FFW Breaking Point - January 16, 2021

[Adam Grant]

Live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
January 16, 2021

A flyer for FFW is shown stapled to the side of a cabin as the show pulls back to see we are on a campsite. Cabins dot the landscape as well as trees before someone walks past the camera holding what looks like a machete. The camera peers over their shoulder as whoever this person is stares at a cabin with a light on upstairs. They head for it as “Another Way Out” by the Hollywood Undead starts to play.

Voices won't go away, they stay for days and days
They say some awful things, ways to make you fade away
I don't think no one's home and we're just here alone
I better find you first before you find the phone

As the person welding the machete slowly opens the door to go inside the cabin, we cut to video clips featuring: Missy clutching the FFW Championship over her head, Nevaeh Summers mounting a comeback during a match, Lilly Arthur applying her Lilly Pad submission, and “10 Star” Tara Cortez standing in front of a constellation chart. We then cut inside the cabin as Caitlyn Storm steps out of the bathroom in a robe and a towel over her head.

Better run, better run, better run, yeah, I'm coming after you
When you're sleeping at night, yeah, there's nothing you can do
There's no place you can hide 'cause I'm coming after you

The person holding the machete slowly heads up the steps, clutching it tightly in one hand before they see the light under the door from one room. Next more video clips start to play: Isis delivering her finishing move, Bianca Salvador choking out an opponent, Jana Rikar beaming ear to ear as she hops to her feet in the ring, and Luci with the Australian flag waving behind her. The clips end as the invader opens the door into the lighted room in the cabin….only to find no one.

You gave up? I'll check and see no one cares less than me
Dead wrong I guess you'll be, these voices won't let you leave
Got you down on bended knee, what should my next weapon be?

As the invader closes the door behind her, it’s clearly a woman and she doesn’t see Caitlyn standing on the other side of the door. Storm delivers a savate kick to the invader’s chest, sending her toppling over to the floor. The helmet the woman was wearing tips off, and she sees it was Mila playing a practical joke on her. Caitlyn finds all this very funny before we go live inside the arena to a roaring crowd. Pyro erupts along the stage and ring post as Kat Grayson is already in the ring with a smile on her face before we head down to the broadcast booth as the music continues to play over the PA system. We then head down to the commentary team of Zack Hudson and Leona Vega.

Zack: Hello, FFW fans around the globe! And welcome to the first Breaking Point of 2021! We are live from the Barclays Center tonight in Brooklyn, New York! And don’t adjust your sets, because there’s a new color commentator in town. Welcome to the booth, Leona Vega. 

Leona: Thanks, Zack! And it’s my great happiness to let YOU, the Faithful know that the age of BS commentary is gone! I can’t guarantee you won’t see Dante Knox any longer, but hey, I bet I can do this job better than him.

Zack: I’m positive of that! Tonight’s main event will see the hometown high flyer Kelly Kincaid meet the No Surrender Champion Cassandra Steen in a non-title match. This will be their first ever meeting. Who do you like here? 

Leona: It’s a match with clashing styles as Kelly Kincaid brings in the electric, high-speed acrobatic offensive, but Cassandra Steen is the No Surrender Champion, and you can guess what that means: technique for days! It’s going to be a master class in wrestling, and it’s impossible to pick one over the other!

Zack: In a rematch from this past October that saw Valerie McKinley with a fair bit of help from her manager win a match against Alysson Gardner, I’m sure the Outlaw is gunning for a different outcome tonight in Brooklyn.

Leona: McKinley punctuated her berth to go hunt for the No Surrender Championship with a win over the Outlaw right before Crossed Out, but the tables have turned since! Alysson is coming off a victory over the Franchise, and Valerie… Well, her hands are empty!

Zack: And if all that wasn’t enough representation of the No Surrender division, we also got Bianca Salvador meeting Lilly Arthur. The “Typhoon” has a date at Relentless with Cassandra Steen, but has a stern test against the former champion tonight.

Leona: The two No Surrender Champs before Cassandra face off in what’s going to be one of the hardest hitting matches we can expect to see tonight. Bianca has that diamond-in-the-rough raw power, and Lilly brings in the refined technique. You do not want to blink, or you’ll miss something!

Zack: We’ve also been told that the owner of this company will have a historic announcement revolving around the Ultraviolence Championship. I’m not sure what that will be, but we’ll find out together before the show is over. 

Leona: When the owner herself gets involved, you know it’s going to be big! I cannot confirm that the Ultraviolence Champion Charlotte Harker is in the house, but the Franchise certainly is!

Zack: We got all that on tap, and who knows what else! So let’s send it up to Kat in the ring and get the first FFW show of 2021 underway! 




Kat: Ladies and Gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall to a finish!

Zack: We’re about to see a rematch from this past October that took Valerie McKinley and her manager to make the victory happen. Let’s see if history repeats itself tonight. 

Leona: Valerie McKinley sure wants to assert her dominance over Gardner and put Crossed Out behind her, but if I know Alysson… I don’t think she cares!

The intro to Shinedown's "Adrenaline" hits the sound system and the arena lights follow it, blinking mad in shades of red. The music halts, and the arena is engulfed in darkness. When the beat comes back, the lights go crazy again, but now with something new in the center stage: a gigantic "A for Anarchy" symbol blinking as well. When the beats come back for good, the Anarchy symbol is fully lit, and the headlights of the arena are going HAM in red and white. That's the cue for Alysson Gardner to walk onto the stage, holding her crowbar on one hand. She stares into the cheering audience before pointing into the two sides of the crowds, inviting them to join the show before slamming the crowbar on the floor twice, leaving it there on the third and then throwing the cross-arm horns to the sky, at which point a volley of red fireworks go off behind her.

Kat: Introducing first... From Paris, France... "THE OUTLAW"... ALYSSON! GARDNER!!!

Alysson then powerwalks down the ramp, indulging in a high-five with the fans who have their hands out of her, before stopping right at the foot of the ramp, taking a step back and then dashing towards the ring, spearing herself into the ring, kicking up and then climbing the turnbuckles, throwing her arms up with the crossed horns and soaking in the cheers, before jumping down and doing it all over again with another turnbuckle. After covering two of them, she retreats to her corner, removing her coat and throwing it over the top rope for a stagehand to take care of it.

Zack: How much of a factor do you think having that month plus layoff will have on everyone tonight? Does it help or hurt someone like Alysson here? 

Leona: Alysson had a longer layoff, if you consider her last match in FFW was a victory over the Franchise’s Mel Avilo in November. But I think it’s less about the downtime and more about the momentum and the motivation to be here, and Alysson has that in spades.

The lights in the arena sharply cut off, leaving everything in complete darkness. The chiming of a clock is heard echoing in the darkness, followed by a chipper, circus like chime tone. As the tone chimes on, a vibrant gold spotlight shines down on the top of the stage. The circus chimes are soon replaced by the opening chorus of “Villain” by Wild Fire.
 
"Tic tic toc, the time bomb clock
Ticks grinning ear to ear here baby
Tic Tic Toc, the time bomb clock
ticks counting down...
tic, tic stop!"
 
At the exact moment “stop” is sung, the song kicks into full gear, setting off a series of shimmering gold strobe lights going off on either side of the ramp. A few seconds pass before the controversial redhead, Valerie McKinley makes her way out from behind the curtain and stands in the immediate center of the stage, standing in the gold spotlight. Coming out behind her and standing next to her was her manager, one Kyle Kilmeade.
 
"You know I speak in riddles,
And I’m plotting to destroy
Villain as I always was
Crazy is as crazy does"
 
Clad in a mid-thigh length leather jacket worn open over her gear, Valerie looks around at the crowd showering her with a rousing chorus of boos. She looks over at Kyle and the pair simply shake their heads. The strobe lights begin to lessen in intensity as the pair makes their way down the aisle, her arms at her side and a focused look on her face. As she makes her way to the ring, the fans on either side of the aisle make their displeasure at her appearance rather noticeable, which Valerie simply dismisses with an arrogant flip of her hand.
 
"My sanity's in short supply
Mad as a hatter, hey surprise!
T-T-T-Ticking bomb on the inside
Livin' with the villain pacing in my mind."
 
Kat: Ladies and gentlemen, making her way down to the ring, being accompanied by Kyle Kilmeade…..from Providence, Rhode Island…….Valerie McKinley!!
 
The boos grow louder as Kyle hops up onto the apron and climbs into the ring. Valerie hops up onto the apron and spins around so her back is resting on the ropes. With her head bowed, she lifts both arms up towards her head and has her pointer finger and thumb on both hands close to her head. She lifts her head up and extends her arms out, her fingers pointing out at the crowd like pistols. She then makes a motion like she was firing her finger guns at the crowd before turning around to see Kyle already holding the ropes open for her. She steps through the open ropes and into the ring.
 
"I'm blowing up the mystery
And all the pretty things you see
Light flame to fuse
And Sparks will fly
You said goodnight
Now say goodbye."
 
Once in the ring, she walks around with her arms extended outward, reveling in the heat from the crowd. She walks over to the corner and peels off her jacket, letting it drop to the apron as the lights return to normal and her music fades out. She rests her back against the turnbuckles and brushes a few stray strands of hair out of her face, awaiting the start of the action.

Zack: Valerie McKinley still has her eye on the No Surrender Championship after spending the better part of 2 years as a tag champion between this roster and Future Shock. If you ask me, she still has a tag partner in the guy at ringside in the suit.

Leona: And you can bet she’s still fuming at the notion of being disqualified at the Gauntlet Match at Crossed Out! But the match Valerie had before that DQ? She defeated Alysson Gardner, and she’s positive she can do it again.

Robert Valero was the official in charge of the action and he checked both wrestlers were ready to start the match before he called for the bell and immediately Gardner took off across the ring, looking to catch her opponent with a leaping forearm smash to her face only for the One Percenter to step out of the way. The Outlaw caught herself before she hit the turnbuckle pads and instantly spun around in an effort to catch her foe with a spinning backfist. Again Alysson only got air as McKinley stepped out of the way, the French athlete continuing to spin around and this time she left her feet with an attempted enzuigiri to the side of the head. McKinley ducked beneath the boot and spun to face Gardner once more, this time throwing a right hand of her own as she did so. The veteran wrestler blocked the shot and grabbed hold of her foe’s arm as she did so, using her grip to pull her forwards and into a headbutt. 

Zack: When an opponent faces someone like Alysson, it’s very hard to throw something at her she hasn’t seen before. In a lot of cases, I think you have to surprise her to get an opening.

Leona: Alysson is a 14-year veteran, one of the most experienced wrestlers here. Valerie can’t beat her by surprising her; she just needs to be faster.

McKinley took a step backwards, holding her nose as she did so and Gardner delivered a bell clap, crashing her forearms into the Rhode Island natives ears, causing her to step backwards again. As she did so, the Hall of Famer launched herself towards her foe and sent her flying across the ring and into a hard landing on the canvas with a monkey flip. The Gold Standard member rolled to the side and started to push up to her feet only for Alysson to mow her down with a running clothesline as she got her feet beneath her. McKinley started back to her feet once more only for Alysson to help her the rest of the way to her feet and snapped her head backwards with a European uppercut. A second followed it before Alysson irish whipped her into the nearest corner, letting her crash chest first into the pads. The former tag team Champion staggered backwards and straight into her opponent’s clutches allowing Gardner to lift her up and drop her to the canvas with a side suplex.

Zack: if I’m Valerie, my goal is to get Alysson down on the mat. She’s not likely to win going toe to toe with her….because things like that can happen.

Leona: Gardner is a punishment sponge, and she can strike right back if you’re displicent. Let’s not forget: Valerie defeated Alysson in October by being quick!

McKinley sat up and started back to her feet only for Gardner to hop up onto the middle rope and springboard off, catching her opponent on her way down and spiking her face first into the mat with a bulldog. Valerie once more started to rise, pushing herself up to her feet only for Alysson to wrap an arm around her head and used her grip to pull the Gold Standard member towards the ring ropes, leaping off them and pushing off the middle rope to drive Valerie into the mat with a tornado DDT. McKinley rolled over to her back as the Outlaw kipped up to her feet and straight into an elbow drop to her body before she made the cover, hooking the leg as she did so.

Zack: Alysson’s not getting paid by the hour, and we got a cover!

One…

Two-

Leona: And a kickout! Alysson doesn’t want to get bored of Valerie McKinley here -- that’s another factor for this match too!

McKinley kicked out of the pin and Alysson looked to the referee as the two count was confirmed and came to her feet, pulling Valerie up with her and Irish whipped her across the ring into the opposite corner. Gardner followed hot on her foe’s heels, delivering a corner clothesline to the One Percenter seconds after her back struck the turnbuckle pads. Alysson immediately jerked her opponent out of the corner and straight into another Irish whip, sending her back the way she came and into the opposite corner. Again Alysson followed in behind her and this time she left her feet to drive a knee into her opponent’s jaw. McKinley stumbled forwards out of the corner and Gardner lowered her shoulder, using it to elevate the Gold Standard member into the air and sending her crashing into the mat once more with a back body drop. The Parisien straightened up and immediately climbed to the top rope where she launched herself backwards into a moonsault...and only got empty canvas as McKinley rolled out of the way at the last moment.

Zack: Oof! That’s why they call it high risk! Valerie didn’t have to counter anything to make Alysson pay there. All she had to do was get the hell out of the way.

Leona: It’s always heartbreaking to go to the high rent district and ending up crashing like that. Alysson is fond of the big risk maneuvers, but sometimes that’s what happens.

Valerie came back to her feet as Alysson made it back to one knee and the One Percenter didn’t waste any time in catching the Frenchwoman with a stiff right hand to her jaw. A second followed that before she scooped Alysson off her feet and dropped her face first with a snake eyes into the top turnbuckle. Gardner reeled away and McKinley took her feet out from underneath her with a drop toe hold. It saw the Outlaw hit the mat face first and start to push upwards as McKinley forced herself back to her feet and then hopped up to the middle turnbuckle, waiting until Gardner was upright before she leapt off and delivered a double axe handle blow to the Frenchwoman’s skull. Alysson stumbled forwards and then found herself taken down to all fours courtesy of a chop block to the back of the knee from the One Percenter.

Zack: A chop block will get you a 15 yard penalty in the NFL, but it’ll open some doors for Valerie tonight as she tries to make sure Alysson stays off her feet. 

Leona: And would you look at that, I think she heard us! She’s going to brute force Alysson into staying down, that’s something else!

As Gardner started to push up from all fours, McKinley took off across the ring, bouncing off the ropes and came back to deliver a face wash big boot to the side of the French woman’s throat, knocking her to the side. Gardner caught herself on one outstretched arm and took a second before she continued to rise and as she did, McKinley measured her up then fired off a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. Alysson spun away, stumbling as she did so and caught herself on the ring ropes only for Valerie to wrap her arms around her waist, lifting her up off her feet and dropped her forward, bouncing her throat first off the top rope and into a wheelbarrow suplex. McKinley rolled to her feet with a grin on her face and told the crowd that she truly was a prodigy and better than all of them. She glanced over her shoulder at her opponent and saw her starting to get to her feet which prompted the Gold Standard member to tell the crowd to watch this before she hopped onto the middle rope and launched herself towards the Outlaw, hooking her head as her momentum spun them around before McKinley stood her foe on the top of her head with a Tornado DDT of her own. 

Leona: And all of a sudden, Valerie McKinley is trying to run laps around Alysson Gardner, showing off and everything! I don’t think that’ll earn her any favors but, Lord as my witness, she’s keeping the Hall of Famer down!

Zack: The One Percenter is extremely talented. It’s easy to lose sight of that when she has someone like Kilmeade and the Gold Standard running interference for her.

Valerie quickly rolled to the side and came upwards pressing a knee into the side of Gardner’s head as Alysson was trying to catch her breath, McKinley extended her arms to the sides. The crowd booed her loudly but the One Percenter only seemed to revel in their hatred, while the referee called for the break and started the count. The Rhode Island native milked the count, coming to her feet just before the four and pulling her foe upright with two handfuls of hair before she drove a trio of forearms into her jaw. The blows though only seemed to fire Gardner up; the Parisien shoving her opponent half a step backwards before she began to unload on her with a series of four right hand bombs. Each closed fist shot saw Valerie stagger backwards a step as the crowd got louder and louder behind the former Shades of the Sun member. The final blow saw Valerie take two steps backwards and as Gardner followed her, the cheers turned to boos as McKinley stopped her in her tracks with a finger to the eye.

Zack: Well Leona, that’s one part of your body you can’t train to absorb any kind of punishment right there. 

Leona: Nope, and that looks like some kind of despair to me. Alysson started to collect some second wind, and her strategy to dodge that is going for the eye. Quite telling!

As Alysson tried to clear her vision, Valerie dropped back to the ropes and used them to build up her momentum as she fired herself forwards and took her opponent off her feet with a sling blade clothesline. Gardner scrambled back to her feet and spun to face Valerie who immediately caught the Frenchwoman by the head and jerked her downwards into a double knee jawbreaker. Alysson popped up off her opponent’s knees and reeled away before she fell to her knees, holding her jaw as she leaned against the middle rope and McKinley quickly stepped towards her and climbed up to stand on her back, holding the top rope for balance as she choked The Outlaw. Immediately Valero called for the break and started to make the count, getting to the verge of five before the Gold Standard member hopped backwards to land on the mat and took off across the ring. The Rhode Island native bounced off the rings and came back across the ring where she baseball slid to the outside, spun around and as Gardner was still trying to catch her breath, McKinley slapped her hard across her cheek, sending the former Ultraviolence champion sprawling backwards on the mat, holding her cheek. 

Zack: I’ve said it in the past, and it bears repeating. Slapping an opponent in the face….that almost always comes back to bite you in this sport. 

Leona: A slap to the face is a message -- “I don’t respect you!” That is intended to hurt more than any hard-hitting strike! Do you think Alysson could possibly take that lightly?!

Again the Gold Standard member took a moment as she headed towards the camera, making a title motion around her waist as she told the world that she was coming for the No Surrender Championship. McKinley then slid back into the ring and popped up to her feet as Gardner was almost back to her feet, Valerie stalking around behind her with her arms raised and as soon as Alysson was fully upright, Valerie struck, grabbing hold of her opponent and locked in a cobra clutch submission hold. Valero moved into position to ask the veteran wrestler if she wanted to submit. Gardner declined in no uncertain terms as she clawed at her foe’s arm in an effort to free herself. Valerie though had the hold in tight and went to shake the Outlaw from side to side in order to wrench the hold in even tighter as Kyle applauded his charge from the outside, encouraging her.

Zack: Tell everyone what this cobra clutch can do to you in the ring. What’s Alysson experiencing right now? 

Leona: That’s some punishment on your shoulder and your neck! Valerie is yanking on Alysson’s arm in that, let’s call it, “half straight-jacket” there, and that pain extends down to the whole shoulder blade, not to mention it also messes up with Alysson’s line of sight! If applied correctly, it doubles as a choke hold too! A very effective submission hold, no matter who is applying it!

Valero checked the hold once more and again asked Alysson if she wanted to quit, getting another refusal - albeit a weaker one as the hold was having the desired effect and the former Ultraviolence Champion was starting to fade. Again the referee asked the question as Gardner dropped to one knee, getting a quiet refusal from the Frenchwoman and McKinley leaned her weight into the hold, trying to make it even more effective. The crowd slowly began to rally behind Gardner. As the cheers got louder and louder, Alysson seemed to find her second wind as she forced herself to push up from one knee to her feet and used the strength in her legs to drive McKinley backwards into the corner. As Valerie’s back struck the turnbuckle pads she was able to keep the hold applied only for Gardner to jerk her forwards a step and a half before she launched herself backwards to once more drive McKinley’s spine into the turnbuckle pads, causing the hold to loosen.

Zack: Now that’s one hell of a counter! Alysson’s using the corner like a tag partner almost.

Leona: And the raw power in that woman! Alysson is one of the most resilient people in this roster, and she just showed by powering out of that cobra clutch and using the ring as her weapon!

Alysson did it one more time and finally got the release which allowed her to step forward before she spun around and delivered a gamengiri kick to the side of McKinley’s head. The One Percenter staggered forwards a step before Gardner lifted her off her feet and dropped her back down to the canvas with a flapjack. Alysson was still gasping for air as she rolled to the side and used the ring ropes to pull herself to her feet before she continued to climb onto the middle rope where she launched herself into the air, catching Valerie’s head as she flipped over her and delivered a diamond dust jawbreaker. McKinley fell back into the corner, holding her jaw while Gardner came back to her feet and then the One Percenter stepped forwards and looked to catch the French wrestler with a haymaker only for Alysson to duck beneath the attempt, stepping behind her opponent as she did so, then took the Gold Standard member to the canvas with a neckbreaker. 

Zack: The Outlaw is starting to build a rally for herself here, and Valerie’s on the backfoot now. This would have probably happened sooner were it not for the eye gouge earlier. 

Leona: And like I said before, watch how Gardner is trying to catch her breath. McKinley had her in an airtight choke with that cobra clutch, and the signs are all there.

The Providence born wrestler started back to her feet only to be met by her foe who lit up her chest with a stiff knife edge chop to her chest. Gardner laid in two more chops to McKinley’s body before she grabbed hold of her head and pulled her downwards into a single knee facebreaker. McKinley fell backwards to the mat where she rolled away, holding her face as she looked to get her feet beneath and Alysson darted towards the ropes using them to springboard into a headscissors takedown that sent Valerie across the ring and into the corner. The One Percenter used the ropes to quickly get to her feet and was immediately sent backwards into the turnbuckle pads as Gardner charged towards her and caught her with a shotgun dropkick to the chest. Alysson rolled backwards onto one knee where she launched herself forwards to drive a shoulder thrust into McKinley’s midriff with such ferocity it lifted the former Unity Champion off her feet.

Zack: Look at the force she drives into McKinley’s body. That thrust took her off the mat for a half second. 

Leona: Alysson can go from high-flying to those brutal power maneuvers like a machine, that’s what makes her so dangerous, especially when she gets angry!

Three more shoulder thrusts followed as Valero ordered Gardner to let her opponent out of the corner. The referee was in the middle of his count as he got his wish granted when the Outlaw wrapped her arms around her foes waist and pulled her out of the corner, lifting her up onto her shoulder as she spun around and drove her spine first into the ring mat with an Alabama Slam. McKinley’s back arched up off the mat as the One Percenter’s hand immediately went to her spine before she slowly rolled onto her front while Gardner once more came to her feet and stepped through the ropes to the apron. The Outlaw climbed up to the top rope as Valerie pushed up onto all fours only to find herself driven face first into the mat as Gardner jumped off the top turnbuckle and into a mushroom stomp into her shoulder blades. McKinley rolled over and Gardner made the cover.

Leona: Give her a blue pair of suspenders and call her Mario, she just stomped Valerie into the mat-- And here’s a cover!

One…

Two…

...THR--

Zack: Valerie’s showing fantastic ring awareness to be able to get her foot across the rope after that kind of impact.

Valero waved off the count as McKinley kicked out her foot and got it over the bottom rope, pointing the ankle on the rope to Gardner. The Frenchwoman nodded her head in acceptance of the call and started to pull Valerie up to her feet. As soon as she had the One Percenter upright, Alysson Irish whipped her into the far corner, following in behind her and stepped up onto her thigh as McKinley hit the turnbuckle pads, planting her foot as she delivered a dropsault to Valerie’s jaw. Alysson came back to her feet and retreated to the middle of the ring as McKinley collapsed to a sitting position in the corner. The Outlaw charged her foe, leaving her feet and landing on her opponent’s chest where she bounced up and down in a bronco buster. Gardner then rolled backwards and came to her feet where she launched herself into a two footed dropkick to Valerie’s chest. Quickly the Frenchwoman jerked her opponent out of the corner and dropped down on top of her, hooking the leg as she made the cover.

Zack: Alysson feels like she’s got Valerie in a vulnerable position, and the Outlaw’s looking for a three!

One…

Two…

...THRE--

Leona: And another kick out! You gotta praise Valerie’s resilience here, but Alysson is mad and far from bored, this could spell trouble for the Gold Standard REALLY soon!

The Gold Standard member rolled her shoulder before the three count could be completed and looked to the referee, asking for the three count only for it to get a shake of the head from the official and two fingers raised while he pointed down at McKinley’s shoulder. Gardner nodded her head in acceptance of the decision and went to pull her opponent up to her feet, driving knees into her midriff before she lifted her onto her shoulders. The Outlaw took a moment to adjust her foe’s position on her shoulder before she slammed her down into the canvas with the Red Tide backbreaker into a rolling Argentine rack slam. Alysson used her momentum to come back to her feet in the corner, instantly using the bottom rope to hop high into the air and into a split legged moonsault that saw her crash down across McKinley’s chest. Alysson made the cover once more, hooking both legs as she did so.

Zack: Big time impact on that moonsault, and I think we may not be far from the bell!

One…

Two…

...THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leona: Red Tide Slam into a spaccato moonsault and it still isn’t enough! Valerie’s surviving this match by pure anger at this point!

At the last possible second, Valerie managed to pop her shoulder up from the canvas to break up the pinning predicament. Gardner looked to the referee with three fingers raised, looking to confirm the count only for Valero to show her that it was only a two count. Alysson shook her head and asked once more, again only for the official to show her the two count. Gardner glared at her foe for a moment before she nodded her head and started to pull her upwards to her feet. As she did so, Kyle pulled himself up onto the apron, causing Valero to move towards him, telling the manager to get down. As Kilmeade refused, the official told him once more, threatening to disqualify his client and behind his back McKinley caught Gardner with a pair of forearms to her stomach which allowed her to shove away. With the momentary separation, Valerie forced herself up to her feet and fired off a kick right between Alysson’s legs. 

Leona: OUCH! Kyle Kilmeade with the assist, and Valerie trying to get away with what got her disqualified at Crossed Out! Right between the legs! Believe me, Zack, it hurts almost as much as it does to men!

Zack: What a punt! Kilmeade’s earning his money tonight….right or wrong.

The Outlaw started to fold up as Kyle dropped back down to the floor and started to retreat to his corner; Valero told him to stay there. The referee turned back to the action just in time to see McKinley pull her foe forwards and spiked her down on the top of her skull with a pulling piledriver. As she landed the move, Valerie shoved her opponent away from her with a grimace on her face before she pressed a hand to her spine and gave her opponent a look of hatred. The One Percenter took a couple of moments sat on the mat and as Gardner started to push upwards onto her hands and knees, McKinley started to move, pulling Alysson up to her knees only to lock in a guillotine choke, falling back to the canvas as wrenched on the hold tighter, wrapping her legs around Alysson’s body. Quickly Valero slid into position to check that the hold wasn’t illegal and checked on Gardner, asking her if she wanted to submit.

Leona: And another choke hold by Valerie! Look at how she latched on to Alysson like a sloth and is now pressuring her neck to put the Big Red out!

Zack: No kidding. Valerie is displaying a lot of her submission skills tonight, and letting Cassandra know she’s eyeing up her title in the process. 

McKinley arched her back as much as she could, tightening up the hold further and trying to make it more effective. Valero again checked on Gardner, getting no reply from the woman as he lifted her arm up into the air and let it go where it flopped back down to the mat. Once more he raised the arm and watched it drop. He lifted the arm again as the crowd were cheering Alysson loudly and when he released it, the arm wavered a little but stayed aloft as Gardner began to kick out her feet, hooking her leg over the ring ropes in the corner. Valero saw it immediately and called for the break. The Gold Standard member, though, wrenched the hold on tighter, force the referee to make the count and didn’t break until he reached four. 

Zack: Not surprising that Valerie’s gonna take all that five count she can to get every bit out of that hold. 

Leona: She’s skirting the rules because she knows she can! You have a 5-count, you’re gonna use it! That’s what separates clean wrestlers and those who are out to win at any cost.

Valerie came up to her feet, inciting the crowd once more as she made a title belt motion around her waist before she headed back towards Gardner, pulling her upwards and shoving her back into the corner where she started to fire off stiff side kicks into her gut. Once more the official told her to let her opponent out of the corner, starting the count and got to four before McKinley relented. It was only for a moment though as the Providence native then raised her foot and pressed it against her opponent’s throat. The referee called for the break and again found himself using the count, McKinley dropping her foot to the mat as he reached four once more. The One Percenter then grabbed hold of her opponent’s head, pulling her out of the corner and straight into a running bulldog that drove her face first into the mat. 

Zack: Even though we’ll see her in the ring a little bit later tonight, I’m sure Cassandra Steen is taking mental notes watching this match right now. 

Leona: There’s no honor between former stablemates, and as much as Valerie seemingly used to enjoy Cassandra, the title conversation throws any level of friendship out the window.

McKinley held her back for a moment as she came back to her feet and once there, she waved Gardner upwards. As Alysson made it back to a vertical base, McKinley skipped forwards and drove a superkick into her jaw, causing her to fall backwards to the mat. The former Unity Champion dove on top of Gardner and made the cover as Valero slid into position to make the count.

Zack: A superkick right on the button! McKinley’s going for the knockout and the win!

One…

Two…

...THRE--

Leona: Still not enough! Alysson is absorbing punishment like a masochist, and yet she still wants more!

Gardner kicked out before the three count could be completed and McKinley shook her head at the referee as she accepted the decision that it was a two count. Valerie pulled the Outlaw upright and drove five forearms into the side of her head in quick succession before she dropped back to the ropes and used them to build momentum as she launched herself into a flying forearm smash. Gardner dropped down to all fours for a couple of moments before she started to push back up to her feet - Valerie waved her upright and as Gardner got her feet before her, McKinley used the ring ropes to launch herself into a springboard roundhouse kick to her jaw that caused her to reel backwards on spaghetti legs. Before Alysson could get her balance the One Percenter caught her in a wristlock that she used to jerk the Frenchwoman into a short arm clothesline - the Crown Jewel. As the Outlaw hit the mat, Valerie charged towards the ring ropes, bouncing off them and came back to leap in the air and deliver a huge leg drop across her foe’s chest before she floated over into the pin, hooking the leg as she did so. 

Zack: Look at that, Valerie’s bringing that speed back into play again! Is it gonna get her a three though?

One…

Two…

...THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leona: No it won’t!!! Alysson kicks out of the Crown Jewel, and you gotta wonder how much left Gardner has in the tank! I’m sure McKinley is asking herself that!

Gardner rolled her shoulder to stop the count in the nick of time; Valero immediately waving off the three count and confirming the two. Valerie stared at the referee and demanded the three count from him only for the referee to shake his head and tell her it was just a two and the shoulder came up from the mat in time. McKinley glared daggers at the official, telling him it was three and that he needed to raise her hand to declare her the winner. The referee refused, waving it off once again as he again told her the shoulder came up in the nick of time. McKinley gave a look of hate and anger but then turned her attention back to Gardner. The Frenchwoman had made it back to all fours as the Gold Standard member approached her and raked her bootlaces down the side of her head before she pulled her up with two handfuls of hair and went to pull her into position for Divine Providence but before she could, Alysson caught her by the head and dropped to her knees to deliver a jawbreaker. 

Zack: Alysson knows Valerie well, and managed to avoid Divine Providence! 

Leona: Quick thinking on the Outlaw, because it’d be all but over if she hit it! It was the move that put her down in October!

McKinley staggered backwards holding her jaw for a couple of moments before she looked to head back towards the Frenchwoman only for Alysson to surprise her as she approached with a leaping knee strike to her jaw. Again McKinley staggered backwards as Gardner landed on her feet and immediately turned and took off towards the ring ropes. The Outlaw bounced off them, building up a head of steam as she charged towards her opponent and folded her in half with a huge spear. Gardner rolled away and forced herself to come back to her feet quickly, heading straight back towards her opponent as she came to all fours and jerked her upwards into a gutwrench powerbomb. As the One Percenter hit the mat, Alysson headed towards the corner, pointing upwards as she did so. The veteran wrestler climbed to the top rope and threw up the devil horns symbol, getting a loud cheer from the crowd before she launched herself into the G-Effect shooting star senton. Alysson wasted no time in floating over and making the cover, hooking the leg as she did so.

Leona: G-EFFECT!!! With extra venom!!!

One…

Two…

...THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zack: And that’ll do it! Alysson proved lightning doesn’t strike twice here, and finally got the W over the One Percenter! 

Valero called the bell as he completed the count and Alysson rolled away, sitting up with a smile on her face before she slowly came to her feet. The referee raised her hand in the air.

Kat: Here is your winner, by way of pinfall… “THE OUTLAW” ALYSSON GARDNER!!!

Zack: Congratulations to Alysson on a hard fought win. I’d say this one was even more hard-hitting than the original meeting back in October. What about you? 

Leona: No doubt! Alysson sending a statement tonight with all the punishment she ate -- the Evolution Championship is within sight, and she wants in on those talks! And you can bet Cassandra Steen is smiling right now.

The crowd cheered the Frenchwoman loudly as she started to celebrate her victory while Valerie rolled out of the ring and to her feet where Kyle checked that she was okay. McKinley glared at Alysson in the ring as Gardner continued her celebration before the show cut elsewhere. 



The 10 Star Phoenix?

The next shot we see is that of the #1 contender to the Phoenix Championship, “10 Star” Tara Cortez. And as always, she is joined by her manager somewhere in the backstage area of the Barclays Center. 

Christian: Boy, the more things change, the more they stay the same. After defeating TWO women in the triple threat elimination match at Crossed Out, this woman right here finds herself in line for her first title in FFW. And just like her first challenge for a title in Future Shock, it’s against the exact same woman come Relentless. 

He rubs her arms with a smile on his face. 

Christian: History really does repeat itself.

Tara crossed her legs and smirks.

Tara: They say lightning doesn’t strike the same spot twice, but it looks like Harley Shannon is a lightning rod. And even better: if history does repeat itself? I’m looking forward to being the most dominant FFW Phoenix Champion in history. After all, I’ve proved I can do it with the Future Shock Championship, and I’m salivating for a repeat.

Christian: Absolutely. Tara’s defeated the last Phoenix Champion. She’s defeated Jana twice. I mean the only other person who is still trying to get a shot….well that happens to be Nevaeh Summers. She is also someone who Tara has defeated. Nevaeh’s her opponent at Velocity Thursday, and she’s apparently a little salty that Tara’s getting her shot at the title before her. 

Tara chuckles.

Tara: So that’s the whole story, isn’t it? I’m the dominant force in this conversation no matter how you slice it. Not a feeling I’m not used to, after all I was the center of all attention while I was Future Shock Champion, so it’s a burden I’m willing to carry.

Tara then reaches behind her back and produces… A book.

Tara: I’ve been reading the Harry Potter series recently. Again. And it makes me think about how everything wizarding revolved around poor Harry, and how he was ready to do it, even if it got to his head sometimes. But no matter how you look at it… He was the savior of the wizarding race. Just like I’m the brightest constellation in FFW. I’ll have everyone working against me, trying to keep me from establishing my dominance and enforcing my legacy upon this company. But at the end of the day, none can stop me from being not the Girl Who Lived, but the Girl Who Lead.

Christian: Let’s be honest. Everything is coming up Cortez lately. Here you are just a few weeks from capturing the Phoenix Championship. Over in Future Shock, Luna’s got a grip on the Nova Championship and just defended it successfully. Some things are just meant to be, I think. And what happened some time ago in Mexico City….well we got part two in Los Angeles in March when the next Phoenix Champion is crowned. And it’s hard to bet against her when she already has wins over everyone in the division. 

Tara puts the book down and admires her diamond-studded ring for a moment.

Tara: If anyone has any questions about what’s going to happen when I rise to the top of the Phoenix Championship scenario… I recommend you all watch what’ll happen to Nevaeh Summers next week. I’ll make sure that my win over her back on Future Shock Impact looks like a sparring session. And you’ll do well to remember that there’s only one woman in this whole conversation who is undeniably better than the rest. It’s like I’ve been telling you all along: you only need 10 letters to spell “perfection”. And her name… is Tara Cortez.

The camera focuses in on the 10 Star ring on her finger before Breaking Point takes a commercial break.

[Adam Grant]

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

“All Stand Up” by Status Quo starts to play as the young lady runs out onto stage, heading to one side she urges the crowd to their feet, clapping her hands above her head. Skipping across to the other side, she waves them to their feet as she once more claps her hands over head. Quickly moving back to the ramp, she sprints down to the ring, sliding underneath the bottom rope and getting to her feet quickly. Bouncing off the ropes she powerslides across the ring on her knees before hopping to her feet and continuing to rally the crowd by stomping on the mat and clapping as she heads for her corner.

Kat: The young lady approaching the ring comes from Sheffield, England by way of New York City, New York. She is 5’7” tall and weighs 144lbs….LILLY ARTHUR!!!

Zack: Lilly Arthur had a heartbreaker of a night at Crossed Out when she left the titanium title behind in the clutches once again of Cassandra Steen. We’ll be seeing her later tonight in our main event, speaking of the champion.

Leona: Lilly and Cassandra have been at an all-out war over the No Surrender Championship ever since the woman the Sheffield native is gonna face tonight had to relinquish it. You have to wonder where Lilly’s mind is tonight after such a turn of events.

“Something New” starts up over the speakers, and the jeers have almost drowned out the music before Brazilian Storm have even arrived (though in fairness, the beginning is pretty quiet). Yellow, green and blue spotlights dance around the arena, while the tron shows images of both halves of the team in action. Suddenly, the music stops and the tron cuts out...only for the sound of crashing thunder to echo loudly through the arena.

Love to hate,
Repeating my mistakes.
But there’s no one left to listen,
No one left to listen.
Take a chance, and fuck the consequence
When there’s no one left to listen,
No one left to listen.

As a curtain of dry ice smoke fills up the entrance stage, the two Brazilian wrestlers walk up to the top of the ramp together, with their manager Kyle Kilmeade right behind them. Once there, they look over the booing crowd with matching smirks on their face before they stop for a pose: Bianca goes to a knee and opens her arms wide in the Witch of the Winds pose, as Mel does her own pose, twirling on her feet and taking a soft dip of a bow, also with her arms open. After a couple of seconds in that pose, Bianca lunges forth and twirls herself, as Mel swings an arm, and the best friends indulge in a loud high-five. Then, side by side, they walk down the entrance ramp, with their manager following them with a lonely round of applause.

Right now! We’re taking control!
Tired of waiting
Tired of waiting for something new!
Right now! We’re taking control!
Tired of waiting
Tired of waiting for something new!

Kat: And their opponents, escorted to the ring by Mel Avilo and Kyle Kilmeade… From Brazil… BIANCA SALVADOR!!!

Instead of going straight to the ring though, the girls walk up to a camera, getting right up to the lens with their mischievous smirks. As Bianca flexes her biceps for the gun show, kissing the bulging muscle, Mel’s smirk becomes a grin as she gives the camera, and the viewers at home, some choice words about their opponents. After that, the best friends roll into the ring and move to opposite turnbuckles, climbing onto the second rope and staring into the booing crowd, only to wave them off and regroup, going to their corner. Bianca sits on the top turnbuckle and Mel docks herself there, as they wait for their match to begin while they strategize, Kyle joining in their conversation.

Zack: If you didn’t get enough of Kilmeade in the last match, we get a double dose. Bianca Salvador has a date with Cassandra Steen at Relentless, but her opponent tonight has a guaranteed rematch too.

Leona: Oh boy, here we go. Bianca, as far as we know, had a health issue in the beginning of last year, forcing her to relinquish the titanium belt, and that’s why she’s cut the line for a shot at the belt. Now she faces the woman who she’d take on for the belt had Crossed Out played differently.

Referee Jennifer Stringer gives the girls a cursory check for anything untoward as Kat makes her way, smiling, from the ring. Finding nothing of concern, Stringer calls for the bell to get the match underway. Both women look as if they were going for a collar and elbow tie up, but Bianca changes her mind and grabs Lilly by the head, and drags her forward to deliver a knee straight into her face. Bianca follows with a short knee aimed towards Lilly’s ribs, but the Sheffield born wrestler jumps backwards quickly to avoid it. Bianca aims another shot to the exact spot and this time it catches the Yorkshire lass in the mid section as she tries to avoid it again. Salvador grabs Arthur by the shoulders and fires three more knee shots in quick succession, each one connecting with her ribs and the final one causing a pained expression and a yell of discomfort to come from Lilly.

Zack: I don’t think anyone can argue that the No Surrender division is the hottest it’s probably ever been, don’t you think?

Leona: The fact all matches tonight, up and down the card, revolve around the NS Championship is a testament to that! And the two last champions want to make it known they want their hardware back.

Immediately Bianca grabs Lilly by the wrist and attempts to pull her into a short-arm clothesline, but the English wrestler wants none of that and plants her feet preventing the move. Undeterred Bianca tries again and this time Lilly uses her own momentum against her to instead send her across into the far side ropes. Salvador rebounds off and Arthur quickly ducks down to avoid an oncoming clothesline. Bianca slams on the breaks and spins on a dime just as Lilly pops back up and finally manages to connect a clothesline to knock the English wrestler to the canvas. Bianca grabs Lilly by the wrist and pulls her back up, just to use a short-arm clothesline to send her straight back down again. Another follows, and another, and a final one before Bianca releases Lilly’s arm to leave her laying on the canvas.

Leona: A sequence of stiff arms to remind us that Bianca is one heck of a powerhouse, and she’s not afraid to put those guns to the best and worst of their uses.

Zack: No kidding about that. She has that in common with her tag partner roaming around here ringside.

Pulling her back up to feet by the head, Bianca fires Lilly across into the ropes and catches her on the rebound with a swinging DDT that flattens the Sheffield native straight back down to the canvas. Bianca steps between Lilly's legs, grabs both of them, and twists them into a knot around their leg. Holding them in place, she steps over and turns Lilly over, to lock in a sharpshooter. She leans back into it to apply as much pressure as possible to Lilly's legs. Arthur gives a yell of discomfort, which only makes Bianca apply more pressure to the hold. Stringer drops down in front of Lilly to ask if she wants to give up but she gets a very definite no in response.

Zack: I don’t think Bianca’s taken nearly enough out of Lilly to get a submission just yet, but there’s certainly no harm in trying.

Leona: There’s two factors to this, I think -- the psychological one, of trying to get your opponent to know you’re out to incapacitate them, and it also serves to wear Lilly down a little! She won’t be tapping out to that, but she’ll surely break a sweat to get out of it.

Lilly immediately reaches out in front of her and finds the bottom rope within her reach. As soon as her fingers wrap around it, Stringer calls for the break. Bianca however is slow to comply, pushing it all the way to a count of four before she reluctantly releases the hold. Arthur takes a moment to get back to her feet and gives each of her legs a shake as she does. Bianca immediately starts to advance on the Yorkshire lass but Lilly strikes quickly and catches her off guard with a European uppercut that sends Salvador’s head spinning. Before the Brazilian can recover her balance Lilly grabs her by the hand and goes straight for an arm wringer which she then transitions into a hammerlock. Lilly pushes Bianca’s hand all the way up her back and then begins to deliver knee shots one after the other into the Brazilian’s back.

Leona: Lilly’s found the opening she needed to get back on the driver’s seat! Great technical showing with those hammerlock news to the Typhoon’s back!

Zack: She’s been stewing since Crossed Out, and she may be blowing off some aggression against the “Typhoon” tonight and wishing it was Cassandra.

Another series of knees land on target on Bianca’s lower back before Lilly pulls her forwards and down to drive her knee up into her face. With the hammerlock still firmly in place, Arthur runs the Brazilian into the corner and then drives her knee up into her back again. She delivers a second knee shot before she pulls her out before Stringer can request a break and then sweeps Salvador’s ankle to drop her down to her knees. A knee to the back of Bianca’s head drops her face first to the canvas before Lilly leaves her feet to land a knee drop into her lower back. The Yorkshire lass pulls Bianca back up to her feet and then fires her back first into the corner. The Brazilian hits with a thud, and Lilly follows her in with a running knee to the ribs before using a hip toss to bring her out of the corner, and send her crashing back down to the canvas.

Zack: That kind of shot will take the wind out of you, and rotate a couple ribs in the process for the “Typhoon.”

Leona: Not a thing Bianca could say she isn’t acquainted to, and I guess that’s Lilly’s strategy! When they’re as hard as Bianca, you gotta take your best shot!

Before Bianca can start to pull herself up, Lilly takes off towards the ropes as Bianca slowly starts to try and sit up with a grimace. She doesn’t make it before Arthur rebounds off the ropes with a leg drop that she lands perfectly across Bianca’s body. The Yorkshire lass hooks a leg for the cover as Stringer drops into position for the count.

Leona: Leg lariat by Lilly and here’s a quick cover!

ONE!!!

T-NOOOOOOOOOOPE!!!

Bianca gets her shoulder up and Lilly gets straight back to her feet and takes off to the ropes, using them for a springboard moonsault… which gets nothing but knees as Bianca pulls them up at the last second.

Zack: Jesus, that landing hurt me. There’s nothing soft on those knees, which I’m sure Lilly will be able to attest to after this is over.

Lilly bounces off to the canvas, clutching her back in pain as Bianca stays down on the canvas for another fraction of a second. Both women start to get themselves back up, with Bianca reaching her feet a split second before the Yorkshire lass. Bianca closes the gap between them quickly and lands a forearm across Lilly’s jaw which sends her head reeling backwards. An elbow shot to the side of her head keeps her off balance before Bianca backs up a couple of steps and then uses a shoulder tackle to knock Arthur into the ropes. Lilly bounces off and as she turns around, Bianca grabs her and uses a DDT to drop her unceremoniously on her head. Lilly starts to rise and gets as far as her knees before Bianca advances from behind and grabs Lilly’s arms.

Zack: Bianca’s got something in mind here, not sure what it is! But Lilly definitely doesn’t want any part of it.

Leona: That sick little smirk on her face… Something wicked’s going on in that mind, and Lilly won’t like it if Bianca has her way.

Immediately Lilly starts trying to scramble to her feet, but she only makes it as far as a crouch before Bianca manages to cross her arms under her chin to lock in her Straightjacket choke. The Brazilian raises one foot and forces it against the back of Lilly’s neck, getting an immediate yell of discomfort from the Yorkshire lass. Lilly immediately starts to struggle against her own arms, but Bianca just pulls tighter, applying more pressure and starting to cut off Lilly’s air. Stringer crouches in front of the English wrestler to see if she wants to give up, but she shakes her head no and then looks around for any possible escape.

Leona: ELEGANT DECADENCE!!! Bianca has her trademark hold locked in, Lilly is in trouble!!!

Zack: If Lilly doesn’t find a way out soon, she won’t have to worry about tapping out. She’ll be unconscious!

Bianca shouts at Lilly to tap, but that just seems to spur Arthur on as she starts trying to push up to her feet. Salvador uses her strength to keep the English wrestler crouching and Stringer asks again if Lilly wants to give in. Lilly isn’t as quick to respond this time, but she still says no as she suddenly starts trying to stand again, and makes it a little further than before this time. Salvador takes her foot away from the back of Lilly’s neck to readjust her position, but as soon as she does Lilly quickly lunges forward, pulling Bianca with her and flipping her straight over her head to land on her back with a thud and getting a massive pop from the crowd in response.

Zack: Big time impact from the former No Surrender Champion, and no doubt who the Brooklyn crowd is supporting here. I know Lilly and her husband live in this area!

Leona: I think Brooklyn would support anyone facing Bianca Salvador, but Lilly has this crowd solidly behind her! This is her chance!!!

The Yorkshire girl slowly gets back up to her feet, using the ropes to steady herself as she does as behind her Bianca also starts to rise, rubbing her back and glaring a hole in the back of Lilly’s head as she does. Just as Lilly reaches a fully vertical base, Bianca charges at her looking for a clothesline but Arthur manages to narrowly dodge to the side to avoid it, just in the nick of time. Bianca barely manages to stop herself from hitting the ropes face first and then spins around to face Lilly, just in time to see the uppercut aimed at her before it hits. A back elbow follows Lilly that rocks Bianca slightly and then another follows in quick succession after it. Lilly spins her around and locks her arms around the Brazilian wrestler’s waist and then lifts her up and over, using a German suplex to deposit her unceremoniously on the canvas.

Leona: Lilly is going for it! She just launched Bianca with that suplex like it was no big deal! It’s the surge of energy she needs!

Zack: The adrenaline is definitely pumping throughout the body of Lilly Arthur, and she’s throwing iBianca around like an old newspaper.

Using her foot, Lilly rolls Bianca onto her front and then immediately leaves her feet to land another knee drop into the Brazilian’s back. With Salvador still laying face down on the canvas, Lilly applies a Full Nelson and drives her knees into Bianca’s upper back, getting a grunt of pain from the Brazilian as she does. Stringer immediately asks if Bianca wants to give in, but gets a no in response.

Zack: There’s not a single part of Bianca Salvador’s body that is not in immense pain right about now. This is one of Lilly’s favorite moves, she calls it the LILLY PAD.

Leona: It’s Lilly’s best chance to put Bianca out right now! The Typhoon’s a resilient woman, but Lilly needs to tap into that extra fury to put her out!

Bianca desperately tries to struggle against the hold, but that just causes Lilly to drive her knee harder into Bianca’s back and to wrench on the hold causing the Brazilian even more pain. Salvador’s movements start to slow as Lilly applies more pressure and the referee again asks the Typhoon if she wants to give in. Her response is nowhere near as quick to come this time as she desperately looks to see if she has a way out. Finding none and with Lilly showing no signs of moving or releasing the hold, Bianca reluctantly taps. Stringer gets to her feet to call for the bell as Lilly immediately releases the hold and staggers back up to her feet.

Kat: Your winner, via submission…………………. LILLY ARTHUR!

Leona: What a showing by Lilly Arthur, and a massive submission win! It’s a message aimed at Cassandra Steen, for sure -- and she also sends the #1 contender home with a big fat L!

Zack: I agree completely. Bianca will still go on to face Cassandra Steen at Relentless, and I suspect she’ll be even more dangerous that night.

Lilly gets back to her feet and a smile appears as the referee raises her hand. She soaks in the cheers from the live crowd as she leans against the ropes slightly to steady herself. And on that image the camera cuts elsewhere.





The Spread of Ultraviolence

Breaking Point goes to the back, and finds the owner of FFW standing in front of her office door alongside the reigning FFW Ultraviolence Champion Charlotte Harker. Samantha is also holding a tablet in one arm.

Samantha: Thank you for coming to see me, Charlotte. I have something to discuss with you, a task really. And one only the Ultraviolence Champion is best suited to accomplish.

Charlotte nodded her head.

Charlotte: I’m all ears Miss Star. Whatever it is you need doing, I’m the woman for the job. Especially when it comes to this here title.

Samantha: As you know, I’m very much a numbers oriented woman. I pay close attention to them when it comes to FFW: from ratings to sales to subscriptions and all points in between. And some recent numbers have caught my attention. Before I get to that though, did you happen to watch Future Shock’s show from South Korea last November? Particularly the main event? 

The Ultraviolence Champion nodded her head. 

Charlotte: Of course I watched it. I thought it was a great show and everyone certainly went all out. As for the main event, I’ve still got a soft spot for watching tag team wrestling and I was kinda jealous that they got to be the first to main event a show like that. But I guess Shaw and I had to leave a couple of firsts behind for people. The Dragons and the Doomsday Sisters came close to killing each other - as the Ultraviolence Champion it was impressive to see the lengths they were prepared to go to. 

Samantha: I’ve been looking at All Access numbers recently. And that match is in the top five most replayed matches on the entire service for 2020. Out of all the matches that are available, that one broke the top five most replayed in as short of a time as it has been on the service to watch. Do you know what that tells me? That tells me that Future Shock fans REALLY enjoyed what they saw in that match. 

Charlotte: Like I said, it was pretty impressive the amount of hatred that festered and grew between those four women. And they certainly had some good ideas about how to use tables, ladders and chairs to put a hurt on people. Even inspired me a little bit for the next time I defend this title. I guess it might also mean that Future Shock fans have a bloodlust and are happy to tell all their friends about what they’ve seen.

Samantha: What it tells me is that just maybe Future Shock needs a division like this? If the fans like to see these, there’s no reason not to give them more. And that’s where you come in. I want you to become something of a...trailblazer. I would like you to report to Future Shock on their next show in Boston, because you’re going to pioneer a new division that features the kind of matches they clearly enjoy watching. How does that sound? 

Charlotte: That sounds good to me. I don’t think there’s anyone better than me to go ahead and spearhead such a division. After all, I’ve got the hardware to prove it, don’t I?

Samantha: Indeed. Now after speaking with Mr. Grant, he’s having a championship made as we speak. He does like to make everything in Future Shock it’s own, after all. And I told him you are to be the first person to ever compete for that title, which will also be rechristened as well. Everything else I left up to him. Plus there’s also the fact the Franchise has zero representation in Future Shock. 

Charlotte: Makes perfect sense that you’d want to change that. Looking forwards to the challenge of going then and establishing something brand new too. And Future Shock has some really bright, exciting and hungry talents there too. Looking forward to testing them and letting them know first hand what the Franchise is all about. Plus the chance to be the first ever to hold a brand new title...I do like the sound of that. While there’s the added benefit of getting to enjoy this brand new version of Future Shock without carrying some dead Quebecois weight around.

Samantha; Precisely. And this…

The owner lifts the Ultraviolence Championship off Charlotte’s shoulder. 

Samantha: This will go on display at our headquarters in Los Angeles as a major piece of FFW history, alongside the Television Championship among others. And you will go down as the last Ultraviolence Champion in FFW history as well before you pioneer a similar brand in Future Shock. You never had a singles match at all when you went through it years ago, and now there’s no shortage of new opponents for you to shine against. 

Charlotte gave the Ultraviolence Championship one last longing look before she broke into a smile.

Charlotte: It’s going to be fun to meet them all head on and leave a trail of destruction behind me. Let them know first hand why I’m one of the most decorated and successful Future Shock graduates of all time and why I was invited to be part of the premier group in all of wrestling.

Samantha: I look forward to it too. Now there is one other bit of business that needs addressing.

Her gaze turns to the camera next.

Samantha: I’ve been catching wind of some of the backhanded comments made by Nevaeh Summers and her shot at the Phoenix Championship. She wonders why she hasn’t gotten it yet, and others have done so since she won her chance. I’d like to invite Miss Summers to come see me at Velocity before her rematch with Tara Cortez. And I’ll tell her to her face why she hasn’t gotten the title match…

She looks back to Charlotte.

Samantha: Unless she decides she doesn’t want to attend that show either. 

A graphic shows the meeting at Velocity between Samantha and Nevaeh before the show heads back to the ring. 

[Adam Grant]

The show comes back from the commercial break to the ring, and finds Kat Grayson standing in the center with her microphone in hand. 

Kat: The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is your main event of the evening!

Zack: Here we go with the first FFW main event of 2021, and it’s a first ever meeting between Cassandra and Kelly. The No Surrender Championship is not on the line.

Leona: Though with the entire night revolving around the No Surrender Championship, you gotta wonder Cassandra is fired up with all the attention on her belt. Though Kelly is a different beast entirely, so let’s see how they behave!

The arena falls dark as the opening of “Blonde, Bad and Beautiful” by Airbourne plays, Kelly explodes upward out of the middle of the stage as though shot out of a cannon, landing a perfect front somersault in a shower of blue sparks. The girl is joined by Christian Kincaid on the stage. Turning to face her husband, she turns to face him, giving him a big hug as she plants a kiss to his lips. As the music starts to pick up pace once more she starts to run toward the ring, performing a quick cartwheel into a handspring before sliding into the ring underneath the bottom rope. Using the momentum to her advantage, the former acrobat forward rolls to her feet and leaps onto the middle rope. She springboards off the ropes into a backflip and heads towards the corner. The former acrobat runs straight up the pads. Stopping on the top turnbuckle she blows a kiss to the fans and corkscrew flips back to the mat, facing the middle of the ring as she lands.

Kat: From Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, 5’5” tall, weighs 115lbs and is accompanied to the ring by Christian Kincaid. Please welcome...KELLY KINCAID!!!

Zack: Kelly was in the main event of the first show of 2020 as well, but she’s certainly looking for a better outcome than that night. That was the night Scarlett Silver began her first reign as Evolution Champion.

Leona: And while FFW’s ace acrobat isn’t looking to join the line to fight Cassandra for the Titanium Belt, I guess there’s nothing like starting the year on the right foot! Could be a sign of things to come!

The opening bars of “You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing” begin to play through the speakers around the arena and the lights on the stage go out leaving it darkness.

You took me to your little crib
Guess it must have been a big deal
Got me starring in your wet dream
Now it's time to get real
I'm not looking for love
No not today
But you call me up and had the nerve to say
See you next Tuesday

A white spotlight hits the centre of stage to see Cassandra Steen standing in the middle of it with her manager, Dante Knox standing slightly to the side. The crowd instantly show their disdain for the pair with a loud chorus of boos. Neither Cassandra nor Dante seem phased at all by this and in fact seem to revel in it. A smirk curling on Cassandra’s lips as she surveys the crowd and runs her fingers over the title belt sitting across her shoulder.

You call me a bitch like it's a bad thing
You call me a freak like that means something
Can't get your way so you're sulking
I think we know the rest
Get it off your chest
I don't give a shit
I love it when you call me a bitch like it's a bad thing

Cassandra begins her walk down the ramp to the ring slowly with Dante walking beside her, Cassandra surveying the crowd either side of her as she does. Still she doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the less than favourable yells from the crowd as she whispers something to her manager.

Kat: Making her way to the ring, from Leeds, England, and accompanied by her manager, Dante Knox, she is your FFW No Surrender Champion...….CASSANDRA STEEN!

You show up everywhere I go
Get a grip you're acting so weird
I don't need your jager bombs
I think I can take it from here
You gotta learn to leave when the party ends
I don't really care what you tell your friends
Tell me again

As she reaches the ring, Cassandra climbs the steps and takes another moment to look around at the crowd as Dante holds the ropes open for her to enter between the middle and top ropes.

You call me a bitch like it's a bad thing
You call me a freak like that means something
Can't get your way so you're angry
I think we know the rest
Get it off your chest
I don't give a shit
I love it when you call me a bitch

Cassandra’s music comes to an end and as it fades out, she makes her way to her corner and leans back against the turnbuckles and rests one arm on the ropes beside her, as she shares some last minute words with her manager.

Zack: I don’t mind telling you that I’d much rather have Knox at ringside than in this booth with me. Once again, glad to have you. I have no idea what he can possibly manage for Cassandra other than steal matches, as he has done in the past.

Leona: Not really keen on being honest in the booth, that guy, huh? But we’re not here to watch him perform, we’re looking at the No Surrender Champion, who captured the belt for the second time following the Gauntlet Match in which Lilly Arthur put it on the line. There’s no shortage of confidence in that woman, and it shows.

Referee Jennifer Stringer checked for hidden objects on both women before she called for the bell to start the match. However, Dante was still on the apron complaining about something. It drew Kelly’s attention, and caused Cassandra to try to surprise her with a running forearm. But the blonde was ready for it, and ducked the contact before spinning into the champion with a back elbow to the jaw. Christian yanked Dante down off the apron, causing him to dart away from him. Meanwhile in the ring, Kelly was firing hard shots into the side of Cassandra’s head, backing her into the corner before scooping her up for a fireman’s carry into a slam onto the canvas.

Zack: Cassandra tried to take advantage of her manager being a pain in the ass, but that backfired big time on the No Surrender Champion.

Leona: Referee Stringer is aware of what Knox can do at ringside, she’s ready to keep control of everything. And it’s nice that Christian Kincaid is here to even things out on behalf of his wife!

Steen rolled away from her and started back to her feet, only to get a high knee to the jaw from Kelly that sent her backwards a couple steps. A couple forearms followed that before Kincaid whipped her across to the far side. As the brunette bounced back, Kelly caught her with a handspring back elbow to the jaw that staggered her. The Brooklyn crowd was very loud in Kelly’s favor as she caught her with a shotgun dropkick that sent Steen through the ropes to ringside. Dante darted around to check on his client, then telling the referee to call for a two minute timeout.

Leona: And there’s that fiery offensive from Kelly Kincaid that gets the crowd on their feet! Blink and you’ll miss something! And, no, Dante, you don’t get to request a timeout!

Zack: It is her hometown, and we don’t have to tell the fans there are no two minute timeouts as Knox is requesting now.

Knox helped his client up, and was sharing some words with her when Kelly darted towards them inside the ring. She stopped herself as they scattered, clearly faking them out with a smirk on her face. Cassandra didn’t take well to that, and grabbed the blonde’s foot from under the bottom rope. She yanked her out to the floor anyway, and bounced her head off the apron. Two more shots landed before Steen scooped her upside down for a backdrop driver. The No Surrender Champion rolled back into the ring to boos from Kelly’s hometown crowd, and the referee warned her about fighting on the outside. 

Zack: We are right here in the backyard of Kelly, where she grew up. And Cassandra’s catching it already from this crowd. I don’t suspect it’s going to get much better. 

Leona: It won’t, because people like Cassandra thrive in antagonizing the crowd! It’s her element! But you can’t win a match outside the ring, unless you’re gonna be satisfied with a countout, which… I think she would!

The blonde acrobat finally got back to her feet after a four count, and went to slide back into the ring before Cassandra went on the attack again. She started stomping the back of her head briefly before dragging Kelly away from the ropes. A series of short knees landed to her body before Steen pulled her up into a gutwrench suplex. Before Kelly could get back to her knees, Cassandra took a seat on her lower back and applied a camel clutch.

Zack: Cassandra’s looking to wear down Kelly with this hold, see if she can take some of the quickness and energy away from her. Plus it gives her time to plot her next offensive.

Leona: Wearing down a speedster like Kelly isn’t just the best strategy; it’s the only strategy. You gotta keep them down, clip their wings, so they don’t take flight again. Trust me, I’m a highflyer.

Stringer moved around in front of the blonde to see if she wanted to quit, which she didn’t. Cassandra kept the pressure on though, at one point holding Kelly’s head with one hand while she rained forearms into her chest with the other before applying the hold again with both hands. Kelly’s face grimaced as she absorbed those blows, but she quickly began trying to get to her feet. It almost looked like Steen was riding her back for a moment until the blonde quickly reached the ropes. The champion gave a break on three, and tried to drag her by the feet towards the center of the ring. She was about to apply the hold again when Kelly surprised her by pulling her into an inside cradle!

Zack: Nothing stopping Cassandra from putting that clutch back on again here, and--OH THAT MIGHT STOP IT!

ONE!!!

TWO!!

Cassandra still had way too much left when she kicked out. She rolled on top of Kelly, and pummeled her with right hands to the head until finally getting back to her feet. She glanced down to her manager, who was applauding her wildly. 

Leona: Kelly had enough awareness to flip the tables on Cassandra there, but I don’t think the No Surrender Champion takes too well to being outsmarted like that!

The champion shot him a smile before she reached down to pull Kelly back to her feet. But the acrobat surprised her with a palm thrust to the throat that sent Cassandra back a couple steps. Kelly got back to her feet, and connected with a spinning backfist that sent Steen backwards again. The Brooklyn crowd got loud again as Kelly charged forward a couple steps to deliver a discus clothesline that sent the brunette into the ropes. Kelly grabbed her arm, and unleashed a flurry of kicks to her body that doubled her over. Kincaid bounced off the near side, delivering a Fameasser before rolling her over and going for the cover!

Zack: Look at this, Kelly’s found a second wind and Cassandra’s getting pounded like a nail!

ONE!!!

TWOOOOOOO!!!

Cassandra gets her shoulder up again as the referee counts two. Kelly made it back to her feet, and snatched Cassandra around the waist from behind. She snapped off a pair of German suplexes before positioning herself to deliver a third that sent Steen into the corner.

Leona: Kelly wasting no time between each pinfall attempt, she knows she can’t give Cassandra the same chance to catch her breath, otherwise she might be in trouble!

The champion crumpled against the corner before Kelly headed for the opposite corner. The former Evolution Champion measured a moment, and then took off with a meteora double knee drop into Steen’s chest. It drove her entirely to the mat before Kincaid grabbed her feet for a catapult that sent her faceplanting into the center of the ring. And then she headed up to the top rope, peering between her legs briefly at her opponent.

Zack: This is where Kelly’s most at home. She likes to fly, and she’s in the launch position for whatever she has in mind!

Leona: And with the way her style clashes with Cassandra, it’s the best shot she has at outdoing the No Surrender Champion! Take off and make sure you don’t get caught

She got distracted though when Knox climbed back onto the apron again for the second time in the match. Kelly glanced over when she saw him coming, only for Christian to dart around the ring towards him. Knox immediately hopped off the apron as soon as he saw Christian coming, and Cassandra took full advantage of the moment. Steen had gotten back to her feet, and darted up the corner to send Kelly hurtling to the mat with a belly to back suplex from the top rope. The No Surrender Champion scrambled towards the blonde, and made the cover with a hook of the leg. 

Leona: THUNDEROUS avalanche suplex, and Cassandra can thank Knox for the assist! Here’s a cover, this could be it!

ONE!!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

THREEEEEEEE-NO!!

Kelly’s arm came off the mat, and Cassandra’s teeth gritted as she sat up on her knees. It was clear she had been worn down considerably, but her anger was starting to get the better of her. 

Zack: You can see the look on the champion’s face. She thought that was the end of the match, and Steen isn’t happy that it isn’t!

Cassandra quickly got back to her feet, watching as Kelly was trying to do the same. A double axe handle blow to the back of her head stopped the blonde from doing that before the No Surrender Champion pulled her into position, delivering her cradle DDT that spiked Kelly into the mat. She quickly made the cover once again.

Zack: Cassandra drilled Kelly with INSIDER TRADING, and this might end up being a bad night for these fans in Brooklyn!

ONE!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NO!!

Kelly’s shoulder came up again, and Cassandra slammed her fist into the mat when she looked over to see the referee holding up two fingers. She rose back to her feet, and started telling Kelly to get up again.

Leona: Just another two, and those near-falls are starting to get to Cassandra! She’s starting to get annoyed that Kelly Kincaid won’t stay down, and is looking to end it now!

Kelly was slow to do that though. SHe crawled away a couple feet from the champion, and started trying to push up to her feet. Christian tried to warn her that Cassandra was behind her, which she was as the brunette circled like a bird of prey. When Kelly finally was upright, Cassandra went to grab her from behind. But the acrobat surprised her with a stunner that sent her bouncing to the mat. Kelly sat slumped forward as she tried to pull herself together.

Zack: I think Cassandra was looking for her finisher right there, but Kelly’s instincts took over because I doubt she knew what was going on otherwise. 

Leona: Kelly isn’t in the mood for a Hostile Takeover, great awareness by her and CK!

With the fans chanting her name, Kelly started back to her feet and headed towards the corner to make her way up top. Cassandra still hadn’t budged on the mat as Dante implored her to move. Kincaid made it to the top rope, and launched herself into a moonsault meteora!

Zack: I’ve never seen Kelly do that in my life!!

And she landed it perfectly, driving both her knees into Cassandra’s body before she hooked both legs for the cover! The referee slid into position immediately.

Leona: PICTURE PERFECT BACKFLIP METEORA!!! AMAZING!!!

ONE!!!

TWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Stringer called for the bell, and Kelly rolled off the cover to lean against the bottom rope to collect herself. The referee raised her hand as Christian joined his wife in the ring. 

Leona: Wow! What a sight! Kelly Kincaid floors the champion with a… breathtaking maneuver!

Kat; Your winner by pinfall………...KELLY KINCAID!!!

He helped her to her feet, raising her hand again as he told the camera that move was called the Meteor Drop. The Brooklyn crowd roared in approval at their hometown girl as Dante pulled Cassandra out of the ring by her feet as she clutched her chest.

Zack: Congratulations to Kelly Kincaid on one hell of a win to begin 2021! Victories over Cassandra Steen are pretty rare, and this one she definitely earned. 

Leona: Punctuated with an incredible maneuver that I’m sure everyone in the FFW Championship scene is going to have to be on the lookout for -- the Meteor Drop! What a way to cap the first Breaking Point of the year!

Zack: Thank you for joining us for the first FFW show of 2021! We’ll see you Thursday night for Velocity, and good night from Brooklyn!

Kelly started to smile at the sound of the fans cheering for her as Breaking Point faded to black.