Post by Matt Slater on Sept 3, 2016 22:44:03 GMT -6
Joanna Thade vs. Matt Slater
Ruby Parvati: Did you see him? All happy and smiley? Well that's going to change soon. Real soon.
Axel Reid: He's bandaged and ready to go though, Ruby... and speaking of which, so are we!
Once again the camera focuses on Jerry Heisenberg standing in the center of the ring, ready to introduce the competitors for this next anticipated contest.
Jerry Heisenberg: The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
The arena darkens while fog wafts up from beneath the stage, lights going off with a strobe effect meant to resemble lightning as the sound of thunder rumbles through the speakers. The sounds go silent after a few moments before the lights come up with a blue tint, a spotlight shining down on two kneeling figures who rises from within the fog at the top of the ramp moments before the haunting opening of "Nightmare" by Avenged Sevenfold starts.
Axel Reid: This one has been subtly simmering for some time, Ruby. There's been peculiar interactions between Matt Slater and Joanna Thade that have been bubbling on and off for months now.
Ruby Parvati: Sometimes I can't tell if she's just trying to get under his skin or if she fancies him for some reason. But tonight she gets him one-on-one in the middle of the ring and she really couldn't ask for better circumstances.
Axel Reid: You're referring of course to his condition after Heatstroke, which is what we literally just saw a moment ago?
Ruby Parvati: Of course. Slater is a wounded beast and Joanna smells blood. In some part of her crazy mind I'm sure she'd rather have a fresh Slater to toy with but I don't think she'll mind putting a wounded beast out of its misery.
Both figures start to rise as the strings come in. Slowly giving nothing away until the bone-chilling opening guitar rifts of the bridge echo throughout the arena. One figure throws back her hood revealing her unmistakable blue hair. Laughing at the fans reaction Joanna sways back and forth.
Jerry Heisenberg: Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by Emma Carlisle, hailing from The Other Side of Sanity... standing at 5'4" and weighing in at 145lbs... "Sanity's Mistress" JOANNA THADE!!!
Leading the group Joanna throws off her ropes and heads to the ring biting her lips as she savors the meal to come. The hood rests on the other's shoulders as a masked Emma Carlisle stands stoically at the base of the ramp as Joanna skips to the music. Circling around the ring Joanna refuses to take her eyes off the ring until Emma draws her attention to the task at hand and share a quick nod.
Ruby Parvati: It still amazes me to an extent that Emma Carlisle is able to rein this woman in. Imagine the force she'd be if Death weren't holding her leash.
Axel Reid: Emma serves a necessary purpose where these two are concerned. Even someone of Joanna's natural ability needs focus and Emma helps supply that. But I don't think there's any amount of control that's gonna keep War from trying to tear Matt Slater apart tonight.
Ruby Parvati: And why should Emma try to stop her? Slater's a big boy. He can handle himself. If anything, Death now holding the World Visionary Championship should motivate her partner to step it up.
Axel Reid: That would be bad news for everyone.
Emma pulls herself up onto the apron and enters the ring, casting aside her cloak as she walks to the center as Joanna runs and slides in under the bottom rope. Peeling off the mask, Death glares into the camera before tilting her head back, hoisting up her title and shrieking loudly. More of the thunder and strobe lighting erupts at this, briefly, before she lowers her head again. Joanna moves to take a knee before her, the maul portion of Hephty pressed to the mat while Emma places a black-nailed hand on her partner's shoulder, the Warchild affecting a delightedly malicious smile and shrieking laughter to match her partner's deafening wail. "Nightmare" fades out slowly and the pair backs into one corner. Emma leaves the ring after a few words with Joanna, leaving War alone to tend to the match at hand. However, she does not remain in Joanna's corner but instead makes her way to the announce table to take a seat next to Ruby, applying a headset as she sits and placing the World Visionary Championship on the table in front of her.
Axel Reid: And it looks like we have a guest on commentary for this contest! Welcome, Miss Carlisle, and congratulations on the victory at Heatstroke.
Ruby Parvati: A bit too late to start sucking up now, Axel.
Emma Carlisle: At least he tries to be cordial, Ruby.
The crowd react loudly as "Morning Glory" by Oasis begins to play, prompting powerful blue and white lights to circle around Homewood Field. These lights continue to spread in a distinctive pattern as the song fully kicks in, at which point Matt Slater introduces himself, walking out from behind the curtain in his customary wrestling gear and an additional white zip-up hoodie. Slater scans the crowd from the stage with a smile before he nods and looks towards the ring, eventually embarking on a slow walk towards the ring.
Jerry Heisenberg: And her opponent, hailing from Manchester, England... standing at 6'1" and weighing in at 224lbs... MATT SLATER!!!
Slater reaches the ringside area and uses the stairs to ascend onto the apron. Looking around momentarily, Slater leaps up onto the top turnbuckle from the corner, keeping one foot on the top rope and the other on the middle rope. He surveys the crowd again with a warming smile, absorbing the atmosphere of the moment before he jumps down into the ring. The crowd continue to cheer him as he gazes at the canvas deeply, only to dramatically spin and bound towards the hard camera with his arms outstretched, prompting the crowd to roar louder. Eventually, he smiles once more as he unzips his hoodie and removes it, passing it to a staff member at ringside shortly thereafter and getting one last warm up in.
Axel Reid: Slater looks to be in pretty high spirits tonight, but those bandaged ribs have to be like a bullseye to Joanna Thade. She's already pacing back and forth and hasn't taken her eyes off him once.
Ruby Parvati: I'll give the guy all kinds of credit for guts but the fact is he should never have agreed to this match. In terms of straight-up wrestling he could take War... ah, no offense to your partner, Emma...
Emma Carlisle: None taken.
Ruby Parvati: ...but like this? She's likely to eat him alive. Like you appeared to try and do to Casanova English at Heatstroke.
Emma laughs quietly as the referee checks in with both opponents.
Emma Carlisle: He should have been honored, Ruby. Most men don't get that much of a taste of what I'm capable of.
Axel Reid: Okay, that gave me chills.
Emma Carlisle: No sudden movements, Axel. I may pounce.
Again she laughs as the official signals for the bell...
DING! DING! DING!
...to get the match under way! Joanna lunges at Slater before the tone of the bell has gone quietly, trying in equal parts to bully him into the corner as well as lock up in a collar-and-elbow. Putting his strength and leverage to good use, Slater breifly stalls Joanna before reversing and putting her into the corner instead of the other way around. He bends her back over the top turnbuckle, forcing her to arch back, before retracting at the referee's warning. Joanna takes a wild swing at Slater but he leans out of reach and grabs the arm, putting War in an arm wringer. Joanna's attempt to fight out of it only results in the former Silver Knight twisting harder. She does, after a few painful moments, twist Slater into a hammerlock though Slater smoothly transitions through it and puts Joanna in a tight side headlock. After a couple hard forearms to his bandaged ribs though, he shoves Joanna into the ropes and takes her down with a shoulderblock.
Axel Reid: Good start by Matt Slater here, keeping things techinical. His strength is one of Joanna's admitted weaknesses. Slater hits the ropes again, drop down by Joanna... leapfrog by Joanna... and Slater catches her in mid-air!
Driving War down with a nasty belly-to-belly suplex, Slater comes up with a wince from the impact to his ribs in the midst of the move. Joanna, with some of the air knocked out of her, is covered by Slater via a side press with the leg hooked.
Ruby Parvati: One... and Joanna kicks out just before two. Kinda wishful thinking on Slater's part, Emma, wouldn't you say?
Emma Carlisle: It's very smart, actually. Put Joanna down and keep her down or at least at arm's length. He should be taking any chance he can get to put her away.
Ruby Parvati: You really think that would work?
Emma Carlisle: For a little while, at least.
Slater snares Joanna in another headlock after pulling her up, quickly taking her right back down to the mat while keeping his grip on the wild woman. Snarling audibly, Joanna tries to fight her way out of Slater's grip, prompting him to wrench more tightly. Only by pulling him backwards and getting his shoulders to the mat does Joanna find a break, though even then it is brief. Slater is right back into position quickly, reaffirming his grip. Getting to a knee, Joanna fires a few punches to Slater's side, making him wince in pain and deliver an elbow to the back of her neck, dropping her to hands and knees. Quickly, Matt twists her into a mahistrol cradle with the referee in position.
ONE!
TWO!
Axel Reid: Joanna kicks out with authority but Slater is not giving Thade much room to breathe here. She's getting more agitated by the moment.
Ruby Parvati: Poking a mad animal is a bad idea no matter how you slice it.
Joanna aims a kick at Slater's midsection from her position near the ropes but gets pulled into a dragon screw leg whip transitioned into a single-leg crab as Slater keeps the pressure on. Clawing toward the ropes, Joanna's efforts compound her discomfort as Matt digs in but after several attempts she gets a grip on the bottom rope. Rolling out of the ring while the referee holds Slater back a frustrated Joanna kicks the steel steps in a shrieking rage. Smartly, Slater stays in the ring, not venturing out into the devil's playground with War. Joanna shoots a look at Emma, sitting behind the announce table, and Death glances to the ring and back before nodding. Joanna nods back and slowly rolls into the ring, once more locked on Slater.
Ruby Parvati: She looked a little lost there for a moment, champ. What was that about?
Emma Carlisle: Sometimes Joanna just needs a little reminder.
Axel Reid: A reminder of what?
Emma Carlisle: That everything we do or say has purpose as well as consequence. That moment of contact was her reassurance, a reminder to be who and what she truly is.
Axel Reid: That being...?
Emma Carlise: Watch.
War and Slater lock up once again with Joanna again trying to push Slater back into the corner. When he reverses the pressure as he'd done the first time, Joanna slips behind him and delivers a clubbing forearm to the center of his back... then a second one. A dropkick follows and Slater goes chest-first into the corner. Recoiling, he's grabbed about the waist by Joanna but elbows his way out of her grip, reverses positions and heaves her overhead with ease via a German suplex. Joanna bounces off the mat, impacting it with her head and shoulders mostly, while Slater sits up holding his ribs. Groggy from the landing, Joanna snarls and drives a second dropkick to the center of the still-seated Slater's back. When he arches up in pain, she pounces on for a lateral press.
ONE!
TWO!
KICK-OUT!
Slater gets out of the predicament quickly but the effort takes a minor toll on him. Unsatisfied for obvious reasons, Joanna starts pounding on Slater with fists and forearms, first laying into his bandaged ribs then mounting him and delivering shots to the head while the former Silver Knight tries to cover up. The referee, feeling that a count isn't going to cut it, tries to physically pull Joanna back and almost gets backhanded for his efforts. The brief loss of focus gives Slater a moment to pull Joanna backwards, folding her up with her shoulders down!
ONE!
TWO!
TH-
KICK-OUT!
Axel Reid: Slater almost picked up the surprise win with that roll-up! Joanna just can't seem to keep her mind on the task at hand!
Emma Carlisle: She's fine, Axel. Every movement has a purpose.
Ruby Parvati: So far all she's done is barely escape pinning combinations.
Emma Carlisle: That's what you choose to see, Ruby, which doesn't mean that it's the whole truth.
Ruby Parvati: Do you ever speak normally?
Emma Carlisle: Do you ever think before you open your mouth?
Axel Reid: Well...
Ruby Parvati: No answers out of you!
Feeling the effects from back at Heatstroke, Slater nevertheless bounds to his feet just before Joanna and tries to take her head off with a clothesline. War turns almost a full flip before she lands, pushing up on shaking arms as Slater leans on the ropes, trying to get his breathing under control. He goes to Joanna while she's still on her knees, pulling her up by the head and reaching for her arm again. Yanking him in via his own grasp, Joanna puts her head under Slater's chin and drops into a sitting position, leaving Matt rearing back with a hand to his jaw. Rolling backwards and up to her feet, Joanna runs in with a knee to the midsection before whipping Slater into the nearest corner. She does her utmost to keep on him, backed off for a moment when he raises a boot to halt her charge. Slater backs up onto the second rope when the kick knocks her back, coming off for a double axe-handle that Joanna barely manages to evade. Coming off the ropes and missing the target stuns Slater for a moment, allowing War to get hold of him and deliver a bulldog into a single-knee facebuster that seems to knock Slater out cold!
Axel Reid: Sanity Check!
Ruby Parvati: She's crazy.
Emma Carlisle: ...that was almost funny.
Instead of going for the pin, though, Joanna mounts Slater's back, pulling his head up by the hair and delivering a series of wild, left-handed, crossface-style blows. She gets a few in before the referee's count gets up to four, only then letting go. Grabbing Slater's arms, she gets to her feet and puts her foot to the middle of his back as he's arched up from the mat. That alone has him wincing again as Joanna looks askance at Emma, who is watching her every move. The World Visionary Champion simply smiles and Joanna drives her foot down against Slater's back, driving him down to the mat. She repeats this again, the impacts drawing suffering groans from Slater, after which she stomps away at his back ruthlessly. Slater still attempts to reach the ropes and, upon doing so, the official has no choice but to herd Joanna back so he can check on the downed Silver Knight.
Ruby Parvati: Oh, of course! When she starts winning, the referee has to butt in! Seriously, if Slater wasn't ready he should've stayed home!
Axel Reid: Slater isn't going to give up because he took a few licks, though. The man's tough as they come.
True to Axel's assertion, Slater waves off the referee and Joanna immediately lunges again, barely giving the official the seconds required to get out of the way. She fires off knees into Slater's midsection but is sent reeling by a surprise headbutt from Matt. Not expecting the strike, Joanna is herded back quickly by kicks, chops and punches as Slater starts fighting more for survival than to keep War at bay. Backed into the ropes, Joanna is shot off and caught with a snap powerslam that shakes the ring... AND Slater's ribs. Fighting through the pain, Matt stays on Joanna and hooks the far leg.
ONE!
TWO!
THR-
SHOULDER UP!
Emma Carlisle: Close.
Ruby Parvati: Is that concern for your partner, champ? Slater's coming back with a vengeance here, fighting through the pain even.
Axel Reid: He's been working on Joanna's arm on and off for a lot of this match... and just stomped on it! Those aren't cries of joy coming from Joanna Thade right now.
Emma Carlisle: Sure about that, are you?
Axel Reid: Well, I mean, I don't THINK they are...
Two stomps and a dropped knee later, Slater is trying to wrap Joanna into a stepover armlock, then a reverse armbar. Joanna squirms and twists, trying to get her arm out of Slater's grip or to at least stall his intentions. Her efforts allow her, at the very least, to hook a foot over the bottom rope after Matt gets the armlock on but he still makes full use of the four seconds available to twist her wing as much as possible. Admonished by the referee, the words fall on deaf ears as Joanna rolls out onto the apron and pulls herself up via the ropes. Slater comes at her, reaching for her hair just as she ducks, shoving her shoulder into his midsection! Rearing back with a grip on the top rope, Joanna, favoring her arm a little bit, manages to spring up to the top strand and come off with a bulldog to drive Slater into the mat!
Emma Carlisle: Perfect. Finish him, Joanna.
Axel Reid: Joanna just rode Slater's skull into the canvas like a water slide! Is he even awake?!
ONE!
TWO!
THR-
KICK-OUT AGAIN!
Ruby Parvati: Not yet! But man are his eyes glazed over! Someone ask him what day it is!
Axel Reid: He might be groggy but he's still up and about, Ruby!
Emma Carisle: Not if Joanna has anything to say about it.
Indeed, War has backed off a bit, stalking Slater as she backs into one corner of the ring. Her face is contorted in rage and she's baring her teeth, saying something without words as Slater rises up onto his hands and knees. Taking off like a bolt, Joanna looks to put Slater's lights out with a PsyKick!
Axel Reid: Narrow miss there! Slater must have seen Joanna coming out of the corner of his eye!
Getting in under Joanna's outstretched leg, Slater forces himself and his opponent up, holding her in midair for a moment before driving her down with a modified spinebuster that leaves both wrestlers on their backs fighting for breath! Joanna twitches briefly, her brain still trying to reconnect to her limbs, while Matt gets over onto his stomach and starts inching toward the ropes. The referee gets a count going but stops around six as Slater, albeit unsteadily, is mostly on his feet. Joanna is up on a knee... until Slater hits her with a low-angle rolling elbow that knocks her backwards, her blue hair going straight up from the impact!
Emma Carlisle: Hmm... impressive. Slater has fight to spare.
Axel Reid: I'll be surprised if that shot didn't break Joanna's nose! Slater hit that elbow flush! She's not even moving!
Ruby Parvati: Slater is, though, and he's going for the pin!
Slater falls atop Joanna and pulls up the far leg in the midst of his lateral press...
ONE!
TWO!
THREE???
NO!!!
Axel Reid: Joanna got a foot on the bottom rope! How in the hell was she awake enough to do THAT much?!
Emma Carlisle: Warrior instinct. But it will take more than that to slay the Silver Knight.
Ruby Parvati: Slater doesn't even seem to believe it! And how are you so calm?!
Shaking his head with a half-smile, Slater pulls Joanna up as he gets to his feet... and Joanna yanks him into an inside cradle!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE--
SHOULDER UP!
Stunned again, Matt's momentary shock lets Joanna deliver a running kick to his ribs, sending more precious air out of Slater's lungs. Still on shaky legs, a trickle of blood coming from her nose and dripping all the way to her chin, Joanna grimaces and goes for Slater's legs. She steps between them but is kicked away, landing against the turnbuckles shoulder-first. She shakes out her right arm that Matt had been working on as the man himself comes in, wrapping that arm around the top rope and wrenching hard on it. Joanna's attempts to kick him away increase the pressure but she refuses to stop trying to get at the Silver Knight. Breaking at four, Slater steps over her arm and twists her to the mat, dropping his leg across it. Attempting a short arm scissors, Slater nearly locks it in before a wild boot from Joanna catches him in the face, stunning him long enough for her to pull free!
Axel Reid: This might be her last chance to create some distance here! If Slater gets hold of that arm again...
Except Slater goes for the head, twisting Joanna with a swinging neckbreaker that she rolls through, spearing the Silver Knight into the turnbuckles! Leaping on him as he stumbles forward, Joanna locks in a front guillotine choke! Slater, already having trouble holding himself up, quickly drops to one, then both, knees on the mat!
Ruby Parvati: The Lobotomy! But can Joanna get Slater to tap out?
Emma Carlisle: Unlikely... but she'll certainly make it harder for him to breathe, which buys her time.
Ruby Parvati: He looks ready to tap to... wait! Slater's got her by the leg... Shining Force!
Emma Carlisle: See?
Axel Reid: Fisherman's buster, the Shining Force, from Matt Slater! And he got almost all of it, too! Only Joanna's grip stopped him from getting all of it but she still took a nasty hit!
Slater, on his feet, gestures for the end and grabs Joanna by the leg, trying to pull her toward the center of the ring.
Axel Reid: Slater wants the Justice Granted! If he locks that in, War is done!
Joanna, however, has a firm grip on the ropes, wanting none of Slater's pet submission. Disgruntled perhaps by her tenacity, Slater hooks the leg tighter and tries to jerk Joanna from the ropes, finally suceeding in breaking her grip. She lands with a thump, turning as she does so and driving her free foot right into Slater's midsection. It takes another before he lets go, groaning in pain. Slow to get to her feet, Joanna tries to cinch Slater in for a DDT but gets thrown back by a sudden burst of adrenalized strength! Slater's rush, though, goes awry as Joanna trips him and sends him body-first into the second rope.
Emma Carlisle: Just like that, Joanna. Don't forget to think through your violence.
Axel Reid: The constant assaults to the ribs of Slater is starting to get to him. But he just keeps on fighting!
Ruby Parvati: Talk about dragging out the suffering! If he's holding back, he'd better stop it before Joanna makes him pay!
Axel Reid: Joanna's taken just as much damage, Ruby!
Going for Slater's legs after he falls back to the mat, Joanna again steps through and weaves the former Silver Knight into a Texas Cloverleaf! The pain is immediate and excruciating for Slater, who immediately starts trying to crawl toward the ropes to force a break. Having to rely mostly on her left arm, Joanna has trouble keeping Matt at the middle of the ring... he's constantly edging closer to the bottom rope!
Emma Carlisle: Slater's calculating attack is having its effects shown after the fact here.
Ruby Parvati: He's just inches away from the ropes! But can he fight through this pain much longer?!
Axel Reid: If anyone can, it's Matt Slater! Look what he fought through at Heatstroke!
Ruby Parvati: Yeah, but he's human same as anyone else!
Joanna is shrieking in frustration, putting all of her 145 pounds into trying to keep Slater from getting any closer to the ropes! She rears back hard on her grip, wrenching and trying to get more bend out of the Manchester native's spine! Slater edges closer, closer... and Joanna draws him back out toward the middle of the ring!
Emma Carlisle: Good girl, Joanna...
Axel Reid: And after all that progres...!
Slater yells out as he tries to stave off the pain. Joanna, meanwhile, is still bleeding from her slightly-swollen nose thanks to Slater's rolling elbow, the red dripping onto her chest. She sits back fully on the cloverleaf, and Slater waves his hand over the canvas...
... only to punch it in defiance!
Axel Reid: He's not giving in!
But the pain in his ribs starts to overwhelm him. He fights on, but he becomes weaker and weaker. He stops himself from tapping a second time, believing he can make it to the ropes.
Ruby Parvati: Are you serious right now?
Slater drags himself forward for one last effort, reaching his arm forward across the canvas... and then he stops moving. Joanna keeps the pressure applied, putting all her weight on him to keep him subdued. But Slater still doesn't move. His resistances have completely ceased. Eventually the referee looks down closely at Slater, taking note of his condition. Suddenly he jumps up, waving his arms to the timekeeper!
DING! DING! DING!!!
Axel Reid: Hold on... what happened?
Ruby Parvati: I think Slater passed out!
Emma Carlisle: You would be correct with your observation.
Ruby Parvati: Finally! It was starting to hurt MY ribs just watching Slater squirm!
Emma Carlisle: One warrior's limits are another's breaking point. Slater is every bit as good as people say he is. But War is a force of nature.
Joanna lets go a moment after the bell tolls, dropping to her knees on the mat and cradling her right arm as the referee raises her left. Slater, on his back, looks completely out of it, a trainer coming down from backstage to check on him.
Jerry Heisenberg: The winner of this match by submission... JOANNA THADE!!!
"Nightmare" begins to play as Joanna rolls out of the ring herself, staggering over to the announce table where Emma rises from her seat, putting her title over her shoulder.
Emma Carlisle: It has not been... unpleasant.
About as nice of a good-bye as she cares to give, Emma drops her headset and goes over to her partner, sharing a few words forehead-to-forehead with Joanna before draping the woman's left arm over her shoulder and walking her to the backstage area.
Axel Reid: Hell of a match, folks, and not the last time we'll see Emma Carlisle tonight!
Ruby Parvati: The new champion has a tall task in Winter Pine in non-title action later on, but right now these fans are showing all kinds of respect for Matt Slater! And even I gotta admit that that's well earned! He fought on until he passed out, and never tapped out.
Axel Reid: I wonder how Seth Iser feels about that right now.
The crowd are, indeed, cheering hard for the former Silver Knight, even if he has no idea what is going on at this current moment. Another trainer joins the fray, helping to comfort Matt as he starts to come to. He groggily looks around, his face still and confused as the crowd cheer for him again. After a while, Slater is helped to his feet, but he is able to shrug off the trainors and leans against the ropes. Despite the obvious pain he's in, he is still walking under his own power... albeit slowly. Once Slater drops to a knee in order to get out of the ring, the scene fades to a quick commercial break.
