Post by C. Connolly on May 19, 2011 2:15:42 GMT -5
Jennifer Nicole Shaw vs. Brian Savage
DING-DING-DING!
Ken: And we are underway!
Damion Black: (fake raspy) It's breakin' down in Tulsa!
Ken: Not yet.
Black: No? You'll have to let me know when.
Ken: Collar and elbow tie-up center ring! Perhaps for the first time in his entire career, Brian Savage has a rather significant size and weight advantage in this match.
Black: Ooooh! WAITWAITWAIT. I've got one!
That sound you hear is Damion Black clearing her throat.
Black: But in spite of the advantage, it remains to be seen if Savage can deliver! BOOM! Nailed it!
Chris: That sound you hear is every single person watching groaning at the same time.
Black: Oh, stuff it--WHAT THE HELL, REF?! BREAK THE HOLD!
Ken: Savage backs Shaw into the corner! Max Newell laying down the five count! Savage breaks at three!
Chris: Oh, boo.
Ken: Shaw comes off the ropes slowly in these early, feeling-out stages! Savage lunges forward, Jenny under the arms! She continues past, off the ropes and – Brian with a shoulderblock that puts the redhead down! Savage on the move immediately, stepping over the fallen Shaw!
Chris: Here we go with the flippy crap.
Ken: Shaw kips up! She leaps straight into a leapfrog! Savage past and off the far side ropes! On the rebound – forearm! Corkscrew forearm from Jenny sends Brian Savage flying!
Black: I think one of his teeth was just sent straight to the front row. Must've been a—
Chris: Don't say it, don't say it, don't—
Black: --special delivery!
Chris: I begged you not to say it.
Black: You can only hope to contain it.
Ken: Shaw on the apron now! She slingshots herself cross-corner – Asai moonsault!
Black: Waitaminute, this looks strangely familiar... and awesome!
Ken: She reaches back for a leg!
ONE!!
TWO!!
Black: C'mon, Jen, I would've gotten three!
Ken: Savage is tough as nails! Shaw pulls him up for an inverted facelock!
Black: I feel like Bruce Dickinson watching The Iron Maidens.
Ken: Savage spins through! Northern lights suplex with a bridge!
ONE!!
TWO!!!
Black: Phew. Would've gotten awkward if I had to go kill the kid for that count.
Ken: Shaw with a kickout! She pivots to a knee and sweeps his legs out with her arms! Standing moons—no! Savage rolls out and drops to the floor! Black stands up at the booth, gesturing with his hands and shouting.
Black: Seriously, guy? You think it's safer out here?! Get your ass back in!
Chris: Lord, you talk a lot.
Ken: Richard, please! She's a guest.
Black: (Sitting back down) A guest who'll happily rearrange your face, troll. Not you, nice face announcer guy.
Ken: Thank y--Shaw up to her feet!
Black: Told—DAMNIT!
Ken: Savage sidestepped the baseball slide! He pulls Shaw out onto the floor! Right hand!
Black: Hey!
There's some more rustling, and a briefly off-mic Black shouts "Goddammit!" as he wrestles with the headset. Savage, meanwhile, lights Shaw up with a knife-edge chop. But if you thought Damion Black would sit by peacefully during this, then you really don't know him.
Black: (back on headset, still standing) He's fucking cheating! HOW IS THAT OKAY, REF?!
Ken: Savage with the Irish whip to the post! Jenny—swings around like!
Chris: Like she's working a stripper pole!
Black: ... you have no idea how horrified I am by the image that put in my brain. And yet... strangely arous--
Ken: Savage chases after! Shaw slings around the pole again into a shotgun-style dropkick to the midsection! And – WHACK! An axe kick! That's the first move she's used that could affect Brian's
concussion!
Chris: Isn't this usually when you harp about taking advantage of an injury?
Black: Why can't this be the time you usually shut the fu--
Ken: Shaw rolls Savage back into the ring! One leap takes her to the top, facing the crowd! We've seen her use a beautiful moonsault double-stomp from here!
Black: Prettiest thing she does – in the ring, at least.
Ken: But Savage is up! Clubbing blow to the back spoils her balance! He climbs up after and—BOOM!
GERMAN SUPERPLEX! GERMAN SUPERPLEX TURNS SHAW INSIDE OUT!
Chris: Someone better strap Black down.
Black: Piss off. She's... she's fine.
Chris: You don't sound so confident.
Ken: Shaw is down! Shaw is down and now it's Savage that's going up top! He could be Going Savage here!
Black: The hell? You got all eye-rolly when I made a joke!
Chris: No, he's actually got a move named that. Some rolling legdrop thing, I think.
Black: So he is using my idea!
Ken: Savage leaps! Jenny rolls aside!
Black: ...told you she was fine.
Ken: Savage with the dive-roll! He comes up to his feet and—
Black: And she's about to--
The crack of boot on jaw echoes through the stadium.
Black: (Cringing) Yup. That's harsh.
Chris: That's--
Black: Something I've felt before, believe it or not. Knocked my head off.
Ken: That savate kick just turned out Brian Savage's lights! Shaw doesn't go from the cover here!
Shaw pulling Savage up! She hooks him for that breathtaking spinning impaler she calls the Master Mind!
Chris: She's showing off for her boyfriend here.
Black: Perfectly acceptable.
Ken: Jenny spins – Savage breaks one arm free! He buries a boot to the midsection!
Ken: Savage swoops in! Savage SLA--she flipped out of it! Jenny leaps and twists in mid-air--BANG!
Black: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand so much for the madness, dipshit!
Ken: The Shawshank! She delivered it blind and out of nowhere! Jenny falls on top!
ONE!!!
TWO!!!
THREE!!!
DING-DING-DING!
Winner: Jennifer Nicole Shaw
(Earlier in the day, Roshan Nocturne is seen driving into the parking lot. As she parks her car in a spot with cars on each side, a large semi comes rushing in and comes to a stop right behind her car.
Roshan looks in her rear view mirror to see a figure running towards the back of the truck. She grabs her gym bag and steps out of the car.)
Roshan: Hey! You can't be parking here!
(The figure in the back of the truck is revealed to be Tsukino Meiou. He's holding a large hose that is connected to the tank the semi is hauling.)
Roshan: Oh shit!
(Roshan knows this isn't going to turn out well as she runs back to her car. The hose Meiou is holding comes to live just as Roshan manages to get back inside her car. A thick off-white goo comes
spewing out on Roshan's car. For all we know, it could be condensed milk or it could be something worse. It splatters the near by cars and completely coats Roshans car. Roshan is trying to find her keys while the back windshield is broken with what appears to be a sledgehammer. Before Roshan can react, Meiou has the hose back in hand and proceeds to paint the inside of the car. The scene looks like a cross between the scene in Robocop where the guy is stumbles out of the back of the van that just ran into a tank of toxic waste, the scene from The Godfather where Sonny Corleone has made it outside of his car while being shot by multiple guns, and of course a seriously fucked up bukkake video. Roshan has no choice but to open her car door and climb out of the car as it fills up very quickly. Only problem is this allows Meiou to aim the hose directly at her and almost literally bury her in this cream colored slop. The open car door eventually gives away and Roshan falls to the ground as the door bends backwards. Meiou shuts off the hose as Roshan starts to pull herself up.)
Roshan: What the fuck, Meiou?
Meiou: I think we've milked this little war between us enough. I'm sure we can settle this with a match against each other and until then, have fun explaining this one to the car rental company.
(Meiou puts the hose back into it's compartment and soon drives off in the semi. Roshan's car is obviously ruined and Roshan doesn't look happy with the goo dripping off in long strands.)
Vicious Title Match
Roshan Nocturne vs. Shawn Christopher
Roshan Nocturne vs. Shawn Christopher
It’s Roshan Nocturne versus Shawn Christopher. Vicious Title on the line.
Nocturne and Christopher have next to nothing in common save for professional wrestling, and a desire to be victorious. They pace at the bell, just waiting for the opportunity.
DING DING DING!
At the bell, a Chinese throwing star comes flying at Shawn Christopher’s head. Exactly where Roshan pulled it from is anyone’s guess, but SC didn’t make his name by being an idiot. He drops to the ground, stomach on the canvas.
Clearly, it seems Roshan had the better plan to deal with things.
From there, well, remember Shawn’s expectations for the contest from earlier. They are pretty much accurate, and the Vicious Champion lives up to her moniker with a wide variety of tactics. Some of them are legal, and, well, some of them are also legal, because this is, you know, VICIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH.
What happens, you may ask? How about Roshan driving the point of the throwing star into Shawn’s head, using it to tear open his forehead and cause blood to flow freely? Fans like blood, and so at the sight of SC’s plasma, men cheer and women gasp in horror.
Every so often, Shawn finds the will to bring a little something to the table. Sure, it’s a Jecht Shot here, and a big DDT there, but slowly and surely he chips away at Nocturne. Roshan comes at him a little slower, but no less Terminator-like.
She’s got the advantage on near-falls at least two to one, though. Not even Brandon Frontier, making a glorious run-in to smack Nocturne with the Megaton Hammer, can save SC on this day. Bernie Roberts makes an unpopular decision and promptly bans the Rising Star from ringside.
When he protests, a throwing star launched in his general direction is enough to send Frontier shrieking away to go play Pokemon or Phoenix Wright or something not involving women with weaponry.
Hell, at one point, SC has to save himself, managing to send Bernie out of the ring just before Roberts can drop to count off one particularly good Nocturne move. Roberts is back in quick-like, but
the tiny distraction is just enough, and sadly, Roberts can’t DQ the Cult Icon.
But let’s bring you to when things get interesting. It is, coincidentally, at about the exact same moment that Roshan Nocturne, with no Brandon Frontier in sight, has her opponent dead to rights for something like the umpteenth time. Roshan jumps off the top rope, looking for an exclamation point
to a successful title defense.
And with that in mind, I give you Mr. Ken Stevenson.
Ken: THE ILLUMINATION! Roshan drilled the Icon with that Busaiku Knee Kick! But she’s got to get the cover!
Chris: Easier said than done, Kenny!
Indeed, after a full-tilt Vicious Championship match, even one in which she’s been in control much of the time, Nocturne takes a bit to summon up the energy needed to crawl back towards SC’s downed form.
And promptly, just as Nocturne’s outstretched fingers reach towards Shawn’s chest to make a cover, all Hell breaks loose.
Ken: The lights just went out!
Chris: Damnit, not NOW! Actually, wait, Shawn was about to lose…YES! NOW NOW NOW!!!
A chilling blue hue overcomes the arena. Bernie Roberts has long-since stopped officiating, primarily since he can barely see. In the ring, only Nocturne is coherent enough to look towards the entryway.
She’s a youngster of the business. Something’s going to happen. The only question is what.
Ken: This match has just basically stopped, folks! We’ve got no idea what’s going on, and…
With the introduction of "Black Hole Sun" now blasting through the speakers, sharp-eared fans know what’s coming about fifteen seconds before everyone else does, as man known as the Man In Black frames the entryway, taking his sweet time coming down the ramp.
Chris: Now things are gonna get interesting! I know he's gonna finish Shawn off.. this is gonna be epic!!
Ken: He’s chosen a poor time to make his presence felt!
Never let it be said that Roshan Nocturne is a fool. To her mind, what’s going on is simple. She knows that SHE’S not responsible for Jacobs being here, so if that’s the case, there’s a better than
fifty percent chance that he’s coming for her. Not a pleasant thought, that, as she pulls herself up by the ropes, using them to stand, and hoping for that less than fifty percent to come through.
Jacobs takes steps through the ropes. His eyes focus on Nocturne and he smiles, a tight, unnatural grin that looks entirely out of place on his face.
And then, he looks at the downed and battered Icon, and picks him up by the hair.
Chris: Finish him!
Jacobs shoves Shawn back, hard, into the nearest corner. SC recoils, clutching at the ropes for support, a pissed look on his face as the monster advances, step by step…
Even as this plays out, there’s a sinking feeling in the pit of Nocturne’s stomach. Perhaps out of the worry that she’s next, she stoops to pick up one of the steel chairs littering the ring.
That is literally all it takes, that split-second distraction, for Jacobs to move fast and level the bent-over champ with a boot to the side of the head.
And predictably, the boo-birds come out.
Ken: Jacobs just drilled Roshan Nocturne in the head with that boot!
Chris: YES! YES! YES!
Jacobs is a handful fresh. Fifteen minutes into a match with few if any rules, he is an impossible task for even the greatest the sport has to offer. Glassy-eyed and barely conscious, Nocturne isn’t
particularly coherent as Shawn rushes in and spears Jacobs to the ground, and starts leveling him with punches to the head. What he doesn't see is Derek Hardaway running down the aisle, sliding in
the ring and kicking Shawn in the back of the head.
The Main Man easily lifts Shawn up on his shoulder, flipping him up there easy as pie. Backing up into the corner, he ascends the turnbuckle backwards, step by step, until he’s poised on the top rope.
Chris: I’ve heard of this! He’s used this move once in his career, and that once has been enough to cause several promotions to ban its very existence!
Ken: This is bullshit, Carter! These two have just gone through a war and now Jacobs and Hardaway interfere!
Chris: Look on the bright side, Ken! If Death on Impact connects, Shawn will NEVER have to worry about another war ever again!
The move is deceptively simple. It’s a top rope crucifix powerbomb, with the added fun of Hardaway tossing him a bit in the air as they go. The Cult Icon virtually *bounces* on impact, before laying still
in the wooden remnants of the ex-table.
Ken: Hoyt fucking shit!
Chris: I’ve heard that move was impressive, but… damn.
Roshan Nocturne is pulling herself up in the corner. On CJ's face, though, is a grin that most PWE'ers have learned to despise. It’s the shit-eating grin that CJ only smiles when he knows he’s stolen one.
As always, though, he demands his own stamp be put on things, motioning for Hardaway to pick up SC.
Ken: What the Hell is this bullshit now?
Chris: Jacobs wants the kill blow! And can you blame him?
The monstrous Hardaway picks SC up, draping him over CJ’s shoulders. The hatred flows from the crowd, as he pushes him off of his shoulders, right into a knee strike that contorts the unconscious Shawn’s body in uncomfortable looking ways.
Chris: Birth by Sleep!
Hardaway and Jacobs then exit the ring, leaving the fallen Christopher for the now aware Nocturne.
She looks down at the broken SC, and she turns and sees the dangerous duo walking down the aisle. She curses to herself as she didn't want to win like this... but she has no choice.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
DING DING DING!
Blake Gold vs. Brandon Frontier
WILL BE ADDED WHEN RECEIVED
Winner: Blake Gold (via Money Shot)
Gateway Title Ladder Match
Masaharu Tanabashi vs. Angelica James
Masaharu Tanabashi vs. Angelica James
The hard camera looks 15 feet above the ring at the Gateway Championship, swinging back and forth.
DING! DING! DING!
Ken: Now
Tanabashi and James come to center ring and stare up at the Championship. It's the reason they are here. MT breaks his gaze first, and James follows a close second behind.
Chris: Alright, get the theatrics out of the way and let's get popping!
Both do a full circle out of the ring and without warning, slide out of the ring at the exact same time going for the ladder. MT halts James and nails her with a right. James retaliates. MT. AJ. MT. AJ. MT. MT. A knee to the midsection before he looks to Irish whip James into the ladder. The Angel reverses and walks up the ladder onto the fourth rung, back flips over MT, and comes forward with a dropkick that backpedals him.
Ken: James gaining the first move out of the exchange.
MT swats the ladder back, which causes James to charge forward and look for a shining wizard.
Much to his chagrin, MT ducks under the foot and is able to flip The Angel over in a T-Bone suplex on the ladder. James writhes around in pain while MT wastes no time in grabbing the other ladder,
unfolding it and making a beeline for the ring.
Chris: You wouldn't call that focused?
Ken: He's going to try and strike when the iron is hot! Tanabashi going for Gateway gold.
He slides the ladder under the ring and stands up, dragging it under the spot he wants to set up. He pushes it up and unfolds it. After making sure everything is properly set up so he won't fall, MT
scurries up the ladder and gets to the second rung before he sees James bulrushing toward the ring.
Chris: HURRY! HURRY!
James gets to the apron, grabs hold of the ropes, springboards, and meets MT on the fifth rung, but her weight does a bit more than simply add to the intensity of who will grab the belt first. It brings the ladder back against MT and traps him between it and the ropes. James tumbles overhead onto the floor and takes a nasty fall on his back.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: Wow. James with an amazing counter, even if it meant taking a lot of herself in the process.
Chris: I would say Tanabashi has now got a giant target to focus on for the duration of this match.
Ken: If he's able to get himself back in the thick of things. That ladder caught him right in the face, and he's not exactly got a giant spring in his step.
Chris: Give him time, Ken.
James rolls around on the ringside mats while MT shoves the ladder away and slumps down onto the canvas. Neither man is ready to get back in the thick of things and the match isn't two minutes old. A close up on Angelica's face shows she's looking up at the Gateway Championship. With a hand on her back, she gets up to a standing position and grabs hold of MT by the leg, dragging him out to the floor and hooking his leg and head. James falls backward and ducks her head at the last second, so Tanabashi catches the announcers table.
Ken: Vicious Russian leg sweep from The Dark Angel!
Chris: That was downright criminal. Going for the back of the head, who does that?
Ken: This is a match with no rules or regulations. The Angel can do whatever she pleases and the match is going to continue on.
With her adversary temporarily derailed, James crawls on all fours again, this time reaching up and gripping the ring apron before rolling under the bottom rope. She lets out a string of profanity when her back touches the canvas. Something might have been tweaked, or it could be far worse than she's letting on. She takes hold of her back with one hand and pulls up, then grabs the ladder with the other and props it upright, unfolding it and preparing to ascend.
Chris: GET UP, TANABASHI! SHE'S GOING FOR THE WIN!
The fact that he's punching and kicking at air is a big sign that MT, for all the confidence exuded, might not have been fully prepared for this kind of a match, especially a hard ladder colliding with his
face and then smacking into an announcers table so quickly. He moves his head away from the table and rolls forward, using his elbows to prevent his head from touching the mats.
Ken: This might not be enough. James is already setting up the ladder and is about to climb.
Just as Ken's sentence leaves his mouth, Angelica's right foot touches the first rung. Then the second. Then the third. She looks back at Tanabashi and can't spy him, so she knows she needs to
pick up the pace.
When her head turns away, Tanabashi's hands reach onto the apron and the rest of his body is pulled onto the apron. MT shakes his head back and forth. Maybe not the smartest idea, but it gives
him a moment of lucidity, long enough for him to go up the ropes and prepare to halt James from ending the match.
Ken: She's one or two rungs away from getting that belt.
James makes one last jump and reaches for the belt when MT leaps from his post and gets more air than one would expect him to. He is able to get a sick vertical and jump far enough to grab The
Angel around the neck, spin her 180 degrees and drop her in a seated neckbreaker.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Chris: WHOA! Now THAT was awesome.
Ken: That was brutal! Tanabashi snatched James away seconds before she was to end the match and caught her in one of the nastiest neckbreakers I've ever seen in a ladder match.
Chris: Dude, I can't recall an instance where I've seen someone taken from a ladder in that fashion.
Coupled with Angelica's early back injury, she's in far worse shape than Tanabashi is at the moment. The Steel Cage Warrior looks over at James, who has both hands over her neck in a defensive
stance, and then stares back at the ladder. It didn't move.
Ken: I think he's going to go for it. Tanabashi has his sights set on the gold.
Chris: The thing about this is there's no hatred. No building rivalry. No disdain for one another.
Neither wants to come out and prove a point to the other. They just want the belt and to get the hell out of dodge with their health in tact.
Ken: Even at this stage, I think they'll be in the medical room and sent for hospital observation.
Chris: Yeah, but you aren't going to see blinding theatrics... well, except for the ones you've already seen. Look, I'm saying both want to hit it and quit it, plain and simple. So we're going to get a great bang for our buck match.
Tanabashi crawls over and adjusts the ladder a few inches to the right before grabbing hold with both of his hands and beginning the climb. James is certainly vulnerable, and Chris's analysis has
proven accurate so far, we are getting a bang for our buck match that has no punches being pulled, and no crazy scores to settle. Tanabashi gets his hands on the third and fourth rungs when James stirs.
Ken: James starting to move. Are we going to see her get up in time?
Chris: All signs point to no. That bump was nasty.
He sees a fan pointing at the ladder and groggily looks over to see Tanabashi advancing up the ladder at a pace The Angel is uncomfortable with. She sighs, and tries to move, but feels an
overwhelming sensation shoot from her neck down to her back. The sitting part of that wasn't exactly the most comforting drop from 15 feet James has ever experienced, but she's not going to lose this match. Not tonight. She grabs hold of the ropes and tugs vehemently, struggling to get vertical and stumble over to prevent Tanabashi.
Ken: He's got about three to four rungs more before we'll see an end to the match.
Chris: COME ON, TANABASHI! SHOW 'EM WHAT'CHA GOT!
Tanabashi strains against his body to go up another rung, and another. James sees him and could tip the ladder, but by not doing so, he indicates that she's got something more macabre in mind. A jump to the second rope leads to a follow up to the top. The Angel balances herself on the top rope with no assistance and leaps forward just as MT's head reaches the top of the ladder.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: BULLDOG ON THE TOP OF THE LADDER!
Richard: Shit, that had to-
Nick: JAMES LANDED ON HIS FEET ON THE OTHER SIDE! A BACKFLIP BACKWARD.
A wave of flashbulbs go off as Big Bear is about to fall backward. He takes one last lunge at the belt before James arches over him and pulls him down in an incredibly violent electric chair drop.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Chris: HOLY SHIT!
Ken: WWWWWWWWOW! I don't think I've seen that sequence of moves EVER.
Chris: Can you imagine how much that took out of Tanabashi? He's got to be unconscious!
Ken: James had to land square on her backside, which meant the pain sustained earlier to her back and neck was amplified tenfold.
Chris: Dude, Tanabashi might have a Grade 3.
Ken: He could very well. He might be unconscious. I don't think we need to see any of the replays to indicate that he's not in the best condition at the moment.
Chris: Jesus Christ. James is tailor made for one of these. Rarely do you see people able to jump from one side of the ring to the other.
Ken: And stay so balanced to boot. The woman is an absolute contortionist inside the squared circle, and she proved it right there.
Chris: I'll bet you dollars to donuts the other 99 times out of 100 she tries that she'd miss.
Ken: Well she landed it when it mattered.
The pain screaming through AJ's back leaves The Angel speechless. She knows she's got the match well in hand if she can manage to get up and get over to the ladder, but she's got to do that. She's
got to get up from possibly severe spinal and neck damage. Gritting her teeth and balling both hands into fists, The Angel picks her right leg up over Tanabashi and moves toward the ladder.
Chris: The Angel is going for it. I don't know how in the hell she can think about doing it, but she's going to try.
Ken: She's got an unmatched amount of heart.
Chris: She's going to need it just to make the climb and pray to God that Tanabashi doesn't get up.
Ken: That's a good point. She doesn't need to take another insane fall like she's already taken.
James nudges the ladder back to its original position with her right foot and crab walks across the canvas to the ladder. Once she gets there, she pushes off her feet and has a vertical position. She
starts to climb, one rung at a time, very slowly. Tanabashi still hasn't moved.
Ken: James has got to get up this ladder quickly in order to put this one in the books.
Chris: Quickly for her is going to feel like a year in real time.
Ken: Indeed it will... Oh boy, Tanabashi just moved his legs. He's not too far away to try and kick that ladder.
Chris: He's going to need some damn strong legs to do so, and the question is does he have them after that nasty of a fall?
James gets up to the second rung, hands on the third and fourth rungs. Her legs are being pushed to the brink, and the pain on her face is evident in every move she makes. She's definitely not going to be able to work again until for at least a couple of weeks. Hopefully, Rodriguez will have a sense of mind to keep her off the cards until then due to safety precautions.
Ken: She's inching closer and closer.
Chris: But Tanabashi is just discovering how to poke around with the ladder. He's going to try something here, watch.
Tanabashi kicks at the ladder, and it's something James feels. She turns back to observe MT's position and realizes he's only able to use his feet, so she might be safe to make an attempt. She turns back and goes up a few more rungs. MT kicks harder. The kick almost knocks the ladder over.
James turns back again and knows the third kick is going to have enough of a wallop to knock her down. She looks up at the belt and tries to reach up for it. She can touch the gold with her finger
tips, but her eyes are focused back on Tanabashi. The third kick comes forward. James jumps backward in a breath taking moonsault.
Tanabashi cracks a wry smile and rolls out of the way, making sure James ends up hitting nothing but canvas and further injuring his neck and back.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: Angelica James decided to GO FOR IT ALL and came up with nothing.
Chris: A big fat zero, and now Tanabashi is the one with the clear advantage.
Ken: James might have been better served if she just dropped from the ladder, but she wanted to eliminate any chance Tanabashi had of getting back into the contest.
Chris: And she fell into the trap Tanabashi had planned. He knew James was thinking that.
Something tells me Meiou might be giving him some advice on the side.
The Steel Cage Warrior rolls over and gets hold of the ropes, a hand clutching the back of his head. MT forces James to a standing position and whips him across the ropes, but James slumps down in the middle of the ring. She doesn't get far. No one would expect her to after taking the brutal fall she did. MT thinks on his feet and decides to stand James up again. If she won't come to Tanabashi, then MT will come to him. A bounce off the ropes behind James leads to one far side and he comes in for the Spear.
Ken: JAMES MOVED UNDER THE LAD-
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Chris: It came down on Tanabashi's head! He's cut open on top of the head!
Ken: The Angel might have been playing a bit of possum there.
Chris: I doubt it. That was a desperation move. He got out of the way and thankfully the ladder was right there for him to shove at Tanabashi's big ass head.
Tanabashi doesn't fall to the canvas, but stumbles back, blood coming out of the cut. James looks at the ropes near her and gets an idea, looking for a quick execution. She runs off the east side middle rope, makes a small jump to the top rope on the south side, and then catches MT with a spinning wheel kick to the face. MT drops to the canvas while James is slumped against the ropes.
Ken: Well, now we're getting to some actual wrestling.
Chris: Tanabashi should have the advantage, but we saw something straight out of WEC 53 right
there with the jumping kick from The Angel.
Ken: James is tailor made for a match that relies solely on the performer to execute high octane spots.
Chris: And Tanabashi isn't exactly the quickest tool in the drawer when it comes to this.
Ken: No, he's not, but he's been giving it one hell of an effort.
Chris: That he has. Although The Angel is in a good spot to take this one.
Indeed, she is, as the ladder has barely moved and James is already situated in a position. MT is beginning to stir on the canvas, and this does not go unnoticed by James, who glances down at him
and then at the ladder. She moves the ladder over into position and then turns her attention back to MT.
Chris: I don't like where this is going for Tanabashi's future.
Ken: James has something in mind, but the question is what?
The Angel turns herself around and motions Tanabashi forward toward the corner.
Chris: Alright, now I'm a little confused.
Ken: With James, you never know what is going through her head.
Chris: I sure as hell don't.
Ken: Tanabashi getting to his feet.
Tanabashi stumbles forward a few feet, and then springs to life, going for a lariat, but James catches the arm, puts him in a hammerlock, spins around, and drops him in a Devil's Lock DDT.
Chris: SHIT! SHIT ! SHIT!
Ken: And now we see why James moved over to the corner.
Chris: FUCK!
Ken: She needed a place to sit down and avoid taking all that pressure on her back and neck, plus Tanabashi went HEAD FIRST into the turnbuckle.
The Angel is comfortably, well as comfortably as one can be who has been through a war, sitting on the second rope and uncoils out of the position while MT slumps below the bottom buckle. He's out
cold. James raises his arm once to check and see if he's got any chance. The arm drops quick. She makes his way over to the ladder.
Ken: The Angel has cleared the cobwebs and now has a free trip to the ladder! She's going to win the Gateway Championship!
Chris: NO! NO! NO! NO! DAMMIT!
Ken: I wouldn't fault Tanabashi here, he gave it all that he could and we know he's going to be a force to be reck-
James takes a bit of leisure time in climbing the ladder and gets to the fourth rung before she spies something in the crowd that catches her eye. It's a man rushing frantically toward the ring, passing right by security and wearing black from head to toe. Where AJ's eyes go so do the crowd's.
Ken: What in the wor-
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Chris: CHRIS JACOBS! FUCK YEAH, HE'S COME TO SAVE THE DAY!
Ken: James better make it up the ladder and quick, because I don't think Jacobs' coming out here to strap the belt around her waist.
The Angel tries to scurry up the ladder so Jacobs can get a good look at her taking the Gateway belt down, but it is always said The Devil never comes without a plan. It is Rule # 1.
And his Rule #1 is standing right behind James with a chain in his hand.
Ken: WHAT?
Chris: HARDAWAY IS IN THE RING! JAMES HAS NO CLUE HE'S THERE!
Before anybody can scream to her that she's got a second and much bigger problem behind her, Hardaway swings the chain upward and catches James in the back of the neck. A bit of it might have caught her in the head because her eyes roll back. The Angel slumps over. Jacobs has ample time to hop the barricade and rush under the bottom rope.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Ken: One stiff shot to the back from Hardaway and James is slumped over!
Chris: YES! I KNEW JACOBS WOULD COME THROUGH!
Ken: THIS IS A DAMN JOKE! And what is Hardaway doing over there with Tanabashi?
While Jacobs climbs the ladder, Hardaway reaches into his pocket and pulls out a very powerful scent, placing it under MT's nose. The Steel Cage Warrior snaps to life and almost goes crazy in the
corner. Hardaway places two firm hands on his shoulders while Jacobs punches James square between the eyes and brings the lower half of her body over so that only her feet are hanging on the
ladder.
Ken: NO! NO! DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS JACOBS!
Chris: WHO'S GONNA STOP HIM?
Ken: THE... THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DELIVER A DD -
Tanabashi is shoved forward by Hardaway, and both are witness to another of Chris Jacobs' classic botched maneuvers. He has James gripped his own Devil's Lock DDT and has both legs locked around
the body to ensure The Angel isn't going anywhere on the way down. Her head is 80% unprotected.
AJ's head smashes into the canvas at the awkward 135 degree angle. Ken Stevenson and Chris Carter are also stunned into silence while Chris Jacobs rolls away calmly and leaves James in an
unconscious heap. Her left arm is still behind her back.
Derek Hardaway and Chris Jacobs stand in front of Masaharu. Jacobs looks deep into his eyes.
CJ: Masaharu, I know you hate me, and I hate you too.. I know you want to rip me limb from limb in the end, but you'll do it with gold around your waist.
MT has been frozen into shock as Jacobs and Hardaway make their exit up the aisle to silence.
Nobody tries to throw a battery or any kind of beverage at them, as they are more concerned with what the only man left standing in the ring is going to do and even more scared at what Jacobs just
did to Angelica James.
Turning on his right foot, Masaharu Tanabashi climbs the ladder, one rung after the other and grabs the Gateway Championship belt.
The bell does not ring. Jacobs and Hardaway grin to one another before heading back through the curtain. A quartet of paramedics run down to the ring like their lives depend on it.
Nobody in the building has said a word and even Masaharu is conflicted on what to do next. Referee Bernie Roberts looks up at him and wonders if he wants his hand raised, but a shake of MT's head turns his head back to James.
Universal Title Steel Cage Match
Erik Josten (c) vs. R.W. Randolph
Erik Josten (c) vs. R.W. Randolph
Ken: Ladies and gentlemen – this is it. It is time for the main event, and what a main event this is going to be. Two behemoths of this industry, a chance to make history on the line for one man, a
chance to assert sheer dominance of this business for the other.
Chris: And it will all take place inside of a steel cage – an old school steel cage. Thick, violent, unforgiving steel bars, and with a roof on this thing, there’s no chance for cowardly escape, no chance for any outsider to ruin history in the making.
‘DING DING DING!’
Bernie Roberts calls for the bell and both competitors step towards each other, the crowd buzzing.
The Universal Champion immediately begins jawing, unleashing a flurry of words that the boom mic doesn’t pick up. Whatever he’s saying, its short lived as The Broken Saint talks back with his fist.
RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: Randolph wasn’t interested in whatever Josten had to say and now he’s firing off with a flurry of rights and lefts!
The Broken Saint shifts gears, driving a boot into Erik’s gut. A second follows, then a third, each blow pushing The Citizen of Truth back toward the ropes. Grabbing an arm, Randolph whips the Universal Champion across the ring, and as Josten comes bounding back, the Saint takes to the mat, tripping the near seven footer.
Josten slams face first to the canvas, and Randolph holds onto the ankle, rolling around and locking in a single-leg boston crab.
Chris: Submission on the roll-thru!
Josten immediately begins to scream, struggling frantically to break the hold. He’s less in a terrible position to lose the match in the early onset as he is panicked at the prospects of his career ending if he were to quit.
Ken: That "I Quit" stipulation seems to on the forefront of Josten’s mind. He’s flailing about and doing nothing to actually break the hold.
Chris: Losing your title is bad enough, but the thought of your entire career going down the drain – that’s a whole ‘nother game.
Finally, Josten controls his movements and uses his size and strength advantage to break free, rolling onto his side and kicking Randolph off. Jumping to his feet, the champ shakes his right leg, surveying the damage, and while there’s been little harm done, his self-doctor routine leaves him unaware of the freight train headed his direction.
Randolph comes flying in with a massive forearm shot to the jaw, sending Josten’s skull to bounce against the steel bars of the old-school cage. Wasting no time in capitalizing, the Saint grabs the
back of the champion’s head and smashes him face-first into the steel. Then again, and again. After the third time, he releases his grip and lets Josten stumble right into his waiting grasp.
Chris: FTW!
YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: He’s locked in the kata-ha-jime, that choke hold!
The ICE Hall of Famer struggles to keep the hold, finding it difficult to lock-in to full effect on a man
the size of Josten. The big man flails his arms like a helicopter, trying to keep his balance and not let Randolph take him to the mat. On his feet, he maintains the leverage, but the fear of losing his title and career are caught in the camera as he struggles, trying to reach the ropes and prevent himself from toppling over.
Ken: If Randolph can take him to the ground, lock in a leg scissors, he can negate much of the size advantage Josten holds, and that’s why the champion is trying desperately to grab hold of the ropes.
To save the advantage he has.
Chris: That and to save his career!
Finally, Josten is able to steady his footing and when he does, he lifts Randolph’s feet off the ground, carrying him piggyback fashion. Staggering backwards, he sandwiches the Hall of Famer between his near 300lbs and the cold steel of the cage.
Ken: Perfect counter from the champ!
The crushing blow causes Randolph to start to lose his grip, and as he slides down Josten’s back, the Universal Champ gives a half-hearted shove to the Saint’s shoulder, breaking the hold entirely. As soon as he’s pushed Randolph, Josten slowly back away, rubbing his throat gingerly.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Chris: Not exactly the hardcore-counter you’d expect from the champion.
Ken: Not sure exactly what’s going on. Perhaps the champion is trying to save his energy.
Josten hesitantly goes on the offensive throwing a couple of left jabs before grabbing Randolph’s right arm and whipping him across the ring. As Randolph rebounds, Erik dips a shoulder and hoists
the challenger over with a back body drop.
The Saint lands hard on his spine, and the Universal Champ follows up with a standing elbow drop.
Right back to his feet, Josten slowly raises his right arm, bending at the elbow, and looks to connect for a second time, but he takes too much time and Randolph rolls out of the way, leaving The Construction of Destruction to crash into nothing.
Ken: Just not enough intensity from the champ. He was just taking his time with those elbows.
Randolph jumps to his feet and starts delivering boots to the torso of Josten, stomping away on the head, shoulder, ribs. Picking Josten up, the Saint executes a snap suplex, then rolls through, keeping his grip. A second suplex follows. Then a third, only the challenger turns the move into a brainbuster, spiking the champion on the top of his head.
Ken: What impact!
Randolph hooks the leg and Roberts makes the count.
ONE
TWO
T—
Ken: Kickout by the champ!
Randolph isn’t deterred, following up the brainbuster with a reverse DDT and a quick leg drop. In rare fashion. PWE’s Wrecking Ball takes to the top rope, climbing cautiously near the cage. Perched high above, the Broken Saint leaps and comes raining down with a flying elbow drop.
RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Ken: From the top rope!
Chris: The Broken Saint is pulling out all the stops! He’s typically glued to the ground, but with the chance to become the first-ever two time PWE Universal Champion—
Ken: Likely Randolph’s last opportunity to capture the Universal Title again.
Chris: And he’s not holding back, which is more than a certain giant can say as of late.
Josten is splattered across the canvas, Randolph looking almost like a kid in a candy shop at the sight of the out of shape giant's flesh rippling upon impact. To his surprise the Champion drops his guard completely, turning and reaching up for the corner for leverage, exposing his back. Pounding the beat to the other side of the ring Randolph waits until Josten is on all fours with his back arched, both arms draped across the ropes in an extremely compromising position.
Ken: Double stomp across Josten's spine! Jesus Christ that was Inhuman!
Chris: That's just another day at the office in this environment Ken.
Ken: Randolph's full weight coming down on a man's spine like that is just asking for trouble, and with Josten splayed out now Randolph again locks in the single leg crab!
With the giant locked in the submission and scrabbling at the ropes and the cage like a panicked cat, Randolph uses his free arm to work the knee of Josten, pressing into the flesh and crunching the
bone between the tight grip of his fingers. Josten howls in pain and the referee drops to his side and asks him if he can continue, and the mere sight of Bernie Roberts coming like Death to carry him
away from the squared circle puts the shits up the giant, causing him to kick back with his free leg catching an unaware Randolph across the side of the head, glancing his ear and dropping the Broken Saint across his own back before rolling off onto the canvas.
Ken: Safe counter from the giant. With that extra reach in his long limbs he's perfectly suited to countering most submission holds.
Even though suffering the effects of the kick Randolph is on his feet much quicker than Josten and delivers a swift kick to the bad knee as the giant rises. The champion turns as he falls however and
manages, inadvertently, to strike Randolph in the crotch with a hard right.
Chris: Nice illegal shot from the champion there.
Ken: Josten was already maneuvering into the offense there before Randolph struck him. I don't think the referee even saw it.
Both men writhe on the mat and this time it's Josten who makes the first move, reaching out and grabbing Randolph by the hair, tugging on it to close the gap before forcing the Broken Saint into an inverted belly to back bear hug. On the mat.
Ken: Erik has locked in the Compactor from a grounded position. I can't tell if that was brute ingenuity or just a slovenly tactic on the part of the defending champion.
Chris: Looked lazy as hell to me.
The giant moulds himself to Randolph, locking his big thighs over Randolph's throat and cinching the hold in tight.
Chris: It looks like some unidentified species of sea creature is trying to swallow up Randolph there.
Ken: He's got that submission locked in very tightly, Randolph's going to struggle to break free here.
With the thought of retiring a legend on his mind Josten squeezes with all his strength, while Randolph barely seems to struggle at all. Bernie Roberts checks in on the action while the fans get
behind their respective favourite. When it seems that the Broken Saint is about to be broken and swallowed simultaneously by the submission he suddenly pulls himself free of Josten's leg lock and
quickly works the fingers locked around his waist, prising them off and rolling out of the submission!
RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH
Ken: What ingenuity from the challenger! Randolph waited until Josten relaxed his muscles and slithered out of that hold like a snake.
Chris: And now he's taking the pain to Josten!
The Broken Saint launches into a furious assault on the champion, stomping on his exposed limbs and firing hard shots into the giant's skull when he tries to get up from the canvas. Kicking out at his
opponent, Josten wheels back into the corner and fights through the barrage to his feet where he can finally begin blocking the shots.
Ken: Randolph is savaging Josten like a wolverine with those shots.
Chris: And the champion can't get a foothold to counter.
The beating sends Josten cowering down into the corner on his haunches, and it is in this position that he finds opportunity, blasting through wave after wave of punches and kicks with his full weight and scooping up Randolph, carrying him halfway across the ring before arching up and spiking his opponent with a massive spinebuster that shakes the ring. The fans let out a massive roar as the giant makes the cover.
ONE
TWO
KICKOUT!
Chris: No dice for the fat man there, it's going to take more than that to put Randolph down.
Back on his feet Josten grabs Randolph by the hair and pulls the Saint to his feet, faking an Irish whip into a knee to the gut before actually whipping his opponent off of the ropes. On the rebound Josten doubles over and Randolph attempts to float over, only for the giant to snap up and propel the Saint towards the ceiling of the cage.
RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!
Ken: He grabbed on to the cage! Randolph grabbed onto the cage!
To the giant's disbelief when he looks up he finds Randolph hanging by both arms from the roof of the cage. Easily working his arms through the square holes between the steel bars Randolph dangles above Josten, kicking his legs out violently until his heel comes into contact with the giant's face.
Chris: R.W. Randolph is what you call one of the legends of the game, and that innovation right there is the reason he's chasing his second Universal Title tonight!
Shaking off the boot shot, Josten tries to grab at Randolph's legs, however the challenger goes one better and elevates himself completely to the roof, sliding his legs between the bars of the cage and hanging laterally out of reach of the giant.
Ken: This is pure genius. Josten, even in his best shape, could never do that and there's no way to get to Randolph.
Chris: Unfortunately the longer he hangs in there out of reach of the giant the more time Josten has to recup-
Ken: Tornado DDT!! From the roof of the cage! Oh my God!
Chris: Holy crap how did he pull that off?!
EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT!
The chant echoes out across the arena as Randolph lies draped across the torso of the downed giant. Bernie Roberts seems hypnotized by what he's just seen and has to snap himself out of the daze to make the three count.
ONE
TWO
THRE-KICKOUT!!
Ken: Josten kicked out! Good lord we need to go back to the replay and see that again!
Through the magic of television a second screen expands left of the action, showing in slow motion how Randolph adjusts his leg hold on the roof, pressing the soles of his feet against the bars and
giving him the propulsion needed to soar down past Josten's open arms, hooking the neck and rotating through the air to plant the 295lbs giant with an awesome DDT.
Ken: The poise was perfect there. It's scary how at home Randolph was there, and he's not exactly a lightweight.
Chris: You got that right Ken, that was insane.
Another angle from above the cage shows Randolph drop and immediately connect with Josten, spinning in a perfect arc and connecting with the move.
Chris: Love that angle right there. Looks like he came out of nowhere!
Ken: And here we see everything in full glorious high definition, one frame at a time.
The final angle comes from the ramp side of the ring where this time the facial expressions are shown. Josten as usual is sporting a snarling grimace of gritted teeth, while Randolph seems eerily
composed in his Bat-like state. Josten's arms hang high waiting for him to drop and it's in Randolph's eyes that the move first happens when they notice a gap in the giant's grasp, giving him the space to execute the move. A few frames stutter past before Josten realizes what's coming and closes his eyes as Randolph's arms lock around his neck, while the Saint bares his teeth and and snarls back at his opponent, spinning ever so slowly in mid-air in perfect execution before the slow-motion stops and in one awesome moment both bodies hit the mat with a great boom.
Chris: Incredible. The frame rate there shows Randolph's split second decision and the impact of that move. Incredible!
The main screen takes focus once more and only Randolph is stirring. Josten writhes around on the mat as the Saint sits up, looking around the arena and meeting the standing ovation with a gentle nod of the head and a pump of the fist.
Ken: Randolph is starting to feel it now, and the field's wide open for a follow-up.
Chris: Thus far Josten has been less than impressive and if Randolph can keep hitting him with blockbuster moves like that then this match is going to go very badly for the champ.
It doesn't take an idiot to figure out where to go from there, but it does take a heavily decorated legend and veteran of the ring to make it look good. Glancing at Hessian and then at the corner
Randolph heads over and makes his way to the top. In position over the vulnerable giant he waits as Josten struggles around a little more before making it to all fours facing away from his opponent.
Ken: Randolph setting Josten up right here...
Chris: Randolph off the top!
Ken: Josten turns! Clothesline!! What wherewithal from the champion!
The counter surprises everyone, most of all Randolph as Josten seemingly comes out of nowhere with a move that more closely resembles a side slam than a clothesline, nonetheless it does the job of cutting Randolph out of the air and planting him into the canvas.
The giant follows up by kicking Randolph's body towards the ropes before grabbing hold of the cage and pressing Randolph's flesh into the steel with his boot.
Ken: There's that brutal side of Josten. It might not be as pretty as that DDT of Randolph's but damn it it works.
Chris: It's just a shame the holes in the cage aren't quite big enough to get your head through, Randolph's being juiced like a grape!
The Saint's face presses into the steel and his eyes bug out as he roars and kicks wildly trying to get out from under the bulk of the champion. Glancing back at Bernie Roberts the giant shouts on him to ask Randolph if he quits. At this Roberts cocks an eyebrow and waves his hands claiming no submission, which confuses the giant.
Ken: Josten wants to make Randolph quit but for some reason Bernie Roberts won't make the call.
Chris: Well he's right enough, that isn't a submission hold.
Ken: No but it should still count.
Pulling his foot off of Randolph's skull, Josten reaches over the top rope and grabs Randolph's hair, pulling his opponent to standing and positioning him facing the cage wall.
Ken: This can't be good.
Randolph simultaneously leans into the ropes and rests against the steel, holding his head in agony as Josten sizes up his opponent and shoots off with shocking speed against the ropes. On the
rebound he leaps into the air for the splash that will turn his opponent into bloody chunks at ringside, except that Randolph collapses to the mat, taking the pain to his side as it grates off of the steel on the way down. Directly above him all 295lbs of Josten press into the ropes and slam into the cage wall, shifting the entire structure and garnering another savage applause from the bloodthirsty crowd.
RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Ken: That certainly didn't pay off for the champion!
Chris: The whole freaking cage moved, Ken! Did you see that?!
The giant hits the mat hard, and Randolph only has to roll out from under the bottom rope and drape a limb across the champion.
ONE
TWO
THRE-NO!!
The giant kicks out with authority and Randolph slams his fists against the mat, angry that the out-of-shape champion hasn't succumb to exhaustion or agony thus far. He meets his opponent on his feet and blocks an overhand smash with his forearms, throwing the arm aside and pushing his shoulder into Josten's gut, using all his strength to bully the champion across the ring into the other side of the cage. The steel clatters against Josten's bulk and he responds with another overhand smash that echoes across the flesh of Randolph's spine. Hollering in agony the Saint fights through and attempts another shot into the cage. This time however Josten hooks his opponent's neck and throws his arm overhead, grabbing the tights and with giant strength suplexing Randolph straight up into the air and into the cage wall.
RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!
Ken: What sick offense! You can't hear any more boos now Chris!
Chris: Certainly not, as Josten gears up for another suplex.
The Citizen of Truth keeps a lock on Randolph's aching body and using the ropes for leverage propels his opponent back into the cage again, this time releasing Randolph and letting him collapse in a heap on the apron. From there he races across the ring again and executes a dropkick that smashes Randolph's body into the steel, forcing an agonized scream out of the Saint, while the crowd are all too eager to throw up a
EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT! EVO THAT SHIT!
The giant admires his handiwork from the canvas, giving his massive frame time to re-energize while watching Randolph squirm and scrape his way across the apron to the turnbuckle. The champion mocks his challenger with a contemptuous guffaw and sits up, beckoning RW to him to carry on the fight. The challenger glances up through a look of agony and acknowledges the giant with a fast release of air that is almost a laugh in itself.
They rise together, but RW has the advantage of the corner to aid him while Josten struggles with his great girth weighing down on a bad knee. On his feet, RW taunts Josten with a middle finger and as the giant charges him the Saint ducks out of the way of the massive punch while goes straight through the cage wall. Howling out, Josten pulls his arm back in while RW takes a cheap shot at the knee, dropping Josten to the canvas and immediately grabbing for the giant's beard forcing him back to his feet.
Chris: Damn he's gonna chin-scalp Josten! The giant can barely pull himself up.
Ken: That knee has been a recurring problem these last few years for the giant and Randolph is more than happy to exploit that to gain the advantage.
Josten is forced to his feet and immediately flops into the ropes where Randolph applies a three-quarter facelock, dropping his weight down so that the full 500+lbs of both men is bearing
down on the back of Josten's neck pressing down on the top rope.
Ken: Good lord look at Josten struggle. That must be torture for him!
Chris: Randolph's looking for an opening wherever he can get it. If he takes out the knee and hurts Josten's head then a Long Arm of the Law is definitely out of the equation.
Ken: Making it that much simpler for Randolph to take that title from the Heroic Hoss.
Randolph confidently calls to Bernie Roberts to check on Josten and ask him if he quits. Again Bernie insists that no call can be made and Josten must tap. Hearing this between screams, Josten finds the strength to reach back and sucker punch RW in the face, stunning his opponent long enough for the giant to drop to the mat and create distance between him and the number one contender. Smarting from the punch Randolph clambers back between the ropes and gets in the referee's face, demanding to know why no call was made.
Ken: Randolph getting desperate here as he confronts senior official Bernie Roberts.
Chris: I don't think it's desperation Ken, both men have tried to get their dibs in on the I Quit stipulation that was tagged onto this match but it seems that Bernie Roberts doesn't know anything
about it.
After a momentary discussion Randolph comes away from the confrontation with a very pissed off demeanour. Josten is sat up in the corner still clutching his neck when RW approaches him, and the giant tries to scuttle back as the Saint grabs his leg, hauling him out to the middle of the ring and giving no thought to the weight he's dragging. Josten holds his hands out in protest as Randolph flips him over and locks in a step-over toehold, reaching for Josten's head but finding it just out of his grasp. The Saint focuses instead on the leg lock as Josten wails and pounds the mat with his fist, careful not to tap or let those two words escape his lips.
Ken: Randolph's got that STO locked in tight and Josten can do little more than scream like a baby! We might have a new Champion here!!
Chris: If he taps then it's all over and we crown Randolph the two-time Universal Champion!
The giant moves frantically between biting his own knuckles to pulling on the ropes to thumping the mat, doing anything in a bid to shift the pulsing agony from his knees to somewhere else. Randolph seems eerily at peace, wrenching on the move every so often but ensuring that he is position perfect and can't be bucked off or countered.
Ken: The giant can't hold on for much longer! Look at his hand he's getting ready to tap!!
Chris: He's done for. The only way out now is a tap.
The balled fist of the champion flattens to an open palm and hovers over the canvas every time Randolph tightens the lock, then balls up again and pounds the canvas when the challenger gives him
a moment's respite. Bernie Roberts moves in close to make the call and it's here that Josten lashes out, grabbing Roberts by the collar and pulling him face to face. The senior official is the only one
that hears what comes out of the giant's mouth, but lip readers all around the world watching know exactly what he's just done.
Josten: I quit. I quit.
To his horror Bernie Roberts frees himself of the giant's grip and shakes his head angrily, frustrated that these two legends of the sport have been so easily duped into believing something like a false stipulation. Addressing the fallen giant