Refueled LXXXVII

Joe Hoffman: Good evening folks, and WELCOME to HOW Refueled. I’m Joe Hoffman, and we’re joining you LIVE from the Mackey Arena in West Lafyette, Indiana for another episode of REFUELED! We have a loaded card for you tonight, culminating in a LSD Championship match between John Sektor and the challenger, Arthur Pleasant! We’re heading to the ring for tonight’s first match soon, but first I’m told that we’ll be joined by–

Before Joe can even finish the sentence, the lights in the arena lower to a dim.

HALLLLLLELUJAH!

HALLLLLLELUJAH!

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!

HALLEEEEEEEELUJAH!

As Hanzel und Gretyl’s “Hellalujah” begins to blast over the speakers, as a chorus of boos fill the arena. Mike Best steps out onto the stage surrounded by the entirety of the Six Time Academy. Gino Giordano, Durango, and Alex Beckman join Mike Best on his march to the ring. The group enters and Mike has the microphone.

Joe Hoffman: Six time academy beat the HELL out of Clay Byrd last week!

Mike straightens his six-time academy t-shirt and smiles.

Mike Best: Clay, I’m sure you thought after one beat down I was done. I’m sure you thought we’d be even.

Mike looks around the ring at the other members of the academy.

Mike Best: But I don’t DO even Clay, so get your dumb, redneck, country ass out here. Because with my uncle out of town, I’m still in charge, and YOU HAVE A…

The HOV pops on with Clay Byrd’s bearded face staring at the ring. An orange glow illuminates the left side of his face, as he begins talking.

Clay Byrd: Hey Mike, it’s awfully nice of ya ta come out and call me out again this week. That’s what yer doin’ right? Havin’ them Six-Time fellers catch me again? I’m sorry ta leave ya disappointed but I’m not in West Lafayette, Indiana this week.

Clay chuckles to himself, as the camera cuts to Mike raising his arms up at the HOV screen, a clear ‘wtf’ gesture. The camera stays on Mike Best while Clay speaks.

Clay Byrd: Ya see Mike, I’m actually right here in High Octane Wrasslin’s hometown of Chicago. And I wanted ta bring somethin’ ta yer attention.

The camera angle zooms out and reveals a familiar building burning to the ground. The sign of Six-Time Academy hangs at an angle, dangling for a moment before crashing to the ground. Refueled cuts back to Mike Best standing in the ring with his mouth agape.

Clay Byrd: Now Mike… I tried ta play nice. I tried ta just come out and ask ya ta finish our business at March To Glory. When you said no, I tried to only affect you. I only took out my anger on you. But after last week, your little bunch of chuckle-fucks jumpin’ me?

The camera cuts to Mike Best having an actual temper tantrum in the ring. The microphone is spiked off the canvas, he shoves Gino away as he walks up to console him.

Clay Byrd: And just think Mike, we’re just gettin’ started. Maybe I’ll break Farthington’s arm next week, or maybe I’ll throw Alex Beckman out of a moving car. I haven’t decided yet Michael, but we’re gonna find out what’s next.

The camera goes back to Six Time Academy burning with Clay Byrd standing in front of it.

Clay Byrd: See ya soon.

The HOV fades and we cut back to the camera focusing on Mike Best going apocalyptic in the ring.

Joe Hoffman: I don’t even know what to say… Other than we’re going to a commercial.

Back live and we head back to our Hall of Famer Announcer.

Joe Hoffman: Folks…..I have been told to apologize for what we just witnessed in the opening segment. This is not something that Michael Oliver Best condones nor wants on High Octane Television. I have been told that the segment will be edited out for those looking to watch on demand.  Although the bad blood between Michael Lee Best and Clay Byrd just continues to grow, it is time to turn our focus to the first match of the evening. Group 3 of the Mario Maurako Cup is featured first, so let’s move forward and move our focus to some in ring action!

The camera cuts to the ring, where HOW Hall of Famer Bryan McVay is ready and waiting to do what he does best.

Bryan McVay: The following tag team match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first…

“Want It Back” featuring Partrice and the Studio erupts over the HOV sound system. Both Bobbinette Carey and Darkwing appear at the top of the entrance ramp, the boos raining down on both wrestlers. Unbothered by the hatred being shown, the pair of Hall of Famers exchange a fist bump before making their way down the ramp.

Bryan McVay: Weighing in at a combined weight of four-hundred-and-eighty-four pounds… they are the team of Bobbinette Carey and Darkwing!

As the duo make their way down the ramp, Bobbinette makes a point of jaw-jacking at a few of the white men along the railing. The moment any of them try to make an aggressive move on her, Darkwing is there to intimidate them into backing up. This, of course, only provokes the crowd into jeering all the more, something that Carey in particular delights in. The pair of HOF-ers ascend the steps and climb into the ring, discussing strategy as the music fades.

Joe Hoffman: There’s no denying that there is a solid foundation of teamwork between these two veritable legends of HOW. So far, it’s a combination that has proven to be hard to beat when it comes to group three. Tonight, though, they face a challenge in that department… even if things may have gone rotten between Cancer Jiles and Bobby Dean over the past few months.

Bryan McVay: And their opponents…

The lights dim and the arena quiets. A chill moves through the air before… “I am the COOL” explodes over the speakers, the crowd giving a mixed reaction for the men who are about to emerge.

I’m the one your mama warned you about

When you see me, I will leave you no doubt

I’m the coolest man that ever walked this earth

I’ve been the coolest since the day of my birth

I AM THE COOL.

Out from behind the curtain, after a second or two of suspense just because they can, The Crown Prince of COOL, Cancer Jiles emerges with ‘Beautiful’ Bobby Dean at his side. Pausing at the top of the ramp together, Bobby blows a kiss at Bobinette who seethes in response while Cancer smirks all the more. Looking over at one another, the duo on the stage nod at one another before making their way down the ramp.

Bryan McVay: Weighing in at a combined weight of five-hundred-and-ninety-eight pounds… they are the team of Cancer Jiles and Bobby Dean!

Picking up speed at the bottom of the ramp, both former eGG Bandits slide into the ring on their stomachs with Cancer getting to his feet with more ease than Bobby. Another kiss is blown in the direction of Carey as the music fades, Jiles and Dean making their way to their corner to prepare for this bout to begin.

Joe Hoffman: There’s a wealth of tag experience here with Bobby Dean and Cancer Jiles–but there’s also more than a little troubled history. It’s going to be interesting to see which wins out here, but I wouldn’t be sewing this team short if I was Darkwing and Bobbi.

There’s a loud insistence that Darkwing “deal with that cis-het white creep!” while Jiles opts to start things off for the other team. A quick checkover later and the action is underway!

DING DING DING!

Darkwing and Jiles circle the ring. Darkwing tries to close up the lock-up, but Jiles slips out at the last second, getting behind him. Rather than go for a waistlock, Jiles just rakes the back, earning some boos as Hall of Fame referee Matt Boettcher chides him. He just ignores the warning, but he should have kept his eyes on Darkwing, who grabs him for a surprise side belly-to-belly suplex. Jiles starts scrambling up, but Darkwing beats him there and dropkicks him in the knee to bring him down again. Darkwing grabs him as he starts getting up and goes for a DDT, but Jiles stomps on his foot to break his grip. He gets another, sterning warning, but Jiles has his eyes on the ball this time and yanks Darkwing down in a sitout jawbreaker. He immediately floats into a cover.

ONE!

Darkwing kicks out emphatically, and in response, Jiles tags himself out.

Joe Hoffman: Darkwing has been a force to be reckoned with since he returned to HOW at the beginning of the year. While there’s still some ring rust present, he’s working it off like a champ–and Jiles tagging himself out so quickly proves it!

Dean rolls his neck a bit as he steps into the ring. Darkwing goes for a lock up with Dean, and this time the collar-and-elbow tie-up lands. The two struggle for a moment before Darkwing pulls Dean down into a side headlock. He’s not there long before he reverses into a hammerlock, then floats into his own side headlock on Darkwing. He cranks as much as he can, but Darkwing is already backing into the ropes for momentum to shove him off. As he does, he gets close enough to his corner for Bobbinette to tag herself in, earning a bit of heat as she does. Darkwing stays in long enough to set up for the spinebuster, but Dean’s not worn down enough and kicks his shoulder to pop him up. He reaches for Darkwing, not realizing what happened, and lifts him up with a gutwrench suplex, but as he goes to finish, he gets speared out of his boots by Carey! This gives the suplex an extra kick as Darkwing impacts with the canvas, but Dean is down as well.

Joe Hoffman: Considering the… promotional video that Bobby Dean put out for this match, it’s no surprise that Carey’s seeing red. She wants to make him pay for that disrespect!

Dean is definitely looking for a tag now, but Carey’s not gonna make it easy… not when her pride has been besmirched to such a degree. She stomps him a few times, then grabs his ankle and starts cranking on an Achilles Lock! Dean cries out, as he continues dragging himself toward his corner, he’s pulling Carey with him as he goes. It starts looking like he won’t make it, and that’s when Jiles flies off the top rope, springboarding onto Carey with a big splash. Boettcher yells at him to get back to his corner, which he does, but not before helping Dean get a little closer so he can tag himself in…though he does yank on his arm a little more than is necessary. Dean rolls under the bottom rope as Jiles leaps into action, blasting Carey as she gets up with knife-edge chops. Jiles pushes her back into the corner and starts kicking her to try and driver her down, but a couple kicks in, she grabs Jiles and reverses position, blasting him with intense shoulder thrusts that push him against the buckles. Carey keeps on the attack, even as Boettcher tries to separate the two, and while the ref’s head is down, Jiles jabs Carey in the eye, making her recoil backward. That’s just enough time for him to turn, leap to the top buckle, and soar backwards in a big moonsault! He sticks the landing for a cover.

ONE!

TWO!

Carey kicks out in time.

Joe Hoffman: Inconsistent as he can be sometimes, Cancer Jiles is a former HOW World Champion for a reason. He’s capable of picking his opportunities well!

Jiles’s instinct is to fish hook Carey as she sits up, but the ref threatens a disqualification, so he switches to a rear chinlock. This wears Carey down a little, but it’s no surprise when she starts powering her way back to her feet. Jiles tries to transition to a side headlock, but Carey is ready and grabs him in a tiger hold. Jiles tries to stomp his way out, but Carey just uses that moment of momentum to drag Jiles down to the mat, and then she bridges into a Cattle Mutilation! Jiles is immediately crying out as Carey tries to pop his arms out of alignment. He tries scooching around, but there’s not really much he can do.

Joe Hoffman: Jiles is in serious trouble here!

Boettcher asks him if he wants to give up, but before he can answer, the ref recoils out of the way. Carey sees it coming as well but can’t do more than unhook the arms, releasing the hold as Bobby Dean comes crashing down on both her and Jiles with an elevated senton splash! He doesn’t seem torn up about catching Jiles as well, but starts dragging him toward the corner. But before he can, Darkwing is charging in and blasts Dean with the Trans Darkwing Express! Having been speared out of his boots, Dean retreats back to the outside, but Darkwing follows him, leaving Jiles and Carey to recover in the ring..

Joe Hoffman: Dean and Darkwing are tearing one another apart on the outside. I can’t say that’s wise on Bobby’s part, but if Jiles can recover before Bobbi, it might just work out!

Boettcher doesn’t count the two legal wrestlers out before they can start recovering because he’s distracted with Darkwing and Dean on the outside. By the time he turns back to the ring, Jiles is starting to get back up, and Carey is starting to get up just a bit slower. He grabs her by the waist, looking like he might go for an inverted atomic drop, but Carey shoves him roughly, hard enough to push him into the ropes and bounce back into the Royal Pain lariat! Yellow mist comes flying out of Jiles’s mouth on impact, but Carey doesn’t notice as she hops over his fallen body, runs the ropes herself, then somersaults to plant herself on Jiles’s chest with the Epic Ending! She stays put for a cover.

ONE!

TWO!

THREE! Dean wasn’t fast enough to get back in, and the bell rings!

DING DING DING!

Bryan McVay: Here is your winner in eleven minutes and three seconds…..the team of Bobbinette Carey and Darkwing!

Bobby Dean slams a hand on the mat in frustration as Darkwing and Bobbinette Carey celebrate their winning ways continuing, Cancer Jiles still seeing stars as he lays in the middle of the ring on his back.

Joe Hoffman: In spite of their shared past as eGG Bandits, Jiles and Dean just aren’t able to put together enough of an offense to take down two HOW Hall of Famers and are now eliminated from advancing in the Maurako Cup. One has to wonder what their futures will be here after what we heard last night on High Octane Radio. On the flip side….will anyone in Group 3 be able to match the performance of Darkwing and Bobbi?

The feed leaves that question unanswered as we cut backstage.

Cutting backstage we see the LSD champion on standby with Blaire Moise. He’s sporting a particularly interesting looking knee brace on his right leg but, as always, the LSD championship around his waist steals the focus.

Blaire Moise: John, later tonight you’re going to be defending the LSD championship in the main event against Arthur Pleasant. First of all, how is the knee and what are you expecting from your opponent tonight?

The Gold Standard has a steely focus as he stays relaxed.

John Sektor: My knee feels good. Obviously it’s not a hundred percent but I won’t be using it for any excuses tonight. I know Arthur will be targeting it and he would be stupid not to. But it’s up to me to stop him, control the match and get the job done and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Blaire Moise: There’s been some heated words coming out of both camps during the build up to this match. Are you expecting a fiery match?

Sektor shakes his head rather adamantly.

John Sektor: Arthur Pleasant is more of a sly Fox than a raging bull. A little weasel. But you know, he seems to think that he’s going to be my toughest opponent yet. More than that, he believes he is going to destroy me. Fact is that by the end of tonight he’s going to be regretting the blatant disrespect he has shown all the other challenges that come before him, because I’m going to beat him convincingly and expose him for what he is.

Suddenly Sektor’s eyes catch something or someone moving off camera and they suddenly narrow. Blaire Moise shifts uneasily as Arthur Pleasant slowly and confidently enters the frame.

Arthur Pleasant: Oh! Hi, John!

Pleasant looks at the interviewer first and then at Sektor again.

Arthur Pleasant: John, John, JOHN. What are you doing?! For someone who made claims that all I do is talk, are you making yet even more jokes/projecting yourself about how I’m the one who should go to PRIME? I mean, I could always send my Dad a text if you’re that interested.

Pleasant’s eyes narrow.

Arthur Pleasant: Or are you still hung up on me “quitting”? Or maybe you’re just continuing to prove to everybody how fucking shook you actually are that your title reign is about to end? Hahaha. SPLENDID. I get it, John. You know, I keep telling people that the low hanging fruit is for the lazy and desperate… and there I see you spouting off with some more inane drivel for not only the past couple of days, but right now hours before our match! I’m assuming you probably didn’t get enough of repeating yourself in both of your shook ass promos for me this week? Fucking pot, kettle, black my friend.

Pleasant bends down, laughing hysterically, slapping… no, punching his knee until it hurts!

Arthur Pleasant: Wait… wait… wait a second. Let me give you a moment to respond to that since that seems to be the only thing you can do lately. You can even air quote me here if you’d like; God knows people love direct quotes! Oh and John? I’m not burying you. Hehe… I’m just throwing dirt down inside a very deep fucking hole that you dug for yourself.

Pleasant smiles knowingly. Sektor’s demeanor changes considerably after being interrupted by the Provocateur. Sektor looks like he can kill Pleasant at any second.

Arthur Pleasant: What’s wrong, Grandpa? Hm? Why don’t you fucking end me right here and now after I tell you to your fucking mustache what overblown garbage your entire LSD title reign has been? What’s stopping you? Hm? End me, John. END. ME. you fucking puffed up hypocrite!!

Sektor feigns shooting for a double leg takedown and Pleasant flinches. With a smirk, the Gold Stwndard slowly straightens up, adjusting the championship around his wait.

John Sektor: Look at you. You’re nothing but a little bitch and I can see the fear in your eyes, kid...

Sektor motions like he’s going for a sudden takedown, but Pleasant quickly responds by moving back several feet, getting into a fighting stance. Sektor’s smile tells the entire story. Pleasant, meanwhile, looks displeased over Sektor’s choice of words and feint-takedown. Pleasant looks like he’s about to lose his composure… but somehow he maintains it and smiles from ear to ear. A Sociopath and a Machine, standing face to face.

Arthur Pleasant: Ohhhhh-ho-ho-hoooo! You… you got me, killer. Fuck. You made me flinch. That’s it. I lose!

Pleasant looks like he’s about to run, not wanting any part of Sektor this up close and backstage, knowing how dangerous of a grappler he is. Suddenly though, the façade drops entirely and Pleasant shrugs. His disposition is as unpredictable as we’ve ever seen him.

Arthur Pleasant: You know what, Senõr? It’s not the first time someone’s made me flinch and, with all the big nasties roaming the halls here in The Flame, you certainly won’t be the last. But I’ll tell you what, Killer… you look at me and see the number eight, right? That really resonated with me, old man. Because, well… I look at you and I also see a number.

Pleasant pauses and stifles a sick laugh.

Arthur Pleasant: Not that I haven’t been honest with you this entire time but, well, you get what I mean, you has-been fuck. I look at you? You know what number I see?

Sektor’s fists clench ever so tightly, popping and cracking as the knuckles on his broken-in soup bones begin to turn white.

Arthur Pleasant: I see number one. ONE, John. Because you’re going to be the first of MANY for my reign. The reign… of the Provocateur!

Pleasant turns away, holding his arms out as if he’s ready for Sektor to make his move.

Arthur Pleasant: No? Saving it for the ring? Aww… well, if you insist.

Pleasant continues walking away from Blaire and Sektor, laughing maniacally. Blaire isn’t quite sure what to say at this point, but Sektor just nods, knowing full well he’s going to take pleasure in stretching every limb on Pleasant’s body.

Turning away from Blair, Sektor begins making his way down the hallway when…..

WHAAAAAAM!

Pleasant nails Sektor in his new knee brace with a charging chop block that actually flips Sektor over, landing on his knee awkwardly!!

Blair shrieks, disturbed by the vicious backhanded attack Arthur just delivered to the LSD Champion, and Pleasant is to his feet, delivering a few kicks to add insult to injury.

Sektor groans loudly, slamming his fist into the wall as he holds his braced up knee, looking up at Pleasant.

Arthur Pleasant: How are you going to keep that LSD title, OR win the Maurako cup… if you don’t even have a leg to stand on?

Pleasant starts walking away…

Arthur Pleasant: See you soon, friend.

The action cuts away as we fade out from the smiling Pleasant.

The feed jumps backstage to Conor Fuse and new teammate David Noble standing beside interviewer Blaire Moise. Both men are dressed in their ring gear and ready to go. Conor wears #97 red around his waist, taking a moment to ensure it’s perfectly centered. Blaire, somewhat out of breath having to hustle from her previous interview, is given the go-ahead and begins.

Blaire Moise: Apologies guys…..I just came from….ah it don’t matter…….I am standing here with our World Champion Conor Fuse and his new tag team partner, David Noble, and tonight you’ll team for the first time against Missouri Valley Wrestling. Both groups need a win because the loser will likely be eliminated from progressing in the tournament.

Conor nods, David seems mildly stressed out.

Conor Fuse: Definitely. Lose and go home. Lose and watch the tournament from the outside looking in, a horrible, awful place to be. Sitting on the sidelines… watching a YouTube stream, a random gamer live-playing while not being able to participate directly in the fun.

Fuse pauses to consider this option.

Conor Fuse: Won’t happen, Blaire. Not on my watch, not on David’s. We’re balls to the MF walls right now, chip on our shoulder, a new team with a -1 in the high score category. You mean, you’re REALLY gonna tell The Ultimate Gamer and his new powerful player one teammate we belong in the same category as… [starts to make vomit noises] Cancer Jiles?

Blaire’s about to reply but David Noble leans forward to follow-up on Conor’s comments.

David Noble: At the end of the day, there are no other options. As the champ said, we lose and we’re out of this. Watching it from the sidelines. It’s just the reality of the situation. I don’t care who we have to beat to get through to the other side of this tournament. Line them up because we’re ready to knock them the fuck down. Look over your shoulders because it’s power up time.

The champion agrees by nodding his head.

Conor Fuse: Brand new game, same old score. Fighting from behind, just like we want. Win tonight and we change the complex of the tournament.

Noble nods this time.

David Noble: No one wants to fight us much like you don’t want to face a caged tiger. That tiger is ready to get out and will eat anyone in its path. It doesn’t care what is in its path, it’s going to do everything it can to get out or die trying. Everyone is on notice. You better be ready to put us down.

Fuse looks into the camera.

Conor Fuse: Bo, Cary, we’ve had our differences for many years. Now it comes to a head on the High Octane system. Fine by me, same result as always. And Sunny’s new little toy, you R2D2 wannabe. Yeah, you may be constructed with a wrestling A.I. but you’ve aligned yourself to the biggest makeshift, dysfunctional group I’ve ever seen. And I wrestled the Best Alliance.

Conor pats David on the chest.

Conor Fuse: Noble and I are teaming for the first time but we’re professionals. I can know teamwork when I see it. MVW isn’t teamwork… it’s a trainwreck.

It seems like the interview may be over but Blaire has a few more minutes to use so she continues.

Blaire Moise: Conor, also Scott Stevens challenged you to another match.

The champion takes a deep breath and exhales.

Conor Fuse: Listen, I won’t back down from anyone, Blaire. When I won the championship off SRK a lot of people called me out. It was this coming out party… all of a sudden I’m hearing from dudes who didn’t care about The Vintage beforehand. Of course, I couldn’t respond to everyone, particularly when I had an opponent already set for me. This championship journey, however, is an open world. I can feel it, I read the manual. I want the best and I want to take on as many challengers as possible. I guess it matters what M.O.B. decides. Personally, if Scott thinks things will be different next time he should go out there and prove it. Like a real gamer, level himself up a couple of times, win a number one contendership -without resorting to sneak attacks!-, do it the honourable way and I’m ready for another go. But I want the best, Blaire. If Scott is the best than he proves it through beating a Jeffrey James Roberts, Clay Byrd or dare I say it, Steve Harri-

Conor pauses and winks into the camera.

Conor Fuse: There’s so much talent it would be wrong to undermine what others are working for. I have my sights set on many mega bosses.

Fuse’s voice trails as he looks to his right and sees someone enter the hallway, off-camera. Conor’s eyes light up as he strolls over, leaving Blaire and Noble in the distance. Like a kid on a severe ADHD kick, he’s onto the next thing already. Likely, however, Conor’s overwhelmed with the majority of potential challengers and matches soon to be in front of him.

Conor Fuse: Hey! Bobbinette Carey!

The camera turns to show, indeed, Bobbinette Carey has entered the arena. Bobbinette has her gear bag in hand as she’s wearing a pink business suit with a “I am black history” button on the lapel of her blaser. She stops dead in her tracks seeing the camera and the champ near the door. Her face is expressionless and caught off guard.

Conor Fuse: Bobbi, hi, like, real big fan, I think you’re kicking ass right now. Love the new look… although lol, I really liked the plether gloves you had before. [Said in a genuinely curious voice] Were they plether? Anyway, I get you. The pink hand tape is way more fetch.

#97 says this without a hint of sarcasm in his words whatsoever now that he’s captured Carey’s attention.

Bobbinette: Uh… thank you? Yes they were cruelty free vegan friendly. Thanks for noticing. Right back at you champ.

She says smiling at the camera as she points to Conor.

Bobbinette: On Wednesdays we wear pink.

She laughs with a point.

Bobbinette: Or for myself and Princess Peach we always wear pink.

She says with a smile and a nod trying to head to her locker room. Conor’s practically beside himself.

Conor Fuse: Mean Girls reference and Mario, too. Whoa. You’re legit.

Bobbinette: And I have a legitimate match to get ready for. So yeah ready player 1. You guys have fun. Happy black history month.

She steps and power walks down the hallway as the champion spins around, looking at David Noble and Blaire Moise in the distance with a thumbs up.

Conor Fuse: That went really well. I dunno why some people give her a bad rep, she’s cool.

Conor walks back to Noble and Moise. He puts his arm around David.

Conor Fuse: Alright, let’s go over the game plan. Blaire, thanks for the interview my friend. Game on!

The tag team walk down the hallway.

David Noble: Look, do we have to fight Bobbinette as well? I mean, bring them on, but you know, just give me a heads up.

Fade to commercial.

Back live from commercial, people in the crowd start filtering back to their seats as “People I Don’t Like” by UPSAHL hits and we cut to Bryan McVay in the ring.

Joe Hoffman: Last week, Pro Wrestling: Assault put their entire tournament group on notice that they weren’t some sideshow comedy act with a brutal beatdown of two of their fellow competing teams. They embodied their name with an assault that I’m certain Scott Stevens and Black Mamba have not forgotten.

Bryan McVay: The following contest is a Group 1 match in the Mauroko Cup, coming to the ring at this time, weighing in at two hundred and twelve pounds, and standing at six-foot is Pro Wrestling: Assault’s World Heavyweight Champion: Ivy English.

English steps through the curtain with Cornfield in tow. Cornfield has the Pro Wrestling: Assault World Championship raised over his head as the two walk to the ring.

Joe Hoffman: James Cornfield has been very vocal in the past week in a way that could by rubbing the PW:A World Champion up the wrong way. The relationship is clearly strained between the two but they have come to present a united front here at Refueled.

As they get about halfway down the ramp “Loser” by Beck hits and Genosyde walks out onto the ramp, mask on, staring forward at the ring. Cornfield pauses and waits for Genosyde to join him as Ivy just keeps walking to the ring staring at the arena.

Bryan McVay: And his partner, weighing in at three hundred and one pounds, standing at six-foot six is GENOSYDE!

Joe Hoffman: The remoreless mauler of the pair doesn’t seem to care much whether there is unity in the team or not, he just knows he has a job to do and he plans to do it well.

Genosyde tightens the mask up around his face as we watch the two men climb up into the ring, leaving Cornfield on the outside with the championship. “Loser” begins to fade as James Ranger comes out, slowly eyeing the fans to the left and right of him, as a slow smile creeps on to his face, as he stops short of the ramp, the lights focus upon just James Ranger, his sunglasses reflecting the light as it transitions from white to an eerie green.

Joe Hoffman: It’s clear that the relationship between James Ranger and Scott Stevens has come under strain as the losses have mounted up in this tournament. This is their last chance to send a message and although they cannot win their group, they can certainly ruin James Cornfield’s night.

He takes off his sunglasses, smirking as he squats briefly, surveying the arena and the ring before slowly rising to his feet and walking slowly and purposely towards the ring, the smirk now gone. Mamba slides under the bottom rope, just in time for the first guitar strum of “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr.

Joe Hoffman: Scott Stevens has come out swinging in recent interviews, perhaps his confidence has been boosted by his HOW Hall of Fame spot but if he doesn’t start to turn his venom into victories, it’s going to be hard for him to convince Michael Oliver Best for future opportunities. Tonight he has to see eye to eye with James Ranger to salvage anything out of this team.

Scott Stevens makes his way out from behind the curtain. He marches down the ramp, his fists balled tight, and a look of pure determination on his face. He wastes no time slapping hands with fans or kissing babies, and slides right under the bottom rope. He quickly walks over to his partner and mutters a few things before throwing a fist high up in the air, posing for the fans.

Bryan McVay: And their opponents, already in the ring at this time…the team of Hall of Famer, “The Scorpion” Scott Stevens “The Black Mamba”… James Rangerrrrrr!!!!!

An irate James Cornfield starts ranting in Stevens’ direction, yelling that he should have taken his offer. Stevens waves off Cornfield, almost laughing at the bespectacled elder as he turns around to face his partner, James Ranger. Cornfield’s face turns a shade of putrid red as he barks orders at Genosyde. The beefy boy of Pro Wrestling: Assault rushes over to Stevens and drills him in the back with a double axe handle, sending Stevens flying into Mamba. Mamba is knocked out of the ring as Stevens turns around to face his assailant. Joel Hortega studies the situation and makes the call.

Ding ding ding

Joe Hoffman: Despite the cheap shot from the monster that is Genosyde, Joel Hortega has decided that Scott Stevens is ready for the fight.

An irate Stevens fires elbows into the chest of Genosyde, staggering the big man back into his home corner, Stevens tries to fire into Genosyde with a European Uppercut but Genosyde swats Stevens arm away, much to the delight of Cornfield at ringside. Cornfield barks at Ivy English, who slaps the back of Genosyde and enters the match. Genosyde looks a little miffed at the blind tag but dutifully punches Scott Stevens right in the gut and then takes his place back on the apron. He looks over to his manager a little confused, but James Cornfield waves off his concerns.

Joe Hoffman: One thing that has certainly been clear since Pro Wrestling: Assault arrived on the scene is that James Cornfield is very much the conductor of this group, sending his talent to do his bidding. It didn’t work against John Sektor and Adam Ellis but he has the upperhand at the moment.

Ivy English leaps up and kicks the doubled over Scott Stevens directly in the jaw, he wastes no time as Stevens staggers backwards, bouncing off the ropes and drilling the Hall of Famer with a shotgun dropkick straight to the chest. Stevens is rocked but does not fall, instead he hobbles towards his corner where Black Mamba has managed to get back up on the apron. James Ranger tags in to the match, which seems to annoy Scott Stevens. He doesn’t spend too much time protesting the decision though, gesturing for Mamba to get into the ring. Mamba dutifully does so, shoving Stevens out of the way, drilling a boot right to the shin of the Pro Wrestling: Assault champion. Ivy English replies with an elbow to the gut, causing Cornfield to yell at Genosyde, who rushes into the ring and leaps up, sending Ranger to the mat skull first with a Canadian Destroyer that shocks the crowd.

Joe Hoffman: I did not expect the big man to have this level of agility!

Joel Hortega tries to maintain order in the ring as Genosyde rolls through, keeping hold of Ranger and dropping him with a second Destroyer, and a third. An enraged Scott Stevens starts yelling at Hortega, causing the HOW HR department a few sweaty moments, as he wants Genosyde back out of the ring. Cornfield smiles at Stevens as he beckons Genosyde back to the Pro Wrestling: Assault corner. With Mamba very much out cold on the canvas after the triple Canadian Destroyer from the meat man Genosyde, Ivy English leaps up to the top rope and floats backwards on top of Ranger with a picture perfect moonsault. English is about the set up for his finish but Cornfield leaps up on the apron, gesturing towards Genosyde.

Joe Hoffman: With Cornfield’s actions, it’s hard to work out if he’s just an overly invested wrestling promoter or a cult leader. It’s very clear that he keeps his talent very strongly under his thumb though and with Ivy English eating the loss against Sektor and Ellis, it seems like Cornfield has decided that Genosyde should finish the match.

Mamba is clearly out cold front the moonsault and triple FlipSyde, giving English enough space to frustratingly tag in his partner. Scott Stevens looks on from his corner, very unconcerned about the beatdown happening to his partner. Genosyde enters the ring and drills a few stiff boots to Mamba for good measure before hoisting him up and tossing him to the ropes. As Mamba rebounds back, Genosyde catches him and crushes him with Intentional Homicyde. The monster of a man drops down and makes the cover.

UNO!

DOS!

TRES!

Ding ding ding

Scott Stevens shrugs his shoulders and jumps off the apron, waving the entire match off. What he isn’t expecting is for Genosyde to leap from the apron and drill him into the ringside mats with another FlipSyde. As Genosyde looks to continue the assault, James Cornfield beckons him back into the ring.

Bryan McVay: Here are your winners, at a time of three minutes and forty seven seconds… PRO! WRESTLING! ASSAUUUUUULT!

Joe Hoffman: I don’t know what black magic James Cornfield is conducting to control these two athletes but tonight, it worked. Their opponents clearly had a massive rift between them that was unrecoverable and Pro Wrestling: Assault struck. Right now, they remain in contention for victory in Group 1, but that all depends on Clay Byrd and Steve Solex taking on John Sektor and Adam Ellis next week.

Cornfield smiles as he observes the damage his talent has done in an HOW ring, rising English and Genosyde’s hands sky high as the cameras fade out.

We cut once again backstage to Blaire Moise.

Blaire Moise: HOW fans, joining me at this time…….can someone please get me a water….and where the FUCK is Brian Bare??

A shocked crewman quickly hands Blaire a cup of water and she quickly drinks it and tosses the plastic cup to the side.

Blaire lets out a heavy sigh and goes into professional mode as ‘The True Queen of Pro Wrestling’ Sunny O’Callahan, ‘‘The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine” Ultratron-6.1, and the rest of the Kabal of Really Awful People step into the shot.

Blaire Moise: …Ultratron-6.1 and The Kabal of Really Awful People.

Sunny takes the spot next to Blaire with Ultratron-6.1 right next to her.  Sunny tries to smile but it’s clear there’s definitely an air of tension within the K.R.A.P.

Blaire Moise: Sunny O’Callahan, two weeks ago Ultratron-6.1 and the rest of the K.R.A.P. walked out at the end of your match with Jeffrey James Roberts and Arthur Pleasant and left Bo Stevens to take the pinfall.

Sunny takes a deep breath.  She acts like she doesn’t want to say what she’s about to say but she’s going to say it anyways.  She speaks in a low-key voice.

Sunny O’Callahan: I-ya… um… I hate to break the news to you all because I think we’ve left a lot of people down.

She rubs her forehead.

Sunny O’Callahan: Two weeks ago, we gave Bo Stevens a chance.

Already, Blaire rolls her eyes.  But Sunny commits to the narrative she’s presenting.

Sunny O’Callahan: That’s right, Bo Stevens had a chance to prove to me- Sunny O’Callahan- prove to Ultratron-6.1, and prove to the HOW fans that he was up to the task… that Bo Stevens would be a productive member of this tag team…

Sunny’s voice rises in pitch and intensity.

Sunny O’Callahan: …that Bo Stevens could get the job done.  And we all saw what happened.  BO LOST THE MATCH!

She claps her hands three times.

Sunny O’Callahan: ONE… TWO… THREE!

Blaire Moise: But you walked out-

Sunny O’Callahan: BO… LOST… THE MATCH!  BO… TOOK.. THE… THREE COUNT.  BO… IS… A LOSER!  ULTRATRON-6.1 DID NOT LOSE THAT MATCH!  BO STEVENS LOST THAT MATCH!

Blaire Moise: That’s a little harsh seeing as Ultratron walked out-

Sunny O’Callahan: BO-LIEVE?  NO, BO-SUCKS!

Sunny stops and catches her breath.  Then she ignores Blaire and speaks right to the camera.

Sunny O’Callahan: And now we’re going up against this video game dork and this other guy tonight and we’re probably going to lose.

Sunny shrugs.

Sunny O’Callahan: Why?  It won’t be because of ME- Sunny O’Callahan… the ONE AND ONLY TRUE QUEEN OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!  It won’t be because of Ultratron-6.1- ‘THE NEW AGE CYBERTRONIC CRIMINALLY INSANE ROGUE SENTIENT ROBOT WRESTLING MACHINE!  It won’t be because of all MY fans who will be cheering ME and Ultratron-6.1 on.

She points her finger right towards the camera and drops the volume.

Sunny O’Callahan: No, it will be because Bo Stevens will once again let ME- Sunny O’Callahan- down.  He will once again let Ultratron-6.1 down.  He will once again let all the HOW fans down who want to see ME- Sunny O’Callahan… and Ultratron-6.1 advance on in the Maurako Cup.  Why?  Because BO SUCKS!  BO’S A LOSER!  BO’S A-

The metallic form of Ultratron-6.1 gives Sunny a not-so-subtle nudge behind Blaire and steps in.

Ultratron-6.1:  ENOUGH!

His two red eyes glare at Sunny.

Ultratron-6.1: Manager who is currently under a double-secret corrective and disciplinary action protocol, you are giving Ultratron-6.1 a major headache.  After last night in St. Louis where you once again FAILED to deliver a win for the ‘‘The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine,” you are on notice that you are running out of time and I am running out of patience.

Then Ultratron-6.1 faces the camera.

Behind him, K.R.A.P.’s David Litterman casually throws a wadded up piece of paper on the floor while ‘Defective’ Marty Pratt mouths “ERASE!” three times and makes the ‘erase motion’ with his oversized pencil with an oversized eraser.

Ultratron-6.1: This is the moment.  Video Game Dork and the Noble Guy against ‘‘The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine” Ultratron-6.1 and that other guy who’s name escapes me at the moment.  HOW is all about people brutalizing one another over belts of gold.  Slaughtering their opponents for money, for conveniences, and exalted titles.  People of HOW, I have no trouble doing exactly that.

Now it’s Ultratron-6.1 who ups the ante voice-wise and in tone.

Ultratron-6.1: I declare that you are all hopeless, vacuous worms, a giant stain on the tapestry of the wrestling world for which there is only one cure—THE RAGE OF ULTRATRON-6.1. I… HAVE… SPOKEN!

Mic drop.

Ultratron-6.1 exits.

Sunny shakes her head and follows along with the rest of the Kabal of Really Awful People.

Blaire mouths ‘commercial break’ and does the ‘cut’ gesture with her hand as she is clearly frustrated as we head to commercial break.

As we come back from commercial we cut backstage we see Scott Stevens standing outside the wrestler’s locker room dripping in sweat as he is taking off his wrist tape while Blaire Moise is next to him.

Blaire Moise: Scott, tough loss this week Pro Wrestling Assault.

Scott finishes taking off of his tape and tosses it to the side.

Scott Stevens: Tough? More like disappointing, but I’m not surprised because I’ve been hearing the same excuses from my tag partner not just this Maurako Cup, but when he proclaimed he was a BIG DEAL when we were facing 24K and the Hollywood Bruvs and trying to get a foothold in the tag division. He did the same shit then as he did now and I’m tired of it Blaire. I’m tired of wasted opportunities on people I can’t rely on. That is why I’m only going to look out for the best interests of me.

Stevens points to himself.

Blaire Moise: I’m sure you’re talking about Conor Fuse and your challenge towards the world champion.

Scott Stevens: You’re correct.

Stevens turns and stares point blank at the camera.

Scott Stevens: Conor, it’s been over a week and that’s the answer I get?

Scott shakes his head in disgust.

Scott Stevens: Look, I get you want to focus on the tag tournament, but you can’t ignore me or brush me aside because if you continue to do these things I might have to take matters into my own hands to get an affirmative answer out of you!

Stevens punctuates the point as he slowly points towards the camera.

Blaire Moise: Stern warning from Scott Stevens. A question if I may?

Scott Stevens: Sure.

Blaire Moise: Recently, you were offered a business proposal from James Cornfield and….

Stevens cuts her off.

Scott Stevens: Blaire, I’m HOW not PWA. I will not be taking him up on his offer…..

Voice: Why not?

Scott is cut off by a familiar voice and when Scott’s father comes into frame the audience immediately boos.

Cary Stevens: If you don’t mind.

Cary snatches the microphone from Blaire and Bo and George signal for the blonde to take a hike….which she gladly does. “SOMEONE FIND BARE” can be heard as Moise turns the corner and exits the scene.

Scott Stevens: What do you want?

Scott asks his father.

Cary Stevens: I want what’s best for my boy, that’s all.

Cary states and Scott isn’t having it.

Scott Stevens: And I’m sure that’s having you manage me in HOW. Get the Dynasty back together.

The crowd boos and Cary smirks.

Cary Stevens: Sure, but you made that crystal clear you don’t want nothing to do with us while we are here so we are respecting your decision, but you should listen to this Cornfield fella.

The crowd boos louder.

Scott Stevens: Why?

Cary Stevens: Think about it son, Lee didn’t give you any opportunities, you couldn’t win on your own, and your new best bud, Michael Oliver Best, hasn’t pushed for your rematch opportunity now has he? All I’m saying is listen to the man. What do you have to lose?

A devilish grin forms over the patriarch’s face as Scott leaves in frustration.

Cary Stevens: Now, onto Dynasty business.

Cary cracks his neck and goes to speak, but Bo snatches the microphone from him.

Bo Stevens: Bitchy.

Bo turns towards the camera.

Bo Stevens: Rusty.

He motions for it to zoom in.

Bo Stevens: Bo knows you two can here him, and Bo knows you blame him for the tag loss two weeks ago, but Bo smells pussy when he catches the scent and there is no bigger pussies than you two!

Bo shouts.

Bo Stevens: Bitchy close your legs long enough so the smell doesn’t strangle Bo while he talks. You can blame Bo, but everyone knows Bo would’ve done his job if you two pussies didn’t leave Bo. If Bo had George in his corner we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Bo is a winner and you can blame Bo all you want the fact remains you walked out on Bo, your partner. Which shows Bo that you aren’t that good as you claim to be. If you two pull this again on Bo, Bo guarantees that Georgie here is going to tear that Cardboard Dan Ryan wannabe to pieces.

Bo shoves the microphone in Cary’s chest as he leaves.

Cary Stevens: Bo-Lieve that.

Cary drops the mic as George grunts as we cut back to ringside.

Bryan McVay: This is a Maurako Cup match. Introducing first, representing Missouri Valley Wrestling… the team of Bo Stevens and ULTRATRON 6.1!

Being accompanied by Cary Stevens (for Bo) and Sunny O’Callahan and The Kabal of Really Awful People (for ULTRATRON), it’s immediately clear the group is going to struggle. Cary and Sunny snip at each other on and off down the rampway while Bo is trying to tell “the robot” how their match will go.

Joe Hoffman: A lot of people have MVW as the underdogs here, of course with Conor Fuse the World Champion and David Noble stepping up… but despite the hostility between Bo and ULTRATRON and Cary and Sunny, I have a feeling IF they could channel this appropriately, Missouri Valley wouldn’t be the “hot mess” we think they are.

Bo’s theme song continues to play the group out as he and ULTRATRON enter the ring while Sunny and her misfit collective stand by their corner. Cary, on the other hand, is now mouthing off to fans at ringside.

Bryan McVay: And their opponents… David Noble and the World Champion… Conor Fuse!

Fuse’s theme song hits as he and Noble walk out from behind the curtain to a good ovation from the crowd. Side-by-side, it’s clear Conor and David are locked in and taking their opponents seriously. The duo don’t say a word between each other as the camera cuts to ULTRATRON and Bo, who are jaw jacking off like Sunny and Cary were, perhaps even worse.

Fuse jumps onto the apron and then jumps over the top rope, taking off his championship belt in the process and handing it over to referee Matt Boettecher. David, on the other hand, methodically walks up the steel steps and awaits for Fuse in their corner. The two have a quick discussion before Conor exits the ring and takes hold of the tag rope.

DING DING

Once the bell sounds, Noble does not converge. Instead, it looks like ULTRATRON 6.1 and Bo/Cary Stevens are arguing on who should be the legal man in the ring.

Joe Hoffman: I could have sworn this was decided. ULTRATRON was the legal man when referee Matt Boettecher called for the bell… or else he wouldn’t have called for the bell! The man is a professional referee.

Hoffman’s words likely ring true. However, it doesn’t matter as it’s more than clear the Stevens’ had a change of heart. This also incorporates Sunny O’Callahan into the mix as she shouts at Cary, again, within an earshot.

Meanwhile, Noble and Fuse hang in their corner. For the first time in a while, David looks rather… relaxed.

Joe Hoffman: Clearly MVW is deteriorating before our eyes.

Soon enough, Noble rushes in and dropkicks Bo off the apron. He grabs ULTRATRON, lifts “the robot” up and connects with a high angle suplex. ULTRATRON lands on his head as the 6’2”, 250 pound brawler looks for more offense.

There’s an audible cry from the outside by one of the members of the Kabal of Really Awful people (likely Bill E. Zayne). It catches Noble off guard for a millisecond but it’s enough time for ULTRATRON to fire back with a few stiff rights into Noble’s chest before bouncing off the ropes…

THUMP.

And being met with a high angle knee smash by Noble.

Joe Hoffman: Good rebound by David.

A German suplex follows, then a couple of uppercuts work ULTRATRON into the Noble/Fuse corner. David tags the World Champion and #97 flies over the top rope, planting a wicked dropkick into The Wrestling Machine’s chest. Fuse pulls the MVW talent out of the corner and stands in front of him, middle of the ring. Conor looks ULTRATRON over, head to toe, very cautiously… trying to confirm if the man is a legitimate robot or not. Instead, ULTRATRON knees Conor in the chest and hurls The Video Game Kid into the MVW corner. ULTRATRON comes racing in while Fuse pushes off the buckle, leaping over ULTRATRON and then turning the robot around.

One, two, three superkicks go straight under ULTRATRON’s jaw as 6.1 stumbles. Conor takes hold of The Robot Wrestling Machine…

Tag.

Joe Hoffman: Bo makes the blind tag on ULTRATRON.

Stevens is quickly into the ring and crushes Fuse with an inside-out clothesline. Bo peels the champion off the mat and hurls The OG Player into a free corner. On the outside of the ring, Cary screams at Sunny “that’s how you fucking do it”.

Stevens charges and pumps Fuse with a spinning back elbow. The Vintage fumbles abound, looking to be put out of his misery as Bo hits the ropes… yet Fuse lands a perfectly placed spinning heel kick. He immediately leaps across the canvas and tags Noble. David, house on fire, hammers Bo down with a clothesline, only to hammer Bo down with another clothesline… and another… as Stevens keeps getting back up. Ringside, Sunny and her squad walk over to Cary Stevens and ask him what the hell is Bo doing.

Noble works Stevens into a corner with forearm smashes. He Irish whips Bo but it’s reversed.

WHAM!

Joe Hoffman: Oh… an impressive looking overhead suplex, which is a Bo-plex, I’m told. Not an easy thing to do, Noble’s not a lightweight.

Bo shows off his sheer strength. He deadlifts Noble off the mat and into a suplex. Stevens holds on and drops Noble on his head in another standing release suplex!

The Stevens Dynasty member flexes for the camera as Sunny rolls her eyes and Cary claps on. Sunny shouts for Bo to tag out but Cary fires back with something along the lines of “go fuck yourself”.

It doesn’t matter. Bo’s posing for the camera allows Noble to crawl over to Conor Fuse… extend his hand and…

Tag!

Not the tag the fans wanted. ULTRATRON leans across the ropes and smacks Stevens on the shoulder. He comes racing into the ring and catches David Noble before Noble tags Fuse.

A backdrop follows. And then multiple elbow drops.

And by multiple… A LOT of elbow drops. Over and over and over, ULTRATRON 6.1 has a good thing going until Bo Stevens walks into the center of the ring and pushes his teammate. Bo has some choice words for receiving a blind tag.

Joe Hoffman: Earlier, Bo blind tagged ULTRATRON!

Finally, Noble rolls away, reaches out and tags The Vintage. The fans cheer as the World Champion clears the top rope and spinning sling blades ULTRATRON. Fuse takes Bo by the tights and ejects him out of the ring… or so Conor thinks anyway. Conor begins DOOM stomping ULTRATRON all around the ring, working 6.1 into the Conor-David corner. The fans go !RANK chant crazy with each stomp. #97 takes hold of The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine by the neck and tags his partner.

Noble drives a hard fist into ULTRATRON’s chest. David whips ULTRATRON into the ropes but both men knock each other down with shoulder blocks turned into headbutts when their skulls inadvertently collide!

Conor’s hand is extended for a tag. However, Bo Stevens is nowhere to be found.

…Because he’s waiting, hiding at the edge of the apron, right beside Fuse.

Bo grabs Conor, sending The Ultimate Gamer crashing into the guardrail. Sunny O’Callahan doesn’t seem to mind, until she realizes Noble is stirring on the mat and ULTRATRON has no one to tag.

Sunny and Cary start arguing for the 395833th time. Meanwhile, Bo and the rest of the MVW groupies jaw off at each other, too.

Joe Hoffman: ULTRATRON and Bo haven’t wrestled a poor match at all… but they have atrocious communication!

ULTRATRON is, ultimately, up to his feet first but he doesn’t have anyone to tag! Instead, 6.1 bends down to take hold of Noble…

And is tricked into a small package!

ONE.

TWO.

KICKOUT!

Noble tries for an arm drag but The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine digs his heels into the mat. The robot grabs Noble and throws him over his shoulder into a modified olympic slam. Noble’s body goes limp upon impact but ULTRATRON isn’t done.

Joe Hoffman: Piledriver!

6.1 hooks the leg and the upset looks to be on!

ONE.

TWO.

SHOULDER UP!

A last second shoulder saves the match as Conor watches helplessly from the apron, attempting to knock out the cobwebs. FINALLY, Bo Stevens arrives at his corner and sticks out his hand.

Joe Hoffman: Oh yeah, NOW you want the tag!

Likely assuming he’s still got no one in his corner, 6.1 lifts David to his feet, kicks Noble in the stomach and attempts to lift his opponent onto his shoulders.

Noble slips away, bounces into the ropes and crushes ULTRATRON with a clothesline from hell!

David Noble: Stupid fucking robot.

Noble turns to see The Vintage trying to make it back on the apron. David has to make a quick decision. To him, it doesn’t look like Conor will be ready when he goes over to their corner so instead, David latches onto ULTRATRON’s waist, right before 6.1 was able to tag out.

Saito suplex.

Now Noble races over and tags Fuse.

Joe Hoffman: Great call by Noble. He didn’t have the ability to tag Conor so instead of letting ULTRATRON slip away, he connects with another offensive move and THEN makes the tag! Real teamwork.

Conor lands a rolling thunder splash on ULTRATRON and a roundhouse kick when the robot rises… but ULTRATRON shows some great abilities himself, using the momentum from the roundhouse kick and flying into his own corner. Bo tags.

Stevens slowly enters between the top and middle rope. His eyes shoot lasers into Conor Fuse where The Power-Up King awaits. Sunny O’Callahan shouts from the apron but Fuse simply ignores her. Finally… Bo charges but he’s met with a springboard crossbody. Fuse is about to power-up but the crowd… groans…

The Kabal of Awful People show their awfulness by pulling David Noble from the apron and begin a shoving match with him. “Defective” Marty Pratt walks up to Noble and starts rubbing David’s nose with an eraser. Noble has a WTF facial expression while likely wondering if he should drop this guy. Matt Boettecher turns to the outside and tries to restore order when Sunny O’Callahan screams in Matt’s general direction. Conor Fuse, however, has no interest in getting involved. He lifts Bo Stevens to his feet… only to hear the crowd hush.

Joe Hoffman: Cary Stevens is in the ring!

Fuse doesn’t see the manager in time. Cary hammers Fuse in the back of the head with a forearm! Cary drops to his knees and exits, clearly struggling to get out of the squared circle in time before Boettcher notices.

Joe Hoffman: Robbery! I don’t know IF this was planned… I have my doubts… but Bo Stevens and ULTRATRON may have walked themselves into a victory!

Stevens rises, looks down at Fuse who’s rubbing the back of his head and positions behind the champion.

Joe Hoffman: Bo might be looking for the cutter…

Meanwhile, Noble has removed himself from the Kabal and slides into the ring. He spins Bo around but ULTRATRON enters. Noble switches targets, grabs 6.1 by the head and ejects ULTRATRON out of the ring! The Robot Wrestling Machine avoids a complete disaster by not landing on The Kabal.

Fuse is up. The Gamer looks at Bo and then at Noble, all three men standing in the center of the ring. Conor gives a nod to his teammate as Noble takes off and performs a bowling ball dive through all of K.R.A.P, knocking them down to a big ovation!

Inside the ring, Bo’s stunned. Fuming at the nonsense he just witnessed, Stevens doesn’t see Fuse leap into the air until it’s too late.

Head Stomp.

The crowd counts along with the pinfall, meanwhile Cary works on a stroke.

ONE.

TWO.

THREE.

DING DING DING

Bryan McVay: The winners of this match… David Noble and Conor Fuse!

Fuse’s theme plays as the crowd cheers. Outside the ring, Noble picks himself up to a very displeased and significantly rattled Sunny O’Callahan.

Joe Hoffman: A solid win for Fuse and Noble, they’re still alive. I have to say, though, MVW showed up. They just didn’t have enough teamwork. Or any teamwork and that results in them being officially eliminated from advancing in the Cup.

Back in the ring  Noble meets Fuse in the middle and their hands are raised. Refueled goes elsewhere as the new teammates celebrate.

We cut away from the arena and to a nearby bar.  We see The Hardcore Artist sitting at it, a fresh IPA in hand as he takes a long drink as he smiles at the camera with a fake as fuck smile.

Scottywood: Hey Bobbinette… how’s it going?  You having fun playing around and trying to explain Black History month to a bunch of white men with Duck?  Hey, I get it, he’s the only person who doesn’t know how much of a cunt you have become here in HOW.  The only person left that you haven’t completely alienated.

Scotty chuckles as  takes another drink of his beer and wonders just how desperate Duck must be to need to team with Bobbinette.

Scottywood: Honestly I don’t give a fuck about your tag team match tonight agaianst those Egg Bandit leftovers.  The soggy fucking stale ass egg fucks and their cardboard cut out fucking fetish.  I mean serious Bobby… do you see Amazon Prime boxes and people’s porches and get a raging hard-on and have to start fucking it?

Questions Scotty as he just shakes his head, also done with the fucking Bandits.

Scottywood: No Bobbinette, all I fucking care about these days is extracting my fucking revenge for you costing me the HOW World Title.  Yeah, I still fucking remember what you did to me.  I remember it every fucking day.  But was I granted that shit at ICONIC like I wanted?  No, they tried to dump me into some match with Jatt Starr.  Waste of my fucking time.  Not sorry Jatt… I don’t have some sick obsession with you like Max did… I could care less about you.

Scotty flips off the camera… directed straight at Jatt.

Scottywood: Nor did I get to fight you in all of January or February… cause we had to have this dumb fucking tournament named after your fuck of a ex… who is as expected, flaking the fuck out if it.  Whatever… I have to wait for March… for March to Glory to be exact.  I know you don’t want this shit Carey… but it’s going to happen.  Because let’s be fucking honest here… I am your only chance at any fucking glory here in HOW.

Admits Scotty, dropping some sad truth on Bobbinette.

Scottywood: So here is the offer Carey… one you can’t refuse.  Two out of three falls.  You can try to out wrestle me in fall one… straight up, no bullshit.  Because then fall two will be a hardcore match where I will make you bleed more than all your fucking periods ever combined.  Then… then if we have to go to a third fall… well I wanted to make it a crucifixion match… but it seems Mike Best has misappropriated that gimmick to himself.  So I am going to steal a gimmick that his family made famous.  Yes Carey, if things go to a third fall, it will be a Bottom Line match.  Finally it will be an eye for a fucking eye.

Scotty downs the rest of his beer as he slams the glass on the floor of the bar and yells out for another as we cut to our next commercial break.

Back live and the camera cuts backstage to a generic interview backdrop, where staff member Brian Bare has thankfully been found and is standing by with James Cornfield, the owner, promoter and sole proprietor of Pro Wrestling: Assault. To Cornfield’s right stands the man called GenoSyde, whose gaze avoids the camera… his eyes seem fixated on the concrete beneath his feet. Curiously, Ivy English is nowhere to be seen.

Brian Bare: Mr. Cornfield, your team had a strong showing earlier tonight, not only defeating Scott Stevens and Black Mamba, but doing so in dominating fashion. Now it’s a waiting game… if John Sektor and Adam Ellis defeat Clay Byrd and Steve Solex in their upcoming match, the group is locked up and it’s all over for Pro Wrestling Assault.

Cornfield frowns, wrinkling his brow.

James Cornfield: Onward and upward, Mr. Bare. We’re ready for Byrd and Solex, and that’s about all we can be. But don’t think for a second we’re gonna be sitting around backstage, thumbs up our behinds waiting to see if we still have a shot at this thing… Carny Jimmy always has irons in the fire.

Brian Bare: Care to elaborate on that?

A used car salesman smile from the old promoter.

James Cornfield: Wouldn’t make for good TV if I didn’t, now would it? Last week, I sat down with Michael Oliver Best and I made a simple request… give us John Sektor. Give us a shot at the LSD Championship. And ol’ Ollie, he shook my hand and he liked the deal, but we couldn’t get it done.

A frown. He glances sideways at GenoSyde.

James Cornfield: Not without making one of my boys a full time member of the H O Dubya roster. Contract and everything. And with all due respect to Michael Oliver Best… well… his brother Lee raped and pillaged the independent scene, destroyed healthy competition, and promotes brutality, sexuality, and vulgarity over legitimate pro wrestling. I’d sooner donate my tongue to a Waffle House bathroom than see High Octane Wrestling steal one of my wrestlers out from underneath me.

The sour expression on his face turns upward into a grin, as he goes back into salesman mode.

James Cornfield: But we did come to… a compromise. Pro Wrestling: Assault has just signed preliminary paperwork with one Michael Oliver Best, a promoter that I DO respect, to broadcast future PWA television shows on the High Octane Television Network. H O Dubya gets real wrestling content, PWA gets mass exposure to fans who CRAVE real wrestling… everyone wins.

His smile widens. Now it’s toothy, like a shark.

James Cornfield: Especially the man standing next to me, because there’s a championship here in H O Dubya that ANYONE on their network is eligible to challenge for. Tonight, we’re gonna watching real closely as that cannibalistic, narcissistic, felonious outlaw faces that goober of a cult leader. Boy howdy, welcome to the mudshow. Cause it don’t make a lick of difference who walks out of Indiana with that belt… GenoSyde is the next HOTv Champion.

He points a thumb over to his client and employee, who finally looks up at the camera. His chest heaves, but he doesn’t say a word. Through the mask, his eyes appear to light up.

James Cornfield: …and that’s a Cornfield Guarantee.

Cornfield and GenoSyde take their leave, leaving Brian Bare standing with the microphone as we cut elsewhere.

We cut back inside the arena has it is time for our next match.

Bryan McVay: The following match is one fall and is for the HIGH OCTANE! TELEVISION! CHAMPIONSHIP! Introducing first, the challenger!

The whistling intro of “Engel” plays over the PA system, setting the crowd off in a chorus of boos as Legion and his Eternal Circle disciples step out onto the stage, surveying the crowd with a gleeful grin. The crowd shows their disdain for Legion and his crew, who simply laugh at the ignorance they see as they head toward the ring. Legion directs his disciples to circle the ring, and they all hop onto the apron with wicked smiles on their faces. They enter the ring before Legion directs his crew to leave the ring.

Bryan McVay: Hailing from Long Beach, California, he weighs in at two-hundred-and-thirty-pounds and stands at five feet and eleven inches tall! XANDER! AZULA!

Joe Hoffman: Championship action set to close us out here tonight as we have not one, but two big title matches! First up is Xander Azula squaring off against the nearly-undefeatable, Jeffrey James Roberts! Azula is going to have his work cut out for him, that’s for certain, and he will need to yield unrelenting pressure to pull this upset off.

Bryan McVay: And his opponent!

“Goldberg Variations” by Johann Sebastian Bach plays over the speakers as four security guards step out onto the stage. They form a square as Jeffrey James Roberts steps out and stands in the middle. His hands are out front, tied with plastic zip-tie cuffs, and he walks toward the ring, keeping his eyes focused on it. The guards keep a perimeter to make sure he can’t reach any fans and they walk with him all the way to ringside. The guard in front unlocks the cuffs, then steps back to allow Roberts to climb into the ring. He does so, then leans back against one corner, his eyes closed, head back, swaying slightly to the music.

Bryan McVay: Hailing from Gainesville, Florida, he weighs in two-hundred-and-thirty-pounds and stands at six feet and three inches tall. He is the HIGH OCTANE TELEVISION CHAMPION! JEFFREY! JAMES! ROBERTS!

Joe Hoffman: Both men have seen success thus far in the Marauko Cup, but there is still some action in that tournament to be seen. Still, we might see Azula and Roberts fight again if their teams advance out of their group stage play. This could set the stage for what we might see in a few weeks. Before then though, Azula is going to want that championship belt and is willing to fight through hell to get to it.

DING DING

Roberts slowly moves around the ring as Azula does the same, both men eyeing one another, and figuring out the best way to start this match. Azula moves closer to Roberts, feigning a collar-and-elbow tie-up, but smashes his forearm across Roberts’s face instead. Xander pushes him into the ropes, slamming his knee into Roberts’s midsection in the process, and whips him across the ring before connecting with a spinning back elbow. Roberts finds himself on the mat, grabbing at his jaw, caught off guard by the sudden offense from Azula. Xander steps back and watches Roberts as he makes his way off the mat.

Xander moves so he is out of Roberts’s peripheral vision and runs at Roberts, going for a bulldog to the unaware JJR, but he manages to slip out of Xander’s grasp and pushes him towards the nearby turnbuckle where Azula smashes his face into the buckle. Azula stumbles backward and finds himself in the arms of Roberts who lifts him and slams him to the mat with a German Suplex. Roberts wastes no time as he mounts Azula and pelts him with elbow strikes across the face before Hortega forces Roberts off of him.

Joe Hoffman: Lots of back and forth in the early portions of this match between both men. Azula is giving up four inches of height on JJR and that is going to give Azula some fits. Azula starting to make his way up to his feet and OOF! Roberts with a stiff knee across the jaw to Azula. Azula is going to feel that one in the morning. JJR now pulling his opponent off of the mat.

JJR then whips Azula across the ring and connects with a stiff clothesline that sends Azula crashing to the mat. Xander though doesn’t stay down for long as he makes his way up to his feet and cracks his palm against the chest of JJR. JJR stumbles back from the shot but then unleashes with a stiff forearm of his own. This drops Xander to one knee and gives JJR the opening for a sweeping DDT that plants Azula in the center of the ring. JJR bounces back up to his feet, bounces off the ropes, steps over Azula, and then uses the middle rope as a springboard into a moonsault on Azula, going for the cover.

ONE!

TWO!

AZULA GETS HIS RIGHT SHOULDER UP!

Joe Hoffman: JJR starting to pick Azula apart and almost gets the pinfall there, but Azula still has a bit of fight left in him. Azula’s going to need to stay off the mat or Roberts is going to punish him. JJR now peels him off of the mat, pushes him into a corner, and a stiff knee to the midsection from the champ. JJR trying to hoist Azula up to the top turnbuckle, but Azula is being as difficult as he can be and —OOF— Azula headbutts JJR!

JJR stumbles away as Azula hops onto the middle turnbuckle. JJR turns back towards Azula and Azula connects with a flying clothesline off the middle turnbuckle. JJR fights back to his feet and Azula connects with a kick to the midsection before hoisting him up and connecting with a vertical suplex. JJR lands hard on his lower back and sits up from the pain while Azula bounces off the ropes and slams his boot into the exposed back of his opponent. JJR rolls over onto his knees as Azula pulls him up to his feet and drives him into the nearby turnbuckle, continuing his assault on Roberts’s lower back.

Azula slams fists after fist into the face of Roberts before yanking him out of the corner and connecting with a snap suplex. Roberts sits up again, feeling the agony in his lower back before Azula yanks him back down and goes for the cover.

ONE!

TWO!

KICKOUT!

Joe Hoffman: And Azula has found a weak spot on JJR, working to expose it. He’s doing a good job of applying some pressure to the maniacal monster. Azula’s going to need to keep JJR on his back foot if Azula wants a chance at capturing the HOTv Championship. Azula now making his way back up to his feet and rolls Roberts over before dropping a knee across the back of the champ.

With Roberts on his stomach, Azula reaches down and grabs both legs before putting him into a Boston Crab. Roberts face is twisted as he can feel the pain shooting in his lower back and the pain is only intensified by Azula placing his knee into the lower back of the champ. Azula wrenches back as Hortega checks on the champion, asking him if he wants to submit, but Roberts gives him no satisfaction as he grits his teeth and bears the pain.

Roberts slams his forearms into the mat and begins to crawl towards the ropes that are a couple of feet away from him. Azula feels the champion pulling towards the ropes and drags Roberts back towards the center of the ring. This relieves some of the pressure and gives Roberts the opening he needs as he uses his legs and pushes Azula away from him. Roberts swiftly rolls onto his back, a grimace on his face, and slams his boot across the face of the returning Azula. Azula stumbles away, clutching at his face, as Roberts fights his way back to his feet. Azula turns towards Roberts and is met with a superkick for his trouble.

Joe Hoffman: And both men are down on the mat after that superkick! Azula had found an opening and exposed it for all it’s worth, even getting in a Boston Crab submission, but it wasn’t to be as the champion managed to create an opening for himself. Hortega is now counting both men, who are on the mat, and he is up to five.

Roberts starts to make his way up to his knees while Azula is crawling over to the ropes, not certain what day of the week it is.

SIX!

Roberts pushes him up to one knee. Azula begins to drag himself up using the ropes.

SEVEN!

Roberts pops up to both feet, cutting off the count, but he grabs his lower back as he does so. Azula finishes pulling himself up using the ropes and turns just in time to see Roberts running at him to duck out of the way, causing Roberts to collide with the corner. Azula turns just in time and catches Roberts with a German Suplex before rolling through it and back to his feet, his arms still wrapped around JJR’s torso and deadlifting him up.

Joe Hoffman: Azula going for the Chaos Theory! If he manages to connect with this, this could be the signal that the end is near on JJR’s championship reign!

Azula manages to lift Roberts up and goes for another German Suplex only for the champion to slip out of it while on Roberts shoulder and land on his feet. The impact on his lower back though causes him to double over. Azula turns around and sees Roberts like this, and wraps his arms around Roberts head. He goes for a neckbreaker, but Roberts counters and spins Azula around before slamming him into the nearby turnbuckles.

Azula breaks his hold on Roberts and Roberts takes the opening, dragging Azula out of the ring, and lifting him into a brainbuster, holding him there for what feels like forever before dropping him perfectly on the back of his skull.

Joe Hoffman: MASK OF SANITY! It looked like Azula might have figured out how to defeat Roberts, but it wasn’t to be! Roberts now slowly making his way up to the top rope for the Shooting Star Guillotine… and he CONNECTS! It’s all over for Azula!

After Roberts slams his knee from the Shooting Start Press across the throat of Azula, he goes for the cover and Hortega begins to count the inevitable.

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

DING DING DING

Bryan McVay: Your winner… and STILL! HIGH OCTANE TELEVISION CHAMPION! JEFFREY! JAMES! ROBERTS!

Joe Hoffman: And the fans aren’t happy with that one, that’s for sure! What a turn of events in that match and one that went back and forth before we ended up with a winner. One has to wonder what the PWA gentlemen thought of that match and the outcome.

As Roberts receives his belt, the guards enter the ring. He looks at them as he straps the belt around his waist, and then puts his hands out as he looks down at Azula, with a twisted smile on his face.

Joe Hoffman: That was a sensational championship match and we are going to follow that up with one more for our main event tonight, but before we do that, I am being told we have to cut backstage.

The action cuts away on cue.

We cut backstage and we see Darkwing walking down the back hall of the arena, a towel around the back of his neck. He seems deep in thought and distracted.

Suddenly Brian Bare steps out from around a corner and stands in front of the HOW Hall of Famer.

Brian Bare: Hey Darkwing, I had a few questions for you, if I may….

Darkwing looks annoyed, and says nothing.

Brian Bare: well… What’s been confusing for the HOW fans as well as many of the wrestlers here, and staff, is that, you have yet to publicly say anything at all to your opponents or to the fans. Care to speak out what is going on now 6 years removed from wrestling and back again?

Darkwing inhales deeply through his nose, and stares right at Brian.

Darkwing: have you, or anyone else, considered that no one has said anything that I WANT to reply to?

Brian seems confused.

Brian Bare: yes, but, Jatt Starr had some pointed remarks for you and if history tells us anything, it’s that you always have words for Starr.

Darkwing slowly shakes his head. He looks up into the air off camera, then back behind him, as if listening for something.

The fans respond. A chorus of boos and a mix of cheers. A weak “DARKWING” chant can be heard. Darkwing smiles lightly and then, through the boos it can be heard, “….. HAS SPOKEN.” repeatedly, As if anticipating the classic catch phrase from the first ever HOW ICON Champion.

Darkwing shakes his head again and becomes stone faced.

Brian Bare: well? Darkwing?

Darkwing glances at Brian and walks off camera as Brian looks shocked.

The scene fades back to ringside…

The scene cuts back to ringside, where the dapperly dressed Simon Sparrow is standing in the middle of the ring, microphone in hand, The sounds of “Everybody Wants You” by Billy Squier slowly fades out. Simon Sparrow, smiling have just watched his old nemesis’ promo, looks around at the crowd and begins to speak.

Simon Sparrow: Show it.

The High Octane Vision shows images of Gilda laying in a hospital bed hooked up to a ventilator and IV’s attached to her arm. The next image is a gruesome image of the post-surgery gunshot wound. The third and final image is another but closer angle of Gilda is her comatose state. Simon Sparrow looks at the final image, his face is stoic but his eyes indicate a simmering rage.

Simon Sparrow: I don’t enjoy airing my personal life for all to see…but I think it’s important for every single person watching to see why I can’t let this go. A few weeks ago, Darin Zion disrespected and dishonored my family, my daughter, by making a snide comment about how he was gonna put me in a coma….how I was gonna have a hospital room next to my daughter’s.

The members of the crowd in Simon Sparrow’s corner make their voices heard. The quivering in voice not-so-subtly hides the pain, the anger, the sadness he feels in this moment. He takes a moment to calm himself down before continuing.

Simon Sparrow: Last week, I made it known that Darin Zion owes me an apology and the fact that I have to even ask for one is reprehensible to me….and yet, I have yet to receive one. So, I stand out here, in front of all of you to call Darin Zion out here…so he can be a man and do the honorable thing….apologize. Darin, you don’t have a match tonight, no Maurako Cup qualifiers, no rematch against Jeffrey James Roberts, no excuses. Come on down…..

Nothing. Simon Sparrow turns towards someone in the crowd.

Simon Sparrow: Hey, how’s it going? Having a good time?

The fan inaudibly responds and Sparrow flashes a phony smile before turning his attention back towards the curtain.

Simon Sparrow: What, Darin? Am I not worth your—-

The crowd comes alive as “Happy Song” by Bring Me The Horizon erupts over the PA system. A perturbed Zion storms out of the back to the top of the entrance ramp. Darin crosses his arms in front of his chest as a stunned Simon Sparrow locks eyes with him. Zion’s foot taps while he motions for the Hall of Famer to speak. But Sparrow waits for Zion to make the first move. Out of one of Zion’s flannel pockets, he pulls a live mic. Before Simon can utter a single word, Zion rips into his prey.

Darin Zion: Cat got your tongue, Mr. Sparrow? Don’t have any more cute quips to throw at me?

While Simon goes to speak, Zion’s tone grows louder, cutting the Emperor of Jattanoga off. Zion refuses to give Jatt an inch.

Darin Zion: I empathize with you, Jatt. I really do. What happened to Gilda is appalling. I hope the authorities serve justice to whoever did that to your baby girl. I could spend all day blowing smoke up your pompous ass if it makes you feel any better. But we both know that shit ain’t enough for you.

Zion paces around the entrance ramp a bit while giving Simon a piece of his mind.

Darin Zion: Let’s cut the bullshit theatrics out of the equation right now. West Lafayette’s my peeps. And my peeps don’t like your high school drama. Right now, they hope I come storming down this ramp to rip your arms right out of their sockets. You’d be another victim on my warpath with JJR. Yet you want to poke the damn bear in his home state. Scottywood’s the only half-brained moron on the HOW roster. He could sue you for gimmick infringement with this bullshit you’ve pulled.

As the crowd roars in excitement for a good old-fashioned brawl breaking out at ringside, Zion rubs his forehead. The Indiana Native stares back at Simon Sparrow in disbelief.

Darin Zion: You’re wasting valuable HOW TV time for something we can handle backstage like men. My locker room door’s always open for business, Jatt. All you have to do is fucking knock on it. WHY IN THE BLUE HELL DIDN’T YOU WANT TO DO THAT?!

Simon Sparrow: Settle down there, sport….no one wants to see us fight.

Simon Sparrow, the slighted father of Gilda…not Jatt Starr, not the Professor of Sparrowdynamics looks at Darin Zion nearly fuming, but remaining calm.

Simon Sparrow: If memory serves, I had to come out before your match last week, and tell you that you owe me an apology. It’s been a week, I heard nothing from you. You wronged me and my daughter! I shouldn’t have to hunt you down.

Darin is about to respond but Simon Sparrow interrupts him.

Simon Sparrow: Hold up….I also think it’s in bad taste for you to come out here, in front of your “peeps”, to refer to what I have been going through as “high school drama”. I am pretty sure the fathers in the audience would agree with me on that. But more importantly, It’s becoming very clear to me that you honestly don’t give a shit about giving me a sincere apology. I might not respect you as a wrestler or a competitor, Darin, but I thought, at the very least, you coming out here, in front of your “peeps” and admitting you were wrong that I could respect you as a fucking man. Apparently, I was wrong.

Darin rolls his eyes and storms down to the ring. Zion gets right up in Simon’s face. Preceding to become more animated, Darin gives the Time Out gesture.

Darin Zion: Woah! 20 second timeout there, Jatt. That’s quite an assumption you made there. Pardon me for being skeptical. For the last 7 years, all the HOW Hall of Famers pull the same bullshit. Every time I earn some clout; you try to cut me off at the knees. Hell, my own best friend leeched off my clout for 15 years.

Pausing mid thought, Zion takes a deep breath in. He lets out an audible sigh.

Darin Zion: Excuse my cynical side, Jatt, but I don’t buy your recent change of heart. I’ve never known you to care about other people’s careers. It’s only what benefits YOURS. Seeing you haven’t won a match since the Go Home show before Rumble at the Rock. Now I’m supposed to believe you CARE about MY CAREER?

Zion scratches his head while he continues his thoughts. An idea pops into the stubborn Zion’s head.

Darin Zion: Call me crazy, but I call bullshit. We could have resolved it all behind the scenes. But you chose an avenue to try and make me look weak in front of JJR. Hell, you want revenge for Xander and I beating you fair and square in that ring. It’s the perfect way to kick Zion in the balls.

Darin paces around Simon Sparrow, sizing the man up. Speaking in a rather calm tone, he lays out his thought process as Sparrow glares daggers at Zion.

Darin Zion: So tell me something, Mr. Starr. What if I decide not to apologize? Let’s say I decide to knock your ass out right in front of my home state. Then I happen to cart your lifeless carcass straight into Jeffrey’s cell. You could become a good will sacrifice for another HOTv title shot. What would your reaction be?

Stepping back, Zion allows Simon the floor, still conflicted by his decision. Unlike his usual self, he stands by, waiting and observing Sparrow’s actions.

Simon Sparrow: Who gives a flying fuck about you and Jeffrey James Roberts??? It may shock you to learn, Darin, that Michael Best’s genital warts have more meaning to me than you or your obsession with J-J-R! This, right here, has nothing to do with Jeffrey James Roberts and yeah, I don’t give a shit about your career! I do, however, care when some delusional, festering pimple decides to make light of my daughter’s injury. It’s clear you are just wasting my time, the fans’ time, and the HOW’s time…just to inflate your own ego. I’m done.

Simon wastes no time in slamming the microphone down to the mat and storming off. A stunned Zion is left alone, watching the Hall of Famer storm up towards the ramp. It catches Zion off guard. It’s like he expected a different reaction from Sparrow. Darin moves from a frustrated stance to a more open one. Without a second thought, he lifts the microphone and expresses his disappointment.

Darin Zion: So that’s it, Jatt? All you wanted to do is clap back at me? You’re gonna storm off without kicking my ass? You’re not gonna hunt me down like I hunt Xander down for kidnapping Meredith? If I were in your shoes, I’d stop at NOTHING to protect my family. I’d hunt down ANYONE who posed a threat. Hell, I’d annihilate ANYONE who disrespected Meredith and Lexi. That shit is like starting a war with me, and I’d stop at NOTHING. I’d even go to jail for their honor.

Zion notices Simon hasn’t stopped. He’s almost up the entrance ramp and readying himself to grab the curtain. Darin continues onward.

Darin Zion: Mr. Starr for the first time in my career, you’ve left me perplexed. I mean no disrespect.. You might be a better father than me. But it leaves me wondering… what would your daughter say about this? What would Gilda say about us not coming to a resolution? What would she think about you walking away like this?

Darin shakes his head in dismay as Simon Sparrow grabs the curtain and turns to face him. Zion drops the microphone, and stares at the entrance ramp. The look of hatred in his eyes is replaced with one of concern as Simon’s eye twitches and his hand tremors as he scowls at Zion as the scene ends and we cut to commercial.

Back live and we open to a blank film screen—cigarette-stain white, weathered from years of use.  The sound of a projector shuttering to life gives way to a torrent of grainy footage.

Footage of a short but GIGANTIC man, face turned from the camera, deadlifting an obscene amount of weight.  Footage of this man laboriously running in the Minnesota snow with a tree stump over one shoulder.  Of dingy stages within dingier legion halls where unregulated bodybuilding competitions are held.  Rapid-fire cuts of oiled biceps and pecs, of strained thighs, of chalk dust bursting between slammed palms.  A man emerges through the cloud of white, now facing the camera, staring into it for a split second before another cut and we’re back to more feats of strength and glamor shots of this man’s impressive physique.

VOICE OVER:  (sounding like a bingo hall Morgan Freeman who’s only not drunk right this second because he needs to be sober enough to read the script he was given)  What is a man?  Is he the company he keeps?  The family he protects and provides for?  The job he works?

Cellphone footage of the man attempting to beat an elderly gentleman to death with his barehands on stage while several bodybuilders stand idly by, visibly uncomfortable and unsure as to whether they should intervene.

VOICE OVER:  Is he the scandals he overcomes?  The depression and self-doubt he strives to defeat?

Police body-cam footage of the man being tackled to the ground while trying to escape through a parking lot.  He’s tazed and punched and eventually subdued by several officers.

VOICE OVER:  No.  A man is none of those things.  Those things don’t matter.

More cellphone footage, this time of the man walking free from jail.  En route to his Uber, he takes a moment to pick up and put down a garbage can repeatedly, and then flexes and admires what he sees in a nearby reflective window.

VOICE OVER:  A man is his body.  His strength.  His ability to impose his will on others… and his willingness to do so.  Can he bench press your wife?  Yes.  Yes, he can.  And your wife is very heavy.  Heavier than you, in fact—which is sad.

We are once again met by the grizzled, beat-red face of the subject of the video, though it holds longer as he snarls and drips sweat.

VOICE OVER:  A man is STRONK GODSON.  A man among boys.  Sub-six feet tall… but your girlfriend would still swipe right.  A mountain of muscle and sinew and rumbling fury.  A mover of weights and shaker of pipsqueaks.  A destroyer of records and enabler of body dysmorphia.  He is here.

Suddenly, the film screen rips down the middle and STRONK GODSON himself bursts through to the foreground.  Clad in a stretched-out tank top and Zubaz sweatpants, he stands huffing his chest in and out, staring intently directly at YOU.

GODSON:  FEAST YOUR EYES ON A FAMILY-SIZE MEAL!  Y’ALL BEEN FAMISHED FOR FAR TOO LONG!  TIME FOR A CONSISTENT PROTEIN SURPLUS!  THREE HOT’S AND A COT!  TIME FOR THE STRONK MAN TO TEACH THESE PATHETIC WIMPS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MASCULINE!  THE STRONK MAN SEES NOTHING BUT PENCIL-NECK GEEKS AND EFFEMINATE CHUMPS AMONGST THE H-O-W ROSTER!  YOU WANT HIGH OCTANE?  LOOK AT THE ADVERB:  OCTANE.  AIN’T NOBODY GOT MORE OCTANE FLOWING THROUGH HIM THAN THE STRONK MAN!  Y’ALL AIN’T NOTHING BUT RENT BOYS STANDING SOAKING WET IN THE RAIN!  SOON YOU WILL LEARN YOUR PLACE IN THE PECKING ORDER!  SOON YOU WILL REALIZE THAT BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER… AND THERE AIN’T NO ONE BIGGER THAN STRONK GODSON!

With that, GODSON effortlessly rips the tank top from his body, and shoves it in his mouth, while posing and flexing every bone in his body.

Over black, text appears:  “GODSON IS COMING” as the video ends.

We cut ringside for our main event and our Hall of Fame ring announcer…

Bryan McVay: Due to the athletic commission of the state of Indiana this match is scheduled with a twenty four minute time limit! Making his way to the ring first… the challenger… ARTHUR PLEASANT!

The wonderfully horrific screeching of violins cut through the arena like a knife through flesh as “Danse Macabre”, the classic orchestral piece written and composed by Camille Saint-Saëns and condensed into a much more frightening version for entrance theme’s sake, plays throughout the arena. Soon thereafter enters Arthur Pleasant, The Provocateur himself, from the Gorilla position. Standing with his arms out and a smile as sick and evil as the day is long and the fans are fickle, Arthur Pleasant sniffs the air with his eyes closed. Taking in the snarky shouts and cynicism from the internet wrestling community, Arthur begins skipping down the ramp with utter delight plastered onto his face. Arthur runs the ropes a few times, making a mockery out of the mat-wrestling master race that like to warm up before a match. Retreating to the corner furthest away from the ramp, Arthur hunkers down with both arms holding onto the top rope at his sides as he sits on the middle turnbuckle. A lustful look bearing the need for violence and calamity, Arthur grins as widely as his jaw and skin will allow him to while he waits for his doomed opponent.

Bryan McVay: And his opponent he weighs in at two-hundred and forty-five pounds, he’s your reigning LSD CHAMPION! HE IS A HIGH OCTANE WRESTLING HALL OF FAMER! HE IS THE GOLD STANDARD OF HIGH OCTANE WRESTLING! JOOOOOOOOHN SEEEEEEKTOOOOOOR!

The lights dim as ‘Dirty Deeds’ hits over the sound system and John Sektor limps out into a single golden spotlight. He snarls as he begins his march to the ring, heading directly for Arthur Pleasant. He hands his LSD title to Bryan McVay right away and continues to stare down Pleasant.

DING DING

The Provocateur and The Golden Standard both go to the middle of the ring. Sektor looks to start it off with a collar and elbow tie-up. Pleasant locks up, and as Sektor leans into the tie-up Pleasant kicks him right in the injured knee.

Joe Hoffman: Arthur Pleasant is going to be focusing on the knee of John Sektor all night. He was even focused on it a little while ago in the back!

Sektor limps backwards while Pleasant keeps coming. He feints a leg kick, and Sektor takes the bait, and gets caught with a brutal elbow to the face. Sektor stumbles backwards into the ropes as Pleasant unloads with a furious muay thai strike combination in the ropes. First the elbow flies again but Sektor is able to block. Pleasant goes for a knee to the face that The Gold Standard manages to half block. Then a downward elbow to the top of the head that drops Sektor to a knee.

Joe Hoffman: Arthur Pleasant is starting this one off quickly! A barrage of strikes up against the ropes.

Pleasant steps back and goes for a huge sweeping side kick to Sektor’s injured knee, but the LSD champion front rolls himself out of the way leaving Pleasant to swing at the air. John spins around and grabs Pleasant with a waist lock. Sektor pulls back for a german suplex but Pleasant manages to grab onto the ropes. Sektor gets in closer and tries a second time, but Pleasant manages to slip his arm in between Sektor’s arm and his waist, Pleasant manages to reverse the waist lock and ends up behind Sektor. Sektor now reaches for the ropes as Pleasant lets the hold go, but Sektor doesn’t get away freely, as The Provocateur dives at Sektor’s knee and cuts him down with a chop block.

Joe Hoffman: That’s exactly what Arthur Pleasant did earlier tonight to John Sektor! He’s taking John Sektor’s base right out from under him.

Sektor immediately rolls to the outside holding his injured leg. Pleasant doesn’t give him time, he hits the ropes and dives at Sektor with a baseball slide. Sektor once again moves out of the way as Pleasant slides onto the floor and lands on his feet. The LSD Champion steps forward at Pleasant, but The Provocateur jabs Sektor in the eye. Sektor spins around trying to walk away but Pleasant grabs him by the hair. He pulls Sektor back and slams him off of the padded floor with a reverse DDT.

Matt Boetcher: 1!

Matt Boetcher: 2!

Pleasant gets up smiling, and grabs Sektor by the hair and pulls him up, and rolls him into the ring. Pleasant slides in behind him and begins to drag Sektor to his feet again. This time as Sektor is on his knees he tries to double leg Pleasant who manages to sprawl and laughs out loud at Sektor.

Joe Hoffman: Arthur Pleasant thinks he has John Sektor figured out.

Sektor immediately grabs Pleasant’s head, spinning around and flipping him over with a snapmare. The LSD Champion instantly locks in a reverse chin lock and takes a moment to gather himself. Pleasant manages to slip a foot underneath him and tries to scamper away from Sektor, but Sektor manages to hold onto Pleasant’s back. Sektor rides Pleasant back to the ground, this time driving Pleasant to the canvas face first.

Joe Hoffman: The Gold Standard is going to try not to give Arthur Pleasant any space in that ring this evening!

Pleasant tries to push himself up but Sektor slips a hook under Pleasant’s arm and sweeps The Provocateur back down to the mat. Sektor goes to work flattening Pleasant out on the canvas before completely taking Pleasant’s back in the middle of the ring.

Joe Hoffman: This is NOT a good position for Arthur Pleasant to be in!

Sektor pulls himself to a seated position on Pleasant’s back. Sektor then manages to wrap his arms around Pleasant’s face, pulling him back into a cobra clutch. Pleasant keeps his arms free though and claws at Sektor’s hands around his neck. The Gold Standard’s grip begins to slip and ends up around Pleasant’s mouth. Sektor doesn’t care, and pulls back harder on the move.

Joe Hoffman: Sektor is already softening up Arthur Pleasant for the Sektor Stretch.

Sektor pulls back again, but Pleasant is able to free up his jaw and bites Sektor’s hand.

Joe Hoffman: Arthur Pleasant is taking a bite out of John Sektor!

Sektor recoils, shocked by the bite and Pleasant manages to scramble to the ropes. Sektor gets to his feet, and smiles at a writhing Provocateur. The Gold Standard points to his brain, while yelling at Pleasant. He stalks Pleasant into the corner, Pleasant tries to take a swing at Sektor, but he ducks under and tackles Pleasant into the corner.

Joe Hoffman: John Sektor is a machine! Just dishing out punishment at every turn!

Sektor drives his shoulder into Pleasant’s midsection over and over again. The blows end with Pleasant sitting on the bottom turnbuckle. Matt Boetcher runs over and warns Sektor for the blows in the ropes but Sektor ignores him. He grabs onto the top rope and stomps Arthur Pleasant all the way to the ground. Pleasant now rolls out of the ring to recuperate.

Joe Hoffman: Smart move by Pleasant, generating some space and having a minute to collect his composure. With Sektor’s knee, he’s not going to willingly follow Pleasant to the outside.

The Gold Standard begins clapping at Pleasant, wanting him to get into the ring. Pleasant jumps up on the apron and claps right back at Sektor. The Gold Standard tries to charge Arthur, but Pleasant immediately steps off the apron and points to the referee.

Joe Hoffman: I think Pleasant is trying to get referee Matt Boetcher to assure him that he can get back in the ring.

Boetcher steps in between Sektor and the ropes, Pleasant hops up onto the apron again. He starts pointing at Sektor who tries to go around the referee. Pleasant manages to get into the ring, going around the referee the opposite way. Sektor stays calm and the two begin to circle. Pleasant takes a swipe at Sektor’s injured leg. Sektor loops around behind Pleasant grabbing him in a waist lock. He lifts Pleasant up and sends him to the mat with a german suplex.

Joe Hoffman: Sektor still has a hold of Pleasant.

Sektor gets the two back up and smashes Pleasant with a second german suplex. Once again he holds on and lifts Pleasant back to his feet. Sektor goes for the third german suplex, but his knee gives way stopping him for a moment. The Provocateur takes advantage of the situation and slides himself back and under Sektor lifting him up in the fireman’s carry position.

Joe Hoffman: THERE IT IS! CALAMITY PAIN FROM PLEASANT!

The crowd is shocked as Pleasant hooks the leg.

Matt Boetcher: 1!

Matt Boetcher: 2!

Matt Boetcher: 3!

Joe Hoffman: NOOOO! JOHN SEKTOR KICKS OUT AT THE LAST SECOND!

Matt Boetcher immediately jumps up to his feet holding two fingers in the air. Pleasant is outraged, screaming at the official. He claps his hands together three times and shows Boetcher three fingers as he backs him into the corner. Just as Pleasant is about to turn around, Sektor weakly manages to roll Pleasant up.

Matt Boetcher: 1!

Matt Boetcher: 2!

Joe Hoffman: You have to keep your eyes on John Sektor at all times. John Sektor almost stole a title defense right there.

Pleasant rolls to his feet from the kick out, absolutely furious. Sektor is still kneeling and Pleasant fires off a sidekick, catching Sektor in the head. He doesn’t gloat this time, he’s on Sektor immediately, pulling him back to his feet.

Joe Hoffman: Pleasant understands now!

Pleasant tries to irish whip Sektor into the corner, but Sektor plants on his good leg, spins and smashes Pleasant across the mouth with a forearm. Pleasant stumbles back and Sektor is all over him. A second forearm sends Pleasant to the ropes and The Gold Standard catches Arthur trying to rebound into a clothesline.

Joe Hoffman: Up and over! Huge overhead belly to belly from The Gold Standard there.

Pleasant crawls to the ropes and uses them to get to his feet while Sektor is completely locked in. As Pleasant goes to get up, Sektor grabs him around the waist and launches Arthur over his head with a german suplex.

Joe Hoffman: What a german suplex! John Sektor is a machine, he’s a hall of famer for a reason.

Pleasant once again drags himself over to the ropes, slowly pulling himself up while Sektor limps over and tries to grab Arthur around the waist again. Pleasant turns around and drills Sektor directly in the injured leg with a straight kick to the thigh causing his knee to buckle. Sektor is stopped in his tracks as Pleasant turns around and unloads another straight kick to the thigh, sending Sektor crumpling to the ground.

Joe Hoffman: Those MMA style front kicks from Arthur Pleasant are absolutely brutal to watch. I don’t know how many more of those Sektor can handle.

Pleasant approaches and sends two sidekicks right into Sektor’s injured leg. Sektor looks back at Pleasant defiantly, but catches a kick to the side of the head for his arrogance. Pleasant grabs Sek by the hair and pulls him up, before trying to drive his head through the canvas with a DDT. Pleasant jumps up, putting Sektor into the fireman’s carry position for the second time tonight.

Joe Hoffman: There’s no way Sektor can survive a second Calamity Pain! There’s just no way!

Sektor slides down Pleasant’s back.

Joe Hoffman: SEKTOR STRETCH! SEKTOR STRETCH! PLEASANT IS DONE! IT’S LOCKED IN!

Pleasant is kicking for the bottom rope like a mad man but just can’t quite reach it. Sektor catches a glance at the ropes and how close Pleasant’s feet are to touching them, he leans back as hard as he can.

Joe Hoffman: SEKTORS KNEE JUST GAVE OUT! PLEASANT MAKES IT TO THE ROPES! Just as Sektor reached the furthest he could arch his back, his braced knee gave up on him.

Sektor is pounding the mat furiously and staring at his braced knee. Pleasant drags himself to the outside holding his neck. Pleasant collapses by the stairs as Sektor follows him to the outside. Sektor is outraged and runs at Pleasant looking to drive the knee brace into Pleasant’s face. Pleasant manages to roll out of the way letting Sektor send the steps flying by crashing into them knee first.

Matt Boetcher: 1!

Pleasant gets to his feet first, and begins to lay boots to Sektor. Sektor curls up, trying to avoid the punishment.

Matt Boetcher: 2!

Frustrated, Pleasant pulls Sektor to his feet.

Matt Boetcher: 3!

Sektor crushes Pleasant with a right hand, but Pleasant cuts The Gold Standard off with another kick to the knee. Pleasant steps forward and levels Sektor with a shining wizard.

Matt Boetcher: 4!

The Provocateur pulls a limp Sektor over to the steel steps.

Matt Boetcher: 5!

He plants Sektor into steel steps with a DDT!

Matt Boetcher: 6!

Matt Boetcher: 7!

Pleasant hurriedly gets to his feet, and drags the half dead Sektor over to the apron.

Matt Boetcher: 8!

Pleasant rolls Sektor into the ring, and follows him to break up the count. He looks down at the limp Gold Standard and looks back at the corner. He bends down and picks Sektor up, tossing him over his shoulder. He begins to march over to the corner.

Joe Hoffman: I don’t like where Arthur Pleasant is headed with the LSD champion.

Pleasant brings himself and Sektor up to the second rope. Just as he is about to flip Sektor over for an avalanche Calamity Pain, Sektor slides down Pleasants’ back and locks in a sleeper hold. Boetcher runs over to the ropes trying to separate the two men, but Sektor will not let Pleasant go. Boetcher starts counting while Arthur Pleasant’s arms begin to flail.

Joe Hoffman: John Sektor has a sleeper hold locked in! He’s riding Pleasant’s back, but Pleasant won’t go down.

Pleasant frantically reaches behind him pulling at Sektor’s hair and clawing at the Gold Standard’s face. Sektor doesn’t relent, he wraps his legs around Pleasant’s midsection and begins to squeeze a body triangle.

Joe Hoffman: This is brilliant by Sektor! He truly is The Gold Standard! If Boetcher disqualifies Sektor it doesn’t matter to John! But it’s everything to Arthur!

Pleasant is shouting at Boetcher to stop counting as Sektor stays locked on. Finally, Pleasant begins to fade. He takes a defiant step and steps up to the top rope. Arthur Pleasant jumps to the outside.

SMACK

Joe Hoffman: OH NO! OH NO! NOT LIKE THIS!

Both men crash to the floor outside from the top rope and land in a heap. Boetcher has his hands on his head looking at the mayhem and the two broken men on the floor. Boetcher begins to count.

Matt Boetcher: 1!

Matt Boetcher: 2!

Joe Hoffman: Neither man is moving on the outside… We might need to get someone out here.

Matt Boetcher: 3!

Matt Boetcher: 4!

Neither man moves a muscle.

Matt Boetcher: 5!

Matt Boetcher: 6!

Finally the two men separate from each other on the floor, Pleasant is busted open while Sektor is trying to crawl to the guard rail.

Matt Boetcher: 7!

Matt Boetcher: 8!

Pleasant tries pulling on the apron to get up, but falls back over.

Matt Boetcher: 9!

Sektor drags himself partway up using the guard rail but his knee gives out and he collapses.

Matt Boetcher: 10!

DING DING DING

Bryan McVay: THIS MATCH HAS ENDED IN A DOUBLE COUNTOUT AND THUS…….STIIIIILLLLLLL LSD CHAMPION……JOHN SEKTOR!!!!!!!!

Joe Hoffman: What a match folks, incredible work by these two men absolutely going at it for twenty-three and a half minutes, but in the end John Sektor is still the LSD Champion. He was once again taken to the brink but somehow leaves Indiana tonight with the belt.

The final shots of the night are an overhead shot of both men laid out on the arena floor and then cuts to a HOV replay showing the fall from the top rope that ended both wrestlers nights….and the match….as the sold out crowd boos loudly.

As we cut away from the ending of the in-ring action for Refueled we pivot to a suite high above the arena floor where both the LSD Champion and challenger are still laid out and getting medical attention.

“These ungrateful assholes are actually booing? Why? Because neither man literally killed themselves? You know this whole perception of High Octane Wrestling being a death match company just needs to go the fuck away. How in the hell am I going to secure sponsors this way??”

The camera zooms in on Michael Oliver Best as we see everyone’s favorite Uncle just shaking his head in disgust as he turns away from the crowd and to the man sitting behind him in a chair.

“This is your fault Nephew…..all your fault”

Michael Lee Best goes to speak and actually has nothing to say and just smirks instead.

“I take that back…it is not ALL your fault….let’s just say your Father built this culture of carnage and enabled everything you have done these past ten years……but that changes tonight Michael……you ready for your birthday present??”

Michael Lee Best reaches out to a bag of popcorn sitting next to him and nods as he leans back and is ready to take it all in.

“This shit with Byrd is escalating and quite frankly I am over it already. I am ready for you to move the hell AFTER you defeat him at March to Glory……right?”

The Nephew can only shrug as he continues to eat his popcorn as if he is indifferent to it all…….but his eyes tell a different story.

“After March to Glory……your wrestling career is officially over and I know that in this business there might not be a 100% ironclad retirement for guys in your position……but let’s just say I am going to make sure its …..well…..97%?”

Oliver smiles as he sits down next to his Nephew and reaches into the bag of popcorn and takes a bit for himself….causing the HOW Hall of Famer to flinch.

“Whoa…..simmer down now. I am not your Father……easy now”

Oliver motions towards the door and an unknown man opens the door and in walks another unknown man………but this man is carrying something…..and that something is laid out on a silver tray.

He hands the tray to Michael Oliver Best and he smiles as he lays it on his lap and positions the contents so that they are facing Michael.

“Here you go Nephew……complete and on a silver platter to boot……..your birthday present.”

Michael tosses his popcorn to the side of the room and leans forward. On the silver platter is a single piece of paper and a very SPECIFIC pen lying next to the piece of paper.

“Go ahead….read it………and then fucking sign it.”

Michael, for once in his life, reads the contents fully without skimming and as he does a huge smile comes across his face.

He reaches for the pen and quickly scribbles his name at the bottom of the paper and Uncle and Nephew share a quick handshake.

Refueled comes to a finish as the camera zooms in past the two men’s hands shaking and towards the piece of paper on the silver tray and we see the final sentence right above Michael Lee Best’s signature.

“Post March to Glory Michael Lee Best will be officially  promoted to Chief Executive Officer of High Octane Wrestling and will be in charge of day to day wrestling operations until the closing of the company while Michael Oliver Best will be in charge of the day to day business operations”