Message #22439

[Adam Grant]

A quick video package shows the reign of Lydia Charisma from the night she became the Aspire Ring bearer to all three of her defenses, and her decision to go for five in a row. We also see the history of Elizabeth Lannister’s chase for the title from the day she stepped foot in Future Shock before we head back to ringside with Gaby.

Gaby: The following contest is scheduled for one fall to a finish, and it is for the Future Shock Aspire Championship!

Zack: You just saw the history, folks. Lannister and her manager have both talked a big game about knowing Lydia’s weaknesses. We’ll find out one way or another tonight!

Steph: If there is anyone who might have tacked out a plan it would have been Kyle. I am partially convinced that he just enjoys terrorizing Charisma with his clients for sport.

As the fans sit in their seats in anticipation of what is to come, they are greeted by the somewhat subtle opening riff of ‘Massive Addictive’ by Amaranthe. A few seconds pass before the song kicks into full gear, causing the curtains to rustle a bit before the dapper figure of one Kyle Kilmeade emerges from the back. He steps out onto the stage and glances at either side of the stage at the crowd before stepping to the side, holding out his hand to the curtain. Out from the back emerges the beautiful Elizabeth Lannister. Stepping out onto the stage, she takes Kyle’s outstretched hand and promptly twirls around slowly, showing off the intricate work on her robe. Dropping his hand, Elizabeth nods and starts to walk down the aisle, Kyle walking in stride next to her.

Gaby: Ladies and gentlemen, making her way to the ring, being accompanied by her manager Kyle Kilmeade…..from Scottsdale, Arizona…’THE LIONESS’ ELIZABETH LANNISTER!!

Once she reaches the ring she begins to climb the steel steps, with Kyle hopping up onto the apron and holding the ropes open for her. She carefully climbs through the opened ropes and steps into the middle of the ring, flipping her hair over her shoulders and sticking her arms out to the sides, her head tilted back, a confident smirk etched on her angelic features. She then returns her head to it’s normal position and unclasps her robe, shrugging it off as Kyle reaches forward to carefully hand it to a nearby stagehand. She then moves her arms back and forth to loosen up as the music begins to fade out.

Zack: Elizabeth Lannister’s been looking forward to this opportunity since it was announced. She’s been after the Aspire title from day one, but she has a hell of a mountain to climb tonight.

Steph: All she has to do is get through one more body to do it, Zack. One more body and the lioness will have her silver. I know it’s not gold but...

“Charisma” by W.A.S.P. fills the arena as up near the top of the ramp a fine smoke begins to pour out from both sides. Fragments of code begin running on the ground, but they slowly transform into... Music notes. The notes of green and purple begin to appear on the ground of the ramp towards the ring.

“I've a breath in minds of men with the lies I breathe!
No man's ever ruled the world not knowing the curse of me!
I'm some of the seven sins, vanity in the lust of men!
I'm the Alpha-Omega man, I'll show you who I am!
Ohhhhhh, hypnotic charm, mesmerizing face, my soul has a dark embrace!
A magic tongue, I'll seduce you all ‘till I'm your king, ‘till ya know my...!
 
CCHHHHAARRRIIIZZZMMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!! DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!?
I’M THE GOD THAT YOU PRAISE, WHEN YOU WORSHIP MY NAME!
CCHHHHAARRRIIIZZZMMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!! ARE YOU IDOLIZING ME!?
I’M A DANGEROUS THING, AND YOUR NEW MESSIAH’S ME!”
 
Walking backwards through the smoke is Lydia Charisma with her back to the crowd. She raises her hands up over her head and turns around, doing a little air guitar! Charisma continues to play an invisible guitar halfway down the ramp. She stops to look through the crowd and spots a young man in the audience on the way to the ring. Lydia taps her cheek, telling him to kiss it... Before doing the same to the girl nearby him.
 
Gaby: From Sin City... Weighing in at 202 pounds... She is THE RAWK OF AGES, THE JUKEBOX POWERHOUSE, THE ONE WOMAN NIELSEN RATING... This is “THE SIX STRING SINNER”... AND THE REIGNING AND DEFENDING ASPIRE CHAMPION….LLLYYYDDDIIIAAA! CCCHHHHAAARRRIIISSSSMMMMAAAAA!!
 
“I'm a liar blinding your vision, vatican man!
Preachin' fear and using religion, with the Bible and Koran!
I wrap myself in the American flag, and tell people I'm for which it stands,
I'm comin' back till you know I'm God, ‘till you believe, till you know my...!
 
CCHHHHAARRRIIIZZZMMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!! DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!?
I’M THE GOD THAT YOU PRAISE, WHEN YOU WORSHIP MY NAME!
CCHHHHAARRRIIIZZZMMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!! ARE YOU IDOLIZING ME!?
I’M A DANGEROUS THING, AND YOUR NEW MESSIAH’S ME!”
 
With unfettered confidence she slides into the ring before stopping to crouch down and seemingly check her knee pads. Suddenly Lydia springs up and runs against the ropes, stopping in the center to crouch once more and flex her bicep. She kisses each once, posing for the crowd as her song fades out.

Zack: Kilmeade says Lydia has a flaw, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he thinks it is! Till then, it’s hard to bet against the Six String Sinner! Like Kid Rock says, it ain’t bragging if you can back it up!

Steph: To be sure, I really wish Charisma had just cashed in on her defenses. She did it. She made three. Why go the full stretch when you can get the sure thing?

Referee Kevin Fisk takes the title from Lydia, and raises it above his head before Gaby takes it with her. A quick check of both women follows before he calls for the bell. Elizabeth and Lydia meet in the center, looking eye to eye as Lydia begins asking her where her weakness is and if she thinks she can find it. The “Lioness” glances back to her manager….and then slaps Lydia across the face. The champion’s head snaps back...and she starts laughing in her face. Elizabeth’s eyes widen before she bolts out of the ring with Lydia taking off after her.

Zack: She just slapped the taste out of Lydia’s mouth….and Charisma’s laughing! And the “Lioness” is taking off, I don’t blame her a bit!

Steph: That... That is a horrendous laugh. If the Rawk of Ages wasn’t all about being Big Fun, she’d be fracking terrifying.

Elizabeth bolted around two corners before sliding back into the ring with Lydia in pursuit. The champion barely got into the ring before Lannister began raining forearms across her back repeatedly before she could get up. Several blows landed before Lydia simply got to her feet, and shook her head. The crowd ate it up as Elizabeth’s eyes widened again before Lydia grabbed her by the throat and tossed her into the nearest corner. She followed in after her and started firing lefts and rights one after another in a flurry before launching her halfway across the ring with a big beal!

Zack: Lannister was laying in those forearms, and NOTHING! And it sounds like Mexico City came to see a lioness get tamed!

Steph: I still think Elizabeth has the right idea here though. You can’t tank hits like those forever, speaking as someone who used to play the same powerhouse style as Lydia.

The challenger barely has time to get up before Lydia takes off towards her with a running lariat that nearly flips her inside out. She watches as the blonde starts to get up, and helps her the rest of the way before lacing a knife edge chop across her chest. Three more land in a row before she scoops her up into a gorilla press, and then sends her flying onto the canvas.

Zack: Lannister has to feel like she dropped off the side of a house….a powerhouse in this case!

Fans: CHAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!

Lydia: ¿SABES MI NOMBRE?

Steph: WHEN DID SHE LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH!?

Elizabeth immediately headed for the ropes, seemingly to get out of the ring. But Lydia grabbed her from behind in a rear waistlock, looking for a German suplex. But the challenger wouldn’t let go of the ropes. Lydia tried again and again until Elizabeth propelled herself forward between the ropes to let the top rope clothesline the champion. It only stunned Lydia for a moment before Elizabeth grabbed her arm after stepping out onto the apron and snapping it across the top rope. That did a bit more damage as Charisma jerked her arm back to her, and Elizabeth stepped back inside to apply a hammerlock.

Steph: Ah-ha! I see the tactic that the Lioness is working here. She’s got a beautiful hammerlock slapped on after a slingshot clothesline kept Charisma off balance. The champion has problems here.

Zack: It seems like the target is one of Lydia’s biggest assets, and that’s those powerful arms. I don’t recall seeing too many go this route against her.

Lydia tried to grab her head with her free hand, but Lannister avoided each attempt without much trouble. Then the champion leaned over to reach between her legs, but Elizabeth stepped to the side and turned it into an arm bar that brought the champion to her knee. Kyle looked on approvingly as Elizabeth kept the arm bar locked in, and peppered in some elbows to that arm before using an arm wringer right back into the arm bar.

Zack: You can see the challenger applying more and more torque to Lydia’s arm. And with guns like that, the pain must be even more pronounced.

Steph: It looks like THIS was the idea Kyle had in mind the way he’s nodding. My guess? He must have told Elizabeth to play to her strengths rather than try and meet Lydia head on and get overwhelmed.

Lydia finally got back to her feet, but Elizabeth used another wringer to add more pressure to try to get her down. It didn’t work as well though because Lydia caught her with a sidekick in the stomach. Two more finally broke the hold, and sent Lannister back a couple steps. She then fired Elizabeth hard into the far corner, and charged in with a running shoulder tackle. But the “Lioness” stepped aside, and she hit the post between the turnbuckles instead. It dropped Lydia to her knees in the corner before Elizabeth rolled out to the floor and pulled her down onto the mat. And with a violent swing, she wrapped Lydia’s arm around the ring post. The boos from the fans didn’t slow her down as she walked a few feet down the apron with the referee admonishing her….while Kyle grabbed Lydia’s arm and wrapped it around the post for a second time.

Zack: Kilmeade’s getting his shots in too, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone try to work on Lydia’s arm like this! She took a pounding to get to this point, but Lannister is….working her plan perfectly.

Steph:  Her plan... Or Kyle’s plan? I guess it doesn’t really matter in the end. What works, works.

Elizabeth finally slid back into the ring as Lydia clutched her left arm to her body in pain. Lannister pulled her back from the corner a little before stepping through into a Fujiwara armbar. Fisk dropped down next to Lydia to see if she wanted to stop the match, and quickly got a very loud “NO” from her. Elizabeth leaned back in the submission, trying to add more pressure that caused Lydia’s face to tense and her teeth to grit in pain. Kyle told her to quit, while the crowd urged her to do anything but that.

Zack: Shades of Sophia Pike right here with that Fujiwara armbar locked in, and Lydia’s arm is being tested in ways that can’t be replicated in the gym.

Steph: That... That looks bad. Charisma’s arm has been getting in spades all match and there’s a reason Pike uses that Fujiwara. Look at the torque Lannister has on it!

The fans began a chant for her as Lydia’s face continued to tense as she tried to find the ropes. With her free arm, she started dragging them both towards the bottom rope nearest to her. As she was about to grab it, Elizabeth pressed her arm against the mat and started delivering knee drops into it. Each shot made Lydia grimace before Elizabeth dropped down into a keylock submission on that same arm. The pain grew almost unbearable now as Lydia desperately clawed to the ropes to force a break.

Steph: From Sophia Pike to straight up MMA business, that keylock is tearing the ligament of Charisma’s arm! She’s centimeters from the rope but even centimeters are still distance... There she goes!

Zack: When you’re in that kind of pain, it might as well be miles when you’re trying to get to the ropes. This strategy by Elizabeth and her manager has been well executed so far.

Elizabeth didn’t break till after the four count, and rose back to her feet. The fans showed her no love at all as she stretched out her arms for them, as if to ask them where the support was for her. Kyle applauded her though, which brought a smile to her face. Lydia began to get back to her feet, keeping her left arm tight against her body. When Elizabeth moved towards her again, Charisma surprised her with a right cross to the mouth. Two more big right hands landed before she wrapped a hand around her throat for a chokeslam! The fans got behind her quickly as she dropped to one knee, and hooked a leg with the good arm.

Steph: None of those shots are pretty but Charisma is desperate at this point and...! THE DEALER’S HAND!!

ONE!!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

TH-NOPE!

Elizabeth got her shoulder up at two, and Lydia pummeled her with right hands before getting back to her feet. Her left arm was clutched tightly at her side as she watched the challenger starting to rise.

Zack: Lydia’s left arm is in awful shape right now, and that might be the key to victory for Elizabeth. If she can’t use both of those massive arms, it’s going to take a lot of tools out of her arsenal.

When the challenger got back to her feet and came towards her, Lydia caught her with a boot to the stomach. It knocked her backwards into the ropes before Lydia grabbed the top rope with the right arm to lay in some more kicks to her body. She finally dropped the challenger to her knees before taking off for the far side ropes. A running kneelift to the jaw flattened the challenger back to the mat, and Lydia dropped down to cover her again with a hook of the leg.

Steph: Charisma saying to hell with it and using those tree trunk legs!

ONE!!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

THR-NO.

Once more, Elizabeth got her shoulder up in time before the three. The champion rose back to her feet, still in pain as the crowd tried to rally her.

Fans: CHAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSMMMAAAAAAAAAA!!

Lydia: ¿SABES…….MI NOMBRE?

Zack: That one wasn’t nearly as boisterous as the one earlier in the match, and Lydia’s having to adapt on the fly with only one good arm.

The response was a bit more strained this time though. Elizabeth rolled away from her, and began to get to her feet. When she was back up to a vertical base (and a little wobbly), Lydia shouted to the crowd and went to scoop her up for what looked like a running powerslam. But she couldn’t hold her up with both arms, causing her to yelp in pain and allow Elizabeth to drop down behind her and counter into a one-handed bulldog.

Zack: That left arm gave out, and the champion couldn’t hold her up a second longer! Credit to Lannister for quick thinking right there and an excellent counter!

Steph: Absolutely inspired by the Lioness and it looks like the Gold Standard is closing in on another piece to add!

Kyle gave his client some advice, garnering a nod before she grabbed Lydia’s left arm and fell backwards into her cross armbreaker. As soon as it was applied, Lydia shouted in pain and went to grab the ropes, only to find herself in the center of the ring.

Zack: RED WEDDING!! And the sands in the hourglass of Lydia’s title reign are slipping faster and faster now!

Steph: That’s gotta be it! There’s nothing she can do here now!

Elizabeth pulled with all she had, causing the referee to check with Lydia again and again about submitting. The champion was in agony though, and didn’t respond to him at all. She thrashed on the mat with the crowd loudly chanting for her, while Kyle shouted at her from the outside to quit. The champion looked to be about to try to turn over before Elizabeth arched her body upwards and massively increased the torque on Lydia’s arm. And she immediately tapped out!

Steph: Ouch. The story ends here it looks like.

Kyle rushed the ring, and helped Elizabeth to her feet. She started beaming ear to ear when the referee raised her hand to a chorus of boos.

Gaby: Here’s your winner by submission…...AND NEW Future Shock Aspire Champion…..’THE LIONESS’ ELIZABETH LANNISTER!!

Zack: And the Gold Standard adds another piece of championship gold to the ranks! Elizabeth finally got the prize she’s been chasing, despite the best efforts of a very game Lydia Charisma!

Steph: Charisma threw her very best but I guess this proves that Kyle really did see a flaw in the game after all.

The referee handed her the Aspire Championship, only causing that beaming smile to go even brighter as the rest of the Gold Standard headed out to the ring to congratulate her.

Zack: Like her or not, Elizabeth Lannister has made history! And she had an outstanding gameplan in the attempt! Lydia gave alls he had, but her arm couldn’t take any more damage.

Steph: I love the fact that entire Standard came out to do a hero’s welcome to Elizabeth. Well... Friendship I guess. Congratulations go to Elizabeth Lannister... And a massive headache to Adam I’m guessing.

As the Gold Standard escorted Elizabeth to the back with her new title, a trainer came out to help Lydia, who looked back at them with a mix of anger and disappointment etched on her face. The show heads to commercial.



She Never Learns

The supershow heads outside of the arena with two people you wouldn’t expect to see standing not that far from some dumpsters. That would be Kyle Kilmeade and Cassandra Steen. It goes without saying that Kyle looks as pleased as he's ever been, given what happened minutes ago.

Kyle: First of all, congratulations to Elizabeth Lannister! But there'll be time for that. Right now, you’re probably wondering why we are out here, because this is obviously not somewhere we’d be for any reason. But it seemed appropriate, given the subject we’re going to discuss. We happened to hear earlier in the show where a certain someone felt like she had some unfinished business with Cassandra. And as you likely know, Cassandra doesn’t shy away from getting in the ring. So with that in mind…

He glances back in the distance to the dumpsters and then to the camera.

Kyle: Sounds like Celeste is blaming some of her career woes on Cassandra. She blames her for not being able to beat Lacey months ago, when the real reason she couldn’t stop Lacey is...she’s not in her league. But she stood in front of the camera tonight, and basically said she wanted her one on one. Careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

Cassandra rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

Cassandra: Some people obviously just enjoy being shown up. That is the only possible reason Celeste could have for requesting a match with any of the Gold Standard. We have proven time and again that we back up our words with action. That we are as good as we claim to be. I really do not mind adding Celeste to the list of Prospects that I have beaten though.

Kyle: We are in an era where personal responsibility has all but gone extinct. Instead of admitting to herself she’s just not good enough….admitting to herself that this is the place where her career is most at home...with the trash, she has to blame someone else. But like Cassandra just said, I have zero issues with granting her wish. Future Shock Malice is the first Future Shock Pay Per View of the year on April 9th. And I can think of no better place to sign for that match. So Celeste, you want to get into the ring with a woman who is unpinned and unsubmitted in every one on one match she’s had in Future Shock? Be my guest. Because unlike your opponent when you came back from injury, Cassandra is far from a muscled up loser who has zero possibility of success. I mean….take out the muscled part, and someone could think we’re talking about you.

Cassandra: There is a reason why people say be careful what you wish for...and this match is going to be a prime example of that. What are your excuses going to be when you fall flat on your face this time? Who are you going to find to blame for your inadequacies? It would be prudent for you to start considering that now. You wouldn’t want to get to the end of the match and find yourself struck dumber than you normally are when you have to explain how you have failed...AGAIN.

Kyle: Tell you what I’ll do for you, Celeste. I’m going to give you double the chance to get embarrassed. How’s that sound? Find yourself a partner. Pick any Prospect you want. And on the next show, you and whatever loser you decide to go with can face Cassandra…

He extends a hand out for someone before it is taken as she walks into the shot next to him.

Kyle: And the ever “Sensational” Stacey Sky.

Stacey: It doesn’t matter who she chooses, there’s only one way that the match will end. And that’s with me and Cassandra having our hands raised. We’ve already proven ourselves to be a sensational pairing, and that won’t change against Celeste and whoever she manages to convince to join her in loserville.

Kyle: Ball’s in your court. But don’t worry, we’ll get out of your office here so you can start calling around.

He gives the camera a wink as they head back inside away from the dumpsters. On that, we head to a quick break.