The atmosphere inside the arena was electric as Phil Jackal, Noah Angle, and CM Punk stood in separate corners of the ring. A coveted spot in the semifinals of the June Byers Classic Tournament was at stake, and the tension was evident before the bell even rang.
The second the match started, Punk and Noah immediately turned their attention toward Phil. The two veterans charged simultaneously, forcing Phil into the corner with a barrage of strikes. Punk hammered him with sharp forearms while Noah followed with a series of stiff European uppercuts.
Phil weathered the storm.
Then he exploded.
A sudden double clothesline sent both opponents crashing to the canvas.
The crowd erupted.
Phil stood in the center of the ring, staring down at both men before dragging Punk to his feet. He launched him into the ropes and nearly cut him in half with a massive back elbow. Noah returned to the fight moments later, connecting with a running dropkick that staggered Phil backward.
The pace immediately intensified.
Noah used his amateur wrestling background to frustrate both opponents. He repeatedly took Punk down with single-leg takedowns before transitioning into submission attempts. Punk escaped each one, but Noah remained relentless.
Eventually Punk found his footing.
The Best in the World connected with a swinging neckbreaker on Noah before delivering a running knee in the corner. He followed with a short-arm clothesline and covered.
One!
Two!
Noah kicked out.
Phil suddenly re-entered the fight by grabbing Punk from behind and launching him across the ring with a release German suplex. The impact drew a huge reaction from the crowd.
Phil wasn’t interested in pinfalls yet.
He wanted destruction.
He delivered a brutal powerbomb to Noah before turning around and planting Punk with a spinebuster. Both opponents rolled toward opposite corners trying desperately to recover.
Phil stalked after Punk first.
Punk fought back with a flurry of strikes. A kick to the leg. A forearm to the jaw. Another forearm. Another.
Phil barely moved.
Punk bounced off the ropes looking for a running attack, but Phil caught him out of midair and hurled him overhead with a massive belly-to-belly suplex.
The audience roared.
Noah saw an opening and attempted to steal momentum. He springboarded off the ropes and connected with a flying clothesline that finally dropped Phil to one knee.
The crowd came alive.
Noah followed with a snap suplex on Punk before delivering a moonsault onto both opponents. He hooked Punk’s leg.
One!
Two!
Punk escaped.
Noah quickly covered Phil.
One!
Two!
Phil powered out.
The match continued escalating as all three competitors began trading near falls.
Punk connected with a top-rope elbow drop on Noah.
Two count.
Phil nearly ended Punk’s night with a devastating lariat.
Two count.
Noah stunned Phil with a German suplex bridge.
Two count.
Nobody could stay down.
The crowd rose to its feet.
Punk started building momentum once more. He blasted Noah with a swinging powerslam before signaling for the Go To Sleep.
The audience buzzed.
Punk hoisted Noah onto his shoulders.
Go To Sleep—
No!
Noah slipped free and shoved Punk directly into Phil.
Phil exploded forward with a massive boot that dropped Punk instantly.
Noah then attacked Phil from behind, landing multiple forearms before connecting with an Angle Slam that shook the ring.
One!
Two!
Phil kicked out.
The crowd erupted.
Noah couldn’t believe it.
He immediately dragged Phil up for another attempt, but Phil fought free and drove Noah into the corner. A crushing clothesline was followed by another. Then another.
Noah collapsed to the canvas.
Phil turned around.
CM Punk was waiting.
Kick to the midsection.
Running knee in the corner.
Short-arm clothesline.
The crowd exploded.
Punk signaled once again for the Go To Sleep.
He lifted Phil onto his shoulders.
The semifinal spot was within reach.
But Phil slipped behind him.
Punk turned.
Phil nearly took his head off with a vicious lariat.
Both men collapsed.
The audience erupted into chants as all three competitors slowly pulled themselves up using the ropes.
Noah charged first.
Phil launched him over the top rope.
Noah crashed violently onto the floor.
That left only Phil and Punk.
The crowd roared.
Punk fired a forearm.
Phil answered.
Punk fired another.
Phil answered with one twice as hard.
The exchange grew more intense until Punk connected with a spinning backfist that staggered Phil backward. Sensing victory, Punk rushed forward.
Phil caught him.
The arena gasped.
Phil lifted Punk high into the air.
THE END OF TIMES!
The devastating impact echoed throughout the building.
Punk landed flush in the center of the ring.
Phil immediately hooked both legs.
One!
Two!
Three!
The bell rang.
The crowd exploded.
Noah slid back into the ring a split second too late.
Phil Jackal released the cover and slowly rose to his feet while the referee raised his hand high above his head.
CM Punk lay motionless on the canvas.
Noah stared in disbelief.
After surviving a grueling war against two of the toughest competitors in the tournament, Phil Jackal had done exactly what he set out to do.
The End of Times had sealed the victory.
And with it, Phil Jackal advanced to the semifinals of the June Byers Classic Tournament.