UKWF Rebirth RESULTS

[UKWF]

After months of speculation and eager anticipation, UKWF fanatics once again get to hear the familiar tones of The Rezillos’ ‘Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Heads Kicked In Tonight’ – with the added bonus of the lyric ‘on a Wednesday evenin’ there’s sure gonna be a fight’ finally being accurate.

Shortly after the revamped, re-worked intro montage has ended, the usual title card appears, flashing the title of that particular show in big, bold letters:

From there, the feed cuts to the place where it all began – London’s Electric Ballroom, packed to the brim with raucous fans, who add to the celebratory nature of the event with loud chants and quirky handmade signs. As the camera begins its usual pan of the front rows, it catches some of these:

#BLAISEMERY

UKWF IS A PHOENIX – CONFIRMED

DON’T CROSS RECOBA

From there, the broadcast cuts to the announce table, where the same familiar pair as always is on hand to greet the viewers – it seems in that regard, at least, there have been no changes.

Barry Jones: ‘Ello folks! Welcome ter the Rebirth! An’ blimey, it’s good ter be ‘ere – ent it, Kerr?

Kerry Buckingham: I must say it is…though I would have much preferred it if the rest of my ‘squad’ was still here…

Baz chuckles, turning to his broadcast partner with a slight frown on his features:

Baz: Yer ‘squad’?

Kerry; It is youth lingo, darling. If you were as hip to the scene as I am, you would know that…

Baz: ‘Hip ter the scene’, eh? Showin’ yer age there a bit, luv…

This predictably causes Kerry to huff, opening a window for Barry to briefly go over the match for the evening:

Baz: Anyway, back ter the show, an’ lemme tell yer, folks – this is livin’ up to the hype! We’ll be ‘avin’ four – count ‘em, FOUR – title matches, an’ we even ‘ave a famous visitor puttin’ ‘er title up against one of our own! Plus a Battle Royal, as well – an’ who doesn’t like THEM?

Kerry; …it would have still been better if Stella were here…

The mention of UKWF’s former co-owner seems to bring something to Baz’s mind, and he once again turns towards his co-broadcaster:

Baz: Oh yeah…speakin’ o’ which…we’re gunner know who took over tonight as well, ent we?

The question warrants nothing but a strangled scoff from Kerry, however, leading Barry to once again turn to the camera, as if to add an extra thought. Before he can do so, however, a theme song starts up on the speakers, cutting off whatever thought he was about to exposit.

The unfamiliar theme brings a hush over the crowd, as they wait to see who is going to come through the curtain. After a moment’s palpable tension, their question is answered, as a middle-aged brunette in a conservative business outfit steps through the curtain, microphone in hand.

Fearing another Stella, the crowd give only a tentative reaction as the newcomer takes a moment to look around her and soak in the atmosphere. Their fears are somewhat allayed, however, when she finally talks:

Woman: Well…isn’t this a nice little turnout!

A smile breaks across the woman’s features as she continues:

Woman: My brother had told me this company had a loyal following…but I was not expecting this many people to turn up after such a long hiatus!

Another cheer arises from the stands as the woman goes on:

Woman: Speaking of which…you may be wondering who I am. My name is Elizabeth Kensington, but please – call me Liz. As for my role, as of this past Christmas, I have taken over from my brother James as the principal owner of the United Kingdom Wrestling Federation.

The crowd cheer yet again, in a welcoming sort of way, prompting Elizabeth to smile as she continues:

Liz Kensington: I am pleased to be here, as well. And let me take this opportunity to assure you that despite being inexperienced, I have made a commitment with myself to be the best owner I can possibly be. I have acquainted myself with the sport of professional wrestling to an extent where I feel I can comfortably shoulder the responsibilities of my new role, and I feel ready to take on this new challenge and see it through to a satisfactory standard. In other words, do not expect another Stella…

The mere mention of UKWF’s previous owner prompts a deafening chant of ‘NA NA, HEY HEY, GOODBYE’ from the crowd, in turn eliciting a disgusted response from Kerry Buckingham:

Kerry; Ingrates!

Liz, however, simply lets the commotion die down before quipping:

Liz Kensington: Yes – I know!

This brings a generalised laugh from the stands, and the atmosphere becomes even more relaxed, allowing Liz to confidently move on to more serious issues. 

Liz Kensington: Now, then. You have heard me TALK about being a good and fair boss. Now, it is time I start showing, rather than telling. 

The new owner reaches into the duffel bag she is carrying in her right hand and removes a hard travel case, which she then quickly unclasps to reveal the UKWF United Kingdom Championship. The crowd hold their breath as she studies the strap for a moment, before holding it up for their appraisal.

Liz Kensington: You all know what I am currently holding in my hand. It is, I am informed, our company’s main Championship. It is also the only Championship in the company not to be defended here this evening, as I understand both the defending Champion and their challenger have not renewed their contracts…

A negative reaction confirms these words, prompting Liz to nod as she continues:

Liz Kensington: …which is why I am addressing the need for entirely new challengers, right here, in the open, in front of all of you. It is also why I am letting all of my contracted athletes know that this opportunity is global. If anyone would like an opportunity to prove themselves a worthy challenger, they are more than welcome to request it – just as long as they go through the right channels. And that goes for any other match they might want, as well. In other words, if you want a match, come talk to me - please do not hit another athlete over the head with a chair.

Liz’s last sentence, delivered in a tone halfway between earnest and playful, once again draws a chuckle from the stands – as well as from Barry Jones. Liz herself is smiling as she once again brings the microphone to her lips – only to be pre-emptively interrupted by a familiar theme song…

[UKWF]

The crowd gives a mixed reaction as outspoken but undeniably talented indie superstar Gaia Galanos steps through the curtain, her blue eyes scorching through UKWF's new owner. It does not take more than a moment after the Greek has made her entrance for her to bring a microphone to her lips and address Liz Kensington:

Gaia Galanos: Before Stella, in her infinite wisdom, ran this place into the ground.

The crowd shouts “ohhh!” Gaia’s stone cold blue eyes glare straight into the camera next to her. Her eyes almost squint with a proud semi-smirk, knowing the grating voice of that woman wouldn’t taint a UKWF arena ever again. Liz Kensington, too, seems rather pleased when Galanos turns her attention back to her.

Gaia Galanos: I believe your brother and I were having a discussion about my contendership for a title. Before you go trying to claim I haven’t proven myself just take a look at the list of names I have defeated within this ring.

Gaia’s finger stabs toward the mat below. Galanos’ feet are specifically placed so that she’s not standing on the UKWF emblem in the center.

Gaia Galanos: Everyone I have faced off against here, I have defeated. There are people with losing records getting title shots while I constantly have to leap through each hoop only to find that the next is engulfed in flames and the next has blades. I literally have a Hall of Fame in my wake of destruction. There is one rule I want everyone to remember about this ring…

Once again, the former Champion’s index finger prods down at the canvas.

Gaia Galanos: When I fight, I win. That’s why big names come to UKWF. They come to fight me, but soon learn the golden rule of the universe. When Gaia fights, she wins. The stars literally come to me… to die.

Galanos pauses a moment, allowing her words to sink in.

Gaia Galanos: I have given this company matches that could headline global promotions. Now, it’s time for this company to give back. 

Gaia goes to raise her microphone to her lips again, but is cut off when the arena goes pitch black as the opening riffs of "Enough" by Galleries begins to play through the arena. As the first hit of percussion hits the speakers, a spotlight comes on suddenly, showing what appears to be a man down on one knee, looking down at the floor.

Wearing a baseball cap, what can be made out to be a black zip-up hooded jacket, jeans and sneakers. The baseball cap, however, distinctly has a logo that is a weathered crown. After a few seconds further into the track, he stands up and stares towards the ring. At this point, the crowd familiar with this man erupts.

Gaia stares at the man, realizing that standing at the entryway is none other than Graham Clauson. Graham has not taken his eyes off Gaia as he begins walking towards the ring, the lighting in the arena returning to normal. His focus has not changed, although he is slapping hands with fans who are reaching out and are within his reach. Gaia has also kept her attention towards Graham, her annoyance with this interruption plainly seen on her face.

As Graham gets to ringside, he continues to look at Gaia as he makes his way around to obtain a microphone. Shortly after this, Graham makes his way to the ring steps. As Graham makes his way up to the apron, this staring contest continues. Graham drops the stare towards Gaia as he steps up onto the turnbuckle. He looks towards the fans for the first time since his emergence, raising the free arm into the air with a fist, only then to return his stare to Gaia.

As his entrance music fades out, he then hops over into the ring and landing on his feet. Graham immediately raises the microphone and begins to speak.

Graham: "So... This is what all the rage was about?"

Gaia stares at Graham, tilting her head only slightly. Her expression confusion, Graham continues.

Graham: "This is supposed to be the future of the business? I... I'm at a loss for words, people..."

Graham steps towards the crowd, looking towards them. He extends his arm, gesturing towards Gaia with an open hand.

Graham: "This is what I flew over six thousand kilometers for?"

Graham closes his eyes, bringing the microphone down as he drapes his arm on the top rope, laughing. From what can be picked up from the microphone, his laugh travels between outright amusement and uncomfortable, almost psychotic breakdown. He turns around, looking at Gaia. He points towards her, a wide smile on his face.

Graham: "I was told so much about you... About how you were going to be such a huge success, that you've already achieved so much in so little time..."

Graham drops his smile, his expression now serious.

Graham: "And all I see is another entitled brat who is trying to steal the spotlight so they can feel special."

Graham begins to heighten the octave of his voice, emitting a shrill voice as he mocks Gaia straight to her face.

Graham: "What about my title shot?!"

Graham drops his act, bringing his free hand to his chest.

Graham: "I don't just walk into any place and plan to just wear gold as a color, you see..."

The crowd catches what Graham is alluding to with his statement, riling up slightly as he continues to speak.

Graham: "And trust me, I've had enough gold robbed from my hands. Out of the six major title shots I've ever had in my career, the only one that I actually got was done here in the United Kingdom."

Graham snaps to the crowd quickly.

Graham: "And unlike the fans in the United States, you all actually give at least one fuck about me..."

With the cheap pop obtained, Graham turns back to Gaia. Gaia cuts him off, stopping Graham before he can continue.

Gaia: Entitled?

Despite her annoyance with Graham, Gaia actually gives him a bit of an amusement smile.

Gaia: Do you have any idea what my record is in UKWF in singles competition? I am undefeated. I spent all of last year and the months prior turning this place into an empire, and you dare come walking in on your first day implying that I don’t have the right? Poios eísai esý?

Graham: "Slow your roll, Xena: Warrior Princess..."

Gaia stops, annoyed at Graham's quip. The fans cheer for this, but Graham continues shortly after.

Graham: "What you think you deserve doesn't matter right now, because I don't know what the hell he saw in you! I surely as hell don't see it! I've watched matches of you, I've been told you were like a missing world treasure to wrestling... I'm here to find out what is so great about Gaia Galanos..."

Graham steps towards Gaia, within reach of her.

Graham: "But all I see is a sloppy baby..."

The crowd groans, Gaia going in for the retort. A bit sardonically she offers:

Gaia: Let me guess, you want to fight me.

Graham: "That's exactly what I want, Gaia. I want you... One..."

The crowd begins to sizzle even more with excitement…

Graham: "...on-one... I don't care what match, I don't care if it's next event, two events from now; I'll leave that to the Front Office here. But I'm laying down the challenge, Gaia. He says you're the chosen one, girl!”

Gaia looks over at Ms. Kensington who has just been minding just watching all of this unfold. She raises her microphone once more.

Gaia: As I said… the stars come to die. Make the match.

The former Champion’s demanding words are the last things we hear before Gaia sends her microphone spiking to the canvas. She turns back toward Graham Clauson, steps up to him, and reminds him that when she fights she wins. That’s when a faint “Fight, Gaia, fight!” chant starts to rise from within the crowd as she exits the arena. Not all of the fans had soured on her apparently.

[UKWF]

UKWF’s new owner watches on placidly as Galanos and Clauson make their way to the back once again, giving a moment for the commotion to die down before once again lifting the UKWF title above her head.

Liz Kensington: Well…that was rather a pointless endeavour…

The crowd appear to agree with the owner, who quickly continues:

Liz Kensington: I really WAS willing to give that woman an opportunity, as well…oh well, I suppose it was not to be…

Liz lowers the belt and studies it for a moment.

Liz Kensington: As it is…I do still have this small matter to attend to, don’t I?

The new owner heaves a sigh for a moment, lowering her eyes, before bringing the microphone to her lips again, looking to continue her address. 

Before she can do so, however, a familiar theme song blares through the Ballroom speakers, instantly drawing a raucous reaction from the crowd.

Juliet Black wears a defiant expression as, a moment later, she steps out onto the ramp, microphone already in hand. She wastes no time lifting it to her lips as she addresses the owner, in typical brash fashion:

Juliet Black: Y’know what? I been sat back there watchin’ people squabblin’ about that thing, an’ I started thinkin’ to meself. An’ you know what I was thinkin’ ‘bout? I was thinkin’ ‘bout how our last Champion f---ed off after his owner like a little bitch, his challenger fell off the face of the f---ing planet…an’ I’m still ‘ere.

The crowd’s reaction becomes even more appreciative as Dublin Trouble continues:

Juliet Black: Yeah…I’m still ‘ere. I been ‘ere since damn near the beginning. I seen Champions come an’ go…hell, I even got to beat the s—t out of the same person who’s fightin’ for another belt in your Main Event here tonight.

The cheers this time are as much for Blaise as Juliet, who quickly proceeds:

Juliet Black: So yeah…I’m sat back there watchin’ Gaia talk ‘bout how she deserves her shot…an’ she does…but hell, so do I! I’m just as much a part o’ UKWF history as she is! An’ unlike her, I’m a one-company kind’a lass…

The dig at Gaia brings appreciative gasps from the crowd, and even Juliet allows herself a slight smirk as she continues:

Juliet Black: So yeah…if yer wonderin’ who to give tha’ chance to…lemme help you out…

Juliet points at herself defiantly:

Juliet Black: …give it to Dublin Trouble, Juliet Black!

The crowd’s response suggests they stand firmly behind the Dubliner, and even Liz Kensington seems suitably impressed, nodding her head and clearly pondering the suggestion. After a moment, she once again brings the microphone to her lips, to address Juliet directly:

Liz Kensington: First of all, young lady…well put. I definitely agree with your point, though it would have been better served by slightly less vulgar language. However…

The owner pauses again, as Juliet glares.

Liz Kensington: …however, I can’t very well just GIVE this to you, can I? 

Juliet shrugs, as if to say ‘why not’, as Elizabeth continues:

Liz Kensington: Which brings us to the small matter of finding you an opponent. A second challenger, if you will. And in that regard, I’m afraid I remain totally stumped—

Before the owner can finish her thought properly, a voice breaks through the crowd:

Voice: Hold on a second!

The crowd at the Electric Ballroom crane their necks, looking for the source of the voice – then give a distinctly mixed reaction as it steps out onto the entrance platform. Skylynn Reed, however, does not let this distract her from her point as she continues:

Skylynn Reed: Lemme get something straight here…somebody said this was a Rebirth, right?

Liz nods, and Skylynn promptly continues:

Skylynn: Well, the way I see it, a company that’s starting over should have its original Champion there to carry it…don’t you think?

Once again, Liz Kensington seems to see her employee’s point, prompting the original United Kingdom Champion to point at herself and declare:

Skylynn: Well…here I am!

This time, the redhead gives neither of her interlopers time to cut in, immediately adding:

Skylynn: I don’t know if anybody told you, but Big Bad Blaise wasn’t the first person to hold that title…I was. Back when it was still called the UKWF Championship. And guess what else? It didn’t take me one match, either…it took two. On the same night. So excuse me if I’m a little pissed off that people are out here talking about the title I helped create and ‘conveniently forgetting’ to mention ME.

A mixed reaction greets these words, and Skylynn’s condescending air quotes. The former UK Champion appears, however, unfazed as she continues:

Skylynn: So…y’all want a second contender? Y’all got one. And pretty soon, you’re gonna have yourselves your first ever two-time United Kingdom Champion, as well.

The redhead glares at Liz Kensington, daring her to defy her words. When the owner doesn’t, Skylynn simply spits:

Skylynn: Book it.

With that, and after directing a defiant glare at her future opponent as well, Reed makes her way to the back, leaving Juliet Black to relish the prospect of the match and the fans to eagerly anticipate it. The electric atmosphere inside the Ballroom is only compounded when, a moment later, Liz Kensington speaks again:

Liz Kensington: Well…I suppose I have my match, then, don’t I?

With that, and under a deafening reaction from the fans, the owner, too, makes her way to the back, leaving the ring cleared for the next scheduled match to begin…

[UKWF]

13-Person Battle Royal

It's one of them those battle royale type thingies, so there's a ton of people in the ring to begin with, thirteen, and when the bell rings it's pandemonium in that ring with everybody essentially trying to fight everybody! Punches and kicks, and forearms and elbows, and knees fly at everyone from every which way. There's a lot of people moving around a lot of people meat. The Beast and Joe Stanton are brawling near the ropes on the right side of the ring in the upper corner, Dani Christian hits the left side's ropes and connects with a headscissors takedown on Kelly that almost sends her over the right side of the ring's top rope...BUT SHE GRABS THE TOP ROPE! SUPPORTING HERSELF WITH IT AND LEAVING DANI IN NO WOMAN'S LAND HALFWAY OUT OF THE RING!

Nora Diamond is throwing down with Giles in the bottom left corner of the ring and the majority of the talent are just in the center of the ring still swinging at anything that moves, and there's a lot of body parts moving. Taila, Tiger Mask Red, Davey-Boy, Francisco, Gav, Crystal and Ashley are all trying to keep themselves alive in this match by trying to murder anything that comes near them. Tiger Mask Red specifically seems to be actively trying to move other talents closer to the ropes, but every opportunity that presents itself is stalled out by someone like Ashley Williams or Taila Areano involving themselves and attacking him, inadvertently stopping him. 

Kelly FINALLY manages to pry loose the main thing supporting Dani right now, her legs wrapped around Kelly's throat, and dumps her out of the ring! Eliminating her from the match!

ELIMINATED: Dani Christian

The Beast tries to plow through Stanton with a lariat that Stanton ducks underneath and backdrops him straight out of the ring! Eliminating him from the match too!

ELIMINATED: The Beast

Diamond and Giles are having a glorified boxing match till the Brit Brawler connects with a shot that dazes Diamond long enough for him to toss her over the top rope! Eliminating her from the match!

ELIMINATED: Nora Diamond

Getting out from the mob in the middle, Tiger Mask Red spots Stanton and delivers a devastating back rake that puts him in the corner, letting TMR put the boots to him. Ashley Williams runs at Giles and connects with a hurricanrana, both popping right back up for her to perform a second one that SENDS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE...but he lands on the apron! Over on the right side of the ring Francisco corners Garrett against the ropes and lays into her,  really trying to work her over and giving her no room to escape being up against the ropes. She fights back, but Lopez continues to press her. An unintended alliance forms between Talia and Crystal, managing to overpower O'Brien and push him into the upper left corner of the ring, the two ladies eventually are able to deadlift him together and try to toss him right over the turnbuckle but he hangs on for dear life! 

Francisco tries to go for a variant on his Hadouken Knee but Garrett ducks underneath it, reversing their positions against the ropes and she hits him with the Physically Dominate lariat that sends him clean over the ropes! Eliminating him from the match!

ELIMINATED: Francisco Lopez

Tiger Mask Red gets bored of stomping on Joe to spot an opportunity, running across the ring he grabs...ASHLEY WILLIAMS FROM BEHIND AND TOSSES HER OVER THE TOP ROPE! GILES NARROWLY DUCKS IN TIME TO AVOID BEING ELIMINATED ALONGSIDE HER! She's eliminated from the match!

ELIMINATED: Ash Williams

Gav Tompkins attacks Talia and Crystal from behind with some clubbing blows, pushing them out of the way so that he can grab O'Brien himself only for the Scottish Terrier to slip through his grasp and lift him up, showing off some power as he runs at the ropes and looks to dump Gav over them! BUT GAV FIGHTS BACK AS THEY HIT THE ROPES! BOTH MEN GO OVER! Gav and O'Brien are both eliminated from the match!

ELIMINATED: Gav Tompkins & Davey-Boy O'Brien

Crystal stumbles back from the assault Gav delivers and without missing a beat Stanton pops out of his corner, grabbing the top rope to perform a variant on his Anarnacirruh reverse hurricanrana, tossing her right over the top rope! He clings onto the ropes for dear life as he slowly brings himself back inside. When he does, Talia's there waiting for him, practically sending him right back over the top rope! But he hangs on and boots her in the face repeatedly while she fires back with shots to the face! It takes a precise boot to the nose for him to free himself from her clutches! She staggers back into him and Stanton hits a variant on the Rock'n'Roll belly to belly suplex to send her over the top rope! Eliminating her too!

ELIMINATED: Talia Areano

The final four all seem to realize who exactly they're at the same exact moment, looking around the ring at each other. Being the closest ones to each other, TMR runs at and hits Garrett with a lariat that almost sends her right over the top rope! She headbutts him in return, catching him when he tries to run back in on her with a judo style takedown! She punishes him with elbows and forearms, forcing him to crawl away from her for shelter from this abuse. 

Giles, having rested up a bit from his brawl grabs Stanton and tries to do a simple toss over the top rope! Hanging onto them, Joe uses them to fall down onto the apron and slid back into the ring only to take a running boot to the face from the Brit Brawler! Trying to shake it off, Joe tries to get back up to his feet but is met with left's & right's from Whitmor! Responding in kind, the two have themselves a little brawl till Giles counters a punch into a wristlock backdrop suplex.

Kelly opens fire on Whitmor with a dropkick that makes him lose his balance and almost sends him over the top rope! He hangs on and when she comes at him a headbutt to the abdomen is how he slows her down! He tries to toss her over the top but she grabs the ropes to stop herself and elbows him repeatedly in the gut to free herself from his grasp. 

Stanton is recovering not too far from them when Tiger Mask Red grabs him and hits a bulldog, picking him up and looking to guide him to the ropes till Joe knees him in the gut! TMR unloads on the other man with a series of knife-edge chops, really putting some power behind them to make them sting. He shoots him into the ropes and goes running in after him to knock him over them but it's on the rebound that Stanton yells CATCH ME!!!!! The flying crossbody takes both men to the mat.  

As all this is going on, Whitmor has managed to overpower Kelly Garrett, and is currently seeking to dump her over the top again. The smaller woman is, however, making this no easy task, as she stubbornly seeks to hold on by any means necessary. The two therefore find themselves at a stalemate when – having recovered first from the impact of his own crossbody – Joe Stanton comes rushing in from behind! Caught unaware, Whitmor stumbles forward, toppling out of the ring and taking Garrett in his tow! Joe Stanton eliminates two birds with one stone!

ELIMINATED: Giles Whitmor & Kelly Garrett

Stanton barely has time to enjoy his success, however, before he senses movement behind him. He turns around just in time to see a recovered Tiger Mask Red leaping towards him, arm outstretched...

...and is just about able to react in time, crouching down and throwing the masked luchador overhead with a back body drop! Caught in mid-air and mid-momentum, Tiger is unable to shift his body position in time to land on the apron, and goes flying to the outside!! Against all odds, Joe Stanton is the last man standing!!

ELIMINATED: Tiger Mask Red

WINNER in 7:45: Joe Stanton

[UKWF]

The air attack warning sounds like - this is the sound.

The lights go down over the venue as the howling air raid siren drones behind mournful piano keys. As the orchestral intro builds, the spotlights on the stage flash with each crashing cymbal. Just as the introduction sweeps down from its crescendo, the thumping, synth-y bassline of 'Two Tribes' kicks in, and the spotlight returns with Gaz McGuinty and Nathan Wayne underneath - NO MERSEY. The former stands tall, middle fingers akimbo while the latter crouches down in a superhero-like pose, the boos and jeers beginning to rain down.

As Nathan stalks down to the ring at a slow, deliberate pace, Gaz is well ahead of him - lapping around the ringside barricades, slapping phones and drinks out of hands - and taking the ones he can carry, too.

Nathan rolls into the ring and hops up to the turnbuckle. As Gaz steps in to join him, a cup of half-spilt beer in one hand and a half-dozen cell phones cradled in his arms, Nathan squats with his head hung low, his wet, brown hair covering his face. The chorus of boos only intensifies as Gaz asks for a mic from ringside, motioning in his unoccupied hand for the ring crew to toss it his way. Gingerly, one does, causing Gaz to bobble and spill the rest of his drink on the mat, along with a pair of phones.

Gaz: I AM--

--BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Gaz:I--

--BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Gaz: I AM THE SCOUSE SUPERMAN, THE WRISTLOCK MASTER, LIVERPOOL'S GREATEST EXPORT: GAZ MCGUINTY," the raucous scouser bellows over the agitated crowd. He gestures to his tag partner on the turnbuckle in a dramatic sweeping motion, dropping the remainder of the cell phones in a clatter. "AND THIS BRITISH WRESTLIN'S DARK KNIGHT, THE WARRIOR OF THE WASTELAND: NATHAN WAYNE."

Nathan offers the Queen's wave as the boos reach a fever pitch.

Gaz: AND YOU CAN START BY SITTIN YOUR HALF QUID ARSES DOWN BEFORE WE START SPLITTIN THE DIFFERENCE. SHUT YOUR GOBS AND PAY US THE GODDAMN RESPECT WE DESERVE."

The audience reacts as only a Britwres audience can in such circumstances.

Gaz: FINE, THEN. SEE IF YOU GET YOUR PHONES BACK."

After some protestations, the boos slightly plateau.

Gaz: GOOD. NOW, WHEN MY BEST MATE HERE AND MESELF EARD RUMBLINS OF UKWF COMIN BACK, WE SAID TO OURSELVES... FUCK SAKES. SEE HOW WELL THAT WORKED OUT THE FIRST TIME, YEAH? BUT A BOOKIN'S A BOOKIN AND IF THE CHECKS DON'T BOUNCE, NEITHER DO WE.

Nathan: Most honest work we've done in months...

Gaz: BUT I SEES IT AS A CHALLENGE. SEE, LET'S AVE A LIL HISTORY LESSON, YEAH? WHAT WAS THE UKWF TAG TEAM DIVISION DOMINATED BY?"

Nathan: Non-British tag teams

Gaz; FUCKIN RIGHT, NARY A SINGLE FUCKIN BRITISH TEAM TO BE FOUND. NONE OF 'EM AT SPITTIN DISTANCE OF THE TITLES. THAT'S A FUCKIN DISGRACE. YOU KNOW IT, I KNOW IT, MY BOY NATHAN KNOWS IT, AND SO DOES THE REST OF THE LOCKER ROOM. IT'S A GANGA FOREIGNERS AND DREGS FROM WHEREVER THE FUCK, TAKIN OUR SPOTS ON THE CARD, AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY PLEASE. AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN FUCKIN DRAWS! WE ARE HERE TO COURSE CORRECT. WE ARE HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO ANYBODY WHO SO MUCH AS THINKS ABOUT TAKIN A BOOKIN HERE WITHOUT SKIN IN THE GAME. WE ARE HERE TO SAVE UKWF FROM ITSELF, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY...

... AND THAT INCLUDES PURGING THIS SORRY FUCKIN EXCUSE FOR A TAG DIVISION."

Gaz shoots the mic over his shoulder - like a shot, Nathan springs from the turnbuckle and catches it.

Gaz: There will be no more Americans. No more Australians. No more Japanese. No more Mexicans, or Canadians, or wherever else. There will be no quarter. 

There will be NO MERSEY.

The crowd meet these words with another deafening round of boos – one which, however, quickly turns to cheers as a theme song cuts across Gaz's final few words. The ovation only becomes louder when, a moment later, the two women who call themselves The Connection step out and begin to make their way down the ramp, determined looks on their faces. It seems a team of foreigners is seeking to prove the Liverpudlians wrong...

[UKWF]

No Mersey v The Connection

When the match begins, No Mersey deliver on their name. The team’s starting member, Gaz, launches a relentless assault on Evelyn Grenier, who starts for The Connection, hitting her with a series of impactful strikes before effortlessly lifting her up and throwing her into his team’s corner with a big suplex.

What follows is predictable, yet no less harrowing for it. The two members of the Liverpool-based team take turns wearing down the French-Canadian, by way of stomps, chops, and a corner-post foot choke that Gaz makes the most of, breaking it right before the referee’s five-count is up. All this is helped by a succession of quick tags, which allow both halves of the team to inflict damage upon the hapless Evelyn.

The turning point comes when Gaz picks the French Canadian up for a vertical suplex, but Evelyn manages to reverse it, landing on her feet. Before the Liverpudlian knows what him, she has rolled him up from behind into a pin predicament!

ONE!

TWO!

--Gaz kicks out!!

Despite being able to shake off the surprise pin attempt, however, the Liverpool native is unable to scramble to his feet fast enough to prevent Evelyn from darting across the ring looking for a tag. By the time he lunges forward and grabs the French-Canadian's leg, it is too late – Evelyn lunges forward herself and connects with Valerie Holcomb's hand, executing a tag!

Predictably, Valerie comes in like a house afire, wanting to avenge the treatment given to her tag team partner and friend. This is easier said than done, however, as the size difference between her and Gaz force her into a more agility-based style. Even still, she manages to pull her larger opponent into a series of armdrags, then push him into the ropes with a beautiful dropkick! Seeing her chance, she immediately scrambles back to her feet and hits him with a big clothesline, sending him tumbling to the outside. Then, just as quickly, she springboards onto the top rope and hits her Jumping Kangaroo corkscrew elbow to the outside! Both she and Gaz fall to the floor, as the referee starts a count.

ONE!

TWO!

This is when Nathan Wayne decides to take matters into his own hand. Grabbing an empty chair from one of the front rows, he quickly folds it up and makes a beeline for where Valerie and Gaz are just beginning to pull himself up. As another loud round of boos emerges from all sides of the Electric Ballroom, the second member of No Mersey holds the chair up high...

...and finds his hand blocked!!!

The crowd explode as a recovered Evelyn Grenier prevents the attack on her friend, surprising her opponent enough to cause him to drop the chair. Then, without another moment's hesitation, the French Canadian turns the tables on the Liverpudlian, hitting HIM square across the face with the chair and sending him toppling onto his own tag team partner!! 

The crowd reaches boiling point as Nathan Wayne crumples onto the top of McGuinty, only narrowly missing crushing Valerie in the process. Relieved that her own plan did not backfire, Evelyn then helps her groggy friend to her feet, supporting her over her shoulder as the two make their way to the apron. 

Almost incongruously, throughout all this, the referee has steadfastly continued his count, which has reached 'SEVEN' by the time Evelyn helps her partner onto the apron. Valerie stumbles and falls on the first try, but Evelyn encourages her to try again, all while giving her a gentle push upwards.

EIGHT!

Second time's the charm, as Valerie manages to make it onto the apron! A look of relief on her features, Evelyn then firmly but encouragingly urges her friend to roll over so that she can pass underneath the bottom rope.

NINE!

Valerie gingerly rolls over onto her belly...

TEN!

…then onto her back again, finding herself on the other side of the ropes! 

The referee, however, does not immediately signal that she has broken the count, and the crowd inside the Electric Ballroom hold their breath...

...but only for a moment, as the official gestures that the Australian re-entered the ring on time, and attributes the count-out victory to The Connection!

WINNERS by count-out in 06:04: The Connection

The crowd leaps to their feet, applauding the two women's efforts and their triumph against big odds. Valerie and Evelyn, however, only marginally acknowledge this reaction, focused as they are on beckoning the EMTs over to tend to their own injuries. It is with a shot of the two fan-favourites being assisted by the medical team that the scene fades out once again...

[UKWF]

UKWF Broadcast Championship: Ace Watson v Hazel Overton v Marcus LeVine v The Jew Blazer

The match begins with LeVine and Overton staring a hole into the Blazer and Watson, who nonetheless stand their ground, refusing to back down from the challenge. Then, as the bell rings, the two surprise their opponents by working together, lunging forward at the same time and each taking on one of the other two athletes! Caught by surprise, Overton and LeVine are unable to react quickly enough, and find themselves on the back foot in the early goings of the match.

Goldstein and Watson take full advantage of this, backing LeVine and Overton respectively each into a corner and raining down blows on them. Then, after they have made their respective foe suitably groggy, they cast a glance towards one another and share a small nod...before whipping LeVine and Overton out of their corners and sending them careening into one another! The crowd cheer as the two controversial wrestlers crash in the middle of the ring, and the two fan-favourites share a quick high-five.

As swiftly as they took control in the early goings, Blazer and Watson proceed to bring each of their opponents to their feet and dump them out of the ring – on opposite sides, just to be sure. Then, exchanging another glance, they each step forward, shake hands and adopt a fighting stance!

The fans cheer at the prospect of seeing their two favourites square off against each other, and LeVine and Watson do not disappoint, launching into a series of fast-paced sequences which showcase each of their respective talents. Josh Goldstein draws most of the attention with his reckless, human pinball style, but Watson gives good account of himself as well, managing on several occasions to ground the Maccabee Marvel and obtain the upper hand. Highlights from this section of the match include a crossbody attempt blocked by Watson with a big European uppercut, and a reversal of a vertical suplex into a full nelson hold, which Goldstein is just about able to break with his foot on the ropes.

It does not take more than a couple of minutes, however, for this exciting section of the match to come to an end, as a fully recovered Hazel Overton prises Watson off his opponent, while on the outside LeVine tugs on the Blazer's foot as he puts it on the ropes. No longer sustained by his opponent, and brought off-balance by LeVine, the Maccabee Marvel falls flat on his back, becoming easy prey for his opponent, who pulls him out by one leg and goes to work on him on the outside.

This leaves Watson and Overton to duke it out in the ring, and despite the size advantage, the indie favourite does not necessarily have the upper hand in this exchange. Known for his drive, especially when frustrated, Overton proves a handful, and uses the element of surprise, combined with flurries of quick strikes, to keep her larger opponent in check. It is all Watson can do to attempt to fight back, using his own brawling arsenal to at least stay abreast of his quicker opponent; it is, however, very much a losing battle, and it takes the Brit a good minute or so to finally find a way back into the match.

This comes by way of a hip toss, which Watson applies after side-stepping a somewhat more telegraphed punch from Hazel. The female representative in the match goes sprawling onto her back, and the fan-favourite is quick to capitalise with an elbow drop, which succeeds in keeping Hazel down a moment longer while also inflicting some extra damage.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Marcus LeVine is making the most of his opportunistic actions. The controversial Canadian has his far more consensual opponent completely under his control, and makes the most of the opportunities for damage presented by the ringside area. Despite the fans' support, with chants of 'LET'S GO BLAZER' and a rousing rendition of Hava Nagila, Goldstein therefore finds himself thrown against the ring apron several times – a tactic which clearly impacts his ribs – wrapped around the post and even, at one point, flung over the announcers' table. Barry and Kerry take a preventive step back as the Maccabee Marvel doubles over their working surface, but it does not take more than a moment for LeVine to step forward and retrieve the Jewish superstar, only to fling him in the exact opposite direction, towards the furthest barricade! Goldstein crashes against it with a clatter as LeVine, still in total control, steps forward and begins to stalk him. The fans' boos rain down on the Canadian as he bends down and picks the Blazer up, trapping his head before lifting him up onto a powerbomb position...

...then turn to ecstatic cheers as Goldstein reverses the move into a headscissors, sending LeVine sprawling and finding a way out of a very unfavourable situation!!

Having finally escaped his predicament, the Blazer wastes no time giving as good as he got; displaying his trademark speed and agility, he brushes off the effects of LeVine's attack and uses his reserves of adrenaline to hop onto the apron, then the second rope, and deliver a perfectly executed Asai moonsault to his opponent! Still reeling from the headscissors, LeVine catches the full brunt of the move, and both men fall to the ground in a heap!

As all this is going on, inside the ring, the matchup of Watson and Overton is slowly leaning to the fan favourite's side. Despite his opponent's resilience and mean streak, Watson's bigger frame and corresponding strength prove a sticking point for Hazel, who has some difficulty getting back into the match. A dropkick, quickly followed by a sit-out facebuster, provides a glimmer of hope, but her subsequent stomping sequence, wearing down Watson's head area, sees her reprimanded by the referee and unable to capitalise on the momentum she built. By the time she is done giving the referee a mouthful, Ace has partially recovered, and drives his head into Overton's gut as she sees to pick him up! Overton is able to dodge the subsequent clothesline attempt, but sees her own Hazel Painting superkick side-stepped, as Watson quickly moves in behind her and locks in a full nelson! Unlike Goldstein before her, Hazel is too far from the ropes to break free, and Watson is therefore able – much to the fans' delight – to hit his patented full nelson knee smash, The Replay! Hazel crumples to the mat, and Ace slides on top for a cover!

ONE!

TWO!

---The pin is broken up by LeVine!

The fans groan as the Canadian, who was able to slide from underneath Goldstein before the latter could fully recover, re-enters the fray. He tosses Watson out of the ring before the Brit has time to react, then picks up the groggy Overton and sends her overboard as well! The two wrestlers go crashing into one another on the outside as LeVine, alone in the middle of the ring, mugs and taunts the disapproving Ballroom audience.

His smugness is short-lived, however, as a slender and colourful figure slides in on the opposite side of the ring, unnoticed by the Canadian. By the time LeVine realises there is someone behind him, he is joining the other two wrestlers on the outside, courtesy of a shove by the Jew Blazer! Caught by surprise, he goes tumbling to the floor, just missing the halfway-recovered Watson and Overton. These two are, however, not clear of danger either, as Goldstein wastes no time doing what he is known for, and vaults over the ropes with a somersault plancha, crashing onto the two Brits and sending them toppling to the ground once more!

There follow several moments in which none of the four athletes is able to move – Goldstein spent from his big move, the other three still feeling the impact of it. The fans, however, are no less enthusiastic than before, starting a chant of 'THAT WAS AWESOME!' which helps keep the atmosphere buzzing.

Even still, it takes a long moment for anyone at ringside to move. The first to do so, despite the wear and tear he is clearly still feeling, is Goldstein, who drags himself towards the apron, then painstakingly pushes himself to a semi-upright position. A round of applause greets him as he climbs the rest of the way, then lifts himself onto the apron and rolls under the ropes into the ring. The match has clearly had its toll on him, however, and it is all he can do to crawl to the nearest corner and give himself a much needed respite.

Said respite only lasts a few seconds longer, however, as soon one of the Blazer's other opponents makes his way back into the ring – the ever-resilient LeVine, who seems unstoppable in his pursuit of the title that once belonged to him. Seeing the Blazer is still worse for wear, he quickly makes his way over to the corner, lifts his opponent up, and promptly punishes him with his 'Blood Rush' sequence of strikes, seeking to wear down his opponent enough to keep him from applying his high-octane, high-flying style, a

His actions are forcefully interrupted, however, when another one of the contenders manages to disentangle himself from the diminishing pile of bodies outside and re-enter the ring. Unnoticed by LeVine, who is still concentrating on the Blazer, Ace Watson is able to come up from behind and lock in a full nelson hold! Before the former Broadcast Champion even knows what happened, he is being felled by The Replay, as Ace crawls on top for the cover!

ONE!

TWO!

...Broken by Hazel Overton!!

The last remaining contender to not have entered the ring does so in decisive fashion, preventing Ace Watson from securing the Championship and promptly connecting with a kick to his head. The fan-favourite is sent sprawling, as Hazel herself attempts to steal his pin!

ONE!

TWO!

---Ace throws himself onto Hazel, pushing her away!!

Incredulous at how her pin got broken, the outspoken Overton shoots to her feet, promptly leaning in to pick up the weakened Watson and administering punishment for his actions! The next few seconds are spent with Hazel in full control and Ace fighting from underneath, in an exact reversal of the situation from earlier in the match. Hazel manages to get several stiff shots in on Ace, pushing him against the ropes, and tops it all off with a dropkick, which sends the fan favourite spinning into the cables. Not hesitating another second, Hazel steps in with a Hazel Painting superkick, sending her opponent over the ropes and to the outside!

Seeing Ace topple to the outside, Hazel hesitates for a moment about whether to give pursuit or turn her attention to her other two opponents. She eventually decides on the latter, and turns back around towards the centre of the ring...

…only to get blasted with a Red Mask spinning heel kick from Marcus LeVine!!

The crowd boos as one controversial wrestler gets felled by another, and a smirk dawns across LeVine's face as he prepares to dive in for the kill. As he steps forward, however, the boos turn to deafening cheers, leading the Canadian to sense something is amiss. Driven by instinct, he turns around...

...directly into a Chutzpah Boot from the recovered Jew Blazer!

The Electric Ballroom explodes as Goldstein connects with the bicycle kick, sending LeVine sprawling to the mat, then connects with the somersault leg drop he calls the Dreidel Drop! He rolls off the top of LeVine just long enough to position himself for a cover, then hooks the leg as the referee counts!

ONE!

The crowd roars even louder as Ace Watson re-enters the ring!

TWO!

Ace sprints across the mat and dives in, attempting to break the pin...

THREE!!!

...but just a moment too late!! Against all odds, Josh Goldstein becomes the first Broadcast Champion of the new era!!

WINNER in 15:43 and NEW UKWF Broadcast Champion: 'The Jew Blazer' Josh Goldstein

No sooner does the bell ring than Josh Goldstein leaps to his feet, incredulous. When, a moment later, he is handed his new belt, the Semitic Superstar clutches it to his chest, tears flowing freely down his cheek. By his side, Ace Watson gives him a look which is, at first, hard to decipher; a moment later, however, the Brit dispels the crowd's fears by first offering his hand to the Blazer, then lifting Goldstein's own. The crowd gives a cheer as the their two favourites share a feel-good moment in the centre of the ring, while, not too far away, the 'villains' are tended to by EMTs... 

[UKWF]

Goldstein’s joyful celebrations are short-lived, however, as the new Champion has not had more than a few seconds to celebrate before a new presence makes itself known.

The crowd give a decidedly negative reaction as the Blazer’s former tag-team partner and one-time fan-favourite, Hammerstein, hobbles out, supported by a pair of crutches. The injury he is nursing seems to be no obstacle for the journeyman, who requests a microphone from a nearby stage hand before directing a condescending golf-clap towards his former friend. The camera closes in on the Blazer’s angered and hurt expression as Hammerstein addresses him directly:

Hammerstein: Sorry ‘bout crashing your party, bro…sorry I didn’t do it SOONER!

Hammerstein chuckles, but he is the only one, as the reaction from the stands only becomes more negative. The globetrotting wrestler does not let that faze him, however, simply pointing towards his former friend:

Hammerstein: Y’know what, Josh? That should’a been me. That should’a been me a LONG time ago. ‘Cept I couldn’t. Why? ‘Cause I was too busy carrying YOUR behind through tag team matches!

The Blazer looks as shocked as the crowd sounds, in stark contrast to Hammerstein, who looks quite pleased with himself. The Hammer calmly waits for the reaction to die down before continuing:

Hammerstein: But y’know what? My mama always used to say ‘better late than never.’ And my Pop always said there’s no time like the present. And that’s why, I’mma challenge you for THAT thing, right here and now!

Hammerstein points at the belt as the crowd – and Goldstein – once again react with shock. The Hammer seems to know what his partner is thinking, as he quickly adds:

Hammerstein: Oh, not NOW now…you can see I got a little issue to deal with first. But y’know what? Doctors are tellin’ me in a couple of weeks, I’m gonna be cleared to compete. And you know what’s in a couple of weeks?

Hammerstein smirks again.

Hammerstein: …exactly.

Before Goldstein can interject, his former partner continues:

Hammerstein: So here’s what’s gonna happen. Couple weeks from now, we’re gonna get in that ring, and I’mma whup yo’ ass and take that belt. And then, folks are finally gonna see who the REAL talent was in the Jewish Hammers.

More booing greets this statement, but oddly enough, Goldstein seems less taken aback than before – if no less angry. Leaning over the ropes, he, too, requests a microphone from a stage hand. Then, glaring daggers at Hammerstein, he lifts it to his lips and says three simple words:

Josh Goldstein: You’re on…BRO.

The crowd reaction instantly changes from disapproval to excitement, as the former tag team partners engage in a heated showdown. It is on the image of neither competitor giving an inch that the feed cuts to a commercial…

[UKWF]

As the fans await the start of the next match in UKWF's return show, a familiar theme song starts up on the Electric Ballroom's speakers:

Hearing it, the fans immediately default to their negative reaction, instinctively booing UKWF's least fan-friendly athletes. Their stance on the South Londoner somewhat changes, however, when they see Gav is not alone; indeed, holding him tightly by the hand as he tentatively makes his way down the ramp is a small blond boy. As the camera zooms in on him, capturing his nervous expression, the boy sticks his thumb in his mouth, as if to shield himself from his noisy, unfamiliar surroundings. Seeing this, Gav leans in to say a few words, which visibly set the boy at ease. Proof of this is that he removes the finger from his mouth, nodding gravely as he continues to accompany Gav down the ramp. He is still putting on a brave face as the pair reach ringside and the older half requests a microphone. A smattering of jeers starts up again, in anticipation, but Gav's first few words once again catch the crowd totally by surprise:

Gav: This 'ere's Jayden. 'E's just turned three. Say hi, mate.

The booing dies down as the boy once more casts a nervous eye around the arena. Seeing this, Gav kneels beside him, his tone encouraging.

Gav: G'wan, mate. Say hi. Say 'hi', Jayden.

The Londoner holds out the microphone towards his young companion, who – after a moment's nervous appraisal - finally seems to muster up the courage. A moment later, his youthful tones echo across the arena, perhaps louder than would be necessary:

Jayden: HI, JAYDEN!

This raises a giggle from the Electric Ballroom stands – as well as from Gav himself.

Gav: Good 'nough. Well done, mate. High-five.

The 'Chav' once again crouches, holding out his hand for a high-five before scooping the boy up in his arms. It is with Jayden firmly cradled against his chest that he continues his address:

Gav: Now, last Christmas, Jayden went to see Father Christmas at the Christmas market. An' do you know what 'e asked for?

Gav grins as he answers his own question:

Gav: ...a Paw Patrol fire truck an' Spider-Man on Blu-Ray. 

Another giggle ripples through the stands as Gav adds:

Gav: D'yer know what 'e told Father Christmas, though?

This time, the grin on the Londoner's face is more proud than mischievous:

Gav: 'E told Father Christmas 'is favourite thing ter do after playing Nintendo was watching 'is Daddy fightin' other geezers on 'is pad. An' 'e asked Father Christmas if 'e could put Daddy on the pad again. An' yer know wha'? Not even a week later, I 'ears this place is comin' back. It's a bloody Christmas miracle!

The strong language earns Gav a scolding word from Shazza at ringside, perhaps due to the presence of their son. Gav is quick to apologise, but Shazza still takes little Jayden from his arms and onto her own as punishment. Gav takes it fairly well, however, his mind clearly occupied with more pressing issues:

Gav: An' y'know what else? This time, things ain't gunna be the same as before. Y'know why?

The 'Chav' points at his son in his girlfriend's arms:

Gav: 'Cos I don't want that little man right there ter 'ave a loser for a father. I don't want 'im to get on 'is pad every other week an' see 'is Dad getting beat by every Tom, Dick an' 'Arry from 'ere to Dartford. Nah, fam. That little man deserves better. That little man deserves ter be proud of 'is dad. So 'is dad is gunna make 'im proud.

This latest tirade brings about something the 'Chav' is less than used to from the UKWF crowd: a round of applause, with a few cheers thrown in for good measure. Gav looks somewhere between bewildered and proud of himself as he hears this, and it takes him a moment to be able to continue:

Gav: Now, tha' battle royal earlier could 'of' gone better...bu' that was it. Tha' was th' last time this little feller saw 'is Dad be 'opeless in the ring. From now on, I'm gunna make bloody well sure things are different. An' I'm startin' right 'ere ternight!

Another bout of cheering meets the 'Chav's' proclamation. This time, however, Gav is able to keep it together, simply turning to the ramp and talking over the ovation:

Gav: Tha's righ'. I'm startin' right 'ere ternigh' – an' I'm startin' at th' beginnin'. I'm startin' with the feller I been trainin' with all these months. 'E knows who 'e is. I wanner meet 'im right 'ere in this ring, an' I wanner 'ave a match with 'im. Right now. So mate, if yer listenin', get yer arse out 'ere an' let's do this!

The crowd cheers again, briefly, before settling into a tense silence as they wait to see who Gav's opponent might be. They don't have to wait long, however, before a very familiar saxophone solo brings the Electric Ballroom to its feet. Within seconds, what used to be moderate cheers for Gav was now a crowd chanting along with the saxophone.

When Davey-Boy O’Brien emerges from behind the curtains, the mustached young man waves to the crowd with a strapping smile. Still clad in his wrestling gear from earlier, the prodigal ring technician tugs his towel around his strong upper-traps. Davey tags a few hands while he makes his way to the ring. Meanwhile, back in the ring, Gav has a deadly serious expression on his face. O’Brien jogs up the stairs, wipes his boots off, then enters the ring. He says something inaudible to Gav with his hand outstretched, we can only be left to assume he’s asking for the microphone. In the meantime, the crowd continues to serenade the audience at home to O’Brien’s entrance song “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty. Gav hands over the microphone. A calm smirk settles across Davey-Boy’s face. He waves at Jayden who spies Davey from Shazza’s arms. The Scottish Terrier brings his attention back to Gav, a man he was no stranger with inside the ring.

Baz: Ya know, Kerr, these two lads trained together. They know each other real well. An’ I can tell yez, there’s a bit o’ competition goin’ on between ‘em...they’re young lads, they got fire in their bellies...y’know? 

Kerry: In their bellies? Don’t you mean a little further down, maybe, dear?

Baz: Oi! Cheeky!

Davey-Boy O’Brien: Ye know me, mate. Ever wanna ‘ave a square go? All ye gotta do is ask, but I ain’t goin’ easy. So ye might hafta’ tell the li’l mannie why yer lyin’ on the canvas, starin’ up.

Gav shrugs.

Gav: Mate...as long as it ent ten seconds bell to bell, I don’t give a sh--

This time, the ‘Chav’ does catch himself without the need for his fiance to intervene.

Gav: --a shoestring. You feel me?

Davey-Boy nods thoughtfully. He looks out toward the fans before turning his attention toward Gav once more.

Davey-Boy O’Brien: I can respect that.

At this point, a referee is already headed down toward the ring. Clearly management knew Davey-Boy O’Brien quite well.

Davey-Boy O’Brien: Let’s rumble, min.

Gav nods.

Gav: Yeh. 

He pulls his football shirt off and drops into a fighting stance as he taunts:

Gav: Com’on then!

Davey-Boy just stands there with a smile on his face. He turns to the hand the microphone off to the outside before raising a halting hand toward Gav. Davey struts off to the far turnbuckle, mounts it, and panders to the crowd with a statue-esque twirl of his moustache which results with his hands spread out. Gav watches on, his hands on his hips and a look of impatience in his face. He is seen yelling out a few words to Davey Boy off the mic, seeming to ask him if they are having the match or if he is just going to continue wasting time. Needless to say, Davey didn’t even bother with the inquiry. For a long moment, he reveled in the cheers of his adoring fans before dropping from the turnbuckle.



Having already gotten into the ring, the referee takes his position between both men before calling for the starting bell.

DING! DING! 

[UKWF]

Gav Tompkins v Davey-Boy O'Brien

The early stages of the match belong, surprisingly enough, to Gav. The South Londoner surprises Davey Boy by immediately going on the offence, applying his street-fighting style to good effect by landing a series of quick punches. A headbutt sends Davey Boy reeling, and Gav follows this up with a running punt to the gut, which sends his opponent into the corner and knocks the wind out of Davey’s sails.

With his opponent trapped, Gav continues to deliver punches, knee strikes and the occasional headbutt, making it increasingly difficult for Davey to find a way into the match. Gav is so fired up that he shouts a few choice words in Davey’s face before turning and walking toward the far turnbuckle. Gav shouts a few things at the crowd before sprinting back toward his seated opponent! Davey doesn’t play to stick around for whatever Gav has planned as he pushes himself away from the turnbuckle and slides underneath Gav as he runs past! Gav narrowly stops himself before he runs into the turnbuckle only to turn around in confusion and get trapped in a head scissors as Davey-Boy performs a handstand!

With surprising force, The Scottish Terrier drags Gav to the ground in a headscissors lock between his calves. Davey-Boy smirks and twirls his mustache as the crowd begins chanting: 

“MA-GIC MOU-STACHE!”

Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!

Throughout all this, Gav is thrashing and writhing like mad, trying to find a way to get out of the submission hold. In typical fashion, rather than try anything fancy, he goes for the direct approach, and simply punches Davey-Boy in the back of the knee. This has the desired effect of making the Scottish Terrier let go of his prey, and Gav finally has a moment to breathe. He takes this, but does not overdo it, knowing he will not have much time; instead, he focuses on applying some of his own MMA skills, and exploits Davey-Boy’s damaged knee with a surprisingly competent kneebar.

Unfortunately for Gav, he’s right near the ropes. Davey-Boy simply reaches out and clutches the bottom rope, sending the referee to call for the break. Gav continues to apply the hold; however, forcing the referee to begin his count. He reaches 4 before Gav releases the hold.

The Londoner does not let up, however, and promptly delivers a stomp to the back of his opponent’s knee as he stands up. Davey-Boy’s audible cry of pain echoes across the Ballroom, bringing boos from the stands, but Gav is surprisingly able to shake them off, as he pulls Davey further away from the ropes and drops down to attempt another kneebar. Before Gav can pull back though, Davey just swings his leg like a pendulum into Gav’s sternum, catching him hard with Davey-Boy’s heel! Having the wind knocked out of him, Gav releases the hold quickly, allowing Davey-Boy to crawl away and find some space to pick himself up.

Davey-Boy uses the turnbuckle to push himself into a back arch then to his feet, gingerly stepping down onto his hurt leg. Having recovered at about the same time, Gav sees this from across the ring and immediately runs toward his wounded opponent. Unfortunately, Davey-Boy has this move well-scouted as he makes his stand with a thunderous headbutt which sends Gav reeling to the canvas with a dazed Scottish Terrier trying to keep his footing. It takes a moment, but once the cobwebs clear, Davey dives right into the pinfall attempt with as well a leg hook as he can muster.

ONE!

TWO!

---and a kickout from Gav!!

The crowd gasps - and so does Davey-Boy - as the Londoner survives the pinfall and forces the Terrier to start over. Davey looks over at the referee and verifies that it was, in fact, a two-count and not a three. Upon the referee’s confirmation, Davey pushes himself back to his feet. He helps Gav to his own, but Gav surprises O’Brien with a leg kick to his ailing leg. This is enough to stagger the prodigy grappler, giving Gav the opening to sprint past Davey-Boy O’Brien and catch him on the rebound with an amazing sliding forearm strike to the back of the leg, effectively chop-blocking Davey-Boy to the canvas writhing in agony!

Gav sees his opportunity to do more damage to the leg so he locks in that basic but effective kneebar again! Davey-Boy, despite the pain, is able to flip the hold then clutch the ropes as Gav attempts to transition into a single-leg crab. As the referee is making the rope break count, Davey climbs up the ropes, lightening the damage load on his back. Gav, having taken note of this, grabs both legs and turns toward his opponent. He throws Davey-Boy’s legs over the ropes with the intent of having him crash to the outside.

Unfortunately for Gav, Davey-Boy is able to hold on then skin the cat. At this point, Gav is trying to recover for just a moment until he turns to find Davey skinning the cat. He immediately tries to bounce, but finds himself in a headscissors again! Gav does the first thing he can think of by tossing Davey’s feet away, but Davey lands safely on the ring apron. Despite a proactive attempt at attacking Davey, Gav eats a hard forearm shot, staggering him. He tries to attack again, but this time eats a boot coming through the ropes. This gives Davey enough room to enter the ring once more.

Thanks to the damage from the heavy strikes Davey-Boy has lain on him, Gav walks right into a fireman’s carry! The crowd pops loudly as Davey-Boy begins the Airplane Spin! As he reaches a certain point in the spin, the crowd begins counting:

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

FOUR!

FIVE! 

SIX! 

SEVEN! 

EIGHT! 

NINE! 

TEN!

On “TEN!”, Davey tosses Gav into the air, allowing him to easily land on his feet. Unfortunately for Gav, he’s far too dizzy to attempt anything, but trying to keep vertical. Meanwhile, Davey-Boy just let’s his dizziness hit him. He bounces off the ropes and rebounds into a sickening headbutt on Gav! For a second O’Brien stands there trying to shake off the cobwebs. It seems he doesn’t even know where he is for that time until he looks down at Gav and realizes what he needs to do. The Scottish grappler drops on top of Gav before the referee administers the pinfall count:

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

DING! DING! DING!

WINNER in 6:45: Davey-Boy O’Brien

It takes a little bit, but as Davey-Boy’s music plays and the crowd chants/sings along with it, the medical trainers help both men to their feet. The referee raises Davey’s hand as Gav pushes away from the medical staff member attending to him. The group of medical personnel give the two men some space as Davey-Boy reaches out his hand to shake with Gav, a clear display of respect for the preceding battle.

Gav, however, seems a little disgruntled by the result of the match, and irritably brushes away Davey-Boy’s hand. The fans’ reaction - mixed until a moment ago - once more becomes distinctly negative as the Londoner stomps up the ramp, his family in tow, leaving Davey-Boy to look on in disappointment.

Baz: Not the best way to go about that...but that lad’s a bit ‘ot-’eaded..ya know? ‘E’ll come round eventually...

Like Baz, Davey-Boy looks a bit disappointed, but otherwise goes to celebrating his victory with the crowd. 

[UKWF]

UKWF North Sea Championship: James Edwards v Cross Recoba

Edwards and Cross don't even look at the championship belt as the referee holds it up to the fans, applause ringing through the arena as he goes from one side to the other before passing it to the ring announcer who exits the ring. Edwards and Cross are too concentrated on one another, their eyes never leaving each other as the referee quickly reminds them of the rules of the match. Once it's all said and done, the bell rings but the two competitors remain glued to their positions. They look around the arena, both men soaking in the energy of the crowd who are still restless from what they've already seen.

They begin to circle the ring before gradually getting closer to one another. It's Edwards who lifts his hand into the air and proposes a knuckle lock and Cross accepts, their hands connecting before they both lift their opposite hands and connect those. They jockey in position, pushing each other backwards and trying to lower each other but it's Cross who's able to out muscle Edwards, pushing him back into the ropes. The referee asks for a clean break and Cross lifts his hands up before looking like he's going to strike but only to gently pat his opponent on the chest.

Lunging forward, he manages to get Edwards in a side headlock and tightens the grip, falling to a knee as he tries to squeeze the head of Edwards as tightly as he can. Edwards manages to fight his way up and brings Cross to the ropes but his attempt backfires with Cross bringing him back to the center of the ring, with the hold still intact. Edwards manages to deadlift Cross, to the surprise of the fans who applaud him as he keeps him in a position lifted, and drops him down to the canvas to break the hold. Both men race to their feet with Edwards managing to deliver an armdrag to Cross.

Once again they're up and another arm drag but Edwards. For a third time they're racing back up onto their feet but this time Cross goes for a strike but Edwards ducks underneath his arm, rear waist lock, lifting him up and slamming him face first onto the canvas. He keeps him on the ground with knee's to the side of the body but Cross manages to roll his way to the ropes and force the ropebreak. Edwards gets to his feet and brings Cross up with him, leaning him against the ropes before Irish whip to the opposite set, Cross fakes the comeback and Edwards hangs in the air, expecting him to come back. He plants both feet down on the canvas and that's when Cross runs at him, striking him across the chest with a knife edge chop.

The sound of the chop echoes through the arena and you can see the pain behind the eyes of Edwards, who clutches at his chest. Cross then connects with en elbow smash and then another knife edge chop that is harder than the last. Edwards uses this pain to somehow fuel some more energy back into him. He pushes Cross backwards and asks whether that's "all he's got", Cross smirks and delivers several more knife edge chops that are painful to hear and watch. Edwards grits his teeth through the pain, his chest turning even more red after every chop. He then pushes Cross backwards and comes back with a flurry of strikes; open palms to the chest followed by a spinning back kick that doubles Cross over. Edwards takes off the ropes and bounces off of them, only to find that Cross is running past him, he turns around with Cross bouncing off of the ropes, lariat attempt but Edwards ducks under - rear waist lock, but Cross elbows his way out of it. Edwards spins and Cross then locks him in a rear waist lock of his own, performing a German suplex that bridges into a pin!

ONE!

TWO!

Its not enough to keep Edwards down, who kicks out.

Cross brings Edwards back up to his feet and leans him against the corner, connecting with several crisp strikes before running toward the opposite corner. He comes back and connects with a running knee lift that see's Edwards fall into a seated position. Cross then picks him up and snapmares him into a seated position in the middle of the ring. He takes off to the ropes and delivers a basement dropkick that see's Edwards rolling to the outside. Cross then baseball slides underneath the bottom rope and picks Edwards up, throwing him into the guard railing. He then runs at him but Edwards comes off of the railing and hooks his arms around his body, a belly to belly suplex see's Cross crashing into the railing! The fans explode into a frenzy of cheers as Edwards uses the railing near him to fight his way back up to his feet.

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

FOUR!

Rolling back into the ring to break the count, Edwards then rolls himself back to the outside and picks Cross up by his hair, rolling him back into the ring before stepping up onto the apron. Miraculously, Cross recovers and runs over to Edwards, jabbing him continuously in the side of his body before positioning him for a suplex. He lifts but Edwards uses his weight to bring himself back down. He lifts and once again, Edwards is using his weight. But third time's the charm and Cross manages to lift Edwards off of the apron and back into the ring! But he keeps him in this vertical suplex position. He rally's up the fans who applaud him for his athletic ability before driving Edwards back down to the canvas, and covering him.

ONE!

TWO!

The arm of Edwards shoots up!

The Man Worth a Thousand Bullets then gets to his feet and begins his climb to the top rope. He positions himself and looks down at Edwards. He jumps off with Edwards rolling out of the way but luckily for Cross he see's it coming and lands on his feet before rolling forward. He gets back up and Edwards is on him like a rash, strike after strike connecting like a bullet to the chest. Cross has no reply for the strikes being delivered and simply just has to take them! Edwards runs to the ropes, bouncing off of them and goes for hurricanrana, which connects! But Cross is back up on his feet by the corner, latching onto the ropes and stunned by this second wind. Edwards then runs at him, yakuza kick to the corner and as Cross stumbles out, Edwards connects with two consecutive backfists that see's Cross staggering to a knee. Edwards then takes off to the ropes and bounces off of them, connecting with a bicycle knee that sends the fans into a frenzy of cheers! He covers!

ONE!

TWO!

Cross rolls onto the apron and lays there's for a few seconds with Edwards making his way out to him. He grabs him by his head and straightens him up, connecting with several blows before turning him around and looking to deliver a snap dragon onto the apron. Cross doesn't allow it, stomping on the foot of Edwards who releases the hold - Cross then runs at him, and connects with a dropkick that sends Edwards flying backwards into the ring post, his head hitting the post hard and recoiling. But he remains on the apron, sitting and leaning against the post. Cross has a smile on his face and he takes a few steps backwards before sprinting toward Edwards and a double knee to the head connects.

The fans cringe at the sight of the head of Edwards hitting the post before he rolls to the outside, holding onto the back of his head. Cross stands on the apron and taunts the fans, a maniacal laugh causes the fans to boo him harder. He then waits for Edwards to get to his feet. Once he does, Cross runs from one side of the apron to the other, looking for a senton on the outside but he connects, landing on Edwards who has no reply for the quick attack! Cross rises to his feet and grabs Edwards, rolling him back into the ring. 

He has a smile on his face as he rolls himself in and see's that Edwards is crawling his way to the corner of the ring. He follows him, stomping on his back repeatedly before bringing him up and leaning him against the turnbuckle. Several elbows to the side of the head before he brings him over to the ropes, Irish whip - Edwards reverses, Cross heads to the ropes and bounces off of them, Edwards lifts him up with a flapjack - plants him down on the canvas, before quickly managing to transition into an ankle lock! Cross gasps in disbelief whilst the fans get behind Edwards after that impressive transition! Cross reaches for the ropes but Edwards keeps him in the middle of the ring, dropping to one knee.

The referee asks whether Cross wants to quit but he refuses, shaking his head sideways and pushing the ref away. Cross then uses everything he has in him to crawl his way toward the ropes and despite Edwards best efforts to keep him in the middle of the ring, Cross makes it with his arm slinging over the bottom rope! Applause of appreciation then echo through the arena and Edwards drops to a seated position, looking at Cross who scoots his body over to face him. Cross then sits too and the two men exchange words to one another. Cross then hits Edwards in the face. Edwards returns a strike. Cross replies. Edwards replies. Both men are going at each other now and go from a seated position to a kneeling position. They then transition to a standing position with the strikes coming harder and faster. The Hardest Hitter in the Game get's the best of Cross with a forearm that sends Cross back into the ropes. 

Coming back, SPINNING BACK KICK TO EDWARDS! He staggers in position with Cross then approaching him... 

SUPERKICK TO CROSS!

Both men lean into each other to keep themselves up, the fans applauding them for their efforts. Edwards then springs back to lift, turning Cross around and going for the backslide pin!

ONE!

TWO!

NO!

They both get to their feet, Cross swings his arm toward Edwards but he ducks, roll up from behind!

ONE!

TWO!

NO!

Cross kicks out and is in a seated position. Edwards gets to his feet and looks for the Violent Gospel! Cross slams his back against the canvas to evade the move and rolls Edwards up from behind!

ONE!

TWO!

--NO! EDWARDS REVERSES THE ROLLUP! Cross is now the one with his shoulders down, as the referee re-starts his count...

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

...and Edwards achieves a milestone feat in UKWF!

WINNER in 18:45 and FIRST-EVER 2x UKWF North Sea Champion: James Edwards

The crowd erupts as their favourite adds another notch to his belt, but his opponent is – understandably – not quite as impressed. Much to the contrary, actually – no sooner has the referee finished counting than Recoba rolls through to his feet and locks his unwitting opponent in Garibaldi's Guillotine! Caught completely by surprise, the still-celebraring Edwards is too slow to put up a reaction, and the former Enforcer is able to lock in the move with no resistance. The referee seeks to prevent the jilted challenger from going through with it, but Cross royally ignores him, as he continues to work towards making James Edwards pass out.

Just as it seems as though the Burning Heart may come off the worse from this confrontation, salvation comes, in the unlikeliest of forms: that of Ace Watson, who barrels down the ramp and into the ring. Recoba, who has his back turned to the entrance ramp, does not see his former associate enter, and by the time the crowd's cheers alert him to the fact that something is going on, it is too late – Ace has locked in a full nelson hold of his own, and connected with The Replay! As Recoba goes crashing into the mat, Ace takes a few steps back, as if to measure his opponent; then, as Cross begins to pull himself to one knee, he darts forward, connecting with the ZG Kick and putting his former partner down for good! The crowd roar as Recoba topples to the mat, clearly unconscious, then give Watson a heartfelt chant as he helps the referee check on the equally out-cold Edwards. It is with EMTs entering the ringside area to assist both men that the feed cuts to commercial...

[UKWF]

As the fans wait for yet another match to begin, an unfamiliar theme tune starts up across the Electric Ballroom speakers. This heralds the arrival of a tiny woman with a pixie haircut, dressed in a sparkly pantsuit, her painted lips stretched in a wide grin. Microphone already in hand, she takes a moment to look around at the expectant Electric Ballroom crowd – some of which appear to have recognised her, judging by their hopeful cheers. The woman acknowledges these too, before finally bringing the microphone to her lips and addressing the crowd:

Woman: Allow me to introduce myself.

A pause for effect is met with another small, hopeful cheer, before the speaker continues:

Woman: My name is Emily Jane Chapin, and I represent one of the best and most respected professional wrestlers in the independent circuit today. A woman who has travelled all over the world, and been successful wherever she went. A woman who is synonymous with five star matches and highly technical professional wrestling. A woman sought after by more companies than she could roll her eyes at. A woman who chose this, THIS COMPANY RIGHT HERE, as the setting for her hugely anticipated comeback. So ladies and gentlemen...it is my pleasure to introduce here tonight...the former GPW World Champion...the former VoW Xcel Champion...the former Under-16 rugby sensation...and MY WIFE...the Manchester Marvel...CONSTAAAAAAANCE CHAPIIIIINNNN!!

The Electric Ballroom nearly comes unglued as their wildest expectations are met, and Constance Chapin in the flesh comes scowling out of the entrance curtain. The highly-rated Mancunian directs a few cross words at her wife as she joins her on the ramp, but Emily's frown does not even last as far as ringside; by the time the two women make their way into the squared circle, Chapin's self-appointed manager is once again beaming with pride.

Baz: Cor blimey! It's Constance Chapin! Wo' a catch f'r Miz K!

Kerry: Hmph...I don't care much for her myself...

As the two announcers each give their opinion on the new signing, in the ring, Emily turns to her life partner:

Emily Chapin: Do you want to say a few words, honey?

Constance, however, simply glowers again, shaking her head irritably. Emily is therefore left to continue doing the talking herself – something she does not seem to mind too much.

Emily: That's my wife for you – a woman of action, not words. Which is why we will be signalling her arrival to UKWF, NOT with words, but with action. Specifically, MATCH action. We are issuing a challenge to anyone back there in the locker room who feels like a fight, to come out here and face my wife. Anyone at all. We'll be waiting.

And wait they do, Emily with her arms defiantly folded and Constance in a more laid-back fashion. Neither woman, however, has to wait very long for their challenge to be answered, as soon yet another familiar theme song brings the crowd to boiling point once again!

The crowd erupts as none other than the Valkyrie makes her entrance, looking primed and ready to fight! Both Emily and Constance look on approvingly as the Great Dane Bitch requests a mic from ringside and promptly brings it to her lips:

Valkyrie: You know, Constance...I have some things to take care of around here...but when I hear a challenge like that from a fellow Shield Sister, I cannot and will not turn it down. We have a lot of history together, both on the same sides and as respectful opponents...now, I say we add another chapter to our tale. What say you?

With that, the brawny blonde steps into the ring and heads towards Constance, hand outstretched. The Mancunian initially simply studies the proffered hand, but it does not take her more than a moment to take it and shake it, once again whipping the Electric Ballroom into a frenzy. A moment later, the two women adopt battle stances, readying for what promises to be an exciting confrontation!

[UKWF]

Valkyrie v Constance Chapin

With no need for a feeling-out period between two seasoned opponents, the impromptu match starts – perhaps unsurprisingly – with Valkyrie on the offence. Having the clear size and build advantage, if not the technical edge, the Great Dane makes use of her brute strength and high-impact style to put Constance on the back foot and create an advantage for herself in the early goings. Constance therefore has difficulty applying her technical expertise to attempt to catch Valkyrie on the back foot, focused as she is at surviving the barrage of strikes her opponent is subjecting her to. 

Of particular notice among this barrage of strikes is Valkyrie's Stormforce sequence of elbows, which sends Constance spinning across the mat before the concluding knife-edge chop drives her into the corner. Not wasting a single movement, Valkyrie then promptly steps in, connecting with the Roskilde's Kiss headbutt before connecting with an Allfather Drop, for a cover!

ONE!

TWO!

...but Constance puts her foot on the ropes, breaking the pin!

Despite her narrow escape, however, it takes the Mancunian another long while to come anywhere near taking control of the match. Despite Emily Darcy whipping the crowd into a frenzy – and the crowd's eager response – the Great Dane remains firmly in control for another few minutes, clotheslining and suplexing her opponent from pillar to post.

The eventual turning point comes when the Great Dane tosses her opponent towards the ropes, looking to hit her with a dropkick on the rebound. Finally seeing an opening, however, Constance is quick to exploit it, ducking under the blonde's boot and bouncing off the ropes on the other side. Valkyrie takes just a moment too long to halt her own momentum, and therefore finds herself at the receiving end of one of Constance's patented suplexes!

The Mancunian's attempt to travel to Suplex City is, however, somewhat thwarted by her size and weight difference from her opponent. The former VoW and GPW Champion is therefore forced to adopt another strategy in her bid to slow down the Valkyrie, and opts for a more evasive style, stepping forth only when she sees an opening to deliver a strike or throw.

Though slower than she might have hoped for, this tactic does prove effective. Constance is able to catch Valkyrie with a series of arm drags, as well as land a few clotheslines, at the very least rocking the bigger woman, and even manages to slip behind Valkyrie and administer an atomic drop, quickly followed by her patented cobra clutch leg sweep, the Constance Clutch. She drops down to cover as the referee counts...

ONE!

TWO!

---Valkyrie kicks out!

Despite Emily's thunderous reaction to this particular bit of cunning, however, Constance does not seem entirely pleased with herself just yet. Perhaps seeing the moment for what it is in the grand scheme of things, she promptly seeks to build upon the smidgen of momentum she acquired, the best way she knows how. Before the stunned Valkyrie can get up, Constance crawls across and begins trying to set up her match-ending inverted figure-four leg lock.

Valkyrie saves herself from Constance Sorrow, however, when she once again uses her strength to push Constance off and put some distance between herself and her opponent. She immediately crawls to the ropes opposite and pulls herself up, so as to be at the ready when Constance gives chase. In this, she is successful, and just quick enough to make Constance have second thoughts about sprinting across the ring.

Valkyrie, however, has no such misgivings, and promptly runs over her opponent with a huge lariat. Constance goes down, and Valkyrie holds onto the ropes across the ring, the better to turn herself around and measure up her opponent. As Emily looks on in horror, she rushes forward, looking for the Freyja's Pnnishment punt! 

A cry from Emily, however, alerts Constance, who is just about able to dive out of the way. Valkyrie, however, is undaunted, simply turning around to face her opponent and once again rushing in to look for the punt.

This time, however, Constance sees it coming, and is able to use her superior speed and agility to her advantage. As the Great Dane rushes towards her, the Mancunian slides between her opponent's legs, flipping over onto her back and reaching in to roll up the bigger woman! The crowd comes alive once again as the referee slides in...

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

And Constance pulls off a victory against all odds!

WINNER in 8:37: Constance Chapin

After the match, it is clear respect between the two women remains high, as they share a handshake and a few complimentary words, before making their way to the back together, under an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the fans.

[UKWF]

Adam Stryker v Night Train Ayano

Two fan favorites collide! There's an applause that seems to last forever right at the beginning of the contest. Stryker and Ayano nod their heads in appreciation, soaking up this electric atmosphere in the arena. They then approach one another and shake hands before the referee signals for the bell to be rung. 

The bell sounds and they both circle the ring before lunging forward and engaging in a collar to elbow tie up. It's Stryker who gets the best of Ayano, a wrist lock arm wrench and pulling down on the arm of Ayano. Ayano then rolls forwards, back - kip up, before reversing the hold. She transitions to a side headlock afterward but Stryker is quick to react, using his strength to force the hold to break, grabbing her arm and locking her in a hammerlock. Ayano pushes him back into the ropes and that forces the rope break. She turns around, grabbing his arm for an Irish whip but he reverses. Ayano comes back and is barged down to the canvas by Stryker. 

Stryker then waits. 

He suddenly takes off to the ropes whilst Ayano moves across the canvas and attempts to trip him up but Stryker leaps over. Stryker comes off of the opposite ropes and Ayano leapfrogs over him. Once again he comes off of the ropes and this time Ayano connects with a sweet dropkick to the face. 

Applause rings through the arena as Ayano gets to her feet and poses to the crowd, nodding her head in appreciation once again. She turns to face Stryker who's by the corner and recovering. Making her way over, she gets there and starts laying the boots on Stryker until he falls to a seated position. She then runs to the opposite corner and composes herself before running back to a seated Stryker, leaping up in the air and performing a hesitation dropkick! She covers him!

ONE!

TWO!

The shoulder of Stryker pops up!

He rolls to the outside of the ring to recuperate, grabbing onto the guard railing and holding onto his head. Ayano rises to her feet and looks at the crowd, asking them with her eyes whether she should make the dive to the outside. And by the reaction she gets, she knows the answer. She takes off to the ropes, bouncing off of them and runs toward Stryker, leaping over the top rope and somersaulting onto him! The two go crashing down and there's another applause of appreciation for Ayano who rises to her feet and high fives a few of the fans in the front. She's on her A game tonight and the fans are showing their love for that fact. 

Stryker grabs onto the apron, pulling himself up and rolling himself back into the ring. Ayano rolls back in too and gets back to work on Stryker. She lifts him up by the corner and looks to connect with a combination of strikes but Stryker counters with knife edge chop. A jab to the jaw, a spinning backfist sends Ayano spiraling back to the center of the ring. Stryker then greets her with an enormous big boot that sends her down to the canvas. He drops down to his knee and hooks the legs. 

ONE!

TWO!

Ayano manages to kick out!

The Ringmaster keeps her on the canvas with a crossface submission, locking it in tightly and Ayano struggles to reach the ropes. The referee asks her whether she wants to quit but she declines his offer, adamant that she can make it to them. She stretches. And stretches, and eventually she manages to hook her legs around the bottom rope. Applause ring through the arena and Stryker looks impressed as he gets to his feet. He picks Ayano up and leans her against the ropes, Irish whip attempt - she reverses, Stryker bounces off of the opposite ropes, Ayano goes for the hurricanrana but it doesn't come off. Stryker has her where he wants her, her legs wrapped around his neck (phrasing, boom!) and despite her best efforts to kick her way out of this difficult predicament, it doesn't work! He manages to lift her up and then powerbomb her down to the canvas, a wicked thud echoing through the arena. He goes for the pin!

ONE!

TWO!

NO!

Night Train Ayano is still in this one, despite that disgusting bump!

The fans applaud and Stryker is growing frustrated. 

Despite his frustration, he manages to recompose himself and gets to his feet. He picks Ayano up, who's delivering strikes to his abdomen. He then thrusts his knee into her midsection and she doubles over. Boo's ring through the arena, despite Stryker being a face, it's clear that the fans have decided who they want to emerge the victor. He shrugs his shoulder, shaking his head before throwing her into the ropes. He pops her up but Ayano wraps her legs around his neck - and hurricanrana into the pin!

ONE!

TWO!

TH - NO!

She almost steals it and there's a gasp as Stryker manages to kick out. 

Stryker gets up and gives Ayano a look, as if to say 'you almost got me!', he points at her and the two smile briefly before returning to circle the ring. Collar to elbow, Stryker slaps her into a side headlock, slams her down to the canvas with a slam but she wraps her legs round him with a leg scissors and he kips up. They race to their feet, Ayano takes him down with an armdrag. They're back up and this time it's Stryker with an armdrag. Back up, and Ayano chops him. Stryker chops her. They begin a series of chops that see's Stryker prevails and looks to get her in a position for his signature 'Morituri Te Salutant' but she manages to slip out. He turns around and she delivers a low dropkick to the knee. He falls to a knee and whilst doing so she takes off to the ropes, coming back off of them and a leapfrog over but whilst doing so, grabbing his head and driving it down to the canvas for the 'Running Train'! 

The fans cheer as Stryker's head slams against the canvas and Ayano covers!

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

And Night Train picks up the win, to the delight of the crowd in attendance!

WINNER in 11:53: Night Train Ayano

[UKWF]

A song starts playing that the fans don’t recognize, which silences them. The song is “I’ve Seen Footage” by Death Grips and it’s heard perfectly as everyone looks at the ramp, expecting a brand new star to appear. Maybe someone famous somewhere else? Maybe a completely new stranger?

But no, instead, after almost two minutes of nothing, a pink haired girl runs down the ramp while the music is covered by audible boos. 

Carnival: WE CHANGED THEME SONGS AGAIN MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

Aurora comes right behind her, walking, followed by a unknown curly haired girl, both dressed with blue business suits, they also both have microphones in hand and are audibly laughing. 

Aurora: Seriously, it’s the second time we do this, you guys are really stupid. 

Yup, more boos. Aurora stops, looking at her pulse, as if there was a watch there, until the audience gets tired of screaming. 

Aurora: You all are the reason we take so much screen time, we need five minutes just to start talking… EITHER way, we’re here before our match for a reason, you may have seen that there’s a small note in the card. Right where it says “with The Master Family”. Some of you may want to know what’s that all about and since we’re cool and nice we’re going to tell you. But first I want to introduce this lovely girl, she’s Katherine Machina and she’ll be OUR personal announcer, which means the other lousy, inferior Katherine who announces all the other lousy, inferior talent gets to shut the fuck up when we come in, because we have a professional here. 

Katherine: Oh, the announcer being announced, I’m going to blush here… But I guess that means I should do my job?

Aurora waves her hand at the new announcer.

Aurora: Please do. 

Katherine: So, without further ado, welcome the greatest agglomeration of atoms in the entire universe, the great and amazing, the one and only, The Superior One, AURORA… MASTER! 

The boos restart, but Aurora doesn’t seem to mind and raises her arms anyways. 

Katherine: Already in the ring we have a crazy, crazy girl, the psychotic, The Little Pink Ball of Insanity, Doctor! Carnival! Dawn! Master!

Carnival does a spinarony in the ring, which actually gets some cheers from the audience. 

Carnival: AH! You assholes like me after all! 

The people who cheered for her stop immediately and boo louder than anyone else in the audience… to compensate. At this point the two girls had climbed to the ring and joined Carnival.

Katherine: And coming down to the ring, the muscle of the team, the big bad little sis’, The Big Green Ball of Murder, Moonlight MUDERBOOOOOOOOOOOOSS! Master! 

Katherine points to the entrance where the youngest, and tallest, of the sisters could be seen slowly walking towards them. When, finally, all the sisters and their brand new announcer are inside the ring they all visibly smile, with the exception of Moonlight who simply looks bored at the camera. 

Aurora: So, this is who you know, The Master Sisters. Which means that we now get to the good part, throw it, Kath! 

Katherine: AND! Waiting patiently to enter, she is the master of kicking, the hard hitting, fast paced bullet, The Pale Killer, Eloria… MASTER! 

Everyone in the ring point at the entrance where an albino girl appears, she simply stays there, looking at the audience as the audience looks at her. Silence as opposed to boos is what reings for the first time since Carnival appeared in the arena. The silence is broken with a loud, and surprising “AND”. 

Katherine: AND! Carnival’s coolest palette swap, the jumpy, the masked, The Little Rainbow Ball of Happiness and Pain, STARGAZER! 

A short, masked girl appears jumping and hugs Eloria, who pets her head. They both walk towards the ring and join the sisters. The five of them stand around the ring and take a moment for the audience to take this in.

Katherine: AND! 

This time they all smile, even Moonlight. 

Katherine: And… the original Master, the oldie, but goldie, the drunk ass, punk ass, bad ass, The Hardcore Queen, Aunt GREEN MASTER! 

Green: ‘Sup?!

A visibly older woman appeared this time in the entrance. Despite that, it was clear that this woman was a Master. Specially when compared side by side with Moonlight, both blond, muscly women, although Moonlight was still towering over everyone in the family. 

Green: I bet most of you don’t know who I am. Maybe some do, older punks in the arena, people who cared about the local scene about 10 years ago… I was called, and if you mind, I’m keeping that title, The Hardcore Queen. I was called that because I wrestled pretty much exclusively on bars and other venues where the main show was to beat the opponent to a pulp, make them bleed, make them cry for their mommies. Pinning them was not really a priority. While that may not be the best method in UKWF, the fact is that was the mentality I gave my nephews, The Master Sisters and look at them now, the longest reigning champions in UKWF!

Aurora: Thanks, Aunt Green… But we’re not going to stop there at all. Today we make history again, today we become the very first Two-Time Tag Team Champions, and then, then we’ll run through this company unlike anything these people have ever seen, we’ll make this place The Master’s place, this time as a family! 

Aurora drops her mic, just as Green enters and they all hug each other and raise each other’s arms. 

Katherine: Ladies and Gentlemen… Welcome, your next overlords! Welcome… The Master Family! 

The audience boos the, now even bigger stable, but they don’t seem to care, simply chatting calmly with each other as they wait for their match to begin.