Phase Sixty-Nine: We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals
Blood like Lemonade
Valkyrie has her torso tapped underneath her cropped top and sporting a black eye. She wasn’t dressed in business fashion as usual. Jeans and sneakers with a beanie signified that she looked ready to scrap. She lifted the mic in her hands with a grin and shook her head. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not feeling too glamorous tonight. Last week’s fiasco really put some things into perspective. First of all—José is a pussyfooting dog that had the audacity to step into my domain to attack me. Look what he did to me! ME! Now I have this ugly, black smudge on my face because of him... But he got his. He got his in Red Letter Pro and now calls me out for a coward when he’s the one who made the first strike. Retaliation isn’t cowardly, but it is dastardly. He got every bit of karma back that he delivered to me solely because he couldn’t beat me in UNITE.”
Valkyrie starts to laugh and shakes her head again. “I did what I said I’d do and tore him limb from limb. I incapacitated him, not the other way around. I made the choice to put him through that table and made sure he couldn’t get back up again. He attempted to kill me... But failed because I’m still standing. As far as I am concerned, I’ve won this war and see no reason to continue his little fantasy. I’m officially calling for UNITE to give me a NEW opponent and if I see our names together on that card? I’ll be coming after you, Mauro.”
“One thing his attack did, though? It awoken the old school, take no prisoners, take no shit Taya. Poor PCW thinking I’ve been vile thus far. JAJAJAJAJAJA, you’ve seen nothing yet. I’m about to unleash hell and warfare upon this company and I dare Quackenbush to try to stop me.”
Taya swirls one of the curls under beanie around one finger as she smirks. “Buuuuuut onto more important neeewwws... Tonight will determine the finalists for the Heart of PCW Championship tournament. I’m so excited to be witnessing the near crowning of a new champion because let’s be real, Shaul wasn’t doing so hot. It’s really a blessing she got attacked. Furthermore, I’ll be back out here tonight to finally tell Jackal what he’s earned in PCW for representing this company and winning it all at UNITE’s tournament. And lastly? Black Rain is a week away from tonight and I can’t wait to see some blood and tears shed.” The crowd cheers that on as she makes her way to the back.
UIC Pavilion
Heart2Hart vs Rocket Stars
Arisa has Natalya in a wristlock, but Hart elbows her back and reverses into a headlock. Arisa shoves her off into the ropes and Hart retaliates with a shoulder block. She tries to rebound for a leg drop and misses. Arisa quickly kicks the back of the head and rebounds quickly for a dropkick to the face. She covers for a one count. Natalya tries to stand as Frankie cheers her on, but Arisa kicks the gut to stun her before getting the headlock. Natalya rushes her back into the corner for multiple shoulder blocks before elbowing Arisa.
Natalya gets the clothesline and tries for another pin. Still two. Jenny cheers for Arisa on the outside and slams her hands on the apron to get the crowd clapping. Natalya has the arms pulled back as the knee is in the back for a submission, but Arisa slowly rises to her feet. She tries to elbow Natalya off, but Hart uses her power to knee the gut. She quickly plants Arisa with a gutwrench powerbomb. Hart then looks for the Sharpshooter, but Arisa grabs the ropes.
Hoshiki kicks the blonde off her and takes her down with a clothesline. She knees Natalya in the head as she tries to stand and double stomps the back for a two count. Jenny looks on intently as Hart is forced up and eats a headbutt. She tries to whip Hart and is pulled into the Fireman’s Carry. Hoshiki elbows her way out and back elbows Hart before connecting with the Brazilian Kick to put her away.
Hoshiki offers up her hand to Natalya and she hesitates before letting Arisa help her up. This victory just guaranteed Arisa and Jenny a spot at Black Rain. Both teams stare each other down with the champions holding their belts up high.
Austin Aries vs Jimmy Havoc
Jimmy strikes Aries down immediately with a forearm. He gets a two count and gouges the eyes until the count of four. Aries rolls away into the ropes as Havoc stalks him. He forces Austin against the ropes to choke him out just as Loren manifests to ringside. He doesn’t interfere and simply watches as Jimmy lifts Austin into an Argentine hold for a facebuster. He gets the two count.
Havoc looks to follow up and whips Aries into the corner for a clothesline. Austin ducks under it and trips him up into the corner before connecting with a double knee to the back of the head. Aries forced him up and drives multiple forearms into the face and rebounds for a crossbody. Havoc catches him for a backbreaker and slings him into the corner. Jimmy chops the chest and drives a knee into the gut. He tries for a clothesline again and Aries boots him back.
Jimmy races in again and eats a discus forearm before being lifted into the brainbuster. Austin climbs up high and puts Havoc away with the 450 Splash as Loren claps in approval.
Austin stares him down and grabs a mic. “You like that? Enjoyed the show?” Loren nods and laughs as Aries continues to glare at him from inside the ring. “I’m glad you liked it because you’ll be getting the same treatment at Black Rain. Taya called me enhancement talent but jumped at the chance to put us on the card, so it’ll the greatest man that ever lived up against the newcomer. And just make it real clear, I’m walking out of this match as the victor and moving onto bigger and better challenges.”
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Barracuda
Taya stands in the ring with a grin as she has a table in the center and a cloth over it. There was a visible shape that didn’t move. “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of UNITE’s 2019 Promotional Tournament—Phil Jackal!” Phil comes down to the ring in a custom made suit. He tightened the tie around his neck and comes down the ramp, waving and grinning. Taya holds the ropes down for him as he enters the ring and shakes his hand.
“Everyone, Jackal competed against sixteen other men and women to become UNITE’s first promotional winner. He went in representing PCW and came out on top, solidifying that we are the best company in the world!” The fans applaud Jackal as he bows. “And now for the grand prize!”
Jackal looks at the table excitedly as Taya pulls back the cover. Everyone, including Jackal, looks on in confusion as it’s only Presley sleeping under the blanket. “Awwww, isn’t he the cutest prize ever?!” She scoops him up and he wakes up to lick her chin. She then looks to Jackal with a smirk. “What? Did you actually think I was going to give you something special for doing your job? JAJAJAJAJAJA!” Valkyrie snickers into the mic and shakes her head. “What an idiot! You earn your prizes within in PCW, not in another company. Duh!”
Taya rolls her eyes and approaches the ropes as Phil continues to look on in disbelief. “But listen, Phil... You really did do great. You put our company out there and gave us the international boost we needed. Isn’t that enough?” She laughs again and exits the ring as rage fills his face. It wasn’t long before Jackal shoved over the table and ripped up the cloth. He tore the table apart, breaking it onto the mat before kicking at the ropes. Completely embarrassed and humiliated once again, Jackal exited the ring in a fit of animosity.
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Ivelisse Vélez vs Kyle O'Reilly vs Loren Armitage
Heart of Phoenix Championship Tournament
This was a fast-paced contest. All three competitors were laying it into each other. Ivelisse uses her striking ability to take Loren out of action with a roundhouse. She and Kyle locks up before he trips her legs up and follows up with a leg snap. Kyle tried to soften the leg with stomps to it before dragging her into the ropes to bend the leg over it. She manages to escape and uses to the ropes to stand. Kyle dropkicks the leg and tries to pin her for a two count.
He sends her into the corner just as Loren is back in with a kitchen sink to the gut. He forces Kyle up and O’Reilly tries to tie up the arm behind him. Loren slithers our of the hold gets the headlock for a takedown. He quickly transitions into a front headlock for the Muta Lock submission. Kyle is stuck in the center of the ring, but Ivelisse is up high with a double foot stomp to Loren’s gut.
He rolls out the ring as she forces Kyle up for the uppercut. Velez whips him into the corner and she connects with a running knee. She tries to drag him out and eats a kick to the face. He tries to capitalize, but she forearms him and connects with the Vertigo kick to stun him. Velez quickly follows up with the Desert Eagle powerbomb to secure her spot at Black Rain for the Heart of PCW Championship.
Killer Kross (With Isla Dawn) vs Jon Moxley
Kross has Moxley in a chokehold early on with Isla watching on in glee. Jon elbows Kross in the abdomen to escape, but eats a big boot as he rebounds. He hooks the leg for a two count. Dawn continues to watch in silence as Moxley is forced up by the neck and thrown into the corner. He dodges an overhead punch and kicks Kross into the corner. He throws erratic punches to the face and torso before kneeing Kross down into a seated position. Jon tries stomp him down, but Kross grabs the leg and shoves him back to the mat.
This new Kross said nothing and kept an almost neutral expression as he stomped down on Jon. Whatever Isla did to resurrect him changed the competitor. He choked Jon again on the mat with his boot on the throat until a four count. He forces Jon up and tries to whip him, but Moxley counters with a kick to the gut before planting him with a neckbreaker. He rebounds off the ropes with a knee drop for two count pin.
Moxley forces him up and looks for a DDT, but Killer Kross lifts him and tosses him in the air to drop to the mat. He follows up with a running knee to the face. Isla smiles. “End it,” she commands and Kross puts Moxley away with a Doomsday Saito Suplex.
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Kill of the Night
Indigo paces in the ring for a moment before getting to it quick on the mic. “I’m not one for theatrics. I don’t need to go into a long-winded spiel about how much I can’t stand where Hania and I ended up. We were supposed to be family, like sisters, and she let her jealousy get in the way of that. I don’t need to go on for days about how much I wanna tear her apart. You’ve all seen it and now I’m here to say one thing only: Hania, it’s going to be you and I at Black Rain. I’m going to retire you from PCW and from wrestling. I’m going to remind you of who I am and why it is unwise to piss me off. You wanna act like an animal? Fine.”
She pauses for a few seconds before smiling. “It’s going to be the two of us in a dog collar match. When I choke your ass out and get you on the mat for the victory? I’ll run you out of PCW once and for all.”
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Vipress vs Taeler Hendrix vs Isla Dawn
Heart of Phoenix Championship Tournament
Taeler kicks Vipress back into the corner while Dawn slips to the outside. Kross monitors the match by her side as Corvus keeps an eye on them. Vipress dodges another kick by grabbing the leg and shoving Hendrix back before connecting with a boot for the two count. Hendrix gets to her feet for a palm thrust to the neck. Vipress gasps for air as Taeler hooks the arm and neck for a snap suplex into a one count. The redhead chokes the demon on the mat as Isla continues to look on with a neutral expression.
Vipress gouges the eye and Hendrix is forced to back off. Vipress Spears her to the mat and slams the head back multiple times with a hellish scream. As she’s focused on Taeler, Dawn directs her gaze to Corvus. In moments, she blindsides him with a scratch to the eyes. Kross finishes him off with the Doomsday Saito to the floor. Vipress lets out an anguished cry and races out of the ring to check on him. Kross wastes no time gripping her by the neck and squeezing tight until Dawn enters the ring. He slings Vipress back in under the ropes.
Isla forces her up as Taeler recuperates and plants the demon with the Call of the Quarters' suplex. Rather than pinning her, she stared at Hendrix and the redhead hooks the leg to win the match. Isla kicks back dirt on Vipress as Kross joins them in the ring. Taeler shakes the witch’s hand and all three stand tall, clearly having formed an alliance of sorts.
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One (is the loneliest number)
Tessa Blanchard roams the halls for only a few moments before finding Indi Hartwell with Mitchell. She was helping him nurse his leg and preparing for Black Rain next week. He scrunched up his face as Tessa approached them and stood up. “Back off, bitch. She doesn’t wann—“
“Hey, watch your mouth. We may be butting heads...but only I get to call her a bitch.” Hartwell turns to Tessa and folds her arms. “What do you want, bitch?”
Blanchard bites back a snide remark and sets aside her pride. “Listen, last week got kinda muddled. I wasn’t upset with you, it was Priscilla. She came in and tainted what could’ve been a really good match up between us. That’s all. You beat me, though. A win is win, so...” she holds her hand out to Hartwell. “We’re cool?”
Hartwell looked to Knight, who continued to stare down Blanchard. He says nothing, though, as Indi looks back to her. “Listen, just kick her ass at Black Rain. After that, maybe we can talk business again. Right now, though? It’s best you just focus on yourself like you usually do.” Hartwell helps Knight down the hall and leaves Tessa standing in the hall to think about her match next week.
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Tyler and Scarlett's Contract signing
Tyler and Scarlett stand across from each other on either side of the table. Taya was on the side, glancing between them as she opened up the folder holding the contract. “Next week, August 14th—The PCW Championship will be on the line. Cashing in ten of her eleven points to face Tyler Breeze, the challenger—Scarlett Bordeaux—must agree to the champion’s terms.”
Valkyrie hands over the mic and Tyler smirks. “Scarlett, all you have to do is sign that dotted line and agree to fight me in a Weapons Rain match. Unfamiliar with it? See, items are going to drop from the ceiling and it’ll be up to us to grab them first to use to our advantage. Simple enough, right? Thing is, Scarlett, I’m going to rip the weapons from your grasp, even if you claim them first. I’m going to break you down in the middle of that ring and make wrestling pretty again by removing its greatest uggo to date.”
“Uggo? It’s amazing how long it’s been since you’ve seen yourself. All those selfies you take and you call :me: ugly? I’m not the one walking around with a possum on his face. Funnily enough, when I’m done beating you to a pulp, the only one who’s going to look a mess is you. Matter of fact, I’m going to do PCW a great service by rearranging that lopsided beard of yours and actually making you look a little decent on your way to the back as I stand tall as the champion.”
Breeze smirks and signs his name. Scarlett doesn’t the same before Taya closes the folder again and smiles. “Then it’s settled. Next week, it’s a Weapons Rain match for the championship.” Taya then looks up with a smile as the ceiling opens up and a makeup kit seems to be slowly coming down on a string. The competitors glance at each other before climbing the table. Scarlett headbutts him and kicks him down before grabbing the kit first. Tyler can’t duck from the kit and it smashes against his face. Breeze can barely stand as Scarlett puts her heel into the chest to pin him and uses the kit on him.
She puts a shade of red lipstick on her lips and kisses his forehead before marking her initials next to it with a smile. “A perfect ten now.”