CJ Phoenix Presents: The Skybox (9/7/16)
Sept 7, 2016 21:18:20 GMT -5
Gemini Battle, Thomas Uriel Bates, and 4 more like this
Post by CJ Phoenix on Sept 7, 2016 21:18:20 GMT -5
The following takes place in an ESPN-type setting designed to look like the sky box in an NFL stadium. "Friction" by Imagine Dragons plays as very brief match highlights from the last show plays.
Hello everybody and welcome toooooo the second episode of The Skybox! I'm your host, CJ Phoenix, and I'm here to give you a recap on WCF's latest show while giving you a little insight on the next one! We are just 18 days away from the Pay-Per-View that hosts biggest elimination match of the year, WAR! Slowly, but surely, the foundation is being built towards that match, but that's towards the end of the month. We have three Slam events between Revenge and War, and the first of those took place a few days ago. Let's get to the highlights.
Cliff of Doom vs Alex Winterz vs Mark Gallagher vs Joe Smarts vs Jaice Wilds
Winner-Cliff of Doom
Phoenix: This past Slam took place in the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. It got off to a very fast and explosive start as-
Video of the six competitors getting into a melee briefly interrupts Phoenix the same way the commentators were interrupted by the brawl before the opening bell.
Phoenix: Okay. Let's try that again. As you can see,
More video plays, cutting CJ off once again.
Phoenix: Guys. Stop it. You gotta wait until I announce who you are before-
Even more chaos ensues as the cameras can barely keep up with the action.
Phoenix: You know what, fuck it! Five guys were in that match. Cliff of Doom, Alex Winterz, Mark Gallagher, Joe Smarts, and Jaice Wilds were in that match. Lots of action. Cameramen were scrambling to try to keep up. In the end, Cliff of Doom wins once more after pinning Mark Gallagher.
La Muerte Negra vs Jordan Ciserano/Greg St. Matthews
Winners-Jordan Ciserano/Greg St. Matthews
Sooooo idk if you guys noticed this on the internet, but 3's been dropping some cryptically creepy stuff on there. He and his band of newcomers, The Black Death, looked to make a statement against Jordan Ciserano and Greg St. Matthews. Vaquero and Perro would compete in this match while Craneo took a spot on the bench next to 3. La Muerte Negra made their intentions clear from the start when they were just stomping a mudhole in Matthews. I mean, this is just vicious man. Gotta give Greg his props though, he hung in there. Speaking of hanging in there, how about Jordan Ciserano in this one. Watch as he takes the Rest In Pieces from La Muerte Negra, and somehow, he kicked out at two. Of course, the pin wasn't really a pin, just a step on the chest, making it much easier to kick out of. However, Jordan would win the match for his team after connecting with the Ciserano Super Kick on Perro. The victory was about as short-lived as the three count that got them the win, as all four members of La Muerte Negra would assault Ciserano and St. Matthews. It was vicious and the fans hated it, but the four of them did make a statement in this one.
Before I move on, I'm going to take this time to have a moment of silence...
Footage of Lilith bumping into TUB and wasting a milkshake on him inadvertently plays.
...for this poor, defenseless milkshake. It was already suffering from being in Lily Pad's possession, but at least its suffering was put to an abrupt in by a crash into the front of the Bates Motel. A sad moment indeed.
A few moments pass before CJ Phoenix continues the recap after taking a deep breath to end the silence.
Jason Cash/Salem Shepard/Night Rider vs Tomohawk/Captain WCF/Dion Necurat
Winners-Jason Cash/Salem Shepard/Night Rider
Sometimes, if you wanna be champions, you gotta beat champions. The team of Cash, Shepard, and Rider were looking to do that, especially the ZT members as they have a chance to be the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles. The match would start off with the two plus ones of the match. Dion Necurat and Night Rider were impressive early and held their own pretty well, but the story in this one was the lack of cohesion between the Tag Team Champions. Tomohawk looking to set up a double team move with Captain WCF, but the Cap's a bit confused here. So Tom-O-Hawkeye hits Jason Cash with a Superplex, but the delay before Captain WCF follows up with a move gave Cash enough time to avoid it. On the other hand, Cash and Shepard were on the same page, taking out the Champs before Jason Cash would hit a Hillbilly Deluxe on Dion Necurat for the win. Shepard and Cash are one win away from a title match, now they just had to wait until later in the night to see who they would face.
FPV was spotted taking notes on the matches in this show. This could give him an advantage as he gets to scout many of the guys that he will be facing at WAR. He would be seen throughout the show taking notes all the way until the main event where he would go as far as being at ringside.
No Disqualification Match
Winners Face Zero Tolerance in a Tag Titles Contendership Match
Sweet Annihilation vs Lilith/Skittlez
Winner-Lilith/Skittlez
Instead of a video package, there's a repeating gif of Lilith Death Gripping Drake's groin. Meanwhile, Phoenix cringes the whole time he speaks about this match.
This match still hurts me on the inside. Not because of the result, the Cinderella story between Lilith and Skittlez is great and whatnot, but Lilith killed Drake's future kids! This is definitely going on the list of reasons why I'm not letting that cookie munching, teddy bear hunching, first class nutcase anywhere near there. No wonder I keep hearing that handjobs from her are nightmarish. So Lily and Skilly are going to not Philly to take on a Hillbilly and his homeboy Slick Willy for a shot at the WCF Tag Titles next week.
Adrian Archer vs Damian Kaine
Winner-Adrian Archer
Ahhhhhh that Bastard. First, he tricks Kaine into thinking he could have a free shot. Then, he kit the dude in the nuts! Why is this a thing tonight!? Oh, and the ref didn't disqualify him for it sooooooo low blows are legal now? Speaking of disqualification, check this sneaky shit here. Kaine brings in a chair. Archer flops. Kaine get's DQ'ed! Archer wins. Archer gets booted in the face. This one ain't over by long shot, and it's starting to get ugly now.
Television Title Contendership Battle Royal
Psychopomp vs Jason O'Neal vs Chaos vs Oblivion vs Doc Henry vs Lester Parish vs Massaker vs Zombie McMorris vs Gemini Battle
Winner-Gemini Battle
Alright. Let me give you guys some background on this one. Thomas Uriel Bates was set to defend his Television Title against a mystery opponent. Then, after the match would be the Battle Royal for the #1 contender's spot for that title. However, when Bates got to the ring, he announced that he would be vacating the title, which made the following Battle Royal for the WCF TV Title. That means that one of the guys in this match would be the NEW TV Champ! Let's get to these eliminations, shall we? First, we got Oblivion scoring the first elimination of the match after sending Chaos over the top with a clothesline. Next out was Lester Parish who missed a running shoulder tackle at Obi, leading to Doc Henry tossing him out. However, Doc's celebration would be short-lived as Obi and ZMAC would double clothesline him out of the match. Speaking of short-lived, Zombie tosses Oblivion right over the top rope. Needless to say, IT wasn't too pleased. He went to brawling with ZMAC, and Massaker capitalized by booting him over the top rope! And just like that, we're down to the final four. Jason O'Neal, Gemini Battle, Massaker, and Psychopomp. The Butcher got caught up in the ropes after the aforementioned boot, giving Pomp the chance to eliminate him. Pomp nails O'Neal with The Sacrament, but gets tossed out of the ring by Battle, leaving only Gemini Battle and Jason O'Neal to fight for the title. Jason lands The Sensation on Gemini, but struggles to get him over the top rope. Eventually, both men go over the top, and it's Gemini Battle who counters a superkick into a God's Paradox for the win.
Corey Black vs Danny Anderson
Winner-Corey Black
This one was more of a statement than it was a match. Kudos to Danny Anderson for making this one interesting, especially when he connected with the Bustahbomb. The fans were pulling for him, but he was no match for CD on this night. To top it off, the statement was made when Corey used the Bates Boot to win the match. Clearly, he wanted to send a message to the WCF World Champ, and that's definitely one way to do it.
Mikey eXtreme vs Teddy Blaze vs CJ Phoenix vs Kevin Bishop
Winner-Kevin Bishop
On paper, this match looked to be the match of the night, and it certainly did not disappoint. All four of these guys are coming off of huge wins at Revenge. This was their chance to headline a televised WCF show, and they were phenomenal! Full of great moves, like this one that wasn't even intentional. Both Kevin Bishop and CJ Phoenix executing exploder suplexes on Teddy Blaze and Mikey eXtreme respectively, and Blaze and eXtreme collide in midair! Then, you wanna talk about capitalizing, these guys did it too. It started when Kevin Bishop hit CJ Phoenix with the Black Death after Teddy Blaze countered CJ's Irish Whip attempt. Then, you got Teddy Blaze going for the Blazing Knee on Mikey eXtreme, but instead gets hit with an X Marks The Spot. Here, you got CJ Phoenix welcoming The Plague to Spearfest after Bishop had been hitting Mikey with German Suplexes. Finally, Teddy catches Mikey off guard with a Blazing Knee. The WCF Galaxy loved this match from start to finish, and in the end, it would be Kevin Bishop who would get the win after hitting Teddy Blaze with The Inevitable Death Nail. As you can see, FPV taking notes at ringside, and KB know's that he's there. Hell of a match here, and what a way to end Slam. Except.....
It was not the end of Slam! Corey Black would make a return and call out Thomas Uriel Bates! He said that Bates dropped the TV Title in an effort to duck him, but TUB responded by saying that the match between the two would be for the WCF World Title! CD tried to get a cheap shot in, but it would only lead to him eating a Bates Boot! It's gonna be a slugfest between these two at WAR!
Now that you're all caught up, it's time for "3 In, 3 Out". This is where I interview a handler and ask him/her three In Character questions and three Out Of Character questions. Last week, I had the World Champion here. This week, it's the TV Champ making his Skybox debut. Introducing, Gemini Battle!
Gemini Battle comes out and sits on the chair and does a spin on it before greeting Phoenix and shaking hands with him.
Phoenix: Welcome to The Skybox, Gemini! Glad to have you here.
Battle: Glad to be here, man.
Phoenix: Gemini, you're one of the top guys on the active roster. You were also one of the top guys when you were Grayson Pierce earlier this year. What makes Grayson Pierce different from Gemini Battle, and which do you relate to more as a handler?
Battle: First of all, thanks for saying I'm a top guy. Ive been here for three years and seen top guys come and go. I still consider myself as trying to break into the top guy category. Even Bates, he and I started together but I feel like just making it to the top doesn't make us a top guy, it's where we go from here and I plan on hanging out a while to tell some cool stories with some very talented people.
As far as your question goes, Gemini and Grayson... they're the same person. Grayson was a married man who was going through normal married person problems. Low on cash, not spending enough time with his wife and kid. Trying to be a good father and a good wrestler.
He was me, basically. It hit very close to home. I actually got as emotional as Grayson did while writing a lot of his stuff
Gemini, IC is an alien that took over Pierce's body, but in reality he's the part of all of us we wish we could be, or at least I wish I could be. He's the guy who doesn't give a fuck about what people say. He's got so much money that he doesn't have to worry about paying bills or mortgage.
I have much more fun writing Gemini because I'm able to get out of the box a bit and create a world for him rather than have him live in the world created for him like Pierce.
But it's very important to know that this story isn't about aliens or vampires or demons, nor is it about a man struggling to make ends meet. It's not about schizophrenia or an eccentric billionaire. The story is a problem of the perceverence of human will.
We all struggle with whatever it is. I have crazy anxiety and I see it in my oldest daughter. I smoked a lot of pot, and not just recreationally. I would do it to go to the store or to the bank or to a concert. I would do it basically any time I had to interact with another human being. Because I wanted to get out of my own head and just react.
It took me a long time to get off the stuff but the anxiety still remains. But, as a human, we have such a short amount of time to make whatever impact we can on this world. We are truly just grains in the sands of time. And I can't become a shell of a person, I need to break past my insecurities and be the father to my daughters that they deserve.
Crazy J is going through shit, Twilight is going through shit, you went through shit... We all have gone through shit to get where we are but at the end of the day, no matter how hard life gets we can survive because we have to. Because there's people out there, even if it's just one, who care.
Gemini is that side of me that I wish I could be, and role playing in general helps me rid myself of a lot of anxiety. I curse a lot and say things that I would never normally do unless I was in the car road raging at people. But it real eases a lot of anxiety. Grayson's problems hot too close to home. Gemini has problems that he's created for himself, but I can't relate to in a literal sense.
In the metaphorical sense I totally do. He's hunting for Wrath, this final piece of the puzzle of his life to finally make the Chosen Ones complete. But spoiler alert... He's never gonna find him. Because Wrath is simply this thing that were all looking for to feel whole. Once that search is over the story is over. That's why I think this whole thing works for me. It's based off reality but completely fiction.
Phoenix: It definitely makes a great story when you can take parts of your life and integrate them with your character. It really adds a feeling of being able to relate to the character while getting a little of the sense of what the handler goes through.
Going back to what you said about how we all go through shit. Even as we communicate, I'm using a laptop that I had to tape a corner of just to hold it together. Sometimes, there are events that happen in our lives out of character that affect us in character. For someone that may be struggling to get back on track after dealing with an issue IRL, how can a person turn that around and revitalize him/herself?
Battle: I guess that depends on what the issue is. To say to do A or B would be kind of ignorant. But I would say that if something happened that made you sad, maybe write something about something sad that happened to your character, but put how you felt about your own situation into it.
My dad passed when I was four. My stepdad was an asshole my whole life. So the dad character in my Grayson Pierce RPs bailed on him when he was a kid. Grayson always wanted to make him proud but the dad was never anything but distant even after they reconnected. Then he killed him while possessed by Gemini.
However, using your personal struggle to revitalize your character is good, and healthy in my opinion, but trying to get this character revitalization to help revitalize yourself IRL may be a bit more harmful than good. A loss, or a series of losses, especially when you're putting so much of yourself into the character can be quite disconcerting, and it tends to blur the lines between IC and OOC and the last thing you want to do is take the shoots people do on you personally. It's a delicate balance that needs to be met.
Phoenix: Great advice there, man, and sorry to hear about your loss. You're definitely doing a great job of integrating life IRL into a strong competitor.
Gonna shift gears into a lighter question. You've been able to work with a lot of great people during the course of your career thus far. Are there any people in the WCF that you haven't been able to work with that you would like to see interact in a storyline with your character some time down the line?
Battle: Yea, thanks for changing gears, I'm a little bummed out now. Jk
I've been honored to work with some amazingly talented writers here. From a 2 week angle with Steve Orbit to this 2 year story that Bates and I have been telling, Oblivion, Rebellution and the DRG it's all been amazing.
I've got three angles in the works, one very open on the Internet boards with Teo to hopefully do something with the TV and Internet titles. As well as 2 other ones with people that be always wanted to work with that I hope work out.
I've wanted to work with Zero Tolerance since they joined. We were in the same fed before WCF but they left as I entered and then they came back as I left so we never worked together. Our characters could work well together.
I also was in talks with someone to maybe do an angle with a guy you might know, CJ Phoenix. Our characters couldn't be more different but I think Phoenix entering Geminis world could lead to some really great angles. Plus, I need a token black guy back in Geminis life, lol. For real though, when these things slow down, or the other idea begins to play out a bit more I'll hit you up about that.
Also Mikey Extreme and Gemini have never told a proper story. That guy knows what he's doing between his angle with Bernard Core and this thing he's doin with Spearman. That would be fun.
The fed right now is Vermont with talent, so after the stories I have planned are told I'll be more than happy to let pieces fall where they may as far as angles go and let things work out organically.
My favorite part of efedding is collaborating on great stories. It's not easy always go work with such strong and creative personalities but if everyone can get on the same page magic can happen.
Phoenix: Very interesting, and it's great to have such amazing talents here because it does indeed open up possibilities to make magic happen. I would love to see what happens in angle between Phoenix and Battle. I think I could add "Token Black Guy" to Phoenix's resume, lol. We'll see what happens down the line.
Phoenix raises one of his hands up.
Phoenix: Alright. We've gone through the 3 out. Now, it's time to flip dimensions and do the 3 in.
He snaps his fingers and a light flashes. When it fades, both guys have their respective titles around their waists.
Phoenix: Gemini! New TV Champ! You threw out a bit of a challenge to Teddy Blaze regarding the titles you both possess. Could we be seeing the personification of the Internet vs Television?
Battle: Gemini Battle: Teddy truly is the king of tertiary titles. He was the picture of the People’s title for nearly a year. If it weren’t for Ultimate Showdown he certainly still would be People’s Champion and wouldn’t be the unfortunate target for my next conquest. However, he eliminated Kevin Bishop and soiled his legacy. He did this to himself so no; I don’t feel the slightest bit of remorse towards the ill-fated soul.
To his credit, he stepped up and gave me an ultimatum. I wanted to be the next Internet Champion, but he challenged me to get him a TV Title shot. Well I don’t know how to do anything other than do it myself. So I entered that Battle Royal last week with the intention of winning it and then taking that title off of Bates’ shoulder but he went and gave it up like a little bitch. After I won the World Title I went out there every week and competed, and he took a fucking week off.
Some Champ.
So my TV Title came to me sooner than expected. And my plans, as they always do, came together. But I don’t give up easy. With the advent of the Alpha Title, which I hear some douchebag holds right now, the TV Title has become more relevant. It’s the title that is defended every week. It’s the title that makes ME, not Thomas Bates, the face of the company.
At first I wanted to win the Grand Slam. I wanted to go down in history as the less than one percent of wrestlers able to achieve this fantastic feat. But it has become so much more than that. It’s not about the Grand Slam, which is still a motivating factor, but it’s about becoming something that no man has ever been before.
As many watch the WCF on Television as they do on the internet. As much as it pains me the Internet has become a focal point in the galaxy. So I, as the champion I am, intend on taking full advantage of the platform, as well as the platform I currently stand upon. The time will come, perhaps sooner than later, where Teo and I will meet I the ring again, however, it will not turn out like our last encounter. When we step into the ring together, me as the TV Champ and Teo as the Internet Champ, mediums will collide and when the dust settles and the smoke clears it will be ME!
Patent… APPROVED!
Phoenix: Some douchebag that let your unappreciative ass on MY show. But that's alright though. I ain't bitter. I'm just gonna play it off.
Next question. WAR is just a few weeks away. If you're still TV Champ by then, will your focus be more on defending the title or going for a shot at a second World Title?
Battle: Gemini: I'm going to ignore the elephant in the room by you using the term 'IF' I'm TV Champ by War and go on like you aren't a moron.
You’re asking me this question as though I’m unable to be focused on more than one thing. Maybe YOU wouldn’t be able to concentrate on defending your Alpha Championship as you are set to step into the ring with 40+ men in a deadly WAR match, but I certainly can. I plan on defending my Television Title at War and I plan on winning War as well. I’ve been so close, I was 9 men form the top 2 years ago and then 5 men from the top last year while eliminating more men than anyone in the history of War.
Then I watched as Wade Moor and Jay Omega fought tooth and nail and then finally as Jay Omega, not only one of the few men in this company that I was able to call a friend, but a man, like every other that I have called a friend, has let me down, finally took down Wade Moor and pinned him cleanly in the middle of the ring and won the World Title in a stunning turn of events.
Now, if you’re asking me what is more important, well, if that isn’t obvious enough to you then maybe you should step back from this competition thing you’re pretending to do and stick to journalism. But I gotta tell you… even that isn’t going to well for you at the moment.
Phoenix: Phoenix: It's going better than your World Title reign did. Gemini Battle, Ultimate Showdown winner. Then, along came 28 Days Later and Gemmy poo's no longer champion. Lost it in a Triple Threat match in your first defense. Now you're TV Champ, and you're making your first defense in a Triple Threat match. And if you're ever so fortunate enough confident to win War, then you get the best seat in the house when I walk out of One as World Champion.
But that can wait until the time comes. Now, even though there's no denying that you're a crock of shit, there's also no denying that you're a good competitor. With all of the up and comers looking to break the glass ceiling, how do you plan to keep from getting lost in the shuffle?
Battle: This is such lovely banter, we’re having you and me; you sound like a baboon on ecstasy. Getting lost in the shuffle? There’s two ways I can respond to this. I can pander to the masses; I can say that you’re right, that there is a huge crop of newcomers that all have the ability to win the big win.
And the fact of the matter is that is true. Anyone can win any match at any time. And I always have my eyes on the prize. I’m always watching my own back because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business is that no one else will look out for you except yourself. At the end of the day, if it was me and my wife as the final two in War she would stab me in the back as fast as I would stab her in the back, and that’s just the way it is.
But getting lost in the shuffle? I’m the fucking Pied Piper of this pack of rats in the WCF. I don’t get lost in the shuffle, I set the fucking standard of what it takes to be a top level superstar here. I will always stand out, and not because of my devastatingly good looks, but because of the work and the aggression and the passion that I put into each and every one of my matches.
I am the TV Champion. This title has been the stepping stone for the US Title and the World Title for some time, but now it will be sought after like when John Gable and Joey Flash held this title. But it will be more epic than that. I won’t soil it by calling myself the Cinema Champion and I won’t lose it to the grimiest player in the game. I will hold this title with pride and honor. I will go out there every week, and triple threat, Battle royal, 100 on fucking one I will fucking dominate and the ONLY way someone is going to take this title away from me is to pry it from my cold dead hands.
And when I win WAR and I head into Hellimination to face off against Thomas Bates or whoever the World Champ is at the time and I win the World Title again I won’t simply give up the TV Title because in order to win the title you will have to beat me… and I don’t like losing!
Phoenix: That's adorable. Little Gemmie can poetry and don't like teh losing. Well, best of luck to you, Gemini.
Battle: Luck? I don't need luck! I'm fucking Gemini Battle!
He stands up and holds his TV Title in the air.
Battle: You're the one that needs the luck arounds here.
Phoenix stands up and gets in Gem's face before holding his Alpha Title in the air.
Phoenix: We'll see about that.
Oddly enough, a smirk finds its way across the faces of both champions. A light flashes once more. When it fades, the scene returns to Gem and CJ sitting in their respective chairs.
Phoenix: Well, thanks for stopping by and taking part in this interview.
Battle: No problem, man.
The two get up and shake hands before Gemini heads off to prepare for battle.
Before I wrap things up, it's time to give out some awards. In an attempt to not be biased, unless it's an extremely amazing moment, I shall refrain from giving myself awards. So, in addition to Seth's "of the week"s, here's a few more.
Undercarder-Cliff of Doom
Every week, there's a new pack of talent that gets unleashed on the WCF Galaxy, and there's usually one or two guys that make a name for themselves early. Cliff of Doom is definitely one of those guys. He's been working hard and winning matches. I see lots of potential in him.
Rivalry-Adrian Archer vs Damian Kaine
With the way that their match went last night, this rivalry has definitely gotten my attention. With Spearman and eXtreme not being in the same match again this week while Archer and Kaine are in a Triple Threat match with Gemini Battle for the TV Title, it's hard for me not to bump this up as the hottest rivalry that night. Side note: CD vs TUB is quickly picking up steam and is the early favorite for next week's rivalry of the week despite them not facing each other this Sunday.
Lol/Fail-Lilith wasting a milkshake on TUB
The milkshake being murdered wasn't what made me laugh, it was Lilith's reaction after realizing what she did. Priceless!
Underrated Talents-Psychopomp, Jordan Ciserano
Jordan Ciserano continue to prove that he is ready to take that next step up in the company. He came just short of winning the Alpha Title at Revenge and bounced back by getting a win for his team this past Sunday. Meanwhile, Psychopomp also came close to claiming a title at Revenge as he nearly walked out People's Champion. He also got the Bronze Medal in the TV Title match, further proving himself as a contender as the least.
Statement-Zero Tolerance, La Muerta Negra, the Bates Boot
First, chronologically, La Muerta Negra unleashed a vicious attack on Ciserano and Greg St. Matthews after their match, making it clear that they don't care about sportsmanship. Second, Salem Shepard and Jason Cash defeated the WCF Tag Champions in a 6 man tag match. Though neither champ got pinned, a win like this definitely gives ZT some momentum heading into their #1 contenders match. Finally, the Bates Boot gets its own award, as was used by both CD and Bates. Both times were messages sent to each other.
Champion-Kevin Bishop
He stepped into the ring with two other current champions and a former champion with the last spot in the War match, and he left victorious. Everyone took a step forward in that match, but he stepped the furthest.
Last, but not least, though I have yet to receive any at this point, I will be answering some of your questions. They can be IC, OOC, or both, as long as you specify which is which with each question. You are free to start PMing me them now, and I will answer a few of them next week. That's all the time we have this week. This has been The Skybox. I'm CJ Phoenix. Have a great day and may God bless you!
"Friction" plays in the background as the screen fades to black.
Hello everybody and welcome toooooo the second episode of The Skybox! I'm your host, CJ Phoenix, and I'm here to give you a recap on WCF's latest show while giving you a little insight on the next one! We are just 18 days away from the Pay-Per-View that hosts biggest elimination match of the year, WAR! Slowly, but surely, the foundation is being built towards that match, but that's towards the end of the month. We have three Slam events between Revenge and War, and the first of those took place a few days ago. Let's get to the highlights.
Slam Recap-9/4/16
(Video plays as Phoenix mentions what happens unless what happens while he's speaking is described in detail)
(Video plays as Phoenix mentions what happens unless what happens while he's speaking is described in detail)
Cliff of Doom vs Alex Winterz vs Mark Gallagher vs Joe Smarts vs Jaice Wilds
Winner-Cliff of Doom
Phoenix: This past Slam took place in the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. It got off to a very fast and explosive start as-
Video of the six competitors getting into a melee briefly interrupts Phoenix the same way the commentators were interrupted by the brawl before the opening bell.
Phoenix: Okay. Let's try that again. As you can see,
More video plays, cutting CJ off once again.
Phoenix: Guys. Stop it. You gotta wait until I announce who you are before-
Even more chaos ensues as the cameras can barely keep up with the action.
Phoenix: You know what, fuck it! Five guys were in that match. Cliff of Doom, Alex Winterz, Mark Gallagher, Joe Smarts, and Jaice Wilds were in that match. Lots of action. Cameramen were scrambling to try to keep up. In the end, Cliff of Doom wins once more after pinning Mark Gallagher.
La Muerte Negra vs Jordan Ciserano/Greg St. Matthews
Winners-Jordan Ciserano/Greg St. Matthews
Sooooo idk if you guys noticed this on the internet, but 3's been dropping some cryptically creepy stuff on there. He and his band of newcomers, The Black Death, looked to make a statement against Jordan Ciserano and Greg St. Matthews. Vaquero and Perro would compete in this match while Craneo took a spot on the bench next to 3. La Muerte Negra made their intentions clear from the start when they were just stomping a mudhole in Matthews. I mean, this is just vicious man. Gotta give Greg his props though, he hung in there. Speaking of hanging in there, how about Jordan Ciserano in this one. Watch as he takes the Rest In Pieces from La Muerte Negra, and somehow, he kicked out at two. Of course, the pin wasn't really a pin, just a step on the chest, making it much easier to kick out of. However, Jordan would win the match for his team after connecting with the Ciserano Super Kick on Perro. The victory was about as short-lived as the three count that got them the win, as all four members of La Muerte Negra would assault Ciserano and St. Matthews. It was vicious and the fans hated it, but the four of them did make a statement in this one.
Before I move on, I'm going to take this time to have a moment of silence...
Footage of Lilith bumping into TUB and wasting a milkshake on him inadvertently plays.
...for this poor, defenseless milkshake. It was already suffering from being in Lily Pad's possession, but at least its suffering was put to an abrupt in by a crash into the front of the Bates Motel. A sad moment indeed.
A few moments pass before CJ Phoenix continues the recap after taking a deep breath to end the silence.
Jason Cash/Salem Shepard/Night Rider vs Tomohawk/Captain WCF/Dion Necurat
Winners-Jason Cash/Salem Shepard/Night Rider
Sometimes, if you wanna be champions, you gotta beat champions. The team of Cash, Shepard, and Rider were looking to do that, especially the ZT members as they have a chance to be the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles. The match would start off with the two plus ones of the match. Dion Necurat and Night Rider were impressive early and held their own pretty well, but the story in this one was the lack of cohesion between the Tag Team Champions. Tomohawk looking to set up a double team move with Captain WCF, but the Cap's a bit confused here. So Tom-O-Hawkeye hits Jason Cash with a Superplex, but the delay before Captain WCF follows up with a move gave Cash enough time to avoid it. On the other hand, Cash and Shepard were on the same page, taking out the Champs before Jason Cash would hit a Hillbilly Deluxe on Dion Necurat for the win. Shepard and Cash are one win away from a title match, now they just had to wait until later in the night to see who they would face.
FPV was spotted taking notes on the matches in this show. This could give him an advantage as he gets to scout many of the guys that he will be facing at WAR. He would be seen throughout the show taking notes all the way until the main event where he would go as far as being at ringside.
No Disqualification Match
Winners Face Zero Tolerance in a Tag Titles Contendership Match
Sweet Annihilation vs Lilith/Skittlez
Winner-Lilith/Skittlez
Instead of a video package, there's a repeating gif of Lilith Death Gripping Drake's groin. Meanwhile, Phoenix cringes the whole time he speaks about this match.
This match still hurts me on the inside. Not because of the result, the Cinderella story between Lilith and Skittlez is great and whatnot, but Lilith killed Drake's future kids! This is definitely going on the list of reasons why I'm not letting that cookie munching, teddy bear hunching, first class nutcase anywhere near there. No wonder I keep hearing that handjobs from her are nightmarish. So Lily and Skilly are going to not Philly to take on a Hillbilly and his homeboy Slick Willy for a shot at the WCF Tag Titles next week.
Adrian Archer vs Damian Kaine
Winner-Adrian Archer
Ahhhhhh that Bastard. First, he tricks Kaine into thinking he could have a free shot. Then, he kit the dude in the nuts! Why is this a thing tonight!? Oh, and the ref didn't disqualify him for it sooooooo low blows are legal now? Speaking of disqualification, check this sneaky shit here. Kaine brings in a chair. Archer flops. Kaine get's DQ'ed! Archer wins. Archer gets booted in the face. This one ain't over by long shot, and it's starting to get ugly now.
Television Title Contendership Battle Royal
Psychopomp vs Jason O'Neal vs Chaos vs Oblivion vs Doc Henry vs Lester Parish vs Massaker vs Zombie McMorris vs Gemini Battle
Winner-Gemini Battle
Alright. Let me give you guys some background on this one. Thomas Uriel Bates was set to defend his Television Title against a mystery opponent. Then, after the match would be the Battle Royal for the #1 contender's spot for that title. However, when Bates got to the ring, he announced that he would be vacating the title, which made the following Battle Royal for the WCF TV Title. That means that one of the guys in this match would be the NEW TV Champ! Let's get to these eliminations, shall we? First, we got Oblivion scoring the first elimination of the match after sending Chaos over the top with a clothesline. Next out was Lester Parish who missed a running shoulder tackle at Obi, leading to Doc Henry tossing him out. However, Doc's celebration would be short-lived as Obi and ZMAC would double clothesline him out of the match. Speaking of short-lived, Zombie tosses Oblivion right over the top rope. Needless to say, IT wasn't too pleased. He went to brawling with ZMAC, and Massaker capitalized by booting him over the top rope! And just like that, we're down to the final four. Jason O'Neal, Gemini Battle, Massaker, and Psychopomp. The Butcher got caught up in the ropes after the aforementioned boot, giving Pomp the chance to eliminate him. Pomp nails O'Neal with The Sacrament, but gets tossed out of the ring by Battle, leaving only Gemini Battle and Jason O'Neal to fight for the title. Jason lands The Sensation on Gemini, but struggles to get him over the top rope. Eventually, both men go over the top, and it's Gemini Battle who counters a superkick into a God's Paradox for the win.
Corey Black vs Danny Anderson
Winner-Corey Black
This one was more of a statement than it was a match. Kudos to Danny Anderson for making this one interesting, especially when he connected with the Bustahbomb. The fans were pulling for him, but he was no match for CD on this night. To top it off, the statement was made when Corey used the Bates Boot to win the match. Clearly, he wanted to send a message to the WCF World Champ, and that's definitely one way to do it.
Mikey eXtreme vs Teddy Blaze vs CJ Phoenix vs Kevin Bishop
Winner-Kevin Bishop
On paper, this match looked to be the match of the night, and it certainly did not disappoint. All four of these guys are coming off of huge wins at Revenge. This was their chance to headline a televised WCF show, and they were phenomenal! Full of great moves, like this one that wasn't even intentional. Both Kevin Bishop and CJ Phoenix executing exploder suplexes on Teddy Blaze and Mikey eXtreme respectively, and Blaze and eXtreme collide in midair! Then, you wanna talk about capitalizing, these guys did it too. It started when Kevin Bishop hit CJ Phoenix with the Black Death after Teddy Blaze countered CJ's Irish Whip attempt. Then, you got Teddy Blaze going for the Blazing Knee on Mikey eXtreme, but instead gets hit with an X Marks The Spot. Here, you got CJ Phoenix welcoming The Plague to Spearfest after Bishop had been hitting Mikey with German Suplexes. Finally, Teddy catches Mikey off guard with a Blazing Knee. The WCF Galaxy loved this match from start to finish, and in the end, it would be Kevin Bishop who would get the win after hitting Teddy Blaze with The Inevitable Death Nail. As you can see, FPV taking notes at ringside, and KB know's that he's there. Hell of a match here, and what a way to end Slam. Except.....
It was not the end of Slam! Corey Black would make a return and call out Thomas Uriel Bates! He said that Bates dropped the TV Title in an effort to duck him, but TUB responded by saying that the match between the two would be for the WCF World Title! CD tried to get a cheap shot in, but it would only lead to him eating a Bates Boot! It's gonna be a slugfest between these two at WAR!
3 In, 3 Out
Now that you're all caught up, it's time for "3 In, 3 Out". This is where I interview a handler and ask him/her three In Character questions and three Out Of Character questions. Last week, I had the World Champion here. This week, it's the TV Champ making his Skybox debut. Introducing, Gemini Battle!
Gemini Battle comes out and sits on the chair and does a spin on it before greeting Phoenix and shaking hands with him.
Phoenix: Welcome to The Skybox, Gemini! Glad to have you here.
Battle: Glad to be here, man.
Phoenix: Gemini, you're one of the top guys on the active roster. You were also one of the top guys when you were Grayson Pierce earlier this year. What makes Grayson Pierce different from Gemini Battle, and which do you relate to more as a handler?
Battle: First of all, thanks for saying I'm a top guy. Ive been here for three years and seen top guys come and go. I still consider myself as trying to break into the top guy category. Even Bates, he and I started together but I feel like just making it to the top doesn't make us a top guy, it's where we go from here and I plan on hanging out a while to tell some cool stories with some very talented people.
As far as your question goes, Gemini and Grayson... they're the same person. Grayson was a married man who was going through normal married person problems. Low on cash, not spending enough time with his wife and kid. Trying to be a good father and a good wrestler.
He was me, basically. It hit very close to home. I actually got as emotional as Grayson did while writing a lot of his stuff
Gemini, IC is an alien that took over Pierce's body, but in reality he's the part of all of us we wish we could be, or at least I wish I could be. He's the guy who doesn't give a fuck about what people say. He's got so much money that he doesn't have to worry about paying bills or mortgage.
I have much more fun writing Gemini because I'm able to get out of the box a bit and create a world for him rather than have him live in the world created for him like Pierce.
But it's very important to know that this story isn't about aliens or vampires or demons, nor is it about a man struggling to make ends meet. It's not about schizophrenia or an eccentric billionaire. The story is a problem of the perceverence of human will.
We all struggle with whatever it is. I have crazy anxiety and I see it in my oldest daughter. I smoked a lot of pot, and not just recreationally. I would do it to go to the store or to the bank or to a concert. I would do it basically any time I had to interact with another human being. Because I wanted to get out of my own head and just react.
It took me a long time to get off the stuff but the anxiety still remains. But, as a human, we have such a short amount of time to make whatever impact we can on this world. We are truly just grains in the sands of time. And I can't become a shell of a person, I need to break past my insecurities and be the father to my daughters that they deserve.
Crazy J is going through shit, Twilight is going through shit, you went through shit... We all have gone through shit to get where we are but at the end of the day, no matter how hard life gets we can survive because we have to. Because there's people out there, even if it's just one, who care.
Gemini is that side of me that I wish I could be, and role playing in general helps me rid myself of a lot of anxiety. I curse a lot and say things that I would never normally do unless I was in the car road raging at people. But it real eases a lot of anxiety. Grayson's problems hot too close to home. Gemini has problems that he's created for himself, but I can't relate to in a literal sense.
In the metaphorical sense I totally do. He's hunting for Wrath, this final piece of the puzzle of his life to finally make the Chosen Ones complete. But spoiler alert... He's never gonna find him. Because Wrath is simply this thing that were all looking for to feel whole. Once that search is over the story is over. That's why I think this whole thing works for me. It's based off reality but completely fiction.
Phoenix: It definitely makes a great story when you can take parts of your life and integrate them with your character. It really adds a feeling of being able to relate to the character while getting a little of the sense of what the handler goes through.
Going back to what you said about how we all go through shit. Even as we communicate, I'm using a laptop that I had to tape a corner of just to hold it together. Sometimes, there are events that happen in our lives out of character that affect us in character. For someone that may be struggling to get back on track after dealing with an issue IRL, how can a person turn that around and revitalize him/herself?
Battle: I guess that depends on what the issue is. To say to do A or B would be kind of ignorant. But I would say that if something happened that made you sad, maybe write something about something sad that happened to your character, but put how you felt about your own situation into it.
My dad passed when I was four. My stepdad was an asshole my whole life. So the dad character in my Grayson Pierce RPs bailed on him when he was a kid. Grayson always wanted to make him proud but the dad was never anything but distant even after they reconnected. Then he killed him while possessed by Gemini.
However, using your personal struggle to revitalize your character is good, and healthy in my opinion, but trying to get this character revitalization to help revitalize yourself IRL may be a bit more harmful than good. A loss, or a series of losses, especially when you're putting so much of yourself into the character can be quite disconcerting, and it tends to blur the lines between IC and OOC and the last thing you want to do is take the shoots people do on you personally. It's a delicate balance that needs to be met.
Phoenix: Great advice there, man, and sorry to hear about your loss. You're definitely doing a great job of integrating life IRL into a strong competitor.
Gonna shift gears into a lighter question. You've been able to work with a lot of great people during the course of your career thus far. Are there any people in the WCF that you haven't been able to work with that you would like to see interact in a storyline with your character some time down the line?
Battle: Yea, thanks for changing gears, I'm a little bummed out now. Jk
I've been honored to work with some amazingly talented writers here. From a 2 week angle with Steve Orbit to this 2 year story that Bates and I have been telling, Oblivion, Rebellution and the DRG it's all been amazing.
I've got three angles in the works, one very open on the Internet boards with Teo to hopefully do something with the TV and Internet titles. As well as 2 other ones with people that be always wanted to work with that I hope work out.
I've wanted to work with Zero Tolerance since they joined. We were in the same fed before WCF but they left as I entered and then they came back as I left so we never worked together. Our characters could work well together.
I also was in talks with someone to maybe do an angle with a guy you might know, CJ Phoenix. Our characters couldn't be more different but I think Phoenix entering Geminis world could lead to some really great angles. Plus, I need a token black guy back in Geminis life, lol. For real though, when these things slow down, or the other idea begins to play out a bit more I'll hit you up about that.
Also Mikey Extreme and Gemini have never told a proper story. That guy knows what he's doing between his angle with Bernard Core and this thing he's doin with Spearman. That would be fun.
The fed right now is Vermont with talent, so after the stories I have planned are told I'll be more than happy to let pieces fall where they may as far as angles go and let things work out organically.
My favorite part of efedding is collaborating on great stories. It's not easy always go work with such strong and creative personalities but if everyone can get on the same page magic can happen.
Phoenix: Very interesting, and it's great to have such amazing talents here because it does indeed open up possibilities to make magic happen. I would love to see what happens in angle between Phoenix and Battle. I think I could add "Token Black Guy" to Phoenix's resume, lol. We'll see what happens down the line.
Phoenix raises one of his hands up.
Phoenix: Alright. We've gone through the 3 out. Now, it's time to flip dimensions and do the 3 in.
He snaps his fingers and a light flashes. When it fades, both guys have their respective titles around their waists.
Phoenix: Gemini! New TV Champ! You threw out a bit of a challenge to Teddy Blaze regarding the titles you both possess. Could we be seeing the personification of the Internet vs Television?
Battle: Gemini Battle: Teddy truly is the king of tertiary titles. He was the picture of the People’s title for nearly a year. If it weren’t for Ultimate Showdown he certainly still would be People’s Champion and wouldn’t be the unfortunate target for my next conquest. However, he eliminated Kevin Bishop and soiled his legacy. He did this to himself so no; I don’t feel the slightest bit of remorse towards the ill-fated soul.
To his credit, he stepped up and gave me an ultimatum. I wanted to be the next Internet Champion, but he challenged me to get him a TV Title shot. Well I don’t know how to do anything other than do it myself. So I entered that Battle Royal last week with the intention of winning it and then taking that title off of Bates’ shoulder but he went and gave it up like a little bitch. After I won the World Title I went out there every week and competed, and he took a fucking week off.
Some Champ.
So my TV Title came to me sooner than expected. And my plans, as they always do, came together. But I don’t give up easy. With the advent of the Alpha Title, which I hear some douchebag holds right now, the TV Title has become more relevant. It’s the title that is defended every week. It’s the title that makes ME, not Thomas Bates, the face of the company.
At first I wanted to win the Grand Slam. I wanted to go down in history as the less than one percent of wrestlers able to achieve this fantastic feat. But it has become so much more than that. It’s not about the Grand Slam, which is still a motivating factor, but it’s about becoming something that no man has ever been before.
As many watch the WCF on Television as they do on the internet. As much as it pains me the Internet has become a focal point in the galaxy. So I, as the champion I am, intend on taking full advantage of the platform, as well as the platform I currently stand upon. The time will come, perhaps sooner than later, where Teo and I will meet I the ring again, however, it will not turn out like our last encounter. When we step into the ring together, me as the TV Champ and Teo as the Internet Champ, mediums will collide and when the dust settles and the smoke clears it will be ME!
Patent… APPROVED!
Phoenix: Some douchebag that let your unappreciative ass on MY show. But that's alright though. I ain't bitter. I'm just gonna play it off.
Next question. WAR is just a few weeks away. If you're still TV Champ by then, will your focus be more on defending the title or going for a shot at a second World Title?
Battle: Gemini: I'm going to ignore the elephant in the room by you using the term 'IF' I'm TV Champ by War and go on like you aren't a moron.
You’re asking me this question as though I’m unable to be focused on more than one thing. Maybe YOU wouldn’t be able to concentrate on defending your Alpha Championship as you are set to step into the ring with 40+ men in a deadly WAR match, but I certainly can. I plan on defending my Television Title at War and I plan on winning War as well. I’ve been so close, I was 9 men form the top 2 years ago and then 5 men from the top last year while eliminating more men than anyone in the history of War.
Then I watched as Wade Moor and Jay Omega fought tooth and nail and then finally as Jay Omega, not only one of the few men in this company that I was able to call a friend, but a man, like every other that I have called a friend, has let me down, finally took down Wade Moor and pinned him cleanly in the middle of the ring and won the World Title in a stunning turn of events.
Now, if you’re asking me what is more important, well, if that isn’t obvious enough to you then maybe you should step back from this competition thing you’re pretending to do and stick to journalism. But I gotta tell you… even that isn’t going to well for you at the moment.
Phoenix: Phoenix: It's going better than your World Title reign did. Gemini Battle, Ultimate Showdown winner. Then, along came 28 Days Later and Gemmy poo's no longer champion. Lost it in a Triple Threat match in your first defense. Now you're TV Champ, and you're making your first defense in a Triple Threat match. And if you're ever so fortunate enough confident to win War, then you get the best seat in the house when I walk out of One as World Champion.
But that can wait until the time comes. Now, even though there's no denying that you're a crock of shit, there's also no denying that you're a good competitor. With all of the up and comers looking to break the glass ceiling, how do you plan to keep from getting lost in the shuffle?
Battle: This is such lovely banter, we’re having you and me; you sound like a baboon on ecstasy. Getting lost in the shuffle? There’s two ways I can respond to this. I can pander to the masses; I can say that you’re right, that there is a huge crop of newcomers that all have the ability to win the big win.
And the fact of the matter is that is true. Anyone can win any match at any time. And I always have my eyes on the prize. I’m always watching my own back because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business is that no one else will look out for you except yourself. At the end of the day, if it was me and my wife as the final two in War she would stab me in the back as fast as I would stab her in the back, and that’s just the way it is.
But getting lost in the shuffle? I’m the fucking Pied Piper of this pack of rats in the WCF. I don’t get lost in the shuffle, I set the fucking standard of what it takes to be a top level superstar here. I will always stand out, and not because of my devastatingly good looks, but because of the work and the aggression and the passion that I put into each and every one of my matches.
I am the TV Champion. This title has been the stepping stone for the US Title and the World Title for some time, but now it will be sought after like when John Gable and Joey Flash held this title. But it will be more epic than that. I won’t soil it by calling myself the Cinema Champion and I won’t lose it to the grimiest player in the game. I will hold this title with pride and honor. I will go out there every week, and triple threat, Battle royal, 100 on fucking one I will fucking dominate and the ONLY way someone is going to take this title away from me is to pry it from my cold dead hands.
And when I win WAR and I head into Hellimination to face off against Thomas Bates or whoever the World Champ is at the time and I win the World Title again I won’t simply give up the TV Title because in order to win the title you will have to beat me… and I don’t like losing!
Phoenix: That's adorable. Little Gemmie can poetry and don't like teh losing. Well, best of luck to you, Gemini.
Battle: Luck? I don't need luck! I'm fucking Gemini Battle!
He stands up and holds his TV Title in the air.
Battle: You're the one that needs the luck arounds here.
Phoenix stands up and gets in Gem's face before holding his Alpha Title in the air.
Phoenix: We'll see about that.
Oddly enough, a smirk finds its way across the faces of both champions. A light flashes once more. When it fades, the scene returns to Gem and CJ sitting in their respective chairs.
Phoenix: Well, thanks for stopping by and taking part in this interview.
Battle: No problem, man.
The two get up and shake hands before Gemini heads off to prepare for battle.
Awards
Undercarder-Cliff of Doom
Every week, there's a new pack of talent that gets unleashed on the WCF Galaxy, and there's usually one or two guys that make a name for themselves early. Cliff of Doom is definitely one of those guys. He's been working hard and winning matches. I see lots of potential in him.
Rivalry-Adrian Archer vs Damian Kaine
With the way that their match went last night, this rivalry has definitely gotten my attention. With Spearman and eXtreme not being in the same match again this week while Archer and Kaine are in a Triple Threat match with Gemini Battle for the TV Title, it's hard for me not to bump this up as the hottest rivalry that night. Side note: CD vs TUB is quickly picking up steam and is the early favorite for next week's rivalry of the week despite them not facing each other this Sunday.
Lol/Fail-Lilith wasting a milkshake on TUB
The milkshake being murdered wasn't what made me laugh, it was Lilith's reaction after realizing what she did. Priceless!
Underrated Talents-Psychopomp, Jordan Ciserano
Jordan Ciserano continue to prove that he is ready to take that next step up in the company. He came just short of winning the Alpha Title at Revenge and bounced back by getting a win for his team this past Sunday. Meanwhile, Psychopomp also came close to claiming a title at Revenge as he nearly walked out People's Champion. He also got the Bronze Medal in the TV Title match, further proving himself as a contender as the least.
Statement-Zero Tolerance, La Muerta Negra, the Bates Boot
First, chronologically, La Muerta Negra unleashed a vicious attack on Ciserano and Greg St. Matthews after their match, making it clear that they don't care about sportsmanship. Second, Salem Shepard and Jason Cash defeated the WCF Tag Champions in a 6 man tag match. Though neither champ got pinned, a win like this definitely gives ZT some momentum heading into their #1 contenders match. Finally, the Bates Boot gets its own award, as was used by both CD and Bates. Both times were messages sent to each other.
Champion-Kevin Bishop
He stepped into the ring with two other current champions and a former champion with the last spot in the War match, and he left victorious. Everyone took a step forward in that match, but he stepped the furthest.
Closing Segment/Q&A
"Friction" plays in the background as the screen fades to black.
