matted with Madeline's hair,, walks off to the corner and grabs the gas mask, rolls out of the ring and leaves, giddy and self-satisfied.
Roberts: I've got nothing.
Jeffrey: You've always got nothing, James. But right now, neither do I.
A tense moment of processing comes and goes at a glacial pace. To great support from the crowd, Madeline Phoenix tries to stand. Scott tentatively approaches her and helps her up, only for Madeline to use her last ounce of energy on shoving her father away. She falls to her knees, but is close enough to the ropes to reach out and grab them to help her restart her efforts to stand. As she does this, Scott takes the hint and backs off.
Once she's standing—with the help of the ring ropes—Scott raises the mic to his face and heaves a heavy sigh.
Scott Phoenix: Look, Maddie...
She raises her weary head; her expression is a bitter one.
Scott: Maddie, will you please talk to me?
Even without a mic, Madeline Phoenix' response is crystal clear: A resounding, "NO!"
She turns to leave.
Scott: Maddie...
And doesn't look back. She just doggedly wobbles her way up the ramp on her own. Along the way, Tsukiko and Kira come jogging down the ramp, garnering a pop from the Dallas crowd. Together, they help Madeline finish her trek to her locker room.
All the while, Scott is left in the ring, looking quite deflated. With a sad shake of his head, he exits the ring and returns to the commentary table.
Roberts: We'll be right back, folks. And to keep you entertained, here is the latest inductee into the 4CW Hall of Fame!
Roberts: Yes, that's right! Congratulations to Jack Valentine, the latest inductee into the 4CW Hall of Fame!
Jeffrey: We're back, folks ... and so is our esteemed mentor, Scott Phoenix. How are you doing, Scott?
Phoenix: Don't worry about me. The show must go on. I have always been, and still am, a consummate professional. So let's do this.
Jeffrey: You're goddamn right, my friend.
"Supernova Goes Pop" by Powerman 5000 hits the PA system. The Stormchaser 2019 Tournament Winner comes out on to the stage to a standing boo-vation, with the 4CW Hardcore Title strapped around his waist, and loves every moment of it.
Carson: The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the 4CW Universal Championship! Introducing first, the challenger, from Atlantic City, New Jersey, weighing in at 220lbs, he is the 2019 Stormchaser Tournament Winner, the 4CW Hardcore Champion and the NEWEST member of the 4CW HALL OF FAME, JACK ... MAD DOOOOOG ... VALENTIIIINE!!
Valentine's wrists are taped in black and up starting up around his thumb and down to his forearm. He wears long skin tight black and red wrestling pants and black boots. He’s holding a white towel in his right hand.
Phoenix: And the time has come for our Universal Title bout! This match has been months in the making with the Stormchaser Tournament starting back in January! Jack Valentine battled his way through Witch Hazel, Supreme and finally Tommy Young to earn this spot and challenge the Universal Champion Brian White tonight!
Jeffrey: That's right! Ever since Valentine has returned, he has been unstoppable. He picked up huge wins against Rhys Cain and the now-Black Flame faction on the tail of last year, and the Stormchaser Tournament, as well as his success with the Hardcore belt, were the perfect lead up to tonight, where he has finally cemented his legacy by becoming a Hall of Famer!
Roberts: Valentine may not be the most likeable guy, but his dedication and his talent cannot be denied! A thoroughly deserving inductee for what he has done for this business over the past fifteen years, and his opponent, who is also a Hall of Famer, will know all too well how dangerous Valentine can be!
Valentine gets into the ring and outstretches his arms, gloating first with the belt and then the new addition to his attire previously unheeded: the Hall of Fame ring.
"Wherever I May Roam" by Yashin blasts through the speakers as the crowd erupt in applause and cheers for their Universal Champion. The Freight Train steps out on stage with purpose, the title around his waist, and Miss Teri at his side, muttering instructions to him that only they can hear. White nods, and then makes his way down to the ring with Miss Teri in tow.
Carson: And his opponent, from Barry, South Wales, weighing in at 400lbs, he is the 4CW Universal Champion... BRIAN ... THE FREIGHT TRAAAAAAAAAAIN ... WHITE!!
Phoenix: And here he is, the three-time Universal Champion, Brian White! No-one in 4CW history has held that championship for more days than Brian White, through his three reigns. He has dominated 4CW for years, a former World Champion in his own right, and a 4CW Hall of Famer to boot. Now it's two magnificently decorated Hall of Famers battling it out for the right to be called Universal Champion!
Jeffrey: And as good as Valentine is, it cannot be denied that Brian White is a behemoth and a force here in 4CW that many people have tried and failed to stop.
Roberts: Man, this is going to be a barn burner!
The two Hall of Famers stare down the other from opposite sides of the ring when the bell rings. They circle each other for a moment and then clash in a grapple in the middle of the ring. White overpowers the smaller Valentine and pushes him towards the corner. Valentine slips under the top rope and the referee slides in to break them up, to which White raises his arms to show he’s letting up. This gives Valentine an opportunity to cheap shop White with a right hand.
Roberts: Well, that was just cheap!
Jeffrey: Not as cheap as your mom!
White stumbles back and Valentine continues with two more right hands before attempting to Irish whip White to the ropes. This proves futile as White anchors his weight. White grins as he reverses the momentum and sends Valentine to the ropes. Upon his return, Valentine falls victim to a back body drop from White, and crashes hard on his back!
Phoenix: White is arguably the strongest man in 4CW! It's going to take a lot from Valentine to take him down!
Jeffrey: Well, White may have the power, but Valentine has the smarts and the experience! He's a 15 year veteran, let's not forget! And he's no stranger to bigger opponents!
White picks up Valentine and sends him to the ropes again, and this time knocks him down with a shoulder tackle. He then picks up Valentine a third time and locks in a headlock. Wrenching at Mad Dog’s neck, White gets Valentine down to one knee - but Valentine swiftly manages to slip out of the grip from behind and takes out White’s knee from behind with a chop block!
White falls to one knee this time and Valentine recovers, throwing a few knife edge chops into the chest of White. White winces slightly at the third chop, but otherwise absorbs them pretty well. Valentine runs to the ropes and hits a dropkick upon his return which knocks White to the mat for the first time in this match.
Valentine goes to the top turnbuckle swiftly as White rolls back up to his feet, but White isn’t able to recover quickly enough and Valentine jumps off, taking out White with a crossbody! Valentine hooks the leg! 1... 2... NO! White kicks out with such force that Valentine flies across the ring!
Phoenix: Some impressive action there for Valentine to get White down for a pinfall attempt - but again, White has a lot in the tank and his power is unmatched!
Valentine stumbles up but comes face to face with a now standing, and livid, Freight Train! White grabs Valentine and headbutts him. Valentine falls over to the ropes and White takes out Valentine with a huge Big Boot, that sends Valentine flying over the top rope and crashing to the outside of the ring.
Phoenix: And White takes out Valentine with that savage Big Boot! Valentine looks like he just got knocked into next week!
White brushes his hands off as the referee starts to count out Valentine. 1... 2... suddenly, none other than PHIL MCGROIN is seen stumbling down the ramp! He has bandaged ribs and cuts and bruises over his back and arms.
Jeffrey: Hey!
Roberts: What's this now?!
Phoenix: McGroin? How is he even STANDING? I thought he was in the hospital!
The referee sees this and stops the count. The referee rolls out and warns McGroin not to get involved. McGroin shouts that he just wants to pin Valentine under 24/7 rules! The referee, unable to find an argument to this, shrugs. McGroin, still feeling the effects of his grueling match earlier, grins as he kneels down, wincing and hooks the leg! 1...2...3!! Valentine kicks out a moment too late once he realises what is going on! The ringside assistant runs over to hand the 4CW Hardcore Championship to McGroin!
Jeffrey: Wait! What just happened?
Roberts: McGroin just became an 11-time 4CW Hardcore Champion, that's what!
Jeffrey: It was rhetorical, asshat!
Carson: Here is your winner and the NEEEW 4CW Hardcore Champion, PHIL ... MCGROIN!!
Valentine stumbles up to his knees, protesting, but he’s still reeling from White’s boot. McGroin grabs the belt and raises it in the air, clutching his ribs, then flees up the ramp cackling wildly.
Inside the ring, White is beside himself with laughter. Miss Teri at ringside even has a cheeky chuckle at Valentine’s expense. The referee slides back into the ring and starts his countout over. 1...2...3...4...
Phoenix: Well, Valentine had better refocus! He's still being counted out here!
Valentine gets back up to a standing position and stares down White who taunts him for his embarrassing loss moments ago and dares him to re-enter the ring. 5... 6... Instead, Valentine walks around the ring and approaches Teri and the smile fades from White’s face.
Roberts: Now, come on, Valentine! Is there any need to take such a sleazy route?
White slides out of the ring to meet Valentine, and Valentine uses this to slide back into the ring. White jumps back up on to the apron to re-enter, but Valentine grabs his head and pulls it down over the top rope, sending White tumbling back to the outside.
Jeffrey: You say sleazy, Roberts, I say GENIUS!
Valentine follows White out of the ring. He makes a sudden move towards Teri to scare her out of the way, and then grabs White and bashes his head into the announce table! Valentine bashes White for a second time and then sends him into the steel steps!
Phoenix: White eats the steel steps!
White rolls around on the floor in pain as Valentine slides back into the ring and this time, Valentine is the one who dares White to get back into the ring! The referee counts... 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... White gets back up to his feet using the steel steps for support. 6... 7... White rolls back into the ring and Valentine pounces with a series of stomps to his torso and legs. Valentine then grabs the leg he chop blocked earlier and rolls out of the ring. Valentine pulls White to the ringpost and slams his leg against it!
Roberts: Oh, come on!
Jeffrey: I told you, idiot, Valentine has the smarts! He found a limb and he targeted it! He has a goal and he plans to see it through!
Roberts: Yeah, by cheating!
Jeffrey: WAAAAAHHH!! That's what you sound like, Roberts, so do me a solid and SHUT UP!
White roars in agony as Valentine bashes his leg a second time against the ring post before rolling back into the ring. Valentine then climbs the turnbuckle once again! The crowd buzzes in anticipation as Valentine reaches the top and soars through the sky with a picture perfect Moonsault!
Phoenix: Valentine hits the Moonsault! Mad Dog can fly!
Valentine hooks the leg! 1... 2.... NO! White kicks out!!
Phoenix: But no! It's not enough to put down the Universal Champion!
Valentine picks up White and attempts to send him to the corner. He does so successfully and runs after White, but White throws a right hand which connects and sends Valentine flailing backwards! White then grabs Valentine and throws him into the corner. This time, it’s White’s turn to run at Valentine and, limping slightly, he takes out Valentine with a Stinger Splash!
Valentine gasps for air as he stumbles out of the corner, but White isn’t finished and takes out Valentine with a spinebuster! White hooks the leg! 1... 2.... NO! Valentine gets a shoulder up!
Phoenix: And credit where it's due, Valentine has fight in him too! A spinebuster from White is enough to put away most men!
White shakes his head in mild frustration and picks up Valentine, taking him out with a picture perfect suplex. He then follows it up by picking up Valentine and whipping him to the ropes. On Valentine’s return, White grabs him from the side and hits a Pavement Slam! He hooks the leg! ONE ... TWO ... NO! Kickout!
White continues his assault, picking up Valentine once again and lifting him up for another suplex - but this time, White winces as the pain in his leg distracts him. Valentine manages to slip out of White’s grasp! He lands behind White, and kicks him in the back of the same knee, then follows it up with a super kick to the kneeling White!
Jeffrey: Told ya! Genius!
Phoenix: That knee has certainly been trouble for White, and Valentine is well aware!
Valentine grabs White’s leg and starts to set up for the Figure Four Leg Lock - but White uses his good leg to kick Valentine away! Valentine hits the middle turnbuckle and grimaces on the impact, giving White the opportunity to use the ropes to get back to his feet.
The two men run at each other and despite limping, White wipes out Valentine with a hellacious clothesline that sends him flipping 270 in the air and landing face first!
Phoenix: White is not messing around! What a clothesline! The Universal Champion seems unstoppable!!
White shakes the ropes and roars! The crowd pop as White looks fired up!! White signals it’s time for the end! He grabs Valentine and sets him up in a Powerbomb position!! White lifts up Mad Dog into the air - but once again, his leg gives out!! Valentine lands on his feet - SUPERKICK!! Valentine then grabs White - AND HITS THE FLEA SHOT DDT!!
Valentine covers White!! ONE ... TWO ... THR-- NO!! Somehow White kicks out!!
Phoenix: Wow! I thought that was it! But White fights on!!
Roberts: This is insane!
Valentine uses the ropes to help get back to his feet. White is clearly in trouble with his knee as he hobbles back up to his feet. Valentine runs at White, and it is all White can do to grab Valentine and reverse into a belly-to-belly, before collapsing on his knees again. With the tides suddenly turned, Valentine tries to gather his bearings and get up and White, on nothing but pure adrenaline, slaps himself in the face and gets back up to his feet!!
His knee is clearly a hinderance but he ignores it as he grabs Valentine, limping along the way. He sets up Valentine for the Powerbomb, and despite the pain in his knee, which he screams out because of, he lifts Valentine all the way up regardless, runs forward two steps, and HITS THE TRAIN CRASH POWERBOMB!!
Phoenix: THE TRAIN CRASH! WHITE HAS HIT THE TRAIN CRASH!
Roberts: Yeah, but look! At what cost? He's clutching that knee with everything he's got!
White indeed doesn't cover Valentine as White holds his own knee, silently seething and red in the face from the pain of the injury. He eventually turns and rolls over to Valentine, who is a couple of feet away, and hooks the leg!
ONE ... TWO .... THR---VALENTINE KICKS OUT!!
The crowd erupt at this, having expected the match to be over. A "THIS IS AWESOME!" chant breaks out, and is eventually dueled with a "FIGHT FOREVER!" chant.
Phoenix: Valentine kicked out! Unbelievable!
Jeffrey: Those few seconds White took to cover Valentine were crucial!
Inside the ring, both White and Valentine are down. The duel chants echo strongly around the arena, and the referee starts to count them both out.
1...2....3....4.....5.....6......7..
White starts to stir.... 8.....Valentine leans up against the ropes... 9.... White gets up to his feet, limping worse than ever and approaches Valentine on the ropes. Valentine simply throws a foot out and punt kicks White directly in the knee, and White roars in pain and collapses to a knee. Valentine falls forward and takes out White with a European Uppercut!! With White on his back, Valentine grabs his leg and sets up for the Figure Four Leg Lock!
Roberts: This spells trouble for White!!
Valentine flips himself over, drops to the mat and LOCKS IN THE FIGURE FOUR! Immediately, White is frantic and alert, seething and screaming, almost frothing at the mouth in pain as he wriggles around trying to find a way out of the move. Since Valentine has the ropes behind him, White has to go the long way around. He uses his arms to try and pull himself and Valentine backwards, desperately grasping for the ropes!
Phoenix: He's in the middle of the ring with nowhere to go!
White looks around, desperate for a solution. He is beetroot red and looks like a crazed mad man. Valentine is trying to put as much pressure on the hold as he can, roaring himself, screaming at White to tap out! Then, Valentine suddenly moves weirdly. It soon becomes apparent that he is bridging!!
Phoenix: Oh my god!! Bridging Figure Four Leg Lock! He's going to snap White's leg in two!!
White is no longer able to move, and the pain has become such that he isn't even able to look around and survey his surroundings. He ends up slouched on one side, reaching desperately for the ropes but making no progress. Eventually his arm drops, still outstretched, and he stops moving. The referee runs over and immediately calls for the bell!!
Carson: Here is your winner by submission... and the NEEEEEEW 4CW UNIVERSAL CHAMPION ... JACK ... MAD DOOOOOOOG .... VALENTIIIIINE!!
Phoenix: Valentine has done it! Wow! White was in so much pain! But he refused to tap! He passed out from the pain! So the referee had to call it!
Roberts: Any normal man would have been done ten minutes ago! But White is no normal man! I am concerned about that knee though! After such a savage hold, he must be in agony!
Jeffrey: I'll be the first to admit that Brian White is one of the toughest bastards I've ever seen! But sometimes your body can fail you where your mind doesn't! And that's what happened tonight! I can tell you right now, Brian White would have NEVER tapped out, but his body just couldn't handle it anymore and gave out on him!
White rolls out of the ring and falls into the barricade, holding his knee, as Teri comes to offer moral support. Some EMTs run down to rinside to see to White but he pie-faces them away, not interested in getting help. He limps up the ramp, groggy and exhausted, with Teri following him. Inside the ring, the referee hands Jack Valentine the 4CW Universal Championship, and he falls to his knees and holds it high in the air!
Jeffrey: YES!
Phoenix: What a victory! What a match! Jack Valentine is your NEW UNIVERSAL CHAMPION!!
Valentine kisses the belt and gets back up to his feet, before raising it in the air again.
Phoenix: Say what you want about his style and his tactics, this win means everything to Jack Valentine! This victory, along with his Hall of Fame induction, has etched another glorious chapter into his already illustrious career! He is now a two-time Universal Champion!
Jeffrey: And 4CW is back to its best with Mad Dog holding Universal gold!
Phoenix: On the night he is honoured as a Hall of Famer, Valentine becomes champion again. I don't think he'd want it any other way!
Valentine rolls out of the ring and celebrates up the ramp with the belt, his loss of the Hardcore Championship quickly forgotten with this new championship victory.
Sery: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and everyone in between, for coming here tonight and making this one of the biggest Revival's in 4CW history! I'm here to announce the attendance for tonight, we've made history by bringing in one person over 100,000, for a grand total attendance of 100,001!!
The crowd pop at this announcement as the camera pans all through the giant arena.
Sery: And on July 28th, we will be heading to Phoenix, Arizona, for 4CW Storm Front: Rumble in the Storm II! Now I'm sure you're all wondering what you can expect on that show, besides the obvious, well: I'm here to tell you! First of all - the big one, the main event: The 4CW World Championship will be on the line as the 4CW World Champion, whoever that is, will defend the belt - in the 30-Person Rumble in the Storm match!
Another huge roar of approval from the crowd!
Sery: The 4CW Custom Cup Championship will be on the line as Tommy Young defends in an Ultimate X match against Phil McGroin!
More pops.
Sery: As confirmed earlier tonight, 4CW Tag Team Champions Umbra Maxima will defend the titles against S&M!
A smaller pop since the match was already confirmed.
Sery: Brian White and Jack Valentine will once again do battle for the 4CW Universal Championship - and this time, it'll be inside a Steel Cage!
Bigger pop for this big announcement!
Sery: And finally, two tag teams who have been on a roll lately will do battle as Silent Sorcery will take on the Synth City Thrillers, and the winner will receive a future 4CW Tag Team Championship match! Once again, thank you for a magnificent night! We will see you in July! Enjoy the main event of the evening!
Sery disappears. The lights go out, highlighting the stage with set and spotlights.
Carson: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Revival, Crush 40!
*The crowd cheers loudly as Crush 40 first plays “Knight of the Wind”. As the song ends a lightning bolt strikes on the titantron and they transition into “His World”. A figure starts to rise from the center of the stage, clad in a yellow hoodie the audience knows all too well, and they let loose a resounding cheer for the arrival of Jacob “The Thunderbolt” Scharff.*
Phoenix: Our main event tonight pits two 4CW veterans against each other, in 3 Stages of Hell. Scharff, the challenger, picked the stipulation of a Strap Match, Paige picked her signature Graveyard by Moonlight. If we get to the third fall we will once and for all find out who is the better superstar with a singles match where there must be a winner. Will Scharff pull himself up the mountain one more time, or can Paige hold her ground?
Jeffrey: Both competitors have picked stipulation matches that are advantageous to them. I can’t see Paige dragging Scharff to all four corners of the ring with the size advantage he has but she knows all the ins and outs of the Graveyard by Moonlight match.
Roberts: These are two of the best to ever grace 4CW and we get to watch them do what they do best tonight. These are the moments I live for.
*Jacob Scharff makes his way down the ramp and gets in the ring. He takes off his hoodie and waits.*
The arena lights go out, as well as the 4CWTron, leaving everything in pitch black. A thick layer of purple fog begins to envelope the stage and ramp. Barely visible through the haze, at center stage, a small violet flame flickers in mid-air, providing a momentary glimpse of a woman's face. Suddenly, she blows the flame out. The crowd buzzes in anticipation. Across the darkened stage, a rainbow-patterned series of six coloured fireworks ascends out of the darkness and explodes overhead, creating a starburst shower of crackling sparks.
The crowd pops as "The Astral Dialogue" by Agalloch pounds through the PA system and Paige appears through the fog, wearing a black leather jacket over her purple-trimmed black ring attire, She proudly displays the 4CW Chamionship Championship strapped round her waist. The 4CWtron shows dark, stylized clips of Pilgrim Paige in various settings: descending the staircase of the Moontower; stoking her fire pit, etc. She throws her arm up and gives the sign of the horns while pumping her arm a few times.
When the song's beat picks up and the harsh vocals kick in, Paige takes off running through the fog down to the ring. At the bottom of the ramp she leaps and slides into the ring under the bottom rope, then arises swiftly from the canvas. After removing her jacket and tossing it to a ring attendant, she walks to the middle of the ring. Paige spreads her arms wide and throws her head back, sounding out a loud WOOO as rapid bursts of purple pyro shoot from the corner posts. The lights return to normal as Paige picks a corner to stand in.
Carson: Introducing first, he is the challenger, weighing in tonight at 260 lbs. and standing 6’1. He hails…from Atlanta, Georgia and he is a 4CW Hall of Famer… JACOB ... THE THUNDERBOOOOOOOLT ... SCHAAAARFF!!
*Jacob chops out a lightning bolt and it’s punctuated with one striking the stage.*
Carson: His opponent, she is the 4CW World Champion, weighing in tonight at 134 lbs. and standing 5’7. She hails…from Newfoundland, Canada and resides on the DARK SIDE OF THE MOOOOOON, THE GOLDEN ... PILGRIIIIIIIM ... PAAAAAIGE!!
*Paige raises her title high as purple fireworks light up the night sky. She hands her title to the referee who holds it aloft for all to see. He then passes it outside and it is exchanged for the strap for the first match and he brings Paige and Jacob together to hook them up.*
Phoenix: This started at Gallows End 2017. A year and a half later we have reached the culmination.
“Dingding!”
*The bell rings and Paige tries to run for the nearest corner, but Jacob’s over one hundred pound weight advantage stops her from going anywhere. He yanks back on the strap and she stumbles toward him and Jacob kicks her square in the gut and then hits a textbook suplex. He immediately rolls her onto her belly and goes into a grounded front facelock.*
Phoenix: Scharff knows this is going to be a long night so he’s looking to wear Paige down early.
*Slowly Paige manages to struggle up to her feet and she fires some sharp chops into Jacob’s chest, trying to drop the challenger. She attacks with a violent ferocity and punctuates it with a slap to the face but this clearly incenses the challenger who uses the strap to yank her in and hit a scoop slam. Jacob quickly heads over and smacks the nearby turnbuckle causing a blue light atop it to glow.*
Phoenix: That’s one for the challenger!
*Jacob makes his way towards the next corner, dragging Paige along, but when he’s nearly there Paige gets up and she runs right at Jacob. He goes for a lariat but Paige manages to duck it and she runs up the corner and as Jacob turns around she lands a missile dropkick to his chest finally taking him down! Paige gets to her feet as the lone blue light goes out and she slaps the turnbuckle she just jumped from causing a purple light to glow from it. Paige proceeds to try to drag Jacob towards the corner but the effort is clearly not worth the result as he starts getting up before she’s even halfway to the next turnbuckle. She goes back to him and hits a clubbing blow to the back and Jacob reacts with a grimace, but he doesn’t go down. She goes for it again and he catches her hands! He throws her backwards but due to the strap she doesn’t go very far so she lines up another dropkick and hits Jacob in the chest yet again. Jacob goes down but Paige clearly has difficulties moving his 260 lbs.*
Phoenix: Paige needs a different strategy here.
Jeffrey: What strategy is there for dragging a much larger opponent across the ring? If she leaves him be he’s just gonna recover, if she makes him dead weight she’ll never make it around the ring. Paige’s title reign is in jeopardy.
Roberts: I wonder if Jacob is taking this match seriously. He’s been keeping things very slow and simple.
Phoenix: That’s probably because he’s taking this so seriously. If he exhausts himself here he’ll have nothing left for what may be two more matches.
*Paige finally manages to slap the second turnbuckle and a second purple light comes on but Jacob meanwhile has managed to get to his feet and when he notices the situation he yanks on the strap and Paige turns to see the challenger seething. Jacob charges in with a big clothesline and crushes Paige in the corner. He sits her on the top rope before stepping back and then using the strap to yank Paige up and over his head and slam her to the mat hard!*
Phoenix: The problem here is that Paige’s biggest advantage, her speed, has been taken away from her.
Jeffrey: She might be better off just playing dead so Scharff can win this one and she can get free.
Roberts: I actually agree with you for once Jeffrey. It might put her in a hole so to speak but at least she’d finally be able to use her speed.
*Jacob moves to Paige and pulls her up and puts her right back down with a belly-to-belly. He drags her to the nearby corner and slaps the top turnbuckle to turn on his first blue light. He drags Paige to the next corner and slaps it as well! A second blue light glows bright. He drags Paige, yet again moving as quick as he can, and gets to the third turnbuckle and lights it up!*
Phoenix: Paige in a desperate state here as Jacob nearly has this first match all sewn up. The champ will have a mighty mountain to climb indeed if she can’t stop “The Thunderbolt” here and now!
*Paige manages to get to her knees and yanks hard on the strap, causing Jacob to stop and take notice of her. She provokes him with a “bring it” gesture and he obliges by running straight at her but she jumps on the middle rope and hits a springboard hurricanrana and takes him down! The three blue lights go dark and Paige and Jacob are both on the ground.*
Jeffrey: I think that was the stupidest thing Paige could’ve done. She now has to get up and then drag Jacob all around the ring. Even if she succeeds she’s not gonna have anything left for what’s to come!
*Paige gets to her feet first and is near enough a turnbuckle that she can slap it and alight the purple beacon that rests atop it. She pulls hard to drag Jacob to the next turnbuckle and she makes it and lights her second purple light. She manages to continue her valiant effort and get to the third turnbuckle and lights it up!
The goal is in sight and she starts making her way to the final turnbuckle, but about halfway there she’s stopped in her tracks. Jacob has yanked on the strap. Paige makes a desperate leap for the turnbuckle, but to no avail as she comes up short, and crashes to the mat!*
Phoenix: So close, yet so far for The Lunar Pilgrim! What is Jacob setting her up for here?
*Jacob has picked up Paige and hoisted her up so her legs are around his waist and her head is tucked under his arm. He falls backward with a brutal looking Cradle DDT.*
Phoenix: One of his oldest maneuvers, it’s been awhile since Jacob has busted out that Cradle DDT and clearly he’s pulling out every trick in his book here tonight to walk out as champion.
*Jacob pulls Paige up again into the Cradle DDT position, but this time he starts heading for the turnbuckle, and he slaps it. The blue light gleams. Unbeknownst to him however, Paige’s hand slaps the turnbuckle as he turns to keep going so the purple light shines as well. At the next turnbuckle the same thing occurs. At the third one as well.
Jacob stops to check his handiwork and notices the purple lights. Paige starts fighting out of the cradle hold with shots to the gut and this causes Jacob to put her down and she jumps on the middle rope and goes for a springboard hurricanrana…but Jacob uses his strength to stop her! He Powerbombs Paige hard to the mat! Jacob makes his way over and slaps the final turnbuckle!*
“Dingdingding!”
Carson: The winner of the first fall, Jacob Scharff!
Phoenix: With her speed stripped from her Paige was behind from the start, but now we’re going into home-field advantage for her, so to speak, as we prep for Graveyard by Moonlight.
Jeffrey: Last time these two faced off in Graveyard by Moonlight there was no winner because Tsukiko dragged Paige away.
Roberts: This is the type of match Paige used when she was the Custom Cup Champion. If any match is going to get her a pinfall over Jacob it’s this one.
Phoenix: Well if she doesn’t get it here she won’t get it anywhere and Jacob will be the new 4CW World Champion.
*A casket has been wheeled to ringside and a spotlight has lowered from the ceiling. Jacob and Paige have had the strap removed and the ref has moved them to opposite corners of the ring.*
“Dingding!”
*Paige immediately charges Jacob who tries for a lariat counter but she slides underneath it, and bounces off the ropes and hits a chopblock on her challenger! Jacob drops to a knee and Paige runs off the other ropes and dropkicks him hard in the chest. She proceeds to roll to the outside and she grabs a steel chair! Paige rolls back in and watches for just a moment before slamming the chair into the back of a prone Thunderbolt.*
Phoenix: Paige knows she’s behind the eight ball here so she’s doing everything in her power to put Scharff in that casket and shine a light on it to tie this up.
*Paige hits Scharff with the chair again and again. It starts to dent and contort around his back and eventually she tosses it aside and lets loose a hearty battle cry! She rolls outside again and now she starts to pull a ladder out from under the ring.*
Jefferson: She can’t be thinking she has this wrapped up already. If a few chair shots are enough to put down Jacob I need to go back in time and talk to Eddie Wolfbaine.
*Paige gets the ladder all the way out and slides it into the ring and follows behind it. She props it under the spotlight and then starts stomping on Jacob and kicking him, maneuvering him ever closer to the casket that will seal the match. As he rolls under the bottom rope she calls for the casket to be opened and she tries to kick him in but Jacob holds onto the bottom rope for dear life, and slowly starts to use the ropes to pull himself up on the apron. Paige goes and grabs the steel chair she had been using earlier but as she swings for Jacob’s head, he moves and the chair bounces off the top rope, right back into Paige’s face!*
Phoenix: Paige was a bit overzealous there and it cost her big time!
*Paige stumbles back towards the rope and Jacob grabs her head and hot shots her off the rope. He gets back in, holding his back, and kicks the chair to the floor. He then drops a big leg across Paige’s throat. He gets into position to get a front facelock on Paige and start slowly bringing her back to her feet. He lifts her high for a suplex but she lands on her feet behind him! Paige runs the ropes and goes for a Codebreaker…but Jacob catches her! He drives Paige into the corner! He backs up and it’s clear the ropes are the only thing holding Pilgrim Paige upright. He charges in but she move sat the last second and he hits the steel post shoulder first!*
Phoenix: Paige just gets out in the nick of time and that messed up shoulder along with his messed up back means Jacob is going to have a hard time executing the power moves he’s more known for.
Jeffrey: She got lucky cause if Jacob had connected Paige would be a smear on the turnbuckles.
Roberts: These two are just trying to hit moves and get through these matches. Paige is desperate for the win and Scharff doesn’t want it to go to a third match.
*Jacob stumbles out right into a step up enzuigiri from the champion! He falls and Paige sets about the unenviable task of moving him across the ring to the casket. She slowly rolls him towards her desired destination. She manages to get him there but he grabs onto the bottom rope again, holding on for dear life. She repeatedly stomps and kicks at him but to no avail as he just won’t let go. Paige decides to abandon her current course of action and she ascends the top rope. Jacob pulls himself to his feet on the apron and Paige jumps off with a missile dropkick again, turning in mid-air, and catches Jacob square in the chest with both feet and he flies over the open casket and onto the floor!*
Phoenix: What a dropkick by the champion! I don’t think she succeeded in her true intentions but that may be all the worse for Jacob!
*A “holy shit” chant picks up steam in the crowd as Paige can’t believe her poor luck. She rolls outside and starts roughly trying to pull Jacob up and get him back in the ring so she can put him in the casket. She slowly gets him up and over towards the apron and rolls him up onto it. As she clambers up he starts to try getting up as well and she goes on the attack, but despite him clearly wincing in immense pain from shots to the back and chest, he doesn’t go back down and eventually regains his feet!*
Jeffrey: “The Thunderbolt” is not going to power down just for Paige here tonight! She’s gonna have to earn this win and the next one.
Roberts: If she wins there’s still one match to go. These two give me goosebumps!
*Jacob blocks a right hand by Paige! He staggers her with a right of his own! A loud “ Yay” chant erupts from most of the crowd, though some “Boo”s can be heard interspersed as well. Paige fires back with the same type of crowd response.*
Phoenix: A clearly divided crowd. You have a tremendous amount of fans for both of these competitors.
*Jacob rocks Paige with another right, but she manages to fire back. Again the two go blow-for-blow. Jacob fires a fourth right hand. So does Paige! Blocked by Scharff! Another right by Scharff! Another! Another! Kick to the gut! Paige doubles over! DDT on the apron!*
Jeffrey: The hardest part of the ring! Paige just got her head smashed in there.
Roberts: That looked akin to Jacob’s Sonicboom. Is Paige even still conscious?
Phoenix: The Lunar Pilgrim might be done. It was a valiant effort, but Jacob chose a brilliant match to start with and the domination he showed in that match left a mountain to large for Paige to scale.
*Jacob nudges Paige’s limp body into the casket. He drops to the floor and pulls out a large ladder and pushes it into the ring. The crowd is on the edge of their seats.*
Phoenix: All he has to do is climb 20 ft and turn on the light, and he’ll illuminate his fourth title reign.
*Jacob sets the ladder underneath the spotlight that dangles from the ceiling. He looks up and slowly starts his ascent.*
Jeffrey: This is it! He has all the time in the world!
Roberts: Poor Paige.
Phoenix: His back and chest are slowing his ascent, also he has an innate fear of heights. He’s moving very slowly, one misstep, he crashes to the canvas and gives Paige an opening he can ill afford.
*Slowly Jacob closes in on the spotlight. Everyone is holding their breath. He’s about halfway there. Every step brings a wince as he tries to keep his balance, tries to avoid looking down. He climbs further still. Each rung, a moment closer to victory and glory. He finally finds himself in arm’s reach and clicks on the brilliant light! He closes his eyes and slumps on top of the ladder, but the bell to signal the end of the match doesn’t come!
Scharff waits, still nothing but he hears the crowd cheering. He dares to take a look at the casket. Paige is out! Not only that she’s getting to her feet! Jacob is stranded, 20 ft in the air! He looks down at Paige and is clearly begging for her to let him come down safely but The Lunar Pilgrim is deaf to his cries as she uses all her might to tip the ladder! Jacob falls from a dizzying height!*
Phoenix: He managed to move down a bit before he fell but he still fell about 15 ft to the canvas below!
Jeffrey: Paige got out of there while he was focused on not falling and I have to wonder now if he was too focused on getting the win.
Roberts: This is a major opening for Paige!
*Paige rolls Jacob’s unmoving body towards the casket yet again but this time when he gets to the bottom rope there is no movement to hold on and she kicks him in with no trouble. She then resets the ladder underneath the spotlight and starts to climb!*
Phoenix: The Lunar Pilgrim is rising from the ashes like a phoenix, trying to make this comeback!
Jeffrey: Jacob had her on the verge of total defeat but now they’re about to be back on an even playing field.
Roberts: Everything will come full circle. One last singles match to decide who is better.
*Paige clicks on the spotlight! It illuminates a fully closed casket, with Jacob still inside!*
“Dingdingding!”
Carson: The winner of the second fall, the 4CW champion, Pilgrim Paige!
*The spotlight starts to move back up into the depths of the ceiling as the ref takes down the ladder and removes it from the ring. Other officials open the casket and Jacob soon sits up, trying to get his bearings. He climbs out of the casket and kicks the bottom rope in frustration. He gets in the corner opposite Paige as the ref preps them for the final match.*
Phoenix: Everything has come down to this. A year and a half of unresolved tensions and a very interesting question that has gone without answer thus far. Who is the better 4CW legend? Jacob “The Thunderbolt” Scharff who came back after years away and climbed the mountain to prove he can still hang? Or the current champion Paige, who despite some questionable choices in her time, has proven herself to be more than a match for any man on 4CW’s roster.
Jeffrey: It’s well-documented that I’m not the biggest fan of either of these two, but there’s no denying they are the top two stars in 4CW right now. I’m not surprised we’ve come to this.
Roberts: Can’t we just call it a draw? Why does someone have to lose this?
Phoenix: Their pride is on the line Roberts. When all is said and done only one will hold the mountain, the title and all of 4CW in their hand.
“Dingdingding!”
*Jacob moves towards Paige but she immediately runs for the ropes, intending to use her speed yet again for an advantage. She bounces off the ropes but blows by Jacob before hitting the opposite ropes to get even more momentum and she hits a dropkick to the back of the challenger! Jacob stumbles forward but doesn’t go down. Paige backs up and runs the ropes again but Jacob uses the ropes that he is near to pick up some speed of his own and he surprises Paige with a tackle!*
Phoenix: Scharff turned the tables on the champion there.
Jeffrey: Speed kills and the victim may be Paige’s title reign.
*Jacob picks up Paige and slams her back down with a big body slam. He runs off the ropes and hits a legdrop across her throat! Cover!
1!
Paige kicks out!*
Roberts: That just shows the fight left in Paige
Phoenix: Every pinfall now is critical. Failure to kick out means game over.
*Jacob drags Paige to the edge of the ring and then rolls under the bottom rope and sets her face up on the apron before clambering back up there himself. He goes for another big legdrop but Paige manages to move and he lands butt first on the hardest part of the ring! Stunned, this allows Paige to get up and run the ropes for a baseball slide that knocks Jacob to the floor! She runs the ropes yet again and this time comes over the top rope with her diving crossbody, Sailor Moon! She slams into Jacob and the two crash to the ground. Paige picks herself up first and then starts to dismantle the nearby announce table.*
Phoenix: Time to go guys!
Jeffrey: I’ve had nightmares like this.
*Paige grabs Jacob’s head as he gets up bounces it off the table. She goes to do it again but Jacob manages to block! A shot to the gut of Paige and he positions her for a Powerbomb! He flips The Lunar Pilgrim onto his shoulders but she fights him and wriggles out and manages to stand up on the table! She kicks Jacob in the chest and goes for a crossbody again but Jacob catches her! Fallaway Slam on the floor!*
Phoenix: What a brutal smash! Paige may have speed to spare, but Jacob has strength. Which will be the best tactic tonight?
*Jacob starts to peel back the padding on the floor, exposing the concrete underneath. He rolls under the ropes to break the count and then he walks over to Paige, who is barely moving and pulls her up and moves her back towards the concrete. He looks at the concrete, but hesitates. He moves her onto the table instead and hits a clubbing blow to the champion’s chest. He climbs up on the table and picks Paige up and seems to position her for a powerbomb that would drive her to the concrete below! People are begging him not to do it but clearly some of the crowd are salivating at the thought of the carnage to come.
Jacob flips Paige up and she uses the momentum to slide over his shoulder and land on her feet on the table. Paige with a kick to the gut as Jacob turns around! Astral Connection! Paige’s Scissored DDT is enough to drive Jacob through the table!*
Phoenix: Jacob wanted to end everything but he took too long and Paige took advantage! If she can get him to the ring her title reign is almost guaranteed to continue unimpeded!
*Paige slowly gets to her feet and has to quickly dive under the bottom rope, back into the ring, in order to break the count yet again. She slowly makes her way to Jacob’s seemingly broken body and starts shuffling it and nudging it towards the ring. She manages to get it in and then herself in as well before the countout. Paige covers Jacob!
1!
2!
Jacob kicks out! Paige pulls herself up and immediately starts to ascend the nearby turnbuckle!*
Phoenix: I think Paige is looking for Footprints on the Moon! Jacob’s challenge is in severe jeopardy!
*Paige jumps off, looking to drive her feet into Jacob’s chest but he moves out of the way! Paige rolls as she lands and she charges Jacob, who has pulled himself up in the corner, but he catches her and drives her to the mat with a uranage slam!*
Jeffrey: Jacob showing he’s not done yet but both superstars are down now!
Roberts: Whoever gets to their feet first could end this!
*Despite taking the last slam, Paige gets up first and she starts hitting rapid blows to Jacob’s back as he tries to rise. He keeps coming though so Paige runs the ropes and goes for a dropkick but Jacob manages to move aside! Paige crashes to the mat! She gets up into a powerful clothesline from Jacob! He goes for a second as she gets back up and she ducks it! Paige has Jacob’s neck! Moon-O-Matic! Her take on the Edge-O’matic results in a cover!
1!
2!
Jacob kicks out! Paige gets up and goes for a standing moonsault! Jacob rolls away again! Paige lands on her feet but ends up stumbling backwards, right into Jacob’s hands as he hits his own take on the Edge-O’Matic, The Pulse! Cover by Jacob!
1!
2!
Paige kicks out now! Jacob pulls Paige to her feet and whips her towards the ropes! He telegraphs his intentions though and Paige kicks him in the chest. She runs the ropes again but Jacob catches her with The Shock Buster! The sitout spinebuster leads to another cover!
1!
2!
Paige kicks out again!*
Phoenix: Paige needs a new tactic! All these power moves from Jacob are gonna put an end to her sooner or later.
Jeffrey: Jacob’s wise to her game of hit and run at this point. She’s gonna need him to make a mistake if she wants to get out of this with her title.
*Jacob gets up and looks at Paige before glancing at the nearby corner. He looks back at Paige and picks her up. Paige goes for a surprise clothesline, but Jacob ducks it and gets her in a rear waistlock! German Suplex! He keeps his hands clasped and rolls through! A second German! Jacob rolls through again! A third German! Jacob completes Rumbling Thunder and heads to the top rope!*
Roberts: It’s rare we see Jacob go up here.
Phoenix: I think the last time he did was at last year’s Revival and it didn’t end well.
*Jacob comes off the top with a moonsault! All 260 lbs. of him comes crashing down on Paige! Cover!
1!
2!
…Paige gets her foot on the bottom rope!! The crowd cheers loudly since the match isn’t over but Jacob can’t believe it!*
Jeffrey: He connected! He actually connected and somehow Paige wormed her leg onto the bottom rope! You gotta be kidding!
Phoenix: Jacob uses that moonsault, The Last Remnant, in honor of his father, the legendary Dark Star. Dark Star hit aerial maneuvers that were so crisp and clean you didn’t get up after them. Jacob never made them a major part of his arsenal, but he has that desperation moonsault in his back pocket, and tonight it wasn’t enough.
*Jacob calls for the Sonicboom and then starts stalking Paige as she uses the ropes to pull herself up. He kicks her in the gut and goes for it but she grabs the rope and he falls on his back! Paige literally leaps at the opportunity and hits him in the abdomen with Moon Shoes! She follows it up with a moonsault and a shooting star press!*
Phoenix: We saw Paige bust out that same combination against Jacob’s friend Chaos! Now she’s going to the top rope to end this thing!
*Paige sets her sights on Jacob again and comes jumping off the top rope with Footprints on the Moon! It connects!! Paige drags Jacob away from the ropes! Into the cover!
1!
2!
NO!!! Jacob Scharff kicks out at the absolute last second!*
Jeffrey: It’s not over! Paige busted out four of her best moves there and she still couldn’t put Scharff away!
Roberts: How is Scharff still going?
Phoenix: 4CW means that much to him Roberts.
*The crowd starts chanting “This is awesome!” In the ring Paige looks like she’s about to lose her mind, cry, scream, or some combination of the three. She drags Jacob over to the corner in a fury and starts to use the ropes and all of her strength to get him up and force him to sit atop the turnbuckle! She sets him up for Drawing Down the Moon!
Jacob kicks her in the back of the head! He hops down from the top rope and picks Paige up from behind, setting her face-up on his shoulders and hits an inverted TKO on the champion! As he gets up he pulls her up to and then sits her on the turnbuckle like she did him, but so her back is facing him as opposed to her front.*
Phoenix: Scharff looking like he’s going to attempt a Super Thunder Drop. This could break Paige in half.
*Scharff slowly pulls himself up, beside Paige, trying to make sure they’re both in position. He puts his head under her arm. Paige’s eyes fly open and she starts throwing elbows in a furious attempt to escape her predicament! She manages to get off of Jacob’s shoulders and back on the turnbuckle. More fast and furious shots from the challenger and Jacob tries to hang on, but blocking Paige’s shots causes him to lose his balance and Paige shoves him to the canvas! Jacob lands hard but Paige looks unsure of how to follow-up.*
Phoenix: Footprints on the Moon didn’t cut the mustard last time! Will Paige try again…wait what the hell is she doing?
*Paige has started walking the top rope and we see she’s got her eyes locked on the ladder from the Graveyard by Moonlight match that was left standing just outside the ring! She jumps onto the ladder and measures Jacob. Jacob slowly gets to his feet. Paige jumps from the ladder…LUNAR ECLIPSE!! It connects!! Paige crawls into the cover as the crowd chants “Holy shit!”
1!
2!
3!*
Carson: Here is your winner... AND STIIIIILLLLL 4CW WORLD CHAMPION ... PILGRIIIIIIIIIIM PAAAAAAIGE!!!
*The crowd explodes in raucous cheers as both competitors lay on the mat.*
Phoenix: A Lunar Eclipse off the ladder. Paige knew she would need something insane and by god that fit the bill.
Jeffrey: What a match. Those two went back and forth till the end.
Roberts: I still wish they both could have won.
*In the ring Paige has been handed her title and Jacob has pulled himself up into a sitting position. Paige walks over and offers her hand to her competitor. Jacob takes it and gets to his feet. They stare at each other briefly before Jacob pulls Paige in for an embrace.*
Phoenix: Great sportsmanship there by the challenger.
Jeffrey: Ew.
*When Jacob looks up there are tears streaming down his face and Paige lets go and gives him a small bow. She leaves the ring as Jacob grabs a microphone.*
I came back here to see if I could still climb the mountain. I didn’t realize how much harder that climb had gotten. Wolfbaine, Paige, and all the 4CW superstars I’ve had the honor to face over the years, have always brought out the best in me.
*A “Thank you Jacob” chant quickly picks up the steam in the crowd cutting Jacob’s words short. From ringside, Skylar Zane hops the barricade and joins her husband in the ring. She places her hand on his shoulder and gives him an encouraging nod.*
4CW has been the sight of my greatest triumphs. I’ve won world titles, been inducted into the hall of fame, heck I even got married here!...17 years ago, when I was just getting my start in this business, wrestling in high school gyms and with no idea if I would sink or swim, I didn’t imagine I would be on this great company’s grandest stage, fighting with all my heart and soul for the world title, lose, and still be happy. I have my wife, we have our friends and family, and our adopted son. And Xavier is back in Atlanta right now and I love you Xavier, and it’s well past time, Skylar and I had one of our own.
*He places his hand on Skylar’s stomach and she smiles and the audience lets loose another raucous cheer for the joyous news.*
With every beginning though, there comes an end. Like I said I’ve been doing this 17 years. I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and I really couldn’t have asked for my life turn out any better than this.
*The audience has figured out what’s coming and have started chanting “Please don’t go.”*
A few weeks ago, when Chaos battled Paige, he confirmed to me, that I could leave 4CW in her hands. That things would be okay and I could ride into the sunset, win or lose at Revival. Trust me, I didn’t want to go out on my back. But maybe it’s better that way. Paige has definitively beaten a 4CW hall of famer. Doesn’t get much bigger than that, and heck she did it twice in a row.
*The “Please don’t go” chant is even louder now. Both Jacob and Skylar are crying as are many of the audience members.*
You guys…thank you. You are the ones that pushed me to keep going most nights. Skylar (He takes her hands) thank you, for finding me and not letting go, and for patching me up all those nights I came home busted. Thank you for being my support behind the scenes when no one else was around. That’s it guys. The skies have cleared in 4CW. I can’t guarantee this’ll be the last time you ever see me, but for right now…it’s lights out.
*The audience cheers and gives the couple a standing ovation as Jacob walks Skylar to the ropes and lets her out.*
Phoenix: I was wrong earlier.
Roberts: How so?
Phoenix: Paige holds the mountain, and the title in her hands, but I’m sure as of right now, Jacob holds all of 4CW in his. Pilgrim Paige is still World Champion and it's goodbye for now, to all of you, and to one of the greatest to ever step into a 4CW ring. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us on this HISTORIC NIGHT! THIS HAS BEEN REVIVAL! UNTIL NEXT TIME!!
*The camera follows Jacob and Skylar as they walk up the ramp. At the top, the pair chop out lightning bolts, punctuated with pyrotechnics, and then head backstage, as the lights do indeed go out on Revival.*
Quick Results:
-Supreme defeated Erica Moxie, Phil McGroin, Witch Hazel and Tommy Young to win the Lightning in the Bottle match.
-The Janiturs defeated The Supergroup via DQ
-Umbra Maxima (c) defeated Synth City Thrillers to retain the 4CW Tag Team Championships
-Silent Sorcery defeated The Liberation
-Jack Valentine defeated Brian White (c) via submission to win the 4CW Universal Championship
--(Phil McGroin defeated Jack Valentine (c) during this match to win the 4CW Hardcore Championship)
-Rhys Cain defeated Willow the Widow in a Mask vs Career match
-Pilgrim Paige (c) defeated Jacob Scharff in a Three Stages of Hell match (2-1) to retain the 4CW World Championship
Writing Credit:
-Lightning in the Bottle match: Rhys
-Umbra Maxima "interview": Rhys
-The Janiturs vs The Supergroup: Rhys
-Umbra Maxima vs Synth City Thrillers, Tag Titles: Rhys
-Liberation vs Silent Sorcery: Rhys
-Brian White vs Jack Valentine, Uni Title: Rhys
-Rhys Cain vs Willow the Widow: Rhys/Paige
-Sery announces Rumble in the Storm card: Rhys
-Pilgrim Paige vs Jacob Scharff, World Title: Stingmon
Review Template
-Lightning in the Bottle match:
-The Janiturs vs The Supergroup:
-Umbra Maxima vs Synth City Thrillers, Tag Titles:
-Liberation vs Silent Sorcery:
-Brian White vs Jack Valentine, Uni Title:
-Rhys Cain vs Willow the Widow:
-Sery announces Rumble in the Storm card:
-Pilgrim Paige vs Jacob Scharff, World Title:
Match of the Night:
MVP of the Night:
Moment/Spot of the Night:
Graphic of the Night:
Thanks Taker_2004 for the banner!