Post by Audrey Valentine on Dec 20, 2018 19:57:00 GMT -5
PRO WRESTLING NEO: "THE MERAKI TOURNAMENT”
LIVE FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
We arrived on a shot of Lisa Seldon, who had certainly looked better. At least we’d like to say that. It feels like every time out we’re seeing her working through one war wound or another. The other night Erik Holland had a room full of Russian Ultras chuck chairs at her head. Wrestling is a strange and wonderful thing.
LISA SELDON: “I love tournaments. I don't think that'll come as much of a surprise, I'm in all of them. You can’t turn on a wrestling stream without fucking Lisa Seldon dragging herself onto it like some creepy old movie monster.”
She came to us from backstage, sitting on a set of stairs like great inconvenience. And though she spoke with a smile and in cheerful enough tones, she stressed the word old which had become something of a millstone about her neck. At least here.
LISA SELDON: “This one for NEO though is a bit special. And that’s because this is a place I quite like. I want it to do well and conversely I want to do well in it. In fact the only reason I haven’t joined up myself is because I made a promise to my limbs that I’d stop signing up to companies full time. I’m at saturation point. A couple of them are threatening to leave me if I put a contract in anywhere else.”
Lisa let go of a little laugh and brushed a heavily taped hand through her hair to push it back.
LISA SELDON: “So maybe I can’t be here every show, but I’ll be here every month, every chance they’ll have me. I’ll keep coming back and when I do, I’ll have a massive fuck off trophy to cart around with me. This place is special and I want to do my part by living up to it.”
She paused for a beat. Clapped her hands together.
LISA SELDON: “The lineup tonight is fairly stacked. You’ve got the LeCavaliers, little Tompkins, Will Neilson - who once tried to smash my head in with a concrete block. It’s a strong field, you couldn’t ask for better, especially if your plan is to rip through a chunk of the hottest talent in the world and establish your name in another corner of the wrestling world. Mine always is. After all, what’s the fun of mountain climbing if you run out of mountains.”
A little shrug slipped out before she picked herself up and popped to her feet.
LISA SELDON: “I see big things for this company. I’m going to be apart of that. And if I can’t be here full time just yet, then I’ve got to take my chances where they come.”
She left it there, throwing another rough take at a wink before she skipped down the steps and out of shot. She’ll nail it one day. She’s trying at least.
OPENING ROUND MATCH
"SPIRIT & YOUTH"
Lisa Seldon vs Tiffany Tompkins
This match went from zero to one hundred as soon as the bell rang. Lisa darted out of the gates and caught Tiffany off guard with a yakuza kick. Ms. Seldon must have still been upset with her “spirited” billing. She looked to prove a thing or two to Audrey and Hayato. Lisa landed a spinning back-elbow before she connected with a snap suplex. She went for the cover, but Tiffany kicked out pretty easily. Lisa laid in a series of strikes as both competitors stood back to their feet. The blows? The were fast and stern. And yet, Tiffany took them in stride. Lisa then launched a middle kick aimed at Tiffany’s midsection. But Tiffany took ahold of her leg. She drove the point of her elbow into Lisa’s thigh before she shot herself into the ropes. Lisa tried to hit her with a forearm, but Tiffany ducked it. Tiffany rebounded of the adjacent ropes and blasted Lisa in the shin with a kick. The strike took Ms. Seldon off of her feet. This allowed Tiffany to charge in with a single-leg dropkick. She went for the cover, but Lisa kicked out.
Tiffany didn’t let Lisa off the mat as she peppered her with stomps. She then shot herself into the ropes. Rebounded, leapt into the air, and connected with a senton. Tiffany leaned back and hooked her opponent’s leg for a pin—two-count. But before Tiffany could move another muscle, Lisa hooked Tiffany's arm and planted her shoulders to the mat! The speediness of the counter caught Tiffany off guard. However, she was able to gather her wits and kick out just before the count of three. Tiffany started to stand up as Lisa hit the ropes. Lisa rebounded and quickly slapped on a flying triangle choke. Tiffany screamed out in pain as Lisa continued to constrict her airways. Tiffany knew she had to get out of the hold as the pain started to intensify. She began to crawl her way towards the ropes. After a lot of struggle, Tiffany was able to get her boot on the bottom rope; Lisa quickly broke the hold.
All of the momentum rested with Lisa for a couple of minutes. But then Tiffany started to fight back. A stiff kick to the quad. A nasty middle kick to Lisa’s sternum. A mighty forearm. She attempted to whip Lisa into the corner, but it was reversed. Lisa came blazing in, looking to boop Tiffany with a knee…
But Tiffany dodged it!
Lisa crashed into the turnbuckle. Sensing a prime opportunity, Tiffany ran to the adjacent corner. She then launched herself out of that corner, flipped into the air, and smashed into Lisa with a cannonball senton. Tiffany wasted little time as she went for the cover—
But Lisa got her hand on the ropes!
About ten minutes had elapsed at this point. Both wrestlers knew it was go-time. They charged at each other and exchanged blows. However, Lisa gained the advantage when she nailed a high roundhouse that nearly spun Tiffany around. Lisa then grabbed Tiffany and hit her with the Funlay Roll (basement roll fireman's carry). Lisa maintained her grip and she stood back to her feet. She lifted Tiffany up, shifted her body, and dropped her with The Evil Dead (fisherman’s driver). Lisa wasted little time going for the pinfall…
But Tiffany kicked out again!
Lisa checked with the ref as Tiffany rolled to the outside. After getting confirmation that it was a two-count, Lisa exited the ring and stood on the apron near Tiffany. After sizing her up, Lisa leapt to the top rope for the Black Horse Riding Star (top-rope no-hand asai moonsault). But Lisa didn’t have the best footing. As she tried to find her footing, Tiffany darted onto the ring apron. She used the top rope to hoist herself and drilled Lisa in back with a kick. Lisa crashed back into the ring. All things considered, Lisa recovered pretty nicely as she was able to quickly make it back to her feet. That’s when she turned a spotted Tiffany entering the ring. She charged at Tiffany and looked to put her away, but Tiffany wrapped her into a small package.
The ref dropped down immediately to make the count. His hand hit the mat three times as Lisa was unable to kick out.
WINNER: Tiffany Tompkins via small package (12:45)
“Family Matters...”
We fade in on the relatively neutral expression of former DIVINE Pro wrestler, and one of the Meraki Tournament participants, Milena LeCavalier. Despite herself, the neutrality cracks just a bit, the corner of her mouth curling upward into the beginnings of a smirk. She briefly goes over what led her to the tournament--specifically, the potential to face (and, perhaps more to the point, to defeat) some of those that NEO has attracted to their shows since opening. “Every show has been impressive, top to bottom,” she muses, and the prospect of being the one still standing at the end of the evening, over the kinds of names that have come to NEO, appealed to her.
What she wasn't expecting, however, was to find her family among the tournament participants; it wasn't entirely unexpected to see Misha on the card, Milena touting her cousin's talent and in-demand nature, especially with her companions for the evening. “A beautifully violent trio, to be certain.”
No, it's not Misha that's the surprise--rather, it's Talia, and the fact that Milena finds herself opposite her sister in the very first round of the tournament. Milena muses over the fact that there may be others in the tournament with more accomplishments, more experience, more...whatever they may have, but no contest in this tournament can match a Family Feud, so to speak, between LeCavaliers.
“We share a different mentality,” Milena asserts, with no hesitation--one that is rarely seen, even among the best wrestlers in the world. And, to that end, Milena wouldn't disrespect her sister by “treating her any different than any other opponent;” in truth, she admits, this match will, perhaps, be even harsher than her normal matches, as she fully expects her sister to give as good as she gets.
It simply wouldn’t be a fight with her family otherwise.
And, as the headline says...Family Matters.
“But,” Milena adds, that neutrality breaking a little more, to allow an arrogant smirk to spread on her face, “you should ask our prodigious cousin what facing me is like, dear sister.” While she refuses to share what Misha told her after their match at SSWA 100, Milena knows she took the former SSWA World Champion further than most people have the ability to, and came within a fraction of a second of beating Misha. Millimeters further from the ropes, and she may very well have had the match won.
“And if I can do that to, perhaps, the best wrestler in the world at the moment...”
She leaves the sentence unfinished, happy to just move on to the remainder of the tournament; rather than run them all down, though, she acknowledges the accomplishments, ambition, and talent of the tournament's participants, but admits that she feels confident going up against any and all of them--and in the fact that, as she stated earlier, she will be the one standing at the end of the night. Who she faces, what path she has to travel, is not so important to Milena.
All that matters is the end goal: winning the Meraki Tournament, whatever it takes.
And it’s on that promise, that we fade to black.
OPENING ROUND MATCH
"PUT YOUR DUKES UP"
Carson Campbell vs Kendrick Lewis
The Hoss Battle began as you might expect—with a feat of strength. Carson reared back and chopped Kendrick as hard as he could. Th sound was deafening. But Kendrick didn’t flinch. In fact, the strike brought forth a smirk. Kendrick nodded his head before he returned fire with a humongous chop of his own. It made Carson backup a foot or two. It brought forth a smirk from him as well. From there, the two began trading punches and kicks. Kendrick started to get the better of Carson. He grabbed his arm and whipped Carson into the corner. With amazing speed, he rushed in and crushed Carson with a splash. A T-Bone suplex sent Carson to the mat. Kendrick went for the cover, but only got a one-count. Kendrick went for another suplex as Carson made it to his feet, but it was blocked by a nasty back elbow. Carson then took a step back before he shot forward and blasted Kendrick in the face with a big boot. Kendrick was on Dream Street for a few moments. Carson took advantage by yoking him up and dropping him with a belly-to-belly suplex. He went for the cover, but got a one-count as a well.
Something beautiful and heinous happened next…
Both wrestlers made it back to their feet. They sized each other up once more before Carson reared back again and connected with a vicious chop. Kendrick remained tall, just like before. But this time, he motioned for Carson to hit him again. Carson obliged, but of course. But Kendrick egged him on and shouted that Carson’s strikes were weak. Carson responded with an even heavier chop. And that’s when Kendrick returned fire—
Kendrick leaned back and drilled Carson with a chop. The two then began trading chops. And although each blow was massive, both stood their ground. They continued to go back and forth until a strike caused Kendrick to back himself into the corner. But Carson was right there. He responded with a series of machine-gun chops. Kendrick had enough after the seventh chop. He reached up, grabbed Carson about the neck, and tossed him into the corner. Kendrick then connected with a series rapid chops himself. Following his onslaught, Kendrick backed up a bit and admired his handiwork. This allowed Carson to back himself out of the corner. He ran towards Kendrick and hit him with another chops.
The exchange started up again in the center of the ring.
The chop battle had begun to take its toll at that point. While they still had a lot of power, each one was just a little bit slower in speed. Their chests had gotten raw and red to boot. And yet, continued to hash it out. There was a very brief moment where both wrestlers paused to suck in some wind, but it only lasted five seconds or so. It was here that a couple of Kendrick’s blows made Carson stumble. This caused Kendrick to lay them in even harder. But Carson didn’t fall. He regained his footing and kept the battle going. Another thirty seconds elapsed before Kendrick got caught with a chop that really rocked him. Carson took note. He took a couple of steps back, charged in, and blasted Kendrick with a running chop just below his neck. Both wrestlers hit the mat completely spent. The fans went crazy.
Carson and Kendrick took a moment to breathe, due to the fact that the referee was liberal with the ten-count. It took a bit of time, but they eventually made back to their feet. Kendrick connected with a big boot and attempted to follow up with a Samoan drop. However, Carson was able to slip out. He grabbed Kendrick by the waist and tried to land a German suplex, but Kendrick put a stop to that with a well placed elbow. Kendrick spun around only to get blasted by a knee! He was then able to power Kendrick down with a Bam (spinebuster). Carson went directly into a pinfall and got a two-count. Kendrick received a couple of forearms as he got to his feet. Carson spun him around and lifted him up for the Flight of the Conchords (crucifix powerbomb). But Kendrick slipped out. He drilled Carson with a wicked spinning-backfist to the back of the skull. Kendrick then set opponent up for the Splash Mountain Bomb. He hit it! Kendrick went for the pin and got the three-count!
WINNER: Kendrick Lewis via Splash Mountain Bomb (14:20)
OPENING ROUND MATCH
"COLOSSAL CLASH"
Nicholas Gray vs Will Neilson
It might have come as a shock to some, but Will dominated the early portion of this match. He was able to throw Nicholas off (just a bit) with a couple of unorthodox tactics. For example, Will reared back and looked like he was going to blast Nicholas with a right cross. Nicholas made the proper adjustments, of course. But then Will switched his stance delivered a thunderous right smack to the face. Will’s misdirection allowed him to land a middle kick and a high roundhouse before he sent Nicholas to the mat with a cravate suplex. Will confidently rolled towards his opponent and went for the pin. Nicholas kicked out, of course. He wasn’t done yet. Will seemed a bit stunned, but her carried on.
After a picking his opponent up and giving him a European uppercut, Will then launched Nicolas into the corner turnbuckle. After postering to the crowd a bit, Will charged in for a running forearm. However, Nicholas was able to roll out of the way as Will crashed into the corner. From there, Nicholas gave him a straight right punch and a back-elbow before he took ahold of Will’s arm and yanked him out of the corner. He then yoked Will up and dropped him with a Saito suplex. Nicholas immediately went for the pinfall, but Will kicked out at the count of two. Surely Will thought he was safe and in the clear—until Nicholas effortlessly flipped him over and slapped on an STF!
Needless to say, Will was in a tough spot. He elected on crawling towards the ropes. Eventually, he was able to drag himself to the edge of the ring and get his foot on the bottom rope. Nicholas released the hold after a count of four.
The momentum swung back in Will’s favor when he connected with a snap dragon suplex that surprised Nicholas. From there, he picked Nicholas up and placed him into a Fireman’s carry. Nicholas connected with some stern elbows, but they didn’t deter Will. Instead, the Great British Meme shifted his opponent’s weight and floored him with a side carry slam. Most people probably would have gone for the pin right there, but Will elected not to. He decided to head towards the top rope. It wasn’t long before Will flew off that top rope with a frog splash. He must have taken too much time, as Nicholas threw his knees up…
However, Will was able to shift his own body in mid-air. Instead of crashing into his opponent’s knees, Will was able to drive his elbow into Nicholas chest!
All the air was expelled from Nicholas’ lungs. Will quickly hooked his leg and went for the cover. Another wrestler in Nicholas’ position would have been finished off by that move. But Nicholas was defiant as he kicked out. That caused Will to smirk.
Will connected with the Pinch of Salt (twist of fate). Surely that was enough to keep Nicolas down? Not at all! He got his shoulder off the mat. However, Nicholas had his arm grabbed as he stood back up. Will quickly spun him around and went for the Bullet of the Century (wristlock bicycle knee). But Nicholas slammed his free forearm into that knee and blocked the moved. He then grabbed Will’s head and powered him down with a flowing DDT. Nicholas went for the cover, but Will was able to kick out.
The closing moments of the match were pretty intense, as Will and Nicholas traded strikes. A series of Muay Thai kicks gave Will the advantage. He then attempted a high roundhouse. Nicholas ducked it. Will was blasted with a headbutt to the nose as he spun around. It wasn’t cute. But, it did allow Nicholas to set up his kill shot. He was able to grab ahold of Will’s neck and connect with the Savant Effect Imperial (Destino). Nicholas went for the pin and got the three-count!
WINNER: Nicholas Gray via Savant Effect Imperial (13:07)
OPENING ROUND MATCH
"FAMILY MATTERS"
Milena LeCavalier vs Talia LeCavalier
Talia and Milena meet in the center of the ring. Milena went for a lockup but Talia ducked underneath it and wagged her finger at her sister. Milena turned around with a squint towards Talia, yet she didn’t let the expressive nature of her sister bother her. Instead, she walked back over and offered a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Talia obliged but she immediately turned it into a game, hitting a Tiger Spin on her sister before shoving her away. Milena stumbled forward but straightened up with ease. Talia secured a rear waist lock and tried to go low to take Milena down. Yet, a boot came up and popped Talia in the nose, sending her back onto the ground. When Talia got up, Milena told her that if she didn’t take this match seriously, she’d walk out. She had no time for Talia’s antics.
Talia replied by yelling at her about this is how she operated. Milena stood there, nodding in slight agreement, but it all ended with a slap to the face. Talia stumbled to the side, holding her face in astonishment if not a hint of pain. Milena tried to put the boot to Talia, but her sister came back and took the leg into her range. She punched Milena in the jaw and started trying to take her down. Sloppy as it were, the weight distribution made the movement work. Talia began to rain down blows until Milena caught one and started to wrench Talia’s limb into a Kimura Lock.
With one arm free, Talia began to drive hammer fist after hammer first into Milena until she had to release the hold. When Talia got up, she clutched her arm. The momentary gap in her guard being up led to Milena driving her fist into the side of her face. Though it forced Talia to put up the guard, no matter the pain, her rhythm was in tatters. Milena kept throwing out mixed strikes until a Thrust Kick to the gut sent Talia to a knee. Milena followed up with a resounding Shoot Kick that put Talia to the ground--she had no means to protect herself and it showed. Milena took a few steps back, letting the referee get close to see if Talia could continue.
To the crowd’s shock, Talia began to get to her knees. They clapped on her efforts but when she got to a knee, Milena threw out Show Me Where It Hurts (Running Double Knees To Opponent, sans the corner), flooring Talia again. Talia fell on her head, sprawling out on the mat. Milena was pushed back by the referee, who told her that she needed to wait for the all clear signal. Milena responded by saying that Talia knew what she was in for. However, she would abide by the referee’s decision and she watched as Talia began to get back up to her feet. Once there, Talia put up her guard and encouraged Milena to come back for more.
Milena nodded and moved closer to her sister. She looked to continue the dismantling but Talia began to evade the strikes through sheer precision. Milena took steps back but she fell into Talia’s motions and got taken down to the ground. Talia made sure to force her into a disadvantageous position. Milena was too wise on the ground but the principle of the matter remained. Furthermore, when she got back to her feet, she found herself shoving a slap from her face. Yet, the amount of force she put into evasion left her open for the second part of Summer Sonata (Complete Shot). Talia got to her feet, rushing off the ropes.
Nameless Night (Bakatare sliding kick)!
Countered into a leg DDT, which Milena transitioned into an ankle lock. Talia had to wrench her leg and body for the ropes but it was necessary. Milena held onto the hold for a few seconds before letting go. She did take Talia’s leg and drag her back to the center of the ring. As she brought Talia back to her feet, she picked her onto her shoulders, looking for Usurp the Throne (Croyt’s Wrath), but Talia threw fists down to get her release. Once Milena turned around, Talia caught her with a Leaping Knee Strike before following through with Shot You Down (Neckbreaker Driver). Once landed, Talia began to punch at her own knee, trying to keep the circulation flowing.
When Milena got to a knee, Talia’s boot was already in her face. Nameless Night connected, but Talia hit the mat hard, writhing in pain. Milena’s horrific expertise with submissions did its damage and Talia’s gutsy effort to escape did more damage than she anticipated. Talia waited for Milena to get up again, sizing her up for the necessary second Nameless Knight. As she came in, Milena popped to her feet and exhausted the last bit of her strength to strike Talia down with the Extinction Crisis (V=Trigger)! Milena and Talia both hit the mat and the bell soon rang in their unmoving state.
Post by Audrey Valentine on Dec 20, 2018 19:59:21 GMT -5
"ASK AND RECEIVE"
Zelda Gibbons vs Nina Stokes
The crowd lost its mind as an energetic Zelda made her way to the ring. She went out of her way to fist-bump as many fans as she could before she slid underneath the bottom rope and rolled into the ring. Nonetheless, the audience was a bit perplexed at how to respond to her opponent. There wasn’t the usual smile on Nina’s face as she made her way out from the back. Her expression? A mild grimace as she sauntered forward. I wasn’t long before she was half-way down the entrance ramp. A moment or two passed before she slid into the ring. The referee checked in with them both and called for the bell.
Zelda flashed a smile and extended her hand for shake. Nina simply stared at her. Zelda urged her to shake hands; it wasn’t long before the crowd got involved and began to chant. “Sportsmanship! Sportsmanship! Sportsmanship.” However, Nina ignored those chants as she kept her eyes on Zelda. Once more, Zelda asked for the hand shake. Nina finally shrugged her shoulders and extend her right hand for the shake. Both Zelda and the crowd cheered…
Until Nina’s left elbow sternly connected with Zelda’s jaw. Ms. Gibbon dropped like a ton of bricks as the crowd showed its displeasure. Nina simply shook her head and went for the pinfall. Zelda was able to kick out at two; she wouldn’t be defeated that easily. No ma’am.
The crowd was firmly behind Daddy as she took control of the match. She hit a headscissors that sent Nina flying into the corner turnbuckles. A high-speed dropkick sent Nina crashing to the mat. After a moment of theatrics, Zelda blazed in and slammed her hip into Nina’s face. A tug of the boot pulled Stokes out of the corner. Zelda went for the cover, but Nina was able to get her shoulder off the mat before the three count. Zelda locked on a clinch as Nina started to rise up. Hit landed three knees to the sternum before Nina pushed her away. Instinctually, Nina launched out a leg kick that connected. A thunderbolt of pain shot up Zelda’s quad. Daddy closed the gap and tried to lock on a front chancery. Nina negated it for a moment, that is until Zelda disengaged and slapped Nina across the cheek. She then took a hold of Nina’s head and drove her to the mat with a snap DDT. She went for the pinfall and received another two-count.
Zelda was in firm control as she planted Nina in the corner with a drop-toe-hold. She then ran to the adjacent turnbuckle and charged in looking for her PVTA Route 31 (bronco buster) maneuver—
But Nina got out of the way!
Zelda ate shit as she collided with the turnbuckle. Nina reared back and blasted her opponent with a shoot kick to the spine before Zelda had chance to react. Nina then grabbed Zelda by her hair and pulled up to her feet.
From there, Nina started to tee-off. She connected with a couple of slaps, which forced Zelda to cover her face and head. But that reaction led to another stiff leg kick from Nina. She feigned another slap before she spun and drilled Zelda with a sole-butt kick to the chest. A nasty hook kick followed. Zelda dropped to the mat, but she quickly rolled onto her stomach to avoid being pinned. Nina hit the ropes as Zelda tried to get to a knee. Nina rebounded and caught her with a running leg lariat. Nina went for the cover, Zelda kicked out.
The momentum swung back and forth as both wrestlers traded moves. Zelda connected with a flush bicycle kick; Nina landed a bicycle knee strike. Zelda hit a seated lariat; Nina nailed a hurricanrana. As they stood back up, Nina was cracked with a forearm. And another. And another. Fired up, Zelda hit the ropes and attempted a big running forearm. But Nina countered with an STO. After dragging Zelda to the corner, Nina ascended the ropes. She spotted up and flew off the top with a double foot stomp…
But Zelda rolled out of the way!
She was then able to take Nina down to the mat and connect with a soccer kick to the back. She then lined up and drilled Nina with a roundhouse. Zelda then went for the cover. Nina kicked out at two.
Both Zelda and the fans were sensing the end. Zelda took ahold of Nina and brought her to her feet. She then grabbed ahold of Nina’s head and ran towards the ropes. She planted her feet off the top rope and spun, looking for the Orange Line (springboard bulldog). However, Nina grabbed ahold of Zelda’s waist. She stalled Zelda’s momentum as she squatted down. Nina then popped her hips and set Zelda neck-first into the mat with a Saito suplex. Nina forewent the pinfall, which allowed Zelda to roll onto the stomach. She tried to raise up, but Nina kicked her arm out from underneath her. A punt to the head followed.
The referee rushed into Nina’s direct path in order to check on Zelda. Nina didn’t take to kindly to this as she pushed him out of the way. She used her boot to roll her opponent onto her back before she grabbed Zelda’s arms. From there, Nina started to rain down stomps on her chest and head. The referee came over and tried to force Nina to break away. This caused her to push him to the mat. She took ahold of Zelda’s arms and continued stomping. The referee called for the bell as he stood to his feet.
WINNER: Zelda Gibbons via DQ (17:50)
The crowd started to jeer heavily as Nina released Zelda. Afterwards, she strolled about the ring as she eyed the prone Daddy. She smirk to for face for the first time that evening. With that, she left the ring and walked to the back. With the referee’s aid, Zelda was able to stand up a few moments later. The crowd cheered as she lifted up her fist. After checking out her neck, she rolled out of the ring. She fist bumped more fans as she made her way to the back.
SEMIFINAL ROUND MATCH
"KEEP ON TRUCKING BABY!"
Kendrick Lewis vs Tiffany Tompkins
Tiffany was a little beat up from her match with Lisa. Kendrick’s chest was red due to his slugfest with Carson. You would think that would have hindered both parties, or at least caused to slow down a little bit.
It didn’t.
Both competitors wrestled with a great sense of urgency. They were both gunning to put the other away in timely fashion and rest up for the final round. Kendrick charged in and tried to clobber Tiffany with a lariat, but she rolled through and then hit the ropes. She rebounded and caught Kendrick with a leaping forearm. Its effectiveness? Well, Kendrick didn’t move. This led to a forearm flurry from Tiffany. The shots where stern, but Kendrick stood his ground like a boss. Tiffany hit the ropes one last time. Kendrick took a couple steps forward and booted Tiffany in the chest as she leapt into the air. The air faded from her lungs as she hit the mat. Kendrick quickly went for the pin, but Tiffany got her hand on the bottom rope. That boot was a game-changer, as it allowed Kendrick to control the tempo for a few moments. He dumped Tiffany on her head with a German suplex; it led to a two-count. He then tossed her a few feet away with a release German suplex.
Tiffany might have been down, but she wasn’t out yet. Once she got back to her feet, she proceeded to drill Kendrick with leg kicks. Now those were super effective. Kendrick started to feel the burn; he knew he needed to make a move. After connecting with five kicks, Tiffany went for one last blow—but Kendrick caught her leg! This led to Kendrick lifting Tiffany into the air and planting her with a crazy spinebuster. He thought about going for the cover, but he stood to his feet instead. He then hit the ropes and rebounded with a leaping senton. Tiffany was crushed. Kendrick hooked her leg and went for the cover, certain that he’d won the match. But Tiffany kicked out just in the nick of time. Kendrick decided to go for another leaping senton. That proved to be a mistake as Tiffany rolled out of the way. As he sat up, Kendrick was the blasted with a shoot kick to the chest. And then one to the spine. Tiffany cracked him with alternating kicks before she shot herself into the ropes. She let out a mighty roar and nearly took his head off with a single-leg dropkick. Tiffany went directly into a pin, but Kendrick kicked out at two.
The Little Hoss went on a offensive flurry as the momentum turned in her favor. She caught a rising Kendrick with another kick to the chest; it caused him to grit his teeth. She hit took out his left knee with a dropkick. A low-angle DDT allowed her to drive Kendrick’s head into the mat. She went for the pin, but he was able to kick out once again. Tiffany gave the man a few forearm shots before he made it back to his feet. A boot to Tiffany’s sternum stopped all that mess. He then took grabbed her and yeeted her into the air. A nasty elbow collided with the side of her head as she descended back to earth. Kendrick dropped down and went for the cover. Everyone in the arena thought the match was in the bag—but Tiffany got her shoulder up!
“Murder Mode” was engaged as Kendrick got to a vertical base. He grabbed ahold of a downed Tiffany and deadlifted her up. He stalled for a second before she drove her to the mat with a powerbomb. Before Tiffany even knew what had happened, Kendrick lifted her again. Another powerbomb. He rolled her up into a cover. But Tiffany was miracliisuly able to roll her shoulder off the mat at the last possible second. An exhausted smirk came to his face as he got to his feet again. He picked Tiffany up and whipped her into the corner. That led to a mighty running chop to her chest. Kendrick then spun her out of the corner and made his way to the top rope. He then grabbed Tiffany. He contorted her body and had her in position for a top rope Splash Mountain Bomb.
The crowd watched on in horrified silence.
Kendrick leapt of the top and looked to driver her straight through the ring. But Tiffanny was able to slip out of his grasp in mid air. Somehow, she countered the Splash Mountain Bomb into a nifty frankensteiner. Kendrick? The big man hit the mat and bounced onto his stomach. And yet, her still tried to get up! After gathering herself, Tiffany rose. She used the last bit of energy that she had to drill a nearly kneeling Kendrick with the Death Kick (superkick). Kendrick hit the mat. Tiffany went for the cover and got the three-count!
WINNER: Tiffany Tompkins via Death Kick (23:15)
SEMIFINAL ROUND MATCH
"GOTTA KEEP PRESSING ON"
Nicholas Gray vs ?
Nicholas stood in the ring as “Anarchy Road” faded out. He headed to the corner and waited. Maybe forty seconds or so elapsed. Nothing. He then walked over and checked in with the acting referee, Olivia Summers. She told him that she didn’t know that was going on and appeared just as confused as Nicholas. The two of the were in the midst of conversation when iamwhoiamwhoami’s “t” started playing throughout the venue. Audrey Valentine soon made her way to the base of the stage.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Helllllooooo!
She waited a second or two as the crowd simmered down. Adurey then turned her attention to Nicholas.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Mi burly kumquat! Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why no one has walked down to the ring to square up with you. Well, that’s because you’ve been given a by to the finals!
The crowd’s reaction was a bit split.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Yeah, I know everyone is probably disappointed. That goes doubly for you, Nicholas. I’ve heard that you love a good scrap. However, since Talia and Milena fought to a draw, I couldn’t just let them advance. Didn’t feel right…
She snapped her fingers.
AUDREY VALENTINE: BUTTTTTT, I’ve got something that will cheer everyone right up.
Hearing this, the crowd’s demeanor began to rise.
AUDREY VALENTINE: The winner of the Meraki Tournament is scheduled to receive a special award from me and Hayato. You ‘member?
The foolishness of her own joked caused Audrey to laugh.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Yeah, you ‘member. Well, Hayato and I have finally figured out what that special treat is going to be. In additional to all the fabulous prizes already announced, Nicholas, the finals match between you and Tiffany will also be for a shot at the JCP Championship!
The fans liked the sound of that. They started to scream and shout.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Everyone seems to be excited again. Good!
She snapped her fingers one more time.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Oh yeah, the stipulation! Since the stakes have been risen, how about we make the finals a No DQ. Sound good.
She nodded her head in self approval.
AUDREY VALENTINE: Nicholas, get some rest during this next match. As goes for you in the back, Tiffany. I think you might need it!
It was announced before the bell that the match would be conducted under lucha rules. The audience was informed that once a the legal wrestler’s feet touched the floor, then any any teammate could enter the ring legally. This caused the crowd to cheer. The bell rang and the match was underway.
Izzy and Riley began the match for their respective teams. The more knowledgeable and savvy fans in the crowd were aware that it was not their first time meeting inside of the ring. A lock up ensured. The result was a headlock takeover by Riley. It didn’t matter much, as Izzy was able to counter with a headscissors and make it back up to her feet. Another lock up ensured. Izzy gained the advantage that time as she was able to wrench Riley’s arm. Riley pulled at her appendage, hoping to get her to break the hold. The attempt was futile. She cranked on that arm a bit more she reared back and blasted him with a shoot kick the chest. The echoed into the fifteenth row. But before Riley could gather his wits, Izzy took him to mat with an arm drag. It wasn’t long before she flipped him and effortlessly transitioned into a Fujiwara arm bar. Based on their claps, Misha and Sophia enjoyed the move. Meanwhile, Mason and Gage shouted words of encouragement to their tag team partner. Some fighting and struggle let Riley get to the ropes. Izzy quickly released the hold. As she did, Riley rolled out of the ring.
In came Mason. He charged and clocked Izzy upside the head before he shot her into the ropes. He rushed her once again and caught her with a knee to the sternum. Then, he lifted and dropped her down with a back suplex. He immediately went for the pinfall; he got a two-count as Izzy kicked out with some ease. Mason went back on the attack as he cracked Izzy with some nasty chops. It looked like Mason was going to hit her with something really vicious—but a Stockton Slap deaded him in his tracks. This allowed Izzy get some room and make it to her corner. Misha seemed the most eager, so Izzy lightly slapped her hand. This brought forth a smirk from the Murderess as she entered into the ring. Mason and Misha traded hearty strikes as their partners looked on. Misha connected with a stiff kick to Mason’s quad. Mason responded with a forearm shiver to the face. The force of the blow caught her. This allowed Mason fire in a quickly flurry. But that flurry was halted with Misha drove her head square into his chest. She then took ahold of his head, cranked downward, and drove her knee into it. She maintained her grip after three knee strikes. Misha then popped her hips and floored Mason with a cravate suplex. Instead of going for the pinfall, Misha got to her feet and stopped on Mason’s right arm before tagging in Sophia.
Of course, Sophia went right for that arm. To his credit, Mason was able to fight her off and push her away. He quickly rolled to his corner and tagged in Gage. A bit of misdirection allowed Gage to send Sophia to the mat. He quickly dropped down with her and drove his knee into her side. A few more knees connected before Gage attempted a rear-naked-choke. He almost had it locked in, but Sophia muscled her way out of it. It wasn’t long before both competitors were back on their feet. Sophia connected with a series of alternating forearms and European uppercuts. Gage’s head rocked back and forth like a weeble-wobble. She then grabbed him and sent him into the corner. Sophia charged in with a forearm—but Gage moved out of the way. He used the ropes’ assistance to kick Sophia in the head; he then took her to the mat with wrist-clutch suplex. A pin resulted, but Sophia kicked out. Gage worked her over a bit more before he hoisted Sophia up on his shoulders. He was looking for that electric chair drop of his. But Misha put a stop to that by entering the ring and hitting a chop block to Gage. Sophia landed on her feet, spun, and drilled Gage with a super kick to the mush. She then went for the cover. She probably would have gotten the pinfall if Riley hadn’t have run in to make the save.
It was then time for everyone’s favorite portion of the match—the seven minutes of bullshit!
The girls gave Riley the business as Misha caught him with the Inferiority Complex (high knee), followed by a wicked STO from Sophia. Izzy got into the mix as she hit Dirty Dancin’ (kick flurry) on an entering Gage. But Mason shut things down as Gage rolled to the outside. He cracked Misha with a nasty headbutt before he floored her teammates with a double lariat. Riley slid back into the ring and hit Izzy with his Cyclone Kill (spinning discuss kick); the momentum sent her into Mason, who sent her to the mat with a German suplex. Misha caught a Knee of Justice (bicycle knee) to the face from Gage as she re-entered the ring; Riley then drove her to the mat with Saito suplex. Which led to a rising Sophia in the ring with all three of her opponents. A smirk came to her face. She lashed out and booped Mason with a disorientating forearm to the side of the head before she took the fight to Riley and Gage. She slapped Riley across the face before she delivered a standing dropkick to Gage. Mason received a stiff kick prior to Sophia crushing Riley with a butterfly suplex. Gage got back up and traded shots with Sophia. Well, that is until Izzy turned off his lights with a leaping leg lariat. Sophia was ready to make the pin, but Gage rolled and joined with brethren on the outside of the ring. At this point, Misha made her way back in. Izzy, Misha, and Sophia all looked at each other before they hit the ropes. As they rebounded, it looked as if they were all going to hit dives. Gage, Mason, and Riley all braced for impact. Instead, the three woman bounced off the ropes. Izzy and Sophia landed in a “tranquilo” position, while Misha sprung into a Native American seated position and motioned for the other team to bring it. This received a relatively loud cheer from the fans.
The referee was somehow able to restore order to the match. Sophia and Riley became the legal members. Sophia caught him with Sleeper in Seattle (dragon sleeper with a bodyscissors), but Riley was able to get his feet on the ropes. Few moments later, Riley was able to counter Sophia’s onslaught and lock in a key lock. But Sophia was able to twist and get out of the hold. We later saw Queen Anne’s Revenge and Blue Noise attempts, but to no avail. Sophia tagged out to Izzy while Riley tagged Mason in. But instead of focusing on Ms. Anders, Mason ignored her to go clock both Misha and Sophia. He was then spun around and cracked in the face by Izzy. And her teammates? They stormed the ring. This caused Riley and Gage to enter as well. Riley rocked Sophia with a couple of forearms, but he eventually kneed him in the gut, hit a DDT, and threw him out of the ring. Gage got taken out by Misha’s Kill Me Baby (short-range forearm).
Meanwhile, Mason had overpowered Izzy and placed her in position for a Gotch-piledriver. That was until Misha walked over and drilled him with a straight-right punch. Mason immediately dropped Izzy. Sophia took ahold of his Mason’s hand and “snapped” his fingers. But before he could react, Izzy grabbed that hand with a wrist-lock. She then spun him and lifted him up. She stalled for a second before she dropped him The Aniplex (wrist-lock into snap brainbuster). She went for the cover and got the three-count.
WINNER: Izzy Anders, Misha LeCavalier, and Sophia Pike via The Aniplex (28:08)
MAIN EVENT
"THE WHOLE SHEBANG"
Nicholas Gray vs Tiffany Tompkins
Oh boy!
There was a lot of anticipation in the air as both wrestlers made their ways down to the ring. It wasn’t simple a main event match anymore. It was not a No DQ match and chance to challenge for the JCP Championship! The stakes were heavy and heightened!
At this point, Nicholas was clearly the fresher warrior. And that allowed him to take advance early on. He landed some crisp forearm shivers before he acrhed back and nailed Tiffany in the stomach with a knee. He then took ahold of her arms. Tiffany tried to fight back, but Nicholas prove too powerful as he lifted and planted her with a butterfly suplex. He forewent the pin and immediately rolled Tiffany onto her stomach. Nicholas then locked on a tight STF.
Everyone knew that Tiffany was in danger. Her body was contorted and she struggled to breathe as Nicholas applied more pressure. Her natural instincts told her to make it to the ropes. And that she did. However, upon reaching the ropes there was no break due to the match stipulation. Instead, Tiffany was able to reach through the ropes and grabbed the ring apron. A combination of the ropes and some more fight from Tiffany forced Nicholas to break his hold. Tiffany tumbled on to the ring and eventually rolled onto the floor.
Nicholas wasted little time as he exited the ring and pursued Tiffany. He went to pick her up when—
Wham!
After falling to the ground, Tiffany had found a conveniently placed kendo stick under the ring. The weapon smacked Nicholas on the forehead. Tiffany kicked out his knee and began cracking him in the back with the kendo stick. Nicholas tried to put some distance between the two, but Tiffany closed the gap and drilled him with another shot to the head. That shot opened up a gash. Blood started to slowly leak from Nicholas’ forehead. Tiffany tossed the kendo stick over the top rope before she helped Nicholas to his feet and rolled him into the ring.
The veteran slowly made it to his feet and wiped some blood away from his eyes. His restored vision allowed him to roll out of the way of an incoming kendo strike to the stomach. He was able to counter with a punch to the back of Tiffany’s head. The punch disorientated her enough to allow Nicholas to yank her up and drop her with a Half-Nelson backbreaker. And instead of letting her fall to the mat, Nicholas transitioned into a wicked capture suplex. Nicholas quickly went for the cover, but he received a two-count. From there, Nicholas rolled underneath the bottom ropes and landed on his feet. He dropped down to a knee and caught his breath. Meanwhile, Tiffany began to rise. She spotted Nicholas on the outside, and something began to turn in her brain. Tiffany shot herself into the ropes. Who knows what she was going for. But whatever it was, it was halted by a hurled trash can. It smacked her upside the head and dropped her to the mat. Turns out that Nicholas had been looking for plunder while he recovered. He continued digging until he found something that made the crowd go wild—
A nice, shiny wooden table.
He set up and positioned the table before he slid back into ring. Tiffany had begun to get up. But before she could even react, Nicholas leapt into the and powered her back down with a reverse STO. Tiffany’s back collided with the trash can and crushed it flat. She tried to roll away, but Nicholas planted her shoulder to the mat and went for the pinfall. He received another two-count. A hand full of hair forced Tiffany to stand back up. Nicholas wiped away some blood and dropped back a bit, only to fire in a stern forearm shot. It shot should have floored Tiffany. But for some reason, it seemed to ignite her. She rushed forward and hit Nicholas with a series of palm strikes. Those palm strikes turned into kicks. She then jumped up and connected with a roundhouse. Nicholas stumbled towards the ropes, close to where the table was positioned. Tiffany shot herself into the ropes and rebounded; she was looking for a knee strike…
Unfortunately, Nicholas caught her.
He popped his hips and sent her soaring over the top rope with release belly-to-belly suplex. The table should have softened Tiffany’s landing.
But it didn’t…
Clunk!
The table didn’t break when Tiffany’s frame hit it. Only a small dent resulted as Tiffany’s body bounced to the floor. A part of the crowd cheered while a portion looked on in shock. Nicholas ignored all of them as he slid out of the ring. He kicked his opponent in the ribs before grabbed the mildly injured table and put it into the ring. Once that was done, he turned his attention by to Tiffany. Nicholas might have been bleeding, but the Little Hoss’ back was in a world of pain. Nicholas picked her up and rammed her back into the ring apron. She let out a wild scream before she was tossed through the ropes. Nicholas set the table up as Tiffany clutched at her back. Once the table was secure, Nicholas walked over to where Tiffany had been laying. He slowly brought Android 18 to her feet and walked her across the ring. His intent? To Saito suplex her through that hunk of wood. But as he lifted her, Tiffany drove her elbow into his dome. He tried once again; he received another elbow. Tiffany winced in pain each time, but she kept the elbow coming. The pain she felt was better than the pain she would have transpired had she gone through the table. After the seventh elbow, Nicholas dropped her. Tiffany connected with a shoot kick to the shin. A quick leg-sweep sent Nicholas to the mat. And that allowed Tiffany to retrieve the kendo stick. Using what remaining strength that she had, she started blasting Nicholas with blows. Tiffany feigned a blow to the head, which caused Nicholas to try and cover up. Instead, she drilled him with a massive boot to the head. As Nicholas was loopy, Tiffany rearranged the table and propped it up against the corner turnbuckle. She grabbed the kendo stick and beat on her opponent some more. Nicholas retreated to that corner; the blood was getting into his eyes again. Tiffany shouted “batter up!” Then, she wung and nearly took Nicholas head off. His body collapsed against the table.
Tiffany slowly made her way to the adjacent corner. Her back was killing her. Even still, she sucked it up and sprinted. Tiffany leapt a little into the air and sent Nicholas through the table with a running cannonball. Both wrestlers were slow to move, but Tiffany recovered first. She went for the pinfall—Nicholas kicked out at two!
Both wrestlers were a wreck near the end of the match, however, that didn’t stop them from giving it their all. Tiffany was somehow able to attempt swing DDT, but Nicholas blocked it. He went for a flowing DDT, but Tiffany slipped away from his grasp. They tussled about for few moments until Nicholas connected with a knee. He then grabbed her and drove her down to the mat with the Savant Effect Imperial (destino)! Nicholas went for the cover…
But Tiffany got her shoulder up off the mat before the count of three!
The crowd went wild, to say the least.
Nicholas? He was a little shocked. Even still, he kept his composure as he wiped some more blood away. He knew he had a couple of ace’s in the hole. It took him some to time get to his feet. Once he did, he walked over to where Tiffany was laying. He grabbed her and brought her up to her feet. He started to yeet her up in the hopes of nailing his Fallen Judge (cradle DDT) maneuver, but Tiffany hammered him with shots to the chest to stop it. She caught him with a thudding knee to the chin before she delivered and nasty front push kick to Nicholas’ knee. The kick sent him to his booty. It also forced her to grab her low back.
Tiffany fired off a roundhouse that caught him flush. But Nicholas remained seated. Tiffany then shot herself into the ropes. She rebounded and connected with a running soccer kick. Nicholas remained seated. She then lined up and hit him with the Death Kick (superkick). But Nicholas still remained seated!
She nodded her head as Nicholas screamed out at her. The blood poured and poured from the gash. Tiffany lined up for one last Death Kick.
Crack!
This time, Nicholas fell to the mat. Tiffany dropped to the mat and held her back. She slowly crawled over to Nicholas and hooked his leg for the pin. Nicholas certainly wanted to kick out, but his body wouldn’t let him Tiffany got the three-count!
WINNER: Tiffany Tompkins via Death Kick (37:29)
Audrey Valentine made her way out to the ring following the brutal match. She was beaming from ear to ear. Part of her joy was due to the carnage that was just witnessed, but part of it was due to the valiant efforts of both competitors. Audrey secured herself a microphone as the referee checked on Nicholas and Tiffany. Both wrestlers were helped up to their feet. Nicholas in particular was given a towel to clean up his bloody face.
Ms. Valentine thanked everyone in attendance for coming out to the event. She told the crowd that it is the first show that she’s ever produced, and based on the turnout, it won’t be the last! Audrey then turned and faced both Nicholas and Tiffany. “You fought well, my rough and tumble kumquats!” She thanked them for their bravery and spirit. “And now, it is time for the awards!” Audrey urged Kendrick Lewis to make his way down to the ring. It took a few moments, but the big man finally appeared from the backstage arena. The look on his face? None too pleased. It was clear that he desired to be out there in the main event. However, he made his way to the ring with little fuss. Kendrick begrudgingly stood on Tiffany’s right-hand side, while Nicholas stood on her left.
“Attendants!” Audrey shouted. A swarm of Pro Wrestling NEO officials descended upon the ring. Kendrick was presented with a tiny ass silver trophy, a check for $3,000, an envelope that contained one ticket to a future Pro Wrestling NEO event, his complimentary Meraki event t-shirt, and an envelope that contained his $75 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Nicholas was given his decently sized silver trophy, a check for $5000, an envelope that contained three tickets to future Pro Wrestling NEO events, his complimentary Meraki event t-shirt, and an envelope that contained his $200 Subway gift card.
And then there was Tiffany. Audrey herself presented her with the big ass silver trophy, a check for $10,000, an envelope that contained five tickets to future Pro Wrestling NEO events, her complimentary Meraki event t-shirt, and a file folder that contained her JCP title shot contract. Tiffany hoisted that big ass trophy high into the air as the cameras faded out.
