Phase Eighty-Six: Homework Assignment
UIC Pavilion
Jenny Black vs Melissa Santos
Melissa catches Jenny with a neckbreaker early on and looks to climb the corner. Blake rolls out of range before Santos can act and forces her to jump down. The two lock up, but Santos gets the armlock and whips her into the corner. She races in for a crossbody, but Blake jumps up out of the way. Melissa connects with the corner and Jenny drops down with the double knees as she’s caught up in the ropes. Blake rolls her to the center for a two count. She has Santos up and forearms her before rebounding off the ropes for a clothesline.
Melissa counters into a kneebuster. Blake is dazed, but still standing. Melissa quickly rebounds off the ropes with a hurricarana to send her into the ropes. Blake rolls to the apron and Melissa looks for another forearm. Jenny blocks it and gets the high kick to the temple. She pulls Melissa through the ropes halfway and knees the chest before climbing the corner for a leg drop to the back of the head. Melissa drops to the outside and Blake tries to get her back in.
Santos fights back against her and slams the face into the apron. The woman whips her into the barricade before sending Blake back into the ring for the cover. Jenny kicks out at two. She forces Jenny up to her feet, but eats a sudden kick to the gut. Blake has the arm and uses the ropes for an arm drag. Melissa rolls through and Blake rushes in for a clothesline. Santos reverses into a cradled pin. One...two—Blake rolls them over into a pin of her own and steals the victory from Melissa, marking a second loss in the row for the champion. Jenny earns six points.
Melissa sits on the mat in defeat and confusion as Jenny celebrates. Her expression slowly shifted from shock to anger. Before the blonde can exit the ring, Santos clobbers her from behind with the championship. She stomps the woman on her back multiple times before yanking Blake up and tossing her shoulder into the corner post. Santos wasn’t done, connecting with a running boot into the face. Jenny drops to the mat and Melissa steps on the back of her head as she holds her title up high. Then she spits on Blake like she’s nothing before exiting the ring.
Tyler Breeze & Sami Callihan vs South Wales Subculture
Sami and Tyler argue over who will start the match before Morgan Webster grabs Tyler by his hair and forces him into the match with a forearm to the face. The bell is rung and Webster keeps control with a suplex to the mat. As Tyler sits up on the mat, Webster gets the knee to the face. He covers Breeze for a two-count. Tyler battles back with a forearm and follows up with a huracarrana. As he runs the ropes, Sami tags himself in and takes Morgan down with a big boot.
Tyler doesn’t leave the ring, arguing with Callihan about the tag. Webster tags in Andrews and he races in with a dropkick to Sami’s back. Callihan bumps Tyler out the ring and Mark tries to roll Sami up. He kicks out at one, but eats a superkick to the jaw before Mark follows up with a springboard moonsault for a close cover. Callihan crawls into the corner and Mark races in with the double knees to the face. He rolls Sami out of the corner and makes the climb. Tyler shakes the ropes to knock off his balance.
Sami capitalizes with a German suplex from the second corner. Sami follows up with a bicycle kick as Mark stands. He stumbles into the ropes and rebounds to be caught with a double-knee gutbuster. He covers Mark, but Morgan breaks it up. Tyler races in with a dropkick to Webster and sends him out of the ring. He quickly follows up with a springboard crossbody to the outside as Callihan sets Mark up for the Cradle Killer piledriver to Andrews to pick up the victory. Both men are awarded a point, slowly inching towards the chamber match, as now two positions are still open again.
Tyler slowly enters the ring as Callihan celebrates in the corner, expression looking less than pleased, despite the victory. Tyler kicks the leg out from under Callihan and the man topples down, legs caught in the corner. Breeze stomps Sami while he’s tangled in the corner, screaming “DON’T YOU EVER HIT THIS GORGEOUS FACE AGAIN!” Breeze climbs the corner and connects with the double foot stomp to the chest to his partner. Sami tries to stand, wanting to take revenge right then and there, but Breeze was quick to connect with the Beauty Shot and kicks him out of the ring. Prince Pretty stands tall, reminding Sami that there’s only one team that Breeze is on—his own.
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Atwell with Frankie Valentine
Hayley stands next to Frankie, ready to give her first interview of the night. She gives the camera a wide grin and begins. “Tonight, I have Frankie here with me after her defeat to Natalya two weeks ago. Frankie, how are you?” “Physically...I’m fine. Mentally and emotionally? I’m not done with Natalya by a long shot. Right now, I have something else to focus on, but when Sweeneymania has come and gone? I plan to remind my mentor why she chose to teach me in the first place.”
“Why wait until after the big pay-per-view?” Hayley asks and Frankie just smiles. “Because I’m an entrant in the 12-Large Gauntlet match in several weeks. I plan to put all my personal feelings aside and prove Natalya wrong. I know what I’m capable of and I know I can win. When I do, I’ll win back the title I made legitimate as the All-Weight Champion. Then I take out my mentor.”
“Actually, Frankie, you can scratch that first part out.” Candice says as she marches her way into the interview. She stares Frankie up and down, towering over the woman in her stilettos before smiling. “Surely, you’ve already seen I’m in the gauntlet match. The very moment Taya announced me, the rest of you were null and void. None of you will be walking away with my crown, ribbon, or trophy.”
“I’ll gladly crawl away with it, if that’s what it takes. You haven’t been here for more than five minutes and you suddenly think you got what it takes to survive in PCW? You’re just like Natalya, except I’ll give her due credit—she actually proved she could hang with some of the best here.”
“Not only can I hang with the best, little girl. I can beat them, too. Something you can’t seem to relate to around here lately. Still got a couple of splinters in your ass by any chance?” Frankie lunged at Cornell, but security was on them in moments to pull Frankie back. Cornell stood with a completely calm demeanor and dusted herself off. As Valentine kicked and screamed, wanting to get her hands on Candice, the singer laughs her off and waves goodbye before blowing a kiss.
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Austin Aries vs Hania vs MJF (With Penelope Ford)
Austin and Hania go straight for MJF first, kicking him in the gut before connecting with a double suplex. They shove him out the ring before Aries tries to roll Hania up. She kicks out immediately, but misses the roundhouse and is caught with a German suplex from Austin. As she rolls over in pain, Aries quickly gets the dropkick to the face for a cover. She kicks out at two. Austin sits her up for the chokehold, trying to tap her out. Hania battles her way back to her feet before countering with a sitout jawbreaker to the chin.
Austin stumbles back and Hania gets an enzuigiri to the side of his head. Austin drops to his knee and Hania rebounds off the ropes for a shining wizard to cover him. One...two...—MJF breaks it up. Penelope claps for him as he drags Hania up by the hair. She slaps him across the face and shoved him back before following up with a backstabber. MJF rolls out onto the apron and Hania gives chase. She looks for the shoulder block, but he sidesteps her and knees the face. The she-wolf hangs on the ropes as MJF goes to work on Aries. Penelope smirks as she rounds the ring, getting into the woman’s face as she’s dazed. “Talking so much crap last week, but look at you now, bi—“ Hania slaps her across the face and Ford is stunned as the woman looks to attack MJF once again.
Penelope wastes no time climbing into the ring, the match having no DQs in this three-way. She grabs Hania by her hair and slams the face first into the mat. Ford drags Hania from the ring and slings her into the steel steps. “WHAT NOW, MUTT!” She races in with a dropkick to the face, shoving the head into the steps again. At the same time, MJF dodges a dropkick from Austin and connects with a running knee before quickly dropping him with the South Hampton DDT to take the victory. MJF’s streak continues.
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If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time...
Becky takes center stage for the first time in PCW. The redhead couldn’t help smiling as the crowd chants for The Man without hesitation. She holds a hand up to calm them down somewhat and speaks, confidence oozing almost immediately. “When The Man comes around, you know something big is about to happen. You know that this moment is about to be larger than life because that’s just how The Man rolls. There’s never a dull moment when Becky Lynch is in the ring and tonight isn’t going to be any different. Tonight, PCW has finally pulled off the chains and let me do what I do best—entertain. Let me be clear, though. While I’m all for the laughs and jokes and having a good time, I am more than ready to get down to business.”
Becky pauses for a moment as her gaze sweeps across the crowd. “In just a couple more weeks, the 12-Large Gauntlet will be presented on the grandest stage in PCW. My debut match is at Sweeneymania, so you know The Man has to take the win home and immediately set the standard. As one of the best athletes in the world, it’s the least I can do for PCW and Taya, right? I mean if they’re going to pay me big, I should go out there and earn it by embarrassing their entire roster—new and old—to be awarded an immediate championship match at anytime. Now—“
She has no time to finish as Indigo Kelly makes her appearance. The woman wastes no time entering the ring and snatching the microphone from Becky. The redhead raised a brow and smirks. “I thought I should introduce myself and give you a dose of reality, Wendy. My name is Indigo Kelly and we don’t operate on a WWE kind of standard. In PCW, we don’t care how much they cheer for overhyped, overvalued, and overprivileged talents with less skill than a dancing monkey. You actually have to work for your position and you actually have to win a match before you start boasting about your half-assed wrestling skills.”
Lynch looks her up and down and laughs to herself. She reaches for the mic, but Kelly tosses it aside abs instead gets in her face. Becky doesn’t dare back down and both women stare each other down without either one breaking away. Spike Trivet’s music starts to play as Kelly’s match is about to start. The woman waves Becky back, signaling the newest signee to step out of her ring. “Watch and learn, Wendy. Take some notes.”
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Indigo Kelly vs Spike Trivet
Becky remains ringside as Kelly takes on Trivet with a forearm to the chest. She whips him into the ropes, but he ducks the clothesline and reverses into a neckbreaker. Lynch claps for Indigo as Spike takes further control with an armbar. Kelly struggles to escape, eventually getting her foot on the ropes. Spike continues to bend the arm before stomping on it at the count of four. He drags Kelly to her feet and whips her into the corner.
He races in for a clothesline, but she gets the feet up to the chest to knock him back. Indigo charges out of the corner with multiple clotheslines before catching Spike with a backbreaker as he tries for forearm strike. Indigo taunts him, begging him to stand before pointing to Lynch. “Take notes!” Indigo launches herself into him with a spear and covers him for a two count. She rolls him over and gets an armbar very similar to Becky’s, whipping her hair around to mock the newcomer. Lynch smirks as Kelly has some fun at Trivet’s expense.
She drags him to his feet by the arm and he catches her off guard with an arm drag. Spike follows up with a dropkick to the chest to send her out onto the apron. As she slowly stands, Spike trips up the feet and her back drops to the apron hard. Trivet climbs the corner, looking for a double foot stomp, but Indigo rolls into the ring in time. Spike tries to evade her forearm, but she connects and sends him back into the ring with a suplex. Spike slowly stands, somewhat dazed as Kelly connects with a spin kick across the face to knock him out and take the victory.
As she celebrates, Indigo stares down, but the redhead wasn’t intimidated. She gave Indigo another round of applause before requesting a mic. “You can mock me, try to copy and paste my mannerism and moves, but you’ll never measure up to The Man. Don’t let jealousy have you make a stupid decision before Sweeneymania rolls around, Indigo. I’m all for jokes and having a little fun, but it only takes one wrong move to piss me off and send you straight to the hospital. I’m told that’s like a second home for you.” Lynch laughs as she tosses the mic aside and walks back up the ramp as Indigo stares daggers into the back of her head.
Brian Pillman Jr vs Finn Balor
The two men clash in the center of the ring before the bell can even ring. Balor gets the knee up to the face to daze Brian, but as he rebounds off the ropes, Pillman connects with a vicious dropkick to the face. Finn rolls out onto the apron immediately to regroup, but Brian leaps over the ropes and races forward with a boot to the side of Baylor’s head to knock him down to the floor. Brian drags Finn to his feet and slings him over the barricade into the crowd. Balor tries to create some distance, using the fans as a shield as Pillman is on his tail.
Finn goes up the steps and Pillman grabs him by the trunks, only to eat a back elbow to the face. Finn forearms him and kicks Brian down the first step of steps to the floor in the crowd. He laughs as he slowly descends to stand over Brian’s body before dragging him by the hair towards the barricade. The referee reaches a count of seven as Finn tosses him back over into the arena. He rolls into the ring to break the count before stomping down on Brian ruthlessly. He gets Pillman up to his feet and uppercuts him before lifting the man on his shoulders.
Brian wiggles out of the hold and shoves Finn into the barricade, but Balor leaps up on the barricade and springboards with a heel kick to knock Brian down. The referee is back to the seven count, but these two weren’t paying attention. Fin snatches a drink from a fan and dumps the contents of Mountain Dew on Pillman’s fallen body before throwing the cup on him. “You are nothing compared to me! You’re an overvalued and overhyped talent with nothing, but a name to keep you afloat. Your time in PCW is over, Brian!” Pillman kicks Finn straight into the face. The Irishman is stunned as Brian reaches under the ring for a kendo stick. He wastes no time swinging back and cracking the stick on top of the head.
Brian continues to swing the stick across the chest, arms, legs and back until it breaks in half. Even then, he uses the broken piece to scratch and cut along the back until Balor was down on his knees. Brian still wasn’t satisfied as the bell rang due to counting. He climbs the apron and leaps off with a leg drop to the back of the head, driving the face into the ground. He wanted to continue, but security emerged to hold him back as they check on Finn. The man’s nose was busted and he spit blood from his lips as a slow smile started to spread. He was out of it, but a laugh escaped him as Brian was struggling to get another hit in. “The more I bleed...the hungrier he becomes...” that was all Finn could mumble as they helped him out of the arena with Brian still enraged and clawing to get at him.
Next Weekly Show:
PCW Live: Personal Burial Money
... Could I wake up as a different person?
The screen begins as a blank, black image. As birds begin to softly chirp in the background, a golden glossy emerges from the center. A feminine silhouette walks forward, hips swaying as a flower is gently clutched between her fingers. The closer she came to the screen, the chirping amplified and the background glows with a heavenly light. “Warmth in the air, blooming flowers, and days growing longer—the seasons are changing and so am I.”
She stops just short of her features being completely revealed. The glow behind her casts a long shadow on the ground, showing hidden tendril-like figures that weren’t attached to her silhouette. It was as if her true form was hidden within the glow, only showcased through the shadows. “From the pages of history to the very present moment, I have been waiting, watching, and planning patiently for this moment. The woman you believed you knew before passed with the season. I am reborn, and I am here to conquer.”
She steps forward, but still her face was masked. She lets go of the flower and it drifts slowly to the ground before its roots digs deep into the ground. The flower suddenly sprouts into a tree, the thick trunk sprouting dark, green leaves. Flowers bloom on the branches and the woman is carried upward with the branches. Perched within the tree, she crosses her legs and finally her face comes into view as she looks towards the golden glow. “Your champions, your contenders, your new blood—none are ready for the storm that is about to come. Spring has arrived, and it has brought with it a goddess reborn. I am here...I’ve always been here.” Taeler smiles into the light, her pale skin almost glistening in the rays as her ominous statement was made.