Phase Sixty-Five: Phoenix: Queen of the Desert
A Matter of Pride
Valkyrie stands in the centre of the ring with a mic in hand as the crowd give her a mixed reaction. It didn’t seem to faze her. Really she appeared more focused on what she had to say more than anything.
“Next week marks Eleganza Extravaganza—PCW’s third PPV under my regime! It’s going to be a spectacular show with our talents going above and beyond to make things pop. You can expect all champions to defend their titles, as well as, some potential special acts to transpire.
We host this show as a symbol of Pride but understand that Pride goes beyond just the month of June. It is an everyday celebration and PCW looks to do just that with our LGBTQ+ talents.
We accept anyone from anywhere, leaving no individual turned away because of who they are. Next week, PCW will present to you a show that showcases all of our talents in their most raw, pure form.”
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UIC Pavilion
Mitchell Knight vs Rhea Ripley vs Will Ospreay
This match was intense from start to finish. Rhea used her power against both of the men as they tried to take her out using their speed and wits. Mitchell takes her down with a dropkick before Ospreay follows up with a standing moonsault. He shoves Rhea from the ring and Knight tries to roll him up from behind. Will kicks out and the two men go at it back and forth.
Ospreay almost gains the victory with a backslide pin, but Knight kicks out and delivers a superkick to the chin. He lifts Will from the mat and plants him with a suplex for another pin. Ospreay kicks out and rolls out onto the apron as Ripley is back in it. She charges and takes Knight down with a shoulder block. She forces Knight into the turnbuckle and delivers a German suplex right after for the pin. Will breaks it up with a frog splash onto the blonde.
He tries to keep Rhea grounded, but she overpowers him and sends him into the ropes. She goes for a big boot and misses, allowing Mitchell to send her down with an enzuigiri. Will times it right and springboards with a crossbody onto Knight for the pin. He kicks out and drives a knee into the gut before attempting a huracarrana, but Will flips through and delivers a superkick before planting Knight with the Storm Breaker to earn two points.
Indigo Kelly vs Vipress (With Harlow O'Hara)
While Indigo and Vipress battle it out, Harlow paces around the ring with a smirk on her face. She watches Indigo struggle to hold back Vipress. It’s been a while since Indigo had a true challenge and Vipress did not take it easy with heavy strikes to the woman. She sends Indigo into the corner and drives a hard knee into the gut before using her foot to choke her in the corner. She backs off at the count of three and forearms Indigo. She slumps in the corner and Vipress connects with another knee to the face for a one count.
Indigo tries to battle back and Vipress whips her into the ropes. Harlow watches, not intending to interfere even as Indigo starts to gain an advantage. She sends Vipress into the ropes for a dropkick before mounting the witch and driving fist after fist to the face. Vipress eventually escapes, but indigo takes her down with a running bulldog. Indigo then shows some shades of her mother as she locks Vipress into the octopus hold on the mat.
Only then does Harlow race into the ring and stamp out Indigo. She disqualifies Vipress, but the two don’t care as they begin to jump Indigo. Hania is soon out and battles them both back, sending each out of the ring before howling at the top of her lungs, sending a message to both women. Indigo slowly stands and the friends stare down Harlow and Vipress as both give them a wicked grin.
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The Highest Stakes
Bray rocks in his chair with the lantern hanging in his hand. He looks Melissa up and down as the woman makes her entrance. It was the same underground room as before, but she was a welcomed guest for once. Sami stood in the corner just behind bray as the bearded man chuckles to himself. Santos keeps her distance from both of them. Her eyes were heavy with bags and dark circles. She hadn’t been sleeping.
“Something keeping you awake at night, girl?” He smiles.
Santos flips him off and he only howls in laughter. “Why am I here?”
“Because you chose to be here.”
“You requested I show up. Said it had to do with Sami.”
Wyatt holds up the lantern. “This lantern holds the key to relieving you of all your miseries. If one looks closely enough...”
Melissa squints and notices a small figure rubbing away the fog inside the lantern. She couldn’t make out who without getting close. “Who is—?”
“His soul rests within my lantern. Free it and he shall return to you, Melissa, but you must sacrifice yourself. You have to give your life to save his next week. Failure to do so will result in your dismay in vain.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I know...that is exactly why your defeat will be all the sweeter. Win and his soul is yours. Lose and your soul is mine.”
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Scarlett Bordeaux (With Kenny Omega) vs Salina de la Renta (With Low-Ki)
Salina evades Bordeaux early on as the blonde had her in a headlock, but Salina escapes to the apron. Scarlett tries to pull her back in, but Salina slaps her across the face and enters the ring for a running bulldog for a one count. Salina follows up with a few slams of the face against the mat before dragging Scarlett’s face back and forth. She steps on Scarlett’s back and holds her arms up high as Low-Ki cheers her on. Omega encourages Bordeaux to fight back on the outside and Salina tells him to shut up.
She stomps towards the ropes and flips Kenny off before trying to swipe at home, allowing Scarlett enough time to deliver a dropkick that sends Salina over the ropes. Bordeaux chases her on the outside, Salina eventually using Low-Ki as a shield, but Scarlett simply tears through them both with a spear to Low-Ki that sends Salina down with him. She shoves Salina’s face into the apron before whipping her into the barricade. Low-Ki slowly recovers and steps in between her and Salina, enraged by the spear just moments ago.
Scarlett tries to hit him, but he grabs her fist and shoves her back. This drives Omega to get on the apron and sends a flying knee to the face of Low-Ki. Kenny lifts him up into a suplex and drops Ki on the floor as Bordeaux goes back into the ring. Salina catches her with a DDT but it’s only a two count. She strikes down on Scarlett again and again before forcing her up. She tries to toss Scarlett into the corner, but Bordeaux counters and whips Salina instead.
She connects with a body splash and follows up with the hip attack before giving Salina a stink face. Bordeaux goes for a pin, but it’s only a one count. She goes up high and times it right for a crossbody that still only gets a two count. Salina escapes to the corner just as Kenny and Low-Ki invade the ring. They were so hellbent on tearing each other apart, that the women couldn’t get to each other. Low-Ki shoves Kenny off him into his wife and while he’s distracted, Ki takes him out with a backstabber. Salina forces Scarlett up and lifts her up for an Argentine powerbomb to pin the smokeshow for the victory and gaining momentum into the tag match.
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Contingency Plan
Priscilla stands in the ring with a mic in her hand and a wicked smile on her face. She looks towards the ring and sighs into the mic. “I think I may have gotten too rough with Jenny. I haven’t seen her in a while. Maybe she’s still wiping the mist from her eyes.”
Kelly laughed and continued to look towards the stage before sinking her shoulders. “It’ll be a little boring without her, though. She was the only thing driving my madness, giving me a reason to really showcase the extent of my abilities. Her light, her hope—all I wanted was to stamp it out, but not this soon. It is unfortunate that she was not as strong as I—“
The crowd became restless now, cheering. Priscilla cocked her head to one side in confusion before turning around to be met with a forearm by Blake. The luchadora drives a knee to the gut and follows up with a Canadian Destroyer. Kelly rolls out of the ring and Jenny picks up her mic.
“You thought you killed me, got rid of me, scared me away? This is MY home, too. I am all the hope that PCW has left and I refused to be chased out by those who live in despair.
Priscilla, we will have the most fun in the whole world because next week we will be in a Street Fight. No games, no magic, no more hesitation. I’m going to finish what you started and make sure hope triumphs in the end. I will rise to the occasion, be PCW’s last line of defence, and win.”
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Kyle O'Reilly vs Spike Trivet (With Zara Sabre)
Trivet was focused on O’Reilly now that Pavor had yet to show himself in recent weeks. He was taking it to his opponent and delivered a big boot for a one count. He tries to send Kyle into the corner, but he counters and leaps out of the corner behind Trivet. Kyle connects with a kick to the head and drops Spike on his back with a snap suplex for a one count. He follows up with a knee drop to the arm repeatedly before behind it at an angle and stomping on it.
Spike exits the ring to recuperate and Pavor’s image is present once more. Trivet loses it and strikes at the man, every shot landing. He finishes Pavor off with a sitout facebuster, laughing to himself and admiring his handiwork. It only takes a few seconds for him to realize he was seeing things, hallucinating, because it was Zara who was face down on the floor instead.
Spike was too confused and dumbfounded to stop Kyle from taking him out with a suicide dive. O’Reilly sends him back in and delivers the brainbuster to finish Spike off, gaining momentum for the PPV.
Hania vs Vipress
Havoc gives Kross the fight he’s been looking for, delivering heavy strikes that leaves a bruise on Kross everytime. The larger man didn’t slow down, however, and fights back with heavy hits of his own. Both collide with a big boot and drop to the mat. Jimmy rolled into the ropes and used them to stand first before charging at Kross. He pays for his impulsivity with a spinebuster from his opponent for a two count. Kross grabs Jimmy by his hair and sends him across the ring before following up with a big boot to the face.
Kross drops a knee to the chest and crushes it further down into the sternum, choking Havoc. He’s forced up at the count if three and grabs Jimmy by the throat. He tries to toss him, but Havoc breaks free and delivers a kick to the gut before a DDT for a two count. The two continue back and forth with Havoc sending Kross down finally with a clothesline to the leg. He forces Kross’s arm back, bending it behind him as Jimmy forces a boot into the back. Kross refused to tap, but the pain was real.
He manages to fight out of it, but Jimmy stays on the arm with a stomp. He then brings Kross to his feet and looks for a DDT to the arm. Jimmy rolls through and bends the arm behind Kross again. The man still escapes and tosses Jimmy over his shoulder. He drags Havoc to his feet and traps him in the corner with multiple knees and punches before slamming the head into the turnbuckle. Kross then wraps his arms around Havoc and switches positions for the Doomsday Saito into the corner for the victory.
He doesn’t get to celebrate because the lights went out and Spotlights of various hues came on the stage. Camera shutters could be heard and the fans were mixed with cheers and boos as “IT’S TYLER!” echoed throughout the arena. Tyler Breeze made his long-awaited appearance with the signature selfie stick and title around his waist. He takes a video of himself as he stands on stage before looking down at Kross. He pats his belt before shaking his finger at the giant and continues down the ramp. Kross races out of the ring towards the champion and Breeze uses the selfie stick to knock him off guard. Tyler proceeds with a Beauty Shot to the face to take him down. He poses with the belt and smirks, feeling confident heading into the PPV.