Post by Danny on Dec 5, 2023 0:52:40 GMT -6
And now UWF presents...
As the logo is seen, things go live to the inside of the arena as pyrotechnics go off from the stage and the camera pans around to get a shot of the fans from all around the world gathered for the 11th anniversary of the UWF! The camera pans over to the commentary team where Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo, and Tom Phillips are standing by.
Mauro Ranallo: We're live in the O2 Arena in London to celebrate 12 years of the UWF! I'm Mauro Ranallo alongside my broadcast partners Tom Phillips and former International Champion Corey Graves.
Tom Phillips: It's been a dozen years and I'm grateful that I've gotten to call over half of it.
Corey Graves: Hopefully we can finally find someone better but for tonight, you'll do as we call some of the greatest in ring action in professional wrestling
Mauro Ranallo: We've got a big night so let's get to it with our opening contest!
The funky beat of Walk The Moon's "Headphones" plays and the crowd starts to boo as it means the arrival of the Forever Champions, Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch.
Tony Chimel: At a combined weight of 346 pounds, Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch, the Dynamic Duo!
The Dynamic Duo come out from the back dancing up a storm, not a care in the world for the fans or their opponents. In these moments, its just two friends having a good time. They dance all the way down the ramp and slide into the ring to await their opponents tonight.
As the arena darkens, a series of strobe lights flicker and flash, creating an electrifying atmosphere. The crowd erupts with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bronson Reed…
Pyrotechnics explode, sending showers of sparks a nd flames high into the air. The deafening roar of the crowd reaches a crescendo as “Battle Tested” blast throughout the arena, Bronson Reed steps through the curtains, his massive frame radiating intensity.
Tony Chimel: “Behold, Making his way to the ring, hailing from Brisbane, Australia and weighing in at 330 pounds… HE is the titan of terror, the embodiment of fury, the undisputed master of the squared circle, THE COLOSSUS... BRONSON REED!.... and Grayson Waller.”
They both make their way down the ramp with the Forever Championships on their shoulders. They come into the ring and proudly raise them up high to taunt Sami and Becky. They hand the titles off to the ref and he calls for the bell.
VS
DING DING DING
Big Bad Bronson Reed wants to start things off and it's not like Waller is going to say no. Sami is looking like he might want some revenge for the attack but Becky tells him she's got this. She walks right up to the center of the ring and puffs her arms and chest out to make herself look big. Reed isn't even going to bother toying with her and just grabs her by the head and gives her a Headbutt! She's knocked back into her corner and Sami makes the tag. He climbs to the top rope and comes off with a Diving Crossbody but Reed catches him in mid air! He then drops him with a World Strongest Slam into the pin!
1 . . .
2 . . .
Zayn kicks out!
Tom Phillips: A powerful show of force from The Colossus.
Corey Graves: Yeah we all know he's strong but as Sami's said, he can't ever finish the job.
Mauro Ranallo: Well he looks to be doing well now and with Waller at his side, he may be the missing piece.
Reed grabs Sami by his scraggly beard and brings him up to his feet. He picks him up over his shoulder for a Powerslam but Zayn kicks his feet and lands behind him, shoving him into the ropes. Reed bounces off them and comes running into a Dropkick by Zayn but it doesn't take him down. Sami runs at him with a Clothesline but it has the same effect. He tags in Becky and together they bring him to the center of the ropes and shoot him off. Reed comes running back and breaks through a Double Clothesline attempt, keeping his momentum going by coming back around with a Double Clothesline of his own! Both members of the Dynamic Duo roll to the outside.
Mauro Ranallo: The Dynamic Duo are one of the greatest tag teams-
Corey Graves: Not one of, THE greatest. No one else has won as many championships as them.
Mauro Ranallo: Well one thing to note is that despite this, it's been years since they teamed together.
Corey Graves: What do you mean, they just beat the Wet Bandits.
Tom Phillips: Not exactly a good test after so many years apart.
Reed exits the ring to stay on Zayn who is by the steel steps. Reed is moving at an accelerated pace and Zayn uses this to his advantage to give him a Drop Toe Hold and he lands face first on the steps! Sami calls out to Becky and they both struggle to lift Reed up and toss him back into the ring. Reed is already getting up to his feet when Sami comes over and boots him in the side of the head. All this seems to do is piss off Reed who takes a big swing at him but Zayn ducks it and runs to the ropes. He comes back with a Step Up Enziguri that staggers him into the corner. Sami then runs to the opposite ones and sprints across the ring for the Helluva Kick! Reed goes down and Zayn makes the pin!
1 . . .
Reed kicks out at 1! Zayn looks shocked and he quickly goes over to tag in Becky. Together they get the big man on his feet but he ends up shoving them away. Zayn runs right back into a Clothesline but Becky Knees him in the gut and then manages to get him up for a Bexploder Suplex! The whole ring rattles from the impact and she makes the cover.
1 . . .
2 . . .
Reed kicks out! Becky goes to pick him back up but he shoves her away. He makes to his corner where Waller tags himself in. He runs at Becky but gets caught with a Leg Lariat. She grabs his arm and immediately turns him on his stomach, trying to lock in the Disarmer! Grayson rolls through and manages to get to his feet and kicks her hands away. She comes in for a Clothesline but he ducks and swings around to her back to deliver a German Suplex! He picks her up only to drop her with a Neckbreaker before making the pin!
1 . . .
2 . . .
Lynch kicks out!
Mauro Ranallo: Should Waller and Reed win this match, it may be the quickest a team has ever gone from to having their first tag match and becoming champions.
Corey Graves: I think those title are only sanctioned in the hands of the Dynamic Duo so we should be safe regardless.
Tom Phillips: Sounds like someone's already getting their excuses ready...
Waller picks up Becky and Reed yells at him to tag him back in. He wants a piece of her now that he's back up and she's down. Waller says he's got it under control but Reed tags himself in anyways. He scoops up Becky and slams her down to the mat. He starts to spin round and round until he jumps on her with the Cyclone Splash! He goes for the pin!
1 . . .
2 . . .
Sami breaks up the pin with a kick to the head. Reed looks up at him looking furious. Sami puts his hands up and slowly walks backwards, trying to talk his way out of what's coming to him. Reed runs at him and Sami hides behind the ref. The Colossus has too much momentum going to stop and manages to run down both of them!
Corey Graves: Watch where you're going you dumb oaf!
Mauro Ranallo: The referee just got flattened like a pancake!
Reed yells at Waller to grab the Forever Championships. Grayson walks over and takes the titles while Reed hold's Becky up. He's got her in place but with the ref down, she simply kicks her leg back and Low Blows Bronson! Waller tries to take her head off with the title but she ducks it and Dropkicks him out of the ring! She calls out to Sami and he comes back in. Together they hoist up the big man and call for a Double Suplex but Reed outpowers the both of them and shoves them away. He bangs his chest a few times to pump himself up. Waller stands beside him with the Forever Championship in his hand but he blasts Reed in the face with the title! He drops the title and exits the ring as the big man stumbles into the corner and Sami rushes over to deliver a Helluva Kick!He then whips him into Becky who hits the Manhandle Slam! She makes the pin and Sami drags the ref over to make the pin.
1 . . .
2 . . .
3 . . .
Tony Chimel: Here are your winners, and STILL The Forever Champions...Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch, the Dynamic Duo!
Sami grabs both titles and starts celebrating. Becky throws her fists in the air as well while Reed rolls to the outside. Waller is already on the stage making his way to the back as Becky has to practically pry away one of the Forever Championships away from Sami. The Dynamic Duo celebrate as the show moves on.
The UWF Slammiversary logo flashes across the screen before we're taken backstage where a shades-sporting maniac is seen.
Dijak: Tonight is one of the most important nights in the career of my employer, the once and future UWF Champion of the Intercontinents, Orange Cassidy. You see, Orange has a match with the Mafia Don himself, Finn Balor, with the championship on the line. And you can bet that "Freshly Squeezed" is going to bring his C game. As in, his Vitamin C game. He's got a gallon of the best orange juice known to man in his backpack and he's going to chug it all if he has to in order to carve out a victory here tonight.
The Equalizer leans back. The camera pans to keep his face centered.
Which might have some of you asking why I'm here. Well, the simple fact of the matter is, we know Finn's not above a dirty trick or two, and we know he's going to have all of his Mafia buddies on hand. That's why I'll be watching from gorilla. Because if I see so much as a hint of funny business, I'll be coming out there and shutting it down. You all saw what I did to McDonagh on Rebellion. That'll look like child's play compared to what I'll do to Dominik or Damian or, Hell, even Rhea if I get my hands on them.
Dijak has said enough. Standing, he stalks off, the camera panning to follow him for a few moments before the Slammiversary graphic hits the screen again and the show moves on.
A sense of appreciation fills the arena as a car in the style of the famous London black cabs that has been decked out in the colors of the Mexican flag appears. Eddie Guerrero is at the wheel and honks the horn several times to signal the arrival of the Latino World Order. As he parks the vehicle at the side of the stage, he and Santos Escobar exit out the front seats, while Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega follow out the back ones.
Tony Chimel: The following contest is a six man tag team match scheduled for one fall. Approaching the ring accompanied by Zelina Vega, at a combined weight of 599 pounds, Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, and Eddie Guerrero, the LWO!
The four individuals give some high fives to some audience members before making their way into the ring. The trademark LWO hand signals and motions follow which a number of fans are happy to participate in as the group exchanges some high fives before Zelina makes her exit from the ring.
The reception is not as warm this time as Jinder Mahal, Samir and Sunil Singh take to the stage, clearly feeling the sick beat that’s playing from the sound system as the dance moves are on show for all to see.
Tony Chimel: And their opponents, at a combined weight of 541 pounds, Samir and Sunil Singh, and Jinder Mahal!
The three men appear to be lost in their own world as they dance and bounce their way down the ramp and into the ring where the Singh Brothers head for opposite turnbuckles and Jinder stands directly in the center before they raise their arms in the air as an indication that they are ready for this challenge. The music then fades out and both teams take a moment to get prepared for the contest.
DING DING DING
Spirits appear high in the Bollywood camp as Sunil Singh starts things off with his two teammates clapping him on from their respective corner. On the LWO side, things are a bit more serious as it’s Eddie Guerrero beginning the match for his team, with Latino Heat wasting little time in charging forward to engage Sunil in a collar and elbow tie up. Guerrero appears to underestimate his opponent’s quickness though as Sunil breaks out and applies a side headlock to try and gain the advantage. Guerrero does manage to get free by throwing Sunil into the ropes, but despite his vast in-ring experience, he isn’t prepared as Sunil comes back and hits a dropkick which knocks him off his feet. It’s only for a brief moment though as Guerrero quickly gets back up off the mat and manages to reverse Sunil’s attempt at an Irish whip into a second one for himself, only this time Sunil attempts the shoulder tackle instead of the dropkick and doesn’t get the same result, as Guerrero is able to block it and follow up with a kick to the midriff. With Sunil keeled over, Guerrero runs back and bounces off the ropes in an attempt to bring his opponent down with force, but the little break between moves works against him as Sunil flips him over his head and back down to the mat on his return. The landing certainly looked like it didn’t tickle as Guerrero lets out a painful noise whilst getting back to his feet in the corner of the ring. Sunil certainly isn’t keen to allow any breathing room and grabs a hold of the arm before pulling him into his corner in order to tag in Samir Singh.
Mauro Ranallo: Perhaps surprisingly it’s the Bollywood Boyz that have taken the early initiative in this contest.
Corey Graves: Taking it is one thing, but as you know Mauro, keeping it is a different can of worms.
As Samir takes a hold of Guerrero’s arm whilst Sunil exits, Jinder Mahal does some dancing on the apron to celebrate the fact that his team is in control of this match at the early stages. Samir sees this and smiles with pure joy at his partner’s antics, but in doing so loses his focus on Guerrero who snatches his arm free and delivers a kick to the gut. Samir stumbles backwards as Guerrero uses the opportunity to head to his corner and tag in Santos Escobar. With two fresh men now in the contest, Escobar pulls Samir back to the free corner to try and retain control, only for Samir to flip him round and start leveling him with a flurry of punches. Escobar is forced to take a seat on the bottom turnbuckle pad as the shots keep coming thick and fast. As his teammates continue to offer encouragement, Samir takes a step back and drops a bhangra move of his own which only excites them further, but upon seeing Escobar attempt to leave the corner, he is quick to return and hit him with a couple of chest chops. Escobar is allowed to leave the corner, but Samir decides to then push and hold him against the ropes before hitting another chop. Another Irish whip is attempted and this time Escobar manages to turn it round in the middle of the ring, but as Samir bounces off the opposite ropes, Guerrero darts across the apron and hits him with a kick to the back that catches him off guard. Although the referee gives him a telling off, the match continues and Escobar follows up with a running back elbow that grounds Samir. Instead of immediately capitalizing on the situation, Escobar decides to tag Guerrero back into the match, and he immediately returns to the fray by launching himself over the ropes from the apron to connect with a Senton and a subsequent cover.
ONE…
TWO…
KICKOUT!
The strategy being implemented now appears somewhat clearer as Guerrero gets up and offers the immediate tag to Mysterio who is more than happy to accept the invitation. The Master of the 619 waits for Samir to get back onto his knees before hitting him with a low dropkick that grounds him completely once again. This time it’s Samir on the end of a different sort of flurry attack as Mysterio connects with a variety of stomps and kicks that keep the Bollywood Boy from getting back to his feet. Mahal and Sunil can be seen trying to offer encouragement to their comrade, but Mysterio is unfazed by their efforts as he goes to pick Samir up before whipping him into the turnbuckle.
Tom Phillips: Certainly some exuberant support on offer from Jinder and Sunil, but you do wonder how far that actually goes when up against guys like Guerrero and Mysterio who have a truckload of UWF experience between them.
Corey Graves: The LWO are as wacky as they come, but even I still believe that they should be more than capable of getting the job done here tonight. I am happy to be proven wrong however!
Mysterio grabs a hold of Samir’s arm and looks to have a springboard arm drag in mind as he makes a leap up the ropes, but a quick kick follows which knocks Mysterio down to one knee and gives Samir the chance to roll across the ring before tagging Sunil back in to the match. As Mysterio gets back to his feet with the help of the turnbuckle, Sunil charges in with a corner clothesline before whipping the San Diego native to the opposite corner and following up with a second one. Mysterio appears a tad dazed as he stumbles into the center of the ring, with Sunil on hand to hit him with a tilt-a-whirl DDT. With Mysterio grounded, Sunil decides to go for the pin attempt.
ONE…
TWO…
KICKOUT!
Claps follow from the LWO corner as Escobar and Guerrero attempt to encourage Mysterio back onto his feet after the successful kickout, however this just seems to irritate Sunil who walks towards the two men and taunts them with some dancing of his own this time. Escobar shakes his head and disapproval and Guerrero attempts to lunge at Sunil, but the referee is quick to interject and prevents him from entering without having received a tag. The intervention does no favors for Sunil though as Mysterio returns to his feet and clubs him in the back of the head before throwing him into the turnbuckle again, only this time he goes in between the pads with his shoulder connecting directly with the ringpost. As Sunil pulls himself back into the ring and takes a seated position in the corner, Mysterio flies in from the opposite side to deliver a Bronco Buster which sections of the London crowd certainly seems to appreciate.
Mauro Ranallo: The energy levels just went up an extra decibel or two on that one as the LWO now look to have this one in their control.
Returning to his corner, Mysterio tags in Escobar who rushes to add to Sunil’s misery by hitting him with a low corner dropkick. The move momentum carries him out of the corner and into a more central area of the mat, prompting Escobar to climb to the top rope and follow up with a diving splash. Some applause follows the air time as he immediately goes for the cover.
ONE…
TWO…
TH…
KICKOUT!
Despite initially thinking that may have been enough, Escobar gets back up and tags Guerrero in again who goes to immediately apply a side headlock as the Bollywood corner watches on with some concern. Guerrero appears to be toying with his opponent somewhat as he transitions between a few different holds before picking Sunil back up and dragging him to the LWO corner. Another tag to Mysterio follows, but Guerrero keeps a hold of Sunil for a few extra seconds before throwing him to Mysterio who is ready with the Hurricanrana that sends the Bollywood Boy down to his knees between the top and middle rope. Sensing what’s coming, the crowd excitement levels begin to build, but as Mysterio makes his run he is suddenly put off by the apron antics of Mahal that effectively stop him in his tracks. The referee feels inclined to reprimand Mahal, but the moment for Mysterio has gone as following some additional shouts from Samir, Sunil manages to free himself from the vulnerable position between the ropes.
Corey Graves: People may not like it, but that was a smart distraction from Jinder to help save his buddy from a potentially catastrophic situation.
Mauro Ranallo: Very well put Corey, although those antics certainly don’t seem to have gone down well with Mysterio’s LWO brethren.
Guerrero is far from pleased with the opposing team’s actions and requests the tag back in from Rey. Upon receiving it, they wait for Sunil to return to his feet before they knock him straight back down again with a double dropkick. As Mysterio returns to the apron, Guerrero follows up with a little arm shake for Mahal and Samir who also don’t take too kindly to such things. As he turns his attention back towards the legal match competitor, Sunil suddenly springs back into life by delivering a left hook, to which Guerrero responds with a right of his own. The two duke it out with lefts and rights for a number of seconds before Guerrero breaks the chain by delivering a dropkick of his own this time. Instead of another cover attempt, Guerrero tags Escobar back in this time, and on this occasion he decides to prop Sunil up to a seated position before connecting with some chest strikes. It’s clear that a tag at this stage would do Sunil the world of good, but he’s certainly not out for the count just yet, as Escobar attempts to apply a chin lock and is countered with a small package pin by his opponent.
ONE…
TWO…
KICKOUT!
The pin certainly caught Escobar by surprise, but the quick tagging strategy by the LWO appears to have served them well in the long run as he is first to respond after kicking out by putting Sunil in a headlock as both men find themselves on one knee. Sunil attempts to break free by wriggling and pulling Escobar across the ring with him, but the man from Mexico City isn’t for budging and instead tries to pull in the opposite direction. Eventually an impasse is reached and the hold is broken, only for Sunil to hit a tornado DDT which knocks the wind out of Escobar’s sails but also his own. Both men are grounded as their respective corners push them on to make the tags, although it takes at least seven seconds for them to stir before they successfully make it across to opposite sides of the ring, with Sunil tagging in Samir and Escobar tagging in Mysterio.
Tom Phillips: The pace of this match gets quicker with each passing minute, and neither side has any desire to give the other an inch it seems.
The two new participants charge like a herd of elephants at one another with Samir successfully connecting with a shoulder tackle. Upon bouncing off the ropes again, Mysterio gets back up and returns the favor with his own shoulder tackle. Ring awareness ends up paying dividends as Mysterio runs at the ropes and successfully connects with a springboard back elbow. The masked crusader is certainly picking up speed as he flies in to knock Mahal off the apron before taking a moment to appreciate the fans who are showing their love for the fast paced action. Seeing Mahal attempting to get back on his feet at ringside, Mysterio goes over to the ropes and looks to be preparing for a dive to the outside, but he is prevented from doing so as Samir dives in with a jab from behind at his left knee. Believing he has plenty of time to capitalize, Samir walks across to where Escobar and Guerrero are stood to trash talk a little, only to be met with a slap across the face from each of them which then causes him to stumble backwards and walk straight in to a bulldog from the recomposed Mysterio. As the established ring veteran prepares his next move, Sunil returns to the ring and attempts to charge at Mysterio, only to miss him and end up knocking Guerrero off the apron instead. It doesn’t prove to be a wise move though as Escobar delivers a high kick to the side of the head which knocks him down to the mat. The youngest member of the group looks fired up and Mysterio looks more than happy to tag him back into the match, but instead of returning straight to the apron, he decides to try and remove Sunil from the equation altogether by throwing him to the outside and then immediately following up with a suicide dive.
Mauro Ranallo: Mamma Mia! What a move by Mysterio, although it looks like he could have taken himself out of match proceedings as well as Sunil Singh.
Corey Graves: A kamikaze effort to say the least, but only time will tell if it pays off or comes back to bite him in the you know what.
As Escobar watches on at Mysterio’s high flying antics, Samir comes back into the fray and looks to catch his opposite number out by whipping him into the ropes, but upon the rebound both men inadvertently clothesline one another. The two individuals are down on the mat when suddenly Mahal hops back up onto the apron and starts yelling at his teammate to make the tag. Samir can only crawl across the mat but does oblige and grants Mahal his way into the contest. As he approaches Escobar who is slowly starting to stir again, Mahal decides to start vibing once more as he’s now got the whole ring available to show off his moves. A somewhat impressive sequence follows and Mahal appears to have all the momentum as he witnesses Escobar get back to his feet, but as he looks to try and put him away for good with the Khallas, Escobar ducks and swiftly props Mahal up in his shoulders before delivering the Phantom Driver. The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy the move as Escobar goes for the pinfall.
ONE…
TWO…
THREE!!!
DING DING DING!
HERE ARE YOUR WINNERS, EDDIE GUERERRO, REY MYSTERIO AND SANTOS ESCOBAR, THE LWO!
As Escobar punches the air with joy, he is joined in the ring by Guerrero, Mysterio and Zelina Vega who go to congratulate him for picking up the victory for their team. Mahal rolls out of the ring and is consoled by the Singh Brothers who can’t quite believe that they weren’t able to win the match.
Tom Phillips: A commendable effort from the Bollywood Boyz, but congratulations go to the LWO on the victory here tonight.
Corey Graves: Commendable effort? Jinder spent 90% of the match dancing on the apron, and when it finally came time for him to throw fists, he walked right into the Phantom Driver. He lost his team this match as far as I’m concerned!
Mauro Ranallo: In his defense, both Singh Brothers each had moments where they should have perhaps been fighting instead of dancing, but the headline here is that it’s a victory for the Latino World Order, and I’m sure there will be a big group fiesta taking place in London tonight.
With the losing team making their way back up the ramp in disappointment, the victors stand tall in the ring and raise each others hands to a warm reception from the UWF fans in attendance.
As Slammiversary continues, we head backstage where we are soon graced with the presence of the man that will make Wheeler Yuta look like a complete chump later this evening.
LA Knight: Have no fear. It's crystal clear. The "Man of The Hour" is here. Of course, we're talking about the one and only L...A....Knight!
LA Knight: Now tonight is a big night. It's Slammiversary! The Tribal Queef challenges William Wallace for the World Heavyweight Championship. Pockets challenges Finn and his merry band of juvenile delinquents for the Intercontinental Championship. And of course, that diabetic douchebag Kyle O'Reilly and his hot sister have an intergender tag match against a Men's Warehouse model, one of the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz and Sasquatch. But none of those matches are bigger than L...A....Knight's match. Cause tonight, L...A....Knight finally gets to shut up a no talent indy darling and his has-been mentor. For weeks, L...A....Knight has had to hear that Wheeler Useless is a real man and how he's going to stretch L...A....Knight a million different ways.
LA Knight continues walking down the hall.
LA Knight: But here's the thing that Wheeler Useless doesn't seem to understand. L...A....Knight has been in the ring with so-called "great technical wrestlers" and L...A....Knight has put them down. So why do Wheeler and Danielson think that tonight will be any different? What makes Wheeler Useless so special? Allow L...A.....Knight to answer that. There's nothing special about 'ya, Wheeler. 'Ya no different than any other bum that Bryan Danielson could've picked off the street. And tonight, L...A....Knight is going to show that to the entire world. When all the dust has settled and all the smoke has cleared, L...A....Knight will have hand raised and Wheeler Useless is going to have to crawl back into whatever hole of obscurity that he crawled out of.
LA Knight: And L...A....Knight wants tonight to be a lesson to everyone in the back. 'Ya see, L...A.....Knight has this reputation for being a bad guy. Some people may say L...A....Knight is even a little self-absorbed. But the truth of the matter is this, L...A....Knight hasn't done anything wrong. The only reason this match is even happening tonight is because Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Useless decided to stick their noses in L...A....Knight business. L...A....Knight didn't start this fight, but L...A....Knight will gladly be the one to end it. Then L...A....Knight can turn his attention back to what's important. And that's continuing to solidify himself as the best damn talent that this damn company has.
LA Knight: L...A.....Knight has allowed a lot of things to distract him this year. Spike Dudley, Bayley, Kyle O'Reilly, Orange Cassidy, WARHORSE and now Wheeler Useless. That ends tonight. If L...A....Knight has said it once, he's said it a million times. THIS is the L...A....Knight show. 'Ya don't like it? 'Ya can be like MJF and after tonight, 'ya can be like Wheeler Useless and L...A....Knight will run 'ya out of town. And THAT'S not an insult; THAT'S just a fact of life! YEAH!
With that, Knight pie faces the camera and walks off.
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, the following is an Adonis Lock Challenge. Introducing first, weighing in at One-Hundred and Forty Pounds, from Birmingham, England, Drake Maverick!
Tom Phillips: England's very own!
"Flight of The Maverick" begins to play and the crowd loses their minds. They love the hometown hero. Soon enough, Drake Maverick makes his way out onto the stage and salutes his fellow countrymen. He fires himself up as he prepares to head towards the ring.
Mauro Ranallo: And Maverick seems pumped up tonight!
Corey Graves: That's understandable. He's in front of his countrymen. How often do you get to perform in front of this many people in this environment? But you have to wonder if maybe Drake Maverick may have bit off a little more than he can chew tonight.
Maverick finishes his march down the ramp and slides into the ring. He poses one more time as his music fades.
Tony Chimel: And now...
The lights in the arena go off, with the exception of a single spotlight on the stage...
The music of "The Reflection of Perfection" begins to play. and the man kneels down into the spotlight. The music hits a certain crescendo and the arena lights come back on as Christopher Adonis gets to his feet and begins to pose. The fireworks shoot off behind him as he flexes his muscles.
Tony Chimel: From Los Angeles, California, weighing in at Two-Hundred and Sixty-Five pounds, he is "The Reflection of Perfection" Christopher Adonis!
Adonis marches down the ramp, flexing his muscles to the people in the front row. Some reach over the barricade, either trying to get a high five or to simply touch the man known as "The Masterpiece". Adonis will not let any of them get close enough to him as he walks towards the ring with the utmost confidence. Adonis reaches the end of the ramp, climbs the steps and enters the ring before posing one more time.
As the music fades, Adonis motions for a microphone and a steel chair from ringside. He soon begins to speak.
"The Masterpiece" Christopher Adonis: London! Welcome to a very special Adonis Lock Challenge!
The live audience pops for the mention of their city.
Christopher Adonis: And if it wasn't bad enough that I have to be in this cesspool of a city, one of your countryman has the audacity to step up and try to break the most dominant hold in UWF history.
That pop turns into boos real quick with that line.
Christopher Adonis: Why are you upset? Am I telling a lie? Your city is a mess. It's always raining, the food is atrocious and don't get me started on your personal hygiene. And as far as this guy goes...
Adonis motions over to Drake Maverick.
Christopher Adonis: Just look at him. I've eaten meals bigger than him. And you really think he's going to stop the unstoppable? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might as well get your stop watches out because this may be the shortest Adonis Lock Challenge we've had so far. this runt doesn't stand a chan...
Before Adonis can finish his sentence, Drake Maverick rushes in and hits him in the face with a vicious forearm.
Corey Graves: What the hell is Maverick doing?
Tom Phillips: What did you expect? You think you can insult a man AND his country?!
The forearm staggers Adonis and sends him backwards to the ropes. Maverick takes advantage of this and gets a running start before delivering a clothesline that sends Adonis over the top rope and to the floor. The UK crowd comes alive as Maverick stands tall. But Drake isn't done yet. As Adonis gets to his feet on the outside of the ring, Maverick uses this time to gather a full head of steam by running the ropes and diving through the middle rope onto "The Masterpiece"
Mauro Ranallo: MAMA MIA! TOPE SUICIDA!
Corey Graves: This is crazy! This isn't even a match!
The adrenaline is flowing and Drake Maverick can feel it. He grabs Adonis by the neck and throws him back into the ring underneath the bottom rope. Drake leaps onto the apron before climbing the ropes until he gets to the top. The Brit waits for Adonis to get up and as he does, Maverick leaps off the top rope and takes Adonis back down with a Missile Dropkick! Maverick gets back up and continues to hype up the London crowd. He starts shaking the ropes Ultimate Warrior style until he notices the steel chair that Adonis was going to use for the challenge. Maverick makes his way over and picks the chair up off the canvas. He stares at it momentarily with evil intentions...
Corey Graves: What does this lunatic have planned now?!
Maverick hits the chair on the canvas, the echo radiating throughout the 02 arena. He's desperately waiting for Adonis to get to his feet. "The Masterpiece" is dazed and confused. He wasn't expecting such a fight from this little man. He staggers to his feet, a bit shaken up. Barely knowing where he is, he turns around right to a waiting Drake Maverick...
Tom Phillips: Maverick is going to take his head off!
Maverick goes to swing for Adonis' head but at the last minute, "The Masterpiece" ducks under. Maverick turns around after missing, only to be met with a kick to the groin from Adonis! Maverick drops the chair and grabs his nether region. Before he falls to the mat, Adonis grabs him by the shirt before lifting Maverick off his feet and driving him back down with a vicious Spinebuster...
Corey Graves: Maverick should've gotten out of here while he could!
Adonis isn't done yet though. He grabs the chair that Maverick just had before grabbing Maverick by the hair with his other hand. Adonis opens the chair before placing it over Maverick's head and neck...
Mauro Ranalllo: What does this Gruesome Gladiator have in store now?
With the chair around Maverick's neck, Adonis charges an drives the chair directly into the top turnbuckle...
Corey Graves: Oh My God!
The chair ricochets directly back into Maverick's throat and as Adonis releases him, Drake falls to the mat, clutching his neck. Blood begins to flow from his mouth. The referee slides in to check on Drake but before he can, Adonis stops him. "The Masterpiece" grabs a microphone and tells the referee...
Christopher Adonis: We still have a challenge to do.
The referee tries to reason with Adonis. Drake Maverick is in no condition to fight back. Adonis doesn't care, he simply picks Maverick off the mat before spinning him around and hooking in the Adonis Lock. He slings Maverick's body around like a rag doll. The London crowd that once cheered for their hometown hero are now watching as he is getting destroyed.
Tom Phillips: This is hard to watch.
There wasn't any fight left in Drake Maverick to begin with. His body is completely limp. The referee is just trying to pry Adonis off of him at this point. More officials make their way down towards the ring and try and get this man off Drake Maverick. Eventually, Adonis stops having fun and simply tosses Maverick's carcass onto the mat. Four officials stand in his way, keeping him as far away from Maverick as possible. Adonis slides out the ring and makes his way towards the timekeeper's area...
Mauro Ranallo: Now why is he coming over here?
Adonis walks over to Tony Chimel and grabs him by the tie. He whispers something into Chimel's ear before yelling at him to speak.
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, Drake Maverick has passed. Therefore, the winner of the Adonis Lock Challenge, "The Masterpiece" Christopher Adonis!
Adonis raises his hands as if he's accomplished something this evening. He walks around ringside bragging and pointing at Drake Maverick who is receiving medical attention.
Corey Graves: Christopher Adonis said this would be an Adonis Lock Challenge we would never forget. Needless to say, I think he lived up to his word.
Slammiversary rolls on with Adonis walking to the back; proud of his handy work.
The feed cuts backstage to Renee standing by.
Renee: Ladies and gentlemen…”Ravishing” Rick Rude!
The camera pans over to show Rick Rude and Eric Bischoff. The crowd erupts into a chorus of boos which makes Rick and Bischoff smirk more than usual. Renee seems to be a bit perplexed by this.
Renee: Well, Rick…not quite the same reception as you’ve had over the past couple of months, I wonder what it is that have soured the fans’ opinions of you.
Rude: Ha! Well, Renee…I would imagine that this crowd is full of people who have connections with Lloyd’s of London! You see, it doesn’t matter how well I am liked elsewhere, ever since the mid 90s, London hasn’t been too favorable to “Ravishing” Rick Rude. It honestly makes no difference to me, they’re all probably just sour for what I’m about to do to their hometown hero tonight!
The crowd erupts into boos once more.
Renee: Uh…Rick…Jamie isn’t from London…she’s from Eastleigh.
Rude scoffs at Renee.
Rude: You think it matters to me? You can name off any town or city in England, and I’m just going to go off of its relation to London. I mean, honestly…when’s the last time that you’ve ever truly paid attention to any town or city in England outside of London? Exactly!
Renee attempts to carry on the interview over the chorus of disgust coming from the capacity crowd.
Renee: Ok then…So, Rick…what are your thoughts about tonight possibly being your final defense of the Prime Time Medal?
Rude looks disgusted as Renee asks the question.
Rude: What the hell do you mean possibly? Is there honestly any part of you that doubts my ability to defend this medal for the final time tonight? Against a fool who honestly believes that he is the living reincarnation of a Viking raider as well as against some British bimbo that is a solid 5 on her best days? Please, I’d have more difficulty defending this medal against an army of preschoolers.
Rude rolls his eyes at Renee and snatches the microphone from her, lightly shoving her off camera. He hands the microphone to Bischoff who holds it up to Rude’s mouth.
Rude: Alright, sugartits…let’s get one thing straight. I extended the invitation to dinner as a courtesy to you. You want to make empty threats, I’ll tell you what. After the show tonight, let’s say you and I hit the showers and freshen up then you can take me to the finest restaurant that you know in town. Maybe then, it will give you that feeling of empowerment knowing that you’d be taking me to dinner. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to say about the way that I removed Renee from this interview, after all! Who knows, it may improve your sense of punctuality, after all.
And before I forget…while I’ve got the uninterrupted and unhinged opportunity to address the world champion…I’m going to do so.
Listen up, champ. Last week, I didn't like the way our match ended. Granted, the result was exactly as I thought it would be, but the conditions to my victory weren’t what I had expected. That being said, you name the time or the place…hell, you can even put that pretty little title up for grabs, and I’ll be right there to actually beat you fair and square no interruptions needed. That is, unless you’re too afraid.
Rude turns to walk off camera as Bischoff lowers the microphone and tosses it to the side.
As the riff kicks in to Jefferson Starship's "Jane," the man known only as "Freshly Squeezed" Orange Cassidy emerges from the back to an uproarious pop from the crowd. Sporting his aviators and his magnificently coiffed hair, Cassidy walks coolly down to the ring, hands in his pockets. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry, and as he reaches the end of the ramp, he pauses to offer a weak fist bump to a fan holding a thumb's up out over the barricade.
Tony Chimel: From... wherever... and weighing in at... whatever... he is "Freshly Squeezed," Orange CASSIDY!
Cassidy then heads up the ring steps lazily and eases himself between top and middle ropes, before moving to the middle of the ring and throwing up a half-enthusiastic thumbs up to a pop from the crowd. OC heads to the corner and lounges there as he removes his aviators and awaits the beginning of the contest.
“Catch your breath” begins to blast through the pa system as the crowd stand to their feet as they hear the theme song Everybody turns their attention to the entrance ramp to watch Finn Balor walk out onto the stage. Finn Balor walks out onto the stage in his blue leather jacket and blue trunks and quickly embraces the crowd as he walks out.
Tony Chimel: Weighing In at 180lbs from Ireland, the Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor!
The lights begin to flash, making the crowd go wild. Finn Balor times his theme song perfectly and taunts the crowd as the lights flash. After taunting Finn Balor throws up his collar on his jacket and proceeds to walk down the ramp and make his way to the ring. Balor then climbs onto the turnbuckle and begins to showboat the crowd once more as the light flickers.
Finn Balor hops off of the turnbuckle.
VS
DING DING DING
Cassidy confidently stands across the ring knowing he's got Dijak watching his back should the Mafia decide to get involved. Balor doesn't look too worried though. There are more Mafia members than dudes with shades so what's the big deal? He walks over to Orange and actually offers his hand. The crowd boos and Cassidy knows better than to accept it but wait, whats this? Orange starts to extend his hand out to him but then he just runs his hands through his hair and places them in his pockets. Balor gets pissed at this and goes for a big swing but Cassidy rolls underneath it and hits the ropes. He comes back and catches him with the Satellite Headscissors! He's cool enough to give the crowd a thumbs up in mid air and Balor is thrown through the ropes to the outside!
Tom Phillips: The former Champ has got the current champ on the ropes!
Corey Graves: That's because Finn Balor is used to wrestling. Not this circus sideshow act.
Mauro Ranallo: Well that circus sideshow act is about to become Intercontinental Champion once again unless he can find a way to deal with him.
Balor looks at Cassidy who just kips up all while his hands are still in his pockets. Balor walks around the ring, pacing in anger, or at least that's what he wants you to think. Once he's close enough, he grabs the bottle of OJ Cassidy had and takes off the cap and pours it out on the floor. Diiiiiiiiisssrepect. He comes back into the ring and feigns a Clothesline which Cassidy rolls under but Balor instead Front Dropkicks him when he's up! He's knocked into the corner and Finn just puts the boots to him. He backs away once he's seated in the corner and them comes back full sprint into a Basement Dropkick! He drags him out of the corner to make the pin.
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Cassidy kicks out! Balor brings him up from behind and is setting up for the Bloody Sunday but Cassidy brings a knee up to knee him in the face! Balor hobbles back holding his nose as Orange gets up. The King of Sloth Style decides to do a dangerous combination. He slowly starts to kick the shins of Balor. Finn looks around as if to say, "Seriously? This shit again?". As Orange tunes up the band for the final kick, Finn goes for SlingBlade but Orange dodges it. Finn gets up but eats a Step Up Enziguri!. He's stunned and falls back into the corner. Cassidy reaches his hand out and the Big Dawg pulls out another OJ from his jacket pocket and the crowd goes wild. He tosses it to Cassidy who chugs it and goes Super Saiyan.
Corey Graves: Someone needs to find out what illegal substances are in that juice!
Tom Phillips: That's the power of Vitamin C baby!
Mauro Ranallo: Michael Jordan has his secret stuff and Orange Cassidy has his elixir of the Gods!
Finn runs at him for another Front Dropkick but Cassidy sweeps his feet up and he goes sailing into the corner. He rushes back up but eats a Superkick to the jaw that spins him around. Balor however flips backwards for the Pele Kick but Cassidy ultra instinct'd that bitch and dodges it. Balor lands flat on his face and struggles as he gets to all fours. Cassidy grabs a hold of him from behind and lifts him up, spinning him out into the Blue Thunder Bomb and the pin!
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Balor kicks out! Cassidy brings him and lifts him over his shoulder to set up Beach Break but Dominic gets on the apron to distract the ref. Balor slips off and Sunset Flips over but Cassidy rolls back to his feet and just goes to punt Balor across the chest! Finn ducks it and catches him with a School Boy. Cassidy rolls back up once more and both men rush to their feet. Cassidy comes in for the Orange Punch but Balor ducks underneath him and throws both hands up and catches him in the neck! The ref is dealing with Dominic and so Dijak comes walking over to him. Priest runs at him but eats a Big Boot to the jaw! Mysterio jumps down and runs at him next but Dijak catches him by the throat. The Equalizer lives up to his name and gives Dominic a Chokeslam on the barricade! Rhea moves in for a Clothesline but it doesn't take the big man down. He grabs her and she yells out. Balor looks over and tells him to let her go. He does but tells Finn he should turn around. When he does, Cassidy nails him with the Orange Punch! He then wraps him up for the Mouse Trap!
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Tony Chimel: Here is your winner, and NEW Intercontinental Champion, Orange Cassidy!
Mauro Ranallo: Orange Cassidy becomes only the 4th person in history to win the Intercontinental Championship twice.
Corey Graves: And he'll tie the most loses too, just wait.
Cassidy is handed the Intercontinental Championship. Dijak places it over his shoulder and Orange gives a half hearted thumbs up. The new champ "celebrates" as the show moves on.
The camera would cut to the announce team
Mauro Ranallo: Well what a night its been for Slammiversary so far folks and the night is only going to get more action packed
Tom Phillips: That's right folks, coming up next we will see Tomasso Ciampa back in action for the first time in a while in a UWF ring
Corey Graves: I hate to be whoever he’s facing tonight here in London
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall, approaching the ring at this time, from Great Yarmouth, “Superbad” Kip Sabian
Sabian struts down to the ring, a large cheer from his hometown audience as he gives them high fives and is taking photos with them. Getting onto the ring apron he does his signature taunt and gets into the ring, throwing his jacket to ringside and waiting.
Tony Chimel: AND HIS OPPONENT, MAKING HIS RETURN TO A UWF RING…..
The crowd immediately begins to boo as Ciampa makes his entrance, stalking his way to the ring and not really paying attention to what is going on, keeping his eyes dead set on Kip
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, weighing in tonight at 200 pounds, from Boston, Massachusetts. THE PSYCHO KILLER, TOMASSO CIAMPA.
Ciampa keeps striding to the ring, the crowd still raining boos down on him, some members of the audience being brave enough to pelt him with garbage. Ciampa gets in the ring and doesn’t even wait for the bell to ring, immediately charging Kip and driving him back first into the corner, Sabian letting out a roar of pain. Ciampa then hits multiple knee lifts to Sabian and then throws him out of the corner and Kip lands in a seated position, Ciampa then runs off the ropes and hits a knee to the side of Kips head, Kip flumping to the ground.
Mauro Ranallo: Kip Sabian is in a lot of trouble here tonight folks, Ciampa using that ferocity of his to cause damage this early on.
Tom Phillips: I’d like to remind people that the bell has not even rang yet, Ciampa not giving the referee time to do so.
Corey Graves:I don’t think Ciampa cares if a match happens or not, he is here to send a message to that locker room: I am back and this is what I aim to do.
Ciampa backs off slightly to allow the referee to check on Kip who looks completely out of it. The referee goes over to Chimel and waves his hands
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, unfortunately I have been informed that Kip Sabian is in no state to start this match.
The crowd would boo as Kip is taken out of the ring by EMT’s. As they make it halfway up the ramp, Ciampa charges them and knocks them down. Grabbing Kip he throws him into the barriers and then picks him up and does it again. Kip is completely knocked out now. Unfortunately for Kip the EMT’s had brought down a gurney and Ciampa gets a wicked smile and loads him onto it, strapping him in before wheeling him up the ramp.
Mauro Ranallo: Gentlemen I don’t like this, we all know what Ciampa is capable of.
Tom Phillips: This maniac is going to end Sabians career if someone doesn’t stop him
Corey Graves:Well I don’t see you particularly doing anything about it Phillips
Ciampa gets Kip to the top of the stage and points him towards the edge but before he does anything, he pulls a mic out of his jacket, which he had not even taken off and he speaks
Ciampa: I was promised a fight here tonight. I was promised some competition and this is what I get. Some wannabe no name who can’t even take a few hits. I warned you all that now I was back, things would be different. That I would not be accepting complacency in my UWF anymore and this is what you send me, well i’m sorry Kip but someone has to be used to send a message and its you
Before Ciampa can go through with what he’s thinking, people from backstage come out and form a wall between themselves and Kip, while also telling Ciampa to think about this. Ciampa looks like he is reconsidering, even backing up but instead he charges and raises his boot up and hits the gurney with a Big Boot and sends it off the stage, Kip crashing down to the outside. Immediately the group that came out to stop Ciampa jump off the stage to help Kip, while Ciampa just looks down at the carnage
Mauro Ranallo: Ladies and Gentlemen, Tomasso Ciampa has truly returned to the UWF and no one is safe from him
Tom Phillips: This man is clearly unhinged and does not care for the compatriotism built here in the UWF.
Corey Graves:Why should he Phillips. No one was ever there for Ciampa and now he is here to finish his story.
Ciampa continues to stare before shaking his head and leaving to go backstage, the camera focuses on the prone form of Kip Sabian as we move on in Slammiversary.
The cameras open up in the arena, however the seats are all completely empty and there are no UWF crew members in sight. There is an individual sat on a chair in the ring though, and as the camera zooms in it is revealed to be Drew McIntyre. It becomes apparent that this is a pre-recorded segment from before the doors were opened to those who purchased tickets tonight as the camera stops zooming with the UWF Champion in full focus.
Drew McIntyre: This is the calm before the storm. In just a matter of hours these seats will begin to fill up with people hoping to see the greatest show on Earth. But as big of an entertainment juggernaut as the UWF is, in no way am I an entertainer. I don’t dress to play a specific part and practice a routine that’s spectacular in nature in order to make a living and appease a load of sheep. Rather I am a straight up, cold and calculated arse kicker. I punch in, do the job that needs to be done and then punch out, and if I happen to make it look like a work of art in the process then that’s really just a bonus. You see, I gave up trying to be a perfectionist in this industry because I realized that there’s no real reward that comes with doing so. You waste time and lose sleep trying to make everything that you do look as natural and awe inspiring as possible, but to what end? I spent years taking an approach that I thought was the correct way of doing things, only to find myself playing a big game of snakes and ladders that had no ladders to the top, but plenty of snakes that were ready and waiting to send me back down the board and into the abyss. It seemed like there was no way of reaching the desired end, until it finally dawned on me that the only way to win the game was to rip the snakes apart and form what was left of them into ladders myself, so that there was absolutely nothing standing in my way of getting to the top. And now that I’m there and I have what all men in this business desire, I can go to bed every night and sleep soundly in the knowledge that through all the hardships, I still won.
McIntyre spends the next ten seconds looking at his championship belt in complete silence before speaking again.
Drew McIntyre: So regardless of how tonight ends up unravelling, I still have peace of mind when it comes to the shape of the bigger picture, but only a fool would take what I’ve just said as an indication that I’m content to let everything I’ve worked my arse off to achieve be thrown away this evening. We may have come across the pond for this big event, but this isn’t where the current journey comes to an end for me and my title reign. A lot of people may well think otherwise, but the only one that I have any real interest in proving wrong is the one that’s actually stepping up to provide the challenge. Now Roman I’m sure you’re somewhere close by getting yourself physically and mentally prepared for our match tonight, but I also know you’re listening in due to the fact that you’ve got multiple eyes and ears out there collecting information for you. As advantageous as you think such a strategy might be, I have no interest in talking about them or anything else that’s gone on in the past right now. I only want to use this opportunity to talk about you and where you actually fit into the here and now.
The Scotsman pauses briefly in order to get up from his chair before resuming.
Drew McIntyre: You see, listening to you recently has given me a greater insight into how your mind works at present and build a clear image of the way you see things, and it’s dawned on me that you’re trying to take this company and industry in a direction that it doesn’t need to go. You look at yourself in the mirror and see the model superstar looking back at you, but the problem is that the real model superstar position is already filled by yours truly. Looks, ability, personality, I am streets ahead in every department, and there is nothing that can be improved by you taking my place in this current position, because contrary to what you believe, anything you can do, I will always do better. I said it before and I’ll reiterate it again now, the only reason that you want what I’ve got is so that you can toot that dusty old Anoa’i family ego horn one more time. You want to be considered a professional wrestling role model by a group that expects greatness at every turn and not be looked down upon as a rare but complete and utter failure by men that were bonded together by legendary status. That’s what really drives you, everything else is just a facade. I’ve watched closely, I’ve figured out who you truly are, and I’m gonna use all of that against you tonight, because people like you that walk around the place with a sense of entitlement permanently in place need to be humbled in the most powerful and meaningful way possible.
McIntyre takes another pause and a few deep breaths before following up with his final statement.
Drew McIntyre: I didn’t fly out to London for a damn city tour. I flew out to show the world that everything that they see in this company belongs to me, and that certain undesirable things transpire here only because I allow them to. I’m not a false prophet, or straight and narrow loudmouth, or a dark demented soul with a passion for witchcraft. Rather I am the difference maker who has put this sport back on the map, and I will be the one to keep it there until I decide that it’s time to step aside. I am the Ultimate Wrestling Federation Champion. I am The Destroyer. I am Drew McIntyre. And you can’t or won’t stop me.
With the statement made, McIntyre looks on intently into the distance as the screen cuts to black and the live feed resumes once again..
"Knight Vision" begins to play throughout the arena and the capacity begins to groan because they know what time it is. It is time to titillate their juices with the arrival of the "Thursday Night Thriller". This is the "Million Dollar Megastar". This is LA Knight. Knight does not take long bursting through the curtain and out onto the stage. The reception he receives isn't warm whatsoever but LA Knight does not care. He soaks in the atmosphere while the jeers rain down on him.
Tony Chimel: Ladies and Gentlemen, coming to the ring, from Baltimore, Maryland, weighing in at 230 pounds, he is the "Million Dollar Megastar", L...A....Knight!
As Chimel announces the brash star from Baltimore, Knight spells his name out in the air just to make sure that everyone knows exactly who he is.
Knight continues down the ramp towards the ring. The entire time he talks trash to all the people in the front row. He's not here for them; he's here for himself. As he reaches the end of the aisleway, he heads towards the hard camera before leaping onto the ring apron and posing for everyone to see him. There is no shortage in confidence in Knight tonight, as he enters the ring, climbs the nearest turnbuckle and throws up the "LA" hand sign.
Knight leaps off the top rope to the canvas and continues to prepare for the upcoming match he has.
"Born into Battle" begins to play and the fans jump to their feet. Slowly Wheeler Yuta walks out with his normal stomp of a mission. He rolls his neck around for a final loosening. He rotates his wrists to make sure he's ready at the top of the ramp. Right behind him follows Bryan Danielson, a similar scour on his face as this is game time.
Tony Chimel: Coming to the ring, he is accompanied by "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. Weighing in at 189 lbs and hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Tap or Snap...WHEELER YUTA!
Wheeler gives one final look over to his mentor, manager and coach. Danielson gives him a nod and Yuta storms the ring a man ready to destroy. As he climbs the rings steps and goes through the ropes. He doesn't take time to pose, he doesn't look out to see the reaction of the fans, he leans into his corner and looks ready for his battle.
VS
DING DING DING
Yuta comes charging right at Knight and hits him with a Front Drop[kick that knocks him into the corner. Wheeler is up right away and starts hammering away at the loudmouth, hoping to shut him up for good tonight. The ref counts to 4 and has to physically pull Wheeler off of him. Bryan nods in approval while Knight tries to shake off the assault. Yuta comes running back over and Stinger Splashes him in the corner. The impact has Knight stumbles out and into Yuta's waiting arms to get lifted up high. It's a show of strength as Bryan counts down 10 seconds before LA is dropped via Stalling Suplex. Wheeler floats over for the pin.
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Knight kicks out! Wheeler pulls him up enough to start giving him a few kicks to the head that's meant more as disrespect than offense. Knight catches on of these kicks and shoves Wheeler down to the mat and gets all over him, hammering away with punches until he squirms away. He retreats to the ropes but Knight comes over with a Running Knee to the gut. He follows that up with a Snapmare and a Dropkick to the back of the head! Wheeler rolls out of the ring and Bryan comes over to help strategize.
Corey Graves: Look at these two, you can't call time outs in wrestling!
Tom Phillips: I think It's always wise to get some knowledge when you can get it.
Knight is smart enough to not go out there and potentially fall into a trap. He stands in the middle of the ring and calls out for "Useless" to come back in and fight him. Wheeler isn't one to back down from a fight so he slides in and goes right after him but gets caught with a Powerslam! Yuta grabs his back and reaches for the ropes. He helps himself to his feet but Knight comes up from behind and hits the Backstabber! He makes the pin!
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Yuta kicks out! Knight pulls him back to his feet by his hair and brings him to the corner where he smashes his face into the top turnbuckle. He then seats him on the top rope and goes up top along with him. He's setting up for the Superplex but Wheeler starts fighting back with a series of Headbutts that knocks him back down to the mat. Knight has enough wherewithal to roll to the center of the ring to avoid any kind of high flying maneuver but Yuta takes a page out of his mentor's book and comes off the top with a Flying Headbutt! It connects and he makes the cover!
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Knight kicks out!
Mauro Ranallo: A high risk maneuver almost gained him the win right there!
Corey Graves: You would think he'd actually learn from his mentor not to do such a stupid move. Just look how beaten and broken Bryan is now. That certainly didn't help his career.
Tom Phillips: Well he is one of the biggest and most successful wrestlers in UWF history. You didn't do much high flying and you're body is also broken.
Corey Graves: What the hell did you say Phillips!
Yuta brings Knight up to his feet and grabs his head with both hands. He talks some trash before slapping his face a few times but Knight retaliates with a thumb to the eye. The crowd boos but all it does is bring a smile to Knight's face before he points to Adonis. He walks up behind Yuta who is rubbing his eye and slips in a Full Nelson! The Adonis Lock is well... locked in and he swings Wheeler from side to side. It's not long before Wheeler's body starts to go a little limp. Bryan starts slapping the mat and the crowd starts clapping along to try and revive him. The ref grabs his hand to check if he's out but he starts shaking it. You can see Knight's grip start to come apart so he instead throws him down into a Full Nelson Slam! He makes the pin.
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Yuta kicks out! Knight brings him up to his feet and lifts him over his back. Yuta ends up flipping all the way over and tries for a Sunset Flip but Knight reaches down and hoists him back up. Wheeler however takes a page out of Knight's book and gives him a thumb to the eye! The Million Dollar Megastar turns away grabbing at his eye but Yuta gets him from behind with a Chop Block! He then takes the knee and puts him in a Half Crab.
Mauro Ranallo: And this is where the teachings of Bryan Danielson come in.
Corey Graves: It's a Half Crab, big whoop. If I was trained by one of the so called greatest technicians of all time, I'd expect something fancier.
Bryan is yelling at ringside for Yuta to just snap his knee in half. He takes the kneepad of Knight's and pulls it down in order to start hammering away at it, doing even more damage. The movement however gets him a little off balance and the power and size of Knight makes it so he get pulls himself closer to the ropes to break the hold. He pulls himself up and hobbles to the corner using the ropes to guide him there. Wheeler comes in for another Stinger Splash but Knight steps out of the way and Yuta eats a face full of turnbuckles. He turns around and walks right into Knight who goes to lift him over his shoulder once again but his knee gives out and he falls to the mat.
Wheeler recovers and sees Knight grabbing at his knee. He walks over and starts kicking it until the ref pulls him off. Knight tries to use the ropes to help himself up but Yuta comes back and grabs him from behind to execute a German Suplex! He makes the pin!
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Knight kicks out! Wheeler sits him up and traps his arm before delivering slew of Elbow Strikes to the chest. Knight looks completely out of it. He lifts LA up and flips him upside down to position him for the Yuta Lock but Knights kicks his feet and ends up falling behind him while keeping a hold of him to reverse it but his knee gives out and basically crushes him with a Reverse Piledriver! Knight crawls over to the ropes and uses them to help himself up. He rubs his knee and starts stomping it on the mat to get some feeling back as Wheeler is on all fours trying to pick himself up. Knight rushes over and gives him some Blunt Force Trauma! He goes for the pin!
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Tony Chimel: Here is your winner, LA Knight!
Tom Phillips: LA Knight just scored himself a big win as we head into the Royal Rumble.
Corey Graves: With Adonis watching his back, I got him as a favorite to win.
Wheeler rolls out of the ring and Bryan just looks down at him shaking his head. Adonis comes into the ring to raise Knight's hand and help him to the back as the show rolls on.
The scene opens up to Renee Young standing by.
Renee Young: Ladies and gentlemen, the Dynamic Duo. You two managed to retain the Forever Championships tonight but I gotta ask, Becky, are you sticking around here in UWF?
Becky Lynch: I'm not sure, I think that's up to EC3 but I think I proved that I'm more than capable of handlin' business with the big boys. I have a great idea of what could be next for-
Sami Zayn: Obviously I'd like to take this time to declare myself the first entrant in the Royal Rumble!
Renee Young: Wow you're looking to go the distance at number 1!?
Sami Zayn: No I mean-
Renee Young: You heard it here first folks, Sami Zayn will be entry number 1 in the Royal Rumble and-
Sami Zayn: Hey shh, that's not what I meant and-
Renee holds her finger to Zayn's lips and uses the other to press to her ear to hear something coming through the earpiece.
Renee Young: Uh huh. Yeah. Okay. Well I just heard it from the truck that EC3 has approved the request and Sami Zayn will officially be the #1 entrant in the Royal Rumble. Good luck buddy!
Renee walks off leaving Zayn looking shocked. Becky sort of smiles and walks away as the show moves on.
An unusual barricade has been set up around the squared circle, with piping and wiring attached and leading back towards the pyrotechnique booth. The fans are buzzing ahead of what's sure to be a brutal, career-changing encounter between two-all time greats. Tony stans by the Timekeeper's area to get this thing started.
Chimel: The following contest is an Inferno Match!
For a few seconds, all is silent in the arena, as the lights dim into darkness. The fans are left with nothing to see, nothing to feel but anticipation...and as a technological-sounding tune begins, a lone spotlight shines down on the entrance ramp, paving the way for an opening to form, and for one man to rise from beneath.
Coming from his own domain, the former UWF World Heavyweight Champion has his arms outstretched, his attire bathed in white, with flowing robes of purity having been donned by the one and only God of Professional Wrestling...
As the build finally comes to a close, with a much more energetic beat forming...and as soon as those first words sound out?
"THE ROAD I WALK IS PAVED IN GOLD"
"TO GLORIFY MY PLATINUM SOUL"
THAT is finally what begins the entrance of the God of Professional Wrestling.
Chimel: Introducing first, from Harlan, Kentucky, weighing in at 220 lbs...he is the God of Professional Wrestling...'Mister' Trevor Lee!
With God himself having emerged from beneath the stage, Trevor walks on with a massive grin on his face, basking in this moment as he would all others, knowing that down in Harlan, there is more than enough support to counteract anything and everything thrown his way by this crowd. No matter what is given to him, though, Mister Trevor Lee would take all that they emotionally possess; their hatred, their vitriol and their disdain, and he simply turns the other cheek, just as his fellow Gods had taught him.
Even then, though, there still remain scars. Scars of past performances. Scars of Harlan gold stripped away from him, his pantheon temporarily under siege by those bearing their own swords and crosses. For Mister Trevor Lee, this is more than enough reason to go through with what's to come. He hops onto the apron, turning with an omnipresent smile as he throws two fingers to the sky, beckoning for those in attendance, as well as those watching at home, to watch as he ascends once more...
"TO THE MOON!"
Entering the ring, Trevor would spin himself around quite a few times with his arms outstretched, before dropping down to his knees with a massive grin on his face. His head tilts up to the sky, eyes closed with a big grin on his face, before slowly bowing his head. Muttering a silent prayer to himself, Lee would take the moment...before popping up to his knees, and heading off to the corner, his smile faded, and the only thought remaining on his mind being his goal: bring back the Gold that escaped his hands, no matter who stands in his way.
As the capacity UWF crowd awaits what’s next, suddenly the lights go out. After a moment of silence, a familiar voice is heard over the PA system.
”REVERE ME.
FEAR ME.”
As soon as these words are spoken, somber guitar music begins to play as the lights come up to a dark blue hue with smoke covering the stage.
As the vocals of, “Broken Needle” by Marilyn Manson begin, out walks Vinny Marseglia with his axe in his right hand resting on his shoulder as he takes a look to the end of the ramp and into the ring before beginning his walk down it.
Chimel: And his opponent, from Warwick, Rhode Island. Weighing in at one hundred and eighty-nine pounds. He is the, “Horror King”, Vinny…Marseglia!
As the introduction concludes, Vinny stops at the bottom of the ramp, lowering his axe to his side as he climbs up onto the ring apron and then steps through the ropes. He ascends the nearest turnbuckle and, with one swift swing, buries the axe in the turnbuckle pad before leaping down and getting ready for the match ahead.
With both men in the ring, three Officials surround the ringside area while the Fire Marshall, a half-dozen of his finest Fire Fighters and several EMTs stand at the ready nearby. A cue from the Head Referee sees the fire ignite around the ring.
The fans gasp or cheer at the height and the heat of the flames. Vinny looks like he's right at home in the hellscape, while the so-called God of Professional Wrestling has strayed a long ways from Heaven to arrive here. The same Official calls for the bell to initiate what could be the last match of one or both men's storied careers.
VS
DING DING
When the bell sounds, Vinny slowly approaches the center of the ring, creeping towards his opponent at the pace of his beloved horror flick monsters and killers. Trevor braces himself to go war with his nemesis one more time, but can't help his eyes from darting to the sides time and again as the flames and the threat thereof draws his attention away from the threat directly ahead.
Marseglia can feel the apprehension. The air between them is thick with regret and second-guesses. The man who won last year's Royal Rumble to march confidently into Wrestlemania to win the world championship - the self-proclaimed Wrestling God who had it all not so long ago is now entirely without. His followers. His title. His reputation. His status. Gone. All of it gone, and all in the endeavor of securing a legacy against the only person the pundits saw fit to compare him to while he was on top.
The only way through Hell is to go through the devil. Trevor's last hope of reaching that former glory is on the other side of the Horror King. And who knows, maybe he could be the first person to win the Royal Rumble twice. Maybe he could be repeat history and crusade his way into the biggest Main Event of the year once again. Maybe he could be Revolution's first two-time UWF Champion. When he first arrived in the company, nobody expected the Mayor of Harlan to reach the heights he did. He proved everybody wrong.
But here and now, all that wishful thinking and pipe-dreaming sounds like the Wrestling God is looking for a miracle. He's come to the wrong place. Vinny Marseglia doesn't deal in the currency of redemption. He's the blank last page after the story book ending where heroes and their tales cease to exist.
Sweat pours from their brows and they haven't even locked up yet. Its the heat from the inferno. There's no escaping from it. There's nowhere to hide. The look on the competitors' faces says it all - this is clearly the last place in the world Trevor Lee expected to end up, whereas Vinny Marseglia is exactly where he wants to be.
Phillips: Not that it would matter since the ring is surrounded by fire, but with the Cade and Williams out of the picture, Trevor Lee has nothing to rely on but himself now.
Ranallo: I wouldn't call into question his talent, but Trevor Lee may be a man haunted - whether that's by the brutal loss of his UWF Championship all those months ago or by the tall order of finally matching up against Vinny Marseglia, I don't believe this is the same man we saw clawing his way through the ranks this time last year.
Graves: I think its absurd that the Wrestling God is being forced to compete in this ridiculous hellscape. Of course Marseglia doesn't mind - the guy is a psychopath. But Trevor Lee, like any sane person, is obviously going to be thrown off their game when they've got six-foot high flames shooting up on all sides.
Vinny beckons Lee to meet him in the mid-ring. There's nowhere else to go. Trevor takes a deep breath and runs in.
Marseglia has his hands up to grapple but Lee blasts right through that, getting a little jump behind him as he cuts through the defenses and lands a wicked forearm shiver to the temple of his opponent.
Lee is fighting for his life now as he uncorks a desperate combination of strikes - a flurry of elbows and fists void of any strategy except to kill and survive. He's landing to the head, to the body, the shoulders, anywhere he can. Vinny is overwhelmed by the onslaught, offering up no defense as he's pummeled by the Mayor of Harlan.
Phillips: Trevor Lee is coming out swinging!
Graves: The heat in that ring must be unbearable - like fighting in a sauna. That's going to do a number on anyone's stamina so the sooner Lee can get this over with, the better.
The assault sees Lee backing Vinny up across the squared circle into the ropes. Lee finally lets up when Marseglia's back hits the cables. He then shoves his forearm into the Horror King's throat, attempting to push his head back far enough to catch his hair on fire. He's so close. All it takes is one spark landing and this will be done.
So why is Vinny smiling?
The malicious grin and the sadistic cackle coming through Marseglia's stressed throat confound the Mayor. In that confusion, he lets up on the pressure. That's enough of an opening for Vinny.
The Horror King pushes his opponent away. Lee staggers back a pace and when he tries to regain ground, Vinny slices open his chest with an Axe Edge chop across the chest. It cracks like a whip and draws a trickle of blood. Lee trips over his own feet after the hit, and from his back, stares up at the Harbinger he challenged upon his return at Summerslam. He's wondering now if that was the worst mistake he ever made.
Graves: That guy belongs in an asylum. Somebody call Dr. Williams - I think there's a free room there now.
Ranallo: It was Wrestlemania 8 at Wembley Stadium just thirteen unlucky miles from where we are tonight where Vinny Marseglia stopped Larry Sweeney's heart to capture the UWF Championship and put an end to their storied rivalry. Fitting that he might vanquish another enemy here in London.
Trevor scrambles to get back to his feet but Vinny catches him on the way up, slapping on a headlock and countering that momentum to bring him down hard with The Jump Scare. Marseglia holds on after the DDT, though. There's no point in going for a pin, so instead he drags the Mayor of Harlan back to his feet, hoists him up high overhead and then smashes his skull into the canvas again, this time with the maneuver he has dubbed The Shining.
After the consecutive traumas, Lee should be out cold. There's still some fight in him, though. Incredibly. Marseglia backs away, enjoying the taste of torment and giving Trevor enough room to crawl up to his hands and knees. Any hope of getting further than a subjugated position is wiped out when the Horror King hits the ropes and comes back to stomp his face into the mat with the Bow Down.
Ranallo: Marseglia is savouring this massacre. He was denied resolution at Bad Blood when the Butcher intervened, but no doubt he has been envisioning this victory since the first time somebody dared to compare their resumes.
Phillips: Well they're both former UWF Champions, both Rumble winners, one has the longest Television Title reign in history, one has the most successful defenses, they're both unhinged in their own ways - the similarities are eerie.
Ranallo: The principle difference is that no matter how many times people have tried to get rid of him, Vinny Marseglia always comes back from the dead. I wonder if Trevor Lee will be able to?
Trevor puts up no resistance as Marseglia pulls him off the ground again. Vinny shakes his head, disappointed by the lack of sport, even if he's satisfied with the coming punishment. Applying a Dragon Sleeper, Marseglia then executes a vicious Farewell to Flesh, an apt maneuver for a man who is about to be on the wrong side of the Rule of Nines.
There's nothing left to say now. No final message from killer to victim. The violence speaks for itself and Vinny Marseglia has concluded his affairs with Trevor Lee. The feud began as a spark that took ages to fan into a flame. It ends in the Inferno when Vinny lifts The Wrestling God out of his ring and throws through the fire.
Ranallo: MAMA MIA!
Graves: THAT'S IT!
Phillips: Get those EMTs over there STAT!
Lee crashes into the floor, the fluid from the rig splashing on to his skin and bringing the fire with it. His body is lost in the flames as the Ref calls for the bell.
DING DING
YOUR WINNER...
"THE HORROR KING" VINNY MARSEGLIA
The firemen rush to douse the fire and the pyrotechnique crew immediately cut the power to the ring so that the flames vanish in an instant, leaving Vinny Marseglia standing alone in a cloud of smoke while calamity surrounds his kingdom.
Phillips: Vinny Marseglia has defeated Trevor Lee. It was dominant. It was ruthless. Thank God its over.
Ranallo: In the past few weeks, The Horror King has gone toe-to-toe with the UWF Champion and the Number One Contender. He went to a double count-out with Reigns and lost to McIntyre thanks to interference from Trevor Lee. Now that the Mayor is out of his way, could Marseglia be looking towards reclaiming the gold?
Phillips: Well with the Royal Rumble just around the corner, I wonder if he'll declare for that? Safe to say that whatever his plans, the Horror King is riding a huge wave of momentum on to the Road to Wrestlemania.
Graves: Would you too stop armchair quarterbacking and show some respect? There's a man burned half to death out there!
Vinny marches up the ramp past the enemy he has no more time for. The firefighters have put of the flames but Lee is all kinds of messed up. Lee is covered head to toe in third degree burns, Lee still showing signs of life as his skin has begun to peel, He is able to get to his knees. The crowd get up to their feet as the guard rail is breached, Leyton Buzzard fueled by raw emotion jumps over and rushes towards Trevor Lee. Security tries to intervene, but before they can react, Buzzard breaks through, bypassing the guards, and rushes towards Lee...
Mauro Ranallo: "It's LEYTON BUZZARD!"
Tom Phillips: "Is he friend or foe?"
Trevor Lee, surprised but unafraid, stands his ground as Buzzard reaches him. Lee's marred face has a smile of familiarity across it, the tension in the arena mounts as Buzzard's intentions remain unclear. But then, in a moment of vulnerability, Leyton Buzzard embraces Trevor Lee, pulling him into a tight hug. Lee and Buzzard embrace one another, Lee isn't alone despite Marseglia's methodical approach...
Tom Phillips: "Trevor Lee has a surprising ally!"
Lee's singed face suddenly contorts with a look of shock and horror, Buzzard steps backwards. Blood begins to trickle down, Lee looks down and sees a stab wound right in his stomach. Buzzard holds onto the bloody knife in his hands as he looks void of any kind of emotion. Buzzard catches Lee's head on his shoulder as the mayor of Harlan falls to his knees, Buzzard embraces Lees head his hand going through the hair smearing blood with each stroke...
Corey Graves: "Wha-"
Buzzard looks contempt and free as he and Lee are the only two in this arena, The distractions of the crowd and the shock and frantic rush to the ring by security are nothing but distant memories. Buzzards face begins to unleash a blissful smile as if everything that's happened has washed him clean, His smile the most genuine smile imaginable. Buzzard whispers into the ear of Lee...
Mauro Ranallo: "Cut the feed!"
Buzzard lets Lees body drop to the canvas, Buzzard is tackled to the canvas but at least five different security officers, They force him out of the ring, As EMC's all rush the ring to try and save Lee's life. Two familiar faces make their way from the back, scorn and shock on their respective faces, Officer Jones and Detective Parker. Parker places handcuffs on Buzzards hands as the two take over the escorting up the ramp. The feed is suddenly cut as everything goes to black...
The Slammiversary feed takes us backstage where Orange Cassidy can be seen making his exit from the arena, a backpack slung over his shoulder that presumably contains the UWF Intercontinental Championship.
He's about to exit to the garage when he's flagged down by a backstage personality.
Voice (Unseen): Orange, Orange! Do you have a minute to share some thoughts with the UWF Universe and your fans?
Cassidy turns, adjusting the weight of his bag on his shoulder as he nods.
Orange Cassidy: Sure, Byron, but let's make this quick. I've got a plane to catch if I want to watch American Horror Story with the boys.
The camera pans and Byron Saxton is seen. He doesn't waste any time, diving right into things.
Saxton: Orange, now that Finn Balor is back in your rearview and you are once again the UWF Intercontinental Champion, what's next for "Freshly Squeezed" here in the UWF?
Back to Orange, who stares a little incredulously at Byron before responding.
Well, first things first: I'm not dumb enough to think the Mafia is truly in the rearview. Dijak and I, we scored a huge victory for the good guys this week, but Finn and his fellas have proven notoriously difficult to put down in the past and I am operating under the assumption that at any time he can demand a rematch for the Championship of the Intercontinents. Now, Mr. Balor caught me flat-footed the last time I was in this position and beat me for the championship, but I'm a sharp orange, and I learn from my mistakes. That's why I'm never going to do the thing to others that is perpetually done to me: I'm never again going to doubt or discount Finn Balor as a legitimate threat. Especially not when he has the full backing and strength of the Mafia.
Byron has been nodding along this whole time, and when Orange stops he asks a follow-up question:
Well then, what do you think will give you the edge over whomever your first challenger in your second Intercontinental Championship reign will be?
Cassidy grins.
You saw two pieces of it tonight: the life-affirming power of Vitamin C, and the fact that this time, I'm not alone and I do have someone watching my back. The simple fact is I know that now it's not just the coolest dude in the company holding down this title, but is in fact Two Dudes with Attitudes, I feel confident in my ability to outperform my previous run and to keep this championship in good hands for a long, long time.
With that, Orange thanks Byron, then heads off to the garage as he had been planning. The camera comes back to the interviewer.
Well folks, there you have it. Back to you at the desk.
Mauro Ranallo: Up next, we have our Six Person Intergender Tag Team Match. Tyler Breeze and his "Breezetourage" will take on the Brother-Sister combo of Kyle O'Reilly, Bayley and Joey Janela.
Corey Graves: Tyler Breeze already holds a victory over Kyle O'Reilly at Bad Blood; while Bayley defeated Alexa Bliss on Revolution recently. This is a rubber match of sorts. Let's head to the ring.
Tony Chimel: The following is a six person tag team match scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, the team of Tyler Breeze, Alexa Bliss and Omos; The Breezetourage!
The lights in the area go down, turning a dark blue. And after a few seconds, a spotlight hits the stage, shining on all three members of The Breezetourage.
Corey Graves: Have you seen a more attractive trio?
Tom Phillips: Are you including the Seven-Foot, Four-Inch, Four-Hundred and Twenty pound Colossus?
The trio begin making their way down towards the ring. Of course, Tyler Breeze is in front, taking selfies as he ignores the sea of fans showing their dislike for this trio. The beautiful Bliss is a step behind him, clapping for Breeze and telling everyone that they wished they looked like him. And bringing up the rear is the Giant Omos. The Colossus has no expression on his face, he just walks stoically to the ring.
Breeze leaps onto the ring apron and takes a few more selfies off himself before rolling into the ring. Bliss follows suit and Omos steps over the top rope and into the ring as the trio stands tall and waits for their opponents on this nice December evening.
Tony Chimel: And their opponents...
Tony Chimel: The team of Joey Janela, Bayley and Kyle O'Reilly.
A lone synthetetic violin whispers through the air like a pterodactyl screech. Soon, a breakbeat ripples beneath. Strobe lights illuminate the entrance way. When the riff kicks in, it heralds the arrival of the Diabetic Dragon. Kyle O'Reilly storms out on to the ramp, fists and jaw clenched, looking like the quiet kid on a bad day while his step-sister Bayley follows close behind. He does some shadow boxing at the head of the ramp before the trio make their way towards the ring. The trio enter the ring, Janela and Bayley looking at each other uneasily. The head to their respective corner as the match is almost ready to get started.
Versus
DING
DING
DING
The bell sounds to signal the beginning of this tag match. It's been decided that Joey Janela will start off against the Colossus, Omos. Janela is a little skeptical about this but he has something that he wants to prove to Kyle. Omos on the other hand, just wants to hurt people and get paid. Omos goes on the attack, trying to grab Joey, but Janela uses his speed to duck under and go behind The Colossus. Omos turns around and Janela quickly hits him with a chop. The chop doesn't hit the Giant in the chest, more like right above his belly button. Omos no sells it before grabbing Janela by the throat and tossing him into the corner with ease. The Colossus follows this up by delivering a big back elbow to the side of Janela's neck. He wastes no time before hitting a second rope which causes the honorary step-brother to stumble out of the corner and into the waiting arms of the Colossus. From there, Omos picks Janela up off his feet before driving him back down to the mat with a huge sidewalk slam...
Tom Phillips: Did you see that? Joey Janela must've been eight feet in the air!
As Janela's body hits the canvas, Omos hooks the leg and goes for the first cover of the match...
1...
2...
Joey rolls a shoulder!
As Janela kicks out, Omos wastes no time and quickly wraps his humongous hand around Joey's neck and begins choking the life out of him. This move, however, being illegal, forces the referee to step in and start counting the big man...
1...
2...
3....
4....
Omos releases the choke at the last minute.
The referee gets in Omos' face...well his sternum and threatens him with disqualification if he doesn't comply. Omos barely pays him any attention before grabbing Janela by the leg and dragging him towards his team's respective corner. From there, Tyler Breeze tags himself into the contest for the first time...
Corey Graves: And here comes Prince Pretty!
Tom Phillips: You feel tough saying that?
Corey Graves: I'm secure in my masculinity, Phillips!
As Breeze enters, Omos quickly places Janela's leg on the bottom rope, and Breeze wastes no time using the ropes to propel himself into the air and leg directly onto Joey's knee. Joey cries out in pain as Tyler Breeze quickly acts and repeats the process. Janela clutches at his leg, but Breeze isn't finished. He takes the leg off the ropes before dropping an elbow onto the leg. Breeze does not let go off the leg though; he jeeps applying pressure with a form of a leg lock. You can hear Janela groan in pain. He punches at Breeze's body, trying to get him to break the hold before deciding to take the smart route and grab the nearby ropes, which should cause a break. Breeze, like Omos, does not break the hold initially, so the referee has to begin counting him out as well...
1...
2...
3...
4...
Last minute, Breeze lets go of the hold.
Breeze gets to his feet and watches as Janela struggles to get back to a vertical base. Joey eventually uses the ropes to get to his feet, but as soon as he does, Breeze comes from behind him and chop blocks the back of the leg that his team has been working on so far..Janela crumbles to the mat. Breeze goes back on the attack, grabbing Janela by the leg and applying a Figure-Four Leglock...
Mauro Ranallo: Excellent strategy so far by The Breezetourage.
The Figure-Four is fully locked in. Janela is pretty much in the center of the ring. The ropes seem like they're a million miles away as Joey reaches for them. The pain is agonizing though and for a brief second, Janela's shoulders lay on the mat as he thinks of a way out of it. The referee, seeing this, begins to count...
1...
2...
Janela lifts his left shoulder off the canvas!
Realizing that the ropes are not an option, Janela tries to counter the only way he knows how. He begins rotating his body, trying to turn onto his stomach. Breeze tries to fight him and stay in control, but Joey manages to turn over and reverse the pressure.
Tom Phillips: Brilliant. This now puts all the pressure on the knees of Tyler Breeze.
It's now Breeze who is screaming in pain. With no other option, Breeze releases the Figure-Four hold, freeing both himself and Janela. Not being in the hold that long, Breeze is in good shape. Janela, on the other hand is a little worse for wear. He can barely stand. He crawls to the far corner and uses the turnbuckle ropes to pull himself to his feet. As he does, Breeze charges at him, looking for a Stinger Splash. But before he can hit, whether it be by strategy or because his knee gave out, Joey Janela falls out of the way. Breeze's head smacks off the top corner post and he falls on his back. Both men are down and the referee once again begins his count...
1...
2....
3...
4...
5...
Both competitors begin crawling to their respective corners.
6...
7...
8...
Breeze tags in Alexa Bliss while Janela tags in Bayley...
Corey Graves: And it looks like we're about to have ourselves a bit of a rematch.
Both women enter the ring and rush each other almost immediately. There are no technical holds right now; only forearms. Back and forth the women go until Bayley gets the upper hand. She continues to connect with forearms; knocking Bliss back before Irish whipping her across the ring. Bliss runs the ropes and as she comes back to her opponent, Bayley leaves her feet and delivers a picture perfect dropkick to Bliss' jaw. The Goddess goes down and Bayley quickly crawls to a cover...
1...
2...
Bliss kicks out!
Bayley stays on the attack, grabbing Bliss by the arm as she kicks out. Bayley lifts Bliss back to her feet before applying a hammerlock and quickly lifting Bliss off the mat and dropping her on the back of her head with a reverse suplex. Bliss hits the canvas hard and grabs her neck but as she does, she tries and sits back up. Bayley sees this and wastes no time, using the ropes to gather momentum before hitting Bliss with a running knee to the face. Bliss goes down again and Bayley goes for another cover...
1...
2...
Bliss kicks out again!
Bayley gets back to her feet and begins to stalk The Goddess. She's ready to put her away...
Mauro Ranallo: Bayley doesn't seem to be wasting any time tonight.
Corey Graves: Even though Bayley won their match, a lot of people, The Goddess included, think Alexa Bliss had Bayley's number that night and just couldn't capitalize. Bayley is trying to change that narrative this evening.
As she's poised and ready to strike, Bayley doesn't see Tyler Breeze enter the ring. The referee, however, does. He cuts Breeze off as it looks like he's trying to get involved. The altercation catches Bayley's attention and she turns away from Alexa Bliss. The ref manages to get Breeze out of the ring, but the distraction was long enough to Bliss to recover and as Bayley turns her attention back to her opponent, Bliss delivers a vicious right hand that almost knocks Bayley out her boots. The "Good Guy" goes down like a ton of bricks and Bliss goes for the cover...
1...
2...
Janela pulls Bliss over the cover!
Tom Phillips: That knockout shot from Bliss is no joke. If it weren't for Joey Janela, this match may be over.
Janela goes back to his corner as a frustrated Bliss looks on. From behind her, she hears an angry roar. She turns around to realize that it was Omos calling her name. Omos demands to be tagged back into the match. With a smile on her face, Bliss complies...
Mauro Ranallo: Now in a match like this, the men must wrestle the men and the women must wrestle one another. With Omos coming in, Bayley will have to tag out and bring in either Kyle O'Reilly or Joey Janela.
As Bayley is getting her wits together, the official tells her that she needs to tag out. She heads over to her corner, looks over at Joey Janela with a scowl on her face before tagging in her step-brother...
Tom Phillips: And for the first time this evening, Kyle O'Reilly will see action.
As O'Reilly enters the ring, he doesn't seem to sweat the big man. Omos again looks to go on the offensive, but Kyle sidesteps and quickly waist locks the Giant man from behind. O'Reilly struggles with everything in his power to get the big man up for a German suplex, but it's to no avail. The Colossus simply hits O'Reilly with a back elbow that staggers the Diabetic Dragon. Omos takes this chance and wraps both of his hands around O'Reilly's neck. He hoists him high in the air for the London crowd to see...
Mauro Ranallo: How powerful is this Omos?
With O'Reilly about 8-8 1/2 feet in the air, Omos does the simple thing and allows gravity to do all the work. He releases O'Reilly and watches as his body collides with the canvas from the devastating choke bomb. As O'Reilly hits the mat, Omos drops down and goes for the cover...
1...
2...
O'Reilly kicks out!
Corey Graves: Omos said it wasn't going to be pretty, but it'll be effective.
With O'Reilly down, Breeze asks to be tagged back in. Omos grabs Kyle's body and tosses it into the corner before tagging the supermodel in. As Breeze gets into the ring, he quickly catches O'Reilly with a kick to the ribs and midsection. This is followed up by a second kick. The second kick drops O'Reilly to the mat. Breeze takes a few steps back before running in and driving his knee directly into O'Reilly's face. O'Reilly's body goes limp. Breeze drags him out the corner and goes for another cover...
1...
2...
O'Reilly kicks out again!
As he kicks out, O'Reilly rolls onto the ring apron. Breeze is right behind him, not giving the Diabetic Dragon any room to breathe. O'Reilly gets to his feet on the outside portion of the apron and is met with a quick step up enziguiri from Breeze that stuns him. O'Reilly hangs onto the rope, but Breeze looks to follow up. He throws O'Reilly's arm over his shoulder and looks to suplex him back into the ring. But as he brings him back in, O'Reilly is able to shift his weight and land on his feet behind Breeze. Kyle quickly follows up with a swift German Suplex, which drops Breeze on his head.
Mauro Ranallo: This may be the opening that Team O'Reilly needs!
Both men get back to their feet at the same time and Breeze rushes in. O'Reilly manages to sidestep before countering with a quick side Russian Leg Sweep. As the back of Breeze's head hits the canvas, O'Reilly uses the near ropes to gather momentum before leaving his feet and driving a knee directly into Breeze's throat. As Tyler gaps for air, O'Reilly goes for the cover...
1...
2...
Breeze kicks out!
As soon as Breeze kicks out, O'Reilly drags him back to his corner. He tags in Joey Janela again before placing Breeze's head in between the middle and bottom ropes. Janela climbs to the the top rope and looks down on Breeze and leaping off the ropes, dropping a leg across Breeze's throat as Kyle slingshots Breeze into the ropes. With Janela now the legal man, he goes for another cover...
1...
2...
Breeze kicks out again!
Not wanting to waste any time, Janela mounts Breeze, delivering rights and lefts directly to Breeze's face. The model tries to cover up as much as he can before simply shoving Janela off of him.
Corey Graves: Hey ref, tell that neanderthal to watch Breeze's face! That's the moneymaker!
Tom Phillips: You know this is a professional wrestling match, right?
Breeze tries to protect his face and crawl over to his corner. But Janela has other intentions. He grabs Breeze by the leg, stopping his forward progress. This leads to Breeze hopping around the ring on one leg. Janela throws the leg that he was holding back onto the canvas and takes another at Breeze's face, but Tyler manages to duck and when Joey turns around, Breeze catches him with a Superkick right on the jaw!
Mauro Ranallo: Supermodel kick! Goodnight!
Janela goes down and Breeze quickly goes for the cover...
1...
2...
Janela kicks out!
With Janela down, Breeze begins laying the boots to him. All the while, talking trash at the same time. Breeze even goes so fa as to grab his selfie stick and take a couple pictures of himself laying neck to Joey's body.
Corey Graves: This guy is great!
Breeze finishes up his photoshoot and goes to put the selfie stick back in the corner. Once done, he turns his attention back to Joey Janela. He looks to pick him up off the canvas when out of nowhere, Joey hooks Breeze and tosses him across the ring with an exploder suplex! The fans come alive as Joey shows signs of life. In his corner, both O'Reilly and Bayley are stomping their feet, trying to will him on to make a tag. Inch by inch, he crawls closer and closer...
Tom Phillips: You're almost there Joey!
Eventually, Janela dives out and makes the tag, bringing Kyle O'Reilly back into the mix. Before turning his attention to Breeze, O'Reilly charges across the ring and delivers a running strike to Omos, knocking him off the apron. With the big man neutralized momentarily, Kyle can turn his focus back on the supermodel. As Breeze tries to get back to his feet, Kyle catches him with a running knee to the side of the head, followed by an axe kick to the back of the neck. This sends Breeze stomach first onto the mat, and O'Reilly follows this up by putting his knee on Breeze's back and raising his head off the canvas. The Diabetic Dragon wastes no time delivering stiff crossface shots over and over again directly into Breeze's face.
Corey Graves: This lunatic is going to maul UWF's most handsome man.
After delivering about half a dozen shots to Breeze's face, O'Reilly sees Omos is back on the apron and trying to enter the ring. Kyle acts quickly and gets off Breeze and charges at the Colossus once more, this time hitting him with a dropkick that sends him back to the arena floor. Omos lands on his feet though, but out of nowhere, Joey Janela comes running through the ring and dives outside, landing on top of Omos with a suicide dive.
Mauro Ranallo: There are bodies everywhere!
With Omos once again being taken care of, Kyle can turn his mind back to the task at hand. But as he goes to start pummeling, he's failed to realize that Tyler used all of that commotion as a distraction to gather his bearings. As O'Reilly turns around, Breeze comes out of nowhere and hits him with a vicious Spinning Wheel Kick known as The Beauty Shot!
Corey Graves: Beauty shot! It's over!
After hitting his finish, Breeze goes for the cover and the victory...
1...
2...
3....NO! Bayley makes the save!
Bayley just saved big brother and this match. That brings Alexa Bliss back into the fold. She enters the ring and immediately double leg takedowns Bayley. The two feisty women roll around the ring, exchanging blows until they roll under the bottom rope and onto the floor. We're left with just O'Reilly and Breeze in the ring. And O'Reilly just had his bell rung. Breeze looks to stay on the attack. He grabs the dazed and confused O'Reilly before throwing him into the nearest corner. Breeze hits him with a few right hands before lifting the semi-dead weight up and sitting Kyle on the top rope.
Tom Phillips: I don't like whatever Tyler Breeze has in store.
Breeze follows O'Reilly to the top and seems to have something big in mind. Before he can deliver though, O'Reilly catches Breeze with a shot to the midsection. Followed by another; then another. That third shot causes Breeze to lose some footing and he comes down to the second rope. Breeze and O'Reilly are somewhat at eye level now and they begin trading blows. First O'Reilly, then Breeze. O'Reilly; Breeze. O'Reilly; Breeze. Then it becomes O'Reilly; O'Reilly' O'Reilly over and over. But the fists aren't enough. Kyle, the masochist that he is, headbutts Tyler Breeze directly in the face. This is enough to send Tyler crashing down from the second rope to the mat.
Mauro Ranallo: What a landing!
As Tyler hits the mat, all he can think to do is cover his face. The referee goes in to check on him, and as Breeze moves his hands from his face, all we see is a river of blood flowing from Prince Pretty's nose...
Corey Graves: Oh My God! He may have broken his nose!
Breeze doesn't react. That is until he sees the blood that is flowing into his own hands. He begins checking his facial features and can tell something isn't right. He screams for Alexa, who is just concluding her fight with Bayley. Bliss comes to check on Breeze. She can't believe what she sees either. The perfect face, now blemished and possibly disfigured. Tyler urges to her that they have to go. Bliss tries to remind Breeze about that ongoing match. As this is happening, Omos steps back onto the apron. Breeze frantically looks around and sees the big man. Quickly, he rushes and slaps Omos on the chest, making him the legal man. Breeze motions for Omos to destroy the three so-called "Uggos" before he and Bliss run out the ring and up the aisle; trying to cover Breeze's face up as much as they can.
Tom Phillips: I think this just became a handicap match.
One on one, two on one, three on one, it really doesn't matter to Omos. But on the flip side, Kyle O'Reilly is feeling himself. He just broke Tyler Breeze's nose. He feels invincible. Omos goes on the attack, but once again, Kyle is too quick for him. Kyle goes behind and catches Omos with a shot to the kidneys. Kyle follows this up with another kidney punch, then one more for good measure. The adrenaline and momentum is all on Kyle's side. So he tries something that didn't work earlier in the match. He wraps his arms around Omos' waist and somehow manages to get the Colossus off his feet and over his head for a huge German Suplex!
Mauro Ranallo: MAMA MIA! Kyle O'Reilly just suplexed over Four Hundred pounds!
The ring literally shook upon impact. That move probably took as much out of Kyle as it did Omos. Knowing that, Kyle quickly heads to his corner and tags in Joey Janela again. But Janela needs to act fast...
Corey Graves: Would you look at this; Omos is getting right back up!
Janela isn't going to take the chance of letting Omos get to his feet again. As the big man barely gets to a knee, Janela comes rushing in with a Shining Wizard to the back of the head. This knocks Omos on his back again and Joey heads back to the corner to tag in Bayley.
Tom Phillips: I guess Step-Sister gets in on the action too. There's no female competitor for her to fight now.
Once Bayley receives the tag, she quickly climbs to the top rope and poses, before leaping off and driving a very Macho Man-esque elbow directly into Omos' heart! Bayley gets to her feet and notices that Omos is still trying to get back up. She tags in big brother again and motions for him to end this. Kyle comes back in one final time and watches as the Colossus tries to get back to a vertical base. O'Reilly creates some distance between the two of them and just as it looks like Omos is going to get to a vertical base, O'Reilly comes charging in and hits the big man with a vicious Busaiku Knee!
Mauro Ranallo: Harpoon Torpedo!!!
Corey Graves: It's 3 on 1; this is not fair!
After the running knee, Omos goes back down and Kyle goes for the cover, hooking both legs in the process...
1...
2....
3....
DING
DING
DING
Tony Chimel: Here are your winners, the team of Bayley, Joey Janela and Kyle O'Reilly!
O'Reilly's music hits and the "Good Guys" have their arms raised. Kyle and Bayley hug. Kyle and Joey fist bump. Even Bayley and Joey share a nod of approval on what they accomplished tonight, The trio is all celebrations and happiness as they exit the ring and Slammiversary moves on.
The titantron switches from the Slammiversary graphic to a live feed from backstage. The Good, The Bad, and The Diabetic are passing by from Gorilla just having won their match against Tyler Breeze and The Breezetourage. They're looking haggard and beat up as all heck, but in high spirits given the result. Renee Young catches up with them as they're coming down the hallway.
Young: Hey, excuse me guys, I know you must be exhausted but I get a quick few words before you hit the showers?
Kyle nods with a big dopey smile on his face and the trio stops to talk with some big "Sure Renee, why not?" energy. Janela takes point to speak first.
Janela: Ya know we could probably just kill two birds with one stone and have this little chit chat in the showers. How's that sound?
Renee holds back the urge to puke before answering.
Young: Yeah no thanks. I'm married.
Joey shrugs.
Janela: Just cause there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't score.
Renee just moves along without even dignifying that with a response.
Young: Kyle, you've admittedly been on a bit of a skid since Summerslam. Does a huge win like this feel like the thing you needed to get things back on course?
KO'R: Abso-friggin-lutely Renee Young. I had Tyler Breeze's number at Bad Blood, I just had to spend the last two friggin months proving it. And now that I have, I can move on to bigger and better stuff. Plus also like, this is the first time I've won at Slammiversary. A few yeas ago, me and Larry lost the tag belts. Then last year, Dave Batista ruined my movie premiere and technically came out on top. But I keep telling people that just cause I get knocked down doesn't mean I can't come back better. Like... I mean... I've never won a Royal Rumble before... but why not this one coming up, ya know?
Young: Is this is a sclusie? Breaking news? Can you confirm right here and now that you're declaring for the Royal Rumble?
KO'R: Psssh, like you even gotta ask. And when I win, I'm gonna march straight into Wrestlemania and challenge whatever goof if holding my Prizz Tizz Mizzle and win it back.
Young: That's uh... that's not... um....
Renee's not sure how to break the news to Kyle. The "Good Guy" steps in to save this interview from itself.
Bayley: What my step-brother means is that the sky's the limit come 2024.
KO'R: Yeah and maybe not even that. Like why not outer space?
Young: Why not indeed? Now, one more thing - it looked like Tyler Breeze suffered a pretty serious injury to his nose during the match - so severe, in fact, that he had to seek immediate medical attention and wasn't even able to stay until the end. Any thoughts on -
Janela: Yeah we got exactly one thought abut that - talk shit, get hit.
KO'R: Aha... that's right. Talk uh... talk... talk shit, get his.
Renee gasps. Bayley shoots Kyle a horrified look.
Bayley: Kyle! Language! Granna's watching!
Kyle looks a little unsure about the line he has crossed but Joey just laughs and claps him on the shoulder.
Janela: Atta boy Kyle! You tell 'em!
Joey leads Kyle off down the hall, done with this interview, apparently. He can be heard laughing some more as they fade away. Bayley lingers behind with Renee, appalled.
Young: So what's the deal here? Is Joey Janela sticking around? Can we expect to see more trios action from you three?
Bayley sneers and shakes her head.
Bayley: I wouldn't count on it.
With that, The "Good Guy" heads after the fellas, leaving Renee to sign off so Slammiversary can roll on!
Tony Chimel: Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for One Fall and is for the UWF Prime Time Medal! Introducing first, one of the challengers...
The slow intro of "Teenage Nosferatu Pussy" blares throughout the arena as the lighting changes to shades of orange and red. Once the opening lyrics are heard, Jamie Hayter steps through the entrance curtain and is met with cheering from the crowd. She stops on the stage, bends down, and then quickly leans backward while raising her arms. This triggers the pyro, which shoots up through the stage. The camera zooms in on her as she starts sauntering down the entrance while talking shit.
Chimel: "From Southampton, England... JAMIE HAYTER!!!"
Jamie makes it to ringside and stops. She eyes the ring (and her opponent/s if she isn't the first one out) before climbing up onto the apron. She enters the ring and looks to the crowd. She cups her hand around her ear, similarly to Hulk Hogan, and the cheers only intensify. She looks at the crowd and mockingly applauds as if telling them that's all they should do for her. This only gets the crowd to continue showering her with cheers while she turns her attention to her opponent/s (if she isn't entering first) or the entrance (if she is out first) while her theme slowly fades out.
Chimel: And her opponent...
The sound of a war-horn being blown can be heard all throughout the arena as the lights now dim and the beginning notes of Eternal Champion's 'I Am the Hammer' plays over the PA system.
Red lights now focus on the stage as smoke billows from the entrance way. Out onto the stage walks The Mighty Caleb clad in armour and sporting a cape. He stands with his arms wide, his cape appearing like black wings against the red background of the stage. In one hand he holds a drinking horn which he holds aloft. As the glorious main riff kicks in Caleb drinks from the horn before raising it high in the air and yelling 'SKAL!'.
Chimel: Introducing, hailing from The Northern Realms... weighing in at a mighty 235 pounds... he is 'THE MIGHTY' CAAAALEB!
The Mighty Caleb then makes his march down towards the ring, he fist bumps members of the crowd who reach out to him and leads them in the 'SKAL' chant which turns the crowd into a frenzy. Caleb steps up onto the ring apron now and once again holds the horn aloft, pumping his fist as he does so to the rhythm of the crowd. Caleb then enters the ring and continues to pump his fist as he marches around, hyping himself up for the battle ahead.
Chimel: And their opponent...
OWW, SIMPLY RAVISHING!
The theme music begins to blare throughout the arena as there is a mixed reaction from the crowd. Eric Bischoff slinks out onto the entrance ramp taunting the fans.
Bischoff turns back to the curtain and begins bowing over and over again before “Ravishing” Rick Rude walks out onto the stage.
Rick Rude and Eric Bischoff begin making their way down the ramp.
Tony Chimel: From Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Weighing in at 252 pounds, he is the current Prime Time Medalist “Ravishing” Rick Rude!
Bishoff is the first up the steps at ringside and sits on the second rope for Rude as Rude steps into the ring. Rude looks out amongst the crowd for a second before requesting a microphone.
Rude: Cut my music!
Once the music dies down Rude continues.
Rude: What I’d like to have right now…is for all of you fat, out of shape, overweight, London losers to keep the noise down while I take off my robe and show all of these ladies what a real sexy man is supposed to look like! Hit my music!
The music begins again as Rude begins to disrobe.
DING DING!
The three competitors for the Prime Time Medal stand in their respective corners, eyeing each other cautiously. Caleb and Hayter look to each other as though they are about to resume their mighty battle from the previous week when, rather unexpectedly, they nod to each other and bolt for Rude! The Prime Time Champion is caught flat footed as his challengers lay into him with a flurry of body blows from either side, and he is promptly driven back to the ropes before his opponents Irish whip him to the opposite end of the ring. As he rebounds, he does so into a positively devastating double big boot as both foes connect flush with one half of his face, sending him crashing to the canvas. He rapidly rolls out of the ring to regroup at the direction of Easy E, leaving Caleb and Hayter to loom over the ropes as they talk some trash to him.
Corey Graves: In a sadly predictable turn of events, the challengers have banded together to get the upper hand on the Prime Time medalist here tonight in a vicious two-on-one assault.
Tom Phillips: What my totally "unbiased" colleague means to say is that Jamie Hayter and the Mighty Caleb have set aside their mutual desire for epic battle to instead focus their efforts on Rick Rude, perhaps in a bid to remove him from the contest so they can instead focus on one another.
Mauro Ranallo: That would seem to be it, Tom, and it's not a bad idea. Triple threats can be tumultuous at the best of times, so removing one part of the equation in order to make things a little more manageable is a mutually beneficial goal – especially if that part of the equation happens to be the very game Prime Time Medalist himself. Remember, Rick Rude does not need to be pinned or submitted to lose his medal here tonight.
With Rude showing no desire to rush back into the fight, Caleb climbs up onto the bottom rope to goad him. Hayter, however, takes advantage of the rare opportunity to blindside Caleb, grabbing him by the boots and hoisting him up and over, dumping him to the outside! The fans boo as Hayter throws up a nonchalant shrug while Rude, on the outside, connects to Caleb with a drive by running boot to the face as his opponent rises to one knee, sending the big man back down to his side. Rude then rolls into the ring, but Hayter is on him in an instant, driving hard strikes into his upper body as he rises to one knee, himself. Rude manages to break free with a hard shove that drives Hayter several steps back, but Jamie replies by rushing him and pressing him back against the ropes, driving her wrist into Rude's jaw. The official orders Hayter to break things off, but as it's a triple threat, there's no consequences behind the warning, so Jamie keeps the pressure on for several seconds while Rude tries to pry her away, then drives a hard knee to his gut. As Rude leans forward, Hayter catches him in a clutch, then lifts him up and over with a picture-perfect exploder suplex! The fans pop for Jamie as she rises to her feet, looking very pleased with herself.
Phillips: Jamie Hayter has been on her A game since this thing started, and you have to appreciate a game challenger.
Graves: A game challenger who uses underhanded tactics like sucker-punching people and ignoring the official, sure.
Hayter pursues Rude as he rolls for the ropes and uses them to stand up. When she gets close to the medalist, he blatantly thumbs her in the eye! The unsportsmanlike behaviour draws some heat from the crowd as the Medalist comes off the ropes with a forearm smash that absolutely staggers Hayter. He then grabs and lifts her up into a military press, performing a few reps before unceremoniously dumping her to the canvas. Hayter rolls onto her back clutching at her chest as Rude turns toward her with a smug gaze. "You should have just taken me up on my offer for a date," He chastises before stomping hard on her stomach. Hayter sits up as Rude falls back into the ropes, returning with a brutal knee to the face. "Now I'm going to mess ya up so bad nobody will ask you out!"
This behaviour draws even greater heat from the audience, with the possible exception of a small segment of neckbeards who kick up a "Fuck her up!" chant.
Ranallo: Who knew Rick Rude would become a hero for the involuntarily celebate masses? I certainly didn't have that on my 2023 Bingo card.
Rude bends to grab Hayter by the hair, but as he does he's clubbed on the spine by the Mighty Caleb, who has reentered the ring by this point. The Stormbringer places a hand on Rude's back to keep him doubled over as he lifts a knee up into the medalist's jaw, releasing the grip just in time to let Rick shoot back up holding that jaw as he reels into the ropes. On rebound, he's scooped up by Caleb, who spins him into a tilt-a-whirl sideslam! The fans pop large for the Mighty One, who deadlifts Rude as he rises and tosses him across the ring with a Biel throw. Rude rolls into the corner, sitting up against the turnbuckles and holding his hands up in surrender. Caleb disregards the offer as he rushes in and crushes Rude with a cannonball!
The fans pop huge for that as Caleb rises to his feet, thumping his chest and roaring to the Gods. But then he turns into a big boot from Hayter that sends him reeling into the ropes! As he rebounds, Jamie lifts him up and connnects with a THUNDEROUS spinebuster! She covers!
1...
2...
...NO! Rude breaks up the pin!
Phillips: Rick Rude just preserved his Prime Time Medal reign!
Rude rolls onto his back, still hurting from the cannonball he ate, but at least he stopped the pinfall. Hayter rises to her feet and grabs him by the hair, lifting him to one knee before driving repeated strikes of her knee into his chest and jaw. The Medalist looks increasingly unsteady as Hayter lifts him into a suplex clutch, then up and overhead in a stalling vertical suplex clutch. But as she turns to show off her strength to the full house, she turns into a rushing Caleb who turns her inside out with Gungnir! Rude, meanwhile, is unceremoniously dropped and nearly lands on his head as Caleb takes Hayter to the canvas and hooks the leg.
1...
2...
...NO! Rude breaks up the pinfall!
Phillips: I don't believe it! The Prime Time Medalist with the save!
Ranallo: Mamma mia! How did he manage that! He shouldn't even be conscious!
Graves: In a show of pure veteran ring awareness and savvy, Rick Rude has kept this match going when no ordinary man could.
Caleb is quick to his feet as Rude crawls for the ropes, and grabs him by the ankle, dragging him back to the middle of the ring and lifting him nearly upside down before slamming the knee down on the canvas. The Stormbringer lives up to his name as he drops a knee into Rude's spine and just starts pummeling the Hell out of the Medalist with forearm shots to the back of the head. The official gives Caleb a warning to break it off before he concusses Rude, but there's no disqualifications and therefore no consequences for the Mighty One as he looks to remove the Medalist from this contest entirely. But before he can finish the beating, Hayter finds her feet again, and she runs and connects with a running knee strike to Caleb's face that sends him careening onto his back. Rude uses the opportunity to roll out of the ring again, Easy E tending to him as he sits up against a barricade, looking visibly dazed.
Graves: That was a positively savage, potentially career-ending flurry from The Mighty Caleb and I can't believe these fans are cheering for him as he though he didn't just try to kill a man.
Hayter heads to the corner, working the crowd with some shouted words that get them buzzing before turning and motioning for Caleb to find his feet. As he does, she tears out of the corner with a HAYTERADE attempt, but no! Caleb ducks under! Hayter rebounds off the ropes as Caleb spins around into a brutal lariat that turns her completely inside out!
Ranallo: MAMMA MIA!
Phillips: That has to be it!
But Caleb's not convinced. He knows how much of a warrior the Shieldmaiden is, so he heads for the apron and climbs the top rope, shouting "SKAL!" and kicking up a chant before he leaps from the top and connects with the Skull Seeker! Caleb rolls away, then climbs on top with a hook of the leg.
1...
2...
...NO! At the last second, Rude breaks up the count!
Phillips: What?!?
Ranallo: Huh?!?
Graves: Yes!
As Caleb tries to find his feet, Rude – clearly running purely on adrenaline now as Easy E shouts instructions from the outside – grabs his head and turns him around, then drops him with the Rude Awakening! The fans are booing as Rick covers.
1...
2...
...3!
DING DING DING!!!
Here is your winner, and STILL
the UWF Prime Time Medalist:
RICK RUDE!
Ranallo: While the challengers each had decisive moments in this thing, Rick Rude showed why he is the reigning and defending Prime Time Medalist by coming up big in the moment that mattered most.
Phillips: ...I just... I don't believe it...
Graves: Maybe it's time to get a pair of glasses then, Tom, because it happened right in front of your eyes!
"Whatta Man" hits the PA as the fans boo the Hell out of the medalist, who rolls out of the ring to Bischoff and is handed his medal when he gets there. Leaning on Bischoff heavily, he is practically dragged to the back, seemingly out on his feet as Caleb rises to his knees in disbelief and Hayter watches from her vertical base, kicking the bottom rope with frustration. The show moves along.
What a night it's been so far. The cameras continue to roll and we head backstage to a private area. The cameraman soon focuses on a man that was victorious earlier this evening. That man being The Million Dollar Megastar, LA Knight. Let's check in and see what he's got to say.
LA Knight: Did 'ya see that out there? That's what 'ya call impressive. That's what 'ya call dominance. That's what 'ya call a victory for L...A....Knight.
LA Knight: L...A....Knight did exactly what he said he was going to do. L...A.....Knight went out there and took out the trash. And he did it straight up; clean as a sheet. This should prove to every single one of 'ya slacked jaw'd DUMMIES! that L...A....Knight is everything he says he is. He is the Main Event. He is 'The Million Dollar Megastar" and he is the face of this company.
LA Knight: And 'ya might just be asking yourselves, "What's next for L...A....Knight?" Well the way he looks at, the opportunities are endless. There's a lot of gold floating around UWF for L...A....Knight to take for himself. But there is one major event that L...A....Knight has his eye on. It's a night that only comes once a year. The last time UWF had this event, L..A...Knight was this close....
Knight holds his thumb and index finger about a millimeter apart; showing how close he was.
LA Knight: To winning the whole damn thing. So maybe when the time comes, L...A....Knight pokes his head in that match and finishes the job he started. So many options. So many avenues. But there's only one L...A....Knight. And that's not an insult; THAT'S just a fact of life! YEAH!
And with that, the sweaty, yet victorious LA Knight walks off as Slammiversary continues.
The scene opens with the Corey Graves and Phillips talking by ringside.
Corey Graves: Well, that was one hell of a match up. We can’t wait to see what is going to happen next right here on Slammiversary.
Corey Graves: Why don’t you shut up Tom. You won’t even know what great entertainment is when you've never seen one.
Mauro Ranalo: We are just about to get ready for our next match up.
The lights suddenly turn off.
Corey Graves: What the hell is going on!?
Mauro Ranallo: Who turns off the lights?
Tom Phillips: Guys, do you hear something?
The lights turn on and “Melo Don’t Miss” by Def Rebel hits as two young unknown guys come out.
Tom Philiips: Wait a minute, is that Carmelo Hayes?
Corey Graves: Tom, you better check your facts. Yes, that man right there is the future of UWF!
Mauro Ranallo: Oh my god, Ethan just made a new signing of the new sensation Carmelo Hayes.
Carmello Hayes and Trick come out to a cheering crowd reaction. The two men walk down the entrance ramp and they turn to the right. They walk up the steel steps and they walk along the ring ropes as they stop in the middle. They walk through the ropes as they get into the ring and they both stand in the middle of the ring. Carmello walks up to the turnbuckle as he shows off his muscle and punches his fist into the air while Trick is shown pointing at Carmello Hayes. Then Carmello gets down from the turnbuckle and he walks to Trick while the announcer hands them both microphones. Carmello’s theme music stops playing and you can hear the crowd cheering. They are chanting “Melo”.
Trick Williams: Before we do anything. Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Trick Williams and I am the hype man for the guy who is standing right next to me. I already know you folks are wondering why we are here. Let me explain why we are here. The man standing right next to me is Carmelo Hayes. You guys may not know him. But you already know everyone that has a foot in the UWF. Y’all know what I am talking about. Everyone in the past has held championships in this company.
But tonight is different. You all are about to witness a brand new era. You all are about to witness the brand new star who is the future of UWF. You can forget about Daniel Bryans, Orton, Jox Moxley, and all. They are in the past. You all will witness the future. The future is him. My boy Carmello Hayes is the future and you will recognize him sooner than later.
The crowd starts booing at Trick and Carmelo.
Trick Williams: You didn’t like that? It’s too bad because it is the hard hitting truth and you all will recognize it when you see him in action. But enough of me talking. Let me hand it to the man who is the future of UWF himself.
Carmello Hayes: Hey. Well said Trick. Like my man Trick has said. My name is Carmello Hayes. I am the future of UWF. But you all may not know that right now. But soon enough, you all will be chanting my name and remembering my name when it gets put in the history books in this company. As you see, I may be considered a new blood to UWF. But let me tell you something. I got something that nobody in the locker room has. That is an aggressive attitude. You all will witness the man standing before you to become one of the greatest UWF of all time. I will outshine all the greatest UWF of the past and present.
The crowd started booing Carmelo.
Carmello Hayes: You all can boo me all you want. Time will tell when you all will witness “greatness”. You will all put respect in my name and will come to recognize me as the future of UWF. Let me tell you all something. I am not the one who will be following in anyone's footsteps. Wrestling is my passion and blood. What you all are going to realize when the stacks are all up against me. I will always knock them down easily. Because when I shoot, Melo doesn't miss. All the wrestlers in the locker room are nothing compared to me. Every man and woman back there can’t measure up to me. Do you know why? It is because nobody can be him. I am him. I am Carmello Hayes. But let me tell you something. When someone doesn't like what I say, you better step up to the plate and prove your worth. Because it will be a whole new ball game when Melo is in town. UWF, you all will remember one thing. When I shoot, Melo doesn't miss. I am him!
“Melo Don’t Miss” by Def Rebel hits as the scene fades and ends with Carmelo Hayes smiling at the crowd with Trick Williams by his side.
Head of the Table hits the PA System and out comes Roman Reigns. On his right he has the Wiseman of the Tribal Chief and on his left the problem solver Solo Sikoa. Reigns does a sly rubbing of his red leigh he is wearing signifying he is the the head of the table. The three men lift there hands up in the sky signifying 'The Ones'.
Reigns and company make there way to the ring and the reception is mixed for the Tribal Chief. Roman is taking his time to get in the ring showing little urgency. Roman and crew finally get into the ring and when they do they once again throw the ones up high in the sky. Roman removes his red lei and hands it to the Wiseman who exits the ring. Reigns than turns to the problem solver and he pats his cousin on the shoulder signifying it's okay and Solo exits the ring and Roman gets prepared for battle.
As the sound of metal clashing echoes around the building, “Wish It Away” by Psycho Dalek starts to play and out from behind the curtain steps the reigning UWF Champion, Drew McIntyre. With the title belt strapped around his waist, The Scotsman slowly walks towards the top of the ramp and after taking a moment to stop and look at the ground, he tilts his head up and raises both fists in sync with two fire pyrotechnics either side of him.
The master of the Claymore walks down the ramp and upon reaching the end makes a turn towards the steel ring steps. After taking a brief pause, he smacks the top of them with his open right hand, not once, but twice, before climbing up and entering the ring through the middle rope. Once inside, McIntyre heads for the opposite turnbuckle, climbs to the top rope, unclips the title and perches for a moment before raising it high into the air with his right hand. As more fire pyro goes off from the stage, McIntyre dropping back down to the mat and unclips his ring coat with his spare hand in anticipation for the upcoming contest to begin.
The Official holds the title belt in the center of the ring while Tony Chimel makes the announcements.
Chimel: The following contest if your Main Event of the Evening and is for the UWF Championship!
The fans dang near blow the roof off the building on account of they're so excited for this bonafide heavyweight title tilt.
Chimel: Introducing first, the Challenger... from Pensacola, Florida being accompanied by Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman. The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns!
Reigns lets out one of those OOOOO-AH roars an buddy, it gets reciprocated as heck by the sold-out crowd. While the Enforcer is looking mighty stoic at ringside, Heyman is practically licking his lips.
Chimel: And his opponent... from Ayr, Scotland. Weighing in at 265 pounds. He is the Ultimate Wrestling Federation Champion, The Destroyer, Drew McIntyre!
McIntyre doesn't move a muscle or bat and eye ahead of his third defense. This is his world now. He's at home here, and as far as he's concerned, the Tribal Chief is an unwelcome guest about to get the boot. While the fans are anything but pro-Champ, Stokely Hathaway makes makes up for the lack of support with his typical audacious corner man behaviour.
The Referee hands off the belt and Tony leaves the ring. After ensuring both competitors are good to go, he calls for the bell.
VS
DING DING
The 02 Arena is packed about twenty-thousand full and all those fans are on the edge of their seats for the last big title fight of the 2023. Scotland has made the trip south for their first ever World Champion, and for the first time since his return, Drew hears a some serious cheers coming his way from the crowd. All that fuss is matched - and maybe even surpassed - when the folks who can't stomach the Destroyer's tyrannical run - jump on the Reigns bandwagon. The sporting songs and chants typical of a UK crowd that Mac's fans rally with are trampled by some plain ol "ROMAN REIGNS" chants.
The Tribal Chief smirks. He loves the Acknowledgement.
Ranallo: I thought McIntyre would have more of a home field advantage even here in London but it looks like our United Kingdom fans want a new Champion!
Graves: They're Monarchists, Mauro. Any time somebody says they're royalty these people's first instinct is to start boot licking. Which isn't to say I don't like Roman or his chances - I think this is Drew McIntyre's toughest test to date. I just can't wait to put an ocean between myself and these miserable people and their miserable weather and their miserable food.
Phillips: Says the guy from Pittsburgh.
The specifics of their conversation are lost under the roar of the crowd, but standing a ways away from each other still, Champion and Challenger talk some trash before ever even attempting to lock up and start this match. There's no pressure from the Official to get things going - the Third Man is giving these sturdy blokes a wide berth while they jaw jack.
Soon enough, somebody says something that's a bridge too far, and let's face it, there's been enough talking. This moment's been coming down the track for a long, long time now. It isn't just the interference or the shots fired across the bow in the weeks leading up to Slammiversary. No, this has been brewing since last summer. When Drew McIntyre claimed the UWF Championship in the most dominant, one-sided world title bout in Revolution history, he made it clear that he was going to be sitting atop the mountain for a while. Reigns was right there, too. Not a step behind so much as a step to the side - handling business with another hungry contender to make his path to the belt clear. It was inevitable, these two coming to a head. As cliche as it sounds, a classic case of Unstoppable Force meeting Immovable Object.
That conundrum of the physical sciences is put to the test when they clash in the center of the ring. This is a professional wrestling event but they kick things off like street fighters, swinging wild, heavyweight haymakers that land like bombs. The energy and volume in the arena swells with the onslaught. Drew's cheeks puff out as he serves up some nasty strikes straight out of the Glasgow pub scene. His Scottish contingency in the crowd recognizes their style of violence and they let the world know how proud they are of it.
Reigns takes some hard shots to the side of the head. For all that talk about the Champ's qualities, one that often gets left out of the conversation is his aim. But the guy rarely misses. There's proof of that all over the Tribal Chief's face even in these early, opening moments of the contest.
Roman isn't overwhelmed, though. He's right there in the trenches returning fire. He's been here before. A lot. This may be Drew McIntyre's third defense and fourth consecutive pay-per-view title match - and true - its been a hot minute since the Samoan has seen the brightest spotlight. But this is a man who has walked into Wrestlemania holding the highest class of sporting gold. He's been there and done that and gone back again for seconds and thirds. He's taken hits from generations of killers and he's still here and still fighting.
Its all that experience that has him changing levels before Drew even considers doing so - likely an opening pointed out by his Wiseman in the pre-match prep. Roman goes low and fires a quick one-two-three to McIntyre's midsection, immediately taking the wind out of his sails. The Champ coughs out all the air he had left in his torso.
Reigns snags a limp arm and uses that to whip him into the ropes. Drew bounces back at high speed. He was expecting to run towards a clothesline but instead Roman rushes at him on the return, jumps up, and uncorks a sniper-accurate Superman Punch!
Phillips: SUPERMAN PUNCH! HE HIT IT ALREADY!
Graves: McIntyre wasn't expecting that! He caught him off-guard!
Stokely's losing his mind at ringside and the fans are right there with him. The gasp of twenty thousand leaves a vacuum that's soon filled the buzz of a mob that doesn't know what to expect next. There's serious danger in the air.
Reigns' signature punch connected perfect, but even so, McIntyre only drops down to a knee. He's seeing stars. His legs are shaking beneath him. Instinct gets him back up to his feet but he's rattled. Hurt. Exposed.
Ranallo: Drew is in serious trouble! He needs to get outside the ring and regroup and fast.
Graves: If you asked him right now, I don't think the Champ could tell you what country he's even in.
Roman leaves Drew standing like that - swinging wild punches at the phantom enemy his double-vision is telling him is standing right in front of him. Reigns dashes across the squared circle and hits the ropes on the far side.
Graves: There's no way...
Ranallo: Tribal Chief incoming!
The Contender shoots back around the ring at full speed and throws every ounce of former pro-football player in this tackle. Propelled by years of living in the shadow of his own accomplishments, the Tribal Chief launches his weaponized body directly at Drew McIntyre's midsection to take back his Kingdom.
Phillips: SPEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!
Ranallo: MAMA MIA! ITS OVER! ITS ALL OVER! NEW WORLD CHAMP! NEW WORLD CHAMP! ROMAN REIGNS IS THE NEW WORLD CHAMP!
People talk about the "biggest pops" in the history of the sport. Its an impossible thing to gauge. But there's no way they're going to have the conversation again without including this moment.
Reigns' Spear couldn't have hit any harder. It was on point as on point gets and Drew took all of the impact head on. Stokely Hathaway melts into a puddle. Heyman looks like he's witnesses the Second Coming. Even Solo, the man whose face is made of stone, goes wide-eyed at the spectacle of it. And, of course, the fans are the orchestra playing a concert of shock and awe as Roman Reigns hooks a leg deep to make the cover...
Graves: Unbelievable...
1...
Ranallo: Roman Reigns has shattered the Champion to claim his title...
2...
Phillips: I've never seen anything like it.
3...
No kick-out! That's it! The fans jump are already on their feet - they don't know what to do with themselves but jump and scream and turn to strangers sharing this experience and gawk collectively.
The Referee gets up to call for the bell and only then does he see it.
The foot on the rope.
Phillips: Wait...
Graves: No...
The Official waves off his own count, letting the timekeeper know that this match is still going. The fans are too caught up in the moment to understand what's happening. Its chaos. Why isn't Roman's music playing? What's going on?
The production truck hastily gets a replay up on the titantron to get to the bottom of it. It shows the Spear hitting flush. It shows Roman hooking the leg - singular. First count. Second count. Then, with a fraction of a fraction of a second left, Drew's free leg flops itself on to the bottom rope, barely scraping it by a half-inch. But its enough.
Ranallo: Drew McIntyre had just enough gas in the tank to pull up to the pump. He's still in this thing!
Graves: Yeah but for how long? Roman might not have got the pin there, but the Champ was obliterated by that Spear. Nobody has hit McIntyre that hard since he's been back.
Heyman and Solo are both up on the apron arguing with the Referee about it. Stokely is running around ringside like he's covered in fire ants, but like, in a good way, I guess. He's thrilled, anyway. Roman, a man who since reinventing himself has maintained his composure against all odds and in all scenarios, gets to his knees and breaths heavy.
He was so close.
It was right there.
Since his argument with the Official is going nowhere, Heyman drops back to the floor, leans under the bottom rope and calls out to his Tribal Chief, getting his focus back in the game. Paul adopts a tone more commonly heard in his interactions with Brock Lesnar than with his reverent dialogues with the Head of the Table - its almost like a command when he says "FINISH HIM NOW!"
It does the trick in cutting through the fog of "what could have been". Roman shakes his head, and in those grey eyes, there's a flash of the Big Dog of The Shield - that brute executioner of old who used the chip on his shoulder like a hammer to smash his way through the ranks of the early UWF.
Phillips: McIntyre has looked so dominant against smaller technicians that I think a lot of people thought it was a forgone conclusion he'd run roughshod over all comers, but its a little different when you're fighting somebody your own size.
Ranallo: I wouldn't ever call the toughness or grit of the Destroyer into question, but as we see all the time in Heavyweight boxing and MMA, even landing just one good punch can completely change the complexion of a match.
Graves: It can completely change the complexion of a complexion, too. What if Reigns broke McItnyre's jaw with that punch? You can't just shake something like that off and keep fighting.
Reigns gets back to work, but now he's in a real mood about it. The Tribal Chief rolls the barely conscious McIntyre out to the apron, stands up, and pushes him to the floor with a harsh kick to the ribs. The Champ lands with a thud on the ground while Stokely screams at the Referee about foul play. The Third Man waves him off like a mosquito buzzing in his ear, but does get involved when Roman abandons the squared circle to join his opponent on the outside.
Despite the Referee threatening a ten count, Reigns shows no urgency in bringing business back into the ring. He pulls McIntyre up to his feet and feeds him a stiff uppercut as the Official begins...
1...
Drew's head snap backs. He can barely stand. Reigns doesn't let him fall over, though. Taking the Champ's wrist, the Tribal Chief then whips him headlong into the barricade.
2...
McIntyre slams into the barrier, dang near knocking it over. He turns around, draping his arms over the edge to support himself as he attempts to gather his bearings. Unfortunately, he's leaving himself wide open for the attack.
3...
Roman runs at him, pulling a move from another Samoan's play book as he blasts Drew across the jaw with a Mafia Kick! The connection sends Drew halfway over the guard rail, and Reigns is happy to leave the highly-touted, surefire Hall of Famer hanging there like hunted game.
4...
Phillips: Roman Reigns is in complete control right now.
Ranallo: I'm not sure how much it even matters at this point, but I like to see the Contender mixing up his game with an unexpected maneuver. It just goes to show the level of thought he brought into this match-up.
Graves: It has been way too long since Roman Reigns fought for a World Championship, and there's a dozen different reasons you could give for that between his helping Seth Rollins reach that level or with him being out of the organization, but just look at him now! This is where he belongs!
Ranallo: It was the Vengeance show in May of 2016 when Reigns went one-on-one for the big belt - so over seven years now, if I'm not mistaken.
5...
Roman steps over the barricade to the fans' side. If his domineering presence wasn't enough to scare the fans back a few feet, Solo coming by and sneering at the front-row folks does the trick. A lane is cleared for Reigns to get enough of a runway to speed up and smash the prone Scot with a Drive-by Kick!
6...
The two boots hitting Drew's dome spins him over and he lands in a heap back on the right side of the guardrail. Roman picks himself up, brushes the dust off his shoulder, then comes over to join him there.
7...
Ranallo: The build-up to this match was chock-full of count-outs. It would be a shame to see this match end the same way but that's the direction we're headed in!
Graves: You'd have to think EC3 would book an immediate rematch given how this is going so far, but God knows this inbred Englishmen would have a fit about it. They can't even handle it when a soccer game ends in tie.
Phillips: This might be Reigns' best shot though - could he emulate this same kind of performance against McIntyre again? Would Drew prepare differently? Can Roman afford to find out?
8...
Paul Heyman has been content to stand back and let Roman work, but now that the ten count is nearing its ends, he nervously approaches Reigns, who is casual in his pace of prying McIntyre's body off of the floor. He reminds the Tribal Chief of the Ref's count. Roman scoffs and shakes his head like its no big deal - like such a formality is beneath him.
9...
The fans are starting to lose their cool now. Is this really how the match is going to end? A double count-out?
Just as the Third Man is about to throw up ten digits, however, Roman tosses Drew aside and lazily rolls under the bottom rope and back out to break up the count.
Some of the fans boo the cockiness, some are amused, most are just happy this thing is still going. Playing it up for the camera, Roman finds a lends and looks down it to address the audience, saying something about how Drew's not the only one who can put down buzzer beaters.
Graves: He's just completely in his element. All of the other men Drew has faced - O'Reilly, Zayn - Lee never really got the chance - but they were all desperate to get the win, weren't they? They just wanted to survive long enough to pull it off. But Reigns? He's the exact opposite.
Ranallo: He called his shot months ago, it just took a little while to get here.
Up in the ring, the Official starts his ten count afresh...
1...
Roman leaves drew lying for a minute. Stokely is lingering in the wings, like he wants to come over and check on his meal ticket. Solo is too imposing for him to risk it, though. Reigns pays no attention to either as he approaches the Spanish commentary table.
2...
Graves: Oh Thank God I thought he was coming for us.
Phillips: I think we still better get out of the way. This is getting too close for comfort.
3...
Reigns ditches the cover and clears the notes and sponsored beverages and monitors, while the Spanish Commentary Team gets the heck out of dodge.
4...
McIntyre has somehow found the strength to get up to a kneeling position, but it doesn't matter. Even when he throws a punch at Reigns when he comes over, the Samoan just swats it away before feeding a knee lift into his face. With Drew loosened up again, the Number One Contender shepherds him over towards the commentary area.
5...
Reigns tucks his opponent's head, setting him up for in Powerbomb position. He looks around out at the audience, their deafening, eclectic reaction coming in hot and heavy. Its all just noise. Roman takes a moment to make one thing clear when he says "Not Dean. Not Seth. Me. Its always been Me."
6...
Roman hoists the UWF Champion on to his shoulders, turns and drives him clean through the table with an enormous Powerbomb! McIntyre lands ugly, contorted in the rubble.
7...
Ranallo: Roman Reigns just laid waste to Drew McIntyre!
Graves: After invoking the name of his old partners, too. Dean Ambrose had his time at the top as the greatest of the original era. I think there's a good argument to be made that Seth Rollins is the most successful wrestler Revolution has ever housed. But the Roman Reigns Dynasty officially begins tonight.
Phillips: The Referee might need to think about calling this match off, too. If Reigns isn't even going to try for another pin on a man who can't defend himself, its up to the Official to intervene on his behalf.
Graves: Hathaway could always throw in the towel, too. It would be a throwback to last year's Slammiversary Main Event.
Ranallo: Ha! Not likely.
8...
Stokley's looks mortified by the wreckage. The motor-mouth is at a rare loss for words as Roman collects McIntyre out of the mess that was a table.
9...
Reigns rolls McIntyre's body under the ropes and crawls in after it, once again disrupting the ten count milliseconds before its too late. The Official tells Roman to make a cover and put an end to his but Reigns shakes his head. He takes his time parading around the ring, addressing the UWF Universe, asking them if this guy is really their Champion.
The responses are varied. The people claiming McIntyre jeer the Tribal Chief, as do the ones who aren't excited about swapping one egomaniac barbarian for another. Still, there are more and more converted with each passing minute - more ready to Acknowledge that Reigns is the face of things to come and that its time to hop aboard the bandwagon while the getting's good.
McIntyre's given enough to get to his knees again, defying yet another of the Referee's ten counts in getting vertical. He's in rough shape, though. Hardly coherent. Reigns is eyeing him up like an all-you-can-eat buffet. A meal fit for a King set at the table. His table.
Graves: Drew McIntyre has been a helluva Champion, but that's all going to be over soon.
Ranallo: It so often happens like this - where one person seems utterly unstoppable until somebody comes along with the perfect answer to them. Like Jericho besting Cesaro, Dudley dethroning Steen or Omega supplanting Joe - there's always a silver bullet for the monster and tradition is that nobody sees it coming.
Phillips: Except the person delivering the goods. I don't think Roman Reigns or his crew ever doubted this would happen exactly like this.
Once McIntyre's fully up, Roman goes back to the well with what got him here in the first place, but this time, adding a little something something extra.
Letting out a thunderous "OOOOOO-AH!", Reigns first hits the ropes behind his opponent, then runs right past him to build up even more momentum by bouncing off the other set. McIntyre is stranded and wide open as a scarecrow in a corn field during a lightning storm.
Reigns charges in for his second Spear of the night. Drew isn't moving out of the way. There's no dodge, no Claymore counter incoming. He's just right there, ready to take the hit that will surely end this once and for all.
Roman hits his body full force.
At the exact same time, McIntyre musters up the wherewithal to grab Reigns' arms and hook them up behind his back on the way down!
Ranallo: MAMMMMA MIA! DREW CAUGHT HIM! DREW ACTUALLY CAUGHT HIM!
Graves: How the Hell?!?!?!
Reigns gets Spear, but eats a Futureshock DDT on the way down, and with all that velocity propelling him forward, the marriage between his head and the canvas is a volatile car crash of an affair. His dome bounces off the mat like basketball. Thousands of jaws drop in concert with his body, Heyman's furthest of all.
"HOLY SHIT" chants fill the arena as the Unstoppable Force finally finds its match. Roman isn't just slowed, he's come to a screeching halt. He rolls over on to his back and his eyes roll to the back of his head. He's in the Land of Wind and Ghosts now.
The Referee checks on both men and gets no signs of life from either. He starts yet another ten'r, giving both men a boxer's count to stay in the fight...
1...
Ranallo: If Roman Reigns had just made the cover after Powerbombing Drew through the table, there might well be a celebration in that ring right now. Instead, it looks like a crime scene. Double homicide.
2...
Phillips: He wanted to stamp the win his his signature and Drew had just enough let inside to shut that down.
3...
Graves: A count-out would have been disappointing, but a double knockout? Now that's interesting. That's a set-up for a must-see rematch.
4...
Ranallo: Well the next Revolution will be our 200th - what better occasion to host a UWF Championship match?
5...
Phillips: After the beating these two have put on each other, will they even be fit to compete in a week's time? Or even two for that matter?
6...
Graves: Book it for the Royal Rumble, then. They could close the show! Trust me, if neither man can answer this ten count, the world is going to be dying to see the run it back.
7...
Ranallo: It would be an incredible story for the sporting world. A ruthless Contender dominates the indomitable Champion but is denied victory by what is equal parts a crucial mistake and an astounding Hail Mary. What would happen differently next time?
8...
Reigns stirs! There's still life there! Heyman is screaming at him from the outside, pleading with him wake from the dead while Solo paces back and forth like a caged animal.
9...
But its Drew McIntyre who rolls over first! He drapes an arm over Reigns' chest to make the cover! The Referee ditches the ten count and drops to the canvas to make a shorter one instead!
1...
Ranallo: McIntyre with the cover!
2...
Phillips: He's going to take it back!
NO! Reigns shrugs his shoulder up just in time to break the count!
Ranallo: Reigns is still in this thing ladies and gentlemen! We just might get an answer yet as to who the true UWF Champion is tonight.
Phillips: And at this juncture absolutely every little detail matters. Any move, any strike, any hold could be last. And any mistake could be irreparable now.
Drew doesn't register the kick out, He hardly seems aware he even made the cover. He's the first of the two to start moving upwards, though, pushing his torso up off the mat, getting one leg under himself, then the next. The middle rope helps him get to the top rope, and that one holds him steady.
Roman, meanwhile, has rolled back to the outside. He spills to the floor on the side where Stokely is, but when Heyman and Solo circle around to that end, Hathaway clears out, albeit was some trash talk to cover his tracks. Sikoa might not usually let that fly, but he's busying himself with helping Roman get to his feet. The Referee doesn't have much tolerance for the assist and he barks at the Enforcer to back off or face being barred from ringside. Still, the little bit went a long way. Reigns manages to find his footing out there on the floor. He shakes his head and crawls back into the ring, where Drew is still trying to find his balance.
Phillips: Both of these men should probably be in hospital beds right now.
Ranallo: We're definitely seeing some concussion-like symptoms, but there's so much on the line and the show must go on.
Like his opponent, Reigns utilizes the ring ropes to get up again. He then stumbles towards Drew and uses his off-kilter stagger to get some ummph behind a forearm shiver. It grazes off of Drew's chin, knocking him back into the cables. McIntyre bounces back at Roman and clobbers him with a European Uppercut. The Head of The Table's noggin snaps back like a Pez Dispenser.
Drew follows up with another European, taking Reigns out towards the middle of the canvas. Roman looks to lock-up for the first time tonight but McIntyre ain't having that. He counters by taking the Tribal Chief's extended arms and whipping him into the ropes.
Reigns rebounds in his direction and jumps up with a clumsy, desperate Superman Punch. If it managed to slip past the defenses, it probably would have done the trick, but McIntyre sees it coming and gets out the way, catching the Contender on the way down. Through some quick slipping around, he drags Roman all the way down the canvas flat on his belly while slipping the arm over his shoulder to apply his signature submission hold.
Phillips: Drew McIntyre locks in the Iron Maiden!
Ranallo: It must be five o'clock somewhere because McIntyre is taking Reigns to the Gallows Pole and the sands of time are running low!
Roman's glossy eyes flash awake with horror when the flashing pain of having his body contorted seers through his nerves. His free hand reaches for the ropes. They're way out their in the open waters of the center ring, though, and with all of his opponent's weight lying heavy on him, it will be a long crawl to get to that sanctuary.
Phillips: All three of Drew McIntyre's UWF Championship matches - Lee, O'Reilly and Zayn - he ended all of them with the Iron Maiden. Not the Claymore. Not the Futureshock. This is it. This is his best shot.
Graves: The Champ has somehow found a way to pull this match back from the brink of oblivion. The live odds on this one must be out of control.
All those belligerent Scots in the crowd, who, by this point in the night, are mostly three sheets to the wind, finally overpower the naysayers and middle-grounders in the building who have been stunned silence by the changing of tides. They're bellowing at Roman, mocking him, demanding he just tap out. Give up. Stokely Hathaway's voice cuts through the mix above all of them, but he's not mocking Roman - he's telling Drew to pull harder. Break him. Snap him. Whatever it takes.
His rival corner man has gone pale as a ghost. Heyman has studied all the available tape and then some. He knows this is Drew's most dangerous weapon. With his hands pressed into his cheeks, Paul watches on in abject terror, witnessing the worst case scenario they trained so hard to avoid.
Reigns - the man who never shows a tell now - has a poker face fractured. He's wearing his agony all over the parts of his mug you can see behind Drew's death grip. His fingers claw into the mat and pull their combined heft a few inches. It hardly matters. The ropes are still a long way off.
Solo kneels up on the apron, waiting for Heyman or Reigns to give him the okay to get in there and make the save. The Official shouts at him to back off. Paul pulls him back too, not ready for the nuclear option just quite yet. What would be the point? Then it would be over anyway. He's holding on to a hope that somehow Roman can get out of this. But the tighter McIntyre squeezes and the further he wrenches, the more Roman hollers.
Graves: Self-preservation goes out the window when the sport's top prize is on the line, but Reigns needs to consider whether he wants to spend Wrestlemania season in a wheelchair at this point. He looks like he's about to be broken in half!
Ranallo: Keep in mind that on more than one occasion, men have passed out in the Iron Maiden hold and its fallen to the Referee to end the bout, tap out or not. How much longer can Reigns even stay consciouss for?
Reigns hand creeps out again, wishing it were just a little bit longer so it could achieve the break. Its not happening. With a quiver akin to a leaf dying on the branch, it shakes and falls to the mat. He's out. The capacity crowd goes ballistic and Heyman collapses on the outside.
Phillips: Reigns passed out! Its done!
Ranallo: Drew McIntyre retains the gold!
The Referee goes to call for the bell but then jumps back in shock when Roman uses his fallen hand to post up, shove off and roll himself and his opponent over. His arm is wrenched weird in the transition but he doesn't care - he just needs to escape, and to do that, he's trapping McIntyre in a pinning predicament, giving him the choice to let go or take the fall.
The Official drops down for the three count...
1...
2...
Drew releases the hold and shoves Roman off, cursing at the top of his lungs.
Ranallo: Roman gets out! Incredible!
Graves: What a play by the Head of the Table!
Pissed off and mad about it, Drew goes to get up but trips over himself. He's still groggy. Still hurt. He stumbles over to the far side of the ring and just manages to catch himself on the ropes to avoid crashing through them.
Roman gets up huffing and puffing like a wounded animal - pierced bull. He charges directly at McIntyre, maybe going for a Spear or just some sort of tackle. Its reckless but he's moving with enough ill will that it shouldn't even matter. He'd mow down just about any man - heck, any wrestler in the world. Its only by employing a tactic made famous by and old mentor that Drew staves off disaster.
Phillips: Oof! McIntyre holds a stampeding Reigns off with a hard knee!
Ranallo: Almost a Knee Trembler there, I believe.
The vintage Regal maneuver actually knocks the Tribal Chief upright. Reigns claps back with a haymaker but McIntyre catches his arm, jams another knee into his stomach and hastily applies a pumphandle hold. From there, he elevates his opponent, twists him in midair and then drives him face-first into the mat with a Bitter End!
Phillips: Shout out to Pete Dunne! McIntyre honours his old tag team partner with the Bitter End!
Ranallo: Earlier tonight we saw the so-called Forever Championships defended. McIntyre and Dunne were the last team to challenge Zayn and Lynch for the tag team gold and besides coming up short that night, they were an unstoppable unit.
Graves: The Destroyer has evolved into something entirely more dangerous and devastating since then and that is saying something.
McIntyre isn't done with the trip down memory lane yet. He scrapes Roman's battered body off the canvas, heaving deep breaths through bruised ribs as he hooks the head in one arm and grabs the opponent's arm with his other. He's got a specialized DDT of his own, but Drew pays homage to his Uprising pal from the island over with a Bloody Sunday!
Roman's head slams into the canvas. That still isn't enough for Drew. Frothing at the mouth, he yanks Reigns up halfway again then does the rest for him, hoisting the contender up then delivering a full throttle Spike Piledriver!
Reigns lands on the crown of his head, crunching his neck under his body weight. He falls to the mat, arm twitching as Drew shoots the half...
1...
Roman kicks out right in time with that first count!
Ranallo: REIGNS OUT AT ONE! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!
Graves: Drew McIntyre unloaded everything except the kitchen sink and it wasn't enough to put Reigns down for the count!
Drew pounds the mat in frustration, leaving a dent there. He's apoplectic. Heyman looks like his heart is about to give out, and Stokely isn't looking much better over on his end. Drew gets up, so much adrenaline and venom in his veins that he's able to push the pain and the haze aside to get the outcome he needs.
Just as soon as he stands up, though, there's Solo Sikoa, leaning under the bottom rope. He whispers something to Roman. Nobody else in the world knows what. But whatever it is, it hits deep. It hits like a fist slamming down on a missile launch button and that's exactly what Reigns does - he explodes off of the mat, drives himself into an unsuspecting McIntyre and Spears him all the way into on of the corner buckles.
McIntyre's back crashes into the turnbuckle pads it rattles the whole entire ring. He spits out a mouthful of blood when Reigns pulls back to relieve the pressure.
Graves: That does it. He's a dead man. He might never walk again after a hit like that.
Phillips: They just about broke the ring apart with that hit.
Reigns scowls at McIntyre and tells him that he should have stayed down when he had the chance. Heyman is gawking up at the fully unleashed GOD MODE of Roman Reigns in holy terror as somehow, someway, the Tribal Chief marches across the ring to the far corner to line up a game-ender.
Drew McIntyre might have some countrymen out in the crowd tonight, but no blood with him at ringside. There's no cousin to inspire him. He's alone at the top, and here, now, alone at the end. Stokely's looking at the writing on the wall and can only muster misery and defeated silence.
Reigns waits until Drew finds the last bit of power to stand up a little bit taller so he has the full view of his target.
OOOOOOOO-AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Roman Reigns sounds out his barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world and charges in to do what he needs to do to crown himself UWF Champion.
And Drew McIntyre charges back.
Ranallo: MAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMA MIA!
Spear meets Claymore kick in the dead center of the ring. The collision is bone-cracking. Sickening. Bat-the-ball snapthud homerun shit. All momentum ends where the bodies connect like a highspeed interstate crash.
Drew lands on top. Its good enough for the cover.
1...
2...
3...
DING DING
YOUR WINNER
AND STILL UWF CHAMPION
"THE DESTROYER" DREW MCINTYRE
The fans give it up for the spectacle of ridiculously hard-hitting main event. McIntyre doesn't hear many cheers when he puts his opponents way, but here, tonight, in the city so close to home, after a fight like that, he gets some props. Hard to say whether he can even hear them, though. Even when he stands up, one hand clutching his ribs while the Referee raises the other, he looks like he just got chewed up and spit out by some kinda monster.
Phillips: Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns just delivered one of the most brutal, hard-hitting wrestling matches we've ever seen on Revolution. Truly an awe-inspiring birthday present for the UWF this Slammiversary.
Graves: There were so many times when - and I think I speak for the entire UWF Universe here - I was positive that Roman Reigns had this thing won. Nobody has given Drew McIntyre a challenge like that to date.
Ranallo: Gentlemen, lets talk stats for a moment. This win ties Drew McIntyre a three world title defenses with the likes of Seth Rollins and CM Punk. Only two men can boast more than that. By the time the New Year rolls around, he'll have passed Shark Boy and be well on his way to catching up with that 34 week threshold that Punk, Sweeney and of course the all-timer Bray Wyatt share. There is a very good chance that Drew McIntyre could be walking into Wreslemania Thirteen as the longest-reigning UWF Champion in Revolution history.
Phillips: You'd have to be out of your mind to doubt his ability to do it, but he might suffering from some serious injuries after tonight and there are a few hungry potential contenders coming off big wins tonight who must be chomping at the bit to get a shot at this man who is chasing all-time great status.
With his music blaring through the PA, McIntyre drags himself up to the second rung to hold his title belt high in the air, assuring the UWF Universe of his dominance. Reigns is pulled out of the ring by Solo. Heyman's trying his best to console him, but the Tribal Chief can't hear a thing as his focus is set squarely on the man above holding the title he was so close to taking away.
Drew McIntyre continues to celebrate with his title as Slammiversary comes to a close.
END OF SHOW
Credits
Rude vs Caleb vs Hayter - Crann
LWO vs Bollywood - AndyDNU
Breezetoruage vs O'Reilly's & Janela - CWalker
Reigns vs McIntyre, Vinny vs Lee - Fauche
Yuta vs Knight, Dynamic Duo vs Reed/Waller, Cassidy vs Balor - Danny