The show returns from the commercial break back to ringside, and the “WIldcat” is standing ready to go in the center of the ring.
Gaby: The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall, and the winner will receive a Future Shock Tag Team Championship match on the next Future Shock!
An upswell of music begins to overtake the arena, fantastic, hopeful and alluring. Ramin Djawadi’s “Dance of Dragons” plays the rapturous tones, before the music drops.
The mood is suddenly a biting one as the lights flare and The Raging Dragons come out from behind the curtain. Sumomo can be seen saying something to Jennifer that the music of their entrance drowns out to the fans in attendance. Whatever it is, it makes Jenny smirk a little bit as the duo begin walking towards the ring, Su shaking hands with some of the fans on her way as Gaby announces their arrival.
Gaby: From San Francisco, California and weighing in tonight at a combined weight of 282 lbs, the team of Jenny Song & Su Wakuda... This is THE RAGING DRAAAGONS!!
Rather less interested in the fans, Jenny marches down the ramp, bold-facedly ignoring a fan near the ring steps that tries to get her attention. The Azure Dragon stomps on the first step in the set, pausing for just a second, her eyes shut as she exhales a breath, before climbing up the steps. She brushes her feet off on the apron, sliding into the ring and backing herself into the corner, while Su hops onto the apron before slipping through the first and second rope, joining Jenny in their corner.
Zack: Jennifer Song & Su Wakuda obviously impressed all of us, and clearly Adam who gave them this shot. But honestly, they haven’t faced a team like the Cortez girls and they better keep an eye on them start to finish. We know what happens when you don’t.
Steph: I think we can safely say few have faced anyone like the Cortez... Clan? That’s what we’re going with right? Few have so this will be quite the learning experience.
The opening of Set It Off's "Killer in the Mirror" starts on the sound system, and lights start blinking in random colors as the identical twins Anna and Luna Cortez walk onto the entrance ramp side by side. Right behind them is their manager Christian Kincaid, as he stands right between the twins, who stop right before the ramp. At the same time, they take a spin and stop in a particular pose, one mirroring the other down to the moment of their winking for the cameras before they turn to one another and then to the booing crowd, proceeding to shake their heads at them. Strutting down the entrance ramp, the twins keep talking and strategizing, taking their time to mock the crowd and let them know who are the true geniuses in the house.
Gaby: Introducing first/And their opponents, escorted to the ring by Christian Kincaid... From Fort Worth, Texas... "THE TWENTY-STAR TANDEM"... Anna...! Luna...! THE CORTEZ TWINS!
When Anna and Luna climb into the ring, they make their way to the ropes facing the hard camera, stepping onto the second rope and sitting on the top rope, their backs turned to the hard cam and the audience, as they make a pose similar to the one they did atop the ramp, winking at the cameras before they wave the crowd off once again and hop back down to the ring. As they move to the corner, one of the twins sits on the top turnbuckle and crosses her legs, while the other leans onto the turnbuckles (and her sister's legs), as they share some last minute strategy with Christian.
Zack: Very few women have arrived in Future Shock, and turned virtually everyone on them in as short of a time as have the Cortez girls. Take your pick, none of them are liked by hardly anyone and none of them give a damn about it.
Steph: I guess when you figure your sisters have your back, that’s the only person you need. Uh. People.
Referee Ashley Pruitt checks all four girls, and calls for the bell. Jennifer starts for her team as the cameras pick up Christian suggesting Anna start the match. The pair lock up in the center of the ring, with Jennifer immediately transitioning into a standing armbar. Anna’s face tenses in pain as she tries to alleviate some of the pressure. Song continues with an arm wringer, keeping the arm bar still applied until she turns it into a hammerlock. Anna grabs a handful of her hair, causing the referee to make her let go. She grabs it again, getting another admonishment from the referee until Cortez backs her into the ropes. As soon as Song lets go, Anna spins into her with a haymaker shot to the mouth. Two more land before she shoves Song back into her team’s corner, and puts a boot against her throat as she leans on the top rope. Pruitt gets a four count, and finally gets a break. But Jenny doesn’t before Anna starts laying in kicks to her body.
Zack: That’s the wrong place to be in this match. Jennifer’s stuck in the corner, and at the mercy...if there is any...of Anna Cortez. Luna’s remained uninvolved...so far.
Steph: What mercy now? Jenny has to escape or else it’ll only get worse from here.
Jennifer shoves her backwards though, and catches Luna with a short right hand before she can do anything about it. Song comes forward with a kick in mind, but Anna grabs her foot and uses a dragon screw leg whip to bring her down to the mat. The California native clutches her leg in pain before Anna grabs her foot, and begins spiking her knee into the mat repeatedly. It looks as though she’s about to go for a submission until Jennifer catches her with a boot in the face with her other leg. Anna stumbles backwards, and Jenny gets to her feet. When the twin turns around, she catches dual palm strikes to the chest and a spinning heel kick that drops her to her knees. Song rubs her leg a second, and takes off for the near side to deliver a running hip attack to her head to put her down the rest of the way.
Zack: Jenny had the right idea there, and wasn’t about to find out what else Anna had in store for her leg. This may be a good time to tag out, work out the kinks in her leg, and let Su take over.
Steph: It might be but it looks as though Song remains in for now. I think she still wants a piece.
As soon as Anna was starting to rise, Jenny connected with a few knife edge chops to her chest and then fired her into the neutral corner. Cortez struck back first with Song following her in with a running forearm. Anna staggered out of the corner just as Song bounced off the near side with a lariat that put her back down on the mat. She quickly snatched her up, and executed a fisherman’s suplex before the referee slid into position to count.
Zack: Maybe I was wrong about Jennifer needing a tag, she may be about to win this thing all on her own!
ONE!!!
TW-NOPE!!
Anna kicked out as the two struck, and Jennifer popped back to her feet. She took off towards the ropes again, looking for a curb stomp. But Anna rolled out of the way. As soon as the Dragon stomped the mat, Anna used a chop block to take her leg out. Cortez took a moment to pull herself together before grabbing Song by the leg, and dragging her to the ropes. She jumped off the middle to land across her knee, and reach for the tag to Luna.
Steph: Luna gets a tag in and now it’s a sisterly tandem that Jenny is going to have to continue to weather.
Luna joined her sister as they each grabbed a leg, and pulled them apart as hard as they could in a wishbone followed by a single leg Boston crab. The referee dropped down in front of Jennifer to see if she wanted to stop the match, but was told no clearly. The referee stayed with her to keep checking as Luna reached her hand for the middle rope. As soon as she grabbed it, she leaned back to increase the pressure even more. Song’s face showed the pain she was in, getting asked again by the referee to see if she wanted to stop. Luna let go when Pruitt leaned around to see what was going on.
Steph: If you were feeling impressed that there was hardly any funny business going on in a Cortez match, you can stop that now.
Zack: If there’s a high road and a low road, you can bet that the twins or triplets...any of them really...are gonna take the low one.
When the official moved back in front of Jennifer, Luna grabbed the rope again. It didn’t last as long this time though as Pruitt dove around, and kicked her hand free. Cortez got to her feet to give the referee a piece of her mind as Jennifer scrambled towards the corner to make the tag. And when Cortez turned around to see where her opponent went, Su “greeted” her with a bicycle kick that sent her backwards into the ropes.
Zack: Luna should spend less time discussing differences with the referee, and more keeping an eye on her opposition! Su’s checked in, and Luna may be about to get checked out!
Steph: Big nasty bicycle kick from Wakuda, looking to pick up where the Azure Dragon left off.
Su didn’t let her stay that way long, and pulled her forward. She scooped her up into an ushigoroshi. Wakuda left her feet for an elbow drop, and quickly went for the cover with a hook of the leg. The referee dropped to make the count.
Steph: Jumping elbow from off Ushigoroshi and there’s the pin!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOO-NOPE!!
Luna kicked out in time at the two count, and Su pulled her back to her feet. She scooped her up for what looked like a pumphandle slam, but Luna slid to her feet behind her. When Wakuda turned, Luna caught her with a single knee facebreaker that put them both on the mat.
Zack: Luna pulled that one out of nowhere, because Su was taking her to school there for a moment. But she can’t follow up as quickly as she’d like.
It was Cortez who began to get up first, with Su not far behind her. Luna headed for….Jennifer in the corner, and spat in her face. Song came through the ropes to go after her, causing the referee to to try stop her. Lunan then dove out of the ring, and let Anna take her place. Su got her bearings, and turned to see a Cortez down before she took off for the far side. She rebounded quickly, looking for a double knee drop….only for Anna to roll out of the way. The twin got back to her feet, and hooked Su into position before dropping her with a double underhook facebuster and then into a cover! The referee spun back around, assuming it was Luna when she dropped to count.
Steph: Misdirection and wait... Ref! Anna’s not the legal one! Wait! WAIT!
ONE!!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NO!!
Su got her shoulder up in time, and Anna looked over to see Luna getting back to the corner. She made the tag to her, and the sisters whipped her across for the ride. Anna scooped her up on the rebound before Luna left her feet to spike her into the mat with a facebuster. She made another cover as the referee wasn’t sure which was legal for a second, but dropped to count anyway.
Zack: Pruitt’s lost the script, and has no clue which is which! But she’s gonna count, and the twins are about to get a tag title shot!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NOPE!!
Jennifer made the save with a baseball slide that sent Luna off the cover. Anna took off towards her with a short knee to the body, and drove her back into the corner to work her over. Luna got back to her feet, and headed for the ropes.
Steph: This is what happens when two wrestlers are twins and wear matching gear, makeup, hair dye and piercings!
Luna made it up top quickly, and immediately straddled it when Jennifer started shaking the top rope. The referee went to try and get her and Anna out of the ring, while Su got back to her feet. Luna toppled to the mat before Su grabbed her, and executed her back suplex double knee backbreaker before diving into the cover. Jennifer decked Anna, and spun the referee around so she could make the count.
Steph: DANGER CLOSE!
ONE!!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Pruitt called for the bell as Jennifer broke away from Anna, and helped Su to her feet. The pair gave each other a high five and a hip bump before the referee raised their hands.
Gaby: Here’s your winners and #1 contenders to the Future Shock Tag Titles…..Su Wakuda and Jennifer Song…..THE RAGING DRAGONS!!!
Christian pulled Luna out of the ring, as he and Anna went to check on her. Jennifer and Su climbed alternate corner, and ran their hands along their waists symbolically.
Zack: The Raging Dragons have put together a hell of a performance tonight, and now the Gold Standard knows who awaits them in two weeks on this show with Future Shock gold on the line!
Steph: I can’t help but feel like there’s a sense of relief from Lacey and Valerie somewhere. While the Raging Dragons will give them an excellent fight, this won’t be the last we see of the Cortez Clan for those titles I would bet...
Su and Jennifer headed up the ramp with a smile on their faces. They gave each other a fist bump, and told the camera that the titles were theirs next show as Future Shock went to commercial.Leaving Well Enough AloneWhen we rejoin Sara for the second time, we find her now next to the woman her first guest will be facing: Sydney Christensen.
Sara: Thanks for joining me, Sydney. You no doubt heard what Arabela had to say earlier in the show. And I wanted to talk with you about it. First of all, do you accept her apology?
The Canadian sighs as she rests her hands on her hips.
Sydney: I did hear what she said earlier, as did everyone else. You would think that I have every right to be upset over what happened. But apparently, there are certain people out there who think I just need to relax and let things go. So yes, I DO accept her apology…..but I’m not forgetting what she did.
Sara: Even though you didn’t ask for her help, do you see how she was trying to help you from getting screwed over by the Cortez Twins?
Sydney: Help that I didn’t ask for nor did I need, but please, continue.
Sara: There’s no question you were in firm control at the end of that match, seemingly giving Luna more problems than she could handle. If Arabella had not gotten involved, do you think you could have handled dealing with her and Anna both?
Sydney: Do I think I could have handled both of them? What kind of question is that? I don’t THINK I could have handled those two...I KNOW I could have handled Anna and Luna.
She shakes her head, biting her lip.
Sydney: It’s almost as if people are questioning my abilities when it comes to dealing with less than ideal situations. I’ve been dealing with them for a lot longer than people realize, yet it goes in one ear and out the other.
Sara: At Wipeout, you will get to go one on one with Arabella. What lesson, if any, do you hope she takes away from that match?
Sydney: Sara, the main thing I want Arabella to take away from this match is that sometimes, it is better to just leave well enough alone and to not stick her nose in business that doesn’t concern her. THAT is what I want her to remember from this.
Sara: Lastly, given what happened, would you want to face Luna Cortez again at some point?
Sydney glances over at Sara with a raised eyebrow.
Sydney: You’re a smart woman, Sara. You should know the answer to that by now.
Sara: I appreciate your time tonight, Sydney. And good luck at Wipeout.
As Sydney heads off camera, the show heads elsewhere inside the Future Shock Arena.
Anything You Do, I Do BetterAfter the break, the show comes back and finds Adam standing between a set of twins. It isn’t the Cortez girls though, and they aren’t dressed alike. One is his fiance, and the other is Cassandra Steen. All three are shown standing outside his office as he addresses the camera.
Adam: I already announced this on Twitter a few days ago, but I wanted to cover it here too. At Wipeout, I’ve added a match for the #1 contendership to the Future Shock Championship. In one corner, it’ll be Lydia Charisma who had an amazing run as the Aspire Champion. In the other, a woman who is undefeated in singles matches since she arrived here….Cassandra Steen.
Cassandra smoothes down her skirt even though it doesn’t need it, and a smug smile appears on her face.
Cassandra: It is an opportunity that I fully intend to make the most of. After all, not everybody earns a chance like this in their career. I can think of several Future Shock graduates who never even warranted a shot at a shot. Isn’t that right, Missy?
Missy doesn’t respond and instead just glares at her mirror image.
Adam: While you have one of the best records in Future Shock past or present, Lydia’s no slouch either You haven’t faced anyone with her kind of power that I recall. The only issue that MAY crop up if you win is somewhere potentially down the line, you might end up in the ring with Valerie McKinley...who still wants her shot as well. How are things with you and she since you left the group?
Cassandra: I’m sure you could say that Lydia hasn’t faced anyone quite like me either. There’s not many prospects that have the exposure to the industry that I have, from all viewpoints. As for myself and Valerie, she is still very much a dear friend. Leaving the Gold Standard has no bearing on that. If it comes to us both being in the ring, we will deal with that as the consummate professionals that we are.
Missy nearly chokes as she tries to fight back a laugh.
Missy: You….a professional? Yeah. And I’m Mother Teresa.
Adam: On top of that, I’m putting you both in the main event spot of Wipeout. I’m sure you both will make it one to remember, and I’ll have a championship contract waiting for the winner as soon as it’s over.
Cassandra: Well now. The main event of a PPV? That is certainly a feather to my cap.
She turns her attention to her sister.
Cassandra: Did you ever main event a Future Shock PPV?
Missy: Go to hell.
Adam: Alright alright. Save it for the ring, please. I suggest Tara be watching very closely since she’s likely going to be a very busy woman with the winner of this match and if Vivi runs her gauntlet too. What’s your impression of Tara and Vivi?
Cassandra: In terms of skills, they are both highly talented competitors. They have proven that over the course of their time in Future Shock. And in Vivi’s case in other companies as well.
Adam: I’m sure they will appreciate the words. But first, let’s see how you do against Lydia at Wipeout.
We see a graphic advertising the Wipeout main event now for a shot at the Future Shock Championship, and then the show cuts to commercial.
