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Post by Firehawk on Dec 20, 2021 3:21:59 GMT
Since I expect to be out of town next Monday... well, we've got a bit of a shake-up this week (and this is why everything was a week early this month! ha.) Proving Ground on Monday... Showdown on Thursday... and then all that remains is New Year's Bash, Thursday, December 30th, sending 2021 out as only Phoenix Rising can. Proving Ground Episode 90
Jessika Boom vs. Katherine White
Riccardo De Luca vs. Golden Tiger
Aria Kintelas vs. Mercedes Ortega vs. Felice Santana, Inspire #1 Contender's Match
Fresh Suzuki vs. Keiko Maeda
The Bryant Sisters vs. The Tachibanas
Harley Brooks vs. Arthur Wright
Calista Vargas vs. Rin Ryusaki
Rafael Gallego vs. Hoss Hank Harcourt Hadley Jr. vs. Nick MacLeod vs. The Everyman vs. Akira Ryusaki vs. Kaito Arai vs. Chico Con Carne vs. The Necrolord, Top Prospect #1 Contender's Battle Royal We start with Monday's show, kicking off with Jessika Boom and Katherine White, both members of the Inspire division looking to raise their stock in their final show of the year. Jessika's speed will be tested against Katherine's vicious submissions and technique, and the winner will certainly get some momentum for the new year. Riccardo De Luca once again sets out to prove he's a top-level talent on Proving Ground against former Top Prospect, Golden Tiger. Can Tiger keep up with the most electric man in Proving Ground, or will Perpetual Motion overwhelm the one-time champion? After Mercedes Ortega caused some controversy in her match with Aria Kintelas, there were murmurs of whether this match would wind up going ahead as simply Mercedes vs. Felice. And as it turns out, Aria will get a second chance, entering this match to make it a 3-way affair, a #1 contender's match with everything on the line: a shot at New Year's Bash at reigning Inspire Champion, Gabriela Gallego. With Rei Hasegawa being kept out of action for one more show, Keiko Maeda will fly solo this week... and she'll do so against one-half of the team that's perhaps White Hot's greatest rival, Winter Fresh. Can Keiko come up big against a former Inspire Champion in Fresh Suzuki? The Bryant Sisters have gotten off to a bit of a rough start as a team on Proving Ground, despite their impressive Valkyrie Pro debut. Here, they'll try to turn their fortunes around against the Tachibanas... but HAYATO and SATOMI are likewise hunting for a big win, and the Bryants just might be the opponents they need... Harley Brooks has been a very impressive young talent for Proving Ground to date, and despite coming up short in his qualifier match, he'll have one more chance to impress in 2021 against Arthur Wright. Arthur, meanwhile, might still be hearing the ringing of Kileas's words in his ears: considered "unready" by the Kintelas patriarch, perhaps he's looking to prove his father wrong? Two names that, by all rights, could very easily find themselves in the Inspire Championship hunt early in the new year: Calista Vargas is after a big win here against Rin Ryusaki, but with Winter Fresh surging as of late as Trios Champions, does Calista have what it takes to halt Rin's momentum? Closing out the night: a colossal 8-man battle royal, with the winners of each qualifier meeting here. Pinfalls and submissions apply as always: no over-the-top rules here. And with Proving Ground General Manager, Erica Tracy, giving her marching orders to the Proving Ground roster... just how long will the Necrolord last against what will surely be a vicious onslaught from the home roster? Showdown Episode 90 Silver Hawk vs. Victor Kintelas for the Pacific Northwest Championship
Kyle Anderson vs. Revon Beauregard
The Dynawasps vs. The Lightning Cyclones
Titania vs. Kaelara Sentarl
Telan Kintelas vs. Markos Andreas
The Heyward Sisters vs. Firehawk Sentarl and Rilantha De Nav
Jerome Harris vs. Hugo Dirksen
Candace Monroe vs. Amazon Kid
Silver and Black Attack (Winifred/Kileas) vs. The GOAT for the Phoenix Rising Tag Team Championships The final Showdown, and final non-PPV event for Phoenix Rising in 2021, will open up with a match that the Victorious Medal holder, GPC, would be proud of. The Pacific Northwest Championship gets what could easily be called a Preliminary Main Event, as Victor Kintelas faces his first challenge of the night in Silver Hawk. Can Victor keep up his red-hot streak and defend his singles title, on a night where he's pulling double duty? It would appear there's some seriously bad blood brewing between Pure Gold and Les Beautes Blondes of late... and Kyle Anderson is being sent to take on Revon Beauregard, perhaps intending to strike a blow against the French stable and finally get Pure Gold back on its feet. While it's Pure Gold's only appearance on this show, there's little doubt Kyle will be pressed to push himself harder than ever before. We've seen the Dynawasps take on a configuration of the Cyclones before, but last time, it was the Black Star Cyclones of Esi Dogboe and Layla Al-Amin. This time, however, La Relampaga will stand alongside Layla, with the Lightning Cyclones set to step forward to take on one of Phoenix Rising's finest tag teams. It was obvious from the moment Kaelara Sentarl joined her father against the Kintelas Family: her target would be the Family's newest addition, Titania. Let there be no doubt, these two are almost certainly destined for an all-out brawl, with Kaelara more than capable of holding her own... even against the brutally powerful Titania. Telan Kintelas will not be left out in the cold, but after this match, he might think twice about demanding a match: Markos Andreas has been a vicious, dangerous foe as of late, pushing even top talents to their limits, and he's likely to do the same to Telan here, even as the powerhouse looks to secure even more ground for the Family. The Heyward Sisters continue to work more "friendly" matches, despite the ferocity of their match with Kaelara and Silver Hawk last week. But this may be the ultimate test of the team that's been better than nearly every other on the Showdown roster as of late. Firehawk Sentarl and Rilantha De Nav are back to being an active team... and the entire division should be shuddering at the thought. Jerome Harris made his first appearance in a Showdown ring last week... and ran into a stunning upset by Kellaron Sentarl, who's been absolutely surging lately, perhaps gunning for the World Championship in the near future. This week, Jerome will have one last tune-up match before his showdown with Candace Monroe at New Year's Bash... the World Championship looms large, and Hugo Dirksen may find this match an overwhelming affair. Candace Monroe's final match against the Grand Ascension's finest culminates here, as she steps up to take on Amazon Kid, who was an easy crowd favorite throughout the tournament. This will be perhaps the wildest clash of styles Candace has faced yet... can she measure up to Amazon Kid's agility and come into New Year's Bash with the momentum, in defense of her title? Closing out the night: a match Victor Kintelas has stated holds no personal grudge or anything besides purely business. Despite standing across the ring from his father once again, the GOAT will treat this match like any other in defense of their tag team championships: and with Kellaron Sentarl looking perhaps better than he's ever looked before, could the GOAT truly be living up to their name and potential? Kaelara Sentarl"It's been about a week since last Showdown, and I feel like I need to clear the air a bit. I'm sure some people figured I'd be the obvious pick to join my father against Kileas and the others. Then there's some people that wonder just what on earth I'm thinking.
I need you to remember this: when Eri's been fighting for championships, when Kellaron's been dominating the tag division, the one person that's always, always stood in defense of Phoenix Rising, right from the very beginning, is me. Even when I was in so far over my head... having absolutely no business being out there among killers and legends, I still stood up and fought, because I believe in this place, and I believe in my father. I always have, and I always will.
When the Harbingers struck and invaded Phoenix Rising, I didn't hesitate to stand up and fight. I'm not afraid of anyone, or anything, not anymore, not after all I've been through. And compared to the violence I've had to endure, the fights I've had, the people that have told me I didn't belong or couldn't handle what I was sticking my head into... stepping up against the Kintelas Family is an easy choice. There's nothing, nothing they can do to me that I haven't already experienced ten times worse somewhere else, against someone else.
Titania... I've kept an eye on you throughout your time on Proving Ground. Saw the way you showed such hatred towards so many of your opponents, and tag partners besides. I know how dangerous you can be.
But I'm not someone you can just walk right through. And you're not someone I'm going to let run rampant on Showdown.
The Kintelas Family started this war, but we're going to finish it. Whatever it takes. You're going to see me coming back to my best. Because I won't accept being anything less. |
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Post by Firehawk on Dec 21, 2021 5:40:15 GMT
Wild show with some unexpected moments... Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1239319574Youtube: youtu.be/qa-4JgzlEdgQuick Results Katherine White def. Jessika Boom
Golden Tiger def. Riccardo De Luca
Felice Santana def. Mercedes Ortega and Aria Kintelas
Fresh Suzuki def. Keiko Maeda
The Tachibanas def. The Bryant Sisters
Harley Brooks def. Arthur Wright
Calista Vargas def. Rin Ryusaki
The Necrolord won the battle royal
Bonus: Amazon Kid def. ZIP Japan's Shuji Tsukamoto Write-ups  A hard-fought opener, but Jessika Boom lost focus near the end of the match, and it cost her, allowing Katherine to bounce back and pick up the win with a crushing senton.  Big win for Golden Tiger over one of the superstars of Proving Ground. Riccardo just couldn't keep the momentum up, and Tiger came out with serious ferocity to close out, putting Riccardo away with a rolling Tiger suplex and closing out his year in style.  We heard no complaint from Felice Santana over this match becoming a 3-way, and this is probably why: she still came out on top in the end, sweeping the match with a rana to both of her opponents, and earned a huge opportunity on the biggest possible stage: can Felice Santana pull off the win and become a champion, after all this time?  Fresh Suzuki continues to be one of Proving Ground's best, and despite Keiko Maeda coming at her with everything she had, it still wasn't enough, Fresh pulling ahead and scoring with a Swanton Bomb to score the win. For Christmas!  The Bryant Sisters may want to spend some time working on their teamwork and Melody's own focus, with this match seeing them doing well, but nowhere near enough to beat the Tachibanas. HAYATO came up with the win here, snapping off a HAYATO Driver and finishing the job.  Who would've thought Harley Brooks and Arthur Wright would have the best match of the night? This was a wild, vicious fight, and neither man wanted to back down... but Harley's power eventually put him ahead, and the chair Arthur dropped in the ring worked against him time and time again, until he got powerbombed on it for the victory.  Two of Proving Ground's fastest and most impressive talents... how could this not be a great match? Calista Vargas, though, eventually pulled ahead despite her Stormbreaker failing to get the job done for once... instead, she hit a big-time diving crossbody to take Rin down and score the pin.  Disaster. Worse perhaps than his win over Ziggy, now the Necrolord is in line for a shot at the Top Prospect Championship... a goal that Proving Ground refuses to allow to come to fruition. Sanya Markov stands as the one man left who can prevent this from taking place...  Can't be disappointed when we get a rare appearance from a ZIP Japan wrestler, this time from Shuji Tsukamoto against Amazon Kid. And this one absolutely lived up to whatever expectations you might've had... this kicked ass to close out the night. Erica Tracy (and more?) To say that Erica is on edge would be understating the situation. "I told you all exactly what I expected of you, and what happened? Now I'm left with this for Proving Ground's most important match of the year. I'm left with a man who's taken one of my most popular stars, my head referee, and now wants our Top Prospect Championship.
Sanya... I hope you understand the weight of what I'm putting on your shoulders. He will not walk out with that title. That is an order."
"He will be crushed. Do not concern yourself with what happened tonight. Problem is very simple. Do not send lesser men to do what a champion does." Sanya stands with the Top Prospect Championship resting across his shoulder, a cold look in his eyes. "Necrolord can talk all he wants. It is one thing to defeat a man like Ziggy Rockefeller, another to win battle royal like tonight. I am not like Ziggy, and you will have no way of cleaning the leftover scraps of a tired field."
Sanya adjusts himself briefly, making no secret that he is addressing his New Year's Bash opponent by now. "Your tricks, your taunts, your tactics... none of them will save you from the might of Russian dominance. I stand above the rest of this division. Above anyone who steps up trying to take what is mine. I will see you broken by my own hand. You have ten days to consider what future remains for you.
And then... you will be broken like all of the others. And I will stand, unchallenged, at the top of the mountain." |
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Post by Firehawk on Dec 24, 2021 5:58:23 GMT
And all that's left is the big one next week. Year 4 comes to a close. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1242086444Youtube: youtu.be/g1vCp6u7pSwQuick Results Silver Hawk def. Victor Kintelas to become the NEW Pacific Northwest Champion
Kyle Anderson def. Revon Beauregard
The Lightning Cyclones def. The Dynawasps
Kaelara Sentarl def. Titania
Telan Kintelas def. Markos Andreas
Firehawk Sentarl and Rilantha De Nav def. The Heyward Sisters
Jerome Harris def. Hugo Dirksen
Amazon Kid def. Candace Monroe
The GOAT def. Silver and Black Attack to retain the Phoenix Rising Tag Team Championships
Bonus: Sophia Moretti def. Tina Remington Write-ups  The night started off red-hot for the Sentarl Alliance, with Silver Hawk getting his shot at the Pacific Northwest Championship. Victor's fourth defense of the title showed once again just how difficult it is to consistently defend this title: as Silver Hawk eventually pulled ahead with a frenzy of offense, and won Phoenix Rising gold for the first time since his Top Prospect run three years ago.  Pure Gold has been in a truly incredible slump as of late, and Kyle Anderson set out to change that, at least somewhat. This very quickly turned into a fight, with Revon shooting for his signature submission... but Kyle's sheer power ultimately helped him pull ahead, and he wiped Revon out with a pair of suplexes, scoring a much-needed win.  The Cyclones, regardless of configuration, just might have the number of the Dynawasps. Layla Al-Amin was once again the star of the show here, and it'd be the Cairo Cyclone that wrapped this one up, leaving Blake a step too slow to break up the pin.  Kaelara's first match as a part of the new Sentarl Alliance was an all-out war. A direct challenge towards Titania, made an honorary Kintelas very recently, led to maybe one of the most hard-fought matches of the night... if there were any worries about Titania holding her own on the new roster, those were certainly lessened here. But Kaelara's words still hung over this match, and there's a very good reason she's remained one of the top names on Showdown for so long: this was her match, in the end, and a Kae Buster gave her the win.  We've seen Markos Andreas hold fast against plenty of names that, by all rights, might be above his level. Not quite so with this match, which saw Telan Kintelas become an absolute wrecking ball... and while Markos did his best to fight back, a vicious Spear put him down.  This was a night of people looking very, very good in defeat, if we're being honest. The Heywards more than held their own against one of the best teams in Showdown's history, and had plenty of opportunities to win it... but it just didn't fall together for them this time, and Listalva would tap out to the Anaconda Vice, like so many others in the past.  This was the warm-up Jerome Harris almost certainly needed going into next week's World Championship match. Make no mistake, this was a one-sided, 100% beatdown from the #1 contender, and Hugo simply could not get anything rolling before being crushed by MADE IN JAPAN.  The champion's own preparation didn't go quite as well. Amazon Kid came roaring out and issued a very strong reminder of just how good he really is, and scored a shocking victory over Candace Monroe, leaving the champion limping into New Year's Bash on a loss. Can she hope to hold up against the dominant Harris?  The GOAT are for real. We've known this for a long time, but this win has cemented their place as perhaps the team to beat in all of Phoenix Rising: while not as spectacular as their Proving Ground victory over Pure Gold years ago, this was just as impressive, taking down Kileas and Winifred and defending the tag titles in a match that absolutely stole the show.  A technical clinic closed out the post-show, with Sophia Moretti stepping up for a stark reminder of how good she can be when given the opportunity, and Tina Remington holding on for as long as she could muster before getting caught by a backslide counter. Very, very impressive bonus match. Victor was the first to speak, his half of the tag titles resting over his shoulder. "Coming into tonight... of course I wanted to retain both titles. Of course I wanted to sweep the night and come into the new year on top, undisputed, unstoppable. But I'm going to be blunt and honest with you all... if I were only allowed to win one match tonight, retain one title, if you told me I could only pick one before the night got under way... I would not hesitate to tell you which title was more important to me. This one, right here." He slapped the tag belt firmly. "For me, right now? For us? Singles glory is one thing, sure. Leaves you riding high and feeling damn good about yourself. But this... this represents everything we've worked for all this time. Steadily rising up to become THE best tag team in all of Phoenix Rising. That's our goal. Our reason for being here. And after tonight? After that win? Nobody can deny it anymore. We're not just living up to our name. We're proving that we always deserved it, right from the start. We're the best there is. The greatest of all time."
"So here we are, then, going into a new year still on top, beating one of the most iconic teams there is." Kellaron spoke up, Victor stepping back to let his partner take center stage. "Victor talked a bit about singles glory just now. And yeah, I'll admit... that takes a back seat to these titles. But I'm gonna be clear right here, right now: we're on the hottest streak we've ever been on. We're on fire right now. We're gonna hold these titles all throughout 2022, we're going to make the tag division stand up and take notice that we're here to stay. And before that year's out... One of us is gonna be World Champion. One way or another, we're going to get there. Because it's high time we made that statement. Time we stepped up and proved we're not just the best tag team around, we're capable of anything. So whoever wants to step up next... you're more than welcome. But you're going up against the GOAT. You're coming in against a team that's not the future of Phoenix Rising... not anymore. The future's already here. And we're not going away." |
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Post by Firehawk on Dec 26, 2021 5:06:48 GMT
So, change of plans. Unexpectedly. Turns out I got things completely wrong and I'm out of town more mid-week than on Monday. As a result, I'm just taking this whole week off. New Year's Bash will be held on Monday, January 3rd, and will be the first show of 2022 rather than the last of 2021. What will that show look like? New Year's Bash IV Mercy Devine vs. Veronika Armstrong, #1 Contender's for the Evergreen Championship
The Rising Storm vs. Todd Colton and Natasha Clover
Winifred Wright vs. Rilantha De Nav
Felice Santana vs. Gabriela Gallego for the Inspire Championship
The Bingo Hall Mutants vs. The Silver Towers for the Evergreen Tag Team Championships
Manny Ramos vs. Ryan Donovan for the Spirit of Texas Championship
Anari Lynn Heyward vs. Silver Hawk for the Pacific Northwest Championship
The Evergreen Misfits (Julian/Thief/Iris) vs. Winter Fresh for the Phoenix Rising Trios Championships
The Necrolord vs. Sanya Markov for the Top Prospect Championship
Jerome Harris vs. Candace Monroe for the Phoenix Rising World Championship What better way to open up Phoenix Rising's biggest show than with the two fiercest rivals in all of Evergreen? Mercy and Veronika both came up with huge victories last Evergreen, and now they'll square off to try and become #1 contender for the Evergreen Championship, currently held by KyO. Can Mercy finally pull ahead and take a shot at becoming the top of her own fed? Or will Veronika get another chance to become Evergreen's first two-time champion? There was a time when this match would've been a big-time Showdown exclusive... but both of these teams have found their way to AFW recently, and they'll set out to make this one a match to remember for the Houston crew. The Storm have been consistently one of the best teams in the world for the past few years, but could the new surroundings serve Todd and Natasha well? Even before things broke out into full-scale war between the Kintelas Family and Sentarl Alliance, Winifred Wright and Rilantha De Nav were butting heads, even when they were on the same side. To date, Ril's been the standout between the two veterans, but make no mistake: Winifred is determined to strike a blow for her family, and make their rivals take notice. Despite having to overcome two other members of the Inspire division, rather than just one, Felice Santana rose to the occasion and pulled off a huge win last Proving Ground. Now she steps into the ring with Gabriela Gallego, who simply can't look past this match, even with a shot at the Proving Ground Tag Team Championships slated for early next year. Can Felice do it again, and score the upset, and her first piece of gold in Phoenix Rising? How does one stop one of the most dominant teams Evergreen's ever laid eyes on? Bring in another team that's garnered the same reputation. The Silver Towers have been nothing short of destructive as champions, for obvious reasons: having the literal giant that is Binak Tonorian on your side is always a major advantage. But the Mutants have been tearing up the tag team scene across the country... and now, they could be after another set of titles to add to their already-impressive collection. Ryan Donovan is nothing short of AFW's ace. It's impossible to see it any other way: the man hasn't been pinned in over a year, he's wiped out anyone and everyone that's come after the Spirit of Texas Championship, he's one-half of the AFW Tag Team Champions. Manny Ramos has an uphill battle, to be sure... but if there's anyone that can finally topple Donovan, it's Ramos, who pushed former champion Lance Marshall to the absolute limit once before. Silver Hawk came up with a truly incredible win on Thursday's Showdown, taking down Victor Kintelas and becoming the new Pacific Northwest Champion. But he doesn't have time to rest on it... Anari Lynn Heyward is lurking as the next contender, and eagerly anticipating a fourth reign, which would give her an illustrious record. Can Anari become the first person to do it, or can Silver Hawk hold on to the title and start a major run at the top of the division? Who would've thought a team made up of the most unusual members of the Evergreen roster could find this much success? Julian Shepard and the Phantom Thief, no strangers to teaming together, will join up with Iris Coleman to challenge for the Phoenix Rising Trios Championships... and while they won't be running under Evergreen tornado rules, they will operate with no DQs, no rope breaks... no rules. But seriously, we tried the tornado thing last time out, it didn't work, we're back to normal stuff for these even on Evergreen. Proving Ground has been shaken to its core from the moment The Necrolord forced his way into the Top Prospect Championship mix... and won the battle royal to become #1 contender, no less. Now only one man stands between the face of pure evil and his final goal of the Top Prospect Championship... none other than Sanya Markov, who has threatened to crush and destroy the Necrolord in retribution for all the strife he's brought Proving Ground. Finally: the wait is over. Jerome Harris, winner of the 2021 Grand Ascension, gets his shot at the Phoenix Rising World Championship: and Candace Monroe faces perhaps the toughest match of her career. She laid Kanjirin Tonorian low with a spectacular victory two months ago, but can she overcome these overwhelming odds again, and defend her title against Harris? Or will Phoenix Rising see its first-ever World Champion from outside of its own roster? |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 4, 2022 6:30:26 GMT
We got through it. Finally. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1252484294Youtube: youtu.be/79PWtHW6pdoQuick Results Veronika Armstrong def. Mercy Devine
Todd Colton and Natasha Clover def. The Rising Storm
Rilantha De Nav def. Winifred Wright
Felice Santana def. Gabriela Gallego to become the NEW Inspire Champion
The Silver Towers def. The Bingo Hall Mutants to retain the Evergreen Tag Team Championships
Ryan Donovan def. Manny Ramos to retain the Spirit of Texas Championship
Silver Hawk def. Anari Lynn Heyward to retain the Pacific Northwest Championship
The Evergreen Misfits def. Winter Fresh to become the NEW Phoenix Rising Trios Champions
Sanya Markov def. The Necrolord to retain the Top Prospect Championship
Candace Monroe def. Jerome Harris to retain the Phoenix Rising World Championship Write-ups  Straight out of the gate, the eternal Evergreen rivals came out and did what they do best: tearing into each other with their usual ferocity. It took nearly everything both women had to get to the finish line here, but Veronika once again showed that she's almost always got Mercy's number... there's a reason her finisher is named what it is, and that's what put this one to an end, giving Veronika a shot at the Evergreen Championship next Evergreen episode.  Two of the best teams in the Phoenix Rising circle today... now signed to AFW, and what a war it was. Still, in the end, Todd Colton lost all patience for the mess... and a Destroyer laid out Anahera, perhaps taking her out of action for at least one AFW show for the new year.  The final non-title match of the night was a clash of veterans, and there's still not a single hint of either woman slowing down as they approach what should be the later parts of their careers. Just don't tell them that, because Winifred and Rilantha were on fire again here, ultimately ending with Ril taking down her long-time rival with a scissors sleeper hold.  The single biggest win of Felice Santana's career, coming on the back of her incredible hot streak the last couple of months: not only did she take down a surging Gabriela Gallego, she's captured her first-ever piece of gold right here in Phoenix Rising, becoming the new Inspire Championship. A long-awaited, long-deserved victory for the youngest of the Santana family, and she did it in spectacular fashion.  Is there anyone in the world right now that can take down the Silver Towers? Even the legendary Bingo Hall Mutants, as dominant as they've been over the past few months, couldn't pull it off... ultimately, as Binak fought with Rampage Rage on the outside, Argent landed Quicksilver on Skullface Killah inside the ring, and successfully defended the Evergreen Tag Team Championships once again.  Equally impressive is Ryan Donovan, who simply seems to be insurmountable. The most dominant champion under the Phoenix Rising umbrella today, Donovan weathered the challenge from Manny Ramos with seemingly little trouble, and now one has to wonder: who's next, and do they even stand a chance?  Another member of the Pacific Northwest Championship division wanted to reach an unheard-of fourth reign with the title... but much like Natasha Clover before her, Anari just couldn't get it done, despite being firmly in control for much of the match. Eventually, Silver Hawk made his comeback, landing a Silver Star Press and coming away with maybe one of the most impressive comeback victories of the night.  Some would call the Evergreen Misfits a true rag-tag team, a group of people with seemingly no ties beyond their status as "outcasts" in the hardcore lands of Evergreen. But it simply can't be denied that they're suddenly proving themselves to be a dangerous team... and they're now the new Phoenix Rising Trios Champions, to boot, giving both the Phantom Thief and Iris Coleman their first-ever gold of their careers.  Sanya warned everyone what the outcome of this match would be. That he would not give up the Top Prospect Championship without a fight. And to the Necrolord's credit, this was certainly a fight... but it wasn't one that he could end up winning, as a truly motivated Sanya was simply a wrecking ball that came away victorious, retaining the title and sending the embodiment of evil packing, hopefully never to darken Proving Ground's doorstep again...  Jerome Harris had all the momentum going into this match. The power, the size, the history. But when push comes to shove, when the title's on the line, Candace Monroe seems to find an entirely new gear... and she simply refused to stay down. We may have witnessed Candace's true champion moment in this match, enduring everything she could before locking in the Monroe Knee Lock... and securing a submission victory. Simply put: Candace just can't be considered a fluke at the top. Not after this. She's come through the end of the year and out the other side to carry the World Championship into 2022... and now, who will step up to try and bring her down first in the new year? |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 8, 2022 1:54:49 GMT
So, quick update on how things are gonna go the rest of January. I'll be taking this upcoming week off, looking to polish up some edits, get some things set up. The week after that will see the return of a concept last seen in the summer of 2020: The Big Impact Tournament. Sixteen men and women from across the Phoenix Rising organization who have never held a championship in the four years of its existence will fight for a championship match of their choosing. Four representatives from each of the four Phoenix Rising affiliate shows have been sent to take part, and matchups have already been determined for the first round, due to start Monday, January 17, with the remainder of the tournament on the following Thursday, January 20. The first round progresses as follows: Big Impact Tournament 2022 Angel Leblanc vs. Jessika Boom
Ash Defiant vs. Carmen Latour
Kojiro Burai vs. Ashton Crowe
Harley Brooks vs. Dominic Stanton
Fenix Oscuro vs. Maya Minh Sai
Aria Kintelas vs. Trinity Knight
Logan Axelrod vs. Riccardo De Luca
Hugo Dirksen vs. Ian Robinson I do have an intention for another set of shows before the month is out, but they'll be completely non-canon and just for kicks. That'll be the long-rumored Phoenix Rising vs. AEW shows, for which I have entirely too many damn matches and would have to do it in two shows, because holy crap guys I had to put Kenny Freakin' Omega in a battle royal just to ensure he'd actually be involved BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANY ROOM FOR A SINGLES MATCH I'll see about doing an actual proper card for those shows when it gets a little closer to time, and that's if I can get the AEW edits set up and working the way I want them to. I've legit never gone terribly hard into real-world edits for a show, much less pitting them against my own roster (outside of the couple of Todd Colton matches for shits and giggles) so I can't guarantee these happen this month, but I do eventually want to at least try and do them. We'll see what plays out. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 13, 2022 1:02:14 GMT
Hey if anyone wants to try and predict how this thing shakes out, then poke your head over here -----> challonge.com/pa9c6emyNo idea what the match order will be yet, running a set of test matches to determine that. I also have the buffer matches set for night 2... but not Night 1. Go figure. Back into my hole until Monday. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 16, 2022 7:57:21 GMT
Match order and buffer matches are all set for Night 1. Hugo Dirksen vs. Ian RobinsonAria Kintelas vs. Trinity KnightLogan Axelrod vs. Riccardo De LucaFenix Oscuro vs. Maya Minh SaiAcademy Showcase: Nimbus vs. Sokhatai BatsaikhanAsh Defiant vs. Carmen LatourHarley Brooks vs. Dominic StantonKojiro Burai vs. Ashton CroweAngel Leblanc vs. Jessika BoomIn addition, one of the buffer matches (set to take place between the quarterfinals and semifinals) on night 2 will be a Pacific Northwest Championship defense, seeing Silver Hawk putting the belt on the line against none other than the incomparable Besos.
No doubt this defense will be one hell of a way to get the championship game up and running once again.
As for the second buffer match that night, between the semis and the final? You'll just have to wait and see... that match will be remaining a full secret, thank you very much.
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 18, 2022 5:58:53 GMT
The return was one hell of a show, and we're only halfway through the tournament, to boot. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1267513797Youtube: youtu.be/V4qXgTTIItAQuick Results Ian Robinson def. Hugo Dirksen
Aria Kintelas def. Trinity Knight
Logan Axelrod def. Riccardo De Luca
Maya Minh Sai def. Fenix Oscuro
Nimbus def. Sokhatai Batsaikhan
Ash Defiant def. Carmen Latour
Dominic Stanton def. Harley Brooks
Ashton Crowe def. Kojiro Burai
Jessika Boom def. Angel Leblanc Write-ups  The night opened up with one hell of a match, but from the start it really did seem like Ian Robinson simply had the upper hand, eventually bringing down Hugo with his usual display of raw power.  Speaking of power, Aria Kintelas certainly displayed hers here, though it was a rough fight clear to the end, with Trinity doing her best to wear down the Proving Ground powerhouse with her typical tactics. Much to her detriment, in the end, as Trinity's focus on biting and such wound up costing her, allowing Aria to come back and finish the fight.  Riccardo tried here, but just could not get anything going against the brutal power of Logan Axelrod, who was an absolute titan throughout this match and simply wiped him out.  This might just be the biggest win Maya Minh Sai has picked up yet. Far from favored against Oscuro, she fought through everything, including a vicious brawl on the outside, and managed to trap Oscuro in a Lotus Lock to score a shocking submission, and move along to the quarterfinals.  We got our first look at the other two fresh Academy rookies, and while Sokhatai certainly got to show off her strength, it was Nimbus that stole the show, already displaying some incredible agility and an obvious tribute to the Little Phoenix. A flash roll-up, however, would be the winning move here.  Ash Defiant looked nigh-unstoppable, making sure Carmen Latour just couldn't get her usual pace rolling along. But who would expect otherwise from the woman who's so often taken Evergreen by storm?  Quietly one of the better matches of the night, which saw Dominic Stanton step up his game tremendously. Harley Brooks made this one a fight, but Dominic simply would not be denied, eventually scoring the win off his devastating sleeper hold.  Ashton Crowe continues to make a name for himself, and no doubt will find himself maybe getting some opportunities in Evergreen after the tournament, especially with wins like this over Kojiro Burai. Even if the crowd still seems to favor Burai despite his Pure Gold affiliation.  Who could have ever expected an early match-of-the-year candidate from these two? Jessika Boom and Angel Leblanc set out to make the main event a memorable one, and they did even more than that, turning this into one of the most impressive struggles in recent memory. In the end, though, Jessika scored an incredible win, and shut out the entirety of the Showdown representatives in the tournament.  A small touch of bonus action that brought back Nimbus and Sokhatai for more action, along with fellow rookies Djeneba Kouame and Olivia Van Acker. Once again, though, it'd be Nimbus who stood tall over her fellow rookies, leading one to wonder what the young Argentinian's ceiling is. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 19, 2022 8:25:12 GMT
Coming up on Thursday, the conclusion of the Big Impact Tournament, where we'll witness who earns their shot at their respective championship... Big Impact Tournament Night 2
Jessika Boom vs. Ash Defiant
Ashton Crowe vs. Dominic Stanton
Maya Minh Sai vs. Aria Kintelas
Logan Axelrod vs. Ian Robinson
Besos vs. Silver Hawk for the Pacific Northwest Championship
Semifinal #1
Semifinal #2
Special Bonus Match: Participants remain secret!
Tournament Final |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 21, 2022 5:33:20 GMT
That's the tournament wrapped up, and plenty to be happy about for it, too. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1270720988Youtube: youtu.be/I9KmmvizTkIQuick Results Ash Defiant def. Jessika Boom
Ashton Crowe def. Dominic Stanton
Maya Minh Sai def. Aria Kintelas
Logan Axelrod def. Ian Robinson
Besos def. Silver Hawk to become the NEW Pacific Northwest Champion
Ashton Crowe def. Ash Defiant
Logan Axelrod def. Maya Minh Sai
Eri Sentarl def. Shiana Sentarl in both womens' return match!
Logan Axelrod def. Ashton Crowe to win the tournament!
Bonus: Altarya def. Teighler Tisdale Write-ups  Jessika Boom might just be a match-rating machine. Give her the right opponent and she'll put on a clinic... although she's far from guaranteed a win, as Ash Defiant proved here, weathering Jessika's storm of offense to wipe her out with a spiral bomb.  Ashton Crowe's impressive run continued, taking this brawl with Dominic Stanton and walking away with another impressive win after a wild brawl. Crowe made his way to the semifinal to take on fellow Evergreen star Ash Defiant...  Maya Minh Sai has a habit of taking wins when nobody wants her to. Many would've figured (and wanted) for Aria to win this one, but Maya simply would not give in, and the Cornerstone of AFW ultimately came out on top to reach the semifinal, her thoughts clearly drifting to the idea of challenging Ryan Donovan...  The tournament's big Hoss-Off, Logan Axelrod and Ian Robinson did not disappoint. This was a straight up fight with no finesse... just two big men smashing each other until ultimately, Logan managed to keep Ian down and go on to the semifinal.  Do I really need to say anything about this match? You see Besos, you see Silver Hawk, you see that the Pacific Northwest Championship was on the line. What more do you need?  Ashton Crowe seemed completely unstoppable throughout this tournament, and he picked up another impressive victory here over Ash Defiant... even if the crowd seemed to question his choice of finishing move here.  Maya's hopes of winning this tournament probably evaporated the moment Logan Axelrod won his quarterfinal match. This was, quite simply, all Logan... Maya tried to hold on as long as possible, but Logan is a beast of a man, and he'd roar his way into the final.  It's a double-return, bringing the Sentarl family back in full. For the first time since her ill-fated title defense against Kanjirin, the Little Phoenix returned to the ring, and who better to come back against than her own mother? We also saw seemingly a return to Shiana's old ways, with no cheap shots, no bad attitude... allowing this match to be a pure contest straight to the end, where Eri pulled off a Backstabber to take the victory. What will this all mean for the near future?  What more could anyone expect? A dominant Logan Axelrod taking on a surging Ashton Crowe... an Evergreen final, without being under Evergreen rules. And while this was a violent struggle to the finish, it was Logan that ultimately came out on top, the Boom Run once again proving his ace in the hole, and he's won the tournament... and the prize of a championship match.  The last time we saw Altarya (also in a bonus match) she was still in somewhat of a raw form, still learning a fair bit. Now, seemingly joining the Academy roster (along with her opponent here, Teighler Tisdale), it seems like she's put the pieces together and is ready to have quite the run in her new surroundings, if this impressive match is any indication. But make no mistake, Tisdale looked very, very impressive as well. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 23, 2022 1:22:21 GMT
Little bit of a side tangent this week as we return to the wild world of Valkyrie Pro. Valkyrie Pro Episode 5 Jessika Boom vs. Celine Chevalier
Kaede Takeda vs. Empress Fenix
Kelly Wolfe vs. Tomiko Takeda
Amanda Skye and Lily Lyons vs. The Rising Storm
Ruthless Nicole Alger vs. Brady Quinn for the Valkyrie Pro Shoot Championship
Andrea Hawke vs. Hollywood Hana
Kylie Anderson vs. Victoria Fox
Priya Mallaya vs. Kiana Yamazaki
Todd Colton, Natasha Clover and Tina Remington vs. The Evergreen Misfits for the Phoenix Rising Trios Championships Jessika Boom didn't win the Big Impact Tournament, but she certainly made a name for herself in the main event of Night 1 against Angel Leblanc, putting on what was probably the best match of the two-night event. About the only people not impressed with Jessika's performance was Celine Chevalier... who's issued a challenge to the young star for this show, intent on a swift, immediate revenge. Kaede Takeda is no stranger to phoenix opponents, even if she's never faced this one in particular. But Empress Fenix has quickly stood out as one of Valkyrie Pro's top names, and now, Kaede wants to see for herself what all the fuss is about. Meanwhile, Tomiko Takeda sets her sights on more familiar ground: Kelly Wolfe, in a rare singles appearance, will square off with the powerhouse, perhaps looking for a win to cement herself as a standout name without the backing of her partner, Victoria Fox. Amanda Skye and Lily Lyons have made their Valkyrie Pro careers on challenging tag teams from all across the Phoenix Rising organization... but this might be pushing their luck just a bit. They'll take on the most decorated team in all of Phoenix Rising... the Rising Storm are here, and they aren't likely to take this match lightly, looking to raise their stock in AFW's tag division even outside of AFW's ring. Ruthless Nicole Alger won the #1 contender's match last time around to earn a shot at champion Brady Quinn... but does anyone have what it takes to stop this devastating striker in her element? Quinn's been an outright beast in every match we've seen her in, and RNA will have to bring her best if she wants to take home the gold. Hollywood Hana is back for more, and she's going up against Valkyrie Pro's boss. Andrea Hawke took it on herself to step into the ring with the ultimate in fame... maybe hoping that some of that fame might rub off on her and Valkyrie Pro as a whole. Kylie Anderson is perhaps one of the top names in Valkyrie Pro thus far, displaying her style similar, but distinct from, her counterpart Kyle. Victoria Fox, as well, has been a wildly successful name... but can Victoria's all-round talent measure up against the overwhelming strength of Kylie? If there's anyone in Valkyrie Pro that's picked up mainstream appeal, it's Priya Mallaya, easily the most popular woman on the core roster. With appearances in Butterfloor and the Office, Priya's more than made a name for herself... and it'll be a tall order for technician Kiana Yamazaki to pull this one off. Certainly more in Priya's favor than a match with Kiana's counterpart would be... (do not let Mercy anywhere near her good god) Valkyrie Pro has an odd little tradition, it seems like. While ostensibly a women's fed, there always seems to be one match (rarely two) involving men, and this time around... it's the main event. What's more, it's going to be contested for a Phoenix Rising championship, with AFW sending a representative trio to challenge for the Trios Championships... even if one member of said trio is a Valkyrie Pro mainstay. The Evergreen Misfits face their first defense against a truly terrifying trio, with Todd Colton and Natasha Clover coming over from AFW to join Tina Remington, as the brash group seeks their first gold as members of the AFW roster. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 25, 2022 6:15:58 GMT
Wild show tonight, solid top to bottom, and I'm oddly worn out. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1275248235Youtube: youtu.be/AGUSpK7gEW8Quick Results Jessika Boom def. Celine Chevalier
Kaede Takeda def. Empress Fenix
Tomiko Takeda def. Kelly Wolfe
The Rising Storm def. Amanda Skye and Lily Lyons
Brady Quinn def. Ruthless Nicole Alger to retain the Valkyrie Pro Shoot Championship
Hollywood Hana def. Andrea Hawke
Kylie Anderson def. Victoria Fox
Kiana Yamazaki def. Priya Mallaya
The Evergreen Misfits def. Todd Colton, Natasha Clover and Tina Remington to retain the Trios Championships
Bonus: Kroll won an 8-woman powerhouse battle royal Write-ups to come when I don't feel so worn out/awful. |
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Post by Firehawk on Jan 30, 2022 22:21:21 GMT
Right, let's hope I'm ready to get back into the weekly grind here, because it's time to get Phoenix Rising back on schedule. Proving Ground Episode 91 Melody Bryant vs. Katherine White
Akira Ryusaki vs. Rafael Gallego
The Yoshida Twins vs. The Wright Stuff
Aria Kintelas vs. Christina Wagner
Nick MacLeod vs. Golden Tiger
Speed Dating vs. The Tachibanas
Anna Bryant vs. La Corsaria
Harley Brooks vs. Rey de la Carne
Adrenaline Rush vs. The Golden Ambush, #1 Contender's Match for the Proving Ground Tag Team Championships No previews otherwise this time, I'm just gonna toss the card up, but we do have some words from the reigning Top Prospect Champion: Sanya Markov"At New Year's Bash, I proved that it does not matter who you are. What power you claim. What you think you can do. I am the most dominant champion in the history of Proving Ground, the most unstoppable force that this show will ever lay eyes on. And I intend to prove it throughout this year. I've been given this show off, to think about what I intend to do. And I came to a decision.
I am laying out a challenge: to anyone who thinks they're strong enough, fast enough, skilled enough to step into the ring and take this title from me... you are welcome to try. My plan for this year? Until someone stands in front of me and is capable of defeating me... I will defend this Top Prospect Championship... every. Single. Show.
Whether my challengers come from Proving Ground's own roster, or from outside, I do not care. The challengers will go through General Manager Tracy... she will decide, one way or another, who gets the chance.
It doesn't matter, in the end. I will crush whoever walks down to that ring to face me. I will defend this title with everything that I am, I will destroy anyone and everyone who thinks they have what it takes.
Whoever Erica Tracy chooses as the first challenger: You have two weeks to prepare. Two weeks before I destroy whatever hopes and dreams you may have of standing tall as champion." Anyone that's interested in having an edit challenge Sanya Markov during the course of this open challenge, shoot me a message either here in PMs, or on Discord. I do reserve the right to pick and choose, (please please don't be offended if I wind up not using an edit sometimes it means that it just doesn't work as a matchup) Sanya Markov is a fighting champion. And dammit, he will prove it. |
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Post by Firehawk on Feb 1, 2022 5:35:16 GMT
And we're back to the grind. Twitch: www.twitch.tv/videos/1283100366Youtube: youtu.be/ywMMeid3xwwQuick Results Katherine White def. Melody Bryant
Akira Ryusaki def. Rafael Gallego
The Wright Stuff def. The Yoshida Twins
Aria Kintelas def. Christina Wagner
Golden Tiger def. Nick MacLeod
Speed Dating def. The Tachibanas
La Corsaria def. Anna Bryant
Harley Brooks def. Rey de la Carne
Adrenaline Rush def. The Golden Ambush to become #1 contenders
Bonus: Blake Dynamite def. Sanya Markov (non-title) Write-ups  The struggles continue for Melody Bryant on Proving Ground, though this match was competitive clear to the end. Still, Katherine White had her number in the end, forcing Melody to submit to one of her signature arm submissions.  As rough as Akira Ryusaki's had it lately, this match went a long way towards getting him back on track. While Rafael made this interesting, Akira seemed to be in charge here, and he'd catch Rafael with the dreaded rana-bomb to score the win, and perhaps shoot to get gold back around his waist after having lost the Trios Championships.  The Wright Stuff are back in charge, and the Yoshida Twins fell well short of pulling this one off. Amber was the star of the show here, wiping out Naoko with her rolling Stunner and picking up a major victory.  This was a statement victory for Aria Kintelas. Christina Wagner has the strength, has the power to match Aria... but clearly, is still missing something else, as Aria pulled ahead and put this match away with a thunderous Jackhammer and scored one of the more impressive wins on the night.  Golden Tiger seems to have roared back to life all of a sudden, as he absolutely wiped the floor with Nick MacLeod... which leads some to wonder whether Nick can keep up with the roster around him.  Speed Dating is riding high, and Felice Santana has never been better on Proving Ground. Taking on the Tachibanas, this was a drawn-out affair, but Felice fell back on her family roots, and scored a tremendous win with the Santana Special, coming up huge and staying firmly on her hot streak.  If there's one thing that clearly doesn't work against La Corsaria, it's fighting a clean match... because Corsaria sure as hell won't. She bloodied Anna Bryant in this one, and roared out of the corner with a Shining Axe Kick, giving the Scots at least one victory on the night.  Harley Brooks has been a standout talent from the moment he arrived on Proving Ground, and here, he might've picked up the biggest win of his career to date, going move-for-move with Rey de la Carne, and fighting through nearly everything he had before landing a vicious GTR backbreaker to score the win.  A half-hour marathon of a match that saw both teams fighting with everything they had, all with the goal of challenging the Excellent Blades for the Proving Ground Tag Team Championships. Tommy Thunder ultimately pulled ahead, trapping Reina del Tigre in Adrenaline Rush's corner, landing a top-rope leg drop, and picking up a huge victory... leading the next championship match to be Champion vs. Champion... Wrestle Parade vs. Proving Ground.  Sanya may not have put the title on the line tonight, but he still wanted a match... and he sure as hell got one, with Blake Dynamite making his first Proving Ground appearance in years. It was as if he never left... the man they once called "Mr. Proving Ground" has only gotten better since his run at the top, and made it clear that if he wanted the Top Prospect Championship around his waist again... he could take it. |
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