Main Event
Zero Gravity Championship Match
Ziu Zhong (c) vs Chase Michaels
Jerry Heisenberg: Ladies and gentlemen of Urrrbbaannndallle, Iowa...
The crowd burst with cheers at the mention of their city as we return from the commercial break. Jerry Heisenberg is in the middle of the ring as we're ready for the final match of the night.
Ruby Parvati: Jerry with the cheap pop....
Jerry Heisenberg: The following contest is a singles match, scheduled for one fall and is your VOW Breakthrough 22 maaainnn event!
There's a smaller wave of cheers for the announcement for the main event as Urbandale is up and buzzing.
Jerry Heisenberg: First, the challenger...Standing in at 6 feet and 1 inch, weighing in at 230 pounds...From Horsham, England, residing currently in Dallas, Texas...He is "The Lone Wolf"...CHHAASSSEE MIIIICCHHAEELLSS!
"Hunt You Down" plays and a spotlight scans the crowd until it stops on Chase who's standing in crowd near one of the entrances with the hood of his hoodie up.
Axel Reid: if there's one guy who is never ever tired of speaking...If there's one guy who doesn't get a sore jaw, I'd say it'd be Chase Michaels. He's got confidence and he loves to talk the talk.
Ruby Parvati: He's got every right too. The guy has proven everywhere he's gone that he's a brilliant wrestler. I think he's our next Zero Gravity Champion...
Chase stands at the top of the stairs before he slowly makes his way down the stairs through the crowd before he vaults over the security barricade and then rolls under the bottom rope before he proceeds to climb the turnbuckle and raise his arms outstretched in a cocky fashion before stepping down and taking his hood off and waiting on his opponent as his music fades out.
Jerry Heisenberg: And his opponent...Standing in at 6 feet and 1 inch, weighing in at 224 pounds...From New York City, New York...He is the reigning and defending VOW Zeeeroo Gravity Champion..."Mr. Selfie" ZIIIIUUUU ZHOOOOONNGGGG!
The arena descends into darkness and the sound of a picture being taken on a camera echoes throughout the arena. A quick flash lights up the JumboVision like a jolt of electricity before immediately disappearing again. Ziu’s smiling face in a still photo appears on the screen as the “Selfie song” by Mippey5 begins to play over the PA system.
“I’m bored, so I’ma take a selfie
I’m obsessed; it’s unhealthy
Click, share. I don’t care that I’m a man
I’ma take another pic and I’ma post to instagram.”
Various selfies that Ziu has taken throughout his wrestling career begin to flash up on the screen, one by one. Ziu sprints out on to the stage and throws both hands in the air at the top of the ramp. Wearing his usual sea blue attire, “MR SELFIE” T-Shirt and of course his Zero Gravity Championship around his waist, he looks side to side and takes in the atmosphere.
Axel Reid: And there is the champion! My goodness what a reaction for Mr. Selfie!
Ruby Parvati: Urbandale sure does love them some Selfie goodness...
The crowd are on their feet, especially the younger fans that seem to love Mr. Selfie. The electricity in the building gives Ziu even more adrenaline and he decides to jog to both sides of the stage and throws both hands in the air again.
Axel Reid: Both men have certainly got a mouth to behold, we've seen a bit of Chase backing it up by boy, Ziu has backed up all his talk week in and week out.
The Centipede then makes his way down the ramp, pausing to take ‘selfies’ with his fans with the polaroid camera that always accompanies him to the ring. He hands over the printed pictures to his admiring fans as soon as the picture is taken. The arena cameras search the crowd for fans posing for the viewers at home. Wacky faces are made, cheeky tongues are out and poses that could make front page magazine’s are all on show when Ziu is around.
Finally, Ziu arrives at the bottom of the ramp and races through the bottom rope to enter the ring. With energy pumping through his veins, Ziu places his camera in one of the corners of the ring and jogs around, bouncing off the ropes to get ready for the match ahead. The referee is quick to check both opponents for any hidden foreign objects. Ziu hands over to him the Zero Gravity Championship to which the referee gives the challenger a look, Chase chuckles as he looks down at the title before Ziu gets possibly one last look at his championship, kissing his fingers and touching the belt. The referee hands it to Jerry, signaling for the opening bell at the same time.
DING! DING! DING!
There's a buzz in the crowd as both men stare at each other from their respectful corners. Both men take a few step forwards at each other as Ziu stretches out his hand, Chase shakes it but as Ziu goes to pull back Chase is quick to twist his arm into a wringer and right out of the gate goes for one of his patented elbows but Ziu manages to yanks his arm free and backs off.
Axel Reid: Oooh, 'that close' says Chase Michaels! Ziu was so close to being nailed right in the mouth with one of Chase's patented Quick Draw elbows!
Ruby Parvati: It could've been the quickest match in VOW history, Axel!
Ziu shakes off the momentary pain in his arm before slowing things down by raising an arm for a request of a lock up. Chase obliges and swiftly locks in a collar and elbow tie up to which Ziu swings out of it, tying up Chase's arm into a hammerlock. Michaels reverses it into a hammerlock of his own before he transitions over to his head for a headlock. Ziu is quick to yank his head free and lock in a tight waistlock around Chase. Chase tries to break the grip but has no other choice but to charge to the ropes. Ziu tries to use the ropes' momentum and fall back into an O'Connor Roll pin attempt but Chase avoids the predicament by clutching onto the top rope. Ziu rolls back onto his feet as Chase turns around and charges at him, Zhong hauls Chase to the mat with an arm drag. The Lone Wolf pops up and charges again but once again gets dropped with an arm drag from Ziu, but like both other times he's quick to scamper to his feet and charge at Ziu again. Ziu doesn't drop him with an arm drag again. Chase slaps the mat before scampering up once more, expecting an arm drag but instead Ziu pulls his arm back for an attempted chop across the face! At the last second, Chase sees it coming and dives backwards onto his ass before scuffling to the corner...
There's a huge round of applause from the trade that Ziu just got the better of.
Crowd: "ZERO TO HERO!" "HERO TO ZERO!" "ZERO TO HERO!" "HERO TO ZERO!"
Axel Reid: Unbelievable...And much like Chase did, Ziu gives him the international sign for "I was that close, buddy".
Ruby Parvati: Love him or hate him, you can't deny his ability in that ring. That's something that embodies both competitors.
Ziu gets into a battle stance, begging for his challenger to get up. Chase pulls himself to his feet with and sneers at Ziu. With absolutely no fear of being hit, Chase walks right up to Ziu and the two publicly 'mouthy' men throw words back and forth. Chase shoves Ziu a good meter back, to which Ziu walks back and gives Chase a good shove, Chase is quick to reply with a thunderous slap across the face and not to be outdone, Ziu delivers one right back! They go right at each other nose for nose as words are flying back and forth. Things are getting heated in the Buccaneer Arena as the crowd is pumped up! Chase pulls back and hits Ziu with a forearm smash, Ziu answers back with a forearm smash of his own. Both men then hit each other with forearm smashes at the same time before Ziu whips Chase off into the ropes. Ziu hits the mat as Chase hurdles over and hits the opposing ropes, Z Double pops back up and ducks an incoming clothesline before hitting the ropes as well. Chase is met with a jumping knee right under his chin which momentarily rattles him...Ziu goes to follow up with an attempted DDT but Chase counters out of it before BEHEADING ZIU WITH A SHORT ARM LARIAT!
Ruby Parvati: HOLY SHIT!
Axel Reid: I have a feeling, there's going to be a ton of profanities shouted in this match...(sigh)
There's an audible boo in the arena as the fans have very quickly chosen sides in this match as Chase hooks in a deep cover on Ziu...
1...
2..-KICKOUT BY ZHONG!
Ziu gets his shoulder up with ease but Chase grabs hold of Ziu's arm and wastes zero time grounding him with an excruciating cross arm bar! Ziu screams in agony as Chase is doing everything he can to rip Ziu's arm off.
Axel Reid: In comes the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) style of Chase Michaels, this'll be the ultimate test for Ziu to show that he has indeed been working on beating his submission struggles.
With a bit of work, Zhong makes it to the bottom rope and Chase is forced to release the hold. Ziu rolls out of the ring to quickly re -cooperate but Chase is out there with him in no time. Chase goes for another one of those devastating clotheslines but Ziu is quick to duck under, Chase twirls around and is MET WITH A SUPERKICK RIGHT TO HIS MOUTH!
Ruby Parvati: Dayyyuuumm! Superkick right to the kisser!
1...
2...
Chase staggers back first into the steel steps, Ziu charges and absolutely creams Chase with a running dropkick to his face.
Axel Reid: Ziu is hitting his target with these strikes, he's not call the Human Centipede for no reason, Ruby
3...
Ziu is up like lightning and is quick to grab Chase and rush him right into the guardrail! Wolf goes back first into the steel as the count continues!
Ruby Parvati: Chase is getting his ass handed to him in the early going of this match.
4...
Z Double begins to light up Chase's chest with a series of chops, every chop receives a "ZIU!" chant to match it.
Axel Reid: This crowd is electric tonight and Ziu is setting up all of their shots in this match with these superb strikes! A series of unforgiving chops now!
5...
6...
Zhong begins to pick up the pace, faster and faster, more brutal and vicious then the last chop.
Ruby Parvati: He's not stopping! Do something ref, make him stop!
Axel Reid: I'm thinking that count may stop him as it's just about reaching 7 now...
7...
8...
He goes for one final chop and swings at the face of Chase who somehow manages to avoid it, ducking under and using the moment to slide back in the ring.
Axel Reid: Chase is safe but that final home plate is still awaiting Ziu!
Ruby Parvati: Let's not start with baseball terminology, dork.
9...
Ziu spins around and dives onto the apron, scampering back in the ring before the 10 count as there's a collective sigh of relief from the Iowa crowd!
Chase hits the opposing ropes, just as Ziu gets to his feet he is nailed with rolling elbow right to his face! ZZ drops through the ropes and onto the apron, barely holding on by the middle rope. Ziu somehow pulls himself up as Chase takes a few steps back before charging at Ziu and connects with a forearm that rocks him momentarily. Chase runs to the other end of the apron that Zhong is reeling on, hopping over before running down the apron at Ziu who stops him dead in his tracks with a beautiful jumping knee! Ziu goes to follow up with what might be a swinging neck breaker on the apron but Chase fights out of it, reversing it into an OVERHEAD RELEASE BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX ONTO THE APRON!
Axel Reid: OOOH MYY! BELLY TO BELLY ON THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE RING
Ruby Parvati: Chase Michaels may have just turned this match around and killed Ziu Zhong in the process!
Crowd: "HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!"
Both Chase clutches the back of his head, laying on the apron as Ziu has crashed to the floor from the impact, he's laid flat on his stomach. The referee is quick to head outside to check on both men as Chase rolls off the apron and onto his feet, still feeling the effects of the move that he wasn't even a victim of. He's quick to push the referee out of the way as he picks up a broken Ziu and kicks him in the gut before kicking him right in the stomach and hauling him up for a powerbomb and DROPPING HIM ON THE EDGE OF THE RING!
Axel Reid: Powerbomb onto the apron! Chase Michaels is dominating the Zero Gravity Champion right now
Ruby Parvati: Ziu Zhong is being taught the primary lay of gravity...what goes up, must come down...
Chase doesn't waste any time capitalizing as he grabs a handful of Ziu's hair in one hand and a handful of his tights in the other and tosses him back into the ring allowing the defending champion to roll on his back where Chase will cover him and hook the leg!
1...
2...
3- NO! KICKOUT BY ZHONG!
Axel Reid: There's a reason he's champion here. It's very difficult to beat him, he'll be the first one to tell you. He'll be the first one to point out all the people he's beaten since he's gotten here. The former Zero Gravity Champ, Shane Sparx is on that list, as is Brett Carson who Ziu's had wars with in the past.
Chase is back up on his feet and is clearly quite worn out from the match as he slowly lifts Ziu to a standing position. He delivers a disrespectful slap right across the cheek of a barely standing Ziu! The slap awakens Zhong who fires back with a wicked slap across Chase's faces.
Ruby Parvati: This has broken down to just plain old slaps right now.
Michaels answers with a forearm shot to the mouth of Ziu, this staggers Zhong into the ropes as he comes back with a European Uppercut from out of nowhere, switching the momentum to Chase who bounces against the ropes and stumbles forward towards Ziu who goes for another strike but his arm is caught by Chase who twists it into a wrist lock and twirls him into a ripcord position before unraveling him and NAILING HIM WITH A ROLLING ELBOW TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD!
Ziu crumbles to the mat and Chase is quick to cover once more.
Axel Reid: CRITICAL QUICK DRAW! He absolutely drilled him! Chase is going to be the new champion!
1...
2...
3...-NO! ZHONG WITH ANOTHER KICKOUT!
Ruby Parvati: He's got his shoulder up!? Ziu got clocked with that rolling elbow that Chase is so famously known for using and he's kicked out of it!
Chase slaps the mat repeatedly in frustration before pushing himself up to his feet. He looks at the referee once more, making sure it wasn't a three count to which the referee confirms that Ziu has indeed kicked out.
Axel Reid: Chase needs to keep on Ziu here...He needs to capitalize by hitting one of his other elbows or maybe even try for Ragnarok but he has to get back onto him!
Chase furiously charges back over to ZZ, lifting him up to his feet before hauling him high in the air and running him into the corner! Chase bursts to the opposing corner, practically ramming his own body into it before charging back and cleaning Ziu with a Yakuza style kick to his dome! Zhong slumps to the corner as the crowd is buzzing once more, sensing that maybe Chase is going to pull this off. Wolf charges and for the second time hits the opposing turnbuckle before steaming in and front flipping....INTO AN EMPTY CORNER! Ziu has slipped out under the bottom rope as there's nobody home for Chase.
Axel Reid: Chase was going for that Cannon Ball in the corner but Ziu had enough energy to pull himself out of harms way and now the champion has a chance to capitalize here!
Ziu pulls himself to his feet out on the apron as Chase rolls backwards and out of the corner clutching the back of his head. Ziu leaps up onto the top rope, springing off and onto Chase before showing off his leg strength and throwing Lone Wolf onto the back of his head with a beautifully executed springboard Hurricanrana! The fans are back to that full volume they were at the start of the match as they sense that their champion is nearing another successful retain!
Ruby Parvati: Uh oh! Ziu is looking up top...this could be bad, bad news for Chase.
Axel Reid: It very well could be! Urbandale is up on their feet as Ziu Zhong is on the tippy top of the highest point in a professional wrestling ring!
Ziu leaps off, arching his body in the air as he comes down toward Chase with impact...BUT CHASE GETS HIS BOOT UP....NO! NO! ZIU'S CAUGHT HIS BOOT AND HE'S TURNED IT AROUND INTO AN ANKLE LOCK! AN ANKLE LOCK!
Axel Reid: Chase had Ziu Fly scouted but Ziu had the counter to Ziu Fly scouted and now he's got Chase locked into that ankle lock that he's so fittingly named...The Chase Is On! And boy is it ever for Lone Wolf!
Ruby Parvati: He really is a Lone Wolf in that ring!
Chase is in pain as Ziu pulls the biker gang leader to the middle of the ring, locking in that ankle lock tight.
Axel Reid: I believe Ziu's worked on this ankle lock with Patrick Jones, former Visionary...PJ! PJ's taught this young champion all about the ins and outs of submission and hasn't it come in handy tonight against a man who prides himself on technical, submission style wrestling!
Chase Michaels is in agony in the middle of the ring, he rolls over onto his back and tries to kick Ziu off of him but to no avail as Mr. Selfie simply rolls Chase back onto his stomach.
Crowd: "PLEASE TAP OUT!" "PLEASE DON'T TAP!" "PLEASE TAP OUT!" "PLEASE DON'T TAP!"
Axel Reid: This crowd is split in the middle as Chase is pulling all of his weight, plus the additional weight of Ziu just to get to that wire with some electrical tape wrapped around it. That wire is the make or break for Chase Michaels in this match! It's the difference between being a champion and not being a champion here tonight!
Michaels is somehow pulling himself to that bottom rope as Ziu raises the leg higher and twists the ankle more as Chase is having an agonizing debate with himself on whether to slap the mat and end the match or not. He makes one more attempt, pulling himself to that rope and reaches out...He's only inches, inches away from the rope...Ziu pulls him back just a little but he fights and pulls back.
Ruby Parvati: My goodness, neither man is giving up...
Axel Reid: He's so close to that rope, so incredibly close!
Chase decides to make one last dash for the rope, wildly slapping and clawing at the mat in hopes of slapping onto that rope! The referee gets up to his feet and...
DING! DING! DING!
Ruby Parvati and Axel Reid: WHAT?!
Zhong releases the hold and flops to the mat as Chase grabs onto the rope and clutches at his ankle, not realizing what exactly is going on. The referee is speaking with Jerry Heisenberg who raises an eyebrow before nodding hesitantly.
Jerry Heisenberg: Ladies and gentlemen...The winner of the match as a result of a tap out.....AND STILL your VOW Zero Gravity Champion..."Mr. Selfie" ZIIUUUUU ZHOOONNNGGG!!!
"Selfie Song" by Mippey5 blares throughout the arena as the referee raises the dead hand of an exhausted Ziu. There's a mix of cheers, silence and boos in the arena at the strange and mysterious decision made by the referee.
Ruby Parvati: What the hell is this blasphemy, Axel?! Speak, damnit!
Axel Reid: I...I uh honestly don't know. The best guess I can make is that the official may have misinterpreted Chase's dash for the bottom rope as a tap out and called for the bell..
Ruby Parvati: That's utter trash, Chase Michaels was robbed of a title win here tonight!
Chase has realized what exactly has gone wrong as the referee presents Ziu with his championship. Ziu himself is a little bewildered by the whole thing but seems to be rather satisfied with having his title in his arms.
Ruby Parvati: That slimy man has done it again!
Axel Reid: Now, now Ruby...This was to no fault of Ziu...If anything this was solely a misunderstanding with the referee....
"You're damned right it was!"
A voice echoes from the stage, as we see none other than the VoW General Manager, Sky Sangue, standing there with a mic to her lips. Without any introduction or warning, her mere presence causes a rain of boos to flood the arena. But Sky simply stands there, eyes on the still slightly befuddled competitors in the ring, as she frowns in disappointment.
Axel Reid: What's the GM doing out here??
Ruby Parvati: OBVIOUSLY she's here to settle this bullsh-bleep!
Sangue stares daggers toward the ref, before shaking her head and speaking again...
Sky Sangue: Such a... disgraceful mistake. I apologize for this ignorance... however, the call has already been made. As much as I disagree with it, nothing can be done... or changed. Those are the rules, and we at VoW abide by them...
There's a moment of silence as the GM glances along the stunned crowd, before she focuses solely on Ziu with a calm expression.
Sky Sangue: That said, as a professional and one who puts her superstars first... I simply cannot allow this oversight to go without consequence. So... seeing as this decision was ludicrous, and Ziu does not necessarily deserve the title he holds... I will be adding Chase Michaels to the Zero-Gravity Championship match at Nothing Else Matters, along with Michael Adrian and Mr Zhong here. Consider it an executive decision....
A smirk crosses her lips as we pan back to the ring, where Chase is now looking excited and confident, while Ziu holds his championship in the air and nods toward the other man, acknowledging and embracing another challenger being added to the mix. We fade to a final word from our sponsor...
