The screen flickers violently — static glitches and metal-grinding distortion hit like a signal tearing through the airwaves.

 

The WREK-TV logo slams on the screen. The audio steadies into Ralph Silva’s smooth, calm, dangerous tone as he fades in from the darkness — sitting in his now-iconic low-lit studio, elbows resting lightly on the desk.

 

 

Ralph Silva (silver-tongued, with gravitas):

"Some signals aren’t meant to last.

Some transmissions… are only meant to be caught by those paying attention."

 

He slowly straightens his tie, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 

Ralph:

"You’ve tuned into WREK-TV.

But don’t get comfortable.

We didn’t break into your feed to stay… not yet."

 

Behind him, quick flashes of parade footage, Aztec chants, and WREK-TV signs flood the monitors.

 

Ralph:

"For now… you get the Preshow.

Just the Preshow.

A taste. A whisper.

The signal won't stay open forever."

 

The monitors shift to the Preshow parade highlights — El Gallito Loco, Tortuga, Manta Ray surfing the crowd, Mal Sangre lurking, the MAWLiwood Blondes awkwardly navigating the sea of Aztec fans.

 

Ralph:

"We’ve got the streets.

We’ve got the people.

We’ve got the name on every mask… Aztec."

 

Ralph pauses, leaning forward like he’s letting you in on a secret.

 

Ralph:

"But if you think this is all WREK-TV is?

Oh no… this is just the crack.

The door isn’t open yet."

 

The camera tightens on him — the grin sharpens.

 

Ralph:

"This is a one-time feed.

This is the Preshow.

This is Baptized in Blood."

 

The screen glitches briefly — for just a fraction of a second — showing brief flashes of WREK-TV’s future programming:

Press X to Bleed. Blood Hour Radio. Freakshow After Dark. Streets Uncaged. Whiskey Bishop’s Swamp Sessions. Late-Night B-Movies.

It cuts so fast the audience might question if they saw it at all.

 

Ralph Silva (voice layered over the flickers):

"One time.

One broadcast.

Watch it closely.

You never know when… or if… the feed will come back."

 

The WREK-TV logo pulses. The words flicker beneath it:

“WREK-TV: One Night. One Broadcast. One Signal Bleed.”

 

The screen flickers. The WREK-TV logo pulses with static. The audio is thick with interference before it crisps into perfect clarity as a silver-tongued voice takes over — confident, calm, surgical.

 

Cut to a sleek, low-lit WREK-TV studio. Ralph Silva sits alone at the news desk, a single vintage microphone in front of him. A wide, calm grin rests on his face as the silver glint of the WREK-TV logo spins behind him.

 

Ralph Silva (smooth, deliberate):

"Tonight…You aren’t just watching a pay-per-view. You’re watching history. You’re watching the resurrection of the feed forgotten. You’ve stumbled into the wreckage, through the cracked signals, into the house that refuses to turn its lights off. You’ve heard the whispers. You’ve seen the signs. And now you know the name."

 

Smirks, taps his ring twice on the microphone base.

 

Ralph:

"WREK-TV. This station… is mine now.

Born in blood. Bought in shadow. Broadcast by outlaws."

 

The monitors behind him flicker with shots of Baptized in Blood posters, screaming crowds, and street celebrations.

 

Ralph:

"And what better way to kick open our doors… than with three hours of carnage? MAWL: Baptized in Blood Preshow. But before the first bell… Before the first scream… Let’s take you… to the streets."

 

Ralph smiles knowingly, then leans back as the screen glitches out and the live parade feed kicks in.

 

 

Cut to the MAWLiwood Blondes: "Red Carpet" Mark Anderson and "High Risk" Winston Lewis. They are clearly too Hollywood for this scene — dressed in over-the-top, mismatched tourist clothes with flashy sunglasses and branded MAWL blazers, completely missing the tone of the event.

 

 

Mark Anderson (confused, half-smiling):

"So let me get this straight… this whole parade, this whole city… is for Aztec? Just him?"

 

The camera zooms out — almost every person is wearing an Aztec mask or holding a WREK-TV sign. The chants are deafening.

 

Crowd: "¡AZ-TEC! ¡AZ-TEC! ¡WREK US! ¡WREK US!"

 

Winston Lewis (laughing nervously):

"I mean… we’re here too, right? We’re on the card, we’re MAWL stars, we’re the MAWLiwood Blondes! …Guys? Anyone?"

 

A kid in a WREK-TV shirt walks by holding a giant foam Aztec armbar prop. Another fan has a homemade sign:

"Who Are These Blondes Anyways?”

 

Mark Anderson:

"Okay, so you’re all, uh, super into the whole ‘Ancient Warrior’ thing. Very cool. Very edgy. But let’s talk about the real blockbuster here—"

(He flips his sunglasses.)

"—The MAWLiwood Blondes. We're undefeated in style. Unmatched in charisma. And totally available for autograph signings, right now, by the churro cart!"

 

The camera cuts to the churro cart. It’s swarmed by Aztec fans. None are there for the Blondes.

 

Winston Lewis (growing uncomfortable):

"Does anyone here even know who we are?"

 

A fan walks by wearing a shirt that says:

"MAWL BLOODS, NOT MAWL BLONDES."

Clearly a homemade typo, but it still stings.

 

Mark Anderson (eye twitching):

"Okay, serious question. Are there, like… too many Aztec fans here?

Is that a thing? Is it… allowed to be this unbalanced?

We’re just asking questions."

 

The crowd starts chanting louder:

"¡AZ-TEC! ¡AZ-TEC! ¡WREK US! ¡WREK US!"

A few fans start playfully crowding the Blondes, mocking their Hollywood poses.

 

Winston Lewis (panicking slightly):

"I don’t know, Mark… I think the signal’s stronger here. I think WREK-TV belongs to Aztec out here, not us."

 

Mark Anderson (gritting his teeth, forcing a grin):

"No, no, no. We’re not gonna get WREKED by a parade. We’re the MAWLiwood Blondes. We don't get wrecked… we—"

 

A fan walks by and shouts in perfect English:

"Get wrecked, Blondes!"

The crowd pops. The Blondes freeze.

 

Mark Anderson (quietly):

"…We’re gonna need a bigger float."

 

The WREK-TV logo pulses as the parade coverage continues, and the energy only builds.

 

The parade is roaring. The streets of Mexico City are a living sea of Aztec masks, WREK-TV banners, and chants that shake the pavement. Fireworks crackle overhead. Street vendors sell Aztec shirts, armbar foam props, churros, and WREK-TV merchandise in every direction.

 

Screen glitch cuts to a countdown: "MAWL: Baptized in Blood — LIVE IN 5 MINUTES."

 

The parade rolls on. The Aztec chants are deafening. Red and black WREK-TV banners are strung across the buildings, and the streets ripple with homemade signs:

“¡VIVA WREK-TV!”

“¡AZTEC ES INMORTAL!”

“¡WREK ME!”

 

Aztec masks are everywhere — worn by children, elders, street performers, entire families. There’s a fever pitch energy flooding the air.

 

Suddenly, a parade float designed like a giant rooster, complete with flapping wings and a spinning luchador ring centerpiece, rolls into view.

 

Tag Champion El Gallito Loco stands atop the float, spinning around, throwing WREK-TV t-shirts and miniature Aztec masks into the crowd like candy.

 

 

He’s laughing, dancing, soaking in the love from the fans who treat him like the ultimate hometown underdog.

 

El Gallito Loco (shouting to the crowd):

"¡VIVA MAWL! ¡VIVA WREK-TV! ¡VIVA EL GALLITO LOCO!"

 

The fans erupt in cheers as Gallito jumps off the float to high-five kids, pulling off playful lucha poses for pictures and mock-challenging other street performers in a hilarious, light-hearted energy burst. His charisma is infectious — even those clearly there for Aztec embrace him like a beloved cousin.

 

The roar intensifies as fellow tag champion Tortuga arrives on a decked-out lowrider float, draped in Mexican flags, custom graffiti, and WREK-TV logos.

 

He’s tossing out churros and throwing Aztec armbar foam props to the fans.

 

 

Tortuga (grinning, throwing his hands up):

"¡SOMOS FAMILIA! ¡MAWL ES PARA TODOS!"

 

Fans surround his float, chanting his name. He leans over, letting a group of kids ride briefly on the float as it slowly crawls through the street. Tortuga fully embraces the cultural weight of the moment — he belongs here.

 

Then comes Manta Ray, surfing on a crowd-carried inflatable wave — literally surfing on people’s shoulders. His flashy mask, his ocean-themed attire, and his constant wave-throwing pose make him an instant magnet for the cameras.

 

 

Fans start a rhythmic chant just for him:

Crowd: "¡MAN-TA-RAY! ¡MAN-TA-RAY! ¡WREK US!"

 

Manta poses mid-surf, throwing mock surfboard autographs into the crowd, blowing kisses, and grinning as he’s practically carried through the streets like a local legend.

 

The music changes.

The parade slows.

The festive drums soften as the crowd begins to hush and turn.

 

 

Mal Sangre walks through the street, alone at first, his hands tucked behind his back.

There’s respect, but also tension. The crowd parts for him — not out of adoration, but out of recognition.

They know what he’s done.

They know who he’s coming for.

 

Fans chant Aztec’s name louder, as if to drown him out, but Mal Sangre’s slow, deliberate pace demands attention.

 

Then, from the shadows of an alley — barely lit, half hidden behind parade banners — Sombras emerges. Silent. Watching. Stalking. Never far from Mal Sangre, but never fully beside him either.

 

 

Fans glance nervously toward Sombras. His presence unsettles them. Some lower their Aztec signs. Some raise them higher.

 

Mal Sangre (quiet, venomous, speaking as he walks):

"The masks. The cheers. The noise…

They chant his name because they don’t remember the blood. I do. Sombras does."

 

Sombras lingers in the background, his head tilted, his eyes locked on the Aztec masks that now dominate the skyline like a quiet warning.

 

Mal Sangre stops in the center of the street. The other parade floats have passed him now — the crowd parts again — but he doesn’t move.

 

Mal Sangre (calm, direct):

"WREK-TV… belongs to him now, does it?

Let’s see how long he can keep it."

 

He smirks as Sombras vanishes back into the crowd, melting into the chaos like a living shadow.

 

Mal Sangre’s footsteps echo as he turns down a side street, the sound of fireworks and chants rising behind him.

 

The parade rolls on, but there’s a new tension — as if everyone knows the celebration isn’t the only thing on the horizon.

 

The screen glitches as the WREK-TV logo flashes: "MAWL: Baptized in Blood — LIVE IN 2 MINUTES."

 

We pick up with Mark Anderson and Winston Lewis wandering the parade route, still trying to prove they’re stars, despite the overwhelming sea of Aztec fans.

 

Mark Anderson (still forcing it):

"Okay, okay. Maybe we just started in the wrong part of the parade.

Let’s go meet our… peers.

Someone’s got to recognize real star power."

 

They spot El Gallito Loco’s float nearby. Gallito is tossing shirts and masks into the crowd with infectious energy.

 

The Blondes approach, waving to the crowd like they own the moment.

 

Winston Lewis:

"Gallito! Hey! Good to see you, buddy. Love what you’re doing out here.

Hey, listen… real quick. Who would you say the crowd’s really here for tonight? You know, biggest star, biggest draw?"

 

Gallito playfully tilts his head and shrugs like it’s an obvious answer.

 

El Gallito Loco (grinning, waving to the fans):

"¡Aztec! Todo para Aztec. Always Aztec."

 

Mark Anderson (awkward laugh):

"Right, right, sure — but like, besides Aztec, obviously. Who’s next in line? Who’s got that MAWLiwood glow?"

 

Gallito pauses, looks them up and down, smiles politely, and walks away while tossing more shirts. He never answers.

 

Next, they hustle over to Tortuga, whose float is surrounded by fans chanting his name and waving churros.

 

Mark Anderson:

"Tortuga! My man! Big event tonight, huh? Lotta energy! So, quick question — in your opinion, who’s the real face of around this territory? Who do you think’s leading this thing?"

 

Tortuga (without missing a beat):

"Aztec."

 

Winston stammers, trying to reframe.

 

Winston Lewis:

"No, no, we mean like… who’s next? You know, after Aztec. After his… time’s up. Someone more… blonde?"

 

Tortuga (laughs):

"After Aztec? You’ll have to wait. Long time. He’s the man here."

 

Tortuga daps up a kid, tosses churros, and drives off in his float like the conversation never happened.

 

The Blondes find Manta Ray still surfing on the crowd.

 

Mark Anderson (desperate now):

"Hey Manta! Quick one for the cameras — who’s the biggest draw on WREK-TV? Who’s getting the crowd’s attention tonight?"

 

Manta Ray just smiles, points to a giant building draped in a 40-foot Aztec banner, and throws up his signature surf pose as the crowd chants “¡AZTEC! ¡AZTEC!” around him. He never says a word — just lets the image speak for itself.

 

Finally, the Blondes cut down a quieter side street and cross paths with Mal Sangre, who is calmly walking alone. Sombras lingers in the shadows behind him.

 

Winston Lewis (anxiously):

"Okay, hear me out. We’ve been asking around. Who’s the top guy, who’s the man? And we’re starting to think maybe the answer’s… Aztec?"

 

Mal Sangre (cold, not stopping):

"It’s always been Aztec."

(He keeps walking, his voice sharp as he passes them.)

"The question is… how much longer will he hold it?"

 

Sombras watches from the shadows as the Blondes stand there, finally silent, finally realizing what the whole city already knows.

 

Mark Anderson (quiet, frustrated):

"Okay. Okay, maybe… maybe we’ve underestimated the size of this thing."

 

Winston Lewis (nodding, quietly panicking):

"Yeah, yeah, we just… we just need to find the right camera angle.

The right time to strike."

 

They wander off, lost in the sound of “¡AZTEC! ¡AZTEC! ¡WREK US!” echoing through the streets.

 

Glitch cut to the final countdown: "MAWL: Baptized in Blood — LIVE IN 1 MINUTE."

 

The scene opens in the underground parking garage of the Mexico City arena. The crowd noise is still rumbling from the outside parade. The Blondes, Mark Anderson and Winston Lewis, storm into frame, brushing past stagehands as they enter the building, their bags slung over their shoulders.

 

Mark Anderson (ranting, fired up):

"You know what, Winston? I’ve had enough of this parade. I’ve had enough of this WREK-TV love fest. I’ve had enough of Aztec being the guy everywhere we turn."

 

Winston nods, hyping himself up in sync.

 

Winston Lewis:

"Yeah, yeah! Like, it’s cool that he’s got his little fan club, but we’re the stars, right? We’re MAWLiwood! We’re the main event! I say we call him out. Tonight."

 

They stop near a stack of production crates. Both of them now pacing.

 

Mark Anderson (working himself up):

"That’s right. Tonight. Live. On WREK-TV. We call out Aztec. Right in his own city. Right on his network. We tell him the Aztec Era is over, and the Blondes Era—"

 

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoes behind them. The camera slowly pans out, revealing Aztec standing just a few feet away.

No music. No announcement. No grand entrance.

Just him. Arms crossed. Watching. Waiting.

 

 

The Blondes freeze in place. Winston’s eyes widen. Mark’s jaw twitches as he slowly turns around.

 

Mark Anderson (nervous laugh, trying to recover):

"…Oh, hey, Aztec. Didn’t see you there.

We were just, y’know, talking strategy.

Friendly backstage talk. Wrestler stuff."

 

Aztec says nothing. He just tilts his head slightly, his masked eyes burning through them.

The silence gets heavier. The tension swells like a vice tightening.

 

Winston Lewis (panicked smile, rambling):

"Right, right, like, you’re doing great, man. The parade was awesome! Love the fans! Super into the whole Aztec-mania thing.

We’re just thinking… maybe, you know, we could, uh, share the spotlight a little? Like… WREK-TV is pretty big. Plenty of room. For everyone. Us included."

 

Aztec’s gaze never wavers. He steps closer, slowly. Deliberately. The sound of his boots striking the concrete echoes louder than it should.

 

Aztec (low, controlled, ancient weight in his voice):

"You want the spotlight?"

 

Mark and Winston gulp, trying not to break eye contact.

 

Aztec (leans in slightly):

"Come find it. But know this…When you step into my light…You do not walk out the same."

 

Aztec holds their stare for a moment longer, then walks past them — his robe brushing Mark’s arm as he passes. The camera lingers as the Blondes are left frozen in place, their confidence rattled, their plan completely unraveled.

 

Mark Anderson (softly, shaken):

"…He was there the whole time, wasn’t he?"

 

Winston Lewis (nodding, gulping):

"The whole. Time."

 

The parade is still roaring. Tortuga’s float fades into the distance, Manta Ray surfs the final wave of the crowd, and El Gallito Loco disappears into a circle of chanting fans. Mal Sangre lingers briefly in a side street before slipping into the shadows. The camera slowly pans over an ocean of Aztec masks, WREK-TV banners, and red-and-black foam armbar props.

 

The MAWLiwood Blondes shuffle toward the arena, still rattled from their earlier encounter with Aztec, trying to regain composure.

 

Mark Anderson (nervous, but puffing up):

"Okay… so it’s a big crowd. Big night.

But this? This is the Preshow.

And we’re the ones on the broadcast. We’re the ones getting seen.

That means we own the feed, right?"

 

Winston nods but still glances around, paranoid.

 

Winston Lewis (quietly):

"Yeah, yeah. Totally. We’re still here. Still on.

…But just checking — he’s not right behind us again, is he?"

 

They both slowly turn.

Aztec is not behind them this time — but that doesn’t make them feel any safer.

 

A glitching pulse breaks in. The WREK-TV logo slams on the screen one last time as Ralph Silva’s voice fades back in to close the broadcast.

 

Ralph Silva (smooth, closing words):

"And there it is…

The parade fades, the Preshow ends, the signal fractures… for now."

 

The screen flickers briefly, distorting as if the broadcast is collapsing under its own weight.

 

Ralph:

"Enjoy your precious pay-per-view. WREK-TV won’t be here to hold your hand through it. We came. We cracked. We broadcasted. And maybe… if you’re lucky… we’ll bleed through again someday."

 

The WREK-TV logo lingers for one final second before the broadcast glitches violently — the screen static hits a long hard buzz… and without warning, a completely different show starts.

 

 

WREK-TV Presents: Carolina Critters — Episode 1: “Hunting the Gnaww”

 

Opening mockumentary-style theme song plays — a low-budget, banjo-heavy, swamp-explorer jingle with fast-cut footage of the Critters running through bushes, setting traps, and waving bug nets like idiots.

 

Theme Song (rough and goofy):

"When there’s somethin’ creepy in the swamp… Who ya gonna call? The Critters! The Critters! We don’t got science — but we got GUTS!" 

 

Narrator (overly serious, bad Southern accent):

"In the depths of the southern swamps, a legend lurks.They call him… Gnaww. Half beast, half nightmare, all mystery. Tonight, the Carolina Critters are gonna find him… or get hopelessly lost trying."

 

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray (grinning, fast-talking):

"Y’all heard the stories. Y’all seen the busted footage. They say there’s a big ol’ swamp monster out here tearin’ up the mud, breathin’ like a freight train, stompin’ like a Sunday preacher on payday."

 

He winks at the camera.

 

Ricky:

"Sounds like a critter just waitin’ to be caught."

 

Billy Boone Ray lets out a low grunt, steadying the cage.

 

Backwoods Billy Boone Ray (slow, deliberate):

"We gon’ catch ‘im. Swamp’s just another backyard… ‘cept wetter."

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray:

"And we done fought in wetter. I been suplexed in a hog pen, chokeslammed in a bait shop, and dropkicked into a crawfish boil — But I ain’t never backed down from no swamp beast."

 

They stomp through the swamp, setting bait traps — rusty possum cages, rope snares, a plastic kiddie pool filled with beef jerky and shiny objects "monsters like." They argue about directions and what Gnaww eats like they’re experts. Ricky swears he’s reading the mud right. Billy just follows like a silent tank.

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray (squinting at the ground):

"See them prints? Big. Deep.

Swamp’s still suckin’ ‘em in — that’s fresh."

 

Quick shots of the Critters bickering while setting up an overly complicated trap made from string, soda cans, and a falling branch.

 

Backwoods Billy Boone Ray (deadpan, patting the trap):

"Swamp monster’s as good as caught.

I call this one the Billy Bunker."

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray (grinning wildly):

"Gnaww ain’t ready for Appalachian science!"

 

Throughout the episode, subtle background audio builds — faint, heavy breathing, soft footfalls, and shifting foliage. Gnaww is watching them the entire time.

 

The Critters miss every clue. Ricky gets close to a tree covered in claw marks but talks himself into thinking it’s just a gator scratch.

 

Ricky:

"Them’s just swamp squirrels. Big’uns. Aggressive breeders. Real mean scratchers."

 

Gnaww’s silhouette crosses behind them in the distance. A branch snaps. Billy pauses. Listens.

 

Shrugs and keeps walking.

 

They set up a rickety trail cam. Later, they review the footage. On playback, Gnaww steps directly into frame — looming, breathing, mud dripping — but the Critters miss it entirely.

 

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray (pointing at the screen):

"Look! Right there! That’s…

…Nothin’. Dang camera picked up a deer."

 

It’s clearly not a deer. It’s Gnaww. He’s watching them — but the Critters wave it off.

Backwoods Billy Boone Ray (chuckling):

"Ol’ Ricky scared of deer now. Musta been a big one."

 

They pack up, laughing about how they’re "gettin’ closer" next time. As they walk away, the camera lingers on the swamp. Gnaww’s breathing fades in — loud, deep, terrifying.

 

Gnaww’s shadow slowly rises from the nearby water’s edge.He’s been tracking them the entire time. And he’s getting closer.

 

Rowdy Ricky Ray (off-screen):

"We’ll catch that critter next week, y’all!

You can’t catch what you can’t hold — but we hold everything!"

 

The theme song kicks in again over footage of the Critters stuck in a bush together.

 

"The Critters! The Critters!

They hunt what you don’t wanna find!" 

 

Cut to black. Static. WREK-TV bumper pulses: "Stay Wrecked."

 

 

The screen glitches out of the Critters episode. The WREK-TV logo slams on.

 

The feed steadies into the WREK WREVIEW studio — a ramshackle desk, crooked posters on the wall, loose cables snaking across the floor.

 

 

Milo Rivers sits front and center, papers everywhere, headset half-off.

 

 

Viper Graves leans back lazily with his boots on the table, spinning a coin idly between his fingers.

 

 

Milo Rivers:

"Okay, so here’s where we’re at:

Gnaww? He’s real. The Critters are hunting him — badly. Ralph Silva owns WREK-TV. Blood Hour Radio’s thriving under his booking. He’s got more power than he knows what to do with, but he owes a big debt to Vernon Gravewater."

 

Viper spins the coin a little faster.

 

Milo Rivers:

"Aztec’s… Aztec’s being weird. He’s…

I mean, he’s fine. Everything’s fine. No issues. He’s totally fine."

 

Viper side-eyes Milo, skeptical.

 

Viper Graves:

"Funny, ‘cause I heard Aztec’s been showin’ up places he shouldn’t. Heard he’s been talking to people he’s not supposed to. Heard some say he’s walking like somebody else these days."

 

Milo’s hand tightens on his notes.

 

Milo Rivers (deadpan, too quick):

"Nope. No crossover. No bleed. No kayfabe break. Totally normal. Just Aztec doing Aztec things. Nobody’s playing him. Certainly not me. I definitely don’t log into TDA as him nightly. Absolutely not."

 

Viper grins like he knows, but lets it slide.

 

Viper Graves:

"Sure thing, kid. You keep walkin’ that tightrope. But here’s the kicker… you better hold tight to your mask, Milo. ‘Cause I think somebody’s gonna pull it off eventually."

 

Suddenly — the studio lights flicker. The coin Viper was spinning clatters to the table and rolls slowly to a stop.

 

Viper glances to the corner of the room where a faint outline of Grinn is just barely visible — half there, half not.

Smirk’s low laugh briefly cuts through the feed before fading.

Venin’s voice echoes faintly: "We’re still watchin’ you, Viper."

 

Viper Graves (eye twitching, trying to play it cool):

"…Anyway. Critters are in over their heads. Gnaww’s gettin’ closer. Blood Hour’s booked solid. Ralph’s riding high — like the king of the broken signals."

 

Viper’s voice strains slightly as the shadows shift again. He pushes the coin off the table like it means nothing, but his fingers tremble.

 

Milo Rivers (blissfully ignoring the hauntings):

"Ralph’s having the time of his life, right? He’s the big boss now. Head booker, new station owner, king of the feed! Just one tiny, itty-bitty, not-so-little thing though…"

 

Milo’s grin sharpens.

 

Milo Rivers:

"He still owes Vernon Gravewater."

 

Viper taps his temple, leans back in his chair like the weight’s creeping in again.

 

Viper Graves (whispering, to himself):

"Yeah… yeah he does. And with the Gravewaters, debt always comes due."

 

The lights flicker again. Smirk’s laugh echoes faintly one more time.

 

Viper Graves (snapping back, forcing a grin):

"That’s all for tonight, folks.

Stay wrecked."

 

The WREK-TV logo glitches hard back onto the screen. The feed distorts into static.

 

 

WREK-TV Backstage Segment: "Keep the Demons Away"

 

The screen flickers in and out of static before stabilizing on a quiet, swamp-side shack.

It’s late. Crickets chirp. The fog rolls thick around the Carolina trees.

Inside, Whiskey Bishop tunes his weathered guitar, sitting by an old crackling radio that occasionally spits out garbled WREK-TV broadcasts.

 

Footsteps approach. Viper Graves steps into frame, hands in his pockets, hat low, haunted but still carrying that forced grin.

 

Whiskey Bishop (without looking up, dryly):

"Y’ain’t just here for the music, are ya?"

 

Viper Graves (calm, but cracked at the edges):

"I’m always here for the music, Whiskey.

Besides… you keep the right songs playin’ —

the shadows stay where they belong."

 

Whiskey strums a low, bluesy chord that almost covers a faint, faraway laugh — Grinn’s voice, bleeding in from nowhere.

 

Whiskey Bishop (quietly, half-serious):

"You know they’re followin’ you again.

I can hear ‘em. Grinn. Smirk. Venin. They don’t let go easy."

 

Viper Graves (grinning tight, flicking a coin into the air):

"Yeah, well… that’s why I need the music."

 

Viper leans against the doorframe, watching the radio static sputter and shift as if it’s breathing.

 

Viper Graves (lowering his voice):

"The kid’s been askin’ questions. Milo.

‘Bout why he can still broadcast with me on WREK WREVIEW while he’s playin’ as Aztec in TDA. 'Bout how he can exist in two feeds at once."

 

Whiskey plays a slow, dragging chord, letting it hang in the air.

 

Whiskey Bishop (flatly):

"Ain’t that a dangerous kinda bleed?"

 

Viper Graves (grinning wider, but his eye twitches):

"Oh, it's a bad bleed. But WREK-TV ain’t like other signals. It crawls through cracks. It doesn’t care about doors, borders, or timelines. If you can hold the feed… you can broadcast from wherever you are."

 

The radio sputters. Gnaww’s breathing creeps in — faint, low, almost imperceptible — before Whiskey cuts it off with a sharp chord.

 

Viper Graves (tapping the radio):

"Milo can’t break kayfabe in TDA — but he can still talk to me here. He’s the kid. He’s Aztec. He’s whatever the feed lets him be."

 

He lowers his voice.

 

Viper:

"But the bleed’s gettin’ worse.

I think the Gravewaters are pullin’ at the cracks. I think the Critters stirred somethin’ they weren’t supposed to find."

 

Whiskey tightens a guitar string, now fully serious.

 

Whiskey Bishop (dead calm):

"Then you’re gonna need me playin’ regular.

Keep the swamp noises out.

Keep the voices low.

Keep the demons away."

 

Viper Graves (softly):

"Yeah. Yeah, I will.

Play loud, Whiskey.

Play ‘til your fingers bleed."

 

Viper steps back into the fog, his silhouette flickering briefly as Grinn’s distant laughter trails him like smoke.

 

Whiskey starts playing a slow, haunting blues riff as the radio stabilizes briefly into WREK-TV’s feed — a jumbled whisper of Aztec’s voice overlapping Milo’s stats.

 

Fade out to black. WREK-TV bumper pulses: "Stay Wrecked."

 

 

JULY 6, 2025

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

ARENA MÉXICO

 

 

Fireworks go off as Elbow "Good Blood Mexico City" plays to a lively, dancing crowd. The arena carries enough energy to power the city itself. Much of the crowd has spilled in from the parade. For them the night carries on, and the thrill of experiencing an event of this magnitude surges through Mexico. Waves of cheers and excitement burst from the stands; the crowd screams “here I am,” proudly displaying the colors of one of the world’s most iconic wrestling federations.

 

Simon Apple (OC): HOME OF THE FABLED CMLL, A TOUCHSTONE IN LUCHA LIBRE HISTORY, WE ARE HERE IN BEAUTIFUL, ICONIC ARENA MÉXICO AND WE'RE READY TO PAINT THE CITY RED! DON'T ADJUST YOUR SETS, DON'T CHANGE THAT SUNDIAL, AND IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH THEN I HOPE YOU'RE WATCHING WITH A LOVED ONE OR A BARF BAG, BECAUSE TODAY'S ALL ABOUT THAT BLOOD. I AM YOUR NEWLY CHRISTENED LEAD ANNOUNCER, SIMON APPLE, HERE WITH BALL OF SUNSHINE KENDRA MAVIS AND OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ANNOUNCING TEAM MARCUS DONOVAN!

 

 

Simon: That's right, after 10 years behind this desk, Colin McRae has stepped up and accepted the role of General Manager. This is our first show under his auspices following Elisa Mae He's fall from grace, and I am honored and humbled to be taking his seat. 

 

 

Kendra: (scoff) Pfft. "Honored and humbled" my ass. I believe your first words here were "I thought I'd be lead." Just another example of a mediocre white boy jumping the line. 

 

Simon: Of course, it's not without some controversy.

 

Kendra: Which is a WASPY way to say "it's some bullshit." But y'know what? It's freeing in some way. Cause I was trying to be all buttoned up and make myself presentable to be considered for the role, and it was a waste of my damn time. So now I can say what I really want to say.

 

Simon: Which is what, exactly?

 

Kendra: That SM Heartbreaker is right. Y'all are a bunch o' damn freaks, jokers, and clowns. The only thing that makes our new Madness Roster so much better is that Frequency is a literal clown car, but I'm regretting not taking the opportunity to join Kruel when it was still a thing. Oh well, Marcus, you'll learn in time. 

 

 

Marcus: Damn, what did I step into?

 

Simon: Ah, don't listen to Kendra's ranting, she's in her bitter phase. 

 

Kendra: Says the man who benefitted from my loss. You gonna make a period joke while you're at it?

 

Simon: (flustered) ANYWAY! We're about to get knee-deep in blood, I hope the front rows brought ponchos. 

 

Kendra: WOW. WOW.

 

Simon: Not pon- like- good lord.  Our brand new show Frequency is going to be heading to California on the 9th, and some of their new stars are making a stop along the way because the opportunity to take some blood couldn't be passed up. 

 

Marcus: Actually that's a good point, I'm looking at the lineup and a bunch of title matches have people from Frequency in them. What happens if they win? 

 

Simon: Then I assume Alastor takes them and does with them what he did with the Mania Belt, and what I assume he'll do with the US Belt. But, from those ashes we have a new top championship that is going to replace what is now the Infernal Crown. 

 

Kendra: A lot of our budget's gonna go to replacing belts that Alastor's jacking from us. 

 

Simon: I dunno, I think most of them are probably safe.

 

Kendra: (dismissive chuckle) Oh yeah sure, after all it's just Elijah and Gil-

 

That crimson red washing over the arena amid lights and screens shines brightly among the euphoric fans, who are dressed like those they admire and came to witness tonight. But the celebration is suddenly interrupted. The titantron screen crackles to life with a loud static.

 

 

The screen lights up and reveals a shadowy figure standing before the camera. He wears a wartime oxygen mask—the kind that instills fear. Even more so because of how worn it is. A dim light bulb faintly illuminates the room he stands in. The walls are visible; moldy and corroded. Weathered by time—as if it were part of an abandoned house. The paint is peeling, exposing the aged wood beneath. The figure maintains a swaying posture, head tilted to one side. Disturbingly eerie.

 

 

The screen suddenly flickers with static and interference. The figure moves in a way… almost demonic. As if possessed. All of this happens within seconds. Then the shot stabilizes, but something has changed. The mask is now broken… as if some beast had clawed directly at the face of the person who once wore it. And the walls… thick vines hang from them.

 

 

The lamp’s bulb begins to flicker. Something is approaching. It can’t be seen, but even the people present can feel it. The greatest fears of all are summoned just by the atmosphere that has now taken shape. And so, the figure begins to speak.

 

Unknown: Fear… —he whispers with a hoarse voice, distorted by the echo created inside the mask— It was our first emotion as human beings. Ours? —he asks himself, tilting his head in doubt— Are we human? Do we feel what the rest feel? —he lets out a muffled laugh, as if trying to express irony— Fear is capable of many things. It makes us strong. Believe it or not, skeptics! Fear reveals our true strength. Our true nature. But… why do we feel fear? Doesn’t it paralyze us? Isn’t fear just a lack of confidence? How does it make us strong? —he asks rapidly, barely pausing between questions— You may wonder… The answer is simple. Because we’re weak. Human history has proven something: when we tried to be “logical,” we became weak. We feared darkness, we feared animals, we feared the Jungle, we feared the cold… and what came of that? Thanks to the fear of darkness, fire was discovered. Thanks to the fear of animals, weapons were invented. Thanks to the fear of the cold, shelters were discovered and created… —he pauses— But… what about the Jungle? Many entered it seeking answers; few made it out alive. Few found what they were looking for; all suffered a hell inside.

 

A loud burst of laughter is heard. The room begins to shake, the bulb flickers rapidly, as if everything on the other side of the screen were collapsing. Distortions return to the titantron for a few moments until everything stabilizes once again. The person removes the mask, revealing their identity.

 

 

The lamp’s bulb begins to flicker. Something is approaching. It can’t be seen, but even the people present can feel it. The greatest fears of all are summoned just by the atmosphere that has now taken shape. And so, the figure begins to speak.

 

Unknown: Fear… —he whispers with a hoarse voice, distorted by the echo created inside the mask— It was our first emotion as human beings. Ours? —he asks himself, tilting his head in doubt— Are we human? Do we feel what the rest feel? —he lets out a muffled laugh, as if trying to express irony— Fear is capable of many things. It makes us strong. Believe it or not, skeptics! Fear reveals our true strength. Our true nature. But… why do we feel fear? Doesn’t it paralyze us? Isn’t fear just a lack of confidence? How does it make us strong? —he asks rapidly, barely pausing between questions— You may wonder… The answer is simple. Because we’re weak. Human history has proven something: when we tried to be “logical,” we became weak. We feared darkness, we feared animals, we feared the Jungle, we feared the cold… and what came of that? Thanks to the fear of darkness, fire was discovered. Thanks to the fear of animals, weapons were invented. Thanks to the fear of the cold, shelters were discovered and created… —he pauses— But… what about the Jungle? Many entered it seeking answers; few made it out alive. Few found what they were looking for; all suffered a hell inside.

 

A loud burst of laughter is heard. The room begins to shake, the bulb flickers rapidly, as if everything on the other side of the screen were collapsing. Distortions return to the titantron for a few moments until everything stabilizes once again. The person removes the mask, revealing their identity.

 

 

Kendra: You think he's looking for a Queen? A bit of Lady Macbeth?

 

Simon: Somehow I get the sense that he's more of a harem type. 

 

Marcus: And he's gonna be going up against one of the National Heroes, so he might not look as hot on the other side of that.

 

Simon: Thank you for reminding us Marcus that we're here to see some fights, not get Kendra set up with royalty. We've got a hell of a card and a rabid fan base, and while the venting a little bit has given an opportunity for the River of Blood to fill into our arena for our first two matches, I'm sure you all want to see some action, right??

 

The crowd shouts a roaring approval. 

 

Simon: Then let's start big with a title match. 

 

 

Ash: The following contest is a Rivers of Blood Match and it is for the Eurasian Title! The only way to win is to hold your opponent under the River of Blood for 10 seconds!

 

The arena goes black. The video screen flickers to life, bathed in a smoky amber glow.

 

Folklore silhouettes begin to emerge on screen—first the gaunt, shadowy form of the Douen, dancing backward through a jungle mist… then the hulking figure of Papa Bois, horns and bark-skin merging with the trees… followed by the beastly snarl of the Lagahoo, its glowing red eyes cutting through darkness.

 

Kendra Mavis:

“You know what, I'd be perfectly fine if Elijah takes the title back to his swamp or whatever and just sank it.”

 

📺 The visuals slow. The screen holds for a moment… then fades to black—

🕯️ A single spotlight beams down at the top of the ramp, where The Midnight Robber flashes across the screen in a sharp burst of lightning. The crowd gasps—

 

 

Elijah enters with book in hand shouting " It's time to tell a story!" Part of the crowd pops.

 

Ash: First! The challenger - from Trinidad and Tobago but comported of the legends of his ancestors and embodying the spirit of Anansi, he stands at 6 foot 2, weighing in at 248 pounds, the Cryptic One - ELIJAH!

 

 

The Lights flicker, fog surrounds the arena and then the lights go out.  As the fans wait with anticipation the lights flicker once and come back on with Aggie standing in the center of the ring.

 

 

Ash: AND THE CHAMPION! Weighing in at 310 pounds, and standing at 6 foot 11, no one knows where he comes from but he currently rules the Underworld, the EURASIAN CHAMPION, AGGIE THE CLOWN PRINCE OF HELL!

 

As he raises his hands up and thrusts them down one electrical bolt flashes across the upper part of the arena and he laughs demonically staring across the ring.

 

The bell rings!

 

Simon: Baptized in Blood is now officially underway, a mysterious, spooky kind of creepy versus a frenetic, chaotic kind of creepy for the Eurasian Title, a decision of whether the belt survives or becomes molded in Alastor's image.

 

Marcus: Circling with intensity, hunger, both coiled and ready to devour but neither keen to make the first strike. 

 

Kendra: All the freaks and clowns in Frequency and we get the one clown that's our own. 

 

Simon: Eli comes charging with the Sling Blade and Aggie evades, leads Eli over the rope and onto the apron, going to push Eli down into the drink-

 

Marcus: Eli holding onto the rope, knee to the face of Aggie, over the rope and a sunset flip powerbomb! He just bent an almost 7 foot man like a hospital bed. 

 

Simon: Eli's usually the big man in the ring but Aggie's got 62 pounds and almost a foot on him. A truly imposing figure. 

 

Kendra: Eli like a python, circling and looking for that precise moment, taking himself off the rope and Aggie gets the legs slingshot into the ropes and a backbreaker! Listen to that laugh, take it in, that's a perfect representation of the insanity that one has to endure on a daily basis. Aggie doing unintentional performance art.

 

Marcus: Aggie lifts Eli up by the throat and is just choking the spirit out of him! That's one way to perform an exorcism!

 

Simon: Eli trying unsuccessfully to punch at Aggie, Aggie holding him past an arm's length and Eli deciding now to conserve his energy and not flail as Aggie carries him to the edge.

 

Kendra: That's right, submit to the despair of the world and realize that your fake gods won't save you.

 

Marcus: I don't think that's Eli's play here somehow, I have hope that he'll bounce back from this.

 

Kendra: You're cute. Not in a hit me up way, in a hyper-6-year-old-will-adopt-you-from-a-cat-cafe way. 

 

Simon: Aggie gets Eli over to the edge AND ELI STARTS TO FLAIL! ELI SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE!

 

Marcus: Told you!

 

Simon: Eli locks his feet on the second rope, Bulldog! Laga-HOOOHOOHOO! The crowd comes alive.

 

Marcus: I think they want a story!

 

Kendra: Once upon a time there was an idiot who fashioned himself a Shaman. That idiot drowned in blood. The end. 

 

Simon: What they're getting is some cryptic stomps. Eli not employing a ton of speed here, but he is keeping constant and consistent motion as he takes a tour around the Isle of Aggie, coming ashore at various ports of the body with those boots. Eli scoops him up and rattles him with a bodyslam. Eli's method of destruction is more methodical and more cunning than Aggie.

 

Kendra: That's gonna mean jack and shit when Aggie gets to his feet. Chess is fine when your opponent is playing checkers, but can't beat an opponent who's playing with firecrackers. 

 

Marcus: Eli's just gotta keep Aggie on his back as much as possible and then roll him into the blood river. If you prevent him from getting up then you keep the chaos at bay.

 

Simon: And Eli keeping him at bay, gets in a half nelson, keeping Aggie to the mat. 

 

Kendra: These people came to see blood! The whole point of this damn card was to not be this slow boring-ass nonsense. Someone cut someone. 

 

Simon: Aggie trying to pull at the face of Eli now, trying to claw at him, I think he might agree with you, Eli starting to see that this hold has an expiration date lifting up and a half nelson suplex but Aggie rolls back to his feet quickly and a superkick, no Eli ducks it, Eli spinning around for lariat and Aggie evades, catches Eli into a sidewalk slam! Gets him into the corner and blasting Eli with those sharp elbows! Now we're starting to see a little crimson. You happy, Kendra?

 

Kendra: That depends - You givin' up your seat, Simon?

 

Marcus: WHOA ELI DUCKS AND EXPLODER SUPLEX! HE SENDS AGGIE OVER AND ONTO THE APRON! ELI SMASHES AGGIE'S HEAD ON THE POST AND AGGIE'S IN THE DRINK!! Eli holding his head down into-

 

1!

2!

3!

 

Simon: Aggie like a shark smelling blood, drives Eli into the apron, holding the head of Eli down into the crimson-

 

1!

2!

 

Kendra: Eli up for air and throwing some fists on Aggie but Aggie gets a hold of his hair and down he goes for seconds. Aggie may call himself a clown but he fights like a killer, more Pennywise than Bozo, and I'm here for it. 

 

11

2!

3!

 

Simon: Eli's having a hell of a time down there.

 

4!

5!

 

Marcus: And Elijah is up feet first, there's that Huracanrana!! Aggie goes swimming!!

 

1!

2!

3!

 

Simon: And we saw on the first episode of Frequency that Elisa Mae's plan to leave Eli and a number of other people off the draft roster and out of the eyes of Alastor did not pan out, and Alastor has ordered Eros to reach out to Eli and a few others. 

 

4!

5!

6!

 

Kendra: You know, Elisa Mae was unfairly maligned.

 

Simon: Are you kidding me?

 

7!

8!

 

Kendra: Had it worked, Eli, Gilberto, we'd have had a bunch of these power hitters to lead our division. Justice for Elisa Mae.

 

Simon: Aggie is back to his feet. Eli doesn't clear the bar just yet.

 

Marcus: I wouldn't sleep on Aggie just yet. Hell, I wouldn't sleep because of Aggie. 

 

Simon: The two of them, just slugging it out in the blood, the blood sloshing around them as they throw punch by punch. Boot by Aggie, the blood just splashing around him! Eli comes around up to the back of him and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Eli digs back into the mix and instinctively feels the presence of Aggie, scoops him into a bodyslam right back in!

 

Marcus: He's guided by Anansi! 

 

Kendra: You really buy into all that? Corny. 

 

Marcus: It's not what I believe, it's what he believes and what they believe. 

 

Kendra: Truly corny. 

 

Simon: Eli going up to the apron, Aggie getting to his feet, Eli going for the Duppy Rise AGGIE CATCHES HIM IN THE LAST LAUGH AND BRINGS ELI INTO THE RIVER!

 

Kendra: And that's what belief gets you.

 

1!

2!

3!

 

Simon: You gotta imagine that holding Eli's mouth open under there is making this all so much worse for him.

 

Marcus: He's going to drown! Call it off!

 

4!

5!

6!

 

Kendra: Glug-glug, bitch.

 

7!

8!

 

Simon: If Elijah does go to Frequency, he may well be going empty-handed. 

 

9!

 

Kendra: Hey Eli, I've got a story for you, six words.

 

10!

 

Kendra: Cryptic Eli. Eurasian Title. Never Won.

 

Aggie the Clown Prince of Hell wins by 10 Count!

 

 

Ash: Here is your winner, and STILL Eurasian Champion, AGGIE THE CLOWN PRINCE OF HELL!!!

 

Marcus: Now pull Eli out!

 

Simon: Aggie and Eli setting the pace for the rest of this card, and we're actually going to be keeping the blood out here as we're about to have a Blood Bath Tag Team Battle Royal - basically your team goes in the drink, you're out. 

 

Kendra: Which would have been the theme for Sink or Swim. Damn, front office, you're messy. 

 

Ash: The following is a 20-Team Blood Bath Battle Royal! The only way to be eliminated is to go through the ropes into the Blood River. The first 10 teams will enter at the same time. Once both members of a team are eliminated, the next team will enter by drawbridge and so on until 19 teams have been fully eliminated, at which time the winning team will gain a Tag Title Match at The Boom in August!

 

Simon: So there's no top rope requirement here, we're playing by Floor is Lava/Frogger rules. 

 

Marcus: And I recognize some of these teams, I was an alternate interviewer over at Gung Ho and as I was leaving for here I saw that they're recruiting former W2 contestants to build their roster up, so it'll be cool to see what happens down there. But no idea on the order or what's going to happen when, I love rumbles, they're so exciting!

 

Kendra: Let's bring out the first 10 teams! They're gonna come Parade style, which is good because sitting through 10 full tag entrances before the bell even rings would make me throw myself in the blood river face down.

 

 

Simon: One of these days Le Lutteur will be allowed to just do a regular tag match.

 

Kendra: They are okay at rumbles and other matches where you have to be contained in a box. 

 

 

Marcus: Bauro and Betero. I am not entirely sure which is which?

 

Kendra: It doesn't matter because they're gonna be Bathing and Bathing in short order.

 

 

The audience yells "X-TREME!" 

 

Marcus: I've been watching old Scythe Society Matches, and these were the two I was always most excited by.

 

Kendra: Call me when Jared gets here.

 

 

Marcus: The Anti-System coming out as a unit, I wonder which two are going into the ring.

 

Simon: When it's a tag situation it's always Luis and Alessia. And I know Saber has "business" to take care of today. Whatever that means.

 

 

Marcus: This is a new team from Brazil, and this is a hell of a way to make a debut. It's gonna be a literal baptism.

 

 

Simon: Two of the most well-loved competitors from the WOW Days, Randi Rah Rah and Tiki Chamorro on their head seem like an odd pairing, but their infectious energy is just going to feed off each other.

 

Kendra: I can't wait to see AM Brooks get her hooks into them and break everyone's hearts.

 

Marcus: I think they're too pure for that.

 

 

Simon: This sibling team is named after the two who were instrumental in the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina, an area created to give love and independence and autonomy to people of color. 

 

Marcus: Real talk, I had family who benefited from that, many many generations ago, so I'm really touched to see this.

 

Simon: It does also work in other ways, as they make their opponents...well, Dismal.

 

 

Simon: Lottie Axo was a W2 fighter who recently signed a deal with a federation based around this area, but while waiting to get herself off the ground there, it's good to see her back at MAWL here. 

 

Kendra: The fact that they teamed her with Capybara means that they fairly see her as a sideshow attraction.

 

 

Kendra: On sideshow attractions, these two debuted here in the gauntlet for the Danger Room Match, and then the Danger Room proper where they honestly did decently. 

 

 

Simon: And finally the Magic Bus! 

 

Marcus: The Who?

 

Simon: That's where the name comes from, yes.

 

Kendra: Boo. Boo this man.

 

The bell rings!

 

Simon: How would you handle this match?

 

Kendra: A new team doesn't come until a team is completely eliminated, right? So I would eliminate half of a bunch of teams to make sure it doesn't get to 20 people.

 

Marcus: Dante draws first blood, and it's an enziguiri to Betero! Capybara charges Dante and Dante sends him into the ocean with a huracanrana! Dude's showin' up from jump! 

 

Capybara is eliminated by Dante Savage!

 

Simon: 1 down already and the match is only 2 moves in. And you're not wrong, Marcus, Dante showing his pedigree from the start. Lottie left alone by Cap but unafraid and takes Tiki down with a floatover snapmare. 

 

Marcus: Fabulous Steve goes for an elbow drop to counter Tiki, but she does a disappearing act of her own! He misses and a low dropkick!

 

Kendra: I'm tellin' you, it would be smart for AM Brooks to look at Tiki as a potential ally, girl's got moves.

 

Simon: Renaud waiting for Lottie to be cleared and picture perfect running elbow to her. 

 

Marcus: That's why they call him the Master of Precision. He attempts to dump Bauro but Bauro ducks and charges himself with a boot over to Venus Dismal to get her out OH SHE GRABS HIS WAIST AS SHE GOES OVER AND THEY BOTH ARE OUTTA HERE!

 

Venus Dismal and Bauro Ieremia eliminate each other!

 

Simon: Guess they were on Bauro'd time.

 

Kendra: Get out.

 

Simon: Gut punch combo by Alessia Romano to Marion Bartoli, as Dante Rivera hits the Mysterious Steve with a chop that caused glitter to fly out! Fabulous Matt and Lottie Axo with the Irish Whip to Tiki, Tiki ducks into a log roll taking them off their feet! That's smart playing!

 

Kendra: When you can only reach the knees gotta do what you can.

 

Marcus: Randi Rah Rah taking the high road, cartwheels over Tiki and big dropkick to Rose N Kratz! The jock/theater kid rivalry continues! Lottie to her feet now with a sweep kick to Dante Rivera, Marion with a Regal Throw to Betero Ieremia! Utter madness in this ring!

 

Kendra: Madness?? THIS! IS! SPAAARTA! Now come over here so I can kick you into the blood river.

 

Simon: Gil with a brutal forearm shot to the head of Marion Bartoli shaking him a tad bit. Lottie enlisting Rose now to attack Tiki, they toss her up and Tiki comes down with a face punch to each! 

 

Marcus: What does Lottie Axo have against Tiki Chamorro??

 

Simon: I don't know but she's trying to enlist Victoria Scythe now in this mission, Victoria Scythe gets Lottie jumping, they're jumping together preparing for an attack VICTORIA DROPS HER WITH THE QUEEN CUTTER! 

 

Marcus: So that's a no then. 

 

Kendra: Look, I don't blame her, Tiki's outfoxed both of Lottie's double teams so far, I wouldn't throw my name in with that either.

 

Simon: Randi coming in with a cartwheel, going for the knee drop to Lottie, trying to tell her to stop messing with her partner, Lottie evades with a roll and now a knee to Randi's midsection!

 

Marcus: She got up quick but she's holdin' her neck. 

 

Kendra: I love it when people point out targets to their enemies. Betero coming to take advantage, getting her up into a powerbomb, wait what is happening here it looks like Randi and Deusa each grabbing a leg of Betero and just suddenly made this a whole lot more dangerous for Lottie, oh this is going to be a hell of a HURACANRANA BY LOTTIE SHE JUST TOSSED BETERO CLEAR ACROSS THE RING WITH THAT HURACANRANA AND BETERO'S MOMENTUM TAKES HIM INTO THE RIVER!

 

Marcus: You did say that the Ieremia brothers would be taking a bath and you were right.

 

Kendra: You're gonna learn real quick that I'm always right.

 

Bauro Ieremia is eliminated by Lottie Axo (with assistance by Randi Rah Rah and Deusa Fletcha)! Ieremia Brothers are out!

 

Simon: That's our first full team gone, let's see who comes into the fray next.

 

 

Simon: Straight out of New Jersey, here come Da Mean Valentinos, or DMV. 

 

Kendra: Aw yeah. These are my pick to win of everyone here. Two sisters with Golden Glove level training and a mean streak dirtier than Simon's pants, did decently for themselves in the W2 a while back.

 

Simon: Not the only fighting Italian in the ring, as Alessia Romano hits Scythe with a chop. Luis Diaz and Marion Bartoli with a humongous Back Body Drop to Rose N Kratz, you can hear her back hit the mat in the cheap seats. Newcomer Ubirajara has Jack Dismal up and two handed choke bomb!! 

 

Kendra: The Fabulous Matt spreading his fabulousness everywhere as he beautifies Lottie's eyes.

 

Marcus: You mean glitters them.

 

Kendra: That's what I said. 

 

Simon: Lottie trying to get the glitter out of her eyes and takes a forearm shot to the face from Matt, Luis Diaz follows up with a knee to her face. Renaud with a punch combo to Chiara Valentina on the ropes and trying to dump her but she stomps on his foot and gets herself disentangled. Alessia gets Rose up in that guerilla press....WHOA AND THE FRONT SLAM! SHE JUST DROPPED THE CURTAIN ON HER!

 

Kendra: Shakespeare's Tragedies are always better.

 

Simon: Dante going for the spin kick on the Mysterious Steve, Steve ducks and elbow to the back of Dante Rivera, Steve keeps his momentum going and BRUTALIZING spinebuster to Lottie Axo! Randi Rah Rah going for a run at Romano, Romano FLATTENS her with that Flpajack! Trying to push her into the river with her foot but Randi able to wrap herself around that bottom rope. 

 

Marcus: She's like a little cheerleader koala! AND WHOA VICTORIA SCYTHE JUST LAUNCHED BY JACK DISMAL OUT OF THIS ONE!

 

Victoria Scythe is eliminated by Jack Dismal!

 

Simon: And Dismal attempts it with Lottie Axo but she catches herself again and holds on.

 

Kendra: This woman just WILL NOT GO DOWN. And she springboards herself to a forearm shot on Marion Bartoli!

 

Simon: Fabulous Matt with the high knee to Jack Dismal, out here standing on his own.

 

Marcus: Three teams at half mast, kinda what you were sayin' before, Kendra. 

 

Kendra: Exactly! As long as they can keep some degree of this, it'll keep the ring a little emptier. I'd even try to cut some other teams in half. 

 

Simon: Dismal running past Matt and a jumping bionic elbow to the head of Gil Dan Stern. 

 

Marcus: I feel like his hat must have cushioned some of that. Dismal turns around into a blasting rocket kick by Lottie Axo! And Dante Savage jumps that mess and tilt-a-whirl headscissors to Deusa Fletcha!! 

 

Kendra: Calabria with a powerful hook right to the temple of Renaud Lavillenie! Knocked the filling right out the Eclair! Deusa Fletcha back to her feet just to eat a boot by The Fabulous Matt! 

 

Simon: Tiki easily dodges a slap by Rose and slaps her back. Lottie ducks a lariat by Dismal and a double knee backbreaker!! Luis Diaz with a Black Mass Kick and Marion Bartoli's eyes may have just rolled back a little from impact! Renaud coming to the aid of his partner and Diaz wipes him clean with the Black Mass Kick too! Renaud rolling close to the edge and just BARELY stops himself from rolling into the river. Tiki tries to push him in but he punches her away and back into the ring he comes. And Marion Bartoli launches Lottie into the river with the King's Throw!

 

Lottie Axo is eliminated! Cute Aggression is out!

 

Kendra: Stupid man. One is gone and two in her place. 

 

 

Simon: High Stakes Wrestling is starting to set itself up in Vegas, so it's not a huge stretch that some of their competitors would find their way here to Mexico City. The team of Nicole Odeon and Penny R. Cade are two best friends who started as college roommates that bonded over video games and-

 

Kendra: -Are inevitably going to betray each other when one gets even a whiff more famous than the other. My money's on Odeon being the one to snap. 

 

Marcus: You are so cynical. 

 

Simon: Chiara with a quick jab to Diaz, and now she's got his attention which may not have been the wisest call. 

 

Kendra: Eh my girl don't care. She's gonna beat the hell outta this dude. See, he's scared, and he's choosing to stiff punch Dante Rivera instead, and Chiara turning her attention to the Fabulous Matt, HUGE THROAT PUNCH AND LIFTING HIM UP....KEEPING HIM VERTICAL....VERTICAL NECKBREAKER! MATT JUST GOT RUBBERNECKED! The Parkway Punisher just killed the Magic and I am. Here. For. It. Easily kicks him into the river and the Magic Bus just got sawed in half baby.

 

The Fabulous Matt is eliminated by "Parkway Punisher" Chiara Valentino!

 

Simon: Renaud with a solid German Suplex to Alessia Romano. Nicole Odeon takes the opportunity while Steve observes his partner in the river to rattle him with a kick to the back of the head and keeps the kick going to catch Marion in it as well. Solid leg control by Nicole Odeon. 

 

Marcus: Nicole's partner Penny and Deusa Fletcha trying to dump Marion Bartoli over the edge, Renaud coming to save his partner but Nicole and Deusa move out of the way just in time! Renaud accidentally dumps Marion over!

 

Marion Bartoli is eliminated by Renaud Lavillenie!

 

Marcus: Renaud is shocked!! Wait turn around and Penny and Deusa with a double boot to send Marion right after his partner!!!

 

Renaud Lavillenie is eliminated by Penny R. Cade and Deusa Fletcha! Le Lutteur is out!

 

Kendra: Gonna be a long swim back to France for those two. 

 

 

Kendra: Power Play were part of that Interfed Rumble, and apparently Alastor's newest signees. Gonna be real interesting to see what happens if they win this Madness tag title shot.

 

Simon: Gil absolutely rocks Jack Dismal with that running headbutt, but Dismal holds firm on the ropes. And Dion Lane absolutely power tossing Tiki Chamorro into the river, see ya!

 

Tiki Chamorro is eliminated by Dion Hardball Lane!

 

Kendra: Luis Diaz with a discus lariat to Ubirajara, whom I'd forgotten for a moment was in the match. Ubi to her feet with a roll and dropkick to Dante Rivera!

 

Simon: Dismal flips Steve over with that running knee. Diaz waiting for Ubi to reset and a devastating backbreaker! Huge Shining Wizard by Derek Lane to Jack Dismal! Here comes Randi Rah Rah...Cartwheel into a front dropkick on Chiara! She's the one standing for her team now and she's not taking that responsibility lightly oh wait Alessia just launched her out.

 

Kendra: Haha, you jinxed her.

 

Randi Rah Rah is eliminated by Alessia Romano! Pep Rally is out!

 

Kendra: No one's organizing a Pep Ral' now. 

 

 

Kendra: Ugh, not these two idiots again.

 

Simon: Rivera with a Tornado DDT to Nicole Odeon. You have to be very brave to even go near the ropes in a match where any way outside is an exit. Rolls right up and not missing a beat huracanrana to Romano. But Dismal waiting for him on the come up and snap powerbomb!

 

Marcus: Dismal looks up from the Powerbomb and sees a snow shoe meet him right in the nose! Would an idiot do that?

 

Kendra: Kick someone in the face with the most basic move? Yeah, probably. 

 

Simon: Dodgeball Lane running off the back of Yerb and somersault senton to Dismal! Beautiful unintentional teamwork. 

 

Kendra: Calabria taking the headbutts to the Mysterious Steve...he's gonna look like the Mystery Shack when she's done with him! And Chiara about to melt Mr. Snow with a Burning Hammer! Goddamn I love these women! Yerb rolling to the edge and out he g...NO! Barely holding firm!

 

Marcus: Rose with the arm drag sending Penny over the ropes and Penny easily keeps herself on the apron, rolling back into the ring. That's the maneuver of someone who's almost fallen off more than her share of Mega Man platforms. 

 

Simon: Diaz hitting Chiara with a lightning quick kung fu combo at the ropes and trying to get her out, nothing doing. Mysterious Steve hits an armdrag on Dodgeball. The action is steady and propulsive in the ring... Rose catches Dante into a spinning backbreaker! OH DANG CALABRIA OFF THE ROPES AND A SPINNING FLATLINER TO UBIRAJARA! SHE'S JUST BEEN RECALABRATED! 

 

Kendra: THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! AND DANTE CHARGING CHIARA, CHIARA ARM DRAG OVER THE ROPES ROUGH LANDING ON THE APRON AND he holds on.

 

Marcus: You can put the River in Rivera but it looks like you can't put Rivera in the River! Rivera holding onto that bottom rope backflip to the top rope and BLASTING Mysterious Steve with a shooting star cutter!! 

 

Simon: Penny R Cade with a spinning wheel kick to Dodgeball Lane, no he in fact dodges it! Waits for her to land and Snapmare! Chiara rakes the eyes of Dismal. Yerb attempts to take advantage of Penny being down, she rolls out of the way of his splash! And an elbow drop to the back of his head. The fans are eating it up. OH And Luis positively drops Calabria with that Kinshasa!! DID MYSTERIOUS STEVE JUST PULL A WRENCH OUT OF HIS HAT? RIGHT ACROSS THE FACE OF DODGEBALL! 

 

Kendra: If you can dodge a-

 

Marcus: Yes we know thank you.

 

Kendra: What, y'all can make references and I can't?

 

Simon: ...Fine.

 

Kendra: If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball. 

 

Marcus: Feel better?

 

Kendra: Little. 

 

Simon: Dante takes Yerb down with a huge spinebuster, continuing on the run and THERE'S THAT JUMPING KNEE SHOT TO LUIS DIAZ! DANTE RIVERA IS HARD HITTING AS HELL. Yerb getting to his feet and low sweep kick to Nicole Odeon on his way up. Rose adds a fist drop to Nicole's struggles. 

 

Marcus: Deusa Fletcha trying to pull Diaz up into a ripcord, he ducks the lariat and hammer throws her! Deusa over the ropes, bouncing on the apron, but catches herself and Diaz can't make Fletch happen. Also, did you know that Ubirajara means "Spear?"

 

Simon: I did know that why SPEAR BY UBIRAJARA AND TAKES YARP RIGHT OUT OF THIS ONE!!

 

Marcus: Yerb had been taking the upfront beating but Ubi knew there was a second one!

 

Yarp Yeti is eliminated by Ubirajara!

 

Simon: Dante Rivera positively blasting Gil Dan Stern with a huracanrana! He may well have knocked the hat clean off Gil's head with that shot! ALESSIA ROMANO CLOTHESLINES YERB OVER THE EDGE WAIT YERB HOLDING ON AND HOOKS ALESSIA UP, HE'S GOING TO TRY TO SUPLEX HER IN HOLY CRAP SHE PUSHES HER BODY DOWN AND GUILLOTINES YERB! YERB TAKES THE PLUNGE!!

 

Yerb Yeti is eliminated by Alessia Romano! The Yetis are out!

 

Marcus: It's the ignoble inverse of First to Enter, Last to Leave!

 

Kendra: Is anyone who's followed the Yetis here surprised though? They have not been able to hold it together in any of their appearances here. I think it's time for the Haberdashers to collect the hats from the Snowmen.

 

 

Simon: They call themselves "Africa Cup" because Cape Verde, where Odair Semedo is from, and Burkina Faso, where Yacouba Zongo is from, have a history of playing each other in the Africa Cup Football Tournament. Let's hope for their sakes this can be a less rivalrous situation and they can hold it together.

 

Kendra: Or, and hear me out, hope their rivalry gets the better of them and they purposely eliminate each other.

 

Simon: Diaz with a quick knee shot to Dodgeball BUT HERE COMES GIL DAN STERN WITH A CHARGING SHOULDER AND LUIS DIAZ TAKES A SPILL TO THE OUTSIDE...uses that quick martial arts agility to keep his balance and flips himself back in. Ubi with an inverted scoop slam to Steve and Steve belly flops onto the mat. Nicole Odeon rushing Alessia Romano with that huge front dropkick and Romano goes over the edge! She's in the drink! Nicole getting the crowd pumped on the ropes AND WAIT ALESSIA ROMANO POPS UP AND DRAGS HER IN WITH HER!

 

Kendra: The Drag Me to Hell play! I'm surprised this is the first we're seeing of it!

 

Nicole Odeon and Alessia Romano eliminate each other!

 

Simon: Fully half our teams are half-empty now! If even one more team gets split then we will be competing the rest of this match without the full 20, which speaks Kendra to your strategy from earlier in this.

 

Kendra: See? I told you. I'm always right. 

 

Simon: Penny looking at shock at what just happened to her partner, Jack Dismal taking this opportunity to get her out, takes the run, BACK BODY DROP BY PENNY R CADE AND JACK DISMAL IS IN THE SWAMP!

 

Jack Dismal is eliminated by Penny R. Cade! Dismal Duo is out!

 

Marcus: Jack held out in this match long as he could, dude's got nothing to be ashamed of.

 

 

Kendra: The team with the longest MAWL history in this match, and the only team here to have held a MAWL belt. 

 

Dante: These fools?

 

Kendra: They were the MAWL champs when this was still a Midwestern Promotion. And now they want another shot. Speaking of shot, Mysterious Steve just absolutely drills that crowbar into the stomach of Luis Diaz. That's my kind of magic show. 

 

Simon: Ubi going for a lariat to Norman Normal, Norman ducks and hits a back suplex on her! Rose stomps to Ubi's head! Oh she's not taking her foot off and Gil is starting to argue with her a little bit about this.

 

Marcus: I mean yeah, dude's not wrong, ya don't do that. And she's arguing back with him, oh this is just wrong now she's pulling Deusa Fletcha by the hair and choking her out on the rope, just leaning into her, what is getting into Rose? Just looking at Gil dead in the eye as she does-

 

 

Simon: What the hell is Kenneth Tuckey IX doing out here???

 

Kendra: Looks like he's giving Rose a look...they dump Gil! They dump Deusa! Kenneth Tuckey is an unexpected mid-match replacement and there's all sorts of problematic things with this. Yeah, this is too far even for me.

 

Deusa Fletcha and Gil Dan Stern are eliminated by Kenneth Tuckey IX and Rose N Kratz! Kenneth Tuckey IX will take Gil Dan Stern's place!

 

Marcus: Norman Normal just adding to the problems here, sidewalk slam to Ubi. Dante tries to deal with this and superkick to Bryce Nice, she staggers but doesn't go far.

 

Simon: Steve with a bionic elbow to Luis Diaz and I don't know how the hell he's still in this thing. Either of them. Penny tries to get Steve out of the picture and Steve ducks, lariat to the back of the head. Tuckey tries to punch Ubi, Ubi ducks and he gets Rose. Before Rose can even complain she gets a knee strike by Dodgeball.

 

Marcus: Karma sucks, don't it. Oh, and Bryce with a mid knee shot to Rivera. Karma gonna get you too. Rivera runs right past her and huracanrana to Steve oh but Hardball mows Rivera down with a shoulder tackle.

 

Kendra: Karma sucks. Don't. It.

 

Simon: Luis Diaz brings Bryce Nice down with a brutal German Suplex, while Rose turning her attentions and her attitude change over to Odair Semedo now, choking him out over the rope and trying to dump him out but Odair slides back in. Luis gives a huge knee to Norman Normal, and Norman barely saves his fedora.

 

Marcus: (flatly) Important to have priorities.

 

Simon: Odair finally getting some offense in, first with a back elbow to Penny. He nods to his partner, oh seems like there's a little friendly competition between the two, and Yacouba with a short-arm lariat to Luis Diaz that absolutely rollicks him!

 

Marcus: That escalated quickly.

 

Simon: Odair tries to powerslam Diaz but DIaz reverses into an arm drag! Looks like Yacouba wins their little game. 

 

Kendra: Calabria just ca-lobbered Dion with that headbutt.  Meanwhile Yacouba keeping his attentions on Diaz and a snap backbreaker oh HELL YEAH CALABRIA WITH THAT KNOCKOUT PUNCH TO YACOUBA and Kenneth Tuckey just pimp slaps Bryce. Guess that association's over. And Bryce sends the slap down the line to Dante Rivera. 

 

Simon: Odair with a running STO to Ubi, Dodgeball jumps over both of them and a running spin kick to Bryce Nice. Yacouba joins his teammate with that elbow drop to Ubi! NORMAN NORMAL TAKES DION OUT OF THE PICTURE WITH A HELLO NEIGHBOR!! 

 

Dion Hardball Lane is eliminated by Norman Normal!

 

Simon: Coming back around and that Wave to Mysterious Steve...HELLO NEIGHBOR!! THEY BOTH GO OVER THE ROPES, NORMAN SLAMS STEVE'S HEAD INTO THE POLE BUT STEVE HOLDS ON, STEVE SMASHES NORMAN'S HEAD INTO THE POLE BUT HE HOLDS ON HERE COMES UBIRAJIRA AND SHE DROPS THEM BOTH WITH A RUNNING DOUBLE BACK ELBOW!!

 

Norman Normal and The Mysterious Steve are eliminated by Ubirajara! The Magic Bus is out!

 

Marcus: There are no more tricks in the bag for the Magic Bus. And Yacouba Zongo boots out Derek Hardball Lane right away!!

 

Derek Dodgeball Lane is eliminated by Yacouba Zongo! Power Play is out!

 

Simon: We now have two teams to replace, here comes the first right away-

 

 

Simon: Genoveva Nilza and Idolaceo, two former W2 competitors from the Isle of São Tomé full of ego and arrogance-

 

Kendra: And the skill to back it up. 

 

 

Marcus: And the Neon Goth contingent, gotta love em. 

 

Simon: We've got 2 teams left, and only 3 and a half teams from the beginning are still represented following that sickening display by Rose N Kratz. And here we have another sickening display with Rose raking the eyes of Ubi. Idolaceo with a flexing pose and holds the flex as he runs - forearm shot to Bryce Nice! Nilza doesn't fare as well, eating a leg lariat from Rave N! 

 

Marcus: And Ubi hitting a floatover neckbreaker on Odair! Get it Queen! Reverse Atomic Drop to Calabria!

 

Simon: Dante taking a huge risk in a top rope jump, but absolutely nails that tilt-a-whirl headscissors on Genoveva Nilza! But Rave N may have Dante's number, corkscrew dropkick puts him over the edge, and Dante Rivera is saying goodnight.

 

Dante Rivera is eliminated by Rave N! X-Treme Society is out!

 

Marcus: Hell of a fight by that man and his partner, and I can't wait to see what they do next. Oh, I think Bryce might have just said something to him that doesn't fit under the category of nice and he turns back around, he pulls her out of the match! 

 

Bryce Nice is eliminated by Dante Rivera! Nice N Normal is out!

 

Kendra: The last two teams are on their way out, which means we're coming to the final stretch of this insanity, and both my girls are still in and kicking. 

 

 

Simon: I can't tell if it's respectful or problematic that Zora Luthor sent her two Latina wrestlers out for this. Either way, they're here and the complexion of this match just became a whole different one.

 

 

The crowd boos intensely.

 

Simon: I agree. What the hell is she doing out here?

 

Kendra: Hopefully saying that she's taking the reins back from Clay Aiken's left nut and giving me your seat. 

 

EM: Now, I know that I have been - unfairly, mind you - booted from my position of power. But if you think that will stop me from shaping this company, you haven't been paying attention.

 

The crowd boos. Her presence temporarily halts the match as everyone in the ring folds their arms and gives other looks of bewilderment and disapproval, this causing the fans to boo harder.

 

EM: I've decided that rather than working from the top down, I'm going to make myself known, feared, and revered on the floor, and I'm going to amass the most elite roster of talent this company has ever, EVER seen. And they won't even need to hide their shame behind animal masks.

 

The crowd boos raaaaain down. We love Balor and the gang here at MAWL and are excited about Frequency's direction.

 

EM: So with that in mind, the 20th team for this little deconstructed Kool-Aid Man of a match, the first acquisitions for E.M.Powered-

 

 

Simon: We were wondering what was going to happen with Diana Dresden as she was separated from Venom Cartel. And this is a worst case scenario.

 

Kendra: I love this for her. She didn't get a ton of chance to really play in the team sandbox. 

 

Simon: Yacouba greeting - Celeste it says she goes by - with a spinebuster. Idolaceo dumps Luis DIaz!! 

 

Luis Diaz is eliminated by Idolaceo! Anti-System is out!

 

Simon: Ubi with an Uranage to Rave N! And follows it up with a stomp! Bianca Diaz with a quick slap to Calabria, then a knee to Chiara. 

 

Kendra: Pissin' em both off, not smart. 

 

Marcus: Lenore with a dropsault to Kenny boy over there, must be hard to wrestle in that suit. Just kidding, I don't care. Celeste tries to respond to Yacouba's spinebuster with a boot, but he evades and she gets Diana instead!! Not an auspicious start for the team that's supposed to be better than Radio Silence? Really EM?

 

Kendra: Kenneth and Rose just swarming her with a stomp out now. That's not the classy you sell yourself as there. Bianca joining in on the fun now and deadlift powerslam to Diana. Damn, y'all, let a girl breathe.

 

Simon: This is what she gets for throwing her hat in with the woman who sent half the roster away with her stupidity. Lenore deviating from he pack and a spinning backhand to Odair. 

 

Kendra: Chiara also deciding to switch it up and huge right uppercut to Ubi! Go girly go!

 

Simon: Vicious Valencia Valdez going for a military press on Penny R Cade, Penny slides back into a Backstabber!! Rose comes in for a scoop slam on Diana Dresden but Dresden showing some life and Reverse DDT! 

 

Kendra: There she is! And she follows it with an arm drag to Penny. BIANCA DIAZ GERMAN SUPLEXES CALABRIA TO THE OUTSIDE - Into the drink she goes! NO!!

 

"Turnpike Terror" Calabria Valentino is eliminated by Bianca DIaz!

 

Simon: Diaz turns around and INTO THE CLAW HOLD BY RAVE N!! She calls it Masque of the Red Death!! Puts some pressure on, oh she's deciding to switch it up and hurl Diaz at Rose. Celeste from behind Rave N and a Polish Hammer to the back of the head. Valencia with a HUGE Scoop Slam to Ubi, and a huge Scoop Slam now to Penny! Genoveva scooping Penny out and launches her out of the ring and out of this match!

 

Penny R. Cade is eliminated by Genoveva Nilza! Press Start is out!

 

Kendra: Pure poetry. Rave with the Masque on Celeste now and Ubi Polish Hammers Rave off!! Maybe she's seeking a spot on the elite roster of E.M.POWERED too!!

 

Simon: Or she's just in a match with both people. Regardless, Celeste gets Rave back with that High Angle Backbreaker. Valencia and Genoveva set their sights on Chiara.

 

Kendra: No, don't do it! 

 

Simon: Throwing her off the rope, huge double back body drop sends her to the outside- Wait! She holds on! 

 

Kendra: I knew it! 

 

Simon: Going over to finish business and CHIARA LOCKS THEM BOTH IN A HEADLOCK, TRYING TO SUPLEX THEM BOTH OVER THE EDGE-

 

Kendra: You got this! I believe in you!

 

Simon: Straining, little motion of feet, AAAAAND VALENCIA AND GENOVEVA FLAPJACK HER INTO OBLIVION AND INTO THE RED! 

 

"Parkway Punisher" Chiara Valentino is eliminated by Genoveva Nilza and Vicious Valencia Valdez! DMV is out!

 

Marcus: So much for your favorites. Back to New Jersey they go.

 

Kendra: Ah well. Be an opportunist. I'm now throwing my weight behind ZLI.

 

Simon: Looks like Valdez and Nilza are also calling it off with each other, Valdez drives her down with the Vicious Cycle! And Rose with a throat punch to Lenore Usher, Valencia gets Rose from behind and Guerilla Press...ROSE IS THROWN OUTSIDE!

 

Rose N Kratz is eliminated by Vicious Valencia Valdez!

 

Marcus: And Odair Semedo sends Colonel Sanders after her!

 

Kenneth Tuckey IX is eliminated by Odair Semedo! Dinner Belles are out!

 

Marcus: And I think that does it for the bigots of the match. Odair drives Lenore Usher over his knee with that backbreaker. Ubi to the top, I don't know why people keep doing this in a match that's so easy to be taken out of, but Corkscrew 450 to Bianca Diaz!! She calls that her UB-450! 

 

Simon: Genoveva holds Diana's head and a triple European Uppercut! SPEAR BY UBIRAJARA TO LENORE! AND RAVE N BARELY CATCHES HER HAND AND PREVENTS HER FROM ROLLING OUT. Ubi gets to her feet and immediately drop toe hold by Yacouba.

 

Kendra: Celeste lining up for a spear to Genoveva - GENOVEVA MOVES AND DIANA DRESDEN HITS THE FLOOR! CELESTE JUST ACCIDENTALLY TOOK OUT HER OWN PARTNER!!

 

Diana Dresden is eliminated by Celeste!

 

Simon: Celeste can't believe what just happened! Genoveva cracking up YACOUBA BEHIND GENOVEVA AND SPINNING BACK SUPLEX! RAVE N JUST TOOK OUT CELESTE, ODAIR, AND UBI WITH THAT SPLASH!!!

 

Marcus: Odair to his feet first and scoop slams Ubi! Odair scoops up Ubi....Yacouba scoops up Celeste...stereo release bodyslams! 

 

Simon: And somehow they both survive!!

 

Kendra: Odair with the lariat to Ubi, Ubi ducks and Odair hits Yacouba! Infight!! INFIGHT!!!

 

Marcus: Bianca Diaz has it in her head she'll have a better result with Ubi, Ubi rolls out of the way and the boot hits Valdez!! Wait, Valdez lost her footing and she's out of this!

 

Vicious Valencia Valdez is eliminated by Bianca Diaz!

 

Marcus: This keeps happening and it's amazing. Ubi goes for a running clothesline to Odair and gets a taste of her own medicine, he evades and knee to her stomach! 

 

Simon: Lenore going for a running splash, Ubi gets her with the monkey flip and runs her directly into Rave N!! Bianca Diaz gets Odair by the arms and we're going for a spin....she tosses him right out of the ring!!!

 

Odair Semedo is eliminated by Bianca Diaz!

 

Kendra: From 40 we're down to our last 8. Only 2 of those are full teams. You'd think that would be an advantage but a LOT of Own Goaling has been happening this match.

 

Simon: Ubi with a series of quick punches to Lenore. Yacouba tries to boot Ubi out, she catches his leg and leg-trapped Powerbomb! Bianca taking Idolaceo for a spin in the Vicious Cycle!!!

 

Marcus: Lenore with a handstand on Nilza's shoulders... she grabs Nilza's arms into a cross and COMES DOWN WITH A DDT! ODD.D.T!!! She sends Nilza rolling to the outside!!!

 

Genoveva Nilza is eliminated by Lenore Usher!

 

Kendra: Ubi with a quick jab to Bianca, Lenore adds an Enziguiri to make it that much worse for Diaz and keeping the momentum going to hit Ubi with a knee smash and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors to Idolaceo!! Lenore Usher is a house on fire and Idol just got pushed into the ashes! 

 

Idolaceo is eliminated by Lenore Usher! Intocáveis de São Tomé are out!

 

Simon: Spear by Ubi to Rave N!!! Lenore saves her teammate once again from dipping. Celeste spears Diaz into oblivion and that'll do it for ZLI!!

 

Bianca Diaz is eliminated by Celeste! Zora Luthor Internaçional is out!

 

Marcus: Maybe don't go to Vegas, Kendra. 

 

Simon: Celeste barely wasting a breath and hits Lenore Usher with a running knee. Lenore attempts to swing back with a punch but Celeste weaves and Lenore accidentally catches Rave N! Celeste hits a Spinebuster on Yacouba and a knee shot to Rave N, Yacouba back to his feet and brutalizes Celeste with that Inverted Powerslam! Rave N following that up with a knee drop to Celeste!! 

 

Marcus: With only 5 people left, the end is very much in sight. Yacouba with a brainbuster to Lenore Usher and Celeste takes Rave N out with a powerbomb!!

 

Rave N is eliminated by Celeste!

 

Kendra: See? She knows the score. The only way to have a shot was to separate V.I.Poe early, and now she has a shot to redeem herself in the eyes of EM after accidentally eliminating her partner. She starts by launching Yacouba into the corner and foot choke!

 

Simon: Ubi clotheslines Lenore Usher over and she may have-WAIT-LENORE SUPLEXES HER INTO THE DRINK!!

 

Ubirajara is eliminated by Lenore Usher!

 

Marcus: Ubi held on to the bitter end and it was an amazing performance by her. But all that remains are Lenore Usher, Celeste, and Yacouba. Celeste continuing to work Yacouba in the corner, spreading him and taking the run back...A SHATTERED DREAMS MOMENT! Lenore looking to take advantage, but Yacouba gets himself out of peril and whips Lenore into the turnbuckle post!! 

 

Simon: Celeste trying to take advantage herself now but Lenore directs her shoulder into the post and knocks her on the apron! Celeste BARELY holding on! Finding her footing on the apron, Yacouba and Lenore both loading back, charging at her but she leapfrogs them and loads back to the rope, coming around and SPEAR!!! THEY BOTH TUMBLE OUT!!!!

 

Lenore Usher and Yacouba Zongo are eliminated by Celeste, making Celeste and E.M.Powered the winners!

 

Kendra: E.M. He's glorious return to power begins here and now. 

 

 

Ash: Here are your winners! Diana Dresden and Celeste: E! M! POWERED!

 

Kendra: You don't have to like it but you have to bow to it. E.M. He did not stay down long, and her investment may pay off come The Boom. 

 

Simon: A while back, she made a threat or a promise, depending on how you look at it, that she would take Leila's family. You have to wonder if this will sweeten the pot to lure Nova Cinder. 

 

Kendra: Nova would be wise to consider it. 

 

Simon: As we clean the environment here, let's take a look backstage. I heard there's some chaos afoot-

 

 

Tides of Time walks through the arena doors-

 

 

-When he is clobbered in the back with the face of a stone sundial. He tries to turn onto his back to get up, and the last thing he sees before taking the sundial to the face is-

 

 

OOOOOH, OOOOH

 

His feet had grown deft and agile. Years of football. Years of running, to goals and from cops. Years of climbing, over fences and to the top. 

 

OOOOOH, OOOOH

 

His torso had grown contortionist. Years of ring work, years of evading fists. Years of life on the street, years of evading searchlights and spotlights, keeping himself in the dark.

 

Momma it's a jailbreak, it's a it's a jailbreak 

 

This was in a very real sense where he found himself now. In the brush and underbrush, through the trees on the outskirts of Mexico City. He swung around a tree in time to evade the stinging fluorescence of the pair of flashlights headed in, around, past his direction. 

 

OOOOOH, OOOOH

 

In the quiet of the night, not only had he been able to hear the barking of the dogs, but also the active scanning of their nostrils, each sniff reverberating in the night sky with no animal noise to mask or counter it.

 

OOOOOH, OOOOH

 

He maintained quiet control of his breath, even manipulating the business card in his hand with enough caution that a scrape of paper could not be heard. It had been handed to him during the riot, stained in what he hoped was mud or chocolate.

 

 

Momma it's a jailbreak, it's a it's a jailbreak 

 

In his pocket, a lone cigar and match. The only belongings he took with him besides this card, which on the other side simply had "DIVERSION COMING TRUST ME" scribbled on it. He watched towards the jail hoping that the message was truthful, though he had reasons to doubt who in his mind the card had to belong to. Until this quiet moment, where he had to direct all noise inward, he had no time or space to ponder it.

 

Now I'm living in a

 

 

dream

 

Hot damn.

 

It worked. The searchlights quickly turned face towards the growing bellows of flame, and the rumbling of increasing rows of feet stomping with speed and without order away from the fire. 

 

He waited until the searchlights had gone over the hill and finally pulled out his cigar, taking a victory light.

 

 

As he headed in the direction of the city proper, he saw an increasing number of flyers that read -

 

MAWL

BAPTIZED IN BLOOD

ARENA MÉXICO

 

Perfect. He could pay a little visit. To thank his benefactor, and to give those who put him here a piece of his mind and worse. He whistled as he headed towards the arena, unconsciously and unknowingly in tune and time with the song.

 

 

The heavy security door creaks open. Fog from a busted ventilation pipe spills into the corridor. A pair of black leather boots step through—trimmed in snow-dusted fur, plates of matte steel glinting along the shins. The camera pans up to reveal Yuletide in full Christmas security detail outfit with metal warrior trim.

 

 

Across his back rests a candy cane kendo stick. A drawstring bag, worn and patched, swings from his shoulder—heavy with mysterious clinks and clatters.

 

Perched on his shoulder is a pigeon. It adjusts its footing, scanning the chaos of the arena.

Yuletide "So this is where Aztec needs me? Well a promise is a promise, and in the spirit of Christmas I cannot break my promise."

The pigeon coos twice—short, clipped, serious. It nudges Yuletide’s cheek with its beak, as if urging him forward.

Yuletide strides confidently down the hallway, nodding politely at a janitor, waving to a confused intern, and adjusting the kendo stick slung across his back.

Yuletide " I've got the wreaths, emergency cocoa rations, and a rope."

The pigeon coos, tilting its head: A rope?

Yuletide "Yes. A rope. In the movies, they’ve always got rope—and they always end up using it."

The pigeon coos again—longer this time, a sound dripping with dismissiveness. Yuletide shrugs.

Yuletide "You can mock all you want. When we’re dangling from the catwalk trying to rescue a possessed elf or escape a bloodstained maze, you’ll thank me."

 

They round a corner, as as they walk by the camera notices Sugar Cooki standing under a flickering exit sign. “Cake by the Ocean” plays faintly from her phone.

 

 

She’s holding a bag of gingerbread men with brass knuckles icing. Her curls bounce as she laughs to herself, probably about something chaotic. And then... she sees him.

Sugar Cooki freezes mid-step, mid-giggle. The gingerbread man dangles from her fingers, half-bitten, its candy button eyes staring in shared disbelief. From her perspective—time slows. “Cake by the Ocean” stretches into a dreamy syrupy echo as Yuletide strides down the hallway, illuminated by the glow of flickering fluorescent lights and destiny. His fur-lined coat sways with each confident step. The matte steel trim of his Santa Security armor gleams like holy armor forged in peppermint-scented fire. The pigeon on his shoulder might as well be wearing a tiny crown. Sugar’s gum pops in slow motion.

Yuletide, oblivious to the cinematic moment unfolding behind him, casually stops just a few feet away. He turns—only mildly startled to find someone staring at him like a holiday-themed hallucination.

Yuletide: “Oh, hello! You must be apart of this organization. I love the accessory work. That gingerbread is… frankly terrifying.”

He reaches into his Santa sack, rummaging with care and ceremony, before pulling out a pristine candy cane and a fresh gingerbread cookies and hands it to Sugar Cooki.

Yuletide: “You looked like someone who might appreciate backup. One sweet. One sentimental.”

Sugar Cooki blinks. Her jaw is ever-so-slightly unhinged. She accepts both items with the baffled grace of someone being knighted by a sugarplum paladin. She sniffs the candy cane suspiciously, then eyes the hat like it’s made of pure male delusion—and maybe, just maybe, romance.

Sugar Cooki (slowly):“…You’re real?”

The pigeon coos—a sharp, warning tone. It hops on Yuletide’s shoulder twice, clearly displeased.

Yuletide: “Don’t be rude. She seems nice.”

She exhales through her nose—something like a laugh, something like disbelief—and steps aside with a sweeping, sarcastic gesture.
But instead of letting him walk off alone, Sugar Cooki suddenly steps in, looping her arm through his with the giddy insistence of someone clinging to a hallucination she refuses to let vanish.

 

Sugar Cooki: “Nope. You’re not getting away that easy, North Pole Dreamboat. If you’re real—and I’m still not convinced—you’re coming with me. I’ll take you to the fans myself.”

Yuletide blinks, only mildly confused.

Yuletide: “That’s very kind of you. Are you always this… clingy with seasonal security personnel?”

She grins, shameless.

Sugar Cooki: “Only the ones built like peppermint tanks.”

Before they take a single step, she suddenly reaches up and gives his beard a playful tug—testing it. Her eyes widen as her fingers meet the undeniable resistance of a real beard, not a cheap velcro strap.

Sugar Cookie (whispering, awestruck): “…He’s real.”

She lets out a tiny squeal of excitement and squeezes his arm tighter, practically bouncing now. With a faint shrug and a soft jingle of bells, Yuletide allows himself to be guided forward—down the corridor, toward the public area, his candy cane kendo stick bouncing lightly against his shoulder.

Behind them, the corridor lights flicker once… twice… and then stabilize, like even the building itself is bracing for whatever’s coming next.

 

 

Simon: And now we get to the start of people actually bleeding, which is why I know you all came. It's going to begin with a match that has defined some of our title matches, including in it the team who created it. 

 

 

Kendra: About damn time, bleed for my entertainment.

 

 

Marcus: Jesus, Roman Senator over here.

 

 

Ash: The following contest is an APOTHECARY MATCH! The only way to win is to fill your gauntlet with your opponents' blood enough to tip the scales! There are no countouts, pinfalls, submissions, OR disqualifications!

 

 

Fog machine, candles and 18th century street lamps adorn the entrance way. Titantron/screen shows images of leeches, pre-20th century surgery, anatomical drawings, plus short video clips of Blackheart performing submission moves and ringing a hand bell in full plague doctor uniform. Damian walks out with Shadow in tow directly behind him.

 

 

Ash: FIRST! At a combined weight of 495 pounds, the intersection of the Silk Road of London and the ancient rituals of Japan, The Empiric Damian Blackheart and Shadow Kawashima, SPIRIT CRUSHER!

 

Simon: Right before being drafted by Frequency, Damian and Shadow had been unexpectedly bested by Los Heroes to lose the belts.

 

Kendra: Yes, and SINCE signing to Frequency they've both already found their way into the title conversation. There's been an increase in brutality between these two.

 

Marcus: If the person coming out is who I think it is, they better crank that brutality up significantly or they're gonna be flattened like-

 

The lights go completely out. The arena is filled with sounds of owls hooting and clocks ticking.

 

 

Red smiley faces show in hologram around the arena in time with the bell, alternating between Rade's mask and a neon representation of Mal Sangre's eyes and smile.

 

Simon: I didn't think this entrance could frighten me more, but somehow the addition of Mal Sangre's visage increases the terror tenfold.

 

Ann "Atomic" Lee steps out to the stage, illuminated only by the red glow in the dark mask that she removes from her face. Ash immediately holds their microphone down as they have learned by now their microphone is turned off.

 

 

Ann: And the team thought indestructible, the combination of wit and strength that deigned to intimidate with demonstrations of pain resilience, their methods studied in the annals of university as feats of unimaginable control and unbreakable will, were reduced to mere cartoon villain, outfoxed by a rooster, their weight in gold diminished by the most common of commonfolk. And so they retreated. Retreated to find fame and success in their own merit, apart from but not without each other, two allies perhaps better suited to singles' competition, on a collision course potentially towards staring across each other in the ring they swore to dominate together.

 

Kendra: Oh, she's trying to drive a wedge. That's smart. 

 

Ann: The throngs of starving masses are left with their questions. Will the butler become the master? Will the indomitable will surpass the keen mind? Will this plague rat be once again inoculated by the very weapon he honed? AND ere that fateful day comes, now you two are back in a position of co-dependence and interreliance, the last time that happened the literal and figurative rubber chicken of MAWL proved your downfall. You are not facing a chicken and a turtle today. There is no children's fable, only the lesson at the end. The lesson of sharing. 

 

Ann's voice gets more dominant, growling, and frightening. 

 

Ann: I tried to warn you, Doctor, that your hoarding of blood, your locking it away in vials (Ann pulls out a vial of blood stolen from Damian's lab - and smashes it on the floor) and centrifuges, your selfish containment would be your downfall and your undoing. You had been given an opportunity to rescind your wicked draconic ways but you chose instead to bunker away in your lab WELL YOU HAVE NO CHOICE TODAY DOCTOR BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ONE BUT TWO MEN LURKING IN YOUR SHADOWS, IN YOUR THOUGHTS, IN YOUR NIGHTMARES, AND SOON TO BE IN YOUR VEINS AS THEY SPILL EVERY LAST DROP OF YOUR SANGUINE SANCTITY INTO A HOLY GOBLET AND CONSECRATE WHAT IS LEFT OF YOU ON THE ALTAR OF YOUR OWN INCREASING IRRELEVANCE AND BREAK YOUR UNBREAKABLE EXPERIMENT (smashes another vial) AND VACCINATE MAWL AGAINST YOUR SICKNESS ALL THE HOPE SPOT POTION IN THE WORLD CAN'T STOP YOU NOW YOU SNAKE OIL SALESMAN FOR I HAVE TWO MEN COMING TO END ALL HOPE FOR YOU WITH A COMBINED WEIGHT OF 575 POUNDS AND THE FEARS, DREAMS, PAST AND INCREASINGLY SHORT FUTURE OF SPIRIT CRUSHER, THEY ARE DER BLUTSAMMLER RADE, THE VESSEL OF WRATH MAL SANGRE, THEY ARE-

 

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRABIADA SAGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIENTÉ!

 

The crowd pops loud despite themselves as the music picks back up and Rade and Mal Sangre show up on the stage-

 

 

Both men spit up a fountain of blood at the same time as they walk down the ring.

 

Marcus: Did...did she just get this crowd to cheer Rade and Mal Sangre?

 

Kendra: When you pump up, the crowd pumps up with you. They don't actually have to hear what you're saying, because they are stupid. I will say though, props to Ash for checking themselves and remembering that Ann runs the Rade show. 

 

Mal Sangre climbs up the back of Rade and jumps onto his shoulders. Rade steps over the ropes. They both spit up blood in the center of the ring, creating a rain that Ann basks in as she laughs maniacally. 

 

Simon: I will never not be bothered by how unsanitary that is.

 

The bell rings!

 

Simon: Kawashima starts with a low gravity shoulder tackle on Rade. Smart to break it up by size. Sangre sticks his fingers in Blackheart's eyes. Kawashima takes his attention off Rade to Polish Hammer Sangre off Damian, looks like they have eyes on each other after all.

 

Kendra: Except that Rade takes the opportunity for Sangre to get a beating and LAUNCHES Blackheart in the air...7 FEET UNDER CHOKESLAM!! Brilliant taking of an opening! Unfortunately for Rade, that won't do a lot in this scenario towards a win, he actually has to continue fighting.

 

Simon: He sends Kawashima away from Damian with a that big ol boot and Mal Sangre looking to take advantage of a supine Damian WHOA DAMIAN POSSUMS AND GETS SANGRE DOWN IN THAT FUJIWARA ARMBAR! 

 

Marcus: Lot harder to bleed someone if your arms are weak. Quick snap of the arm and back into the hold, Rade lifts Kawashima up by the throat, is he going 7 feet under too NO RADE TOSSES HIM AT THE BARRICADE! HE COLLAPSED THAT BARRICADE RAILING FROM INSIDE THE RING! DAMN!!

 

Simon: One of the things about a tornado situation is that you have no real control over the flow of the match, and you have to rely on your partner in a much different way than a normal tag, mostly in the way of hope. Right now both teams are in some degree of peril. Rade goes over to free Sangre and whips Damian off the rope...Mal Sangre taking a parallel run and SUICIDE DIVE TO SHADOW ON THE OUTSIDE! DAMIAN RETURNS AROUND AND TAKES THE LEAP UP, Knees and elbows in position and TABULA RASA!! HE JUST BUSTED RADE OPEN WITH THAT!!! 

 

Kendra: Quickly unscrews the vial and gets some drops...it's not a lot but he can't risk Rade getting up, out he goes to the timekeeper's table and pours the vial into the goblet. No real movement yet, but one cup has officially begun.

 

Simon: Blackheart back into the ring as Rade tries to get to his feet OH GOING FOR A RUN AND CUTTER BY BLACKHEART TO KEEP RADE DOWN! Sangre under the apron and a bat to the ribs of Kawashima. 

 

Kendra: Not going for the head was kinda dumb there. But Sangre doubles down. Rade with a headbutt to Damian, but no blood as of yet. 

 

Marcus: Shadow going for the huge chop, Mal Sangre ducks and runs Shadow into the apron! WHOA, Damian with the wrist clutch exploder suplex on Rade! He just sent out 7 feet of that man crashing on the other side of him! Damian grabs his plague mask and he tries to stab Rade in the eye with it, Rade evades and he just scratches, Rade draws a little blood with the clawed slap but not enough to get anything in a vial. Mal Sangre going for a catapult and SHADOW REVERSES INTO A JUMPING PILEDRIVER ON THE CORNER OF THE STEPS! MAL SANGRE IS BUSTED!! Ooooh he's bleeding bleeding. 

 

Kendra: Shadow's pinpoint accuracy doesn't fail! Shadow looks at the vial, looks at Mal, SMASHES THE VIAL ON MAL'S FACE AND RUNS THE GLASS DOWN! OH HELL YEAH! He's just dragging Mal over to the scale and draining him, Rade better go get his boy or this one will be over REAL soon. 

 

Simon: Rade heading over to try to rescue Mal, DAMIAN HITS HIM IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A BOARD AND NAIL! OH THAT'S BLOOD. THAT'S SO MUCH BLOOD. DAMIAN FILLS HIS VIAL AND TOSSES IT TO SHADOW, AND THAT'LL DO IT.

 

Spirit Crusher wins by blood fillage!

 

 

Ash: Here are your winners - DAMIAN BLACKHEART AND SHADOW KAWASHIMA, SPIRIT CRUSHER!!

 

Simon: Just don't challenge Spirit Crusher to an Apothecary Match. Just don't do it.

 

Kendra: Last time Sangre helped sacrifice his erstwhile brother to help Damian, but this time the cup is mostly Sangre's. I'm tellin' ya, it's not worth it to have friends here, you just have to come and destroy.

 

 

Rufus walks down the hallway-

 

 

And takes the time to sign an autograph for a fan at a merch kiosk, when he gets whipped in the face with a bungee cord. The fan starts to get nervous, and truly panic when this face-

 

 

-wraps the bungee cord around the back of Rufus' head and pulls him down, smashing his face into the kiosk top over and over again. Rufus' personality keeps changing, completely frightening the fan, and causing Rufus to get increasingly punch-drunk.

 

 

Kendra: You know what, I hope Red Ghost gets his flowers today. Take em all out. 

 

 

Simon: I still don't think it is actually Red Ghost.

 

Kendra: Because you're an idiot. 

 

 

Marcus: Didn't he come out to fight-?

 

Kendra: Shut up Marcus. 

 

Voice Over: Wrestling has only one HeartBreaker

 

 

"No Good" By The Prodigy begins to sound out. Its time! It is everyone's favourite promo of the show.

 

Enter SM HeartBreaker.

 

 

The Former MAWL Asylum Champion makes his way to the ring. After a whole week talking about him being the main champion in wrestling. The dethroned "star" of MAWL makes his way down to the ring. Paying zero attention to the crowd, who are either booing him or laughing at him. SM HeartBreaker gets into the ring and immediately demands a microphone.

 

SM: I have a microphone. Do you idiots know what that means? It means I can be heard above everything you people are saying. So when I speak. I do not care what comes out of your mouths because you will listen.

 

SM HeartBreaker looks directly down a nearby camera as he addresses the audience at home.

 

SM: Everyone will listen.

 

BOOOOOMANIA is running wild in the arena tonight but it is ineffective. SM HeartBreaker is just talking over it.

 

SM: Last week, I lost three matches.

 

MAWL Production note: SM HeartBreaker lost only twice last week, MAWL won the interfed match against P2G. Wildfire was sole survivor! Go MAWL!

 

SM: Now, I don't care about my brutal lose to Gozu. He is a worthy Asylum Champion. It is his turn to run this place. I do care that I didn't carry MAWL to victory. That was taken away from me due to selfish teammates. What is really killing me is my lose to Physio Joker. My former friend. My former Stablemate. My nemesis.

 

I hope you are sitting comfortably because story time with SM HeartBreaker begins now.

 

SM: Joker is breaking sacred rules. Joker is destroying the laws of his business. Joker is making this personal and not business.

 

Lawyers would like to know SM HeartBreaker's location after that comment.

 

SM: For those of you that are not filthy marks. Allow me to open the curtain for you so you can see the reality of the situation for a moment.

 

This is a metaphor. SM HeartBreaker didn't literally just run up the ramp and open up the curtain to reveal the gorilla area.

 

SM: Unless you are a filthy tribalist mark. This won't be a shock to you. There are other promotions out there. I also appear in those other promotions. Granted, those promotions are truly trash but I do have fun. But that fun ended when Joker decided to break down the walls and break up our dominant stable. He didn't just break up the stable but he targetted each of its members in his Mad King tirade. He ruined everything and now he comes here to MAWL to expand our war.

 

SM HeartBreaker waves down the camera.

 

SM: Hey Joker. I am not Max. You can't push me around. I am not Geo. You are not my superior. I am SM. The one who has always been better than you. I will happily push our war far beyond GWA now that you have stepped foot here in MAWL. Because lets be perfectly clear Joker. me in MAWL was a safe haven. For you. Because I wasn't in the same locker room than you. Unfortunately, now you ruined everything. All bets are off. There isn't a promotion in the world you can hide where I couldn't just randomly appear.

 

SM HeartBreaker issues his threat and moves away from the camera.

 

SM: So while my next chapter in MAWL is a bit of a interpromotional one. I do have one person I need to sweep the floor with. Tonight. One on One with the four pillars of MAWL. Scott Razor. Granted. He is nowhere as smart as Nero. Granted he is no way as deadly as Gozu. But Scott Razor does have one thing that the rest of us top guys in MAWL don't have.

 

SM HeartBreaker pauses for dramatic effect.

 

SM: And that is the ability to pander to you stupid fickly marks in the crowd. Scott Razor is the best in MAWL...at kissing ass. Scott Razor has always been loved by everyone...Because he kisses ass. But tonight, his ass is about to feel punishment as I kick it in front of all his beloved fans.

 

What did he just say about?!

 

Kendra: I've said it before and I'll say it again - SM Heartbreaker is right. 

 

Simon: And he's making his way towards the scaffold, where the blood from the first few matches is being collected. But we've got two matches in between now and then.

 

Marcus: The first is a...Cauterizer Match? What's that? 

 

Simon: Basically, you have to cut your opponent, then hold the blowtorch being put above the ring on the wound for 5 seconds. 

 

 

Ash: The following match is a Cauterizer Match and it is for the Inferno Title!

 

 

As the song's preamble plays through the speakers, the lights go out. The fans decide to illuminate their surroundings with their cell phones and a few small, low-powered flashlights. They look like stars in the infinity of cold outer space. A white mist begins to cover the entrance aisle to the ring. And suddenly, the silhouette of a robust wrestler appears, holding an old lantern; one of those kerosene ones. Masked with what appears to be a dried animal skin mask... A lamb, specifically... Along with the music, he abruptly tears off his mask, revealing himself as Gilberto J.

 

 

Ash: First, approaching the ring, the challenger! From the Jungle, standing at 6 foot 2 and weighing 285 pounds, the KING of the Jungle, GILBERTO! J!

 

 At the same time, he begins his walk to the ring. He walks heavily, each step slow but deliberate. A smile is visible on his face; like a predator finding its prey. He continues this way until his entrance is complete, entering the ring under the ropes; laughing out loud.

 

Simon: Gilberto J won this opportunity in a one-day tournament at International Incident. Though he has been drafted to Frequency of the Damned, that hasn't stopped this match. And, taking this title with him could be a golden opportunity. 

 

 

Blue light swaths the arena as the music plays. Manta Ray jumps out onto the stage with blue fireworks and runs down high fiving the fans along the ramp, holding the title with the other hand.

 

 

Ash: AND The Champion! From Profundidas del Mar, weighing in at 185 pounds and standing at 5 foot 10, the Hero of the Oceans and the Inferno CHAMPION, MAAAAAANTA! RAY!

 

Manta flips into the ring, then lands on his feet holding the title.

 

Kendra: The man who played his connection to Steve Thunder to every chance he got now actually having to defend the mountain. Connections don't save you in the ring.

 

Marcus: Manta Ray may have some blood relation, but make no mistake he made this path on his own and shows out every time he goes in the ring.

 

Simon: But he is at a disadvantage in this one, matches like this reward violence much more suited to Gilberto J.

 

Marcus: You guys gotta believe in the wave. He'll pull this out, you'll see.

 

The bell rings!

 

Simon: Gilberto pulls Manta into a lariat. Doesn't even give him time to breathe, and doesn't give him time to get up either, lifting him up off the ground with that claw hold and just planting him right back down! 

 

Kendra: This is how you have to do it. Go right for the head. The sooner you can crack the shell, the sooner you can roast the chestnuts inside. 

 

Simon: Gilberto stomping away at the face of Manta Ray, scoops him up by the mask and just bodyslams him! Taking him up with that claw hold and just squeezing at the face, giant headbutt sends Manta spiraling backwards! 

 

Marcus: Come on Manta! Get up! The people here are counting on you!! 

 

Kendra: Oh please. These people are so fickle and they love a good chant. Observe - "GIL! BER! TO! GIL! BER! TO!"

 

Some fans start chanting along then take the chant and carry it.

 

Kendra: See? Idiots. 

 

Marcus: I'm...I'm not worried. Warrior and Hogan got beat down and then got up again. 

 

Kendra: They were also super muscular. You're asking Goldeen over here to beat Machamp. 

 

Simon: Manta starting to get up-

 

Marcus: Something you should know about Goldeen-

 

Simon: Manta fighting to his feet now, he's still in this one!

 

Marcus: He becomes Gyrados. 

 

Simon: Manta going for a run,

DUCKS GILBERTO'S CLOTHESLINE,

 

The fans are starting to hype-

 

COMES BACK AROUND AND GOING FOR A SPINNING DDT,

 

The fans are starting to get really loud -

 

HE COULD GET IT AND

 

Some fans are on their feet-

 

Gilberto does not come down with him.

 

Manta faceplants. 

 

He stands up and a bit of blood is on the mat. 

 

Kendra: Cute Pokémon lesson. Doesn't change anything.

 

The arena lets out a collective deflated "Oh."

 

Kendra: Gilberto J has been absolutely dominating this entire match. Manta Ray hasn't landed a punch on him and he's gonna take him off his feet with a DDT? Be real. Now all Gilberto needs to do is get that blowtorch and put this to bed.

 

Simon: Manta is struggling to his feet, this has been a completely one-sided affair, and he just isn't gathering the upper body strength to do it. Gilberto outside the ring, and easily pulls the ladder up. Ladder in the ring, Manta is in a load of trouble if Gilberto J can get to the blowtorch. 

 

Marcus: Wait- we have company!

 

 

El Gallito Loco: ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO!

 

 

Tortuga De Acero: ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO!

 

The fan chants get louder, as Gilberto J gets further up the ladder. 

 

Marcus: The tag champs are getting the crowd pumped up, they're getting everyone riled for Manta!

 

 

El Cerrador: ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO! ME-XI-CO!

 

Simon: El Cerrador is not even on this show and he's part of the pump up brigade!

 

Kendra: Shut up! All of you shut up!

 

The crowd pops INSANELY LOUD AS MANTA RAY GETS TO HIS FEET!

 

Marcus: MANTA RAY TO HIS FEET! MANTA RAY COMING OFF THE ROPES!

 

Kendra: What kinda Tinkerbell bullshit is this??

 

Simon: Takes one more lap to get the momentum going - SPRINGBOARD TO THE TOP AND HURACANRANAS GILBERTO J OFF THE TOP OF THE LADDER OUT TO THE FLOOR!!! Manta taking himself up to the top of the ladder-I don't know if he's going to have enough time to get that Blowtorch down, Gilberto J getting to his feet and clearly facing in the direction of the ring, Manta has to make a choice real quick 450 OFF THE LADDER AND THERE'S THE CUTTER!!! VENOM SPIIIIKE!!!!

 

THE CROWD IS LOSING IT! "THIS IS AWESOME!!'

 

Marcus: Manta Ray catching his breath, looking at his arm and he cut his arm open? It's smeared in- NO! THAT'S NOT HIS BLOOD! GILBERTO TO HIS FEET AND HAS A GASH ON HIS FOREHEAD!

 

Simon: Manta has that moment of intense realization, he and Gilberto looking at the blowtorch at the same time through heaving breaths - they both scramble to their feet! Gilberto kicks Manta backwards, Manta staggers but doesn't fall and hits a floatover snapmare! Manta trying to jump onto the apron and Gilberto catches him, GERMAN SUPLEX! MANTA WITH A BACK ROLL TO HIS FEET AND DROPKICK! GILBERTO'S HEAD HITS THE APRON! MANTA LOADING...backwards? 

 

Marcus: HE'S USING GILBERTO J AS A RAMP! RUNNING UP HIS BACK, MUSHROOM STOMP TO J TO GET HIMSELF INTO THE RING, ROLLS OVER, GETS TO THE LADDER AND TRIES TO REPOSITION IT, GILBERTO J BACK INTO THE RING AND LARIAT INTO THE LADDER! MANTA CRUMPLES OVER, GILBERTO J POSITIONS MANTA RAY THROUGH THE LADDER LIKE AN ARROW THROUGH A HEART TATTOO!

 

Kendra: We're about to get a filet of fish! I can't wait! 

 

Simon: Gilberto up the ladder, Manta trying to wiggle but can't find the energy, Gilberto unhooks the blowtorch, and yeah, this one may be over real soon. Gilberto comes down with a leg drop!! That just made that head wound on Manta so much worse, and it looks like he may be spitting up blood a little too.

 

Kendra: Toast him Jungle King!

 

Simon: Remember, you have to hold the fire there for 5 seconds to be declared the winner, but it doesn't look like that'll be an issue. 

 

Gilberto turns on the blowtorch-

 

1!

2!

3!

 

Simon: WAIT! MANTA JUST DROPPED THROUGH THE RUNGS AND OUT OF THE FIRE! I can't tell if that was intentional or not, but Gilberto pulls him back on the ladder rung, sets him up all nice and reignites-

 

1!

2!

3!

 

Simon: MANTA DROPPED THROUGH THE RUNGS AGAIN!! HIS BODY WEIGHT CAN'T HOLD

 

Marcus: MANTA JUST PUSHED THE INSIDE OF THE LADDER OUT! TIIIIIMBER! Gilberto drops the Blowtorch and the ladder comes crashing down on him!

 

Kendra: OH COME ON.

 

Simon: Manta struggling, but he able to inch his way to the blowtorch. Rolls into the clear OH THIS IS SMART, HE'S GOING ONTO THE LADDER TO KEEP HIS WEIGHT ON GILBERTO. Igniting the Blowtorch, here we go-

 

1!

2!

Kendra: GILBERTO JUST TREBUCHETED MANTA RAY WITH THE LADDER! Manta Ray and the Blowtorch have left the ring! 

 

Simon: I think Gilberto just realized that Manta still has the blowtorch, as he kicks a turnbuckle in frustration. Looking around, has the search party going for where Manta is, FOUND HIM! He's dazed but not out! Trying to get to his feet GILBERTO CHARGES SUICIDE DIVE MANTA COLLAPSES AND GILBERTO AIRBALLS!! RIGHT INTO THE BARRICADE!!! BOTH OF THESE MEN ARE DOWN!!! 

 

Marcus: Oh now what's going to-

 

 

Kendra: The Beautiful One is here! There was some chatter backstage about him not wanting to get soaked in blood today, which would have been a hard thing to avoid but I think he's found a loophole!

 

Simon: HE'S GOT THE BLOWTORCH! AND HE'S HOLDING IT RIGHT ON THE CHAMP! OH IS THIS...Andra is reluctant-

 

 

Kendra: Vain making it very clear he's not letting the fire up until it's counted-Andra sighs...

 

1!

2!

3!
4!
5!

 

Vain Plato wins by blowtorch!

 

 

Ash: Here is your winner.... and the NEEEEW Inferno Champion.... The Beautiful One! VAIN PLATO!

 

Kendra: Won a match at Baptized in Blood without getting a single drop on him. Icon.

 

 

Colin: Hold on. Now hold on everyone. Vain Plato. It was very clear that you were not supposed to be in this match, and I think these fans can all agree that the way you won this title is some bullshit. So here's what's gonna happen. You are going to defend that title against Manta Ray at our next Madness, and there will be no champion's advantage. 

 

Kendra: Already the power's gone straight to his head. Taking the champ's advantage away? The hell, Colin?

 

Colin: Second of all, since you won this title, I guess you don't need to be involved in our main event Bloodstar setup, so Wonderwolf will be taking your place. I know you love gold, but I also know you love being the main event, but looks like ya can't have both.

 

Colin leaves and the fans cheer. 

 

Kendra: He didn't call him beautiful.

 

Simon: He doesn't have to. He's the boss.

 

Marcus: This match was a miscarriage of justice, so I'm happy to see we actually have a boss seeking to set things right. 

 

Simon: But we did say there were two matches between SM's ranting and his fight, and here comes #2-

 

 

Ash: The following contest is a Last Blood Match!

 

 

A thick white fog rolls across the stage as the lights dim. A single spotlight follows Kyu Ketsu as he steps forward.

 

 

Above him, the screen displays a blood-red moon. His eyes remain locked on the ring, unwavering.

 

Ash: First! From Feudal Japan at 200 pounds and 5 foot 10, he is the Vampire Samurai, KYU KETSU!

 

Simon: Last Blood Match - an answer for vampires to "What does a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?"

 

He enters the ring before draping his cape over the ropes, after which he gets on all fours and peers beneath, giving the crowd a sadistic smile and a deliberate and slow wave.

 

 

The arena goes dark, and the sound of a slow, ominous drumbeat fills the air before this theme music begins.