New Year’s Revolution 2006 (Raw)
Date: 8/1/06
Location: Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York
Intercontinental Championship:
Shelton Benjamin (c) vs William Regal
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Mickie James
(Mickie James begins stalking Trish Stratus, being heavily obsessed and in love with her. Trish wants a match to snap it out of her friend which Mickie accepts. Trish retains clean with a Chick Kick and both women hug after the match.)
Jerry Lawler vs Edge w/Lita
(Jerry Lawler comments on Edge changing Lita for the worst on commentary. Edge hears about this, takes offense to it and beats the hell out of The King. As a result, Lawler wants revenge so he challenges The Rated R Superstar to a match at New Year’s Revolution and he accepts. Jerry puts up a bit of a fight but Edge wins clean in the end after hitting him with a Spear.)
Viscera vs Snitsky
Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Kane vs Big Show vs Kurt Angle vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels
(John Cena retains in a bloody encounter. After the match, Vince McMahon comes out to the stage and announces the night isn’t finished. Someone is cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase… Edge!)
WWE Championship - Money in the Bank Cash In:
John Cena (c) vs Edge w/Lita
(Edge wins the WWE Championship against a bloody and battered John Cena. New Year’s Revolution draws to a close with Edge and Lita celebrating.)
Elimination Chamber Notes:
Kane enters third and is eliminated first by Shawn Michaels
The Big Show enters sixth and is eliminated second by Triple H and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels enters second and is eliminated third by Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle enters fifth and is eliminated fourth by John Cena
Triple H enters fourth and is eliminated fifth by John Cena
John Cena enters first and wins
Royal Rumble 2006
Date: 29/1/06
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Cruiserweight Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Gregory Helms
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) w/Mickie James vs Ashley
(After the match, Mickie James turns on Trish and beats the hell out of her.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Chris Benoit
(After winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton says this proves once and for all that he’s the man on SmackDown! Orton also says that not only is he a champion that Eddie Guerrero would be proud of but he’ll help the company move on from him with all due respect. Chris Benoit takes offense to this, says Orton is nothing but a chicken sh*t and wants the chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship again which Theodore Long grants him an opportunity to do so at the Royal Rumble. Benoit promises that Orton’s reign will be short lived meanwhile The Legend Killer vows to beat Chris Benoit again just like he did to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Benoit’s emotions result in him trying too hard. This plays into Orton’s hands as he gains the upper hand, hits him with an RKO and pins him to retain the World Heavyweight Championship!)
WWE Championship:
Edge (c) w/Lita vs Triple H vs John Cena
(After New Year's Revolution, Edge gloats that he’s the man! He’s interrupted by Triple H who tells him that he’s nothing but a paper champion who took the coward's way to win the title at New Year’s Revolution and says that he’s only keeping that title warm for him. John Cena says not only is he invoking his rematch clause but he’s going to make Edge suffer. Vince McMahon announces that both men will get a shot at Edge for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble PPV. During the match, Triple H hits John Cena with a Pedigree and looks set to win until… Ric Flair appears and smashes The Game over the head with a steel chair. Because of this, Edge capitalises after Lita helps him up, he crawls over and pins Triple H to retain the WWE Championship!)
Royal Rumble Match:
Rey Mysterio (#2) wins by last eliminating JBL (#30)
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are Rey Mysterio, JBL, The Undertaker & Kurt Angle
Shawn Michaels isn’t eliminated by Shane McMahon. Instead, he’s eliminated by Kurt Angle after Vince McMahon distracts him.
The Undertaker eliminates Kurt Angle. This pisses Angle off to the point he comes back into the ring and eliminates The Undertaker. This results in both men brawling through the arena.
Rob Van Dam returns in this match
No Way Out 2006 (SmackDown)
Date: 19/2/06
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
WWE Tag Team Championship:
MNM (c) w/Melina vs Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Cruiserweight Championship:
Gregory Helms (c) vs Chavo Guerrero
United States Championship:
Booker T (c) w/Sharmell vs Matt Hardy
Singles Match with Rey Mysterio’s WrestleMania title shot on the line:
Rey Mysterio vs JBL
(After the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio says his Royal Rumble win was dedicated to Eddie Guerrero and he’ll have one more dedication to his late friend and that’s by winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania! JBL interrupts and tells Rey that his win at the Royal Rumble was a fluke and it should really be him in the main event of WrestleMania. JBL challenges Rey to put his title shot on the line but Rey doesn’t want to do it. JBL however goads Rey into it by calling a coward and slapping him. Rey says if beating JBL is going to prove his win at the Rumble wasn’t a fluke then fine, he’ll do it. Rey Mysterio wins and keeps his dream alive.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs The Undertaker
(After the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton celebrates his victory over Chris Benoit and says that he’s going to WrestleMania as the World Heavyweight Champion! He tells the WWE universe that he’s going to forever edge his name in history when he walks in and out of WrestleMania with the World Heavyweight Championship. Orton continues to run his mouth until a familiar sound goes off… GONG! The Undertaker appears, Chokeslams his bitter rival and signals that he wants the World Heavyweight Championship. The Legend Killer demands that The Undertaker be suspended since he could’ve injured him as well as prevented him from competing at WrestleMania. Teddy Long instead tells Orton that not only will The Undertaker not be suspended but he’ll be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against The Deadman at No Way Out! Orton is furious and says this shouldn’t be happening since he was done with Taker after Armageddon, claims WrestleMania deserves the future of the company going into the event as champion and fears that might not happen if The Undertaker injures him. Orton tries to get out of the match by pulling all sorts of tactics that don’t work. During the match, Orton accidentally dropkicks the referee. The Undertaker then Chokeslams the champion and gets ready to hit him with a Tombstone Piledriver to finish this off until Kurt Angle appears from the crowd and delivers an Angle Slam to The Phenom! Angle then puts Orton on top of The Undertaker and with the referee regaining consciousness, he makes the count. 1,2..3. Randy Orton retains the World Heavyweight Championship and realises that he’s going to WrestleMania! No Way Out draws to a close with a cocky and arrogant Orton celebrating a huge win.)
Hall of Fame class of 2006:
Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Sensational Sherri, Tony Atlas, The Blackjacks, and Verne Gagne
WrestleMania 22
Date: 2/4/06
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
United States Championship:
Booker T (c) w/Sharmell vs Chris Benoit vs JBL
(Chris Benoit wins the championship after forcing Booker T to submit to The Crossface.)
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Kane & Big Show (c) vs Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Matt Hardy vs Bobby Lashley vs Mark Henry vs Finlay vs Rob Van Dam vs Carlito vs Chris Masters vs Shelton Benjamin
Last Man Standing Match:
Ric Flair vs Triple H
(The battle between two former best friends and all time greats happens at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Ric Flair says that Triple H turning on him and taking pride as if he ended his career is what drove him to come back and cost Triple H what matters most to him, the WWE Championship. Flair says The Game has always wanted to be Ric Flair and for as great as he is which he’s known for 4 years how great he is, he’ll never be The Nature Boy! Ric Flair challenges Triple H to a match at WrestleMania 22 and The Game accepts. Triple H says while the old man’s career was dying, he revived him by creating Evolution, kept Ric Flair relevant when he no longer was and saw him as a father figure until Ric started becoming a thorn on his side, a distraction he realised he had to bury. Triple H says Flair is a clear symbol of the past who’s hanging on for dear life, living in a fantasy land and he promises to destroy him once and for all. Triple H asks to up the stakes and make it a Last Man Standing match which Flair accepts. Triple H vows to leave Flair in a bloody mess, put him down for good and leave WrestleMania victorious. Flair says he may bleed but he’s bled enough to the point Triple H will have to beat the holy hell out of him to keep him down. In a bloody and brutal affair, Triple H finishes the match off by smashing a bloody Flair over the head with his sledgehammer to win the match. After the match, Triple H looks down at a battered Ric Flair but actually nods in appreciation to his former mentor. The Game hints at a face turn 👀.)
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Mickie James
(After months of being stalked with a lot of creepy vibes as well as being attacked numerous times, Trish Stratus has had enough and wants to face Mickie James at WrestleMania. Same story, same build and same match. Mickie James wins the Women’s Championship clean to end Trish’s long reign.)
Hardcore Match:
Shawn Michaels & Mick Foley vs Vince & Shane McMahon
(After months of being told that he screwed Bret Hart who’s entering the Hall of Fame the night before this event, being told he’s not the same man and being cost title matches, opportunities and the Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels snaps and kicks Vince McMahon in the face the night after the Royal Rumble. Vince retaliates the week after when Shane McMahon returns and The McMahons beat the holy hell out of HBK with The Spirit Squads' assistance. Vince & Shane promise to make HBK's life a living hell until he admits that he really screwed Bret Hart in Montreal! Shawn pretends he’s going to admit it but then goes through how much it was truly Vince McMahon who screwed Bret, Vince orchestrated the plan and Vince is responsible for the most controversial moment in WWE history! Michaels says he’s got a partner who knows this and wants to help him beat the hell out of Vince & Shane at WrestleMania. Vince laughs thinking no one has the guts to team with Shawn. Shawn brings out… Mick Foley! Foley says that everything Shawn Michaels is saying about the Montreal Screwjob is true, he was there that night in Montreal and he no showed the next night because Vince behaved like a coward. Foley says that for years he’s wanted to beat the hell out of Vince whether it be for that night in Montreal, how he’s treated Linda, the talents on the roster and how he treated him when he was the Commissioner of the company 5 years ago. Vince is furious and tells Foley there will be hell to pay for him too for even daring to align with Michaels and says the match will be a Hardcore match at WrestleMania! In a chaotic and bloody encounter that has interference from The Spirit Squad, Michaels and Foley win after Michaels delivers an elbow drop to Vince McMahon through a table while he has a trash can over his head.)
The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
(After No Way Out, Kurt Angle explains on Raw that he cost The Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship for two reasons. The Deadman cost him the main event of WrestleMania by eliminating him in the Royal Rumble. The other reason? He saw it as an opportunity to get another opportunity, a chance to end the streak at WrestleMania! Angle says right now he’s the best damn wrestler on the planet, he’s a wrestling machine and that freaking streak is his to break, it’s true, it’s damn true! The Undertaker responds and accepts Angle’s challenge and tells him that at WrestleMania, he’ll dig a grave for him like he has others, his day of reckoning will come and he’ll not live to regret his actions at No Way Out. Angle says he isn’t intimidated by empty threats and promises to snap Taker’s ankle as well as his streak. This is essentially their 30 minute classic they had at No Way Out in real life but with The Undertaker coming out on top after delivering two Tombstone Piledriver’s to Kurt Angle in order to go 14-0 at WrestleMania!)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Rey Mysterio
(After his win over The Undertaker at No Way Out, Randy Orton is happy and smiling. He insists that The Legend Killer is rightfully entering WrestleMania as the World Heavyweight Champion no matter how hard Teddy Long tried to ensure he didn’t. Orton then promises that he’ll crush Rey Mysterio like a bug at WrestleMania and end his fairytale dream while Eddie will actually be looking down smiling at the sight of it no matter what narrative Mysterio is painting. Rey interrupts and says Orton is a coward and nothing but a disgrace to legends like Eddie Guerrero. Rey insists dreams do come true at events like WrestleMania and promises to win the World Heavyweight Championship in dedication to his friend Eddie Guerrero, who’ll be inducted into the 2006 Hall of Fame. During the match, Orton attempts to cheat but Rey counters, hits him with the 619 and instead of delivering a West Coast Pop, Rey hits a Frog Splash and pins Randy Orton to win the World Heavyweight Championship! Michael Cole shouts “MYSTERIO WINS THE TITLE!” Rey celebrates on the ramp with Chavo Guerrero and Eddie’s wife Vickie, fully dedicating his win to the late, great legend that is Latino Heat.)
WWE Championship:
Edge (c) w/Lita vs John Cena
(John Cena wins a Fatal 4 Way Match against Kane, Big Show and Shawn Michaels to earn this match against Edge at WrestleMania. Cena promises to regain the title Edge stole from him at New Year’s Revolution and leave WrestleMania for the second year in a row as the WWE Champion. Edge says there’s no way in hell is Cena going to take his moment from him and tells him he isn’t some sort of transitional paper champion the way people think. Edge vows to show everyone who’s ever doubted him that he deserves to be at the top of the mountain and promises to leave Chicago as the WWE Champion. In a very competitive main event where the crowd is booing the hell out of John Cena, Cena is smashed over the head with brass knuckles by Lita when the referee doesn’t see. Edge then Spears Cena and pins him to surprisingly retain the WWE Championship! After the match, a pissed off Cena attacks Edge, hits him with an FU through the announce table and then delivers an FU to Lita in the middle of the ring as WrestleMania 22 draws to a close.)
Notes:
(It’s announced that ECW will be returning and will now be a brand in the WWE starting in June!)
(Edge attacks Mick Foley on behalf of Vince McMahon and leaves him swimming in a pile of his own blood. This writes the Hardcore Legend off TV.)
(Randy Orton is suspended for 30 days after violating the wellness policy.)
Backlash 2006 (Raw)
Date: 30/4/06
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Intercontinental Championship:
Shelton Benjamin (c) vs Rob Van Dam
(After WrestleMania, Shelton Benjamin turns heel and attacks Rob Van Dam for costing him his moment at WrestleMania in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Desperate for revenge, Van Dam challenges Benjamin to put his championship on the line against him at Backlash and the champion accepts. Benjamin cheats to retain by putting his feet on the ropes during a roll up.)
Eugene vs Umaga w/Armando Estrada
(Umaga debuts on Raw the night after WrestleMania 22. He wins here in a 3 minute squash match to showcase his dominance.)
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Kane & Big Show (c) vs Carlito & Chris Masters
(Carlito and Chris Masters form an alliance and target the World Tag Team Championship. During the match, Big Show turns heel and Chokeslam’s Kane which allows Carlito & Chris Masters to win the titles.)
Shawn Michaels vs Shane McMahon w/Vince McMahon
(After WrestleMania, a pissed off Vince McMahon says that the McMahons aren’t done with making The Showstopper's life a living hell. Vince announces that at Backlash, Shawn will be facing his son Shane in a match to teach him a lesson! During the match when the referee is knocked out, The Spirit Squad interferes and they attack Shawn Michaels which delights Vince McMahon. After they do so, Triple H comes down to the ring. McMahon is happy to see The Game as he’s been trying to recruit him for weeks to end Shawn Michaels' career and asks him to smash Shawn over the face with his sledgehammer. Triple H goes to hit Shawn but instead… hits Vince McMahon! Triple H then beats the hell out of The Spirit Squad with his Sledgehammer. Shane McMahon then attacks The Game from behind but of course Triple H is helped by Shawn Michaels. Triple H hits Shane over the face with the sledgehammer, he walks into Sweet Chin Music, the ref regains consciousness and makes the cover for Shawn Michaels to win this match. After the match, Shawn Michaels and Triple H stare each other down and… do the DX high five! DX is back!)
Women’s Championship:
Mickie James (c) vs Trish Stratus (Double Count-Out)
(This match ends in a double count-out after Trish legitimately dislocates her shoulder. Mickie James attacks her still and leaves Backlash on top.)
WWE Championship:
Edge (c) w/Lita vs John Cena
(After WrestleMania, Edge gloats about beating John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania. He claims that he’s just further solidified legendary status on his name, proved he deserves to be on top of the mountain and proved after questions were asked after New Year’s Revolution that he’s better than John Cena! Cena interrupts and says while Edge is still the WWE Champion, he’s still also a complete jackass who needed help to retain his title, claiming it’s Lita who well and truly wears the pants in the relationship. Edge takes offense to this and claims Cena is just coming up with excuses to deflect losing to him. Cena goads Edge into facing him at Backlash in a rematch by making comments about Lita having more balls than Edge. During the match, Edge attempts to cheat until… Mick Foley’s music hits! Foley comes down and puts Mr Socko on Lita who’s trying to help Edge cowardly win again like she did at WrestleMania. This distraction though is enough for Edge to turn around in an FU from Cena. John Cena then pins Edge to win the WWE Championship! Backlash draws to a close with Cena celebrating after winning his second WWE Championship.)
And that's part 41! I hope you guys enjoyed it and loved my swerve with Edge leaving WrestleMania with his championship. I'll be back very soon for my next part where we'll see ECW reborn, an iconic Money in the Bank cash-in, and a far better SummerSlam 2006. Stay safe and stay tuned!

Let's think back over how SawBlaze made its debut. It was one of a large handful of New Season 2 robots who were relegated to "RECAP ONLY". Not only that, it was one of an equally large handful robots screwed over by that season's stupid We want Tombstone to win Primary Weapon rule, meaning it lost its only fight against Razorback, which is was dominating from start to finish, all because its saw wasn't working (so, what, didn't the saw arm continually hitting Razorback count for anything? The saw arm is an active weapon, surely?). Given that sort of debut, you could easily be forgiven if the team just said "Fine, they don't want us? We're not coming back" and left.
And yet SawBlaze didn't leave. Flash forward a couple of years later and it's one of the best robots of the reboot, consistently in the top rankings, always making the bracket, but never quite there. We saw its driving and tactics improve, its weapon go from really good cutting saw to extremely brutal hammer-saw. Be real here for a moment, did anyone think SawBlaze would go on to become world champion after seeing it for the first time way back when?
Congrats.

In Part Four, the comeback tour of rockstar Hiroshi Tanahashi was cut brutally short at the hands of the Leader of the New School, Zack Sabre Jr., who embarked on a quest to prove himself New Japan's most valuable gaijin. After beating back Will Ospreay for Royal Quest, he ran into another familiar face in Minoru Suzuki, almost clobbering him into retirement until Naomichi Marufuji made the save. Ending his saga with Just6Guys with a win over Maru, he placed a bow on the long-standing Blackpool Combat Club rivalry by besting Jon Moxley, cementing Sabre-Gun as New Japan's undisputed leaders... That is, without taking Los Ingobernables de Japon into account.
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Since becoming one again, LIJ’s been on a tear through NJPW’s ranks this year in spite of Shingo Takagi dropping the belt and PAC losing the New Japan Cup Finals to the current World Champion. IWGP United States, IWGP Tag Team (Death Triangle have become LIJ affiliates through PAC), and NJPW World Television Championships in their grasps, they seek to round out the group by all holding titles simultaneously. But that begs the question – who’ll be going after the World Title? Though Shingo’s battle ready, he insists Tetsuya Naito take it this time, the Stardust Genius having worked his back off to rebound from Wrestle Kingdom. Failing every attempt in the past 3 years though, the question remains whether he can truly pull it off this time, or if it’s just not meant to be.
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Kizuna Road - Night Four (July 1, 2024)
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Sabre-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & El Phantasmo) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC)
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With Naito confirmed as Sabre’s #1 Contender for Wrestle Dynasty, SG and LIJ have themselves a scaled-down rematch from New Year’s Dash, Zack picking his trusty right-hand man ELP, and Tetsuya bringing the US Champion, knowing PAC has unresolved issues with ZSJ from the NJC. Though it drives the Bastard to work doubly-hard, especially considering how it’ll look if he pins the World Champion, it also makes their teamwork suffer, PAC becoming self-absorbed in getting the pin. Backfiring, a Sudden Death from Phantasmo knocks his lights out, SG getting their win back from NYD and putting the challenger on the backfoot heading into Madison Square Garden!
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Sabre-Gun def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (16:12)
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PAC appears distraught after the match, but Naito simply tells him ‘tranquilo’, not taking it personally. Though he’d hoped to use this match to get into ZSJ’s head, it appears he’ll just have to do that himself, like he’s always done.
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Wrestle Dynasty (July 14, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Shota Umino (c) vs El Desperado - NEVER Openweight Championship
Just6Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Ryohei Oiwa) (c) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan) - NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Kyle Fletcher - NJPW World Television Championship
PAC (c) vs El Phantasmo - IWGP United States Championship
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs Meiyu Tag - IWGP Tag Team Championship
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Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Tetsuya Naito XI - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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In what’s been a very successful night for LIJ thus far, clean-sweeping their way through the competition, it all rests on Naito’s shoulders now to bring it home. Perhaps the most unreliable man to slot in this spot, and yet, the most beloved, MSG fully invested in Tetsuya’s chase, either the grandest of celebrations or coldest of heartbreaks will end the night! Naito keeps his cool, emanating his usual larger-than-life aura as he walks out in a pristine crimson suit, paying homage to Shingo, whilst Sabre’s cockier than ever with his recent streak of huge wins, knowing he has Tetsuya doubting himself after their tag. As he hands his title over, the two come face-to-face, SABRE SPITTING GUM INTO NAITO’S FACE, but Tetsuya doesn’t let ZSJ’s tactics faze him, having come too far for too long to let mind games be his downfall.
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Circling each other, Zack lunges for a lock-up but Naito walks past, smirking and stretching in the opposite corner. Sabre rolls his eyes as Tetsuya turns around and tells him ‘tranquilo’, before going for it again… Zack snatching the headlock this time as Naito tries to repeat, but Tetsuya instantly whips him to the corner, teasing the COMBINACION CABRON as ZSJ braces himself… Naito stops in front of him and does the ‘Abre los Ojos’ taunt!
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Furious, Sabre piefaces him, NAITO RETURNING A FOREARM, AND WE’RE OFF! Trading strikes, Zack rocks Tetsuya with European Uppercuts, Naito returning forearms, before a Japanese Arm Drag stops Zack in his tracks! Naito goes for another, but Zack hooks onto Tetsuya’s legs, tripping him up and contorting the foot! Tetsuya boots him off with the other, a Neckbreaker and a Somersault Senton connecting, though Sabre absorbs the latter, trapping Naito’s arm onto the mat to STOMP THE HAND!
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Picking him back up, he cracks Naito with chops, before whipping him at the ropes, Naito hitting off them one after the other to build momentum, teasing the Flying Forearm Zack’s expecting… only to roll into the Tranquilo pose! ZACK MEETS HIM WITH A NECK TWIST!!! Tetsuya scrambling to the corner, Sabre steps on his throat against the ropes, BEFORE SLAPPING HIM! NAITO SPITS IN ZACK’S FACE!!! A harsh uppercut knocks Tetsuya back, a Running European following and a PENALTY KICK! Naito dodges and nails the FLYING FOREARM SMASH!
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Teasing the Tornado DDT, it’s cancelled by an Enzuigiri, Zack leaping for the KIMURA- NAITO COUNTERS INTO VALENTIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!! Sending Sabre into the corner, the COMBINACION CABRON CONNECTS! AND A MISSILE DROPKICK! Naito teases the DRAGON SUPLEX, but Sabre flips through and STOMPS HIS ELBOW! SNAP GERMAN ON THE NECK FROM SABRE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! Naito woozy, his head’s only further knocked around by a ROLLING ELBOW! A CORNER HIGH KNEE connects, before a Hammerlock Suplex floats into a TESCO MEAL DEAL!!!
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Naito’s hand flails about the mat as Sabre keeps him grounded, no Valentia escape this time, forcing Tetsuya to work the old-fashioned way to the ropes! MSG backing the Stardust Genius, after much deliberation he gets a foot on the ropes! But Zack’s right back on him, going for a NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX- NAITO STANDS HIM UP WITH A SNAP DDT! An EVOLUCION’S shut down though, Sabre hitting the brakes to nail the ARM PELE! Fishing the arm, Zack tries to float into a FLYING ARTICLE 50- NAITO STUFFS HIM WITH A GLORIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE SURVIVES!!!
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Rallying momentum, Tetsuya nails the TORNADO DDT! Sabre nursing the head, a DRAGON SUPLEX FOLLOWS!!! In the drop zone, Naito tests the waters for a RUNNING DESTINO- SABRE SHUTS IT DOWN WITH A EUROPEAN CLUTCH!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NAITO’S DREAMS STAY ALIVE!!! Getting dangerously close with the flash pin, Tetsuya throws defiant forearms, Zack catching and contorting one, but a ROLLING WHEEL KICK knocks him off! ESPERANZA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE KICKS OUT!!!
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Hooking the head, Naito hoists Sabre up… ZACK WITH A GUILLOTINE CHOKE MID-AIR!!! Tetsuya’s eyes bulge out his skull, looking for the nearest turnbuckle to ram Sabre into it, but ZSJ’s quicker, yanking him to the mat and transitioning into a JIM BREAKS ARMBAR!!! Brutally bending the arm at an awkward angle, there’s a manic look in Zack’s eyes as NYC desperately cheers on Naito, who does his best to hang on! Sabre keeps tugging further and further, eager to ruin Tetsuya, but it backfires, helping him stretch his leg to the ropes!
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The crowd erupts as the referee forces Sabre off, though Naito’s clearly hurting all the same, a European helping no less! Zack rallies with further Uppercuts, one knocking Tetsuya down, before firing a PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO ABSORBS IT AND ROLLS THROUGH, SABRE GOING FOR SECONDS BUT HE EATS A RUNNING DESTINOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Shaking himself off, Naito attempts another, though Sabre stops it with elbows, before hopping into a REAR NAKED CHOKE!
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Tetsuya tries to run forwards to free himself, though ZSJ swivels on his back into a GEDO CLUTCH!!! ANOTHER FLASH PIN! BUT NAITO ROLLS THROUGH THIS TIME INTO HIS OWN – POLVO DE ESTRELLA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE STAYS IN!!! AND AN EVOLUCION!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! NAITO’S GOING FOR THE SWING DESTINO!!! BUT A ZACK DRIVER COUNTERS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Slapping up Naito’s neck, Sabre dumps him on it with a TIGER SUPLEX!!! Naito woozy, Zack nails the PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO’S REFUSING TO STAY DOWN! Hearing MSG’s cries, he wills himself back up as Sabre watches in fascination… ONLY FOR ANOTHER PK TO CUT HIM OFF!!! And just like the 2022 NJC Finals, he’s going to end it here with a SECOND ZACK DRIVER- NAITO NAILS A DESTINO MID-AIR!!! HE’S STILL MOVING SOMEHOW!!! Stumbling to his feet, Tetsuya measures his man… DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE’S FOOT’S ON THE ROPE!!!
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Saving Naito more than once, it’s come to Zack’s aid now too! Hammering Sabre with forearms, Naito tees up another DESTINO- PELE KICK!!! Tetsuya falls forward, Zack catching him in a STRETCH MUFFLER!!! IF HE CAN JUST GRAB THE OTHER LEG, IT’S ALL OVER, COMPLETING THE ORIENTEERING WITH NAPALM DEATH!!! Zack bends Naito further and further as he tries to grab hold… TETSUYA SWINGS BACK! AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN! SABRE LETS GO!!! AND A ZACK DRIVER FROM NAITO!!!
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Sabre on his back, Naito thinks about waiting for the Destino… but then he sees the top rope. The crowd cry at him not to, screwing him over time and time again, but Tetsuya can’t help it! Heading up top, the world holds their breath, NAITO SOARING THROUGH THE AIR… STARDUST PRESS CONNECTS!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! IT’S A MIRACLE IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!! NAITO’S WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN!!!
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Tetsuya Naito def. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (31:18)
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New York LOSES their minds as Naito’s handed the title, Tetsuya himself struggling to process what just happened! But then LIJ rush out – PAC with the US Title, Hiromu with the TV Title, Shingo, Yota, and Titan with the NEVER 6-Man Titles, and even the Lucha Brothers with the Tag Titles! THEY’RE DRAPED IN GOLD, BABY! Sharing embraces all around as a dismal Sabre trudges to the back, there’s not a single dry eye in the arena as the outcasts raise their fists to the sky with one hand and their titles with the other, golden tickertape hailing down! Naito’s on top of the world after 3 long years, and it feels damn good! Doing the customary championship edition roll-call, the show fades on LIJ holding all their gold… and PAC looking over at Naito’s.
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G1 Climax 34
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Entering his second of fifteen G1s as the reigning champion, Naito heads B Block opposite stiff competition. Though dispatching of Hiromu in friendly competition on Night One, the two are subsequently assaulted by KONGOH post-match, allowing NOAH’s KENOH to upset him the following night! Behind the 8-ball already, Tetsuya’s motivated to make a comeback, mowing through Narita, Tanahashi, Yota, Sabre, and KENTA to take back the lead! Suffering another surprise defeat at Jeff Cobb’s hands after multiple failed attempts from the Hawaiian Hulk to best him, it opens the door for a returning JAY WHITE to spoil his final night, wrecking Naito’s legs with a ladder, allowing Zack to advance on 14 points! As for B Block, a draw between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada on the final night puts the Commonwealth Kingpin through, the rivals meeting one more time! Other key underlying stories see Shibata finally beating Okada, Ospreay avenging his Takagi loss, PAC beating his fellow LIJ members but losing to SANADA, and KONGOH causing ruckus throughout the competition.
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G1 Climax 34 Finals (August 19, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Jay White vs BUSHI
Will Ospreay vs Zack Sabre Jr. - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, PAC, Hiromu Takahashi, Titan) vs KONGOH (KENOH, Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Hi69, Shuji Kondo)
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Perhaps the focal reason for Naito not making the Finals, KONGOH’s tournament chicanery, as led by KENOH, was a masterfully crafted plan. After losing to Tetsuya in last year’s LIJ vs KONGOH series at Wrestle Kingdom 17, the thought of ruining the Stardust Genius for vengeance never left the Rogue Fist’s mind, and with his win over Tetsuya in the G1, their score is now 1-1. Reigniting the intense rivalry between the two stables, they have an upgraded rematch to their Wrestle Kingdom 16 5-on-5, both sides having greatly changed since then.
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Once again, PAC’s especially adamant to claim the spotlight, the loss to SANADA making him temperamental despite having the 2nd best LIJ record in this year’s tournament. An argument breaking out between PAC and Shingo as to who should get the pin is put on ice by Naito, though it doesn’t keep Titan from eating a nasty PFS from KENOH, handing the invaders the win!
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KONGOH def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (19:57)
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Redeeming WK16, KENOH offers the angriest of satisfied smiles, the group cackling as they gesture belts around their waists, warning that their business isn’t yet over. LIJ left behind, there’s a sour mood in the air from the loss, though when Shingo offers a fist in apology, PAC, taking a look at a nodding Naito, ultimately returns one, showing that despite popular belief, LIJ’s still fine.
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Splitting off for Shingo and co. to gear up for KONGOH’s second wave whilst Naito and PAC are scheduled for AEW’s ALL IN supershow, this time taking place in Tetsuya’s home of the Tokyo Dome, both men are set for defences on the show. In PAC’s case, it’s a rematch against J6G’s SANADA, the Bastard adamant to gain Naito’s favour by beating the traitor. As for Naito, he has Jay on his tail!
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Until the recent G1, White refused to show his face on any sort of NJPW programming (including Forbidden Door) since being embarrassed at Okada’s hands and having his faction torn to shreds. Leaving Japan to join AEW, no longer having connections to hide behind nor help him, he was forced to be the lone wolf for once, becoming even more merciless, knowing he’s all he has. After spreading chaos abroad, most recently coming up short in the AEW World Championship picture, trauma from his Okada loss clinging onto him anytime the stakes are raised too high again, he decided it was time to return to his roots to clear his head and eliminate any shred of weakness left in his body so that he can claim the top prize again, and there’s no better place to do so than the building his title was taken from him – the Tokyo Dome.
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The last time he faced Naito in the Tokyo Dome, he had Gedo by his side, yet still lost. Now though, he declares if he’s to have this match, he wants a compensatory factor. A means of looking out for himself, like Naito has LIJ. He’s already beaten Tetsuya thrice in singles competition, knowing he’s the better wrestler, so this time… HE WANTS A LADDER MATCH!!! Japan’s become more and more geared to the Western market, the culture shifting from traditions, so unless he’s a snob like Okada, he'll embrace the new vision and accept the challenge. Jay using the perfect words to get under Tetsuya’s skin, he accepts, looking to tear down the foundations of the Rainmaker’s regime with his reign, starting with this!
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RevProxNJPW 12th Anniversary Show (August 24, 2024)
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC) vs The Knight Dynasty (Ricky Knight Jr. & Zak Knight)
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The night before ALL IN features a special RevPro crossover event with their partners, NJPW, the 12th Anniversary being celebrated in Japan. Naturally, Naito tags with the most RevPro familiar member of LIJ, PAC, the two champions battling the celebrated Knight Dynasty, who are considered the present and future of the promotion! What begins as a fun exhibition sees more of the differences between PAC and Naito come to light, the hot-headedness of the Bastard and the collectedness of El Ingobernable wanting different things out of the match, yet still managing to remain reasonably on the same page. A close call on a 619 from Ricky sees Naito shove PAC out the way in the nick of time, absorbing the blow himself, though without acknowledging it, PAC springs to action, a Black Arrow on Zak scoring the victory!
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Los Ingobernables de Japon def. The Knight Dynasty (13:10)
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As the referee approaches LIJ with their titles, PAC’s quick to receive both, Naito only recovering just in time to find the Bastard lingering for a moment as he looks between the pieces of gold, before finally handing Tetsuya’s over him and walking off, leaving the leader confused yet unconcerned.
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ALL IN Tokyo (August 25, 2024)
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Also on the show:
PAC (c) vs SANADA - IWGP United States Championship
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs Golden Lovers - IWGP Tag Team Championship
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Jay White V - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Ladder
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Stepping into the mastermind of the Switchblade, White baits Naito to play his game, the long-time rivals settling their score over a belt they both have history with. With no Gedo around, Jay’s focus is to demolish Naito’s already tattered knees with the ladder like he did to cost Tetsuya the G1, slowing down each climbing attempt bit by bit. Given the two’s creativity, it’s a sick warfare of increasingly dangerous spots, Naito taking Jay with him to neck bump city, White cruelly massacring Tetsuya’s body with reckless abandon.
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White’s notably more in his element here, letting the Tokyo Dome atmosphere heal him whilst hurting Naito. A HANGING BLADE RUNNER cuts a Stardust Press attempt short, the magic only lasting once, but a ladder bridge CANADIAN DESTROYER buys Naito some momentum back! Ultimately, a war atop the ladder sees Naito boot Jay off, allowing him to unhook the gold to retain!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. Jay White V to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (25:30)
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Though Naito walks out with his belt, PAC doesn’t, making the Bastard’s issues all the more prominent, taking more frequent looks over at Tetsuya’s gold, which begs the question – was there more to PAC joining LIJ than originally thought? Still, he wishes Naito good luck for Wrestle Grand Slam, telling him he wants to see the belt on him when they go England. But for now, the end of his trilogy against KENOH awaits!
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Wrestle Grand Slam (September 8, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs KUSHIDA - NJPW World Television Championship
El Desperado (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata - NEVER Openweight Championship
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan) (c) vs KONGOH (Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Shuji Kondo) - NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs KENOH III - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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For over two years, the rivalry between LIJ and KONGOH has slowly simmered to this boiling point, coming down to the leaders now to settle their 1-1 score over NJPW’s top title! With the 6-Man Titles changing hands earlier in the night, Naito must put his 200% into assuring the same doesn’t occur here, or it’ll be disaster on New Japan’s waterfront.
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As two men that could not be more opposite collide, it’s an intense war over the company’s possession, everyone from fans to wrestlers on the edge of their seats as the last of the NOAH invaders try to leave their mark. KENOH shows nothing but hatred towards Naito for ruining his past chances, whilst Tetsuya savours his every moment in the Sun, having slaved away to hold this belt. A PFS almost does Naito in, whilst the DESTINO does the same for KENOH! Ragdolling the older star with Dragon Suplexes, KENOH sets up for the ENRIN… BUT IN HIS STARDUST PRESS MOMENT, HE MISSES!!! DESTINOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! New Japan remains safe in the hands of Naito!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. KENOH to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (28:33)
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Offering a handshake to KENOH out of respect for their series… the Rogue Fist declines it, though from the look in his fiery eyes, an inkling of acknowledgement is there for Tetsuya. Telling Naito to keep the belt warm for him, he declares he’ll be back sometime again, and when that happens, he’s going to usurp Naito once and for all!
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And as they leave with their 50/50 successes, it’s back to LIJ to end the show on their usual note… except, PAC interrupts the tradition. He’s confused, no, he’s incredulous. What are they celebrating here? Failure? Or are they calling it ‘survival’? Is no one going to point out the elephant in the room? Just two months ago they were on top of the world, all draped in gold, but now they’re left with just Naito and the Lucha Bros’s gold. And yet, they’re celebrating? He’s been out here losing sleep over his missing US Title!
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If they wish to continue to be taken seriously, they need to act the part. Luckily… he has a solution. They say iron sharpens iron, so rather than fighting these large-scale wars outside their stable… why not have a ‘friendly’ within? Naito has the title and an incredible row of suitors before him, so he should pick one to defend against! Tetsuya seems perturbed by the idea knowing what almost happened the last time LIJ fought within, but as PAC insists, even pointing out how he’s the only one with a clean record over Naito… Tetsuya turns to him and raises the title! If such claims are going to be made, they need to be backed up too! Challenging PAC with his title on the line, a grinning Bastard accepts, bumping his fist!
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Burning Spirit - Night Seven (September 25, 2024)
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi) vs Death Triangle (PAC & The Lucha Brothers)
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Slyly manoeuvring his way into the title rematch he’s desired ever since getting a taste of the gold against Shingo last year, this is more so PAC’s chance to prove himself over the statement he’s seeming to be making. Nonetheless, with various combinations of LIJ facing Death Triangle over the Burning Spirit tour, they supposedly rely on each other to improve their own skill, these 6 especially drawing the very best out of each other. Working more seamlessly with DT than he had LIJ as of late, the freakish chemistry between the AEW lads has a Fear FactoDouble Stomp/Black Arrow combo end Hiromu, PAC grinning as he stares down Naito, the challenge growing closer by day…
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Death Triangle def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (18:24)
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Giving a brief interview heading into the match at Royal Quest, Naito states that he can’t be certain on what PAC’s intentions are, but all he knows is that no matter what, LIJ sticks together. If this match is what PAC needs for his peace of mind, then it’s all his. All he can hope is the Bastard has the same idea of family in mind.
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Royal Quest IV - Night Two (October 6, 2024)
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Also on the show:
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
Will Ospreay (c) vs Kazuchika Okada - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs PAC II - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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The relationship between LIJ and PAC has developed into one of the more intriguing dynamics this year, raising a multitude of questions, but now, the true light of it all will be revealed. Whether it’s friendly fire or another coup, Naito’s ready for whatever PAC may happen to have up his sleeve, whilst the Bastard lets his actions do the talking. For once, it’s an utterly no-nonsense showdown between Los members, Tetsuya taking the threat of PAC very seriously, the Jordie clearly driven to make the grand prize his. And as the match rolls on, Naito starts to see parts of himself in PAC with each cheer or cry from his home crowd.
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Just like Naito, he’s the incredibly-talented misfit who was overlooked, but unlike a young Naito, PAC doesn’t realise he has the world on his side already despite his quirks. Whilst Naito had to suffer through his changes, PAC’s a made man, and with each near-fall, the crowd see it too, becoming more and more invested in him! On the cusp of his crowning moment, PAC shows no hesitation unlike the Stardust Press, NAILING THE BLACK ARROW!!! ONE! TWO! THR-BUT NAITO KICKS OUT!!! PAC may have ‘it’, but Naito’s operating on an entirely different level as World Champion, and no matter what PAC may have thrown at him, it’s not his moment just yet. DESTINOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. PAC to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (30:11)
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Maybe a different day. Both men propped in opposite corners of the ring, they suck deep for breaths, PAC only taking his eyes off Naito when he spots the title bring brought over to him. That should’ve been his. He should’ve been champion right now, but… he starts tuning in the crowd again. A standing ovation for the hometown boy. Though he may not hold the title right now, he’s still a champion in their eyes… Solace. Always overlooked, all he needed was approval. And now more than ever, he feels he has it. Noticing PAC’s realisation, Naito grins and nods to him, the two bumping fists together, no sour ending on this one.
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At least, not between LIJ… OKADA’S HERE!!! After shockingly beating Ospreay for his G1 briefcase earlier in the night, the Rainmaker has his sights on the Tokyo Dome main event, and if things are to be believed, it may be Naito defending against Kazuchika on the grand stage! The long-time WK rivals locking eyes, there’s a different atmosphere between the Ace and the Dark Ace now. No longer does Okada look upon Naito condescendingly, but with disgust. Though he failed to beat Shingo earlier in the night, Kazuchika’s been vocal all year about the damage he feels LIJ have caused the company.
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Where he did everything to purify the promotion with his reign, beating away outsiders, Naito did the exact opposite, bringing them further into their ranks and breaking tradition with a ladder match. With this briefcase in his hand though, he has the power to change that… but so does he. OSPREAY JOINS IN!!! The man who lost his case earlier in front of his own family, he can’t even look the smug Okada in the eyes. Rather, turning to Naito, he declares his desire to return to WK’s main event to not be over just yet! Against better judgement, he gave Shingo a shot at this title last year and it cost him everything. All he asks is Naito returns the favour! Smirking, Tetsuya tells him ‘earn it’, WK’s main event scene growing all the more interesting!
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Battle Autumn - Night Five (October 15, 2024)
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Elimination: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Death Triangle) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Aussie Open)
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Desperation drives a man to his darkest pits, and Ospreay is very much there. Banding his troops together one year on since the last LIJ/UE tag of this magnitude, the ante’s upped even higher now, needing to survive an elimination match to receive the match of his desires. Both stables going to war here, all their integrated rivalries of the past years come to a head, the one between Ospreay and Naito lying at the centre of it all. UE get a tough break to start with when Great-O-Khan hits the deck early, Mark Davis following, though a comeback removes the Lucha Bros from the equation!
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Cobb goes next, before Ospreay takes out PAC, a double countout subsequently removing the leaders from the equation! Boiling down to Shingo and Kyle, the Aussie Arrow pulls out the underdog performance of his life, channelling all of Ospreay’s moves before a GRIMSTONE ELIMINATES SHINGO! OSPREAY’S HEADED TO KOPW!!! Raising Fletcher onto their shoulders, it’s a grand celebration from UE, Will receiving one last lease on life! As for Naito, he can only stand and wait, a final challenge paved in his path to the Dome.
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United Empire def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (25:33)
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King of Pro-Wrestling (October 27, 2024)
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Also on the show:
KUSHIDA (c) vs Taiji Ishimori - NJPW World Television Championship
Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c) vs Catch 22 - IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Will Ospreay IV - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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One year ago, Ospreay’s overzealousness cost him the chance to main event Wrestle Kingdom with the World Title, but now, as it all comes full circle, it’s official, the winner of this match defending against Okada! With that in mind, both men are equally ravenous to make the grand opportunity theirs! Their fourth match together, it’s rife with callbacks, Naito especially making sure to remind Will of the way he beat him in last year’s A Block Finals to get in his head.
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To Tetsuya’s surprise though, this matured Ospreay is impervious to his strategies! No matter what the champion throws, the challenger always has an answer, their see-saw saga featuring plenty of nail-biting near-falls that could send either man through, but it’s a TRIAD OF HIDDEN BLADES that ultimately calls it, Ospreay finally reclaiming his throne, a date with destiny set in stone!
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Will Ospreay def. Tetsuya Naito (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (35:38)
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Before WK though, Power Struggle is on the calendar! Featuring the likes of Death Triangle dethroning KONGOH for the NEVER belts for PAC to fully find his place in LIJ, Ren Narita dethroning Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Title, and Shingo Takagi taking the US Title from SANADA, it also sees Ospreay team with Catch 22 against Okada and the two men who ended Francesco Akira and TJP’s legendary reign, SHO & Taiji Ishimori, with UE scoring the vengeful win! And on the final Road To Tokyo Dome special, Ospreay finds a surprising ally in Shibata against Okada and Tanahashi in a HUGE blockbuster tag, CHAOS getting their win back here as Shibata keeps chasing down a rematch with Tana!
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Wrestle Kingdom 19 (January 4, 2025)
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Also on the show:
Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c) vs Li-YOH - IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) (c) vs CHAOS (Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
SHO (c) vs Francesco Akira - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Ren Narita (c) vs Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Championship
Shingo Takagi (c) vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - IWGP United States Championship
Minoru Suzuki vs Taichi - Retirement
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Katsuyori Shibata
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Will Ospreay (c) vs Kazuchika Okada XII - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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Finally, this is what it’s all led to. A story set in motion from the very first moment Ospreay set foot in NJPW under Okada’s guidance in CHAOS 9 years ago. Fighting through loss after loss after loss, he finally achieved his clean win over Okada last year to reclaim his World Championship, but now, he must accomplish an even greater task – beat the Final Boss in the Tokyo Dome itself! Failing on both occasions against Okada on NJPW’s biggest stage akin to Okada’s own chase of Tanahashi, it’s his Wrestle Kingdom 10 moment now as he walks into the Dome as the reigning champion, with the Ace as the challenger! Win and he’s immortalised in history. Lose and Okada resets the company’s entire trajectory. High stakes weighing on Will’s shoulders, it’s time to elevate under pressure!
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Entering with WK level entrances to boot, Okada dripping sheer gold, and Ospreay with an entire kingdom of suited individuals accompanying him, they get underway as the bell sounds! And for the first time, it’s Ospreay controlling the opening sequence with the Tanahashi-style headlock! Big brothering Okada, he doesn’t let the Rainmaker out the gates in his own ballpark for a few minutes straight… BEFORE WILL EXPLODES FOR A HANDSPRING ENZUIGIRI!
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Okada dodges, going for a GERMAN, but Will flips through, nailing the HOOK KICK, an OSCUTTER coming up empty, Kazu swinging for a ducked RAINMAKER, and it’s a stalemate! Trading forearms, a Lariat dumps Okada out, Ospreay running Kazu’s routine of the guardrail whip and Big Boot, a RUNNING CROSSBODY EATING A DROPKICK! Nailing a TOMBSTONE on the floor, Okada sets up a table at ringside before rolling Ospreay in, the MISSILE DROPKICK and AIR-RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER harping on the neck! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!
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Wrenching the MONEY CLIP, it doesn’t get him far, a BRAINBUSTER catching Okada by surprise! SHOOTING STAR PRESS! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! A PIP PIP CHEERIO eats a BEAUTIFUL DROPKICK, before Okada whips Ospreay at the corner, only for Will to pop him up onto the turnbuckles, slamming Kawada Kicks into his face! CHEEKY NANDOS! Ospreay tries for a LIGER BOMB through the outside table, but Okada drops to the apron! Will charges for a Yakuza Kick, but a LANDSLIDE BLOCKS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OSPREAY STAYS IN!!!
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Hammering the neck, Okada lunges for a RAINMAKER, though a SNAP CUTTER blocks! ROBINSON SPECIAL! Will winds up the CHELSEA GRIN, but it receives a slap and a JOHN WOO DROPKICK! A pair of Short-Arm Rainmakers ricochet off Ospreay, but a Rainmaker is feigned for a DDT! DIVING ELBOW DROP!!! ONE! TWO! THR-WILL KICKS OUT AGAIN!!! A TOMBSTONE is countered by knees, Ospreay whipping Okada at the ropes, Kazu countering a BACK BODY DROP OVER THE ROPES!!!
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Will narrowly missing the table, Okada follows with a TOPE CON HILO… BUT OSPREAY MOVES OUT THE WAY, THE RAINMAKER EXPLODING THROUGH THE WOOD!!! Shoving Okada’s lifeless body inside, Ospreay sets up a HIDDEN BLADE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOO!!! A STORM BREAKER is blocked, Okada nailing a sick CORNER GERMAN! Dropkick rocks Will, before the TOMBSTONE connects! RAINMAKER’s dodged, Ospreay rebounding into an OSCUTTER- DROPKICK!!! AND A RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Okada keeps the wrist, going for seconds… OSPREAY NAILS A RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! Wrist still held, Will nails close-range elbows to the neck, before winding up another HIDDEN BLADE- HEAVY RAIN!!! OKADA NAILS HIS OWN HIDDEN BLADE!!! Teasing the STORM BREAKER, Ospreay spins out, dumping Kazu with a LANDSLIDE!!! AND A HIDDEN BLADE… Okada collapses! As Will tries picking him up, a DROPKICK awaits! ANOTHER DROPKICK! AZTEC SUPLEX – A LA ULTIMO DRAGON!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!!
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Okada decks Ospreay with a RAINMAKER, but Will doesn’t go down fully, Kazu nailing a SECOND! Going for the Ripcord this time… RAINHAM MAKER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA KICKS OUT!!! ESSEX DESTROYER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! Cracking a HIDDEN BLADE off Okada’s nose, an OSCUTTER follows, before he floats into a STORM BREAKER- FALLING RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Okada smelling blood, he tries for another, AND A HIDDEN BLADE CONNECTS AT THE SAME TIME!!! Keeping hold, the two knock each other loopy with one free arm… OSCUTTER’S CAUGHT WITH A TOMBSTONE!!! Okada picks him back up, going for a SPINNING TOMBSTONE- OSPREAY REVERSES INTO A SPIKE PILEDRIVER!!! Ripcord… HIDDEN BLADE!!! AND A STORM BREAKER!!! Hoisting him up for one more… A SECOND STORM BREAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
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Will Ospreay (c) def. Kazuchika Okada to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (40:51)
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HE’S DONE IT! OSPREAY’S FINALLY SURPASSED THE ACE ON HIS OWN STAGE! No longer is Okada himself anymore, but rather the Tanahashi to Ospreay’s Okada, the cycle continuing. And like his counterpart 9 years ago, Kazu leaves as empty-handed as he walked in for the first time in a decade, the times officially changing! And as sunlight washes over the Land of the Rising Sun, a new dawn is revealed. The dawn of the Ospreay Era.
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Epilogue
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Heading into 2025, NJPW is rife with changes, seeing more of the once Young Lion names step up as the likes of Tanahashi and Naito begin to slow down. CHAOS features a massive shakeup the following night as Shinsuke Nakamura returns, kickstarting his road to retirement, having been vocal in his interest of facing Tanahashi, proceeding to feud with Okada over his failures. As for Ospreay, his reign runs until Sakura Genesis, where one NJC Winner Katsuyori Shibata finally dethrones him 8 years on from his loss to Okada, though Will’s time with the title is far from over yet, remaining an integral part of the picture alongside ZSJ, Shingo, and more.

Respect Kyoshi

Only justice will bring peace.

History: Long ago, the Four Nations did not always live in harmony. The Avatar, the sole master of all four elements reincarnated in each generation, was responsible for bringing balance to the world, and the world was in disarray after the previous Avatar's death. It was up to the new Avatar, an abandoned street urchin named Kyoshi, to discover her destiny and save the world.
Kyoshi went on to become a legendary figure in her 230 years of life. She trained the elite Kyoshi Warriors and the Dai Li, defended the world from conquerors and kings alike, and remained a mythic figure hundreds of years after her death.

Source Key Citation in link: The Rise of Kyoshi = RoK [Chapter Title] The Shadow of Kyoshi = SoK [Chapter Title] Citation in superscript: Avatar: The Last Airbender Season # & Episode # = A:tLA S#E# Escape From the Spirit World, Chapter 2 = ESW 

Notes:

• Feats during RoK occur when Kyoshi is 16, with little training
• Feats during SoK occur when Kyoshi is almost 18, when she is more experienced
• All animated feats occur during Kyoshi's adulthood, after reaching full mastery

Scaling: Jianzhu,Rangi, Yun, Shirshu, Wan

Strength

• Lifting/Throwing
  • Lifts a heavy container she carries through a manor
    • The container is so heavy it would take two grown men to lift it
  • Picks a man up by the neck one-handed and cracks an ice wall behind him while strangling him
  • Bowls over men with a dense wooden game board before flinging it at others
  • Rangi stands on her knee while Kyoshi does exercise squats
  • Throws a teenager a distance away out of a vault and into a hallway
  • Pulls away a big man in a blink
  • Flings one man into two others, bowling them over
• Striking
  • Catches herself from an attacker beneath her pulling her under ice, then stamps her foot down and crushes their face before pulling herself free from the ice
  • Swings a maul at a trunk repeatedly and splits it apart
    • Another woman could not pull the maul out of the stump Kyoshi retrieved it from
  • Kicks over a cauldron large enough to immerse a grown man
  • Tackles two men at once, sending them flying away from the men around them
  • Tears people fighting eachother apart, knocks their heads into eachother, and tramples over them when running

Durability

• Injured while freeing herself from ice and gives pursuit while bleeding
• Fights through paralytic poison incapacitating her moments ago to tackle a man off a mountain side, ignoring the pain when she lands to start fighting
• Lifted into the air and slammed into the ground before being nearly suffocated into unconsciousness
• Falls a distance onto a hard stone ground and gets up to do so again throughout her training
• Endures lightning that nearly snaps her spine in two, allowing further bolts to pass through her into the ground before counterattacking and entering the Avatar State to win her duel before ultimately passing out from the pain
• Fights through a garrote coated in shards of glass around her neck
• Pelted with clay training discs Yun flings at her, taking the last one to the jaw, and keeps fighting

Speed

• Using earthbending she catches a stone thrown at her and returns it hard enough to draw blood
• Uses earthbending to bisect pebbles thrown at her and returns them
• Catches a man striking out with his knife and breaks his fingers with her fan in one swift motion
• Blocks poisoned darts fired at her instinctually
• Instinctively guards her face with her gauntlets from shrapnel
• Evades several rapid fire projeciles from Yun while delivering attacks of her own
• Blocks a spike of earth Yun attacks her with, grinding it down a foot from her face

Earthbending

• Projectiles
  • Pulls a room-sized boulder toward her from behind her opponent
  • Pulls a massive cube of stone out of a canyon from a distance away
  • Using earthbending she catches a stone thrown at her and returns it hard enough to draw blood
  • Kicks rocks at targets and raises walls
  • Uses earthbending to bisect pebbles thrown at her and returns them
  • Alters the trajectory of thrown stones, sending them out to see so far their splash is inaudible
  • Fires bullets of stone off a giant column in the center of a room, then throws the entire column so that it slices through the manor she is in to the outdoors
• Structures
  • Constructs a training area, including a balance beam
  • Creates a 50 foot ramp and surrounds a manor with a massive trench
    • Reference for estate's size
  • Raises and lowers a bridge
  • Raises a ramp up to an isolated cliff
  • Raises a crag to the isolated hut to allow those on it to leave, something noted earlier to require an extremely skilled bender
• Ground
  • Creates a trench in a street to try to entrap shirshu's leg
  • Sinks Rangi into the ground up to her shins to trap her in place
  • Attempts sinking Yun's limbs into the earth to trap him
  • Sends out a radial blast that throws the men surrounding her away ^ESW
• Power
  • Jianzhu refers to her as possessing the ability to break mountains whenever she remembered to
  • Bounces a teahouse into the air a half inch
  • The teahouse was large, possessing a partially-built second story
  • Lifts the teahouse again in combat, tilting it to one side to spill out several people
  • Fires a pebble at Jianzhu and struggles for control over it with him before struggling for control over an entire building Jianzhu tries to bring down, matching even the greater effort of his death throes as Jianzhu dies. The building then lifts up and slams down and Kyoshi needs a brief pulse of the Avatar State to hold it together
    • This was a 3 story building described as larger than the teahouse Kyoshi lifted earlier
    • Kyoshi and Jianzhu were both recovering from poison during this struggle
  • Rips the foundations away from a hut and nearly collapses a cliff, holding it into place
  • When Yun rips apart a grove and separates the trees with tremendous effort he notes that Kyoshi could have done it easily
• Mobility
  • Sprints through several walls, crushing through them as though were rice paper
  • After initial failure, learns the unique art of dust stepping to reach higher ground
  • Uses dust stepping to escape a militia
  • Plows downward through 14 stories of a building
• Misc.
  • Reaches through a brick wall and pulls someone through it
  • Suffocates several men with clay to intimidate them
  • Retrieves shards of glass from a wound around her neck
  • Blocks a spike of earth Yun attacks her with, grinding it down before it ever touches her
  • Engraves a tombstone

Firebending

• Blasts
  • Breathes fire her first time firebending, but could not summon more fire shortly after
  • Lost control of a spout of flame her second time firebending
  • Soon learned to firebend properly and felt like a natural at it, and kicks out a crescent of flame
  • Rockets herself forward into a tackle, then releases a massive ball of flame that destroys a stone defense Yun hastily raises
• Utility
  • Heats up an iron lock between her hands in order to break it
  • Summons a tornado of fire and air
  • Lights her way down a dark hallway with fire
  • Heats up iron shackles, preparing to break them
• Misc.
  • Notes that she has bending strength far surpassing the best of the best firebenders as she deflects, catches, and charges through their fireblasts

Airbending

• Blasts
  • Throws a ball of wind to blast away a man next to her sending the man flying down a hallway
  • Flattens a clump of people fighting one another
  • Holds a door shut with a continuous blast of air while whipping men around a hallway into the walls and ceilings until they collapse
  • Kicks out air that fills a hallway, smashing scrubbing it clean and smashing tables to bits
  • Gusts the clothing off a man ^{A;tLA S2E5}
• Utility
  • Plays with a breeze
  • Summons a tornado of fire and air
  • Catches several papers thrown into the air

Waterbending

• Utility
  • When caught by surprise she waterbends the first time by catching some thrown at her
  • Creates a raft to quickly navigate the canals of Ba Sing Se
  • Lifts herself and another to the surface from underwater and holds them there
  • Amplifies her swimming to sink faster
• Power
  • Aided by the moon and a waterbender providing control, Kyoshi lifts the contents of a pond and washes it through a building to spill out the guards within
    • Reference for estate's size
  • Sweeps a ship 100 yards out to sea and snaps the ropes mooring it to shore, then freezes it in the air with talons of ice
  • Lures Yun into arm's length to place her palm on his chest, then freezes his lungs solid to kill him
    • The technique is said to require too much raw power for most benders
    • Kyoshi spent a month learning healing before gaining the technique
• Healing
  • Heals a cut around her neck, though the water doesn't glow like it normally should
  • Heals superficial injuries of wounded guards, and knows how to stop bleeding and pop joints into place
  • Spends a month studying healing
  • Stabilizes Rangi and helps to save her life after Rangi suffers impalement

Avatar State

• Pulls a column of stone from a sea floor that tilts over a boat, then washes pirates away with a wave of water and pulls up more earth that snap ships apart as she boils the sea
  • Bent earth from over 200 paces away, exceeding the capabilities of Jianzhu
  • This was her first time entering the Avatar State, and she was so exhausted afterward she immediately passed out
• Described as imbuing her with the skills and knowledge of all past Avatars as well as vast amounts of energy and the previous Avatar destroyed an island before mastering the Avatar State
  • Further detail about the destroyed island
• Blacks out, waking up to find she ripped trees up by their roots, pushed over hilltops, and caused landslides, though she retains consciousness thereafter
• Raises herself and an opponent into the sky on a column of air, lights soldiers and fields of rice ablaze, creates a vortex where her opponent cannot breath, redirects flame he fires at her, and drops him to his death
  • Afterwards she reflects that she was in complete control of herself, and after a few minutes passes out from the pain of the lightning bolts she endured
• Opens up the ground to reach the well water beneath, then uses it to heal Rangi's impalement and save her life
• Throws 2 massive statues ^{A:tLA S2E3}
• Creates a fissure in the earth, raises a wall of lava, and gusts off the end of a peninsula to create Kyoshi Island ^{A:tLA S2E5}

Skill

• Combat/Tactics
  • Prior to training she could move large amounts of earth easier than precise amounts, the reverse of how most earthbenders learned
  • Teaches herself to levitate a small clay turtle, but accidentally breaks it
  • Underwent grueling training to implement her fans into a fighting style
  • Trained in firebending while balancing during sparring sessions and was comfortable dropping to her stomach on the balance beam
  • Studied Jianzhu's tactical manuals, navigating a fight within a building using said knowledge
  • Takes out over two dozen armed men while fighting in a confined space
• Stealth
  • Learned to step quietly during her time as a servant
  • Sneaks up on Kirima
  • Automatically scans her environs for weaknesses in their security
• Spirituality
  • Unconsciously recited a previous Avatar's poem word for word
  • Feels a prickle on her neck in a spiritually resonant location
  • Meditates to summon the previous Avatar to speak with her
  • Possesses a later Avatar's body to testify in court after her death ^{A:tLA S2E5}
  • Experiences difficulty communicating with her previous life at first
  • Communing with past lives is said to be extremely difficult
  • Connects with Kuruk's memories upon meditating with a spiritual guide, who is impressed with how quickly she did so
  • Nearly drowns herself to successfully establish contact with Kuruk
  • Proves skilled at detaching herself from the physical world, and connects with her past life Yangchen

Equipment

• Wears chainmail armor
  • Protects her from an arrow
  • A sword breaks against her shoulder
  • Makes her chainmail even heavier
  • Stands up to earthbent shrapnel that killed several others, including armored guards
• Uses her mothers bronze war fans, headdress, and makeup
  • Her fans helped her mother continue to airbend as her powers dwindled
  • They also help her to waterbend for the first time
  • Her fans assist Kyoshi in bending with precision so well it feels like cheating
  • Breaks a man's fingers fingers with her fan in one swift motion
• Wears armored metal gloves that do not impede her bending and guard against darts

Unforgiven 2004 (Raw)
Date: 12/9/04
Location: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Shelton Benjamin vs Edge
(After SummerSlam, Edge explains his actions. Edge says that since he’s came back, the WWE universe haven’t appreciated him, took him for granted and he doesn’t need them or their heroes like Chris Benoit, Shelton Benjamin, Shawn Michaels etc, all he needs is himself and himself only. Benjamin attacks Edge for betraying him and challenges him to this match which Edge accepts. Edge uses heel tactics to win.)
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Eugene & William Regal (c) vs La Resistance
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs Kane
(Kane wins a #1 Contender’s Match against Shelton Benjamin thanks to Edge to earn this match against Y2J. Kane promises to win the Intercontinental Championship since it’s been a while since he’s held some gold and Jericho promises to rise to the challenge in order to remain champion. Kane wins the championship clean after delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Jericho.)
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Victoria
Shawn Michaels vs Christian w/Tyson Tomko
(Christian and Tyson Tomko attack Shawn Michaels when he returns. Christian says that he looked up to Shawn as a kid but in the last 2 years since returning, he’s become a phony and isn’t the Shawn Michaels he grew up loving. He says he even loved the fact that he screwed Bret Hart who’s Canadian just like him but says that Shawn Michaels is dead. Michaels says he found god and he’s a better person which is why he isn’t the guy Christian loved. Michaels then says Christian is going to get what’s coming to him for picking a fight with him, he’s going to kick his teeth down his throat and will enjoy doing it. Michaels wins clean after a Sweet Chin Music in a very good 15 minute match.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Randy Orton
(Randy Orton wins a Battle Royal on Raw the night after SummerSlam to earn this opportunity against Chris Benoit. Orton says that he’s the future of this company who has a desire and destiny to do one thing in the WWE, win championships. Benoit says Orton is a talented kid who comes from a very well respected family but he’s also an arrogant little punk who’s going to need lessons off him before getting to where he wants to be. In a classic main event, Randy Orton RKO’s Benoit out of nowhere and pins him 1,2…3 to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, the youngest World Champion in history. After the match, Evolution come down and celebrate with him as Unforgiven draws to a close.)
Note:
(Evolution don’t turn on Randy Orton the night after this event and the Legend Killer isn’t turning face, the group will remain for a little longer although Triple H is of course jealous that Orton’s the champion and he isn’t.)
No Mercy 2004 (SmackDown)
Date: 3/10/04
Location: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Cruiserweight Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Spike Dudley
WWE Tag Team Championship:
The Basham Brothers (c) vs The Dudley Boyz vs Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam
Texas Bullrope Match for the United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs JBL w/Orlando Jordan
(After SummerSlam, JBL wins a #1 Contender’s Match against Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam to earn this match against John Cena for the United States Championship. JBL says that he doesn’t want this to be a normal match and challenges the Dr. of Thuganomics to a first ever Texas Bullrope Match! Cena accepts, saying he can’t wait to beat the hell out of Bradshaw who’s been running his mouth since disgustingly betraying his partner a few months back. In the build up, JBL recruits Orlando Jordan as his personal assistant, and him and Jordan beat up Cena. On the go home show, Cena beats down Jordan with a Bullrope and warns JBL that’s him at No Mercy. In a bloody and brutal contest, Orlando Jordan distracts John Cena before Bradshaw capitalizes, hits Cena with a Clothesline from Hell in pins him to win the United States Championship!)
#1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship:
Booker T vs Kurt Angle
(Kurt Angle returns from injury and says he’s back for one reason, the WWE Championship. Angle says that he wants the winner of the main event at Survivor Series because he’s next in line. Booker T interrupts and says Angle should get to the back of the line, he’s next and teases a face turn. Theodore Long announces that both men will compete at No Mercy and the winner will face the WWE Champion at Survivor Series. Booker T turns fully face in the build up and the fans get behind him. He says Kurt Angle sucks and he’s going to beat that sucka at No Mercy. Angle says he’ll be breaking Booker’s ankle at No Mercy for making fun of him while he also punches his ticket to the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series. In a highly competitive match, Kurt Angle wins after forcing Booker T to submit to the Angle Lock.)
WWE Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs The Undertaker
(After SummerSlam, The Undertaker says Paul Heyman no longer controls him and he’s got one full focus now… The WWE Championship! Taker challenges Guerrero to one more match after what transpired at SummerSlam. Eddie accepts because he’s a fighting champion and wants to face his demons like he’s faced other demons in his past. Guerrero tells Undertaker that he can try and play mind games with him all he wants, he won’t ever be as good when it comes to mind games and tactics as him. In the build up, Taker plays mind games with the Gong to try and get into Guerrero’s head but it doesn’t work, with Eddie saying he’s no longer going to be intimidated like he was at the start when Taker went after his title. Taker then surrounds the ring with druids and Tombstone’s Latino Heat on the go home show episode of SmackDown. Eddie and Taker have a 20 minute classic with Latino Heat finding a way to retain his WWE Championship. No Mercy draws to a close with Eddie Guerrero celebrating with his title at the top of the ramp although his celebration is cut short. Kurt Angle attacks Eddie from behind, puts in the Angle Lock and injures Eddie’s ankle. No Mercy ends with Kurt Angle holding up the WWE Championship.)
Taboo Tuesday 2004 (Raw)
Date: 19/10/04
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Eugene & William Regal (c) vs Rhyno & Tajiri
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Molly Holly
Intercontinental Championship:
Kane (c) vs Chris Jericho
(Chris Jericho invokes his rematch clause for the Intercontinental Championship and he promises to regain it from Kane. Kane says just like at Unforgiven, Jericho will face his wrath. The fans choose a stipulation with 3 choices and they choose a Steel Cage Match! Kane retains via escaping the cage.)
No Holds Barred Match:
Shelton Benjamin vs Edge
(This feud continues after Unforgiven with Benjamin still extremely upset at what Edge has done to him recently. The fans choose these two to participate in a No Holds Barred match. Shelton Benjamin wins and gets revenge to close out the feud.)
Shawn Michaels vs Christian w/Tyson Tomko
(Christian and Tomko continue going after Michaels, claiming his win at Unforgiven was a fluke and he’s still a phony. Christian challenges Michaels to a rematch and The Showstopper accepts, promising to end this for good. Michaels wins again to end the feud.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Chris Benoit vs Triple H
(After losing the World Heavyweight Championship, Chris Benoit wants his rematch which is granted to him. However, Eric Bischoff says someone else will be in this match… Triple H! Orton and The Game are shocked and don’t want to fight one another but Bischoff tells them it’s happening whether they like it or not. Orton and Triple H promise no matter what happens, Evolution will remain since the title being in the group is fine regardless of who the champion is. Benoit says that’s nonsense and if one of them could, they’d stab the other in the back out of jealousy when it comes to the World Championship. In this match, Orton and Triple H tease animosity after a lack of communication. Chris Benoit goes to hit Orton over the head with a chair but Orton moves and Benoit hits Triple H instead. Orton then RKO’s Benoit who rolls out the ring and the Legend Killer pins Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship!)
Note:
(On the Raw after Taboo Tuesday, Triple H tells Randy Orton that he’d have done the same if he was the champion and is glad the title is still in the hands of Evolution. The group isn’t splitting up yet.)
Survivor Series 2004
Date: 14/11/04
Location: Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Intercontinental Championship:
Kane (c) vs Shelton Benjamin
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Lita (By Disqualification)
(The same match as in real life, Lita gets disqualified very quickly and breaks Trish’s nose.)
Survivor Series Tag Team Match:
Team Cena (John Cena, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio & The Big Show) vs Team JBL (JBL, Orlando Jordan, Carlito & The Basham Brothers)
(Sole survivors:Cena & Booker T)
Cruiserweight Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Paul London
The Undertaker vs Snitsky
(Snitsky comes down to the ring and lays down an open challenge to anyone in the back who thinks they’ve got the guts to face him. His challenge is answered by… The Undertaker! Taker beats Snitsky in a 5 minute contest.)
WWE Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Kurt Angle
(After No Mercy, Eddie Guerrero says that he can’t wait to get his hands on Kurt Angle after being attacked by him at No Mercy. Angle explains his actions and says it isn’t just because Eddie’s got what he wants which is the WWE Championship, he also despises him. Angle says that while being out injured, it’s made him sick watching Guerrero hold the WWE Championship and bring it into disrepute with some of his lying and cheating tactics which weirdly entertains the fans. Angle says Eddie won’t be able to Lie, Cheat and Steal his way to victory against him at Survivor Series. Eddie responds by saying it’s worked against many and it can work against him if necessary. He also says Angle won’t take away what he’s worked hard for in the calendar year. Eddie goes into this with an injured ankle thanks to Angle. Angle targets that fragile area before locking in the Angle Lock right in the middle of the ring in a 25 minute classic and it’s enough for Kurt Angle to make Eddie Guerrero tap out to win the WWE Championship!)
Team Benoit (Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Eugene & William Regal) vs Team Evolution (Randy Orton, Triple H, Ric Flair, Batista & Edge)
(Chris Benoit continues his crusade against Evolution and challenges them to a match at Survivor Series. Evolution accepts, saying they’ll recruit someone and Benoit can try recruit 4 other guys to team with him although they doubt it because not many have the guts to take them on. Evolution recruits Edge, saying he’s impressed them a lot recently. Benoit promises to not only recruit four other men, but to show even more cracks in Evolution after his team beats them. Benoit gets Eugene, William Regal, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels to team with him! Chris Jericho is left 2 on 1 against Randy Orton & Triple H but he overcomes the odds to win the match for Team Benoit, last eliminating Randy Orton. After the match, Triple H, Batista and Flair help Orton up but then Triple H Pedigrees Orton! Evolution give Orton the beating of his life and Survivor Series ends with Triple H holding up the World Heavyweight Championship!)
(Sole Survivor:Chris Jericho)
Notes:
(Randy Orton isn’t turning face, he’s going to be a tweener who’s still only in it for himself.)
(Lita wins the Women’s Championship in the main event of Raw on December 6th, 2004.)
Armageddon 2004 (SmackDown)
Date: 12/12/04
Location: Gwinnett Center, Duluth, Georgia
WWE Tag Team Championship:
Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
Cruiserweight Championship:
Paul London (c) vs Chavo Guerrero
John Cena vs Orlando Jordan
(Cena wants revenge on Orlando Jordan for costing him the United States Championship at No Mercy and then in his rematch on an episode of SmackDown so Teddy Long grants him this match.)
United States Championship:
JBL (c) w/Viscera vs The Big Show
(The Big Show wants gold so he targets JBL and the United States Championship. With his buddy Orlando Jordan tied up against John Cena, a terrified JBL wants back up so he hires Viscera to be his bodyguard. Big Show says Bradshaw can hide behind whoever he wants, nothing and no one is stopping him from regaining the title he never got a rematch for after WrestleMania. There’s a ref bump in this match in which Viscera, The Basham Brothers & Orlando Jordan all attack The Big Show. JBL then delivers a Clothesline from Hell before the referee then recovers and makes the 3 count for JBL to retain.)
Booker T vs Carlito
WWE Championship:
Kurt Angle (c) vs Eddie Guerrero vs The Undertaker
(After Survivor Series, an injured Eddie Guerrero says that he’s invoking his rematch clause whether anyone in management, doctors or Kurt Angle like it or not. Angle says that’s fine, he’ll just injure Guerrero’s other ankle. With Eddie being touch and go, Teddy Long says he wants assurances that Angle defends the title at Armageddon so adds to this match whether it’s either a triple threat or a one-on-one contest… The Undertaker! Angle is furious and demands Teddy remove Undertaker from this match but his request is denied. On the SmackDown before Armageddon, Eddie reveals that he’s cleared to compete and promises regain the title at Armageddon. The Undertaker says both men will fall to The Phenom and he’ll reclaim his yard after 2 years without the gold meanwhile Angle says he’s going to break both men’s ankles, spit in their faces and walk out with the gold. In a thrilling contest, Eddie Guerrero delivers a Frog Splash to The Undertaker but Angle then comes in quickly to prevent Guerrero from winning, delivers an Angle Slam to Latino Heat and pins him to retain the WWE Championship! Armageddon draws to a close with Angle reigning supreme.)
And that’s part 37 in the history books! I hope you guys liked it and loved the idea of me stalling on Evolution turning on Randy Orton. I’ll be back very soon for part 38 where we’ll enter 2005 and see the end of Evolution, new stars born at WrestleMania 21 and the first ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Stay tuned!

Judgement Day 2004
Date: 16/5/04
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
WWE Tag Team Championship:
Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (c) vs The APA
(After the match, Bradshaw turns on Faarooq and takes him out with a Clothesline from Hell.)
Cruiserweight Championship:
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Jamie Noble w/Nidia
(After the match, Jamie Noble dumps Nidia for good. RIP Applebee’s 🙁😂)
United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Rene Dupree
The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer vs Booker T
(After being drafted to SmackDown, Booker T turns heel and attacks The Undertaker in order to try and make a statement. Booker says he’s always felt underlooked, even when he got the opportunity to be the World Heavyweight Champion on Raw because management preferred others. He says he’ll not allow that to happen on SmackDown and that’s why he’s going after the heart and soul of the company. The Undertaker tells Booker T that he’s dug his own grave and will rest in peace at Judgment Day!)
WWE Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Rob Van Dam vs Kurt Angle
(After WrestleMania, Kurt Angle believes that he deserves a shot at the WWE Championship after beating Goldberg. Angle says he’s the best damn wrestler on the planet and wants rewarded off the new GM Teddy Long with a match against Eddie Guerrero at Judgement Day! Rob Van Dam interrupts and claims that he never got an opportunity on Raw for years and says that the reason he was excited to come to SmackDown was because there would be more opportunities. Teddy Long books them both in a match but it ends in a double count out and it results in Long making it a triple threat match at Judgment Day. Eddie Guerrero says that he doesn’t care if it’s Angle or Van Dam, he’ll be leaving Los Angeles still the WWE Champion. In a classic triple threat match, Eddie Guerrero retains after hitting Rob Van Dam with a Frog Splash!)
Notes:
(Kurt Angle goes on hiatus after Judgement Day to have another neck operation.)
(Rhyno & Tajiri win the World Tag Team Championship from Evolution on the 17/5/04 episode of Raw.)
Bad Blood 2004 (Raw)
Date: 13/6/04
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Rhyno & Tajiri (c) vs La Resistance
Women’s Championship:
Lita (c) vs Victoria vs Trish Stratus
(Trish wins the Women’s Championship and also turns heel in the process by continuing the assault on Lita after the match!)
Intercontinental Championship:
Christian (c) w/Tyson Tomko vs Chris Jericho (By Disqualification)
(After Backlash, Chris Jericho demands a rematch against Christian which is granted after what transpired at the event. Jericho says that Christian is nothing but a coward who had to hire back up because he couldn’t accept the fact he lost at WrestleMania. Christian says whether he’s got Tomko with him or not, he has what it takes to beat Y2J. Chris Jericho wins this match via DQ after Tomko attacks Jericho who has the match won nearly after hitting Christian with a Lionsault. Tomko and Christian stand tall over Jericho with Christian raising the title up high.)
Shelton Benjamin vs Randy Orton w/Ric Flair
(After beating Flair at Backlash, Shelton Benjamin says he’ll take on anyone within Evolution in order to prove himself in the company. Flair interrupts and makes it look like he wants a rematch until Orton out of nowhere delivers an RKO fresh off his feud with Mick Foley. Orton says that he’s the future of the company and he’s going to destroy Shelton for his mentor Ric Flair at Bad Blood. Benjamin says Orton is nothing but a spoiled brat who’s having everything handed to him because of who his daddy is. During this match, Batista comes out and causes a distraction which allows Orton to capitalise by delivering an RKO to win the match.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Kane
(After beating Edge at Backlash, Kane demands that he be rewarded with a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship which a terrified and intimidated Eric Bischoff accepts. Kane says that he’s going to utterly destroy Chris Benoit and end this fairytale title reign of his once and for all. Chris Benoit says that Kane is the biggest challenge he’ll get but he’ll not be intimidated by the Big Red Monster whether he’s got a mask on or not. During the match, there’s a ref bump which Matt Hardy who Kane attacked on Raw a few weeks prior smashes Kane over the head with a chair. Benoit then retains the title after a delivering a diving head butt to Kane. Once Benoit goes away, Kane is pissed off at Hardy!!!)
Hell in a Cell Match:
Shawn Michaels vs Triple H
(The final battle in an epic 2 year rivalry culminates here. Shawn Michaels proposes to The Game that they end this once and for all at Bad Blood which Triple H accepts. Triple H says he’s willing to take Michaels to his favourite playground, Hell in a Cell! Both men in the build up, talk about their history in The Kliq and DX which Shawn says he’s the reason Triple H got to where he is. Triple H disputes by saying he got there once Shawn Michaels left! He says he if anything he bolstered Michaels legacy by bringing him back which only he could’ve by beating the holy hell out of him because he was only one willing to. This match is a violent bloodbath but it doesn’t go for almost 50 minutes, that’s too damn long. Instead it goes 30 minutes with Triple H winning clean to end the feud once and for all in a classic.)
The Great American Bash 2004 (SmackDown)
Date: 27/6/04
Location: Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia
WWE Tag Team Championship:
Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (c) vs The Basham Brothers
Cruiserweight Championship:
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Spike Dudley vs Chavo Guerrero
Faarooq vs JBL
(After turning on Faarooq at Judgement Day, the arrogant John Bradshaw Layfield is born! JBL says that he got sick and tired of teaming with Faarooq, it was holding him back and now he wants to make a name for himself like he knows he can. Faarooq says Bradshaw is a dumb bastard who he put up with for 6 years and he wants to teach him a lesson at The Great American Bash for daring to betray him. JBL wins clean and Faarooq retires after this match.)
United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Rene Dupree
The Undertaker vs Luther Reigns w/Paul Heyman
(Paul Heyman starts playing mind games with The Undertaker in order to get revenge after The Deadman tombstoned him on the SmackDown after WrestleMania. Heyman hires up and coming Luther Reigns to help him in his quest for revenge against The Phenom. They kidnap Paul Bearer, also steal The Undertaker’s urn and they control him till this event. Teddy Long says at The Great American Bash, Luther Reigns will be facing The Undertaker. The Undertaker wins clean, but then Paul Heyman uses the urn to his advantage and then instead of freeing Paul Bearer, Taker says his goodbyes to Bearer by filling him up with cement in order to write him off TV. The Deadman turns heel… for now.)
WWE Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Booker T
(Booker T wins a #1 Contender’s Match against Rob Van Dam to earn this opportunity for the WWE Championship. Booker T says this is what he came to SmackDown for, to win the WWE Championship. He also says Eddie Guerrero is a fool who he’s never liked even as far back as their days in WCW together. Guerrero says that he’s never liked Booker T either and has always wanted to punch his teeth down his throat. Eddie Guerrero retains the championship after hitting a Frog Splash although uses some of his classic cheating tactics when the referee isn’t looking to outsmart Booker T. The Great American Bash draws to a close with Eddie celebrating with the fans after retaining his WWE Championship.)
Vengeance 2004 (Raw)
Date: 11/7/04
Location: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Matt Hardy vs Kane
(Kane does NOT rape Lita in the slightest, that was just wrong and disgusting that the company did that storyline on so many levels. Instead Kane rampages through the roster, he brutalises Matt after Backlash and Matt got one back on him by costing him the World Heavyweight Championship at Bad Blood. Kane is severely pissed and wants revenge so Eric Bischoff grants him a match against Matt Hardy here which Kane says the name of the PPV is perfect because he’s going to get one thing… VENGEANCE! Kane wins clean after delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Matt Hardy. After the match, Kane continues to beat the hell out of Hardy until Lita comes down and begs Kane to stop. Kane stops… and tombstones Lita! Lita is stretchered out of the arena and Kane is called a “crazy bastard!” by J.R on commentary.)
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Victoria
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Rhyno & Tajiri (c) vs La Resistance
Eugene vs William Regal
(After the match, William Regal shakes Eugene’s hand. Regal turns face and both men become tag team partners.)
Shelton Benjamin & Edge vs Evolution (Randy Orton & Batista)
(Edge agrees to help Shelton Benjamin against Evolution after Evolution begin attacking him too so he wants revenge. They both say that Evolution is filled with brats like Randy Orton and Batista who think they’re better than what they are and promise that they’ll show them up at Vengeance. Orton & Batista tell them both Edge and Benjamin that they’ll coming to Vengeance to show why they’re the future of this company by taking care of business. Orton & Batista win this match thanks to help from Ric Flair.)
If Chris Jericho wins, he’ll get one more chance for the Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho vs Tyson Tomko w/Christian
(After Bad Blood, Chris Jericho is told by Christian that he’ll not be getting another chance at his title unless he earns it and Eric Bischoff agrees with him. Christian then tells him if he can beat Tyson Tomko at Vengeance, he’ll get one more opportunity against him. Despite Christian’s best attempts to Cody Y2J, he overcomes Tomko.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Ric Flair
(After Bad Blood, Triple H is selling his injuries from the Hell in a Cell Match so Ric Flair is leading Evolution just now. Flair says that he’ll take care of Benoit and get that World Heavyweight Championship back in the hands of Evolution. Benoit says he has the utmost respect for what Flair’s accomplished in his career but his time is up and right now is Chris Benoit’s time. Orton & Batista get involved but Edge & Benjamin even the odds and brawl with Evolution through the crowd. In the ring, Benoit locks in the Crossface to Flair and the Nature Boy taps out. After the match while Benoit celebrates, guess who appears from behind… Triple H! The Game delivers a Pedigree to Rabid Wolverine and holds up the World Heavyweight Championship as Vengeance draws to a close.)
SummerSlam 2004
Date: 15/8/04
Location: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Edge & Shelton Benjamin vs Evolution (Randy Orton & Batista)
(Edge turns heel on Shelton Benjamin during this match which allows Evolution to win. The Rated R Superstar is born!)
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
La Resistance (c) vs Eugene & William Regal
No Holds Barred Match:
Matt Hardy vs Kane
(After Vengeance, Matt Hardy is furious and attacks Kane with a steel chair after what he did to Lita. Hardy says Kane is a big red piece of s**t and he’s going to get revenge for the woman he loves. Hardy challenges Kane to a match at SummerSlam to end this once and for all which Kane accepts, as long as the match is No Holds Barred so he can dispose of Matt Hardy once and for all. Hardy accepts Kane’s challenge to up the stakes. During the match, Lita returns and hits Kane with a low blow from behind. Hardy then smashes Kane over the head with a brutal chair shot, delivers a Twist of Fate and pins Kane to win this match and end the feud.)
United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Booker T vs Rob Van Dam vs JBL
WWE Tag Team Championship:
The Basham Brothers (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the Intercontinental Championship - Tyson Tomko is banned from ringside:
Christian (c) vs Chris Jericho
(The final chapter of this long rivalry culminates here. After winning at Vengeance, Jericho tells Christian that he’ll be challenging him for his title at SummerSlam in their final battle and he’s got news for him. It’s going to be a… Tables, Ladders and Chairs match! Christian says that’s fine because he’s a founding father of the TLC match and Jericho has just guaranteed himself to lose at SummerSlam. Jericho also breaks the news to him that he’s spoke to Bischoff, Tyson Tomko is banned from ringside. Christian’s mood certainly changes. Christian tries to get Bischoff to change his mind but the Raw GM tells him the decision is final! In a classic encounter, Chris Jericho throws Christian off the ladder through two tables and recaptures the Intercontinental Championship to close out the feud.)
WWE Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs The Undertaker w/Paul Heyman (By Disqualification)
(After The Great American Bash, The Undertaker who’s being totally controlled by Paul Heyman starts targeting Eddie Guerrero and his WWE Championship! Heyman tells Guerrero that his Undertaker is going to punish and destroy him while taking his WWE Title and dream away from him. Heyman also tells Guerrero that his antiques while he was in charge and still does is something he can’t stand and it’s going to result in one thing, Karma. Guerrero says that Heyman is nothing but a sad man who’s gotten desperate to the point he’s weaseled his way to controlling The Undertaker’s mind by stealing the urn. The Undertaker tells Guerrero that at SummerSlam, he’ll be meeting the reaper in his nightmares for real. In this match, Eddie tries to use his antiques to beat The Deadman but it’s not working. Eddie then manages to get his hand on the urn, hits Taker over the head then empties it. Heyman then comes into the ring to reclaim the urn but The Undertaker gets to him on time and Tombstones Paul Heyman! Undertaker then picks up the urn and hits Eddie Guerrero over the head with it but he’s caught by the referee and gets disqualified! A pissed off Taker Chokeslams the referee and lays out Eddie Guerrero with a Tombstone Piledriver, hinting that he’s not done with the WWE Champion. He’s basically a tweener now in this feud more than a full blown heel.)
Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Triple H
(Triple H is granted this match at SummerSlam after Eric Bischoff was impressed with his performance at Bad Blood against Shawn Michaels and also says it’s fair to do this seeing as The Game never got his one on one rematch after WrestleMania. Triple H says his ultimate goal in regaining the World Heavyweight Championship will be completed at SummerSlam, he’ll prove that Benoit is a flash in the pan and his win at WrestleMania over him was a fluke. Benoit says Triple H underestimated him at WrestleMania and if that’s his attitude that it was a fluke, he thrives on it. He dares Triple H to underestimate him again, especially with stakes. Benoit offers to make this a Last Man Standing match which Triple H accepts. Benoit tells The Game if he’s got any balls, Evolution will stay out of this and not get involved which The Game reluctantly accepts. He says he won’t need Evolution to beat the crap out of Benoit at SummerSlam. In a bloody encounter, Benoit locks in the Crossface on a bloody Triple H, he passes out and doesn’t make the 10 count. SummerSlam draws to a close.)
Notes:
(Matt Hardy goes away after picking up an injury in his match against Kane and is out for the foreseeable.)
(Shawn Michaels returns on Raw the next night and he’s immediately targeted by Christian & Tyson Tomko.)
And that’s part 36! Wow, that was hard work but I got there in the end. I hope you guys enjoyed it and are loving the project. I’ll be back tomorrow for part 37 where we’ll see Randy Orton step up, The Legend Killer stay in Evolution for a while longer and the return of Kurt Angle. Stay safe and stay tuned!

Really love the mil spec+ look but saw the tombstone tactical listing for the DDM4 V7 with Geissele SSA trigger, magpul pro iron sights, ergo wedgelok rail panel inserts for $1,650. The regular black DDM4 V7 is listed at $1,907. Why is an upgraded rifle offered for so much less than a stock rifle? What am I missing?

Royal Rumble 2004
Date: 25/1/04
Location: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Eddie Guerrero vs Chavo Guerrero
(Chavo Guerrero turns heel upon return and turns on Eddie. Chavo says that he no longer needs Eddie Guerrero, he only needs Chavo Guerrero. Eddie says that Chavo is nothing without Latino Heat and he’ll regret turning on his family.)
Tables Match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Evolution (Batista & Ric Flair) (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
(Evolution retain after Batista hits D-Von with a Batista Bomb through a table to win this match.)
WWE Championship:
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Shelton Benjamin w/Charlie Haas
(Shelton Benjamin shockingly wins a battle royal to earn this opportunity at the Royal Rumble. In the build up, Shelton Benjamin and Brock Lesnar go over their time in OVW together. Lesnar says that Shelton is arguably the most gifted athlete in this sport after him but promises to destroy his former friend. Shelton says that competing for the WWE Championship is a dream come true and how fitting it is he gets to face Brock Lesnar in his opportunity of a lifetime. Brock retains his title clean in a 15 minute match although Shelton puts up one hell of a fight.)
No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Triple H (c) vs Goldberg
(After Armageddon, Goldberg invokes his rematch clause and tells Triple H that he never beat him! Triple H demands that Bischoff doesn’t give Goldberg the chance but Bischoff tells him it’s contractual that Goldberg gets a rematch so he can’t change it. Goldberg further adds insult to injury by telling Triple H that their match at the Royal Rumble will be a No Holds Barred match and that he’s next! Evolution interfere despite Triple H claiming he'll leave them behind and go in alone but Goldberg has equalisers in a steel chair, a Spear and Jackhammer. Goldberg then goes to Spear Triple H but in from the crowd is… Kurt Angle! Angle smashes Goldberg over the head with a pipe, Angle Slams him and Triple H capitalises by pinning Goldberg to retain the World Heavyweight Championship!
Royal Rumble Match:
Chris Benoit (#1) wins by last eliminating The Big Show (#24)
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are Chris Benoit, The Big Show, Shawn Michaels & Kane
Mick Foley attacks Test, returns during this match and shocks the life out of Randy Orton. Foley eliminates Orton and himself.
Kane eliminates 8 men before being eliminated by Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels
No Way Out 2004 (SmackDown)
Date: 15/2/04
Location: Cow Palace, Daly City, California
Vince McMahon Segment:
(Vince McMahon opens the show to host the new “Vince McMahon kiss my ass club”. Vince then brings Theodore Long out to kiss his ass, saying that he’ll make him the new General Manager of SmackDown if he does. While Vince is trying to get Teddy to kiss his ass… GONG! Vince looks utterly terrified and there’s a message on the Titantron as a blue light is on around the arena. The message reads “Vince McMahon, you made the ultimate sin and will pay for your sin at WrestleMania! After that on the Titantron it reads 11-0 and turns to 12-0! “March 14th, 2004. RIP Vince McMahon!”)
The APA vs The Basham Brothers
Cruiserweight Championship:
Jamie Noble (c) w/Nidia vs Rey Mysterio vs Ultimo Dragon
(We’re going to Applebee’s Nidia!)
WWE Championship:
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Shelton Benjamin
(Shelton Benjamin says he took Brock Lesnar to his limit at the Royal Rumble and wants another opportunity to compete for the WWE Championship. After an impressive performance, Vince McMahon grants Shelton his wish. Brock Lesnar says he actually likes Shelton and always has but warns him that the only thing coming his way at No Way Out is pain! Shelton puts up a fight again but in the end, Lesnar ultimately retains.)
Winner faces the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 20:
John Cena vs The Big Show vs Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle
(After Chris Benoit leaves SmackDown and goes to Raw to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, Vince McMahon books this match to determine who’ll face the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 20. During the match, Kurt Angle looks set to win until Goldberg appears and delivers a devastating Spear to the Olympic Gold Medalist! Big Show tries to take advantage but Eddie Guerrero hits him over the head with a chair. Eddie then goes to the top rope, delivers a Frog Splash to Big Show and pins him to win his ticket to WrestleMania!)
Note:
(The Rock returns to the company the night after No Way Out.)
Hall of Fame class of 2004:
(Harley Race, Sgt. Slaughter, Greg Valentine, Bobby Heenan, Tito Santana, Big John Studd, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Don Muraco, Superstar Billy Graham, Junkyard Dog and Pete Rose)
WrestleMania XX
Date: 14/3/04
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
United States Championship:
The Big Show (c) vs John Cena
(John Cena wins his first championship in WWE at his first WrestleMania to a huge pop from the New York crowd.)
WWE Tag Team Championship:
The World’s Greatest Tag Team (c) vs The APA vs The Basham Brothers vs Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty
Intercontinental Championship:
Christian (c) vs Chris Jericho
(On the Raw after the Royal Rumble, Christian turns on Chris Jericho and brutally assaults him. After being betrayed by Christian, Chris Jericho turns face, wants payback and demands Christian be a man and face him at WrestleMania with the Intercontinental Championship on the line. Christian accepts, saying he’ll prove in front of the whole world that he was the true brains behind the team. Chris Jericho wins the championship after Christian taps out to the Walls of Jericho.)
Falls Count Anywhere Match:
Mick Foley vs Randy Orton
(Randy Orton attacks Mick Foley at every possible opportunity, claiming he’s the Legend Killer. After being eliminated by Foley at the Royal Rumble, Orton is outraged and beats the holy hell out of Foley. This forces Foley to challenge Randy Orton to a match at WrestleMania which the Legend Killer accepts. Foley vows to beat some respect out of Orton while Orton vows to put Foley back into the retirement home. Orton wins clean after hitting Foley with an RKO through the announce table.)
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Evolution (Batista & Ric Flair) (c) vs La Resistance vs The Dudley Boyz vs Booker T & Mark Henry
Rob Van Dam vs Kane
(Kane terrorises his former partner for months upon returning. Van Dam avoids wanting to fight him but after numerous assaults, he eventually snaps and demands this match. Kane says the man behind the mask became a disgrace of who he truly is and without the mask he’s the true monster he always knew he was. Kane wins clean after hitting RVD with a Tombstone Piledriver.)
Goldberg vs Kurt Angle
(After No Way Out, Goldberg challenges Kurt Angle to a match at WrestleMania. Goldberg wants revenge because Angle cost him the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. Angle accepts because Goldberg cost him a chance to compete for the WWE Championship. Angle then goes on to say the reason he even cost Goldberg the World Championship at the Royal Rumble is because he’s an absolute joke to professional wrestling. Angle goes all on in Goldberg with a shoot promo, tears into his wrestling ability and says at WrestleMania, a true wrestler in him will reign supreme and totally embarrass him. This match goes on for about 10 minutes due to Goldberg not wanting to be there with Angle going over via a roll up. Seeing as Goldberg is leaving, he can do the honours for one of the top guys.)
Six-Pack Challenge for the Cruiserweight Championship:
Jamie Noble (c) w/Nidia vs Chavo Guerrero vs Ultimo Dragon vs Rey Mysterio vs Tajiri vs Billy Kidman
(Mysterio wins the title at WrestleMania for the second year in a row. No more Applebee’s for Nidia 😂)
The Rock vs Shawn Michaels
(Shawn Michaels calls out and challenges The Rock to a match at WrestleMania 20! Michaels says that he wants to steal the show and also show that since The Rock went to Hollywood, he’s not only the Showstopper but he’s also the company’s most electrifying athlete. The Rock says that no matter how much he’s away, he’ll always be the most electrifying man in the sport and tells Shawn Michaels that he accepts his challenge. The Rock also tells Michaels that he believes he’s one of the greatest in ring performers ever so beating him will add to his already iconic legacy even more at the grandest stage of them all. In a very back and forth match with the crowd totally engaged, Shawn Michaels wins after hitting The Rock with two Sweet Chin Music’s. After the match, The Rock is applauded by the MSG crowd in what’s going to be his last match for 8 years.)
Women’s Championship:
Molly Holly (c) vs Lita
(Lita returns after a huge injury lay-off and sets her sights on winning the Women’s Championship. Molly Holly tells Lita that she’ll be back on the shelf in no time after she’s finished with her at WrestleMania.)
WWE Championship:
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Eddie Guerrero
(The same build up as it was for No Way Out. Eddie Guerrero after earning this opportunity at No Way Out says thatthis is the chance and shot he’s wanted since stepping foot in the WWE. He says he’s never had the opportunity and will do whatever it takes to leave WrestleMania as the WWE Champion. Brock Lesnar says Eddie’s little fairytale dream will be short lived and he’ll destroy him in front of his whole family at the biggest show of the year. During a referee bump in this match, Lesnar goes to F-5 Eddie but Latino heat counters into a DDT onto the WWE Championship. Guerrero disposes the evidence, hits a Frog Splash on Lesnar and pins him to win the WWE Championship which creates an unbelievable and memorable WrestleMania moment.)
The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer vs Vince McMahon
(After a month of warnings and creepy mind games, The Undertaker returns as The Deadman at WrestleMania 20! Vince doesn’t believe Taker is really coming back after he buried him alive at Survivor Series and says he’s that confident it’s all just a game that he’ll go out to the ring and wait. Vince waits at least a minute and when he’s about to leave, “Ooooooh YESSSSSSS”. The lights go out, the druids appear… GONG! Out comes The Undertaker led by Paul Bearer! Vince McMahon looks like he’s saw a ghost and the crowd goes crazy. The Undertaker beats the crap out of Vince for 5 minutes, hits him with a Tombstone Piledriver and pins him to win this match in order to go 12-0 at WrestleMania.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Triple H (c) vs Chris Benoit
(After winning the Royal Rumble, Chris Benoit chooses to challenge Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. Benoit’s reasons are simple which come from a man Triple H knows well, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man”. The Game accepts the compliment but tells Benoit that his little fantasy of headlining WrestleMania and beating him will be crushed and he’ll regret even daring to come over from SmackDown to challenge him. Benoit tells Triple H that he hopes he underestimates him and dares him to. In this match, Triple H goes for a Pedigree but Benoit counters and locks in The Crossface. Triple H tries his best to break out but eventually submits. Chris Benoit wins the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania and the crowd goes crazy. After the match, Eddie Guerrero the new WWE Champions comes down, hugs his best friend and we still get the moment we did in real life with both men holding up their respective titles as WrestleMania 20 draws to a close.)
Notes:
(Goldberg leaves the company.)
(Brock Lesnar also leaves the company.)
Backlash 2004 (Raw)
Date: 18/4/04
Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Shelton Benjamin vs Ric Flair
(After WrestleMania, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are split up because of the draft as Shelton is drafted to Raw. Benjamin comes over and wants to make a name for himself before Flair interrupts and tells him he’s nothing but a rookie who’ll regret coming to Raw. Benjamin tells Flair he’s nothing but an old man who can’t keep up with athletes like him. Benjamin wins clean.)
Women’s Championship:
Lita (c) vs Victoria
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs Christian
(After WrestleMania, Christian says that he’s not finished with Y2J in the slightest. He challenges him to another match for the Intercontinental Championship at Backlash which Jericho accepts, telling Christian it’ll be the same outcome as WrestleMania with him coming out on top. Christian promises Jericho to trust him, it really won’t be because deep down he’s better than Jericho and WrestleMania was an off night. During this match, Tyson Tomko appears and distracts Chris Jericho. That distraction allows Christian to capitalise, hit Jericho with a Killswitch and pin him to win the back the Intercontinental Championship!)
Hardcore Match:
Cactus Jack vs Randy Orton
(Same story and same build. Mick Foley brings back what he believes is his most violent persona to take care of the Legend Killer. Randy Orton wins clean after an RKO in a bloody and brutal war.)
Edge vs Kane
(Edge returns after WrestleMania after over a year out to a huge pop and is targeted by Kane. Kane targets Edge because he wants to destroy all of the fans heroes ever since unmasking before setting his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane wins this match after hitting Edge with a Chokeslam, using some heel tactics in the process.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels
(After WrestleMania, Triple H demands his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship which Eric Bischoff grants him. However, Bischoff also announces that Shawn Michaels will be in this match after his performance at WrestleMania against The Rock as Bischoff feels Michaels deserves a shot. Benoit says he doesn’t care that it’s a triple threat, he’ll be leaving his home country still the World Heavyweight Champion regardless. Benoit retains the title after forcing Shawn Michaels who’s a heel for the night in Canada to submit to the Sharpshooter!)
And that’s part 35 over and done with! I hope you guys loved where I went with Eddie Guerrero winning the championship at WrestleMania instead and the overall shows. I’ll be back very soon for the next part where we’ll see Triple H and Shawn Michaels end their on and off rivalry for good, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero prove their worth as main eventers and a different SummerSlam compared to the weird one we got in real life. Stay tuned!

If you're ever having trouble with the game, or just want a shortcut to the endgame, here's the guide for you. This will allow you to beat all non-repeatable battles in Hunter Island within about 10 hours, with no golden eggs or meaningful strategy

1. Start the game and speed through all of the dialogue. It doesn't matter what starter you choose or what your free egg gives you. Once you finish the first quest, go to Orlen and tap on the tombstone in the bottom left corner and enter code "dragon island". This will give you an S rank Penguini. With only this Penguini by your side and three trump cards in your pocket, the whole world will soon bow down to you
2. Speed through the game and invest all of your resources, eggs, etc into Penguini. It should evolve into Don Penguini once you reach the second main region, Saffadelia. Once there, play your 1st trump card and delete all Arkadions except Don Penguini. Spamming Showdown will be your only combat maneuver for quite a while, but it can OHKO everything short of bosses and has a super low cooldown, so nothing will be able to even challenge you for quite a while.
3. Purchase the Thunder Wood. With its speed and Wind bonus, this is actually the best Ocarina until you reach the final island. From there, avoid completing side quests or spending gold until you can get Don Penguini to level 99, then do so immediately. Once you get to Yelan, buy the Heigan tempest, which is marginally better. At this point, you'll have silver to spare, so every optimization is worth it.
4. Complete the whole game up until the Crescent island. Don Penguini is so strong that they barely put up a fight. Once there, you may start encountering some difficulty, since monsters now deal quite a large chunk of your health while you wait to use Showdown again, and even the slowest monsters will always enter before you. This is where you will use your second trump card. Go to the Arborun, then 2 spaces down to capture a Halocat. Level this to 99, then go to Karad Cave and capture a Stormfox. When in a battle, have Halopard use haste, Stormfox use Flash Bomb, then Halopard use Offering. You now have a hasted Don Penguini who will no longer slowly bleed hp, allowing you to solo most battles
5. This combo will let Don Penguini solo the remainder of the story, so go do that. You might also want to finish the remaining sidequests. At this point, they're total pushovers. Congratulations on finishing the tutorial! You're almost done, but the remaining fights are unlike anything you've fought yet. Good luck!
6. The only 3 fights in the whole game that can challenge you now are the Robots in the Infinite Dungeon, the Grandmaster Hunter Rank test, and the tournament. Your first step should be to actually beat the tournament and unlock the final rank test, deleting all the arkadions you capture. These may take a while, but don't be in too much of a rush. If you challenge them as-is, they will crush you. Instead, you'll want to play your third and final trump card. Go ahead and get 2 level 99 angelons, using your saved-up silver for level boosting, and buy the white blessing in the Terad Forest. Use these 2 plus Halopard as your front line. Once you start a fight, use Haste on Angelon and Reinforce on Halopard. From there, do your best to survive. Note: You'll have to retry the Hunter Rank test over and over to hopefully not get stunned by your opponent's Stormfoxes. Once YOUR Stormfox gets a turn, use the aforementioned combo to wipe out their teams. It'll take some luck, but you should be able to beat the Tournament and Rank Test
7. Only the infinite dungeon remains unconquered. Unfortunately, this thing cannot be truly beaten, but if defeating the Robots will satiate your bloodlust, then you're in luck. This will take quite a few tries, but you can use the Haste+Reinforce tactic to reach the fight. Please note that, if you don't reach the fight with all 3 Holy monsters alive, you will be killed immediately. But if not, with good luck, you should be able to get Don Penguini solo against them with reasonable hp. It will take 2 Showdowns to win, but this is fully possible with decent rng.

And once you pull it off, congrats! You've just beaten every single pre-programmed fight in the whole game with 5 monsters, none of them being egg exclusive, and probably done it much faster than most players can even beat Tiamat. Good luck with wherever your journey as a Hunter may take you next, whether it be to the arkadion research institute for 100% completion or the community challenges to hone your skills.
But whatever you do, you might want to check your pockets, because a master hunter never truly runs out of trump cards. You'll just have to see what your next hand might hold.

[Part 4]
Clack.
I jerked from my slumped position against the wall and winced at the soreness in my tight muscles. If I kept falling asleep in anyplace other than my own bed, I would soon be walking like my aged father, with a cane and a hunchback.
Clack.
Craning my head around, I peered through the open door of the storage closet, and saw the sanctuary bathed in carpets of fresh sunlight. Birds chirped outside, and the whispers had finally stopped. Aside from myself, the storage closet stood empty.
Clack, clack, clack.
I froze, and all the hairs on my body stood on end. It was as if someone had smacked a stick or a tree branch against the church’s white-painted clapboard siding. It was morning, the day had come. Nothing should have still been out there.
Wait . . . where’s Cricket?
My eyes flicked to the double doors of the sanctuary, and I saw they stood slightly ajar, the padlock and chain lying on the floor.
A loud, primal screech pierced the air, right on the other side of the wall, from where the clacking had come.
“Oh man, oh man, oh man.” I stumbled to my feet and ran for the door, my Winchester in hand. Leaping through the doorframe, I vaulted down the steps to sprint around the corner.
Sour knots worked through my stomach, and I skidded to a halt.
Cricket stood a few yards off, and not six feet from her, one of the bone-faced deer thrashed in combat with the shrubbery. It’s branch-like antlers were tangled in what looked like a discarded tennis net, and the old, frayed cordage had caught in the bushes that lined the church’s walls. With every panicked jerk the creature made to free itself, it rattled its bizarre antlers against the siding, making the signature clack, I’d heard earlier.
Despite this, I could only gape with amazement and fear at the size of the being. It stood taller than any deer I’d ever seen, easily eight feet high at the scalp, with a spread of antlers that could have frightened a moose. The deer’s head bore the same eerie exposed sections of bone as the others, and both eye sockets were dark as shadow.
“Cricket, get back!” With clammy fingers, I racked the lever on my rifle to chamber a gleaming 30-30 cartridge.
She jumped in front of the raised barrel, waving both hands. “No! Don’t shoot, please!”
Does she not see the freaking mutant deer?
I blinked at her, but Cricket laced both hands together in a pleading gesture, her sad eyes rooting me to the spot.
“He’s not dangerous.” She insisted and inched toward the enormous stag. “Watch.”
“Cricket . . .” I warned and tightened my fingers on the rifle.
She edged up to the deer and held out a hand to stroke at the huge, muscled neck of the beast. “Easy. Easy boy, it’s okay. I know it hurts, but you’ll feel better soon.”
Stunned, I watched her reach up to the creature’s face, and pat it like an overgrown dog, the deer’s struggle ceasing to a few nervous jerks. With this done, Cricket slid her pale fingers to the dark eyes sockets and gouged into them with her fingernail.
Crunch.
A few whimpers came from the animal, but it let her pry one greasy chunk of black crust from its head after another, until a glistening dark eyeball peered back at us.
Cricket smiled, and gently turned the deer’s head to get at the other eye. “There you go. Feels good, huh? Can I get this stuff off your pretty antlers too?”
As if trained in an obedience school the huge deer lowered its head, and Cricket tugged at the mass of tangled netting.
She looked back over her shoulder at me, golden hair flowing over her shoulders in a river of sunlight. “We have to get him loose. Do you have something we could cut this with?”
Open mouthed with surprise, I dashed back inside to my desk. A pair of black-handled scissors slid into my pocket, and I ran outside.
I stopped a few yards away, and cleared my throat.
Cricket met my frightened gaze, and made a warm, reassuring grin. “It’s okay. I told him you’re not scary. Come here.”
You did what?
Slowly, I tiptoed closer, walked right up to the nightmarish mutant, all four limbs shaking.
A pleasant warmth coursed through my left hand, and I looked down to find her fingers wound around mine. Cricket’s golden irises locked onto me, and her cheeks tinged a rosy pink.
“Watch.” She raised my hand to place it on the deer’s neck.
Satin bristles slid under my palm, and I could feel every twitch of the animal’s muscles, its nervous breaths, the thumping of an artery as it pushed blood to its heart. On its ragged face, I could discern a slight wriggle of the deer’s tender flesh, as if it were moving into place in an almost sentient way, healing over the bone that had widened to make the skull thicker, larger, stronger. I looked up into its baleful chestnut-brown eye, now clear of the sooty black crust, and saw my tiny reflection looking back. This thing didn’t want to harm me. It had gotten its head stuck trying to scrape the scum from its eyes on the bushes.
The sunlight. It went out in the sunlight, just like she did.
“See?” Beside me, Cricket beamed, and stroked the animal’s face with careful, light touches. “Not dangerous.”
I gasped out a bewildered chuckle, and dared to keep petting the thing, its fur soft as a terry-cloth robe. “H-How did you do that?”
Her smile faltered a little at that, and Cricket frowned at the hand she held to the deer’s neck like she had just awoken from a dream. “I . . . I don’t know.”
Taking the scissors from my pocket, I cut away the nylon strands of tennis net, and let the regal beast shake his head free of the bush.
He gave us both a snort, which I could almost have imagined as a gruff thank you, and trotted off toward a distant herd of his fellows, who were busy rubbing their heads on a few square tombstones at the border of the forest to peel the crust from their eyes. The morning rang with the song of birds, though I noticed a few unfamiliar tunes, as if other creatures in the treetops had joined in, ones like the deer that no longer feared the sun. All around me, the air smelled sweet, sweeter than I remembered, and a few frogs croaked a happy chorus.
A finger poked my shoulder, and I turned to face Cricket.
She kept both eyes on her feet and dug her bare toes into the damp grass. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I saw him through the window, and figured he needed help. That stuff on his eyes . . .”
“Was the same as the stuff on you.” I finished, glancing down where a few pieces of the crust lay. “You said you told him I wasn’t scary. And he listened to you.”
Cricket winced and rubbed her arm self-consciously. “Is that weird?”
Everything here is weird.
Curious, I threw a look back at the herd of deer, grazing in the rays of the sunrise. “Not weird. Just different. Can . . . can you actually talk to them?”
Her face shaded a deeper crimson, and Cricket shuffled her feet. “Honestly, it’s more like . . . I don’t know, like I can tell how they feel about something. I don’t actually hear them talking, not like the white-eyed things.”
At that last bit, she shivered, and cast a furtive glare at the trees. They were still in there, we both knew it, spying on our every move. Of all the strange animals we’d seen so far, the humanoid, white-eyed wooden-skinned freaks seemed to be the smartest, and the most relentless.
“We should name them.”
I emerged from my musings to find Cricket’s smile had returned. “What, like, ‘Spot’ and ‘Lucky’?”
She giggled and rolled her eyes. “No, not like that. I mean, they’re a new species, right? All of the stuff that comes out at night is. We should name them.”
Cradling the Winchester in my left arm, I nodded toward the deer. “Okay, go ahead.”
“No way.” She crossed both arms and gave me a small smirk. “You have to.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you saw them first.” She held up a finger like some kind of gorgeous college professor. “And because you were here before me. Besides, this is your land anyway.”
This time, I rolled my eyes, and set both hands on my hips. “It’s God’s land, Cricket. And it’s your home too, now. Tell you what, we flip a coin, and whoever wins gets to name whichever species we’re on. Deal?”
A glimmer came into her golden irises, and once again, Cricket’s smile took my breath away. “Deal.”
Instead of fearing the dark, I began to look forward to it, when Cricket and I would climb the ladder inside the old church bell tower with a pair of binoculars to study everything that came out of the trees. I took more technical notes, while Cricket drew the creatures on a notepad I’d given her. With every passing day, more and more species ventured into the sunrise, and as they did, they changed from nightmarish, incomplete freaks, to bizarre yet beautiful creatures.
The Bone-Faced Whitetail were huge, graceful animals, with soft brown fur the color of new oxford shoes. They bordered on the domesticated side whenever Cricket approached, nuzzling her outstretched hand for sugar lumps, and licked her face until the girl laughed. She had such a way with the animals, as if they could sense she too was new to this world, and many of the critters trusted her implicitly. I had to be much more cautious, but eventually I could walk up to the gentle creatures and pet them while they grazed.
Cricket named the bat-winged lizard creatures Firedrakes for the bright blaze of color that each bore on their snouts. They stood about knee-high, and walked on all fours like a pterodactyl, with folded leathery wings and scaly black bodies that ended in a long, arrow-shaped head. They had no less than six eyes, three to a side, and long whip-like tails that they could use to hold on to things like a lemur might. Firedrakes loved shiny things, especially coins, and we’d toss spare pennies we found in the living room couch to get them close enough to observe.
New plants sprouted to life as well, Lantern Roses that glowed yellow and orange at night, Dancing Waterlilies that swayed on their own and smelled like fruity cereal, and the Bomb Creeper vine that exploded with razor-sharp needles if you got too close. Thankfully, I could rely on Cricket’s built-in sixth sense to guide me through these discoveries without fatal injury, but not all the newcomers were cute and cuddly.
Birds with cellphones for heads collected in the pines along the ridgetop, their cracked touchscreens chiming in eerie, off-pitch ringtones as they flocked through the night sky. A few rusted cars stalked along on in a nearby marsh on bent, distended axels, their old tires lying flat like feet, with flickering yellow headlights that peered into the darkness. Mud-spattered radios scuttled over the gravel county road like crabs, playing fragments of retro music in disorganized patterns that almost sounded like crude sentences. Enormous Iron Spiders that masqueraded as signal towers during the day roamed in small herds of five or six individuals at night, bellowing with loud fog-horn calls from their satellite-dish heads. Once, I could have sworn I spotted our old red mailbox skittering through the marsh on four legs like an insect, but I couldn’t be sure.
As for the Lost Ones, the white-eyed fiends that had been my first monster sighting, they still came often, and fixated on the church with manic attention. Calling out to them didn’t help, either from Cricket or myself, and their numbers swelled from a few dozen to over a hundred in three days’ time. Eventually, Cricket and I retreated to the storage closet whenever they showed up. During these dark moments, I’d read the Bible to Cricket, along with other books from my little library. Explaining God to someone again after so long of being on my own felt good, even if we were trapped in a broom closet with the world falling apart in a slow-motion apocalypse all around us.
But things weren’t all sunshine and Lantern Roses.
Our food stocks were dwindling. Cricket’s appetite dropped after the first day or so to normal human levels, but still, I only had maybe a month’s worth of supplies left for both of us. My ammunition stocks were critically low, and my phone couldn’t even get through to the police anymore. Service dipped from erratic, to virtuously non-existent, and I went for days at a time without even trying to upload anything. Cricket had nightmares that dragged her from slumber with cold sweats and terrified screams, and it got to where she couldn’t sleep unless I was somewhere nearby to wake her when the mumbling started.
Then, came last night.
I sat in the front pew of the dark sanctuary, staring up at the wooden cross bolted to the wall, my mind a whirlwind of prayer and confused thoughts. Outside, the Lost Ones whispered and scratched, digging their chipped fingernails into the faded wood planks like carpenter bees. It was a cool night, the room chilly, the night sky a deep ebony on the other side of the windows.
Shutting my eyes, I prayed like I never had before, searching, seeking some message of wisdom. “Why are you doing this Adonai? We have nowhere to go, and soon, nothing to eat. The beasts are too many, and honestly, I’m afraid. We’re trapped. Please, help me see your will in this.”
I sat there in the murky shadows, waiting for something, anything.
My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts, sayeth the Lord.
That verse again. How many times had I passed it in the kitchen these many days? Was it just coincidence, a flash of memory, a reflex of my mind? It was so hard to know sometimes if God was speaking to me, or if I was grasping at straws.
Whop.
My ears twitched, and I straightened up, cocking my head to one side.
Whop-whop-whop.
Inside my chest, my heart began to pound, and I threw myself toward the nearest high-set window. An empty black sky greeted my eyes, tinged by the glow of a pale moon, but just on the other side of the trees, I thought I could see a flicker of white light.
They exploded from the horizon, four large helicopters winging in over the foliage, their blinding white searchlights flicking on to probe at the ground. All around the church, the Lost Ones screeched and scattered, a few of the Bone-Faced Whitetail darted for cover, and the Firedrakes on the roof took to the sky.
“Cricket.” I thundered into the parsonage and ran to shake her awake in the spare bedroom. “Get up. Get up, we have to go, come on.”
She jolted upright, her blonde hair askew, dressed in an old green t-shirt and checkered blue flannel pants. Her eyes winced at the light from the hallway, bleary and half-awake. “What’s wrong?”
Crack.
A muffled shot rang out, and somewhere in the darkness, one of the Lost Ones screamed out in pain.
Blood surged in my temples, and I grabbed her hand to sprint for the front door. “Outside. There are people outside, come on.”
More gunshots filled the air in sporadic bursts, and I fumbled with the cold padlock on the doors of the sanctuary. We were close, so close to being rescued, to flying out of here and finding a way to fix this mess.
“Adam,” Cricket stepped back from the door, her golden eyes flashing in uncertainty at the sound of the helicopters touching down just outside the grassy cemetery. “I don’t know about this.”
But the lock was already undone, and I pushed the door open with my shoulder, grabbing my rifle from beside the doorframe to step into the misty night.
Two of the aircraft landed, while another two continued to circle overhead, their door-gunners firing salvos of machine gun rounds into the woods around the church. A few dozen riflemen spread out in the ankle-high grass of the cemetery and advanced toward the church, their black rifles raised, with tubular night vision goggles pulled down over their eyes. Like the helicopters, the men were all clad in gray, a flat, slate gray that reminded me of stone, cold and unfeeling. I didn’t see insignia anywhere, no letters, numbers, or patches for a unit. They moved with fluid, confident steps, as if this wasn’t the first time they’d been dropped into a dark, dangerous place, and cleared the surrounding church yard in a matter of minutes.
One of the lead soldiers pointed to us, and they trotted our way with deliberate strides, their weapons never lowering. Cricket’s hand tightened on mine, and I felt her tremble. She had yet to meet anyone else besides me, and this wasn’t exactly a pleasant way to meet-and-greet.
“It’s okay.” I squeezed her hand back. “Just let me talk to them.”
She didn’t reply, merely nodded with her fearful golden irises trained on the soldiers.
The nearest man stopped a few yards away and lowered his rifle. He swung the night vision goggles on his helmet back and grinned at me with a camouflage-painted face and shiny white teeth that gleamed between his bushy beard hairs like stars. “Hey there. You guys are a sight for sore eyes. We didn’t think there was anyone left on this side of the ridge.”
Is it really that bad?
I tried to stifle the unease that generated in my guts and smiled back pleasantly. “Good to see you too. We’ve been stuck here for days. You guys with the army?”
He winked at me, and his eyes travelled to where Cricket had ducked behind me. “Private contracting company, actually. We’re tasked with evacuating civilians from the danger zone. Is she okay?”
“She’s just really shy.” I didn’t step aside to expose her, as something about the way Cricket gripped the back of my shirt gave me pause. “So do you guys know what’s going on out here?”
Sighing, the man slung his rifle over one shoulder, and muttered something into his radio mic before turning back to me. “It’s a complicated situation. Mind if we come in? We’ll help you gather your things before we exfil out of here.”
Stepping to one side, I waved the soldiers in.
Five minutes later, we sat in the parsonage kitchen, our suitcases at our feet, and passed mugs of fresh coffee to the grateful troops. The man known as Lieutenant Bronson sipped his black-no-sugar across from Cricket and I, his angular face shaded and foreign in the kitchen light.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know how you two made it this long.” He chuckled, and stretched to crack his back beneath the bulky plate carrier he wore. “I’ve seen whole squads of guys go out there and get torn up by those things, and they’re not even the worst. Heard rumors from a gunship crew that they spotted something huge on radar, some kind of techno the size of a plane in the north woods. You’re lucky that thing didn’t settle down here.”
Cricket shifted in her chair and avoided the lieutenant’s piercing gaze, picking at her jeans with a nervous fingernail. She didn’t often get nervous, and I had to admit, it made me a little anxious to see her so on edge.
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye but played it cool. “We just laid low, mostly. Couldn’t leave after they slashed my car tires. So, where did all these things come from?”
Bronson made eye contact with one of the other soldiers around the room and scratched the back of his neck. “Like I said, it’s complicated. A bunch of scientific stuff that’s above my paygrade. From what I’ve been told, it’s basically some form of electro-magnetic radiation that causes cellular life cycles to change. Makes mutants out of normal stuff and creates new things where holes in the environment exist. I figure you’ve seen plenty of that, right?”
Again, he looked at Cricket, and something about the way he watched her, with a wary, predatory gaze, made my skin crawl.
She’s not going to bite you . . . or are you thinking of biting her?
I scooted my chair closer to hers and slid my hand under the table to grip Cricket’s, her fingers clammy on mine. “Yeah. We actually made lots of drawings, and notes. If you’d like, we could show them to you.”
Bronson let slide a broad grin. “If your shy friend here wouldn’t mind grabbing those for us, that would be excellent.”
Turning to Cricket, I nodded toward the door, and leaned to whisper in her hear. “When you go to get the drawings, count how many soldiers there are. Just so we know, okay?”
Her face hardened into a knowing, resolute impassiveness, and Cricket rose to slip down the dimly lit hallway.
“Never did catch your name.” Finished with his coffee, Bronson leaned back in his chair, and I saw some of the former smile fade, the mask falling away to reveal his calculating eyes on me.
“Adam.” I cleared my throat and tried to find a way to sit that didn’t make me feel surrounded by the heavily armed squad in my kitchen. “Adam Stirling.”
“And her name?”
A long, heavy silence fell between us, and I couldn’t look away from the lieutenant’s hard eyes, my pulse roaring.
I shouldn’t tell him. Not yet.
“Stacy.” It tasted bitter in my mouth, but I spat the lie out, draining the last of my coffee to hide my grimace. “She’s my wife.”
He raised a dark eyebrow and Bronson drummed his fingers on the table. “Hmm. She’s pretty. Never seen eyes like that though. Solid gold. Kind of strange, don’t you think?”
Shrugging, I tried to keep my palms dry by rubbing them on my pant legs. “It’s a medical condition. She’s had it since she was born.”
“Really?” Bronson dropped the friendliness completely and wove both fingers together under his bearded chin. “When was that, precisely?”
This guy is really getting on my nerves.
“Why?” I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed both arms.
He cocked his head to one side, and his lips tugged into a smirk. “Careful with that tone, Stirling. After all, we’re your ride out of here.”
“And if we choose to stay?” The retort left my mouth before I could stop it, my angst getting the better of me. “I appreciate the Seal-Team-Six rescue, but like I said, we’ve been just fine up till now. You’re in my kitchen, Lieutenant. Don’t forget that.”
Tension clouded the air, thick as mud, and no one sipped their coffee now. Behind their face paint, the men glared at me, and more than one flexed their grip on their weapons.
Where is Cricket? How long does it take to get a notepad from the next room?
“You know, Stirling, I ran into guys like you a lot when I was just a grunt.” Bronson chuckled, a humorless, warning laugh that sent shivers down my spinal cord. “Big tough talkers, up until the truth hit them in the face. Then they’d show themselves for the lying rats they were. I hate liars, Stirling. Hate them. So . . . you want some truth?”
I couldn’t tell if it was a threat, a challenge, or an offer. But either way, all I wanted was to find Cricket, and get away from these men as soon as possible. “I want to leave now, please.”
Oblivious to my demands, the lieutenant leaned across the table, and I could smell the chewing tobacco on his breath. “The truth is, you’re a damned liar. Your wife died last year, in a car wreck. You came here alone. We’ve had a drone watching you, every time you walked through that door. We saw everything.”
My throat turned bone-dry, and I became acutely aware of how far my antiquated Winchester was from my hands, and how long it would take me to reach where it stood, propped in the corner.
“What do you want?” I gritted my teeth, doing my best to keep my calm, even as my brain screamed that Cricket had been gone for far too long.
Bronson didn’t move, only watched me with that snake-like stare that showed no remorse whatsoever. “The truth. We’ve been dealing with the freaks for months now, trying to find a cure. Drugs, kemo, you name it, we tried it. Even exposure to sunlight. Nothing. All dead in minutes. And yet, somehow, you find a way to change one with a garden shed and shovel . . . and she’s thriving.”
Horror iced through me, and I clawed for something to rescue me, a convincing lie, a bluff, but nothing came. The clock ticked in the background, I could smell the musty coffee pot burning, and outside, the helicopters whirled over head in a deadly, throbbing rhythm.
A muffled scream cut through the tension from just down the hall, and a thud echoed in the shadows.
Cricket.
I lunged for the hallway, but hands grabbed me from all sides, and one of the soldiers snatched my Winchester before I could reach for it.
Someone slammed a fist into my stomach, and all the air rushed from my lungs. I crumpled, my knees buckling, and they pinned both arms behind my back.
Two more soldiers emerged from down the hall, and between them Cricket writhed, her hair a wild mess, feet kicking at the air, one of her shoes missing.
“Adam!” Her golden eyes filled with tears, and she thrashed to free her trapped arms, too small to overpower the hulking mercenaries.
Struggling to stand, I managed to drive my head into the side of the closest man, only to have stars explode before my eyes when my skull hit his steel plate armor. “Get your hands off her!”
Again, more fists collided with my head, face, and chest, until darkness nibbled at the corners of my vision. Pain rolled through me, I’d never been hit so hard in my life, and red blood dripped from my nose onto the floor.
“Stop it!” Cricket wailed, her sobs choked and uncontrollable. “Stop it, please! Don’t hurt him!”
Bronson strode casually, and knelt so his face was level with mine. “I just need a simple answer, Stirling. How? How did you do it?”
“S-Sunlight.” I coughed, the metallic, coppery blood bubbling over my cracked lip. “The sun it . . . it changed her. I swear.”
“What did I say about the lying?” The lieutenant shook his head and waved to the men surrounding Cricket. “Hold her down.”
“No!” I threw myself at him but made it only a few inches before black tactical boots slammed into my ribs in a cascade of misery.
Cricket flailed, but they dragged her to the floor, and pinned all four limbs. One of the men held her head in place, and Bronson reached into the small pouch on his side to retrieve a strange, silver-colored gun, with two thin metal needles on the end.
He knelt by her head, and Cricket’s pleading eyes met mine as they pulled her blonde hair back, the tip of the needle pressing against her scalp.
Lieutenant Bronson pulled the trigger, and Cricket screamed in agony, her eyes screwed shut, every muscle in her body going rigid. An electrical snapping, like that of a tazer hummed, and my vision-tinged red.
Beep-Beep.
Withdrawing the gun, Bronson wiped the blood-stained prongs on his pant cuff, and looked down at a little blue screen on the back of the gun.
His grin brightened, and the lieutenant clicked the black plastic hand mic on his plate carrier. “Base, this is Harvester One-Actual. I’ve got a confirmed Type 6, viable female, condition alpha. I say again, I have a live, viable Type 6.”
A sniffle came from the floor, and Cricket opened her eyes to fixate one me, rivers of pain swimming down her sweet face. I was helpless, we both were, and I’d never felt more enraged, and humiliated in all my life.
“Solid copy Harvester One-Actual, you now have Priority Ultra flight status to the green zone. Secure the specimen, wipe the scene, and move to extract. Base out.”
“Neutralize him and raze the building.” Lieutenant Bronson jabbed a finger at me, and the other men hauled Cricket to her feet, the red blood dripping down her neck from the two holes in her pale skin. “We’re wheel’s up in five mikes.”
I have to do something. Adonai, please, I have to do something, help me.
My mind whirled . . . and an idea clicked into place.
Letting my eyes slide shut, I sagged, and went limp in my captors’ arms.
“What did I say?” Bronson scoffed, and his knobby boots scuffed on the hardwood floor to leave. “Tough guys, all of them, right up until the action starts. Let’s go.”
The soldiers standing over me relaxed, and one of them took his hand off my arm, either to readjust his grip, or scratch at his face.
Wrong move loser.
I reached back, and my fingers closed over the smooth, textured handle of something stuck in his waist belt.
Steel flashed in the hallway light, and the man to my left howled as I buried the blade in his face. The one on my right scrabbled to grab his knife away from me, but I drove my elbow back into his chin, and threw myself backward to tumble over him in a clumsy reverse-somersault on the kitchen floor.
Landing on my face, I crawled back into the fight, too panicked and desperate to think about how bad this would end for me and wrapped my arm around the man’s neck. More of the soldiers ran to help their comrade, guns raised, but my hand found the automatic pistol on the mercenary’s belt, and I jerked it free.
“Get back.” I pressed the gun to the man’s sweaty temple and thumbed off the safety. “Everyone back, or he’s a dead man.”
Bronson froze, his face a mask of surprise, and irritation. The men carrying Cricket stopped as well, and Cricket’s wide eyes switched back and forth the between me, and the lieutenant. Somehow, my crazy gamble had paid off, though I hadn’t expected to get this far.
“Seriously?” Bronson rolled his eyes at me. “That’s your master plan? I’ve got forty guys ringing this place with steel, you won’t get—”
“Shut up.” I hissed and tightened my grip on the pistol enough that Bronson’s face drained of some color. “Let her go.”
No one moved, the tense soldier who I held captive looked pleadingly at Bronson, the wounded mercenary at my feet groaned in pain from the knife still embedded in his face, and the radios crackled with muffled voices in the background.
“Or what?” Bronson’s snide grin returned, and he jerked his head at Cricket. “You shoot him, we shoot you, she still goes with us. You really don’t understand ‘deterrence’ do you?”
I’m not letting you take her.
“She stays with me.” I growled and pressed the muzzle of the gun to the skin of the soldier I clung to. “I won’t miss, not from this close. Let her go, now.”
For a moment, we stood there, the mercenary staring into my eyes, while I stared right back. A few weeks ago, holding a soldier at gunpoint would have sounded crazy to me, but now something primal surged in my blood, an animalistic rage that purged me of the reasonable meekness from modern world I’d left behind. This was our home, Cricket belonged with me, and I knew then that I’d rather throw myself mindlessly into machine gun fire than let them cart her off.
“You know what?” Bronson hissed, and his hand inched for the gun on his belt. “I don’t think I will.”
My eyes drifted to Cricket one last time, and she stared back at me, her beautiful face tear stained and forlorn. Man, she was pretty, like a bright spring day with cotton-ball clouds and fresh wildflowers. I was going to miss her. I was going to miss a lot of things.
I’m sorry.
I wanted to say more, wanted her to know so much more about the world, about me, about how I felt about her, but my time was up. The journey ended here, in this hallway, with me spattered over the ground like a dead mosquito. A worthy end, though. A man’s end. One Stacy would have been proud of.
“Adam.”
The soft, wavering voice jerked me into the present.
Cricket’s shut her eyes and breathed in deep. “Run.”
Her mouth opened, and a low, raspy note came out, building higher and higher.
It rose into a piercing, eerie screech that bored into my ears with a siren frequency, painful and shrill. In my mind’s eye, I saw again the dirty, white-eyed fiend on the first day staring into the mirror, screaming at her own reflection. Harsh static rushed through my brain, my memories rippled before my eyes, and for a brief second, I saw the drawing Cricket had made on the shed floor, with the strange, towering figure whose head was made of branches.
Glass shattered. Men cried out in torment. The radios flared with garbled voices.
I dropped the pistol and clapped both hands over my ears, my skull aching at the sound. But even from beneath my wall of fingers, I still caught the thudding of feet on the grass just outside, the roar of hundreds of throaty calls in unison, and the echoes of gunfire picking up.
Cricket’s scream cut out, and I blinked to find myself outstretched on the kitchen floor, the world spinning, my head a mess of fog. Bronson and the other soldiers lay slumped in the hallway, either unconscious or dead, I didn’t know. But their radios shouted with panic, the other soldiers outside in total bedlam.
“Contact, contact in the trees!”
“They’re everywhere!”
“Base, this is Echo Three-Five, we’re under heavy attack at sector nine, we need—”
Snarls cut him off, and the howls of the Lost Ones blazed through the night air in triumph. I could smell the blood on the wind, knew it wasn’t just my broken nose, the shrieks of dying mercenaries accompanied by the awful rending of flesh and snapping of bones like tree branches. Machine gun fire roared overhead, but it didn’t help, as more rabid limbs scuttled over the grass just beyond the kitchen wall, hundreds of mouths eager for the first fresh meat they’d had in days.
Hands snatched at the cloth of my T-shirt, but I was too weak to fight. They dragged me over the floor, toward the back door of the kitchen, and into the cool, damp, shadows. My vision blurred and all four limbs seemed heavy as lead. But there was something else, something just on the end of my perception, so quiet I almost didn’t notice it.
Whispers. Whispers echoed everywhere, in the corners of my mind, in the grass under my back, in the thin white mist that hung on the air.
Lost, lost, lost.
Stiff twigs scratched at my body, and leaves fell around my face. Green closed over me, and I recognized on of the bushes on the side of the parsonage, a small bird’s nest in the limbs just over my head. Gooey Ohio clay squelched under my back, cold against the already soaked shirt I wore, and I smelled churned earth, hot blood, and burned gunpowder.
A shadow loomed over me in the tiny cavern of the shrub, and I stiffened, waited for the pain, the squared wooden teeth tearing into my flesh.
Tender fingers slid over my face, probed gently at my bleeding nose and swollen right eye. “Adam? Adam, please say something. Please don’t be dead.”
Oh, thank you, Adonai.
Her voice broke me, and I choked out a sob. “Cricket? Is that you?”
“Yes.” She sniffled, her soft golden hair brushing my face, and even in the dark, I could tell she was trying to make a brave smile. “Yes, I’m here.”
Her fingers wove into mine, and I gripped her hand with all my might. “Did they hurt you? Your head . . .”
Cricket huddled low over me as if to shield me from the sight of the dozens of feet scuttling by us, her golden eyes almost glowing in the dim light of the stars. “I’m fine. Oh, your poor face . . .”
“Was never my best feature anyway.” I pulled her close to me, the two of us covered in mud and blood, hidden under the shrubs while the war raged just on the other side of the greenery.
Fingernails and toenails clawed at the threshold of the kitchen door that stood open. From my hiding place, I fought a wave of nausea at the sound of the men inside awakening to the teeth and claws of the Lost Ones. Bones crunched, flesh tore, blood splattered like a hose, and I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be seeing Lieutenant Bronson again.
Not in one piece, anyway.
Overhead, the helicopters soared away, only three left now, and from the hammering of bare fists on metal, I figured the other would never make it into the sky. But my stomach sank, as I realized that we were worse off than before. Our fortress was breached, we were exposed, unarmed, and surrounded by hundreds of the Lost Ones. There was no escape now.
Closing my eyes, I held Cricket to my chest, breathed in the smell of her hair, and kissed her forehead. “Whatever happens . . . I’m glad you’re here.”
She clung to me, so tight my bruised ribs ached. “Me too.”
Loud, horrific screeches sliced through the air, followed by more, in a wave of ethereal misery.
Something in my head locked onto that sound, and my eyes flew open to meet Cricket’s, her own mouth hanging open in shock. I knew that sound. I’d heard it once before.
Turning my sore neck, I squinted in surprise.
A thin tendril of warm yellow light poked through the leaves of the bushes around us. More came, inch by inch, pouring over the sky, and the screams dropped off to eerie silence.
Dawn.
“Do you think . . ?” Cricket whispered, still shaking in my embrace.
Swallowing a coppery lump in my throat, I rolled onto my stomach, and pulled myself over the mud. “Stay close to me.”
Crawling out of that bush, I stepped into the blaze of colors that painted the morning sky, a kaleidoscope of red, orange, pink and yellow. All over the yard, in the tree line, surrounding the tombstones in the cemetery, and heaped up in mounds around the mutilated helicopter were dozens upon dozens of blackened figures, frozen in the moment the sun had caught them in the open. No guns rang out, as gray-uniformed bodies lay scattered and broken, their flesh torn and shredded like blended fruit. The formerly white walls of the church were stained claret red from the slaughter, and spent brass casings littered the green grass.
Over. It’s over.
“They’re gone.” I turned to gaze deep into Cricket’s beautiful golden eyes. “They’re all gone.”
A giggle rose in my throat, as it did in hers, and we wrapped our arms around each other, too weak and happy to think. The birds in the trees began their morning song, a few Bone-Faced Whitetail stepped cautiously out onto the green, and a honeybee buzzed past my face. Warmth kissed my skin, and I’d never felt so good, standing in the sunlight.
Cricket’s breath tickled my neck and sent fire through my blood. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to.” I brushed some of her golden hair from her face, relishing the way Cricket tinged pink at my touch. “You belong here. It’s not home without you.”
She pressed her satin lips to my cheek, and I was suddenly aware of her every curve, how even covered in mud, blood, and leaves, she still looked gorgeous.
“Adam?”
“Hmm?” It was my turn to flush with embarrassment, though Cricket didn’t seem to mind my staring.
She pulled back to search my face, her expression timid, and yet hopeful. “I, um . . . I just . . . I need to know something.”
“Anything.” I breathed, my heart skipping a beat at the way her hand rested on my chest.
She swallowed hard, and met my eye, her voice wavering with uncertainty. “Who am I to you?”
Like it had been touched with a live wire, my heart twitched, and a warmth flooded through me that hadn’t been there in months. In that instant, the words rang through my mind.
My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts sayeth the Lord.
The soldiers were gone. The Lost Ones were now frozen in their cocoons all around us, ready to break free in several hours’ time. My empty church would be full, almost to bursting, with new people. People who could survive this strange new world, who could sense the animals around them, and avoid the dangers and pitfalls far better than the rest of us. And they would be welcomed here, in God’s house.
Welcomed as family.
Peering into her luminescent eyes, I smiled, and allowed myself to feel the one emotion I’d shut out ever since I lost Stacy to that runaway semi-truck.
“Eve.” I breathed, with all the love in my heart. “Your name is Eve.”

Found a shotgun I want and they have a great price but website looks jank. Found it at tombstone Tactical also but they won’t ship. 🤬

January 1996 Sting, Cactus Jack, Brian Pillman, Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, Paul Wight, Unabomb, Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Steiner, Alex Wright, Dean Malenko, Ultimo Dragon, Booker T, Stevie Ray, D'Lo Brown, Ron Simmons, Jim Duggan, Fit Finlay, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Road Warrior Hawk, Brad Armstrong, War Eagle Chris Chavis, Rick Rude, The Boss, Meng, Jushin Liger, Randy Savage, Raven, Mortis, Wrath, Glacier, Big Poppa Pump, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Eddie.Guerrero, Jerry Sags, Brian knobbs, Chris Jericho, Yugi Nagata, Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Steven Regal, Road Warrior Animal, John Layfield, Shane Douglas, Mark Starr, Joey Maggs, Michael Wallstreet, Barbarian, Bobby Eaton
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Nash since 12/23/95
WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho since 12/23/95
WCW World Tag Team Champions 'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner and Scott Hall since 10/29/96
WCW U.S Heavyweight Title Rick Rude since 10/29/96
WCW World Television Champion Rick Steiner since 12/23/96
Leading to Wrestle War
The War Ratings January 8th 1996 Nitro 4.3 .Raw 4.0
January 15th Nitro 4.4 Raw 3.9
January 22th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.1
NWO have continued to dominate in a feud with the Horsemen. On January 20th Ric Flair slipped a win over Scott Steiner with help from Paul Wight. In this match Flair earned a title shot against Nash at Wrestle War.
Randy Savage defeated Vader on Jan. 6th This was Vaders last outing with the company and this big win was followed up with another big win the next week for Savage over Buff Bagwell. Savage will Challenge Rick Rude for the U.S Title at Wrestle War.
The Cruiserweight division has been offering hot matches on Nitro every week notably Ultimo Dragon won big over Eddie Guerrero.
The team of Road Warrior Hawk and Meng defeated The Nasty Bpys and the team of Road Warrior Animal and Barbarian on Nitro 1/15 and 1/22 respectively.
Sting is still nowhere to be seen.
Ron Simmons has been gaining momentum with wins over Mortis and Wrath.
DDP and Unabomb are both very over at the moment.
Wrestle War 1996 1/28/96 Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte North Carolina 23,041 in attendance
In a thrilling match for the WCW Cruiserweight Title, Chris Jericho defeated Ultimo Dragon with a submission victory, forcing him to tap out to the Liontamer after 14 minutes and 22 seconds of action.
In another exciting match, Fit Finlay defeated Cactus Jack with a Tombstone piledriver after 12 minutes and 23 seconds of intense competition. This match marked Cactus Jack's last with the company, making it a memorable moment for both the fans and Cactus Jack himself.
Rick Steiner retained his WCW World Television Title by defeating Steven Regal with a Top Rope Bulldog, scoring the pinfall after 10 minutes and 45 seconds of intense action.
In the WCW U.S Heavyweight Title match, champion Rick Rude successfully defended his title against Randy Savage, but not without controversy. Rude was aided by a masked man who interfered in the match, allowing Rude to score the pinfall after 16 minutes and 56 seconds of intense competition. The identity of the masked man remained a mystery, leaving fans wondering who it could have been and what their motives were.
Unabomb emerged victorious over Road Warrior Animal, defeating him after 6 minutes and 46 seconds of intense action with a devastating Chokeslam for the pinfall.
Ron Simmons also scored a win at the event, defeating Glacier after 9 minutes and 7 seconds of hard-fought competition. Simmons secured the victory with a Dominator, much to the delight of the fans in attendance.
In a tag team matchup, Harlem Heat defeated The Hardy Brothers after 12 minutes and 22 seconds of intense action. Booker T secured the victory for his team, hitting Jeff Hardy with a Harlem Sidekick for the pinfall.
In another match, Dean Malenko faced off against Yugi Nagata in a grueling battle that lasted 4 minutes and 54 seconds. Malenko emerged victorious, forcing Nagata to submit to his Texas Cloverleaf submission hold.
Despite being dominated by Scott Norton, DDP managed to pull off a win at 9 mins 12 secs with a Diamond Cutter.
In the WCW World Tag Team Title match, Scott Steiner and Scott Hall emerged victorious at 12 mins 23 secs after Hall executed the Outsider's Edge on Road Warrior Hawk to secure the pin.
In a highly anticipated WCW World Heavyweight Title match, Kevin Nash defeated Ric Flair in a hard-fought 18-minute and 19-second encounter. Flair put on an impressive performance in his hometown, focusing on wearing down Nash's leg while Nash used his power to inflict damage on Flair. The match ended controversially when Flair attempted to apply the Figure Four for the third time, but Nash kicked him off into the referee. Buff Bagwell then ran in from the audience and hit the Blockbuster on Flair, allowing Nash to hit the Jacknife Powerbomb for the pinfall victory when the referee regained consciousness. The Charlotte crowd was not pleased with the outcome and expressed their disapproval by covering the ring in garbage. Hall, Rude, and Scott Steiner joined Bagwell and Nash in the ring to celebrate the victory, with Nash spray painting NWO on the back of Flair. The Horsemen, consisting of Anderson, Pillman, and Wight, came to Flair's aid, but Anderson and Pillman were taken out quickly, leaving Wight to fight alone against the NWO. However, the numbers game was too much, and the NWO, with new member Buff Bagwell, stood tall as the PPV went off the air.
Leading to SuperBrawl
The War Ratings
January 29th 1996 Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.3
February 5th Nitro 4.7 Raw 4.2
Feruary 12th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.3
February 19th Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.4
Curt Hennig was unveiled as the masked man who attacked Macho Man at Wrestle War and the sixth member of the NWO. Randy Savage has tried to get his hands on Hennig but the NWO have used the numbers game to keep him at bay. Curt Henning pinned Ron Simmons in his TV in ring debut with The Hennig Plex.
Unabomb defeated Scott.Norton to become Number one Comtender for the WCW U.S Heavyweight Champion The NWO's Rick Rude.
DDP was attacked by Raven and a group of misfits. Raven hit the DDT on DDP and when he got the mic and proclaimed "No longer will you hear 'What about Raven', at Superbrawl DDP will find out it's all about Raven". Raven's group was later referred to as The Flock. Members include new signings Perry Saturn, Stevie Richards and Rhino. On an.edition of WCW Saturday Night D'Lo Brown joined the faction.
The N.W.O beat Road Warrior Hawk down after his losing effort against Rick Rude on Nitro Feb 5th. In a shock turn Road Warrior Animal hit the ring wearing his spiked shoulder pads and saved his former partner. At Superbrawl The Road Warriors reform to take on Scott Hall and Scott Steiner for the a WCW World Tag Team Titles .
Chris Benoit was attacked on Nitro earlier in the month by John Layfield and at Superbrawl John Layfield will collide with Benoit one on one.
Paul Wight pinned Scott Hall to become Number one contender for Kevin Nash's WCW World Heavyweight Title at Superbrawl.
On Nitro February 12th Shane Douglas defeated Rick Steiner in a non Title match to become number contender for The World T.V Title. At the conclusion of this match Douglas used a chain wrapped around his fist to knock Steiner out, Steiner must be prepared for the cagey veteran when the title is on the line at Superbrawl.
Steven Regal attacked Ron Simmons on the Nitro go.home edition leading to Superbrawl. At the PPV Ron Simmons will wrestle Regal one on one.
At Superbrawl Chris Jericho.will defend his World Cruiserweight Title in an open challenge to 'The Whole Wide World' as Jericho himself described it.
Superbrawl VI 2/25/1996 TWA Dome, St. Louis, Missouri Attendance: 29,000
In the opening match of the night, Chris Jericho issued an open challenge for his WCW World Cruiserweight Title. Jushin Liger accepted the challenge and the two high-flyers engaged in a back-and-forth battle for 15 minutes and 13 seconds. Ultimately, Liger attempted a middle-rope moonsault, but Jericho countered by raising his knees. Seizing the opportunity, Jericho locked Liger in his signature Liontamer submission hold, forcing him to submit. In a hard-hitting match that lasted 8 minutes and 16 seconds.
Ron Simmons defeated Steven Regal by executing his finishing move, The Dominator, and scoring the pinfall.
Scott Steiner and Scott Hall claimed the WCW World Tag Team Title by defeating The Road Warriors in a contest that lasted 12 minutes and 23 seconds. Steiner secured the victory by striking Hawk with a steel chair and then making the cover.
In a match that was reminiscent of a UFC bout, Taz defeated Fit Finlay in just 4 minutes and 18 seconds by applying his Tazmission submission hold.
Curt Hennig emerged victorious in a 17-minute and 34-second bout against Randy Savage. Hennig scored the pinfall with Buff Bagwell's assistance, as Bagwell held Savage's unhooked leg during the pin.
The WCW World Television Title was on the line. Rick Steiner defended the championship by defeating Shane Douglas in 9 minutes and 46 seconds with his Steiner Bulldog finishing maneuver.
Raven emerged victorious over Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) in a Raven Rules Match that gave Raven the advantage to set his own rules and use any object he could find in and around the ring. Throughout the match, both Raven and DDP utilized a variety of weapons and tactics to gain the upper hand, but it was an unexpected interference that ultimately turned the tide of the bout. Rhyno, a member of Raven's stable, unexpectedly entered the ring and delivered his signature move, The Gore, to DDP, leaving him dazed and vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, Raven capitalized on DDP's weakened state and scored the pinfall victory at the 13-minute and 46-second mark.
Unabomb emerged victorious in the WCW U.S Heavyweight Title bout, defeating Rick Rude after 15 minutes and 27 seconds of intense action. During the match, Unabomb thwarted the attempts of Scott Steiner and Scott Hall to interfere. As the contest neared its end, Unabomb strategically maneuvered Rude into a collision with Curt Hennig, who was stationed on the apron. This left Rude dazed and vulnerable, enabling Unabomb to execute a devastating Chokeslam and secure the victory.
Chris Benoit defeated John Layfield by submission with a Crossface at 11 mins 12 secs in a great contest.
Kevin Nash defeated 'The Great' Paul Wight to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Title with a powerbomb after 12 minutes and 56 seconds of action. The match saw interference from both sides, with Nash's NWO faction and Wight's Horsemen allies getting involved. Despite the outside interference, Nash emerged as the victor and solidified his status as the top wrestler in the industry.
Leading to Uncensored
The War Ratings
February 26th 1996 Nitro 4.51 Raw 4.56
March 4th Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.5
March 11th Nitro 4.7 Raw 4.6
March 18th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.6
March 4th Rick Rude reclaimed the U.S Title from Unabomb after Curt Henning nailed Unabomb with a baseball bat. The following week Hennig lost to Randy Savage after Unabomb interfered.
Ar the.conclusion of the March 4th episode Eric Bischoff appeared as WCW Co President for the first time in a long time. Bischoff cut a promo on the NWO at the stage again. Bischoff said he and Dusty ran WCW not the NWO. Kevin Nash entered and told Bischoff the first time he stepped into the company the hierarchy changed for good. Bischoff argued back and Nash stood toe to toe with him looking down on him. Dusty Rhodes then entered to defend Bischoff but Nash just planted a boot in Dusty's gut and powerbombed him through the stage. Boschoff began to smile he looked at Nash and both men hugged as the show went off air.
The following week Hall, Nash, Rude, Hennig, Bagwell, Scott Steiner and Bischoff opened the show together. Bischoff cut.a promo "It was always me, It was always me. I've been pulling the strings since this began, I was never gonna share this company with anybody, I couldn't take control of WCW 'cos of Dusty and his politics. I wonder if Dusty still thinks I have alot to learn. Listen up bitches, now we will stand as the ruling class over this company". Bischoff gets mega heat.
Later in.the show. J.J.Dillon came out to the arena to talk with Mean Gene and announced he was the interim Co President alongside Bischoff moving forward and his first announcement would be the Main Event for Uncensored. The main event for Uncensored was set as WCW World Television Champion Rick Steiner challenging Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heavyweight Title in a No Holds Barred match.
Main Event for Nitro March 18th Rick Steiner and Randy Savage defeated Kevin Nash and Buff Bagwell when Steiner pinned Nash, making him strong leading to the PPV.
Meng and The Barbarian aka The Faces of Fear have looked good as of late with a few wins on Nitro and Saturday Night.
DDP had continued feuding with The Flock. DDP got a win over Stevie Richards and he will wrestle Rhino in a cage match at Uncensored on his road back to Raven.
The Cruiserweight division has beefed up with La Parka, Juventud Guerrera and Psychosis.
The Four Horsemen continue to be featured strong on TV.
WCW Uncensored 1996 3/24/1996 Astrodome, Houston, Texas Attendance: 42,067
Chris Jericho told the audience that he issued his open challenge to the 'Whole Wide World' but as it was Uncensored tonight he was challenging the 'Whole Wide World' to a ladder match. Juventud Guerrera accepted the challenge but came up short at 14 mins 27 secs when Jericho managed to get the title belt.
Harlem Heat defeated The Faces of Fear at 8 mins 46 secs in a Street Fight Match. Stevie Ray hit Meng with 5 steel chair shots as Meng had Booker T locked in the Tongan Death Grip. After no selling the first four shots, Meng fell like an oak tree allowing Stevie to pin him.
In a 6 man tag team elimination The Boss and The Nasty Boys defeated Blood Runs Cold at 13 mins 24 secs when The Boss emerged as sole Survivor pinning Wrath after a Boss Man Slam.
Cage Match DDP defeated Rhino after hitting the.Diamond Cutter for the pinfall at 11 mins 23 secs. As the cage raised The Flock hit the ring but DDP fled through the crowd.
Chain.match WCW U.S Heavyweight Title Champion Rick.Rude defeated Ron Simmons when he managed to touch all four corners consecutively.
Taz continued his undefeated streak making Chris Benoit submit to a Tazmission at 8 mins 25 secs in a Fight Pit Match.
In a shocker The Horsemen team of Ric Flair and Arn Anderson defeated Scott Hall and Scott Steiner for the WCW World Tag Team Titles in a quick.Tornado Tag Team match. Flair lowblowed both Steiner and Hall as they set Anderson up for a double suplex and Arn pinned Hall with a small package at 6 mins 35 secs. This caused an enormous pop.
Dean Malenko made Eddie.Guerrero submit with The Texas Cloverleaf in a submission match.
In a lumberjack match Unabomb pinned Curt Henning at 12 mins 36 secs with a Chokeslam. The lumberjacks around the ring where mostly WCW talent keeping the NWO at bay.
No Holds Barred match for WCW World Heavyweight Title. Kevin Nash successfully defended his title against Rick Steiner . The match was a wild one Rick Steiner held his own as a viable main eventer. Nash brawled to take control early but despite the size difference Rick Steiner used his power game to send Nash reeling. Less than 10 mins into the contest Steiner had Nash defeated with the Steiner Bulldog only to then have to fend off NWO members Buff Bagwell, Curt Hennig and his own little brother Scott.This distracted Rick long enough for Nash to hit him with a steel chair for the near fall. After some heat Steiner made a fiery comeback after a number of suplexes and a powerful Steinerline, Rick climbed the top rope for the Steiner Bulldog, Scott Hall slide into the ring and as Rick dived he hit Rick in the face with a chair shot. The rest of the NWO were back out as was Unabomb and the Horsemen. With both sides brawling around outside the ring, Nash hit the Jacknife Powerbomb on Rick Steiner through a table set up in the ring for the 1 -2-3 at 17 mins 41secs. As everyone brawled the lights suddenly went out and a spotlight shone into the high seating area, this is the first time we see 'Crow' Sting. Kevin Nash looks up in fear and the fans go crazy as the PPV goes of air Tony Schiavone is heard shouting "It's Sting, it's Sting".

January 1996 Sting, Cactus Jack, Brian Pillman, Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, Paul Wight, Unabomb, Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Steiner, Alex Wright, Dean Malenko, Ultimo Dragon, Booker T, Stevie Ray, D'Lo Brown, Ron Simmons, Jim Duggan, Fit Finlay, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Road Warrior Hawk, Brad Armstrong, War Eagle Chris Chavis, Rick Rude, The Boss, Meng, Jushin Liger, Randy Savage, Raven, Mortis, Wrath, Glacier, Big Poppa Pump, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Eddie.Guerrero, Jerry Sags, Brian knobbs, Chris Jericho, Yugi Nagata, Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Steven Regal, Road Warrior Animal, John Layfield, Shane Douglas, Mark Starr, Joey Maggs, Michael Wallstreet, Barbarian, Bobby Eaton
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Nash since 12/23/95
WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho since 12/23/95
WCW World Tag Team Champions 'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner and Scott Hall since 10/29/96
WCW U.S Heavyweight Title Rick Rude since 10/29/96
WCW World Television Champion Rick Steiner since 12/23/96
Leading to Wrestle War
The War Ratings January 8th 1996 Nitro 4.3 .Raw 4.0
January 15th Nitro 4.4 Raw 3.9
January 22th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.1
NWO have continued to dominate in a feud with the Horsemen. On January 20th Ric Flair slipped a win over Scott Steiner with help from Paul Wight. In this match Flair earned a title shot against Nash at Wrestle War.
Randy Savage defeated Vader on Jan. 6th This was Vaders last outing with the company and this big win was followed up with another big win the next week for Savage over Buff Bagwell. Savage will Challenge Rick Rude for the U.S Title at Wrestle War.
The Cruiserweight division has been offering hot matches on Nitro every week notably Ultimo Dragon won big over Eddie Guerrero.
The team of Road Warrior Hawk and Meng defeated The Nasty Bpys and the team of Road Warrior Animal and Barbarian on Nitro 1/15 and 1/22 respectively.
Sting is still nowhere to be seen.
Ron Simmons has been gaining momentum with wins over Mortis and Wrath.
DDP and Unabomb are both very over at the moment.
Wrestle War 1996 1/28/96 Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte North Carolina 23,041 in attendance
In a thrilling match for the WCW Cruiserweight Title, Chris Jericho defeated Ultimo Dragon with a submission victory, forcing him to tap out to the Liontamer after 14 minutes and 22 seconds of action.
In another exciting match, Fit Finlay defeated Cactus Jack with a Tombstone piledriver after 12 minutes and 23 seconds of intense competition. This match marked Cactus Jack's last with the company, making it a memorable moment for both the fans and Cactus Jack himself.
Rick Steiner retained his WCW World Television Title by defeating Steven Regal with a Top Rope Bulldog, scoring the pinfall after 10 minutes and 45 seconds of intense action.
In the WCW U.S Heavyweight Title match, champion Rick Rude successfully defended his title against Randy Savage, but not without controversy. Rude was aided by a masked man who interfered in the match, allowing Rude to score the pinfall after 16 minutes and 56 seconds of intense competition. The identity of the masked man remained a mystery, leaving fans wondering who it could have been and what their motives were.
Unabomb emerged victorious over Road Warrior Animal, defeating him after 6 minutes and 46 seconds of intense action with a devastating Chokeslam for the pinfall.
Ron Simmons also scored a win at the event, defeating Glacier after 9 minutes and 7 seconds of hard-fought competition. Simmons secured the victory with a Dominator, much to the delight of the fans in attendance.
In a tag team matchup, Harlem Heat defeated The Hardy Brothers after 12 minutes and 22 seconds of intense action. Booker T secured the victory for his team, hitting Jeff Hardy with a Harlem Sidekick for the pinfall.
In another match, Dean Malenko faced off against Yugi Nagata in a grueling battle that lasted 4 minutes and 54 seconds. Malenko emerged victorious, forcing Nagata to submit to his Texas Cloverleaf submission hold.
Despite being dominated by Scott Norton, DDP managed to pull off a win at 9 mins 12 secs with a Diamond Cutter.
In the WCW World Tag Team Title match, Scott Steiner and Scott Hall emerged victorious at 12 mins 23 secs after Hall executed the Outsider's Edge on Road Warrior Hawk to secure the pin.
In a highly anticipated WCW World Heavyweight Title match, Kevin Nash defeated Ric Flair in a hard-fought 18-minute and 19-second encounter. Flair put on an impressive performance in his hometown, focusing on wearing down Nash's leg while Nash used his power to inflict damage on Flair. The match ended controversially when Flair attempted to apply the Figure Four for the third time, but Nash kicked him off into the referee. Buff Bagwell then ran in from the audience and hit the Blockbuster on Flair, allowing Nash to hit the Jacknife Powerbomb for the pinfall victory when the referee regained consciousness. The Charlotte crowd was not pleased with the outcome and expressed their disapproval by covering the ring in garbage. Hall, Rude, and Scott Steiner joined Bagwell and Nash in the ring to celebrate the victory, with Nash spray painting NWO on the back of Flair. The Horsemen, consisting of Anderson, Pillman, and Wight, came to Flair's aid, but Anderson and Pillman were taken out quickly, leaving Wight to fight alone against the NWO. However, the numbers game was too much, and the NWO, with new member Buff Bagwell, stood tall as the PPV went off the air.
Leading to SuperBrawl
The War Ratings
January 29th 1996 Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.3
February 5th Nitro 4.7 Raw 4.2
Feruary 12th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.3
February 19th Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.4
Curt Hennig was unveiled as the masked man who attacked Macho Man at Wrestle War and the sixth member of the NWO. Randy Savage has tried to get his hands on Hennig but the NWO have used the numbers game to keep him at bay. Curt Henning pinned Ron Simmons in his TV in ring debut with The Hennig Plex.
Unabomb defeated Scott.Norton to become Number one Comtender for the WCW U.S Heavyweight Champion The NWO's Rick Rude.
DDP was attacked by Raven and a group of misfits. Raven hit the DDT on DDP and when he got the mic and proclaimed "No longer will you hear 'What about Raven', at Superbrawl DDP will find out it's all about Raven". Raven's group was later referred to as The Flock. Members include new signings Perry Saturn, Stevie Richards and Rhino. On an.edition of WCW Saturday Night D'Lo Brown joined the faction.
The N.W.O beat Road Warrior Hawk down after his losing effort against Rick Rude on Nitro Feb 5th. In a shock turn Road Warrior Animal hit the ring wearing his spiked shoulder pads and saved his former partner. At Superbrawl The Road Warriors reform to take on Scott Hall and Scott Steiner for the a WCW World Tag Team Titles .
Chris Benoit was attacked on Nitro earlier in the month by John Layfield and at Superbrawl John Layfield will collide with Benoit one on one.
Paul Wight pinned Scott Hall to become Number one contender for Kevin Nash's WCW World Heavyweight Title at Superbrawl.
On Nitro February 12th Shane Douglas defeated Rick Steiner in a non Title match to become number contender for The World T.V Title. At the conclusion of this match Douglas used a chain wrapped around his fist to knock Steiner out, Steiner must be prepared for the cagey veteran when the title is on the line at Superbrawl.
Steven Regal attacked Ron Simmons on the Nitro go.home edition leading to Superbrawl. At the PPV Ron Simmons will wrestle Regal one on one.
At Superbrawl Chris Jericho.will defend his World Cruiserweight Title in an open challenge to 'The Whole Wide World' as Jericho himself described it.
Superbrawl VI 2/25/1996 TWA Dome, St. Louis, Missouri Attendance: 29,000
In the opening match of the night, Chris Jericho issued an open challenge for his WCW World Cruiserweight Title. Jushin Liger accepted the challenge and the two high-flyers engaged in a back-and-forth battle for 15 minutes and 13 seconds. Ultimately, Liger attempted a middle-rope moonsault, but Jericho countered by raising his knees. Seizing the opportunity, Jericho locked Liger in his signature Liontamer submission hold, forcing him to submit. In a hard-hitting match that lasted 8 minutes and 16 seconds.
Ron Simmons defeated Steven Regal by executing his finishing move, The Dominator, and scoring the pinfall.
Scott Steiner and Scott Hall claimed the WCW World Tag Team Title by defeating The Road Warriors in a contest that lasted 12 minutes and 23 seconds. Steiner secured the victory by striking Hawk with a steel chair and then making the cover.
In a match that was reminiscent of a UFC bout, Taz defeated Fit Finlay in just 4 minutes and 18 seconds by applying his Tazmission submission hold.
Curt Hennig emerged victorious in a 17-minute and 34-second bout against Randy Savage. Hennig scored the pinfall with Buff Bagwell's assistance, as Bagwell held Savage's unhooked leg during the pin.
The WCW World Television Title was on the line. Rick Steiner defended the championship by defeating Shane Douglas in 9 minutes and 46 seconds with his Steiner Bulldog finishing maneuver.
Raven emerged victorious over Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) in a Raven Rules Match that gave Raven the advantage to set his own rules and use any object he could find in and around the ring. Throughout the match, both Raven and DDP utilized a variety of weapons and tactics to gain the upper hand, but it was an unexpected interference that ultimately turned the tide of the bout. Rhyno, a member of Raven's stable, unexpectedly entered the ring and delivered his signature move, The Gore, to DDP, leaving him dazed and vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, Raven capitalized on DDP's weakened state and scored the pinfall victory at the 13-minute and 46-second mark.
Unabomb emerged victorious in the WCW U.S Heavyweight Title bout, defeating Rick Rude after 15 minutes and 27 seconds of intense action. During the match, Unabomb thwarted the attempts of Scott Steiner and Scott Hall to interfere. As the contest neared its end, Unabomb strategically maneuvered Rude into a collision with Curt Hennig, who was stationed on the apron. This left Rude dazed and vulnerable, enabling Unabomb to execute a devastating Chokeslam and secure the victory.
Chris Benoit defeated John Layfield by submission with a Crossface at 11 mins 12 secs in a great contest.
Kevin Nash defeated 'The Great' Paul Wight to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Title with a powerbomb after 12 minutes and 56 seconds of action. The match saw interference from both sides, with Nash's NWO faction and Wight's Horsemen allies getting involved. Despite the outside interference, Nash emerged as the victor and solidified his status as the top wrestler in the industry.
Leading to Uncensored
The War Ratings
February 26th 1996 Nitro 4.51 Raw 4.56
March 4th Nitro 4.6 Raw 4.5
March 11th Nitro 4.7 Raw 4.6
March 18th Nitro 4.5 Raw 4.6
March 4th Rick Rude reclaimed the U.S Title from Unabomb after Curt Henning nailed Unabomb with a baseball bat. The following week Hennig lost to Randy Savage after Unabomb interfered.
Ar the.conclusion of the March 4th episode Eric Bischoff appeared as WCW Co President for the first time in a long time. Bischoff cut a promo on the NWO at the stage again. Bischoff said he and Dusty ran WCW not the NWO. Kevin Nash entered and told Bischoff the first time he stepped into the company the hierarchy changed for good. Bischoff argued back and Nash stood toe to toe with him looking down on him. Dusty Rhodes then entered to defend Bischoff but Nash just planted a boot in Dusty's gut and powerbombed him through the stage. Boschoff began to smile he looked at Nash and both men hugged as the show went off air.
The following week Hall, Nash, Rude, Hennig, Bagwell, Scott Steiner and Bischoff opened the show together. Bischoff cut.a promo "It was always me, It was always me. I've been pulling the strings since this began, I was never gonna share this company with anybody, I couldn't take control of WCW 'cos of Dusty and his politics. I wonder if Dusty still thinks I have alot to learn. Listen up bitches, now we will stand as the ruling class over this company". Bischoff gets mega heat.
Later in.the show. J.J.Dillon came out to the arena to talk with Mean Gene and announced he was the interim Co President alongside Bischoff moving forward and his first announcement would be the Main Event for Uncensored. The main event for Uncensored was set as WCW World Television Champion Rick Steiner challenging Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heavyweight Title in a No Holds Barred match.
Main Event for Nitro March 18th Rick Steiner and Randy Savage defeated Kevin Nash and Buff Bagwell when Steiner pinned Nash, making him strong leading to the PPV.
Meng and The Barbarian aka The Faces of Fear have looked good as of late with a few wins on Nitro and Saturday Night.
DDP had continued feuding with The Flock. DDP got a win over Stevie Richards and he will wrestle Rhino in a cage match at Uncensored on his road back to Raven.
The Cruiserweight division has beefed up with La Parka, Juventud Guerrera and Psychosis.
The Four Horsemen continue to be featured strong on TV.
WCW Uncensored 1996 3/24/1996 Astrodome, Houston, Texas Attendance: 42,067
Chris Jericho told the audience that he issued his open challenge to the 'Whole Wide World' but as it was Uncensored tonight he was challenging the 'Whole Wide World' to a ladder match. Juventud Guerrera accepted the challenge but came up short at 14 mins 27 secs when Jericho managed to get the title belt.
Harlem Heat defeated The Faces of Fear at 8 mins 46 secs in a Street Fight Match. Stevie Ray hit Meng with 5 steel chair shots as Meng had Booker T locked in the Tongan Death Grip. After no selling the first four shots, Meng fell like an oak tree allowing Stevie to pin him.
In a 6 man tag team elimination The Boss and The Nasty Boys defeated Blood Runs Cold at 13 mins 24 secs when The Boss emerged as sole Survivor pinning Wrath after a Boss Man Slam.
Cage Match DDP defeated Rhino after hitting the.Diamond Cutter for the pinfall at 11 mins 23 secs. As the cage raised The Flock hit the ring but DDP fled through the crowd.
Chain.match WCW U.S Heavyweight Title Champion Rick.Rude defeated Ron Simmons when he managed to touch all four corners consecutively.
Taz continued his undefeated streak making Chris Benoit submit to a Tazmission at 8 mins 25 secs in a Fight Pit Match.
In a shocker The Horsemen team of Ric Flair and Arn Anderson defeated Scott Hall and Scott Steiner for the WCW World Tag Team Titles in a quick.Tornado Tag Team match. Flair lowblowed both Steiner and Hall as they set Anderson up for a double suplex and Arn pinned Hall with a small package at 6 mins 35 secs. This caused an enormous pop.
Dean Malenko made Eddie.Guerrero submit with The Texas Cloverleaf in a submission match.
In a lumberjack match Unabomb pinned Curt Henning at 12 mins 36 secs with a Chokeslam. The lumberjacks around the ring where mostly WCW talent keeping the NWO at bay.
No Holds Barred match for WCW World Heavyweight Title. Kevin Nash successfully defended his title against Rick Steiner . The match was a wild one Rick Steiner held his own as a viable main eventer. Nash brawled to take control early but despite the size difference Rick Steiner used his power game to send Nash reeling. Less than 10 mins into the contest Steiner had Nash defeated with the Steiner Bulldog only to then have to fend off NWO members Buff Bagwell, Curt Hennig and his own little brother Scott.This distracted Rick long enough for Nash to hit him with a steel chair for the near fall. After some heat Steiner made a fiery comeback after a number of suplexes and a powerful Steinerline, Rick climbed the top rope for the Steiner Bulldog, Scott Hall slide into the ring and as Rick dived he hit Rick in the face with a chair shot. The rest of the NWO were back out as was Unabomb and the Horsemen. With both sides brawling around outside the ring, Nash hit the Jacknife Powerbomb on Rick Steiner through a table set up in the ring for the 1 -2-3 at 17 mins 41secs. As everyone brawled the lights suddenly went out and a spotlight shone into the high seating area, this is the first time we see 'Crow' Sting. Kevin Nash looks up in fear and the fans go crazy as the PPV goes of air Tony Schiavone is heard shouting "It's Sting, it's Sting".

- Part 1 -
https://www.reddit.com/FantasyBookingElite/comments/1345rb7/unbreakable_v_rebook_sting_in_wwe_part_1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
​
Following the showcase of the immortals, we are told by WWE officials that neither Sting or The Undertaker are going to be here tonight, following the damage they both sustained in the main event of WrestleMania!
​
Monday Night Raw - 04/04/11 -
As the lights dim and the music blares, Kane and The Big Show make their way to the ring, ready to take on their opponents in a tag team bout. However, as they step into the ring, something seems off about Kane. His usual calm and collected demeanour has been replaced by a ferocious intensity, a wildness that's never been seen before.
The crowd can sense that something is different about Kane, and they're unsure of what to expect from the match. The bell rings, and the bout begins, with Kane and The Big Show taking on their opponents with a renewed vigour and aggression.
As the match continues, The Big Show starts to notice that Kane is acting stranger than ever before. He's not responding to his partner's calls, and his movements seem erratic and unpredictable. Big Show starts to worry, wondering if something has snapped inside of Kane.
After the match ends, Big Show goes looking for Kane, but he's nowhere to be found. Frantic and worried, he searches the backstage area, asking everyone if they've seen his partner. But nobody has any answers, and Kane remains missing.
​
The mystery of Kane's sudden change in character and disappearance leaves the WWE universe in shock and wondering what's next for The Big Red Monster. What has happened to the Big Red Machine….?
As the WWE universe eagerly awaits the first PPV since WrestleMania, Extreme Rules looms on the horizon like a spectre of chaos and mayhem. But one half of the tag team champions, Kane, is conspicuously absent. The tension is palpable as his partner, Big Show, becomes more and more enraged by the day, his concern growing with each passing moment.
But as if things couldn't get any worse, The Corre, comprised of Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, and Heath Slater, have set their sights on the tag team titles. With the numbers game against him, Big Show is faced with an impossible decision - either relinquish the titles or defend them alone.
​
In a show of true grit and determination, Big Show chooses the latter, determined to defend the titles and honor his partnership with Kane. But it won't be an easy feat - he'll be taking on both Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett in a 2-on-1 handicap match at Extreme Rules.
As the WWE universe holds its breath in anticipation, one question remains - can Big Show overcome the odds and retain the tag team championships on his own, or will The Corre prove to be too much for him to handle?
​
WWE Extreme Rules - 05/01/11 -
The tension in the arena is palpable as Big Show makes his way down to the ring, carrying both championship belts as a lone defender. The absence of his partner Kane is a heavy weight on his mind, but he's determined to fight on and defend their hard-earned titles.
The match is a gruelling battle, with Big Show putting up a valiant effort against the double-team tactics of Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett. But just as victory seems within reach for the giant, interference from the other members of The Corre turns the tide. Barrett strikes Big Show with one of the championship belts, while Gabriel lands a 450 splash while the referee is distracted by Slater on the outside. Barrett makes the cover and secures the win for his team - we have new Tag Team Champions!
The Corre (Ezekiel Jackson & Wade Barrett) def. Big Show - 2-on-1 Handicap Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships - 08:52
But it seems that Barrett and Jackson are not satisfied with just claiming the gold. As Slater retrieves a steel chair from the timekeeper's area, it's clear that they have a statement to make. The brutal 4-on-1 assault on Big Show begins, with no end in sight.
But just as all hope seems lost, the arena plunges into darkness. A hush falls over the crowd as a lone figure appears in the ring - it's none other than Sting! The vigilante wastes no time in taking the fight to The Corre, sending Barrett flying over the top rope and smashing the chair out of Slater's hands with his signature baseball bat. A Scorpion Death Drop seals the deal on Slater!!!!! and Sting has once again proven why he's one of the most revered icons in wrestling history, and is known for being the justice delivering vigilante, that keeps law and order wherever he may roam.
As Big Show and Sting share a meaningful stare-down, with lots of history between the two men….. The Icon helps his fallen comrade to his feet and escorts him backstage. It's a moment of true respect between two wrestling legends, and one that will go down in history as a true testament to the power of honor, loyalty, and justice. Big Show may have lost the championships…. But it seems as if he may have gained a new ally.
​
The weeks following from Extreme Rules…. Sting declares to Big Show that he will have his back as long as The Corre continue to have an issue with him, and cowardly use the numbers game to their advantage. In his first ever match on TV…. Sting defeats Justin Gabriel via the Scorpion Death Lock, and then on Smackdown the same week…. Defeats Heath Slater via the Scorpion Death Drop! Following this, The Corre now seem to have an equal problem with Sting, as they do former Tag Team Champion Big Show! It is made official at Over The Limit…. It will be Sting & The Big Show…. Taking on the tag champs, Jackson & Barrett, in a No Holds Barred Tag Team Match for the titles!!!! Only a few short months into his tenure in WWE, Sting already has the chance to win his first piece of silverware.
​
WWE Over The Limit - 05/22/11 -
Sting and Show team up in a Legend & Legend coalition, reminding fans of the old Nitro days of WCW, as they take on The Corre for the gold. This match is chaotic and wild with the No DQ stipulation… with Barrett going through the announcers table via a huge slam by Sting!!!
As this bout reaches its climax… Sting has Barrett where he wants him…. Locked in for the SDD!!! Thats when flames burst through the posts of the ring and Kane’s music hits!!!!!
The fans are stunned as they witness the shocking return of Kane, who has undergone a transformation that has left him almost unrecognizable. As he enters the ring wearing a sinister red mask that hides his face, Kane comes down to the ring…. Seemingly to help his partner Big Show….. but unleashes a brutal chokeslam on Sting, who is caught completely off guard!!!!!!
The audience is on edge as Kane turns his attention to his former tag team partner, the Big Show, and slams him down to the mat with a thunderous choke slam of his own. The Corre looks on in horror as Kane goes on a rampage, seemingly taking pleasure in his violent assault on the two legends!!!!!
As Kane drags Sting's limp body outside of the ring, he places him in position for the ultimate move, the Tombstone Piledriver, and plants him headfirst into the unforgiving floor. The crowd is left gasping as Kane stands tall, his red mask staring back at them with a menacing glare.
The carnage is not yet over, however, as Kane crawls back into the ring and allows The Corre's Ezekiel Jackson to crawl over to Big Show for the pinfall. The bell rings, and The Corre is declared the winner, but the real victor seems to be the demonic Kane, who has left destruction and chaos in his wake!!!!
The Corre (Ezekiel Jackson & Wade Barrett) def. Big Show & Sting - No DQ Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships - 14:10
With Sting absent from TV after sustaining neck damage after the assault from the Big Red Machine…. It is the World’s Largest Athlete who faces off with Kane… Kane continues to wreck havoc on the WWE roster each week, and even chokeslammed Big Show through the ring to close an episode of Monday Night Raw!!
At Capitol Punishment… Kane faced off against Big Show in an Inferno Match…. With Kane quite comfortably putting Big Show away…. Chokeslamming him down as the flames burn all around him.
Following this…. The Big Red Monster begins to tell the WWE Universe what has happened to him… and why he has become fuelled with hate and destruction. Kane claims that Sting injuring his fellow Brother of Destruction has lit a spark from Kane’s past back into his mind and that he can no longer remain as calm and conservative as he once was… and that a fire now rages inside of him to eradicate the WWE of Sting.
Sting returns on Monday Night Raw and challenges Kane to use all of the anger in his body in a match against Sting at Money In The Bank!!! Kane once again ambushes Sting and choke slams him on the ramp to close the go-home-show before the PPV!!!
​
WWE Money In The Bank - 07/17/11 -
The tension in the arena is palpable as the two legends make their way to the ring, both oozing with intensity and determination. The ominous music of Kane echoes throughout the stadium as he steps through the fire-lit entrance, his eyes ablaze with a newfound ferocity. Sting, on the other hand, is greeted with a raucous ovation from the crowd as he emerges from the darkness, his trademark black and white face paint shining bright under the spotlights.
The bell rings, and the two titans waste no time in locking up. Sparks fly as they grapple and jockey for position, each trying to gain the upper hand. Kane seems to have the advantage early on, using his superior size and strength to toss Sting around the ring like a ragdoll. But Sting refuses to give up, digging deep and unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks that take Kane by surprise.
As the match wears on, the brutality of the encounter begins to take its toll on both men. They trade devastating blows, each one landing with bone-jarring impact. The crowd is on the edge of their seats, hanging on every move, every strike.
Kane seems to have the upper hand once again, as he hoists Sting up for a Tombstone Piledriver. But Sting somehow manages to counter it, flipping Kane over and slamming him down to the mat with a thunderous Scorpion Death Drop. The crowd erupts in a frenzy as Sting makes the cover, the referee sliding into position to make the count. 1…2…3!!!!
Sting has done it! He has vanquished Kane in a match for the ages, cementing his place as one of the all-time greats. The crowd showers him with adulation as he stands in the center of the ring, arms raised in victory. Kane, meanwhile, lies motionless on the mat, his fiery spirit temporarily extinguished. Sting is ready to leave the ring as he looks down on Kane who lies flat in the ring….. Kane sits up!!!! Kane choke slams Sting!!!!!!!! Officials rush into the ring as Kane beats down on Sting after the bell in a fiery rage!!!!!!!
Gong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UNDERTAKER IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UNDERTAKER IS IN THE RING BLOCKING THE PATH TO STING…. STARING A HOLE THROUGH HIS BROTHER OF DESTRUCTION!!!!!!!!!!
All of the rage in Kane seems to disappear as he looks towards The Phenom, and he quietly rolls out of the ring and to the back…… Undertaker helps Sting up to his feet as the two men once again stare down one another in the ring!
Monday Night Raw - 07/18/11 -
Summerslam on the horizon…. Undertaker comes out on Raw and declares to the WWE Universe that he must face Sting again, one-on-one, and leave on his own accord…. If he is to put out the fire inside of Kane. But Undertaker tells Sting that this war must be more vicious, and more violent than the last. If they are to create a fire bigger than the one inside of the big red machine, that is the only way they can turn it into smoke.
Undertaker challenges Sting to a match at Summerslam.
Hell.
In.
A.
Cell.
The following week….. Sting accepts. The biggest battle of legends is set to have a rematch…. This time…. Locked inside the structure the phenom made famous.
In the next few TV events leading up to the show… Sting takes on the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes & former WWE Champion The Miz in the main events to prepare himself for his titanic rematch against the phenom.
​
WWE SummerSlam - 08/14/11 -
The air is electric as the ominous Hell in a Cell structure lowers down, enclosing Sting and Undertaker within its confines. The steel mesh seems to amplify the intensity between the two legendary wrestlers, who stand across from each other with a fierce determination!!!
The sound of the bell rings out, and the two men explode towards each other, a collision of titans that shakes the ring. Sting lands the first blow, driving Undertaker into the corner and unleashing a flurry of furious strikes. Undertaker responds with a vicious counter, his blows landing with a bone-jarring force!!!!
Undertaker, a veteran of the structure, knows the walls inside out and uses them to his advantage against Sting!
The intensity of the match reaches a fever pitch as Sting whips Undertaker into the side of the cell, causing a deafening clang to reverberate throughout the arena. Sting's agility proves to be too much for Undertaker, as he dodges Taker's attacks and lands a series of high-flying maneuvers that leave the crowd gasping!!!!
Undertaker fights back with his own ferocity, but Sting's quick reflexes keep him one step ahead. The audience is on the edge of their seats as Sting climbs the ropes, ready to take the fight to the next level.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Sting leaps off the top rope and lands a crushing crossbody on Undertaker, sending them both crashing to the unforgiving steel floor. The sound of their impact echoes throughout the arena, sending shivers down the spine of every spectator.
As both men struggle to their feet, it's clear that this match will be won with grit and determination. Sting and Undertaker battle it out with an unrelenting fury, neither giving an inch as the crowd roars with excitement.
Just when it seems like Undertaker has the upper hand, Sting surprises him with a low blow that leaves him gasping for air. With a burst of energy, Sting slams Undertaker's head into the steel floor, then climbs up the side of the cell, the crowd roaring in disbelief.
With his eyes fixed on Undertaker below, Sting leaps from the halfway point of the cell, soaring through the air like a missile before driving his elbow deep into Undertaker's chest, but Undertaker moves out of the way….. sending him crashing through the announce table below!!!!!!
The audience erupts into a frenzy as The Phenom drags Sting back into the ring. With a herculean effort, Undertaker hooks Sting up for the Tombstone Piledriver…. SOMEHOW….. Sting reverses it over and nails Undertaker with a TOMBSTONE OF HIS OWN…. Just like he did at WrestleMania!!!
1……..2………..3!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sting collapses off of Undertaker as he is victorious in the rematch!!!
Sting def. Undertaker - Hell In A Cell Match - 29:52
The bell rings, signaling the end of one of the most intense and memorable matches in wrestling history. Sting stands victorious, his arms raised in triumph as the crowd cheers him on, while Undertaker lies on the mat!!! The Undertaker slowly rises to his feet this time however, being able to drag himself up… and it is Sting who is needing the help of the officials!!!! Undertaker and Sting walk up the ramp together…. Putting out the fires of hate and fury…. As Taker raises Sting’s arm in the air in victory as the two legends help each other to the back.
​
- FINAL CHAPTER -
Sting, now recognised as the legend he is in the eyes of the casual WWE viewer, with his monumental victory against The Undertaker sealed… continues to be a fan-favourite special attraction to future WWE PPV events… following on from his gigantic victory at SummerSlam against The Undertaker… Sting challenges WWE Champion John Cena to an Era-Defining match at Night of Champions… with Sting capturing the WWE Championship!!!! With Sting now owning the biggest prize there is in Wrestling, taking down the biggest star in the game, Sting is now The Undisputed Icon once again in professional wrestling, no matter the era, Sting is able to dominate and captivate the universe he graces! A successful defence against Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series is added further to his impressive first year in the company, and is greeted the night after by the return of The Cult of Personality…. The man we haven’t seen since Money In The Bank 2011…. The man who never lost the WWE Championship….. C M Punk…… and at Starrcade 2011….. the two men have a dream match of generations, to unify both WWE Championships, and crown the true, new, WWE Undisputed Champion….!!!!!
​
After CM Punk unifies the championships… WrestleMania 28 is in the sights of Sting… who begins a grudge that slowly turns into a dream match against the cerebral assassin…. The king of kings….. Triple H. Another dream match... a battle of ego's, era's and legacies. Two men from different worlds, with irrepressible parallels and destiny's yet to be defined.
End.
​

Royal Rumble 2001
Date: 21/1/01
Location: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Chris Jericho
(The final chapter in this rivalry. After Chris Jericho defeats Eddie Guerrero at Armageddon, he promises to finally recapture the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Benoit. Benoit meanwhile tells Jericho that he’ll once again choke like he always does when the pressure is on and vows to leave with his championship. Benoit offers to up the stakes and make it a Ladder Match, teasing a face turn that he’s a fighting champion. Jericho accepts and tells Benoit that after this match, The Rabid Wolverine and the higher ups in the WWF will respect him. Chris Jericho wins the championship to close out this feud and he earns Chris Benoit’s respect as the two shake hands.)
Tables Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship:
Edge & Christian (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
Chyna & The New Age Outlaws vs The Right to Censor (Ivory, Val Venis & The Godfather) w/Steven Richards & Bull Buchanan
(Road Dogg does not get fired from the the company. The New Age Outlaws turn face after Armageddon and even the odds for Chyna. The Right to Censor not only win this match but also injure Chyna, putting her WrestleMania dream in doubt.)
WWF Championship:
Kurt Angle (c) vs The Rock
(On the first Raw of 2001, The Rock wins a #1 contenders match against The Undertaker to finally earn his one on one rematch for the WWF Championship that he never got after SummerSlam. The Rock says after months of being denied his rematch, he’s not going to let this chance slip and promises he’ll once again become the WWF Champion. He also tells Kurt Angle that he’s nothing but a clown and if he main evented WrestleMania then the show would absolutely suck. Angle tells The Rock that just like at SummerSlam, he’ll pin him again and walk out of the Royal Rumble with his WWF Championship! Despite Angle’s best attempts to cheat, The Rock overcomes his tactics in order to regain the WWF Championship.)
Royal Rumble Match:
Stone Cold Steve Austin (#27) wins by last eliminating Kane (#6)
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane, Triple H & The Undertaker
Kane eliminates 11 men, setting the elimination record
Haku returns and enters at #29
Drew Carey doesn’t enter the Rumble
Pete Rose appears from the crowd although he doesn’t enter the match either. Rose is looking for revenge on Kane and tries to eliminate The Big Red Monster. However, his tactic backfires as he once again eats a Tombstone Piledriver but this time from The Undertaker 😂
Note:
(I hope you guys don’t mind a bit of comedy, especially if done right 😁)
No Way Out 2001
Date: 25/2/01
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada
Hardcore Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Raven (c) vs Tazz
European Championship:
Test (c) vs Dean Malenko
(Perry Saturn assists Malenko and helps him win the European Championship.)
Trish Stratus vs Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
(Stephanie McMahon hates the fact her father is dating Trish Stratus and says that Trish is nothing but a piece of trash. This results in a fight between both women to the point Vince McMahon tells them to sort their differences out here, get whatever out of their system and try and get on the same page afterwards. Instead of Stephanie winning, Trish wins clean.)
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs X-Pac vs Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit
WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs Rikishi & Haku vs Edge & Christian vs The Brothers of Destruction
WWF Championship:
The Rock (c) vs Kurt Angle
(After the Royal Rumble, Kurt Angle invokes his rematch clause for the WWF Championship. Angle promises to once again beat The Rock for the WWF Championship and go on to main event WrestleMania. The Rock tells Angle that nothing and no one, especially him will stop The Great One from going into WrestleMania 17 to get revenge from WrestleMania 15 against that bald headed, beer-drinking, son of a bitch Austin.)
Three Stages of Hell Match:
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Triple H (2-1)
First Fall: Normal Match Second Fall: No Holds Barred Match Third Fall: Steel Cage Match
(This personal feud goes to another level. Triple H wants revenge on Austin for what he done at Unforgiven and for eliminating him from the Royal Rumble, promising to beat The Rattlesnake to a pulp to the point he’ll be lucky to make it to WrestleMania. Austin meanwhile wants revenge on Triple H for trying to end his career by being the brains behind Kurt Angle running him over at Survivor Series 1999. Triple H wins this match 2-1, winning the last two falls to end the feud… for now at least.)
Notes:
(On the Raw after No Way Out, Vince McMahon fires Mick Foley and appoints William Regal as the new commissioner of the WWF.)
(On the Raw before WrestleMania, Vince McMahon announces his purchase of WCW. Shane McMahon appears on Nitro and announces the contract says McMahon but it reads, Shane McMahon!)
WrestleMania X-Seven
Date: 1/4/01
Location: Reliant Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle
(Two great wrestlers wanting to see who the better man is. Kurt Angle cheats to win this contest by putting his feet on the ropes during a roll up. After the match, Angle tries to attack Benoit but The Rabid Wolverine counters and locks in The Crossface which Angle taps out before Benoit lets go.)
Tazz & The APA vs The Right to Censor (Val Venis, The Godfather & Bull Buchanan) w/Steven Richards
European Championship:
Dean Malenko (c) w/Perry Saturn vs Eddie Guerrero
(The two former Radicalz go head to head with Eddie turning face on the road to WrestleMania. Dean Malenko claims he’s always been better than Eddie meanwhile Eddie disputes that, claiming Malenko could never fill his boots. Eddie lies, cheats and steals his way to the European Championship.)
Hardcore Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Raven (c) vs Big Show vs Kane
(Same fun match we got in real life and yes, we still see Raven get run over by the golf cart 😂 Kane wins the championship after Chokeslam’s Raven off the stage.)
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs William Regal
(The same very fun feud happens, with Jericho not being very well liked by the new WWF Commissioner. Jericho still also pees in Regal’s tea cup in the build up. “Would you like a spot of “P” Mr. Regal?”😂. Regal tells Jericho that he’s nothing but a little toerag and he’ll make him pay for peeing in his cup of tea by teaching him a lesson at WrestleMania while also taking his Intercontinental Championship away from him.)
Women’s Championship:
Ivory (c) vs Chyna
(Chyna totally squashes Ivory to get her revenge and win the Women’s Championship.)
Street Fight - Mick Foley is the Special Guest Referee:
Shane McMahon w/Linda McMahon vs Vince McMahon w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley & Trish Stratus
(Shane McMahon has had enough of the way his father has treated his mother in the last few months and attacks Vince the night after No Way Out. Shane then offers challenges Vince to a match at WrestleMania which Vince accepts, telling Shane he should’ve gotten Linda to get rid of him when she was pregnant. Vince doesn’t make Trish bark like a dog in the build up and simply thinks she loves him. We know what happens when it comes to WCW. Mick Foley is appointed the referee by The Board of Directors and Foley promises to call the match right down the middle. In this match, Trish Stratus turns face, slaps Vince and fights with Stephanie. Linda McMahon also reveals that she’s fine, low blows Vince and Shane gives him a coast to coast with a trash can through his face to win the match.)
Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz
(Instead of Edge and Christian winning another one of these big matches, The Hardy Boyz get their moment to shine.)
Gimmick Battle Royal:
The Iron Sheik wins by last eliminating Sgt. Slaughter
The Undertaker vs Triple H
(Instead of this being kinda thrown together at the last minute, this is planned all along. The night after No Way Out, Triple H claims he’s beat everyone on the roster and asks why on earth isn’t he in the main event of WrestleMania for that alone? The Undertaker interrupts The Game and tells him, he’s never faced him one on one or beat him ever which to this point, he hasn’t. The Undertaker challenges Triple H to a match at WrestleMania to see if he’s as good as he thinks he is. Triple H accepts the challenge and promises to add The Undertaker to his list of people he’s kicked the crap out of. Both men beat each other up in the weeks building up, with The Undertaker promising Triple H that if he tries him further at WrestleMania then he’ll make him famous. The Undertaker wins this match to go 9-0 after hitting Triple H with a Last Ride.)
No Disqualification Match for the WWF Championship:
The Rock (c) vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
(Debra will NOT be managing The Rock in the slightest and that’s only change to the build up we got in real life. We still get the awesome Limp Bizkit “My Way” promo package. The Rock wants to avenge his loss from WrestleMania 15 and says that he’s never gotten over it. The Rock also tells Austin that he’s going to get the absolute best out of The Rock at WrestleMania. Austin meanwhile wants to prove he’s still the man, tells The Rock it’s going to be the same story it was at WrestleMania 15 and vows he’s going to do whatever it takes to once again be the WWF Champion, with all due respect. During the match, both men beat the hell out of each other. Then out comes… Vince McMahon. Vince grabs a steel chair and hands it to… Austin! Austin then hits The Rock with repeated chair shots, hits him with a Stunner and pins him to win the WWF Championship! Austin then stares down McMahon before shockingly shaking his hand, aligning with the devil himself. Austin and Vince then drink cans of beer and celebrate at the end of WrestleMania until… STUNNER!! Austin tricked Vince into aligning with him all along! The Rattlesnake said he’d do whatever took and by god that’s what he done. Austin shows Vince the middle finger, laughs with the fans and celebrates with them as WrestleMania draws to a close.)
Notes:
(The Rock goes on hiatus to film The Scorpion King.)
(Rob Van Dam and Rhyno sign for the company.)
(After WrestleMania, the contracts of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash are bought after the income generated from WrestleMania 17. They’ll be resting up and ready to come in later in the year, as will a few other WCW stars. Keep watching.)
Backlash 2001
Date: 29/4/01
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Hardcore Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Kane (c) vs Raven
Women’s Championship:
Chyna (c) vs Lita
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs William Regal
(Regal cheats to win the championship by using Brass Knuckles when the referee isn’t looking.)
Submission Match:
Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle
(Benoit challenges Angle to a rematch which Angle accepts because he’s angry at what Benoit did to him at WrestleMania. Benoit offers to up the stakes and make it a Submission Match. Angle also accepts, telling Benoit he’s never tapped out to anyone in an official match and won’t be tapping to him. Benoit makes Angle tap officially to even the score with his rival.)
WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Hardy Boyz (c) vs Edge & Christian
(The final battle between these two teams. The Hardy Boyz retain their titles after Jeff Hardy hits Christian with a Swanton Bomb.)
Street Fight:
Shane McMahon vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
(Vince McMahon is embarrassed at what transpired at WrestleMania against Shane. Shane tells his father that he got exactly what he deserved before being attacked by Triple H! Vince tells Shane that he only has one person who’s loyal and like a true son to him, Triple H. Vince promises Triple H that if he beats Shane McMahon to a pulp, he’ll get a title shot since Vince knows The Game’s ultimate desire is to reclaim the WWF Championship. Triple H wins this match thanks to a distraction from Vince.)
WWF Championship:
Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs The Undertaker
(On the Raw after WrestleMania, Austin explains his actions. He tells the fans that his desperation was like never before after having a year took off his life by Vince’s son in law and it gave him motivation to do anything it took to win back the WWF Championship, even if it meant getting Vince to believe he could trust him so he could then ultimately embarrass him at WrestleMania in front of the whole world just like Shane McMahon did earlier in the night. An angry Vince warns Austin that there will be consequences for his actions seeing as he dared to make a fool out of him at WrestleMania. The Undertaker wins a Fatal 4 Way against Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit to earn this opportunity. The Undertaker tells Austin that he actually respects the desire and desperation he showed to win the WWF Championship and also the balls he showed to embarrass Vince McMahon the way he did. However, The American Badass also tells Austin that his title reign will be short lived because he’s going to emphasise the yard is well and truly his. Austin retains the championship clean after hitting Undertaker with two Stunner’s. After the match, he’s attacked by someone he’s familiar with… Triple H! The Game attacks Austin with repeated sledgehammer hits, Pedigree’s him and leaves him a bloody mess. Triple H holds up the WWF Championship with Vince raising his arm laughing to close out the show.)
Notes:
(The night after Backlash, Vince says Triple H destroyed his son Shane and Stone Cold Steve Austin just like he destroyed WCW!)
And that’s part 26 over! Austin does NOT turn heel at WrestleMania 17 😅 the main reason I haven’t went ahead with the heel turn although I did think it through is because in my opinion, there’s more cons than pros at turning The Rattlesnake into a bad guy. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the part, love the project so far and stick along for the ride because it only gets better from here. I’ll be back tomorrow to cover part 27 where we’ll see Austin and Triple H close out their blood feud, Vince McMahon’s ego grow over the fact he killed WCW and the beginning of a little storyline called The Invasion Angle. Stay safe and stay tuned!

In The Hollywood Hills the contest of the next twisted metal tournament starts the two cars ready themselves for a fight
Name: Pit Viper
Vehicle: Airel Nomad Tactical
Drivers: Paul and Alex
Special: fires a dirt bomb that blinds and slows down enemy vehicles
Backstory: two siblings who had their older sister killed due to one of the tournaments and want revenge killing everyone else in the tournament and then calypso himself
Name: Tombstone
Vehicle: A 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III Barris Kustoms
Drivers: Burke Rhodes and Blair Cooper
Special: the death glare- the front lights turn red and anything in front of its gaze will be stunned
Backstory: “soulless and Twisted, these two take pleasure in there Line of work. There occupation? Grave robbers. Stealing anything valuable from corpses fresh or forgotten. Both having a fascination with the dead. when they win this contest, they will be worshipped as Gods”
View Poll

Royal Rumble 2000
Date: 23/1/00
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Tazz vs Kurt Angle
(Tazz makes the same debut here as in real life.)
Tables Match:
The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs Hardcore Holly
WWF Tag Team Championship:
The New Age Outlaws (c) vs The APA
Street Fight for the WWF Championship:
Triple H (c) w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs Cactus Jack
(Same story as real life as this is an all time classic. Foley wants to be the WWF Champion and beat the sh*t out of Triple H. He even goes into a darker version of his personality by bringing back Cactus Jack. In a very bloody encounter, Triple H retains the WWF Championship.)
Royal Rumble Match:
The Rock (#24) wins by last eliminating Kurt Angle (#12)
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are The Rock, Kurt Angle, X-Pac and Kane
The Rock’s feet don’t hit the floor for Big Show to have a major case to be in the WrestleMania main event
No Way Out 2000
Date: 27/2/00
Location: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
WWF Tag Team Championship:
The New Age Outlaws (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
Tazz vs Hardcore Holly
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs Kurt Angle
(Heel tactics helps Kurt Angle seal his first piece of WWF gold just 3 months after debuting!)
#1 Contender’s Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian (Double Count-out)
(This match ends in a double count-out. After the match, The Dudley’s appear and give both Jeff Hardy and Edge a 3-D through a table.)
If The Rock loses, he’ll lose his WrestleMania Championship Match:
The Rock vs Shane McMahon w/Vince McMahon
(Pissed off at the outcome of the Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon tells The Rock that at No Way Out, he’ll face his son Shane. The Rock’s fine with it but Vince tells him there’s also a condition. If he loses to Shane McMahon, he’ll lose his WrestleMania Championship match. The Rock despite having a scare in this match due to Vince trying to screw him manages to win and keeps his WrestleMania opportunity alive.)
Title vs Career Hell in a Cell Match:
Triple H (c) w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs Cactus Jack
(Cactus Jack challenges Triple H to one more match for the WWF Championship which Triple H agrees to only if Cactus puts his career on the line. Cactus agrees to put his career on the line as long as Triple H agrees to have the match inside the devil’s playground, Hell in a Cell! Same match and same outcome, Triple H retains the WWF Championship but Mick Foley actually does retire… for now.)
WrestleMania 2000
Date: 2/4/00
Location: Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
Hardcore Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Crash Holly (c) vs Hardcore Holly vs Tazz
European Championship:
The British Bulldog (c) vs Eddie Guerrero
(Latino Heat lies, cheats and steals to win his first bit of gold in the WWF at his first WrestleMania,)
The Big Show vs The Big Boss Man
(The Big Show has unfinished business with The Big Boss Man for his comments about his father. Big Show wants to tear Boss Man limb from limb at the biggest show of the year. Boss Man meanwhile vows to embarrass Big Show one last time.)
Triangle Ladder Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs The Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian
(Same awesome encounter we got in real life and the same outcome with Edge & Christian winning the Tag Team Championship for the first time in their careers.)
Too Cool (Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty & Grand Master Sexy) vs The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Dean Makenko and Perry Saturn)
(The Radicalz get the win at their first WrestleMania after Chris Benoit forces Scotty 2 Hotty to submit to The Crossface.)
Street Fight:
Kane w/Chyna vs X-Pac w/Tori & Pete Rose
(After being betrayed, Kane want his long overdue revenge on X-Pac. The Big Red Monster demands a match against his former partner at WrestleMania which is granted to him by Linda McMahon and she also announces that it’ll be a Street Fight! In the build up, Kane beats the utter crap out of Road Dogg and Billy Gunn which writes them off TV. However, with X-Pac still having Tori by his side to most likely distract Kane, he has back up by his side. Someone who has history with X-Pac… Chyna! X-Pac also recruits Pete Rose to be in his corner, a man who has history with Kane. Kane wins this match after hitting X-Pac with a Chokeslam through a table from the top while Chyna deals with Tori. After the match, Pete Rose attempts to hit Kane with a bat but Chyna intercepts and punches him. Pete Rose once again eats a Tombstone from The Big Red Monster 😂.)
Intercontinental Championship:
Kurt Angle (c) vs Chris Jericho
(Both want to make an impression at their first WrestleMania. They go back and forth for 20 minutes with Angle coming out on top in the end to retain his championship. A sign of things to come for both men.)
No Holds Barred Match for the WWF Championship - Vince McMahon is the Special Guest Referee
Triple H (c) w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs The Rock
(The match we all wanted is what we’re getting. The Game vs The Great One! In the build up, The McMahon-Helmsley regime stack the deck against The Rock on the road to WrestleMania, putting him in handicap matches and forcing him to compete while Triple H gets to rest. They then stack the deck further when Vince announces that he’ll be the referee in a No Holds Barred Match! During the match when Vince doesn’t make the count for The Rock, Rock punches Vince only for Shane McMahon and Vince’s stooges Patterson and Brisco to come out and attack The Rock. Vince is laughing, as is Triple H and Stephanie. Triple H then delivers a Pedigree to The Rock but The Great One kicks out which Triple H and Vince can’t believe. Vince then goes to get a steel chair to finish The Rock off until… Glass Shatters! The place goes crazy. It’s Austin and he’s got an equaliser! Austin beats the hell out of everyone in sight with a steel chair and has stunners for every son of bitch on Vince’s side that comes across him. A Stunner for Patterson, Brisco and Shane McMahon. Vince then tries to hit Austin but The Rattlesnake counters and hits Vince a Stunner. Triple H looks like he’s saw a ghost since Austin believes The Game ran him over at Survivor Series. Triple H gets a few hits on Austin until out of the blue, he receives a Stunner! Triple H stays on his feet and falls into a Rock Bottom. Austin leaves but there’s no referee until Linda McMahon comes out and appears with… Mick Foley who has a referee shirt on! Once Foley comes down to the ring, The Rock hits a People’s Elbow on Triple H and Foley makes the three count! The Rock is the new WWF Champion and WrestleMania draws to a close with The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection celebrating with the fans.)
Note:
(Kurt Angle drops the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Benoit the Raw after WrestleMania in a Triple Threat Match against him and Chris Jericho.)
Backlash 2000
Date: 30/4/00
Location: MCI Center, Washington, D.C.
Hardcore Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Crash Holly (c) vs Hardcore Holly
Kane & Chyna vs X-Pac & Tori
(Kane & Chyna kick X-Pac and Tori's ass to close out the feud.)
The British Bulldog vs Kurt Angle
WWF Tag Team Championship:
Edge & Christian (c) vs The Dudley Boyz
European Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Rikishi
(Eddie lies, cheats and steals in order to retain his championship.)
Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Benoit (c) vs Chris Jericho (By Disqualification)
(The start of this great rivalry. In this match, Benoit snaps and gets himself disqualified by refusing to let Jericho go when his hands are on the rope in The Crossface.)
The Hardy Boyz vs The Radicalz (Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn)
(The heels get the win due to some help from Eddie Guerrero.)
WWF Championship:
The Rock (c) vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
(A pissed off Triple H invokes his rematch clause and tells The Rock that he’s only the WWF Champion because of Stone Cold Steve Austin, a man he’ll gladly put back on the shelf the minute he’s fully cleared to return. The Rock tells Triple H that’s ironic of him saying how he’s the WWF Champion when he’d have only retained because of Vince and every other stooge they’ve got kissing their ass. An accidental distraction by Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley allows The Rock to hit a Rock Bottom on The Game in order to retain the WWF Championship.)
And that’s part 23! I hope you guys enjoyed it, especially the challenge I gave myself when it comes to making WrestleMania 16 better than it was. I’ll be back very soon for part 24 where we’ll see The American Badass arrive, The McMahon-Helmsley regime crack and the continued rise of The Olympic Hero. Stay tuned and stay safe!

Monday, April 10 - Sunday, April 16

News

score	comments	title & link
902	85 comments	The Booster Detector isn't fully accurate according to the guy who made it but the previous post glossed over that fac
1	0 comments	Still wait this update over 2 years
0	2 comments	The skybox in the Firing Range has changed...

 

Discussion

score	comments	title & link
5,247	303 comments	A single guy developed a booster detector. The hell is respawn doing?
3,315	236 comments	Why did Respawn remove emotes after a victory? We can't even play quips during an emote for whatever reason. Why must the theatrical playerbase suffer like this?
1,951	376 comments	Anyone else think a new shotgun would be fun at some point? Only type of shotgun that haven’t (that I can think of) is a double barrel
1,268	465 comments	Where is all this hate coming from?!
1,059	82 comments	Got my first Apex action figures

 

Gameplay

score	comments	title & link
6,680	170 comments	Just unlocked vantage 💀
4,177	238 comments	We need Mirage's original ultimate back (repost of my old clip).
3,533	90 comments	The only way I can 1v3
3,517	281 comments	What Lore Accurate simulacrum gameplay looks like...
1,920	49 comments	I think this is the most clutch respawn I have ever done

 

Creative

score	comments	title & link
2,958	187 comments	My heirloom collection so far
2,286	247 comments	I tried touching grass... did not like it.
1,184	50 comments	The most dangerous job on the Frontier: Search And Rescue officiers
1,014	76 comments	Kraber 5 foot 3D Print
920	16 comments	[OC] Bloodhound Pixel Fanart Loop

 

Useful

score	comments	title & link
118	14 comments	I Solved The Missing Item Gifting Issue
70	6 comments	Fun fact: the shells for the tombstone skin are loaded backwards
2	0 comments	Free cosmetics code
2	6 comments	post one thing game sense wise that frustrates you or just a tip
2	10 comments	gold Marvin arm etiquette. if someone pings a loot Marvin that's not directly in front of them don't loot it! this means they've destroyed a loot Marvin, got a gold arm and will get 3 gold items at the nearest Marvin. if you loot the Marvin first then your mate has to find another one as I did here.

 

Humor

score	comments	title & link
5,608	429 comments	These campers refused too come down so I tricked them to
3,494	21 comments	Warning: do not touch the forbidden fruit on Stormpoint
2,352	141 comments	I am the 30-30 warlord
2,217	59 comments	Some more of the legends I made
1,759	42 comments	Game crashed and froze on this image <.<

 

Other Posts

score	comments	title & link
2,395	478 comments	[Question] Is there any unwritten rule on these? I feel I should have whatever I want from them if I'm opening it.
1,778	69 comments	[Gameplay] He stole my Evo shield lv.3, he stole my two guns, that’s good enough reason for me to Knock him out.
1,755	71 comments	[Gameplay] The RE-45 and Gold R99 is a deadly combo
1,700	75 comments	[Gameplay] Sometimes it’s worth taking an extra second to get what you need.
1,684	155 comments	[Gameplay] Prime example of why positioning is key. Team mates failed to follow.
1,505	19 comments	[Humor] If it's free I'll take that
1,460	47 comments	[Humor] Just a Default Bloodhound thing.
1,440	64 comments	[Gameplay] My teammates refused to go together and died alone. I thought "might as well rat until the end and get a few potshots with the Bocek on the last fight". Didn't expect this, though.
1,365	166 comments	[Gameplay] Is this new or do I need to spectate people more
1,232	42 comments	[Gameplay] I am the one who knocks 🚪

 

Top Comments

score	comment
774	PLConqueror said I suck at playing NC but man, i love watching clips of people knowing how to play him. So cool
391	RedPowerLight said Good weapon and good weapon is good combo, yes
257	WhiteLama said I assume they’re in the flower that pretty much every person hiding in these buildings hide in?
241	hironyx said That catalyst's tactical reacting like that is a giveaway that an enemy is near, but true tho, it's so hard to see them
191	SanjiKarma said yes insane combo for close combat, bangalor must have regretted having smoke.

 

Tombstone Tactical recently had a few 29" black Barrett M107A1 rifles in stock, they were the lowest price of anywhere online and included free shipping. They quickly shipped it out to my dealer, firearm arrived in perfect condition. Employee I spoke with on the phone was very courteous and helpful, will certainly give them my future business.
https://imgur.com/a/EX4e4hA

Let’s start with some gimmick tweaks. Rather than the uncaring monster heel, to start, he’s more of a no-nonsense, tough guy face a la Goldberg, the Road Warriors, or face Taz-smashing people up but with no hard feelings if you play fair. Also, for some visual difference, shave the head all the way, use red facepaint to mimic the iconic straps, and some cool power gloves because it’s the mid-90s, and we need that action figure money.
Like in real life, Vader debuts in the 1996 Royal Rumble. Not too many changes except the following: Mabel gets eliminated by Michaels, and Vader takes out 1-2-3 Kid and Isaac Yankem in addition to their other eliminations. Vader makes it to the final four along with Diesel, British Bulldog, and Michaels. Kid is so incensed that he reenters, jumps Big Van, and eliminates him with assistance from Bulldog (Michaels still wins and goes on to win the championship at WrestleMania 12).
Vader is not happy about this cheap shot, but to take revenge, he’ll first have to beat the rest of the Million Dollar Corporation. In a two-on-one handicap on Raw, Tatanka and the Ringmaster gang up with a lot of combo maneuvers and gang beatings, but Vader manages to bowl them over with a double clothesline and a double-stretch muffler for the win and his opportunity. He schedules a grudge match with the 1-2-3 Kid at In Your House 6. Waltman gets all the cheap shots, lucha style, and Million Dollar Corporation interference that he can, but he can’t put down the righteous vengeance and furious anger of The Mastodon with slams and suplexes galore. If possible, the Kid can do three corner-to-center splashes but get caught in the third for the winner. To finish the match, Vader hits a triple-spin side slam before the Vader Bomb.
Vader then sees the Camp Cornette chicanery and decides to put a stop to their bullying antics in his own beloved, violent fashion. Sometime in early March, when Davey Boy Smith tries to interfere in an Owen Hart match, he eats the Vader Hammer like it was fish and chips. Ahmed Johnson joins in as a “meaty men bumping meat” ally to help even the odds when Smith and Hart bring out some goons. This continues until Vader and Smith decide to settle things at WrestleMania 12 with a cage match (elsewhere on the card, the Camp Cornette vs Team Yokozuna match becomes a battle royale, and Michaels/Hart goes 30 minutes with two falls apiece tie and overtime because that’d be lovely). There, they have a competitive hoss match. I don’t know if Smith could actually powerslam the Mastodon, but he should at least try. Both guys lariat and snake eyes the piss out of the other, and the cage walls get to taste a whole lot of flesh. At the end, Vader comes out the winner via off-the-cage-wall Vader Bomb.
To avenge his brother-in-law, Owen Hart steps up to the plate and talks a whole lot of trash about how ugly Vader is, how stupid his facepaint is, and how much better he’d look in pink. Vader and Owen have their match at In Your House: Beware of Dog because they’re two of my favorites, and I want to see it more than one time at One Night Only 1997. Given that this is one of the best technicians versus one of the best powerhouses, they put on an absolute banger with every kick imaginable in 1996 pro wrestling. Vader keeps getting a good head of steam going, but Owen always finds a quick, cheap tactic to spoil the momentum like a discreet eye rake or a legsweep. Ahmed Johnson is in Vader’s corner and cheers him on valiantly, but it turns out to be his downfall. Hart goes for a dirty pin, and Johnson calls it out, which distracts the referee and allows for a chair shot. Owen Hart then has a completely arrogant display of offense before locking the Sharpshooter for the win.
On the Monday Night Raw after, Ahmed tries to apologize for the distraction, but Vader rejects the apology, demanding that Johnson just “man up” and admit the sabotage. They escalate and blow up in each other’s face about all these projections until the point that during a match against the Smoking Gunns, Vader wrecks everyone and leaves, turning heel. Johnson and Vader keep interfering in each other’s matches to build up to a SummerSlam grudge match, but since the former had kidney issues, they won’t be able to pay it off. Instead, Vader squashes Yokozuna for a #1 contender match buy-in, Steve Austin faces Jake the Snake in a King of the Ring rematch because let’s not have the LawleRoberts match, and Shawn Michaels has to face Faarooq on a reign of terror for the championship.
Vader keeps up the path of destruction. At In Your House: Mind Games, Vader debuts a new look: the Mastodon helmet covering a ragged red mask, spiky Road Warriors-style shoulder pads, and inverted red/black singlet. There, Crush, Marc Mero, Sycho Sid, Justin Bradshaw, Savio Vega, and he face off in a six-way elimination match for a shot at Shawn Michaels’ championship on Survivor Series. Everyone’s brawling to start, and Sycho Sid becomes the clear dominant force, so everyone teams up to eliminate him with a Bradshaw/Crush Doomsday Device and Vader Splash for the 3-count. Vega eventually overpowers Bradshaw, and Vader destroys Crush and Mero. The Mastodon wins with a mighty Vader Hammer and top-rope chokeslam.
However, it turns out that the contendership has a catch: he will have to carry it past the Undertaker at In Your House: Buried Alive in a…Buried Alive match. Their actual PPV match at Royal Rumble 1997 was pretty terrible, but we’re hoping that through the sustained monster push, both guys will put a little more soul into this. Let the two of them run into each other full speed and slam into anything available. Vader can faceplant Taker on a tombstone, and Taker can snake eyes him on all four ringposts. Essentially, make it the colossal meeting of titans. At the end, they both tumble into the open casket, but Vader crawls out. The Deadman tries to drag him to Hell, but he eats a boot and gets locked in. Let some goons shovel the dirt, and as the Mastodon reigns victorious, Undertaker can rest up until the Royal Rumble.
From here, he gets quite arrogant and claims that the championship belongs to the strongest competitor in the WWF: Vader. Michaels counters that it’s already in the hands of someone who’s proven his status, but Vader can try if he wants to lose it all. At Survivor Series, they put on a powerhouse-versus-light heavyweight classic. Vader eats plenty of dropkicks and arm-targeted offense, but he shows resilience and fortitude time and time again. HBK slowly but surely gets manhandled until Vader turns a superkick into a biel throw and triple-splashes him for the win.
From this point, Vader remains dominant the rest of 1996, eating jobbers and putting on more bouts with whomever comes his way. Start to set up an Undertaker feud in 1997, but my job here is done.