Post by David Slayton on Sept 2, 2020 15:25:34 GMT -6
Episode 230 - August 30, 2020
Alison James: Ladies and gentlemen, do not -
Liam Stewart: DO NOT ADJUST YOUR TELEVISIONS, PEOPLE! THE BWF IS BACK!
Alison James: …Liam.
Liam Stewart: What?
Alison James: Nevermind. BWF is live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin inside the Fiserv Forum, which has been decked out, re-designed and re-purposed into the House of Blazenwing.
Liam Stewart: It’s rather thunder-y, isn’t it? Like a… dome of thunder.
Alison James: I’m afraid I don’t follow.
Liam Stewart: It’s… not important, I guess?
Alison James: I imagine that’s going to be true of most things you say moving forward.
Liam Stewart: HEY!
One More Round
“The Look” by Roxette comes over the sound system and the fans in attendance, about 10% of the arena, all properly socially distanced and wearing masks, cheer as Emily Corlen walks out onto the stage and grins, mic in hand.
Liam Stewart: And here comes the boss lady herself!
Alison James: You know, I used to be a part of a stable with Emily.
Liam Stewart: Oh, I know all about Bound by Blood. I was a huge fan of the guys you beat up back in the day.
Alison James: They had it coming.
Liam Stewart: At least they got to beat you up, too!
Alison James: I don’t recall this happening.
Liam Stewart: Probably ‘cause of all the punches you took in the head.
The music cuts out as Emily reaches the ring and climbs inside.
Emily Corlen: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, welcome to the rebirth of the Blazenwing Wrestling Federation! Monday Night Havok is BACK, just over seventeen years after our first show aired from the Bradley Center way back in 2003. R.I.P. Bradley Center, by the way. Heck of an arena, but this place is fantastic too! What do you guys think of the House of Blazenwing?
The fans in attendance cheer.
Emily Corlen: Now, I’m not gonna stand out here and prattle on, not when you guys are hyped to see some wrestling. You already know what’s going to happen tonight. What you DON’T know… is what’s going to happen on Monday, September 28. On that night, we’re back on pay-per-view and the BWF Network with the return of BWF’s oldest pay-per-view event… RETRIBUTION!
Emily motions to the BlazenTron behind her and the logo for the show stretches across the screen.
Emily Corlen: Now, tonight, we’re going to find out who the next BWF International Champion is. At Retribution, we’re going to crown a new Sovereign Champion… AND a new BWF World Champion. You think the new International Title is hot? Just wait until you see what those newly-designed belts look like.
Emily pauses before continuing.
Emily Corlen: While the designs might be new, we here at BWF love to see old traditions continue, too. So, with that in mind, allow me to officially announce that the main event of BWF Retribution will see the vacant BWF World Championship on the line… wait for it… oh yeah, you know what’s coming… in a HELLBOUND MATCH.
The crowd cheers louder as clips of previous Hellbound Matches play on the big screen.
Alison James: The Hellbound Match is returning to BWF! Prodigious!
Liam Stewart: Oh man, and we get to be ringside for it! I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE ALL THE CARNAGE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!
Emily Corlen: Five of BWF’s finest. A steel cell surrounding them. The BWF World Championship hanging over the roof of the cell. Wrestlers are eliminated until only two remain, at which point the cell door is opened and it becomes a race to make it to the top of the cell, grab one of the ladders high, HIGH above the ring, and climb it to success… or painful, bone-shattering failure. I should know what it takes; I’ve competed in and won Hellbound before. It will absolutely shorten your career, but winning it? There’s no feeling like it.
Emily nods and smirks as the video comes to an end.
Emily Corlen: Who will move on to Retribution and earn a shot at becoming the first BWF World Champion in three years? We’ll find out starting next week. But tonight? Tonight is all about fresh starts and new adventures. With that said, Talia, Azurine, it’s time to kick things off like only a BWF superstar can. Good luck to everyone competing tonight, and I’ll be seeing you all very soon!
“The Look” plays again as Emily exits the ring and Havok cuts to commercial.
The bell rings as the two women circle one another. After a quick tie-up, Areano kicks out Vebbins’ leg, knocks her down, and goes to work on it. She turns it onto a Boston Crab, but Vebbins quickly works her way out of it. They tussle some more and Azurine gets the upper hand, but a quick counter sees Talia hit her opponent with a nasty elbow strike between the eyes. Areano covers, but Vebbins kicks out at 2.
Alison James: The artist formerly known as Ursula Areano is showing just how much she’s grown since the last time she stepped into a BWF ring.
Liam Stewart: …wait, Talia isn’t, like, her sister or something?
Alison James: What? No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.
Liam Stewart: YOU HAVE LIKE THIRTY SISTERS, WHY IS THAT RIDICULOUS?!
Alison James: Number one, ouch. Lower your volume.
Liam Stewart: Sorry.
Alison James: Number two, exactly that. I have TWO sisters. One of them is even competing later tonight.
Liam Stewart: Oh, right, Finale’s next victim.
Alison James: ……..agree to disagree.
Back in the ring, Talia swings another elbow at Azurine, but the Adorkable Angel Matrix-dodges it and catches Areano on the rebound with a Half Nelson suplex into a pin. 1, 2, and Talia kicks out. She rolls to her feet but Vebbins is on the attack now, sensing her chance to secure victory. She hits a series of clotheslines, each one staggering Talia further. A release German suplex sends Areano reeling, and a follow-up Springboard Double Axe-Handle puts things in the bag for Vebbins! The cover… 1, 2, 3- NO! Talia kicks out at the last possible moment and the crowd erupts with praise for both competitors!
Liam Stewart: I thought for sure that one was over!
Alison James: I believe Azurine did, too, judging from the look of disbelief on her face.
Indeed, Azurine is questioning the ref, just in case. After being reassured that Talia did, in fact, kick out, Vebbins nods and lifts up Talia… who rolls her up into a small package out of nowhere! 1… 2… 3! The bell rings and the crowd can’t believe it!
WINNER: Talia Areano, via Pinfall
Alison James: What? It’s over? That roll-up was as quick as lightning!
Liam Stewart: I don’t think Azurine even knew what happened until the bell rang! What a shock!
“Say You Will” by Evanescence hits the BlazenTron as Talia rolls to her feet, celebrating. Azurine can’t believe it, but can’t stay mad as Areano offers a handshake to Vebbins and she accepts it.
Alison James: Excellent sportsmanship on display here.
Azurine whispers something to Talia, makes a belt motion and points at the match victor. Talia nods at Azurine, saying something inaudibly back.
Alison James: With that victory, Talia Areano moves one step closer to finally winning her first Championship in BWF. She moves on to the title match later tonight, where she will face off against the winner of the next contest.
Liam Stewart: That match, and more, right after this commercial break!
Fade to commercial.
The bell rings as Enforcer charges Kalua and grabs him, dropping him with a belly to belly suplex. He lifts Kalua up and goes for another, but Anaru counters, hitting Enforcer with a scoop slam followed up by a running knee. He drops to a knee and starts punching Enforcer, but Enforcer gets a leg up and kicks Kalua between the eyes, knocking both men down to the mat.
Alison James: Heavy hits early on from these two.
Liam Stewart: You only get one chance to make a first impression, Alison, and both of these men want the chance to face Talia later tonight for the International Title!
The match continues, with both men trading momentum and near falls on several occasions. At one point, Kalua whips Enforcer into the corner and goes for a splash, but Enforcer pulls the referee between the two of them and gets him squashed!
Alison James: Dirty move from Enforcer there.
Liam Stewart: IF that was on purpose. It sure looked accidental to me!
Alison James: I’ll be setting up an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible.
Anaru runs the ropes as Enforcer pushes his way past the fallen ref, but he doesn’t see Kalua coming and gets slammed with a vicious looking Blindside (Pounce), followed up by The Third Degree (Military Press GTS)! Kalua covers, but the referee is still down! The crowd counts to 3, but it doesn’t matter, because there’s no official!
Liam Stewart: Tough break for Kalua.
Alison James: Tough break?! Can we get a new referee down here already?
No referee comes, so Kalua is forced to wake the currently KO’ed official. The referee begins stirring as Kalua stands up and turns his focus back to Enforcer, but his opponent had enough time to get back to his feet and catches him with a sick looking Mafia Kick! The crowd “oohs” as Kalua drops to the mat. Enforcer lifts him back up, locks him in position and drops Anaru with the Death Penalty (DDT)! Enforcer covers as the groggy ref counts… 1… 2… 3!
WINNER: Enforcer, via Pinfall
The crowd boos as "Natural Born Killaz" by Ice Cube & Dr. Dre blares over the BlazenTron. Enforcer stands up and motions for the belt around his own waist, then begins to exit the ring.
Alison James: Enforcer owing a BIG assist to the referee here tonight. I have to imagine Emily is going to hear about this backstage.
Liam Stewart: Them’s the breaks, Alison. Tonight was Enforcer’s night, plain and simple.
Alison James: There’s still time for tonight to STOP being Enforcer’s night, if Talia Areano has anything to say about it.
Comeback
The camera takes us backstage, just outside of the House of Blazenwing. It’s a beautiful evening; 70 degrees and the sun is setting. The roar of a 2016 Honda Shadow Aero ABS is heard as someone pulls up. The bike slowly comes to a stop and the rider kicks the stand down. They remove their helmet to reveal the one and only Gabe Shelley. He smiles as he climbs off his bike and grabs a bag that was sitting on the back. He starts to walk towards the building and none other than Don McMichael comes walking up to him.
Don McMichael: Gabe!
Gabe shakes Don’s hand and keeps walking for a moment before turning his head to Don.
Gabe Shelley: No time, Don. Don’t know if you heard but it’s the first Havok in three and a half years! Got to get inside, got to mingle. Got a big match tonight, not sure if you heard.
Don McMichael: That’s exactly what I’m hoping to ask you about. It’s been even longer since you’ve competed in BWF. How do you feel?
Shelley stops and looks at McMichael.
Gabe Shelley: Excited. I’ve been telling Katie all week how exciting it is to have BWF coming back in 2020. This year has been full of ups and downs and it’s nice to see this happening.
Don McMichael: Speaking of, where is Katie?
Gabe Shelley: We decided that for this first week we’d come separate, do our thing. Get back in the groove of this whole being wrestlers thing and then we can be husband and wife wrestlers later. Tonight she’s got her focus on Finale, mine is on Johnny.
Shelley moves his back to his shoulder and pats McMichael on his shoulder.
Gabe Shelley: Tonight, I step into that ring against one hell of a fighter. Tonight, I main event Havok for the first time in, I don’t even know how long. It’s time to make one hell of a comeback to the wrestling world, Don. Tonight, Johnny and I are going to show the entire wrestling world that the BWF is back.
Shelley walks into the building as we cut away.
The bell rings as both Katie and Finale size one another up. Finale motions for Katie to make the first move and, ever the opportunist, she does, charging at the Buffalo Butcher. Finale looks to take whatever Katie has up her sleeve, but at the last moment, he sidesteps her attack, leading to Katie tumbling through the ropes and to the outside.
Alison James: Not a great start for Katie.
Liam Stewart: A fine display of dust, if that was her intention.
Alison James: Did you just paraphrase Dragon Ball Z?
Liam Stewart: How the hell do you even know what Dragon Ball Z is? Aren’t you too nerdy for that?
Alison James: I’M ALLOWED TO HAVE OUTSIDE INTERESTS THAT AREN’T CALCULUS, LIAM.
Finale slides out of the ring as Katie rises to her feet and catches her with a swift Parts Well Known [PWK] (Feigns a superkick and then hits a Spinning Back Elbow). As Katie drops down, Finale catches her, lifts her into position and hits the Stripper’s Real Name (Jumping 180 Vertebreaker)!
Alison James: Oh no!
Liam Stewart: Oh man, did you hear the noise she made when she hit the outside mat? That was sick!
The crowd in attendance start a “holy shit” chant as Finale rolls back into the ring to break up the count. He stands up, watching Katie lying on the outside as the referee begins the 10 count. He gets to 6 before Finale’s eyes light up and he exits the ring.
Alison James: I have a bad feeling about this.
Liam Stewart: Katie Shelley was already rusty before all this, but her night’s only going to get worse from here, I have a feeling.
Finale lifts Katie to her feet and rolls her back into the ring before following and motioning for her to stand up. She groggily rises, holding the back of her neck, and when she turns around, Finale lifts Katie onto his shoulders. He waves at the camera, mouths “Welcome back, Gabe!” and hits Katie with the reVolt (Cradle Shock) into the cover. 1… 2… 3.
WINNER: Finale, via Pinfall
“Half Lit” by Single Mothers plays as Finale kneels down next to Katie and says “Nothing personal, sweetheart” before exiting the ring. The fans in attendance cheer the impressive show of dominance as Finale makes his way to the stage.
Alison James: I… wow. I mean, Katie is no slouch. She’s a former World Champion in AXW, and Finale made her look like a developmental rookie.
Liam Stewart: Finale came back to become BWF World Champion once again, and tonight, he made one hell of a statement. Rory Costigan may very well be the front runner to win that belt come Retribution in my eyes.
Alison James: Not to mention what was no doubt a message to his old rival Gabe Shelley. Gabe mentioned on social media that a large part of why he returned to BWF was because Finale re-signed with the company, and tonight, I think Finale let him know that he heard Shelley loud and clear.
As BWF returns from commercial, AJ Adams and F.M. Young make their way down to ringside for the next match. The bell rings and the two former BWF World Champions tie up, each jockeying for position. AJ gets the advantage, and drops Young with a series of hard slams before going for a quick cover, but he only gets 1 before Young kicks out.
Alison James: Quick kickout from F.M. Young there.
Liam Stewart: Adams is testing the waters, no doubt.
AJ pulls Young to her feet and this time, she gains the upper hand as she unleashes her own series of quick hitting moves before going for a cover. Like before, AJ kicks out just after one.
Alison James: How crazy is it that on our return show, we’re getting several matches that could easily be WrestleFest main events?
Liam Stewart: That just goes to show how solid our roster already is, just after coming back. And it’s only going to get bigger as BWF keeps going!
The match continues, with Adams and Young staying about even, trading momentum back and forth in a highly competitive contest. The turning point comes when AJ, ready to seal the deal, hits Young with the Last Call (Codebreaker) and sets her up for the Legacy Maker (Sister Abigail). Just before he can hit the move, Young grabs Adams’ arm and hoists herself up, wrapping her legs around AJ’s arm and dropping him down into an armbar!
Alison James: What a counter!
Young cranks the arm back, trying to take it out of the equation, but AJ is close enough to the ropes that he is able to get his leg under them and F.M. is forced to break the hold. He slides outside the ring and rubs his arm as Young runs the ropes and clears them with a Leaping Body Press… but Adams moves at the last moment and Young crashes into the mat on the outside hard!
Liam Stewart: Oh man! She’s gonna be feeling that one in the morning!
Adams slides back into the ring and crouches in the corner, waiting for Young to recover. She does and slides back into the ring, and AJ is ready, charging at her and hitting her with the Eat It (Fame-Asser)… but NO! Young dodges it at the last second and Adams hits the mat! F.M. holds her shoulder as she grabs a rising AJ and sets him up for the Superchick (The Shiranui). She runs to the corner and leaps up to hit the move, but as she turns around to land it, Adams shoves Young off, dropping her to the mat herself. F.M. rolls back to her feet and charges at AJ, but this time, Adams is ready and catches her with the Break Stuff (Stunner) before covering… 1… 2… 3!
WINNER: AJ Adams, via Pinfall
"Lights Out" by P.O.D. hits the BlazenTron as AJ stands up, winded but pleased. He makes his way around the ring, posing in the corners as the crowd cheers.
Alison James: Two more fan favorites do battle, but this one was a lot closer than the last one.
Liam Stewart: This match could have gone either way; it came down to who could hit their big move first, and tonight, that ‘who’ was AJ Adams. Hell of a match!
Hell Bound
The camera moves backstage, where we see Finale walking to his locker room. He turns a corner and stops when he sees Emily Corlen standing in front of him.
Finale: Well, well. If it isn’t my old buddy Em. Look, what happened out there -
Emily puts a hand up to interrupt him.
Emily Corlen: Don’t worry, Rory. I’m not mad. In fact, quite the opposite. That is EXACTLY the killer instinct and dominant performance I’m looking for to lead the BWF into the next era. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye in the past, but this is a fresh start in a lot of ways, including what I’m about to say. Congratulations on becoming the first entrant in the Retribution Hellbound Match for the BWF World Championship.
The crowd cheers as Finale nods.
Finale: I look forward to making your belt mean something again.
Emily Corlen: I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Emily nods to Finale, and then heads off past him. Finale smirks, no doubt imagining the carnage coming, as the camera shifts back to the ring.
The referee holds up the brand-new BWF International Championship and shows it to both competitors before the match begins. The bell rings and both Enforcer and Areano circle one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Talia moves in, going for an Irish whip, but Enforcer says no, pulling her in for a Slingshot Suplex. From there, Enforcer goes to work, whittling down Talia’s defenses with a series of targeted strikes and holds.
Alison James: It’s easy to look at a guy like Enforcer and think “meathead”, but the guy has held Championship titles all over the world, and now, he’s one win away from adding the Blazenwing Wrestling Federation to that list.
Liam Stewart: It’s very possible Talia wants it more, but at the end of the day, sometimes that’s just not enough. This one might already be over.
The crowd begins to rally around Talia, cheering loudly for the young woman even as Enforcer continues wearing her down. Finally, as she inches closer to the corner, Enforcer goes to grab her and Areano drop toe-holds him face first onto the second turnbuckle! She rolls out of the ring to get a breather as Enforcer shakes his head, dazed and, frankly, surprised.
Alison James: Talia Areano with the clever counter… and Liam, this one isn’t over just yet!
Liam Stewart: Talia still has some fight left in her, no doubt, but will that be enough?
Enforcer rolls to the outside of the ring and goes after Talia, but a recovered Talia takes off, starting a chase around the ring. She slides under the bottom rope, Enforcer follows and Talia bounds off the ropes before coming back and catching him face-first with a Rush Hour (Sliding Forearm Smash)! From there, Talia’s lucha training takes over, as she battles brawn with speed, taking Enforcer down to the mat with as many flips and hurricanranas as she can muster.
Alison James: The crowd is whipped into a frenzy right now!
Liam Stewart: They’re sensing what could very well be an upset about to happen here in the House of Blazenwing!
With Enforcer stunned, a rejuvenated Talia grabs the larger competitor and goes for broke with the Slice of Heaven (Sliced Bread #2)… but Enforcer shifts her weight mid-air and levels her with a Spinning Spinebuster! Running almost entirely on anger now, Enforcer pulls Talia up by her hair and lifts her up, this time hitting a massive sitout powerbomb. The referee drops to count, but Enforcer rolls backwards to his feet, telling him ‘no’. He lifts Talia back up, still fuming, and lowers her into position before letting loose with the Death Penalty (DDT). Enforcer covers… 1… 2… 3! We have a new BWF International Champion!
WINNER AND NEW BWF INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION: Enforcer, via Pinfall
For the second time this evening, “Natural Born Killaz” by Ice Cube & Dr. Dre plays in victory as Enforcer stands up and yells loudly. The referee presents him with the International Title, to which Enforcer responds by ripping the title out of his hands and hoisting it over his shoulder. He exits the ring, glaring around at the booing fans, and then holds the title up to louder boos when he reaches the stage.
Alison James: How heartbreaking for Miss Areano… returning to BWF to win a championship here, coming so, SO close, and then that happens.
Liam Stewart: Wow. I really thought Talia had it there for a minute, but… congratulations to Enforcer, our new BWF International Champion!
Alison James: Still coming up, our main event, as Gabe Shelley and Johhny Maverick do battle. Don’t go anywhere!
Johnny and Gabe make their way down to the ring, ready to compete in tonight’s main event. Johnny stops and asks for a sharpie on the ramp so he can autograph someone’s “Dan Severn is my Spirit Animal” sign.
Alison James: Johnny’s had a… thing about Dan Severn lately.
Liam Stewart: I MUSTACHE you, is that a problem?
Alison James: Ugh. No. Just… no.
Both wrestlers make their way to their respective corners and come out swinging when the bell rings.
Alison James: These men are no strangers to one another, having battled previously for the BWF Crisis World Championship years ago. Johnny won that match, but AJ Adams interfered, leading Johnny to feel as though he didn’t really EARN that title.
Liam Stewart: Well, to be fair, I mean… DID he? Kinda sounds like he owes AJ Adams for that one.
Alison James: Precisely why he has a goal of becoming BWF World Champion in 2020, all on his own. But tonight isn’t about the title… tonight is about Gabe Shelley, who no doubt is having his own issues after seeing what happened to his wife earlier tonight at the hands of Finale.
One might think that, but as the match continues, Gabe manages to stay focused on the fight in front of him, keeping Johnny at bay despite his ring rust. However, eventually that ring rust begins to show itself, as Gabe makes a handful of mistakes, all of which Maverick is more than happy to take advantage of, giving himself the upper hand.
Liam Stewart: Shelley aired a promo on the BWF Network earlier this week where he mentioned that he hasn’t competed in a live match in, what, well over a year? Whereas Johnny is still active in other companies even today. Gabe might have bitten off more than he can chew here with a return to BWF.
Alison James: As one of BWF’s most storied veterans, I‘m certain he can rise to the challenge if given the opportunity. I assume that was Emily Corlen’s line of thinking in booking this match as well.
As the match continues on, Johnny and Gabe continue trading off momentum, with each man netting a handful of near falls. At one point, Johnny nearly gets the win with his Perfect Armbar (Double Underhook Suplex floated over into a Cross Armbreaker), but Shelley is able to make it to the ropes to break the hold after a prolonged struggle. The battle continues, and Shelley begins making a classic comeback, even managing to lift Maverick into position for the reVolt (Cradle Shock) despite his wounded arm. He covers… 1… 2… 3-NO! Johnny kicks out at the last possible second and the crowd explodes!
Alison James: Gabe Shelley is a big deal to the BWF fans, but damn if they aren’t behind J-Mav here tonight.
Liam Stewart: I think they respect both guys, but let’s be completely honest, Johnny is infinitely easier on the eyes, and that factors into things a lot.
Alison James: It’s… he’s… what?
Liam Stewart: Look, I don’t make the rules, Alison. The fans are fickle and horny AF for the Mav Man.
Alison James: (eyebrows raised) Um. Okay. Anyhow, there’s a match going on. Let’s focus on that. Please. I’m begging you.
Gabe rolls to one knee, still holding his arm from the Perfect Armbar earlier, and thinks about his options. After seemingly considering a second reVolt, he seems to get another idea and, instead, goes to apply the Nevermind (Border City Stretch), pointing to the back!
Liam Stewart: Oh! Brilliant! Gabe Shelley directly answering Finale’s challenge from earlier with his own take on Finale’s old move!
Gabe starts to cinch the hold in, but before he can, Maverick suddenly shifts his weight, rolling Gabe over and re-applying the Perfect Armbar again! He locks it in and pulls back as hard as he can; Gabe struggles to get to the ropes again, but Johnny has him right in the middle of the ring. Finally, Gabe has no choice but to tap out as the bell rings!
WINNER: Johnny Maverick, via Submission
“Subtle Hustle” by Clutch hits the BlazenTron as Johnny breaks the hold and sits back against the nearest corner, smiling.
Alison James: And Johnny Maverick takes the victory with his second Perfect Armbar! No doubt that’s something of a pressure listed off of his shoulders with a solid victory over Gabe Shelley in the books.
Liam Stewart: And hell of a showing from Shelley, too. Both of these men showing tonight why they are BWF Hall of Famers.
Alison James: Will either of them move forward to Hellbound on September 28? I can’t wait to find out. But, that is in four weeks. Tonight, meanwhile, is in the books and Liam, what a show it was.
Liam Stewart: Absolutely, Alison! We’ll see you next week, folks!
Alison James: Good night from the House of Blazenwing!
We see one more shot of Johnny Maverick celebrating his victory, before Havok fades to the BWF logo, and then finally, to black.
© Blazenwing Wrestling Federation 2020
Quick Results:
Talia Areano def. Azurine Vebbins
Enforcer def. Anaru Kalua
Finale def. Katie Shelley
AJ Adams def. F.M. Young
Enforcer def. Talia Areano; NEW BWF INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION
Johnny Maverick def. Gabe Shelley