Message #21754

[Adam Grant]

Back Back Back Again

The next image we see is one we haven’t seen in FFW in some time, and that would be the former Future Shock Tag Champions NHB. The camera finds them in a locker room with their agent, Carson Black, seated across them.

Carson: Excellent news, ladies. I’ve been in discussions with Mr. Star all weekend, and I am very happy to inform you that you are both going to be returning to the FFW roster very soon. He was highly impressed with your Future Shock Tag Team Championship run, and will be including you both going forward.

The smaller of the two women nodded her head.

Jem: Thanks Carson. I’ll be honest, it kinda… sucks… Not that we’re not Champions - I mean that day was always going to come. Eventually. Just the way we were dethroned. With the whole chair. Then all of the celebrations and bragging after.

This time she shook her head.

Jem: Makes me pretty glad we get to step back into the ring with them at Future Shock Nemesis. A chance to wipe the smug smile off their faces.

Angela: And now we’ve got new challenges coming up as we return to the main FFW roster and believe me, we’re going to have our eyes locked on the Scarborough Fair and the Unity Tag Team titles. We want to climb the ladder and get ourselves into a position to challenge for those. See if we can’t get ourselves our second tag team championships.

Carson: That is the goal of every team. But I do think focusing on Nemesis right now is probably for the best. Neither of you have ever been in a Pay Per View main event, especially one of this importance. I know Mr. Grant is counting on you both, as well as Harley Shannon, Bianca Reed, and Nora Harris.

Angela: Fully focused on Nemesis. We’ll prove that Mr Grant is right to trust us to take the fight to Gold Standard. Personally I think he’s picked an excellent fivesome. There’s talent all the way through the team, women who have proven time and time again how good they are. Harley’s a two time Future Shock Champion, Bianca’s a former Aspire Ring holder who made her three defences and comes ready to fight every single night and has the ability to burrow under a person’s skin that could always force a mistake without even needing to throw a punch. While Nora… she’s overflowing with potential to be a MAJOR star in this business.

Jem: And we bring strength, speed and a whole lot of experience. We’ve probably got more experience of this business and tag team wrestling than all the other ladies in this match combined. Plus we REALLY want to get one other on the Gold Standard. I’d absolutely love to take the fight to them and wipe the smiles off their faces, bring them back down to earth with a pretty hefty bump. I actually can’t think of a better way to sign off on this chapter of our time in Future Shock by bringing Mr Grant a victory.

Carson: I also have you scheduled to be in Brooklyn on the 11th for the charity show. You aren’t booked, but many of the women on both rosters are going to be taking pictures with some of the children attending as souvenirs for them to remember the show. And I knew you both would be more than happy to be included in that.

Both girls nodded their heads.

Jem: More than happy. In fact we’ll do anything and everything that we can for those kids, to give them a wonderful night and raise as much money as we possibly can for St. Jude’s.

Angela: Yeah, it’s a hugely worthy cause and we encourage everyone to go to the FFW or Future Shock websites to donate whatever they can or order all the merchandise they’ve been holding off buying on the night of the show. And hey, you know, Christmas will be here before you know it and who wouldn’t love to get some FFW or Future Shock merchandise under the tree? Plus you get to fight pediatric cancer into the bargain.

Jem: And I’m sure if you under anything NHB related on the day of the show, we’ll be able to throw in some special little surprises in with your order too. Even if it means we’ve got to sit around and sign thousands of photos.

Carson: As I knew you would, ladies. Join me and let’s go sign your paperwork, shall we?

Carson lead both of them out of the room, and the show cuts back to the ring.





Maggie: The following contest is scheduled for one fall to a finish.

The arena goes dark for just a moment, the funky opening chords to Voodoo Johnson's "Dirty Angel" playing through the PA, before the white lights are replaced by swirling green replacements, bathing the arena in the favorite color of the Emerald City Siren. A few seconds pass, though, before Sophia Pike actually makes her way out through the curtain, met--immediately--by a chorus of boos, which she largely brushes off with a flick of of either wrist. She pauses at the head of the ramp, chewing a piece of gum fairly obviously, and shaking her head at the collective audience, for whatever reason.

Clearly in no particular hurry, judging by the utter lack of pace, Sophia makes her way down the ramp. About halfway to the ring, one fan is able to get past the practiced apathy of the Siren, and she actively gets in his face, shouting...something, that for the most part can't be heard over the music playing in the arena. Whatever the fan says back to her seems to amuse the self-proclaimed Queen of King County, who just smirks and waves him off, making the shorter trip down to the ring and climbing up onto the apron. She leans back against the ropes, grinning with a little more joy than one should probably get out of being almost unanimously booed, even raising both arms and beckoning the crowd to get even louder--which they happily do, as the Siren climbs into the ring.

Maggie: Introducing first, from Seattle, Washington, and weighing in at 137 lbs, this is the "Emerald City Siren," SOPHIA PIIIIIKE!

Sophia winks at Maggie and grins, climbing up onto the second turnbuckle and stretching both arms out, bending just a little bit at the waist and leaning herself forward. She shouts something at the sections of fans she can see, but again it's mostly unheard. Eventually, she hops off the turnbuckle and pulls her Queen of King County shirt off, tossing it out into the crowd...who promptly throw it back at the Siren. For her part, Sophia either doesn't notice or doesn't care, just settling herself back in the corner, waiting for the match to begin.

Zack: This has been billed as a dream match, two of the best submissionists in the world come face to face and Sophia is no doubt going to want to prove her mettle against a longstanding talent like Caroline.

Mai: She really doesn’t have anything to prove, her ten month long reign with the No Surrender Championship did her talking for her.

“You can sound the alarm, you can call out your guards!
You can fence in your yard, you can hold all the cards...
BUT I WON’T BACK DOWN...! OH NO I WON’T BACK DOWN!
OH NO!”

The lights in the arena flash after going out and the crowd cheers as while purple lights flash around the video wall. Emerging through a cloud of smog is Killer C, followed by Lyndon in a three piece suit and a cane. Caroline drops down in a crouched position and draws a circle on the ramp leading to the ring, a morose look on her face before she stands back up. As they head to the ring, Caroline claps a few hands with the crowd before rolling into the ring and sitting on the top turnbuckle while Lyndon jumps onto the apron.

Maggie: Accompanied to the ring by Lyndon Dallins, from Tampa Bay, Florida by way of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago... She weighs in tonight at 155 pounds... This is.... KILLER C!

Caroline drops down to the ring and spares a few final words with Lyndon before looking to the referee for the match to begin.

Zack: Caroline is no stranger to the No Surrender Championship herself, after her nine month reign with it back in the later stages of 2013 into 2014. Former Champion meets former champion tonight, for the first time ever!

Mai: Sophia’s reign was a month longer, so she’s automatically better than Caroline!

Zack: It doesn’t quite work that way, Mai!

With the Illinois crowd still on their feet in anticipation, Maggie makes her way out of the ring and referee Kevin Fisk checks both competitors for anything illegal. Finding nothing he calls for the bell to get the match underway and both women make their way straight to the centre of the ring. The two submissionists lock up in a collar and elbow and immediately start the struggle to get the upper hand. Caroline takes the early advantage and manages to push Sophia back a few steps, before Sophia plants her feet and starts to push back. Sophia manages to flip the advantage and instead starts to push Caroline backwards towards the ropes. Dallins breaks the tie up and quickly clocks Sophia with an uppercut that sends the Emerald City Siren’s head whipping backwards. She straightens up and straight away catches a second uppercut, before Caroline uses a headlock takedown to take her to the canvas.

Zack: Caroline has wasted no time in getting Sophia to the canvas, and keeping her where she wants her with that headlock.

Mai: Only because she knows she’ll have no chance if Sophia gets a chance to lock a hold in on her.

Zack: Sure. That’s the reason. Alright.

Sophia uses her knees to try and hit Caroline to force her to release the headlock, and when that doesn’t work, she switches to throwing punches into Caroline’s body. Managing to land a kidney shot that momentarily freezes Caroline in place, Sophia takes advantage to escape the headlock and push herself back to her feet. Grabbing Caroline by the head, she pulls her back up to her feet and smacks her across the jaw with a forearm shot. Caroline reels but keeps her balance and Sophia follows with a second forearm shot to the same spot. Again Caroline manages to keep her balance, until Sophia starts to hammer forearm shots one after another like they are going out of fashion.

Mai: We’ll see a difference now that Sophia has control. No more easy takedowns for Caroline, she should have made the most of the first one!

Zack: I doubt that Caroline is expecting or wants an easy match, but she can more than hold her own in a match.

The Emerald City Siren makes a grab for Caroline’s arm, but she quickly pulls it out of her reach and uses her other hand to grab the back of Sophia’s head, before driving her knee up into her face. Pulling her forwards by the head, she delivers two more knees up into her face before she spins her around and locks her arms around a waist. She makes a move to lift her up, but Sophia starts to fire elbow shots back into Caroline’s body. Several hit their target before Caroline releases her grip and Sophia spins on a dime to connect an uppercut of her own. Moving fast she successfully grabs Caroline’s arm this time and wrenches it before driving her elbow into it. Caroline grits her teeth against the pain and attempts to pull her arm back out of Sophia’s grip.

Zack: Sophia is already focusing on Caroline’s arm, and that elbow strike on her extended arm is going to cause a fair bit of pain.

Mai: Caroline might as well throw up the white flag now, since Sophia isn’t going to stop now she’s found her target.

Sophia tightens her grip on Caroline’s arm and transitions into a hammerlock before running Caroline towards the corner. Dallins puts her foot against the bottom turnbuckle just in time to stop herself from meeting it face first, and tries to fire elbows back with her free arm. Sophia dodges to the side so that none of Caroline’s shots hit their target as Fisk tells her to let Dallins out of the corner. Sophia sneers at him and drives her elbow into Caroline’s hammerlocked arm, before pulling her out of the corner at a count of four and using a hammerlock DDT to drive her into the canvas.

Mai: It’s a thing of beauty to watch Sophia work!

Zack: I’m sure that Caroline is finding this anything but beautiful, but it is still early days at the moment.

It looks for a moment like Sophia is attempting a cover, but as Caroline starts to rise, she changes her mind and instead pulls her up to her feet. She makes an attempt to grab the arm she has been working on, but Caroline snatches it away at the last second and charges her into the corner. Sophia hits back first with a thud and Caroline follows her in with a knife edge chop that gets a pop from the Illinois crowd. The reaction gets louder as Caroline really starts to light up the Emerald City Siren’s chest with chop after chop, until she has delivered a dozen in a row. She pulls Sophia out of the corner into a forearm to the jaw and fires her across into the ropes. Pike rebounds and Caroline catches her with a double leg takedown as she does, sending her to the canvas with a thud.

Zack: This match is a gambler’s nightmare at the moment, it is too close to separate these two women. I wouldn’t even want to a hazard a guess as to who will manage to win it!

Caroline gets back to her feet as Sophia is doing the same and gets behind her before she is fully back to a vertical base. As soon as Pike is upright, Caroline takes her across the ring using a running bulldog to faceplant her on the canvas. Caroline gets into position laying at the side of Sophia and hooks her far leg across her neck. She hooks her hands behind Pike’s head, having one arm pass over her own leg and the other under. Caroline pulls backwards with her arms and pushes forwards with her legs, getting a grunt of pain from Sophia as the pressure is applied. Fisk drops down in front of Sophia to ask if she wants to give in, but she gets a very definite and angry no in response.

Zack: Caroline has that Koji Clutch locked in, but I don’t think she’s applying maximum pressure thanks to the work that Sophia has already done on her arm.

Mai: The arms are one of the most effective body parts to target, there’s not much you can do without them after all. Sophia is one smart cookie!

Sophia starts to try to push up to her hands and knees, prompting Caroline to try and add more pressure to keep her down. It works for a moment until Fisk asks Sophia again if she wants to give in. As soon as he asks, Sophia shouts no at him and then starts pushing up again, this time making it further and forcing Caroline to release her grip. Dallins takes it in her stride and gets straight back to her feet, as Sophia is still on her hands and knees. Killer C grabs her around the waist to pull her back up to her feet, only to use a German suplex to drive her straight back into the canvas. Keeping her grip, Caroline pulls her back up and delivers another, and another and another, before she releases her and gets into position for a cover. Fisk drops down for the count as Caroline hooks a leg.

Zack: Sophia just ate four German suplexes in a row and we might be about to see the end of this match. Though I wasn’t expecting this one to end in a pinfall!

ONE!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

NOPE!!!

The count stops just after the two as Sophia gets her shoulder off the canvas and shoves Caroline off her. Caroline rolls back to her knees only to catch a hard kick to the head from the Emerald City Siren before she rolls away and back up to her feet.

Mai: It’s going to take more than that to keep Sophia down obviously. Maybe if Caroline had gone for five or six it might have worked, but she slacked off at four!

Zack: I would hardly call four German suplexes in a row ‘slacking off’.

Caroline looks a little unsteady as she gets back to her own feet, which is only made worse when Sophia catches her straight away with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Dallins stumbles backwards and a standing dropkick from the Emerald City Siren sends her all the way back into the ropes. She rebounds off them and straight into a second roundhouse kick to the head that drops her down to one knee. Pike doesn’t let her stay down for long as she pulls her back up by the head and then gets a grip on the arm she’s already been working on. A double knee armbreaker to that same arm follows which causes Caroline to let out a yell of pain. Sophia tries to get into position for her seated fujiwara armbar, but Caroline snatches her arm out of the way and makes it back to her knees rapidly.

Zack: Caroline is trying her best to keep that arm out of Sophia’s clutches, but Pike really is like a dog with a bone when she’s focusing on a limb.

Mai: Did you just call Sophia a dog? How rude. I hope she smacks you for that!

Zack: No! That’s not what I said at all. Stop trying to stir up trouble.

Sophia pops back to her feet and clocks Caroline with a superkick while she is still on her knees, which flattens her straight back down to the canvas. As the Illinois crowd boo the Emerald City Siren loudly, she turns around to give them the middle finger. She turns back to Caroline, just as Dallins kips back up to her feet. Sophie looks a little taken aback by this, and Caroline makes the most of the brief advantage to spin her around and wrap her arms to send her into the turnbuckle with another German suplex. Sophia crumples to the canvas after impact and Caroline straight away pulls her back to her feet and out of the corner. She lifts Pike up into position to use a table top suplex to throw her over head. Sophia lands back first on the canvas and Caroline immediately goes for the cover, prompting Fisk to get back into position for the count.

Zack: Caroline caught Sophia by surprise and she is going for another cover. This might be it!

ONE!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NO!!!

The Emerald City Siren gets her shoulder up at the last possible moment and Caroline rolls back to her knees.

Mai: No, it’s not it! There’s only one way that this match is going to end and it’s not with a pinfall from Caroline!

Before Caroline can get any further than her knees, Sophia lunges at her and grabs the arm she has been working on. She yanks it towards her, twisting it in the process until she gets a yell out of Caroline. Dallins manages to shake her off and gets back to her feet, with Sophia following just behind. An elbow to the side of the head from Sophia rocks Caroline on her heels, before the Emerald City Siren grabs her by the arm and fires her into the ropes. As she rebounds, Sophia catches her and uses an arm drag to take her to the canvas. Pike quickly transitions into an armbar, but Caroline reaches out with her free hand to grab the ropes.

Zack: Sophia didn’t realise how close they were to the ropes, but Caroline certainly did and she saved herself from a painful armbar. Or she will have done once Sophia actually heeds the referee and releases the hold!

At the count of four, Sophia releases the armbar and gets her to her feet. Before Caroline can do the same, Sophia grabs the same arm again and uses it to drag Caroline away from the ropes. The Illinois crowd shower the Emerald City Siren with nothing but disdain, as the discomfort from Caroline’s arm shows on her face and she lets out a yell of pain.

Zack: She’s going to pull Caroline’s arm from the socket if she carries on with this!

Mai: I know, it’s great isn’t it?!

With Caroline far enough away from the ropes, Sophia quickly works on getting her into position for her seated Fujiwara armbar. The crowd rally behind Caroline trying to spur her on to escape it, as Fisk drops down in front of Caroline to ask if she wants to end the match. Caroline shakes her head in the negative, as the crowd continue to cheer her on.

Zack: That’s SPACE NEEDLE locked in and it could only be a matter of time now, before Caroline has no choice but to give in.

Mai: I hope she hangs in there for a while. The longer she holds on the more pain she’ll be in!

Sophia pulls back more on Caroline’s arm as she tries in vain to move herself towards the ropes. Pike smirks as she tells Caroline she can’t escape, and tells her to tap. Dallins doesn’t react to the trash talking and keeps attempting to reach out towards the ropes. Sophia pulls back even further on her arm, and gets a shout of pain in response as the agony is clear on her face. Fisk asks her again if the she wants to give in. Dallins doesn’t respond immediately, until Sophia pulls back even more on her arm. Fisk asks the question again, and reluctantly Caroline taps out. The referee immediately calls for the bell, to a large amount of disdain from the live crowd.

Maggie: Here is your winner via submission, ’THE EMERALD CITY SIREN’ SOPHIA PIKE!!

Zack: Sophia has just pulled of a win against one of the best submission wrestlers in the world. That has to be making her feel good.

Mai: I told you, didn’t I? I never had any doubt at all that she would do it.

Sophia releases her grip and gets back to her feet with a grin.The referee raises her arm, before she rolls out of the ring and heads back up the ramp. The camera focuses on her before cutting elsewhere.